Live-cell imaging of endogenous Ras-GTP illustrates predominant Ras activation at the plasma membrane

Genetically encodable biosensors for Ras activity

Genetically encoded Ras biosensors have been instrumental in illuminating the spatiotemporal dynamics of Ras activity since the beginning of the imaging revolution of the early 21st century. In general, these sensors employ Ras sensing units coupled with fluorescent proteins. These biosensors have not only helped elucidate Ras signalling dynamics at the plasma membrane but also revealed novel roles for Ras signalling within subcellular compartments such as the Golgi apparatus. In this review, we discuss the different classes of biosensors used to measure Ras activity and discuss their importance in uncovering new roles for Ras activity in cellular signalling and behavior.

Inactivation of Ymr1, Sjl2/3 phosphatases promotes stress resistance and longevity in wild type and Ras2G19V yeast

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, RAt Sarcoma (Ras) activity plays a central role in mediating the effect of glucose in decreasing stress resistance and longevity, with constitutive Ras activation mutations promoting cell growth and oncogenesis. Here, we used transposon mutagenesis in yeast to identify suppressors of the constitutively active Ras2G19V, orthologue of the KRASG12C mammalian oncogene. We identified mutations in Yeast Myotubularin Related (YMR1), SynaptoJanin-Like (SJL2) and SJL3 phosphatases, which target phosphatidylinositol phosphates, as the most potent suppressors of constitutive active Ras, able to reverse its effect on stress sensitization and sufficient to extend longevity. In sjl2 mutants, the staining of Ras-GTP switched from membrane-associated to a diffuse cytoplasmic staining, suggesting that it may block Ras activity by preventing its localization. Whereas expression of the Sjl2 PI 3,4,5 phosphatase mediated stress sensitization in both the Ras2G19V and wild type backgrounds, overexpression of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase VPS34 (Vacuolar Protein Sorting), promoted heat shock sensitization only in the Ras2G19V background, suggesting a complex relationship between different phosphatidylinositol and stress resistance. These results provide potential targets to inhibit the growth of cancer cells with constitutive Ras activity and link the glucose-dependent yeast pro-aging Ras signaling pathway to the well-established pro-aging PhosphoInositide 3-Kinase(PI3K) pathway in worms and other species raising the possibility that the conserved longevity effect of mutations in the PI3K-AKT (AK strain Transforming) pathway may involve inhibition of Ras signaling.

Computationally designed sensors detect endogenous Ras activity and signaling effectors at subcellular resolution

The utility of genetically encoded biosensors for sensing the activity of signaling proteins has been hampered by a lack of strategies for matching sensor sensitivity to the physiological concentration range of the target. Here we used computational protein design to generate intracellular sensors of Ras activity (LOCKR-based Sensor for Ras activity (Ras-LOCKR-S)) and proximity labelers of the Ras signaling environment (LOCKR-based, Ras activity-dependent Proximity Labeler (Ras-LOCKR-PL)). These tools allow the detection of endogenous Ras activity and labeling of the surrounding environment at subcellular resolution. Using these sensors in human cancer cell lines, we identified Ras-interacting proteins in oncogenic EML4-Alk granules and found that Src-Associated in Mitosis 68-kDa (SAM68) protein specifically enhances Ras activity in the granules. The ability to subcellularly localize endogenous Ras activity should deepen our understanding of Ras function in health and disease and may suggest potential therapeutic strategies.

CD40 induces selective routing of Ras isoforms to subcellular compartments

Ras GTPases are central to cellular signaling and oncogenesis. The three loci of the Ras gene encode for four protein isoforms namely Harvey-Ras (H-Ras), Kirsten-Ras (K-Ras 4A and 4B), and Neuroblastoma-Ras (N-Ras) which share ~ 80% sequence similarity and used to be considered functionally redundant. The small molecule inhibitors of Ras lack specificity for the isoforms leading to widespread toxicity in Ras-targeted therapeutics. Ras isoforms' tissue-specific expression and selective association with carcinogenesis, embryonic development, and infection suggested their non-redundancy. We show that CD40, an antigen-presenting cell (APC)-expressed immune receptor, induces selective relocation of H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras to the Plasma membrane (PM) lipid rafts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but not to the Golgi complex (GC). The two palmitoylated Ras isoforms-H-Ras and N-Ras-have a similar pattern of colocalization into the lipid-rich raft microdomain of the PM at early time points when compared to non-palmitoylated K-Ras (4B) with polylysine residues. CD40-induced trafficking of H-Ras and K-Ras to mitochondria and ER was found to be similar but different from that of N-Ras. Trafficking of all the Ras isoforms to the GC was independent of CD40 stimulation. The receptor-driven trafficking and spatial segregation of H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras imply isoform-specific subcellular signaling platforms for the functional non-redundancy of Ras isoforms. PDB structures have been modified to illustrate various signaling proteins.

Cell-based optimization and characterization of genetically encoded location-based biosensors for Cdc42 or Rac activity

Rac (herein referring to the Rac family) and Cdc42 are Rho GTPases that regulate the formation of lamellipoda and filopodia, and are therefore crucial in processes such as cell migration. Relocation-based biosensors for Rac and Cdc42 have not been characterized well in terms of their specificity or affinity. In this study, we identify relocation sensor candidates for both Rac and Cdc42. We compared their (1) ability to bind the constitutively active Rho GTPases, (2) specificity for Rac and Cdc42, and (3) relocation efficiency in cell-based assays. Subsequently, the relocation efficiency was improved by a multi-domain approach. For Rac1, we found a sensor candidate with low relocation efficiency. For Cdc42, we found several sensors with sufficient relocation efficiency and specificity. These optimized sensors enable the wider application of Rho GTPase relocation sensors, which was showcased by the detection of local endogenous Cdc42 activity at assembling invadopodia. Moreover, we tested several fluorescent proteins and HaloTag for their influence on the recruitment efficiency of the Rho location sensor, to find optimal conditions for a multiplexing experiment. This characterization and optimization of relocation sensors will broaden their application and acceptance.

CD6-mediated inhibition of T cell activation via modulation of Ras

BACKGROUND

CD6 is one of many cell surface receptors known to regulate signal transduction upon T cell activation. However, whether CD6 mediates costimulatory or inhibitory signals is controversial. When T cells engage with antigen presenting cells (APCs), CD6 interacts with its ligand CD166 at the cell-cell interface while the cytosolic tail assembles a complex signalosome composed of adaptors and effector enzymes, that may either trigger activating signaling cascades, or instead modulate the intensity of signaling. Except for a few cytosolic adaptors that connect different components of the CD6 signalosome, very little is known about the mechanistic effects of the cytosolic effectors that bind CD6.

METHODS

Jurkat model T cells were transfected to express wild-type (WT) CD6, or a cytoplasmic truncation, signaling-disabled mutant, CD6Δcyt. The two resulting cell lines were directly activated by superantigen (sAg)-loaded Raji cells, used as APCs, to assess the net signaling function of CD6. The Jurkat cell lines were further adapted to express a FRET-based unimolecular HRas biosensor that reported the activity of this crucial GTPase at the immunological synapse.

