Addition of a glycophosphatidylinositol to acetylcholinesterase. Processing, degradation, and secretion

Changes in the Acetylcholinesterase Enzymatic Activity in Tumor Development and Progression

Acetylcholinesterase is a well-known protein because of the relevance of its enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of acetylcholine in nerve transmission. In addition to the catalytic action, it exerts non-catalytic functions; one is associated with apoptosis, in which acetylcholinesterase could significantly impact the survival and aggressiveness observed in cancer. The participation of AChE as part of the apoptosome could explain the role in tumors, since a lower AChE content would increase cell survival due to poor apoptosome assembly. Likewise, the high Ach content caused by the reduction in enzymatic activity could induce cell survival mediated by the overactivation of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) that activate anti-apoptotic pathways. On the other hand, in tumors in which high enzymatic activity has been observed, AChE could be playing a different role in the aggressiveness of cancer; in this review, we propose that AChE could have a pro-inflammatory role, since the high enzyme content would cause a decrease in ACh, which has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, as discussed in this review. In this review, we analyze the changes that the enzyme could display in different tumors and consider the different levels of regulation that the acetylcholinesterase undergoes in the control of epigenetic changes in the mRNA expression and changes in the enzymatic activity and its molecular forms. We focused on explaining the relationship between acetylcholinesterase expression and its activity in the biology of various tumors. We present up-to-date knowledge regarding this fascinating enzyme that is positioned as a remarkable target for cancer treatment.

Identification of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins and ω-sites using TiO2-based affinity purification followed by hydrogen fluoride treatment

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchored proteins (GPI-APs) in the outer leaflet of the membrane microdomains, commonly referred to as lipid rafts, play important roles in many biological processes such as signal transduction, cell adhesion, protein trafficking, and antigen presentation. From a topological viewpoint, elucidating the presence and localization of GPI-anchor modification sites (ω-sites) is important for the study of the biophysical properties and anchoring mechanisms of these proteins. However, very few reports have actually identified ω-sites of GPI-APs. To enable large-scale site-specific analysis of GPI anchoring, we developed a method for identification of ω-sites by mass spectrometry by combining titanium dioxide-based affinity purification and hydrogen fluoride treatment. This method was able to identify ~3-fold more GPI-APs than our previous method: the new technique identified a total of 73 ω-sites derived from 49 GPI-APs. In 13 of the 49 GPI-APs identified, the GPI-anchor attached to multiple amino acids in the C-terminal site, yielding a variety of different protein species. This method allows us to simultaneously identify many GPI-AP protein species with different ω-sites. We also demonstrated the C-terminal GPI anchor attachment signal peptide, based on information about the GPI anchor binding sites of 49 GPI-APs. Thus, our results provide evidence for new insight into the GPI-anchored proteome and the role of GPI anchoring.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are localized to the outer leaflet of the plasma membranes. Because the GPI anchor is a complex structure, the identification of GPI-anchored peptides by mass spectrometry has always been considered difficult. To improve the feasibility of large-scale site-specific analysis of GPI anchoring, we developed a method for identification of GPI-anchored peptides by combining titanium dioxide-based affinity purification with hydrogen fluoride treatment. Using this novel technique, we identified a total of 73 ω-sites derived from 49 GPI-APs. These data may help us to develop a comprehensive understanding of the GPI-anchored proteome and the role of GPI anchoring. Moreover, this method could be used to discover GPI-APs as candidate biomarkers.

Altered GPI modification of insect AChE improves tolerance to organophosphate insecticides

The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae is the most destructive and intractable pest of olives. The management of B. oleae has been based on the use of organophosphate (OP) insecticides, a practice that induced resistance. OP-resistance in the olive fly was previously shown to be associated with two mutations in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme that, apparently, hinder the entrance of the OP into the active site. The search for additional mutations in the ace gene that encodes AChE revealed a short deletion of three glutamines (Δ3Q) from a stretch of five glutamines, in the C-terminal peptide that is normally cleaved and substituted by a GPI anchor. We verified that AChEs from B. oleae and other Dipterans are actually GPI-anchored, although this is not predicted by the "big-PI" algorithm. The Δ3Q mutation shortens the unusually long hydrophilic spacer that follows the predicted GPI attachment site and may thus improve the efficiency of GPI anchor addition. We expressed the wild type B. oleae AChE, the natural mutant Δ3Q and a constructed mutant lacking all 5 consecutive glutamines (Δ5Q) in COS cells and compared their kinetic properties. All constructs presented identical K(m) and k(cat) values, in agreement with the fact that the mutations did not affect the catalytic domain of the enzyme. In contrast, the mutants produced higher AChE activity, suggesting that a higher proportion of the precursor protein becomes GPI-anchored. An increase in the number of GPI-anchored molecules in the synaptic cleft may reduce the sensitivity to insecticides.

