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Lichter K, Paul MM, Pauli M, Schoch S, Kollmannsberger P, Stigloher C, Heckmann M, Sirén AL. Ultrastructural analysis of wild-type and RIM1α knockout active zones in a large cortical synapse. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111382. [PMID: 36130490 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rab3A-interacting molecule (RIM) is crucial for fast Ca2+-triggered synaptic vesicle (SV) release in presynaptic active zones (AZs). We investigated hippocampal giant mossy fiber bouton (MFB) AZ architecture in 3D using electron tomography of rapid cryo-immobilized acute brain slices in RIM1α-/- and wild-type mice. In RIM1α-/-, AZs are larger with increased synaptic cleft widths and a 3-fold reduced number of tightly docked SVs (0-2 nm). The distance of tightly docked SVs to the AZ center is increased from 110 to 195 nm, and the width of their electron-dense material between outer SV membrane and AZ membrane is reduced. Furthermore, the SV pool in RIM1α-/- is more heterogeneous. Thus, RIM1α, besides its role in tight SV docking, is crucial for synaptic architecture and vesicle pool organization in MFBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Lichter
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mila Marie Paul
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Pauli
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Schoch
- Department of Neuropathology and Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Philip Kollmannsberger
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Anna-Leena Sirén
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
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Characterization of Protein-Membrane Interactions in Yeast Autophagy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11121876. [PMID: 35741004 PMCID: PMC9221364 DOI: 10.3390/cells11121876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells rely on autophagy to degrade cytosolic material and maintain homeostasis. During autophagy, content to be degraded is encapsulated in double membrane vesicles, termed autophagosomes, which fuse with the yeast vacuole for degradation. This conserved cellular process requires the dynamic rearrangement of membranes. As such, the process of autophagy requires many soluble proteins that bind to membranes to restructure, tether, or facilitate lipid transfer between membranes. Here, we review the methods that have been used to investigate membrane binding by the core autophagy machinery and additional accessory proteins involved in autophagy in yeast. We also review the key experiments demonstrating how each autophagy protein was shown to interact with membranes.
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Mitochondrial Regulation of the 26S Proteasome. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108059. [PMID: 32846138 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The proteasome is the main proteolytic system for targeted protein degradation in the cell and is fine-tuned according to cellular needs. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction and concomitant metabolic reprogramming of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle reduce the assembly and activity of the 26S proteasome. Both mitochondrial mutations in respiratory complex I and treatment with the anti-diabetic drug metformin impair 26S proteasome activity. Defective 26S assembly is reversible and can be overcome by supplementation of aspartate or pyruvate. This metabolic regulation of 26S activity involves specific regulation of proteasome assembly factors via the mTORC1 pathway. Of note, reducing 26S activity by metformin confers increased resistance toward the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, which is reversible upon pyruvate supplementation. Our study uncovers unexpected consequences of defective mitochondrial metabolism for proteasomal protein degradation in the cell, which has important pathophysiological and therapeutic implications.
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Harper CB, Smillie KJ. Current molecular approaches to investigate pre-synaptic dysfunction. J Neurochem 2021; 157:107-129. [PMID: 33544872 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the course of the last few decades it has become clear that many neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders have a synaptic defect, which contributes to pathogenicity. A rise in new techniques, and in particular '-omics'-based methods providing large datasets, has led to an increase in potential proteins and pathways implicated in synaptic function and related disorders. Additionally, advancements in imaging techniques have led to the recent discovery of alternative modes of synaptic vesicle recycling. This has resulted in a lack of clarity over the precise role of different pathways in maintaining synaptic function and whether these new pathways are dysfunctional in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. A greater understanding of the molecular detail of pre-synaptic function in health and disease is key to targeting new proteins and pathways for novel treatments and the variety of new techniques currently available provides an ideal opportunity to investigate these functions. This review focuses on techniques to interrogate pre-synaptic function, concentrating mainly on synaptic vesicle recycling. It further examines techniques to determine the underlying molecular mechanism of pre-synaptic dysfunction and discusses methods to identify molecular targets, along with protein-protein interactions and cellular localization. In combination, these techniques will provide an expanding and more complete picture of pre-synaptic function. With the application of recent technological advances, we are able to resolve events with higher spatial and temporal resolution, leading research towards a greater understanding of dysfunction at the presynapse and the role it plays in pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callista B Harper
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Karen J Smillie
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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Weil MT, Ruhwedel T, Meschkat M, Sadowski B, Möbius W. Transmission Electron Microscopy of Oligodendrocytes and Myelin. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1936:343-375. [PMID: 30820909 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9072-6_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, we describe protocols to study different aspects of oligodendrocytes and myelin using electron microscopy. First, we describe in detail how to prepare central nervous system tissue routinely by perfusion fixation of the animal and conventional embedding in Epon resin. Then, we explain how, with some modifications, chemically fixed tissue can be used for immunoelectron microscopy on cryosections. Chemical fixation and Epon embedding can also be applied to purified myelin to assess the quality of the preparation. Furthermore, we describe how cryopreparation by high-pressure freezing can be used to study the fine structure of myelin in nerve, brain, and spinal cord tissue. The differences in the structural appearance of oligodendrocytes and myelin between cryopreserved and conventionally processed samples are compared using representative images. Since primary cultured oligodendrocytes are used to study structure and function in vitro, we provide protocols for chemical fixation and Epon embedding of these cultures. Finally, we explain how the cytoskeleton of cultured oligodendrocytes can be visualized by using transmission electron microscopy on platinum-carbon replicas. In this chapter, we provide a wide range of protocols that can be applied to shed light on the different biological aspects of myelin and oligodendrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Theres Weil
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Göttingen, Germany.,Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Göttingen, Germany.,AbbVie Deutschland GmbH and Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Torben Ruhwedel
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Meschkat
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Boguslawa Sadowski
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Göttingen, Germany.,Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wiebke Möbius
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Göttingen, Germany. .,Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Göttingen, Germany.