RESULTS

We show that deletion of the cytosolic tail of CD6 enhances T-cell responses, indicating that CD6 restrains T-cell activation. One component of the CD6-associated inhibitory apparatus was found to be the GTPase activating protein of Ras (RasGAP), that we show to associate with CD6 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The FRET HRas biosensor that we developed was demonstrated to be functional and reporting the activation of the T cell lines. This allowed to determine that the presence of the cytosolic tail of CD6 results in the down-regulation of HRas activity at the immunological synapse, implicating this fundamental GTPase as one of the targets inhibited by CD6.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first description of a mechanistic sequence of events underlying the CD6-mediated inhibition of T-cell activation, involving the modulation of the MAPK pathway at several steps, starting with the coupling of RasGAP to the CD6 signalosome, the repression of the activity of Ras, and culminating in the reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and of the expression of the T-cell activation markers CD69 and IL-2R α chain. Video abstract.

Fluorescent Biosensor for Measuring Ras Activity in Living Cells

The small GTPase Ras is a critical regulator of cell growth and proliferation. Its activity is frequently dysregulated in cancers, prompting decades of work to pharmacologically target Ras. Understanding Ras biology and developing effective Ras therapeutics both require probing Ras activity in its native context, yet tools to measure its activities in cellulo are limited. Here, we developed a ratiometric Ras activity reporter (RasAR) that provides quantitative measurement of Ras activity in living cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. We demonstrated that RasAR can probe live-cell activities of all the primary isoforms of Ras. Given that the functional roles of different isoforms of Ras are intimately linked to their subcellular distribution and regulation, we interrogated the spatiotemporal regulation of Ras utilizing subcellularly targeted RasAR and uncovered the role of Src kinase as an upstream regulator to inhibit HRas. Furthermore, we showed that RasAR enables capture of KRasG12C inhibition dynamics in living cells upon treatment with KRasG12C covalent inhibitors, including ARS1620, Sotorasib, and Adagrasib. We found in living cells a residual Ras activity lingers for hours in the presence of these inhibitors. Together, RasAR represents a powerful molecular tool to enable live-cell interrogation of Ras activity and facilitate the development of Ras inhibitors.

Double-edged roles of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 in cancer and its inhibitors in clinical trials

Phosphorylation is a reversible post-translational modification regulated by phosphorylase and dephosphorylase to mediate important cellular events. Src homology-2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) encoded by PTPN11 is the first identified oncogenic protein in protein tyrosine phosphatases family. Serving as a convergent node, SHP2 is involved in multiple cascade signaling pathways including Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, PI3K-AKT, JAK-STAT and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways. Especially, the double-edged roles of SHP2 based on the substrate specificity in various biological contexts dramatically increase the effect complexity in different SHP2-associated diseases. Evidences suggest that by collaborating with other mutations in associated pathways, dysregulation of SHP2 contributes to the pathogenesis of different cancers, making SHP2 a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. SHP2 can either act as oncogenic factor or tumor suppressor in different diseases, and both the conserved catalytic dephosphorylation mechanism and the unique allosteric regulation mechanism of SHP2 provide opportunities for the development of SHP2 inhibitors and activators. To date, several small-molecule SHP2 inhibitors have advanced into clinical trials for mono- or combined therapy of cancers. Moreover, SHP2 activators and proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC)-based degraders also display therapeutic promise. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the overall structures, regulation mechanisms, double-edged roles of SHP2 in both physiological and carcinogenic pathways, and SHP2 inhibitors in clinical trials. SHP2 activators and degraders are also briefly discussed. This review aims to provide in-depth understanding of the biological roles of SHP2 and highlight therapeutic potential of targeting SHP2.

Visualizing endogenous Rho activity with an improved localization-based, genetically encoded biosensor

Rho GTPases are regulatory proteins, which orchestrate cell features such as morphology, polarity and movement. Therefore, probing Rho GTPase activity is key to understanding processes such as development and cell migration. Localization-based reporters for active Rho GTPases are attractive probes to study Rho GTPase-mediated processes in real time with subcellular resolution in living cells and tissue. Until now, relocation Rho biosensors (sensors that relocalize to the native location of active Rho GTPase) seem to have been only useful in certain organisms and have not been characterized well. In this paper, we systematically examined the contribution of the fluorescent protein and Rho-binding peptides on the performance of localization-based sensors. To test the performance, we compared relocation efficiency and specificity in cell-based assays. We identified several improved localization-based, genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors for detecting endogenous Rho activity. This enables a broader application of Rho relocation biosensors, which was demonstrated by using the improved biosensor to visualize Rho activity during several cellular processes, such as cell division, migration and G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Owing to the improved avidity of the new biosensors for Rho activity, cellular processes regulated by Rho can be better understood.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Summary: The dT-2xrGBD location-based Rho biosensor relocalizes more efficiently than other sensors of this type, and this sensor enables the observation of endogenous Rho activity in cultured cells.

Active GTPase Pulldown Protocol

Ras and its related small GTPases are important signalling nodes that regulate a wide variety of cellular functions. The active form of these proteins exists in a transient GTP bound state that mediates downstream signalling events. The dysregulation of these GTPases has been associated with the progression of multiple diseases, most prominently cancer and developmental syndromes known as Rasopathies. Determining the activation state of Ras and its relatives has hence been of paramount importance for the investigation of the biochemical functions of small GTPases in the cellular signal transduction network. This chapter describes the most broadly employed approach for the rapid, label-free qualitative and semi-quantitative determination of the Ras GTPase activation state, which can readily be adapted to the analysis of other related GTPases. The method relies on the affinity-based isolation of the active GTP-bound fraction of Ras in cellular extracts, followed by its visualization via western blotting. Specifically, we describe the production of the recombinant affinity probes or baits that bind to the respective active GTPases and the pulldown method for isolating the active GTPase fraction from adherent or non-adherent cells. This method allows for the reproducible measurement of active Ras or Ras family GTPases in a wide variety of cellular contexts.

Ras Isoforms from Lab Benches to Lives-What Are We Missing and How Far Are We?

The central protein in the oncogenic circuitry is the Ras GTPase that has been under intense scrutiny for the last four decades. From its discovery as a viral oncogene and its non-oncogenic contribution to crucial cellular functioning, an elaborate genetic, structural, and functional map of Ras is being created for its therapeutic targeting. Despite decades of research, there still exist lacunae in our understanding of Ras. The complexity of the Ras functioning is further exemplified by the fact that the three canonical Ras genes encode for four protein isoforms (H-Ras, K-Ras4A, K-Ras4B, and N-Ras). Contrary to the initial assessment that the H-, K-, and N-Ras isoforms are functionally similar, emerging data are uncovering crucial differences between them. These Ras isoforms exhibit not only cell-type and context-dependent functions but also activator and effector specificities on activation by the same receptor. Preferential localization of H-, K-, and N-Ras in different microdomains of the plasma membrane and cellular organelles like Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and endosome adds a new dimension to isoform-specific signaling and diverse functions. Herein, we review isoform-specific properties of Ras GTPase and highlight the importance of considering these towards generating effective isoform-specific therapies in the future.

Diacylglycerol Kinase alpha in X Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease Type 1

Diacylglycerol kinases are intracellular enzymes that control the balance between the secondary messengers diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid. DGKα and DGKζ are the prominent isoforms that restrain the intensity of T cell receptor signalling by metabolizing PLCγ generated diacylglycerol. Thus, their activity must be tightly controlled to grant cellular homeostasis and refine immune responses. DGKα is specifically inhibited by strong T cell activating signals to allow for full diacylglycerol signalling which mediates T cell response. In X-linked lymphoproliferative disease 1, deficiency of the adaptor protein SAP results in altered T cell receptor signalling, due in part to persistent DGKα activity. This activity constrains diacylglycerol levels, attenuating downstream pathways such as PKCθ and Ras/MAPK and decreasing T cell restimulation induced cell death. This is a form of apoptosis triggered by prolonged T cell activation that is indeed defective in CD8⁺ cells of X-linked lymphoproliferative disease type 1 patients. Accordingly, inhibition or downregulation of DGKα activity restores in vitro a correct diacylglycerol dependent signal transduction, cytokines production and restimulation induced apoptosis. In animal disease models, DGKα inhibitors limit CD8⁺ expansion and immune-mediated tissue damage, suggesting the possibility of using inhibitors of diacylglycerol kinase as a new therapeutic approach.

Lack of SNF1 induces localization of active Ras in mitochondria and triggers apoptosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In previous papers we showed that activated Ras proteins are localized to the plasma membrane and in the nucleus in wild-type yeast cells growing exponentially on glucose, while an aberrant accumulation of activated Ras in mitochondria correlated to mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of ROS and regulated cell death. Here we show that also in a strain lacking Snf1, the homolog of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, activated Ras proteins accumulate mainly in these organelles, suggesting an antiapoptotic role for this protein, beside its well-known function in glucose repression. Indeed, in this paper we show that Snf1 protects against apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, following treatment with acetic acid, a well-known inducer of apoptosis in this microorganism, snf1Δ cells show a significant reduction in cell survival and a higher level of ROS when compared with wild-type cells. More importantly, untreated snf1Δ cells show a higher percentage of apoptotic cells compared with wild-type cells, which further increases upon treatment with acetic acid. In order to determine whether the role of Snf1 in regulated cell death is dependent on its catalytic activity, we characterized the Snf1-S214E strain, expressing a catalytically inactive form of Snf1. Data on active Ras proteins localization, cell survival, level of ROS and percentage of apoptotic cells are congruent and suggest that the antiapoptotic role of Snf1 is independent on its kinase activity.

Multiple sources of signal amplification within the B-cell Ras/MAPK pathway

The Ras-Map kinase (MAPK) cascade underlies functional decisions in a wide range of cell types and organisms. In B-cells, positive feedback-driven Ras activation is the proposed source of the digital (all or none) MAPK responses following antigen stimulation. However, an inability to measure endogenous Ras activity in living cells has hampered our ability to test this model directly. Here we leverage biosensors of endogenous Ras and ERK activity to revisit this question. We find that B-cell receptor (BCR) ligation drives switch-like Ras activation and that lower BCR signaling output is required for the maintenance versus the initiation of Ras activation. Surprisingly, digital ERK responses persist in the absence of positive feedback-mediated Ras activation, and digital ERK is observed at a threshold level of Ras activation. These data suggest an independent analogue-to-digital switch downstream of Ras activation and reveal that multiple sources of signal amplification exist within the Ras-ERK module of the BCR pathway.

Ras signals principally via Erk in G1 but cooperates with PI3K/Akt for Cyclin D induction and S-phase entry

Numerous studies exploring oncogenic Ras or manipulating physiological Ras signalling have established an irrefutable role for Ras as driver of cell cycle progression. Despite this wealth of information the precise signalling timeline and effectors engaged by Ras, particularly during G1, remain obscure as approaches for Ras inhibition are slow-acting and ill-suited for charting discrete Ras signalling episodes along the cell cycle. We have developed an approach based on the inducible recruitment of a Ras-GAP that enforces endogenous Ras inhibition within minutes. Applying this strategy to inhibit Ras stepwise in synchronous cell populations revealed that Ras signaling was required well into G1 for Cyclin D induction, pocket protein phosphorylation and S-phase entry, irrespective of whether cells emerged from quiescence or G2/M. Unexpectedly, Erk, and not PI3K/Akt or Ral was activated by Ras at mid-G1, albeit PI3K/Akt signalling was a necessary companion of Ras/Erk for sustaining cyclin-D levels and G1/S transition. Our findings chart mitogenic signaling by endogenous Ras during G1 and identify limited effector engagement restricted to Raf/MEK/Erk as a cogent distinction from oncogenic Ras signalling.

RAS at the Golgi antagonizes malignant transformation through PTPRκ-mediated inhibition of ERK activation

RAS GTPases are frequently mutated in human cancer. H- and NRAS isoforms are distributed over both plasma-membrane and endomembranes, including the Golgi complex, but how this organizational context contributes to cellular transformation is unknown. Here we show that RAS at the Golgi is selectively activated by apoptogenic stimuli and antagonizes cell survival by suppressing ERK activity through the induction of PTPRκ, which targets CRAF for dephosphorylation. Consistently, in contrast to what occurs at the plasma-membrane, RAS at the Golgi cannot induce melanoma in zebrafish. Inactivation of PTPRκ, which occurs frequently in human melanoma, often coincident with TP53 inactivation, accelerates RAS-ERK pathway-driven melanomagenesis in zebrafish. Likewise, tp53 disruption in zebrafish facilitates oncogenesis driven by RAS from the Golgi complex. Thus, RAS oncogenic potential is strictly dependent on its sublocalization, with Golgi complex-located RAS antagonizing tumor development.

RAS isoforms are associated with the plasma membrane and endomembranes, but how their localization contributes to tumorigenesis is unclear. Here, the authors show that RAS signals from Golgi complex antagonize tumour formation by inducing apoptosis via ERK inhibition.

Early and Late Induction of KRAS and HRAS Proto-Oncogenes by Reactive Oxygen Species in Primary Astrocytes

Astrocytes, one of the predominant types of glial cells, function as both supportive and metabolic cells for the brain. Among mammalian tissues, the highest levels of p21^Ras protein are detected in the brain. Here, we investigated the expression of KRAS and HRAS proto-oncogenes in primary astrocytes following acute oxidative stimulation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) changed the expression of proto-oncogenes at both transcriptional and translational levels. De novo protein synthesis analysis measured approximate values of proteins half-life, ranging from 1–4 h, of the different H- and K- isoforms by western blot analysis. Quantitative gene expression analysis of KRAS and HRAS revealed an unexpected short-term induction of KRAS mRNA in primary astrocytes in response to acute stimulation. Indeed, cultured astrocytes responded to proteasomal inhibition by preventing the reduction of c-K-Ras. A fraction of K-Ras protein accumulated in the presence of ROS and cycloheximide, while a substantial proportion was continuously synthesized. These data indicate that ROS regulate in a complementary fashion p21^Ras isoforms in primary astrocytes: K-Ras is rapidly and transiently induced by post-translational and post-transcriptional mechanisms, while H-Ras is stably induced by mRNA accumulation. We suggest that K-Ras and H-Ras are ROS sensors that adapt cells to metabolic needs and oxidative stress.

Detection of cAMP and of PKA activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae single cells using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) probes

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein kinase A (PKA) play a central role in metabolism regulation, stress resistance and cell cycle progression. To monitor cAMP levels and PKA activity in vivo in single S. cerevisiae cells, we expressed an Epac-based FRET probe and a FRET-based A-kinase activity reporter, which were proven to be useful live-cell biosensors for cAMP levels and PKA activity in mammalian cells. Regarding detection of cAMP in single yeast cells, we show that in wild type strains the CFP/YFP fluorescence ratio increased immediately after glucose addition to derepressed cells, while no changes were observed when glucose was added to a strain that is not able to produce cAMP. In addition, we had evidence for damped oscillations in cAMP levels at least in SP1 strain. Regarding detection of PKA activity, we show that in wild type strains the FRET increased after glucose addition to derepressed cells, while no changes were observed when glucose was added to either a strain that is not able to produce cAMP or to a strain with absent PKA activity. Taken together these probes are useful to follow activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway in single yeast cells and for long times (up to one hour).