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Möbius W, Posthuma G. Sugar and ice: Immunoelectron microscopy using cryosections according to the Tokuyasu method. Tissue Cell 2018; 57:90-102. [PMID: 30201442 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Since the pioneering work of Kiyoteru Tokuyasu in the 70ths the use of thawed cryosections prepared according to the "Tokuyasu-method" for immunoelectron microscopy did not lose popularity. We owe this method a whole subcellular world described by discrete gold particles pointing at cargo, receptors and organelle markers on delicate images of the inner life of a cell. Here we explain the procedure of sample preparation, sectioning and immunolabeling in view of recent developments and the reasoning behind protocols including some historical perspective. Cryosections are prepared from chemically fixed and sucrose infiltrated samples and labeled with affinity probes and electron dense markers. These sections are ideal substrates for immunolabeling, since antigens are not exposed to organic solvent dehydration or masked by resin. Instead, the structures remain fully hydrated throughout the labeling procedure. Furthermore, target molecules inside dense intercellular structural elements, cells and organelles are accessible to antibodies from the section surface. For the validation of antibody specificity several approaches are recommended including knock-out tissue and reagent controls. Correlative light and electron microscopy strategies involving correlative probes are possible as well as correlation of live imaging with the underlying ultrastructure. By applying stereology, gold labeling can be quantified and evaluated for specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Möbius
- Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075, Göttingen, Germany; Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - George Posthuma
- Department of Cell Biology, Cell Microscopy Core, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Plasma membrane-located purine nucleotide transport proteins are key components for host exploitation by microsporidian intracellular parasites. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004547. [PMID: 25474405 PMCID: PMC4256464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites of most animal groups including humans, but despite their significant economic and medical importance there are major gaps in our understanding of how they exploit infected host cells. We have investigated the evolution, cellular locations and substrate specificities of a family of nucleotide transport (NTT) proteins from Trachipleistophora hominis, a microsporidian isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient. Transport proteins are critical to microsporidian success because they compensate for the dramatic loss of metabolic pathways that is a hallmark of the group. Our data demonstrate that the use of plasma membrane-located nucleotide transport proteins (NTT) is a key strategy adopted by microsporidians to exploit host cells. Acquisition of an ancestral transporter gene at the base of the microsporidian radiation was followed by lineage-specific events of gene duplication, which in the case of T. hominis has generated four paralogous NTT transporters. All four T. hominis NTT proteins are located predominantly to the plasma membrane of replicating intracellular cells where they can mediate transport at the host-parasite interface. In contrast to published data for Encephalitozoon cuniculi, we found no evidence for the location for any of the T. hominis NTT transporters to its minimal mitochondria (mitosomes), consistent with lineage-specific differences in transporter and mitosome evolution. All of the T. hominis NTTs transported radiolabelled purine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, GTP and GDP) when expressed in Escherichia coli, but did not transport radiolabelled pyrimidine nucleotides. Genome analysis suggests that imported purine nucleotides could be used by T. hominis to make all of the critical purine-based building-blocks for DNA and RNA biosynthesis during parasite intracellular replication, as well as providing essential energy for parasite cellular metabolism and protein synthesis. Microsporidians are highly reduced obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasites that cause significant disease in humans, animals and commercially relevant insects. Despite their medical and economic interest the mechanisms whereby microsporidians exploit the cells they infect are mainly unknown. We have characterised a conserved family of nucleotide transport proteins that we demonstrate have key roles in parasite biology. Microsporidians cannot synthesize the primary building blocks needed to make DNA and RNA for themselves, so they must import the starting materials from the infected host. We show that the microsporidian Trachipleistophora hominis, originally isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient, may achieve this by using four nucleotide transport proteins located in the plasma membrane of replicating intracellular parasites. In functional assays we demonstrate that all four proteins can transport radiolabelled adenine and guanine nucleotides. Genome analysis suggests that the imported nucleotides could be transformed by T. hominis into all of the critical purine-based building-blocks needed for DNA and RNA biosynthesis during parasite intracellular replication, as well as providing essential energy for parasite cellular metabolism and protein synthesis.
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Griffiths G, Lucocq JM. Antibodies for immunolabeling by light and electron microscopy: not for the faint hearted. Histochem Cell Biol 2014; 142:347-60. [PMID: 25151300 PMCID: PMC4160575 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1263-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reliable antibodies represent crucial tools in the arsenal of the cell biologist and using them to localize antigens for immunocytochemistry is one of their most important applications. However, antibody-antigen interactions are much more complex and unpredictable than suggested by the old 'lock and key' analogy, and the goal of trying to prove that an antibody is specific is far more difficult than is generally appreciated. Here, we discuss the problems associated with the very complicated issue of trying to establish that an antibody (and the results obtained with it) is specific for the immunolabeling approaches used in light or electron microscopy. We discuss the increasing awareness that significant numbers of commercial antibodies are often not up to the quality required. We provide guidelines for choosing and testing antibodies in immuno-EM. Finally, we describe how quantitative EM methods can be used to identify reproducible patterns of antibody labeling and also extract specific labeling distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Griffiths
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway,
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