RasGRF Couples Nox4-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Signaling to Ras

OBJECTIVES

In response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, endothelial cells initiate corrective pathways such as the unfolded protein response. Recent studies suggest that reactive oxygen species produced on the ER may participate in homeostatic signaling through Ras in response to ER stress. We sought to identify mechanisms responsible for this focal signaling pathway.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

In endothelial cells, we found that ER stress induced by tunicamycin activates the NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase Nox4 focally on the ER surface but not on the plasma membrane. Ras activation is also restricted to the ER, occurs downstream of Nox4, and is required for activation of the unfolded protein response. In contrast, treatment with the growth factor VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) results in Ras activation and reactive oxygen species production confined instead to the plasma membrane and not to the ER, demonstrating local coupling of reactive oxygen species and Ras signals. We further identify the calcium-responsive, ER-resident guanyl exchange factors RasGRF1 and RasGRF2 as novel upstream mediators linking Nox4 with Ras activation in response to ER stress. Oxidation of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase and increases in cytosolic calcium caused by ER stress are blocked by Nox4 knockdown, and reduction in cytosolic free calcium prevents both Ras activation and the unfolded protein response.

CONCLUSIONS

ER stress triggers a localized signaling module on the ER surface involving Nox4-dependent calcium mobilization, which directs local Ras activation through ER-associated, calcium-responsive RasGRF.

Defined spatiotemporal features of RAS-ERK signals dictate cell fate in MCF-7 mammary epithelial cells

Signals conveyed through the RAS-ERK pathway are essential for the determination of cell fate. It is well established that signal variability is achieved in the different microenvironments in which signals unfold. It is also known that signal duration is critical for decisions concerning cell commitment. However, it is unclear how RAS-ERK signals integrate time and space in order to elicit a given biological response. To investigate this, we used MCF-7 cells, in which EGF-induced transient ERK activation triggers proliferation, whereas sustained ERK activation in response to heregulin leads to adipocytic differentiation. We found that both proliferative and differentiating signals emanate exclusively from plasma membrane-disordered microdomains. Of interest, the EGF signal can be transformed into a differentiating stimulus by HRAS overexpression, which prolongs ERK activation, but only if HRAS localizes at disordered membrane. On the other hand, HRAS signals emanating from the Golgi complex induce apoptosis and can prevent heregulin-induced differentiation. Our results indicate that within the same cellular context, RAS can exert different, even antagonistic, effects, depending on its sublocalization. Thus cell destiny is defined by the ability of a stimulus to activate RAS at the appropriate sublocalization for an adequate period while avoiding switching on opposing RAS signals.

Feedback activation of neurofibromin terminates growth factor-induced Ras activation

Background

Growth factors induce a characteristically short-lived Ras activation in cells emerging from quiescence. Extensive work has shown that transient as opposed to sustained Ras activation is critical for the induction of mitogenic programs. Mitogen-induced accumulation of active Ras-GTP results from increased nucleotide exchange driven by the nucleotide exchange factor Sos. In contrast, the mechanism accounting for signal termination and prompt restoration of basal Ras-GTP levels is unclear, but has been inferred to involve feedback inhibition of Sos. Remarkably, how GTP-hydrolase activating proteins (GAPs) participate in controlling the rise and fall of Ras-GTP levels is unknown.

Results

Monitoring nucleotide exchange of Ras in permeabilized cells we find, unexpectedly, that the decline of growth factor-induced Ras-GTP levels proceeds in the presence of unabated high nucleotide exchange, pointing to GAP activation as a major mechanism of signal termination. Experiments with non-hydrolysable GTP analogues and mathematical modeling confirmed and rationalized the presence of high GAP activity as Ras-GTP levels decline in a background of high nucleotide exchange. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches we document a raised activity of the neurofibromatosis type I tumor suppressor Ras-GAP neurofibromin and an involvement of Rsk1 and Rsk2 in the down-regulation of Ras-GTP levels.

Conclusions

Our findings show that, in addition to feedback inhibition of Sos, feedback stimulation of the RasGAP neurofibromin enforces termination of the Ras signal in the context of growth-factor signaling. These findings ascribe a precise role to neurofibromin in growth factor-dependent control of Ras activity and illustrate how, by engaging Ras-GAP activity, mitogen-challenged cells play safe to ensure a timely termination of the Ras signal irrespectively of the reigning rate of nucleotide exchange.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12964-016-0128-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Methods to study the Ras2 protein activation state and the subcellular localization of Ras-GTP in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ras proteins were highly conserved during evolution. They function as a point of convergence for different signalling pathways in eukaryotes and are involved in a wide range of cellular responses (shift from gluconeogenic to fermentative growth, breakdown of storage carbohydrates, stress resistance, growth control and determination of life span, morphogenesis and development, and others). These proteins are members of the small GTPase superfamily, which are active in the GTP-bound form and inactive in the GDP-bound form. Given the importance of studies on the Ras protein activation state to understand the detailed mechanism of Ras-mediated signal transduction, we provide here a simple, sensitive, and reliable method, based on the high affinity interaction of Ras-GTP with the Ras binding domain (RBD) of Raf1, to measure the level of Ras2-GTP on total Ras2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Moreover, to study the localization of Ras-GTP in vivo in single S. cerevisiae cells, we expressed a probe consisting of a GFP fusion with a trimeric Ras Binding Domain of Raf1 (eGFP-RBD3), which was proven to be a useful live-cell biosensor for Ras-GTP in mammalian cells.

Real-time visualization and quantification of native Ras activation in single living cells

Members of the Ras family of small guanosine triphosphate phosphohydrolases are GDP/GTP-binding proteins that function as pivotal molecular switches in multiple cell biological processes. The prototypical Ras family members K-Ras, N-Ras, and H-Ras, in particular, have been the focus of intense research for the last 30 years owing to their critical function as signalling nodes in the control of cell growth and proliferation and as drivers of oncogenic transformation. One aspect that has attracted much attention in recent times is the spatial control of Ras activity, which is dictated largely by a series of posttranslational modifications that do effectively govern the subcellular distribution and trafficking of Ras. Accordingly, strong emphasis has been placed on developing methodological microscopy-based approaches for the visualization of active Ras-GTP complexes at subcellular resolution. Here we describe the use of a collection of fluorescent affinity probes for the real-time visualization of Ras-GTP in live cells. These probes are multivalent and thus feature high avidity/affinity to Ras-GTP, which obviates the over-expression of Ras and enables one to image endogenous Ras-GTP formation. In addition, this chapter details the use of automated segmentation strategies for the unbiased quantification of probe-derived fluorescence at individual subcellular sites like the plasma membrane and endomembranes.

Graded inhibition of oncogenic Ras-signaling by multivalent Ras-binding domains

BACKGROUND

Ras is a membrane-associated small G-protein that funnels growth and differentiation signals into downstream signal transduction pathways by cycling between an inactive, GDP-bound and an active, GTP-bound state. Aberrant Ras activity as a result of oncogenic mutations causes de novo cell transformation and promotes tumor growth and progression.

RESULTS

Here, we describe a novel strategy to block deregulated Ras activity by means of oligomerized cognate protein modules derived from the Ras-binding domain of c-Raf (RBD), which we named MSOR for multivalent scavengers of oncogenic Ras. The introduction of well-characterized mutations into RBD was used to adjust the affinity and hence the blocking potency of MSOR towards activated Ras. MSOR inhibited several oncogenic Ras-stimulated processes including downstream activation of Erk1/2, induction of matrix-degrading enzymes, cell motility and invasiveness in a graded fashion depending on the oligomerization grade and the nature of the individual RBD-modules. The amenability to accurate experimental regulation was further improved by engineering an inducible MSOR-expression system to render the reversal of oncogenic Ras effects controllable.

CONCLUSION

MSOR represent a new tool for the experimental and possibly therapeutic selective blockade of oncogenic Ras signals.

Nuclear Ras2-GTP controls invasive growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Using an eGFP-RBD3 probe, which specifically binds Ras-GTP, we recently showed that the fluorescent probe was localized to the plasma membrane and to the nucleus in wild type cells growing exponentially on glucose medium, indicating the presence of active Ras in these cellular compartments. To investigate the nuclear function of Ras-GTP, we generated a strain where Ras2 is fused to the nuclear export signal (NES) from the HIV virus, in order to exclude this protein from the nucleus. Our results show that nuclear active Ras2 is required for invasive growth development in haploid yeast, while the expression of the NES-Ras2 protein does not cause growth defects either on fermentable or non-fermentable carbon sources and does not influence protein kinase A (PKA) activity related phenotypes analysed. Moreover, we show that the cAMP/PKA pathway controls invasive growth influencing the localization of active Ras. In particular, we show that PKA activity plays a role in the localization of active Ras and influences the ability of the cells to invade the agar: high PKA activity leads to a predominant nuclear accumulation of active Ras and induces invasive growth, while low PKA activity leads to plasma membrane localization of active Ras and to a defective invasive growth phenotype.

Ras palmitoylation is necessary for N-Ras activation and signal propagation in growth factor signalling

Ras GTPases undergo post-translational modifications that govern their subcellular trafficking and localization. In particular, palmitoylation of the Golgi tags N-Ras and H-Ras for exocytotic transport and residency at the PM (plasma membrane). Following depalmitoylation, PM-Ras redistributes to all subcellular membranes causing an accumulation of palmitate-free Ras at endomembranes, including the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum. Palmitoylation is unanimously regarded as a critical modification at the crossroads of Ras activity and trafficking control, but its precise relevance to native wild-type Ras function in growth factor signalling is unknown. We show in the present study by use of palmitoylation-deficient N-Ras mutants and via the analysis of palmitate content of agonist-activated GTP-loaded N-Ras that only palmitoylated N-Ras becomes activated by agonists. In line with an essential role of palmitoylation in Ras activation, dominant-negative RasS17N loses its blocking potency if rendered devoid of palmitoylation. Live-cell Ras-GTP imaging shows that N-Ras activation proceeds only at the PM, consistent with activated N-Ras-GTP being palmitoylated. Finally, palmitoylation-deficient N-Ras does not sustain EGF (epidermal growth factor) or serum-elicited mitogenic signalling, confirming that palmitoylation is essential for signal transduction by N-Ras. These findings document that N-Ras activation proceeds at the PM and suggest that depalmitoylation, by removing Ras from the PM, may contribute to the shutdown of Ras signalling.

Regulation of ras exchange factors and cellular localization of ras activation by lipid messengers in T cells

The Ras-MAPK signaling pathway is highly conserved throughout evolution and is activated downstream of a wide range of receptor stimuli. Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs) catalyze GTP loading of Ras and play a pivotal role in regulating receptor-ligand induced Ras activity. In T cells, three families of functionally important RasGEFs are expressed: RasGRF, RasGRP, and Son of Sevenless (SOS)-family GEFs. Early on it was recognized that Ras activation is critical for T cell development and that the RasGEFs play an important role herein. More recent work has revealed that nuances in Ras activation appear to significantly impact T cell development and selection. These nuances include distinct biochemical patterns of analog versus digital Ras activation, differences in cellular localization of Ras activation, and intricate interplays between the RasGEFs during distinct T cell developmental stages as revealed by various new mouse models. In many instances, the exact nature of these nuances in Ras activation or how these may result from fine-tuning of the RasGEFs is not understood. One large group of biomolecules critically involved in the control of RasGEFs functions are lipid second messengers. Multiple, yet distinct lipid products are generated following T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation and bind to different domains in the RasGRP and SOS RasGEFs to facilitate the activation of the membrane-anchored Ras GTPases. In this review we highlight how different lipid-based elements are generated by various enzymes downstream of the TCR and other receptors and how these dynamic and interrelated lipid products may fine-tune Ras activation by RasGEFs in developing T cells.

A requirement for wild-type Ras isoforms in mutant KRas-driven signalling and transformation

The mutant forms of KRas, NRas and HRas drive the initiation and progression of a number of human cancers, but less is known about the role of WT (wild-type) Ras alleles and isoforms in cancer. We used zinc-finger nucleases targeting HRas and NRas to modify both alleles of these genes in the mutant KRas-driven Hec1A endometrial cancer cell line, which normally expresses WT copies of these genes. The disruption of either WT isoform of Ras compromised growth-factor-dependent signalling through the ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) pathway. In addition, the disruption of HRas hindered the activation of Akt and subsequent downstream signalling. This was associated with decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis and decreased anchorage-independent growth in the HRas-disrupted cells. However, xenograft tumour growth was not significantly affected by the disruption of either NRas or HRas. As expected, deleting the mutant allele of KRas abolished tumour growth, whereas deletion of the remaining WT copy of KRas increased the tumorigenic properties of these cells; deleting a single copy of either HRas or NRas did not mimic this effect. The present study demonstrates that the WT copies of HRas, NRas and KRas play unique roles in the context of mutant KRas-driven tumours.

Chemokine unresponsiveness of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells results from impaired endosomal recycling of Rap1 and is associated with a distinctive type of immunological anergy

Trafficking of malignant lymphocytes is fundamental to the biology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Transendothelial migration (TEM) of normal lymphocytes into lymph nodes requires the chemokine-induced activation of Rap1 and αLβ2 integrin. However, in most cases of CLL, Rap1 is refractory to chemokine stimulation, resulting in failed αLβ2 activation and TEM unless α4β1 is coexpressed. In this study, we show that the inability of CXCL12 to induce Rap1 GTP loading in CLL cells results from failure of Rap1-containing endosomes to translocate to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, failure of chemokine-induced Rap1 translocation/GTP loading was associated with a specific pattern of cellular IgD distribution resembling that observed in normal B cells anergized by DNA-based Ags. Anergic features and chemokine unresponsiveness could be simultaneously reversed by culturing CLL cells ex vivo, suggesting that these two features are coupled and driven by stimuli present in the in vivo microenvironment. Finally, we show that failure of Rap1 translocation/GTP loading is linked to defective activation of phospholipase D1 and its upstream activator Arf1. Taken together, our findings indicate that chemokine unresponsiveness in CLL lymphocytes results from failure of Arf1/phospholipase D1-mediated translocation of Rap1 to the plasma membrane for GTP loading and may be a specific feature of anergy induced by DNA Ags.

Crosstalk of small GTPases at the Golgi apparatus

Small GTPases regulate a wide range of homeostatic processes such as cytoskeletal dynamics, organelle homeostasis, cell migration and vesicle trafficking, as well as in pathologic conditions such as carcinogenesis and metastatic spreading. Therefore, it is important to understand the regulation of small GTPase signaling, but this is complicated by the fact that crosstalk exists between different GTPase families and that we have to understand how they signal in time and space. The Golgi apparatus represents a hub for several signaling molecules and its importance in this field is constantly increasing. In this review we will discuss small GTPases signaling at the Golgi apparatus. Then, we will highlight recent work that contributed to a better understanding of crosstalk between different small GTPase families, with a special emphasis on their crosstalk at the Golgi apparatus. Finally, we will give a brief overview of available methods and tools to investigate spatio-temporal small GTPase crosstalk.

Features of Ras activation by a mislocalized oncogenic tyrosine kinase: FLT3 ITD signals via K-Ras at the plasma membrane of Acute Myeloid Leukemia cells

FLT3 ITD (FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 with internal tandem duplication) is an important oncoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Owing to its constitutive kinase activity FLT3 ITD accumulates partially at endomembranes, a feature shared with other disease-associated, mutated receptor tyrosine kinases. Since Ras proteins also transit through endomembranes we have investigated the possible existence of an intracellular FLT3 ITD/Ras signaling pathway by comparing Ras signaling of FLT3 ITD with that of wild-type FLT3. Ligand stimulation activated both K- and N-Ras in cells expressing wild-type FLT3. Life-cell Ras-GTP imaging revealed ligand-induced Ras activation at the plasma membrane (PM). FLT3 ITD dependent constitutive activation of K-Ras and N-Ras was also observed primarily at the PM, supporting the view that the PM-resident pool of FLT3 ITD engaged the Ras/Erk pathway in AML cells. Accordingly, specific interference with FLT3 ITD/Ras signaling at the PM using PM-restricted dominant negative K-RasS17N potently inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis, corroborating that Ras signalling is crucial for FLT3 ITD dependent cell transformation and confirming that FLT3 ITD addresses PM-bound Ras despite its pronounced mislocalization to endomembranes.

Live-cell imaging of endogenous Ras-GTP shows predominant Ras activation at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ras proteins function as a point of convergence for different signalling pathways in eukaryotes and are involved in many cellular responses; their different subcellular locations could regulate distinct functions. To investigate the localization of active Ras in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we expressed a probe consisting of a GFP fusion with a trimeric Ras binding domain of Raf1 (eGFP-RBD3), which binds Ras-GTP with a much higher affinity than Ras-GDP. Our results show that in wild type cells active Ras accumulates mainly at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus during growth on medium containing glucose, while it accumulates mainly in mitochondria in wild type glucose-starved cells and relocalizes to the plasma membrane and to the nucleus upon addition of this sugar. A similar pattern is observed in a strain deleted in the CYR1 gene indicating that the absence of adenylate cyclase does not impair the localization of Ras-GTP. Remarkably, in a gpa2Δ, but not in a gpr1Δ mutant, active Ras accumulates in internal membranes and mitochondria, both when cells are growing on glucose medium or are starved, indicating that Gpa2, but not Gpr1 is required for the recruitment of Ras-GTP at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus. Moreover, deletion of both HXK1 and HXK2 also causes a mitochondrial localization of the probe, which relocalizes to the plasma membrane and to the nucleus upon expression of HXK2 on a centromeric plasmid, suggesting that this kinase is involved in the proper localization of active Ras.

Alteration of EGFR spatiotemporal dynamics suppresses signal transduction

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which regulates cell growth and survival, is integral to colon tumorigenesis. Lipid rafts play a role in regulating EGFR signaling, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is known to perturb membrane domain organization through changes in lipid rafts. Therefore, we investigated the mechanistic link between EGFR function and DHA. Membrane incorporation of DHA into immortalized colonocytes altered the lateral organization of EGFR. DHA additionally increased EGFR phosphorylation but paradoxically suppressed downstream signaling. Assessment of the EGFR-Ras-ERK1/2 signaling cascade identified Ras GTP binding as the locus of the DHA-induced disruption of signal transduction. DHA also antagonized EGFR signaling capacity by increasing receptor internalization and degradation. DHA suppressed cell proliferation in an EGFR-dependent manner, but cell proliferation could be partially rescued by expression of constitutively active Ras. Feeding chronically-inflamed, carcinogen-injected C57BL/6 mice a fish oil containing diet enriched in DHA recapitulated the effects on the EGFR signaling axis observed in cell culture and additionally suppressed tumor formation. We conclude that DHA-induced alteration in both the lateral and subcellular localization of EGFR culminates in the suppression of EGFR downstream signal transduction, which has implications for the molecular basis of colon cancer prevention by DHA.

Acetate regulation of spore formation is under the control of the Ras/cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway and carbon dioxide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Ras/cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway is a nutrient-sensitive signaling cascade that regulates vegetative growth, carbohydrate metabolism, and entry into meiosis. How this pathway controls later steps of meiotic development is largely unknown. Here, we have analyzed the role of the Ras/cAMP/PKA pathway in spore formation by the meiosis-specific manipulation of Ras and PKA or by the disturbance of cAMP production. We found that the regulation of spore formation by acetate takes place after commitment to meiosis and depends on PKA and appropriate A kinase activation by Ras/Cyr1 adenylyl cyclase but not by activation through the Gpa2/Gpr1 branch. We further discovered that spore formation is regulated by carbon dioxide/bicarbonate, and an analysis of mutants defective in acetate transport (ady2Δ) or carbonic anhydrase (nce103Δ) provided evidence that these metabolites are involved in connecting the nutritional state of the meiotic cell to spore number control. Finally, we observed that the potential PKA target Ady1 is required for the proper localization of the meiotic plaque proteins Mpc70 and Spo74 at spindle pole bodies and for the ability of these proteins to initiate spore formation. Overall, our investigation suggests that the Ras/cAMP/PKA pathway plays a crucial role in the regulation of spore formation by acetate and indicates that the control of meiotic development by this signaling cascade takes places at several steps and is more complex than previously anticipated.

Ras, an actor on many stages: posttranslational modifications, localization, and site-specified events

Among the wealth of information that we have gathered about Ras in the past decade, the introduction of the concept of space in the field has constituted a major revolution that has enabled many pieces of the Ras puzzle to fall into place. In the early days, it was believed that Ras functioned exclusively at the plasma membrane. Today, we know that within the plasma membrane, the 3 Ras isoforms-H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras-occupy different microdomains and that these isoforms are also present and active in endomembranes. We have also discovered that Ras proteins are not statically associated with these localizations; instead, they traffic dynamically between compartments. And we have learned that at these localizations, Ras is under site-specific regulatory mechanisms, distinctively engaging effector pathways and switching on diverse genetic programs to generate different biological responses. All of these processes are possible in great part due to the posttranslational modifications whereby Ras proteins bind to membranes and to regulatory events such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination that Ras is subject to. As such, space and these control mechanisms act in conjunction to endow Ras signals with an enormous signal variability that makes possible its multiple biological roles. These data have established the concept that the Ras signal, instead of being one single, homogeneous entity, results from the integration of multiple, site-specified subsignals, and Ras has become a paradigm of how space can differentially shape signaling.

SAP-mediated inhibition of diacylglycerol kinase α regulates TCR-induced diacylglycerol signaling

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) metabolize diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid. In T lymphocytes, DGKα acts as a negative regulator of TCR signaling by decreasing diacylglycerol levels and inducing anergy. In this study, we show that upon costimulation of the TCR with CD28 or signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), DGKα, but not DGKζ, exits from the nucleus and undergoes rapid negative regulation of its enzymatic activity. Inhibition of DGKα is dependent on the expression of SAP, an adaptor protein mutated in X-linked lymphoproliferative disease, which is essential for SLAM-mediated signaling and contributes to TCR/CD28-induced signaling and T cell activation. Accordingly, overexpression of SAP is sufficient to inhibit DGKα, whereas SAP mutants unable to bind either phospho-tyrosine residues or SH3 domain are ineffective. Moreover, phospholipase C activity and calcium, but not Src-family tyrosine kinases, are also required for negative regulation of DGKα. Finally, inhibition of DGKα in SAP-deficient cells partially rescues defective TCR/CD28 signaling, including Ras and ERK1/2 activation, protein kinase C membrane recruitment, induction of NF-AT transcriptional activity, and IL-2 production. Thus SAP-mediated inhibition of DGKα sustains diacylglycerol signaling, thereby regulating T cell activation, and it may represent a novel pharmacological strategy for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease treatment.

Ras trafficking, localization and compartmentalized signalling

Ras proteins are proto-oncogenes that are frequently mutated in human cancers. Three closely related isoforms, HRAS, KRAS and NRAS, are expressed in all cells and have overlapping but distinctive functions. Recent work has revealed how differences between the Ras isoforms in their trafficking, localization and protein-membrane orientation enable signalling specificity to be determined. We review the various strategies used to characterize compartmentalized Ras localization and signalling. Localization is an important contextual modifier of signalling networks and insights from the Ras system are of widespread relevance for researchers interested in signalling initiated from membranes.

Mechanistic modeling to investigate signaling by oncogenic Ras mutants

Mathematical models based on biochemical reaction mechanisms can be a powerful complement to experimental investigations of cell signaling networks. In principle, such models have the potential to find the behaviors that result from well-understood component interactions and their measurable properties, such as concentrations and rate constants. As cancer results from the acquisition of mutations that alter the expression level and/or the biochemistry of proteins encoded by mutated genes, mathematical models of cell signaling networks would also seem to have the potential to predict how these changes alter cell signaling to produce a cancer phenotype. Ras is commonly found in cancer and has been extensively characterized at the level of detail needed to develop such models. Here, we consider how biochemical mechanism-based models have been used to study mutant Ras signaling. These models demonstrate that it is clearly possible to use observable properties of individual reactions to predict how the entire system behaves to produce the high levels of signal that drive the cancer phenotype. These models also demonstrate differences in how models are developed and studied. Their evaluation suggests which approaches are most promising for future work.

Signaling from the living plasma membrane

Our understanding of the plasma membrane, once viewed simply as a static barrier, has been revolutionized to encompass a complex, dynamic organelle that integrates the cell with its extracellular environment. Here, we discuss how bidirectional signaling across the plasma membrane is achieved by striking a delicate balance between restriction and propagation of information over different scales of time and space and how underlying dynamic mechanisms give rise to rich, context-dependent signaling responses. In this Review, we show how computer simulations can generate counterintuitive predictions about the spatial organization of these complex processes.

Spatiotemporal regulation of small GTPases as revealed by probes based on the principle of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET): Implications for signaling and pharmacology

Low molecular weight ("small") GTPases are key regulators of a number of signaling cascades. Each GTPase is regulated by numerous guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), and each GTPase binds to numerous effector proteins in a GTP-dependent manner. In many instances, individual regulators activate more than one GTPase, and each effector binds to one or more GTPases belonging to the same family. To untangle these complex networks, probes based on the principle of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) are widely used. Here, we provide an overview of the probes based on FRET and examples of discoveries achieved with them. In the process, we attempt to delineate the merits, current limitations, and future applications of this technique to pharmacological studies.

Demonstration of angiotensin II-induced Ras activation in the trans-Golgi network and endoplasmic reticulum using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors

Previous studies have demonstrated that molecules of the Ras signaling pathway are present in intracellular compartments, including early endosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and the Golgi, and suggested that mitogens can regulate Ras activity in these endomembranes. In this study, we investigated the effect of angiotensin II (AngII) on intracellular Ras activity in living HEK293 cells expressing angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT(1)-Rs) using newly developed bioluminescence resonance energy transfer biosensors. To investigate the subcellular localization of AngII-induced Ras activation, we targeted our probes to various intracellular compartments, such as the trans-Golgi network (TGN), the ER, and early endosomes. Using these biosensors, we detected AngII-induced Ras activation in the TGN and ER, but not in early endosomes. In cells expressing a cytoplasmic tail deletion AT(1)-R mutant, the AngII-induced response was enhanced, suggesting that receptor internalization and β-arrestin binding are not required for AngII-induced Ras activation in endomembranes. Although we were able to demonstrate EGF-induced Ras activation in the plasma membrane and TGN, but not in other endomembranes, AG1478, an EGF receptor inhibitor, did not affect the AngII-induced response, suggesting that the latter is independent of EGF receptor transactivation. AngII was unable to stimulate Ras activity in the studied compartments in cells expressing a G protein coupling-deficient AT(1)-R mutant ((125)DRY(127) to (125)AAY(127)). These data suggest that AngII can stimulate Ras activity in the TGN and ER with a G protein-dependent mechanism, which does not require β-arrestin-mediated signaling, receptor internalization, and EGF receptor transactivation.

TCR-induced activation of Ras proceeds at the plasma membrane and requires palmitoylation of N-Ras

Ras transmits manifold signals from the TCR at various crossroads in the life of a T cell. For example, selection programs in the thymus or the acquisition of a state of hypo-responsiveness known as anergy are just some of the T cell features known to be controlled by TCR-sparked signals that are intracellularly propagated by Ras. These findings raise the question of how Ras can transmit such a variety of signals leading to the shaping of equally many T cell traits. Because Ras proteins transit through endomembrane compartments on their way to the plasma membrane (PM), compartmentalized Ras activation at distinct subcellular sites represents a potential mechanism for signal diversification in TCR signaling. This hypothesis has been nurtured by studies in T cells engineered to overexpress Ras that reported distinct activation of Ras at the PM and Golgi. Contrary to this scenario, we report in this study that activation of endogenous Ras, imaged in live Jurkat T cells using novel affinity probes for Ras-GTP, proceeds only at the PM even upon enforced signal flux through the diacylglycerol/RasGRP1 pathway. Physiological engagement of the TCR at the immunological synapse in primary T cells caused focalized Ras-GTP accumulation also only at the PM. Analysis of palmitoylation-deficient Ras mutants, which are confined to endomembranes, confirmed that the TCR does not activate Ras in that compartment and revealed a critical function for palmitoylation in N-Ras/H-Ras activation. These findings identify the PM as the only site of TCR-driven Ras activation and document that endomembranes are not a signaling platform for Ras in T cells.

Nox4-derived H2O2 mediates endoplasmic reticulum signaling through local Ras activation

The unfolded-protein response (UPR) of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been linked to oxidant production, although the molecular details and functional significance of this linkage are poorly understood. Using a ratiometric H(2)O(2) sensor targeted to different subcellular compartments, we demonstrate specific production of H(2)O(2) by the ER in response to the stressors tunicamycin and HIV-1 Tat, but not to thapsigargin or dithiothreitol. Knockdown of the oxidase Nox4, expressed on ER endomembranes, or expression of ER-targeted catalase blocked ER H(2)O(2) production by tunicamycin and Tat and prevented the UPR following exposure to these two agonists, but not to thapsigargin or dithiothreitol. Tat also triggered Nox4-dependent, sustained activation of Ras leading to ERK, but not phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mTOR, pathway activation. Cell fractionation studies and green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions of GTPase effector binding domains confirmed selective activation of endogenous RhoA and Ras on the ER surface, with ER-associated K-Ras acting upstream of the UPR and downstream of Nox4. Notably, the Nox4/Ras/ERK pathway induced autophagy, and suppression of autophagy unmasked cell death and prevented differentiation of endothelial cells in 3-dimensional matrix. We conclude that the ER surface provides a platform to spatially organize agonist-specific Nox4-dependent oxidative signaling events, leading to homeostatic protective mechanisms rather than oxidative stress.

A RasGTP-induced conformational change in C-RAF is essential for accurate molecular recognition

The dysregulation of Ras-RAF signaling is associated with many types of human cancer. However, the kinetic and dynamic features of the mutual molecular recognition of Ras and RAF remain unknown. Here, we developed a technique for imaging single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer in living cells, and coupled this technique to single-molecule kinetic analysis to investigate how C-RAF (a subtype of RAF) molecules distinguish the active form of Ras (RasGTP) from the inactive form (RasGDP). Functional fragments of C-RAF containing the Ras-binding domains did not detect the switch in Ras activity in living cells as efficiently as did C-RAF. Single-molecule analysis showed that RasGDP associates with closed-conformation C-RAF, whereas the association of C-RAF with RasGTP immediately triggers the open RAF conformation, which induces an effective interaction between C-RAF and RasGTP. Spontaneous conformational changes from closed C-RAF to the open form rarely occur in quiescent cells. The conformational change in C-RAF is so important to Ras-RAF molecular recognition that C-RAF mutants lacking the conformational change cannot distinguish between RasGDP and RasGTP. The manipulation of the conformation of an effector molecule is a newly identified function of RasGTP.

Ras/MAPK signaling from endomembranes

Signal transduction along the Ras/MAPK pathway has been generally thought to take place at the plasma membrane. It is now evident that the plasma membrane is not the only platform capable of Ras/MAPK signal induction. Fusion of Ras with green fluorescent protein and the development of genetically encoded fluorescent probes for Ras activation have revealed signaling events on a variety of intracellular membranes including endosomes, the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, the Ras/MAPK pathway is spatially compartmentalized within cells and this may afford greater complexity of signal output.

Compartmentalized signalling: Ras proteins and signalling nanoclusters

Differential subcellular compartmentalization of the three main Ras isoforms (H-Ras, N-Ras and K-Ras) is believed to underlie their biological differences. Modulatable interactions between cellular membranes and Ras C-terminal hypervariable region motifs determine differences in trafficking and the relative proportions of each isoform in cell-surface signalling nanoclusters and intracellular endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi, endosomal and mitochondrial compartments. Ras regulators, effectors and scaffolds are also differentially distributed, potentially enabling preferential coupling to specific signalling pathways in each subcellular location. Here we summarize the mechanisms underlying compartment-specific Ras signalling and the outputs generated.

Reassessment of the role of FKBP38 in the Rheb/mTORC1 pathway

The small G-protein Rheb regulates cell growth via the mTORC1 complex by incompletely understood mechanisms. Recent studies document that Rheb activates mTORC1 via direct, GTP-dependent interaction with the peptidyl-prolyl-cis/trans-isomerase FKBP38, which is proposed to act as an inhibitor of mTORC1. We have conducted a comprehensive biochemical characterization of the Rheb/FKBP38 interaction. Using three different in vitro assays we did not detect an interaction between Rheb and FKBP38. Cell biological experiments illustrate that FKBP38 plays only a very minor, if any, role in mTORC1 activation. Our data document that FKBP38 is not the long-sought Rheb effector linking Rheb to mTORC1 activation.

Whi2p links nutritional sensing to actin-dependent Ras-cAMP-PKA regulation and apoptosis in yeast

Elucidating the mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells coordinate environmental signals with intracellular ;fate' decisions, such as apoptosis, remains one of the important challenges facing cell biologists. It has recently emerged that the dynamic nature of the actin cytoskeleton is an important factor in the linkage of sensation of extracellular stimuli to signalling mechanisms that regulate programmed cell death. In yeast, actin has been shown to play a role in the regulation of apoptosis as cells prepare themselves for quiescence in the face of nutritional exhaustion, by facilitating the shutdown of Ras-cAMP-PKA pathway activity. Here, we demonstrate that the loss of Whi2p function, a protein known to influence cell cycle exit under conditions of nutritional stress, leads to cell death in yeast that displays the hallmarks of actin-mediated apoptosis. We show that actin-mediated apoptosis occurs as a result of inappropriate Ras-cAMP-PKA activity in Deltawhi2 cells. Cells lacking Whi2p function exhibit an aberrant accumulation of activated Ras2 at the mitochondria in response to nutritional depletion. This study provides evidence that the shutdown of cAMP-PKA signalling activity in wild-type cells involves Whi2p-dependent targeting of Ras2p to the vacuole for proteolysis. We also demonstrate for the first time that Whi2p-dependent regulation of cAMP-PKA signalling plays a physiological role in the differentiation of yeast colonies by facilitating elaboration of distinct zones of cell death.

High speed unsupervised fluorescence lifetime imaging confocal multiwell plate reader for high content analysis

We report an automated optically sectioning fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) multiwell plate reader for high content analysis (HCA) in drug discovery and accelerated research in cell biology. The system utilizes a Nipkow disc confocal microscope and performs unsupervised FLIM with autofocus, automatic setting of acquisition parameters and automated localisation of cells in the field of view. We demonstrate its applications to test dye solutions, fixed and live cells and FLIM-FRET.

The EGF receptor activates ERK but not JNK Ras-dependently in basal conditions but ERK and JNK activation pathways are predominantly Ras-independent during cardiomyocyte stretch

Myocardial stretch is a major determinant of ventricular hypertrophy, a physiological adaptational process that can be detrimental, leading to heart failure. Therapies aimed to limit the development of cardiac hypertrophy are thus currently evaluated. Among possible targets, the small G protein Ras and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been shown to be involved during stretch but their precise role in the activation of the major actors of hypertrophy, the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) ERK and JNK is not well known. Our goal was thus was to evaluate precisely the activation pathways of ERK and JNK during stretch, with an emphasis on the role of the EGFR. For this purpose, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in culture were stretched for different time durations. As measured by Western blot of their phosphorylated forms, ERK and JNK were activated by stretch. Ras inhibition decreased basal ERK phosphorylation but had no effect on stretch-induced ERK activation. Under basal conditions, EGFR activated ERK in a classical Ras-dependent manner. Upon stretch, EGFR transactivation activated ERK through both Ras-dependent and Ras-independent pathways. Interestingly, we also show that the Akt pathway participates in stretch-induced ERK activation with an involvement of EGFR. Unlike ERK, JNK activation is independent of either EGFR or PI3 kinase but dependent on other tyrosine kinases. In conclusion these data show different Ras-dependent and Ras-independent pathways in basal conditions and during stretch with a previously unrecognized role of Akt in the activation of ERK.