Identification of cis-acting elements involved in acetylcholinesterase RNA alternative splicing

The 3' end of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) pre-mRNA is processed by a complex mechanism of alternative splicing. Three different transcripts are generated and called R, H and T according respectively to the intron (intron 4') or exons (5 or 6) retained in the mature RNA. The relative expression of the specific transcripts depends on cell type, developmental stage or pathophysiological conditions. The aim of our study was to identify sequences involved in AChE pre-mRNA splicing choices. For this purpose, we constructed a minigene in which the constitutive exons were fused and followed by the entire alternative domain without 3' UTR. We transfected the wild-type or minigene mutated in the alternative domain in muscle or COS-7 cells and identified the splicing products by RPA, RT-PCR and sedimentation coefficients of the enzymatic molecular forms. We find that the alternative splicing domain contains most of the necessary signals to control splicing choices in skeletal muscle cells with the coding sequences of the domain having little effect on the splicing outcome. A branch point at an unusual location 278 nt from the 3' acceptor site of exon 6 is characterized. We further identify several regulatory sequences in the non-coding sequence of exon 5 that regulate the splicing pattern. Sequences that control the splice to exon 5 and those which influence intron 4' retention or splicing to exon 6 appear to be distinct.

Prostasin regulates epithelial monolayer function: cell-specific Gpld1-mediated secretion and functional role for GPI anchor

Prostasin, a trypsinlike serine peptidase, is highly expressed in prostate, kidney, and lung epithelia, where it is bound to the cell surface, secreted, or both. Prostasin activates the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and suppresses invasion of prostate and breast cancer cells. The studies reported here establish mechanisms of membrane anchoring and secretion in kidney and lung epithelial cells and demonstrate a critical role for prostasin in regulating epithelial monolayer function. We report that endogenous mouse prostasin is glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored to the cell surface and is constitutively secreted from the apical surface of kidney cortical collecting duct cells. Using site-directed mutagenesis, detergent phase separation, and RNA interference approaches, we show that prostasin secretion depends on GPI anchor cleavage by endogenous GPI-specific phospholipase D1 (Gpld1). Secretion of prostasin by kidney and lung epithelial cells, in contrast to prostate epithelium, does not depend on COOH-terminal processing at conserved Arg(322). Using stably transfected M-1 cells expressing wild-type, catalytically inactive, or chimeric transmembrane (not GPI)-anchored prostasins we establish that prostasin regulates transepithelial resistance, current, and paracellular permeability by GPI anchor- and protease activity-dependent mechanisms. These studies demonstrate a novel role for prostasin in regulating epithelial monolayer resistance and permeability in kidney epithelial cells and, furthermore, show specifically that prostasin is a critical regulator of transepithelial ion transport in M-1 cells. These functions depend on the GPI anchor as well as the peptidase activity of prostasin. These studies suggest that cell-specific Gpld1- or peptidase-dependent pathways for prostasin secretion may control prostasin functions in a tissue-specific manner.

The C-terminal peptides of acetylcholinesterase: Cellular trafficking, oligomerization and functional anchoring

In vertebrates, the catalytic domain of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may be associated with several C-terminal peptides generated by alternative splicing in the 3' region of transcripts. The "readthrough" (R) variant results from a lack of splicing after the last exon encoding the catalytic domain. Such a variant has been observed in Torpedo and in mammals; its C-terminal r peptide, also called "AChE Related Peptide" (ARP), is poorly conserved between rodents and humans. In rodents, it is significantly expressed in embryonic tissues and at a very low level in the brain of adult mice; it may be increased under various stress conditions, but remains very low. The "hydrophobic" (H) variant generates glycolipid (GPI)-anchored dimers, which are expressed in muscles of Torpedo, and in blood cells of mammals; H variants exist in Torpedo and in mammals, but apparently not in other vertebrate classes, suggesting that they were lost during evolution of early vertebrates and re-appeared independently in mammals. The "tailed" (T) variant exists in all vertebrate cholinesterases and their C-terminal t peptides are strongly conserved; in mammals, AChE(T) subunits represent the major type of acetylcholinesterase in cholinergic tissues. They produce a wide variety of oligomeric forms, ranging from monomers to heteromeric assemblies containing the anchoring proteins ColQ (collagen-tailed forms) and PRiMA (membrane-bound tetramers), which constitute the major functional enzyme species in mammalian muscles and brain, respectively. The oligomerization of AChE(T) subunits depends largely on the properties of their C-terminal t peptide. These peptides contain seven conserved aromatic residues, including three tryptophans, and are organized in an amphiphilic alpha helix in which these residues form a hydrophobic cluster. The presence of a cysteine is required for dimerization, while aromatic residues are necessary for tetramerization. In the collagen-tailed molecules, four t peptides form a coiled coil around a proline-rich motif (PRAD) located in the N-terminal region of ColQ. The t peptide also strongly influences the folding and cellular trafficking of AChE(T) subunits: the presence of hydrophobic residues induces partial misfolding leading to inactive protein, while aromatic residues, organized or not in an amphiphilic helix, induce intracellular degradation through the "Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation" (ERAD) pathway, rather than secretion. It has been proposed that the r and t C-terminal peptides, or fragments of these peptides, may exert independent, non cholinergic biological functions: this interesting possibility still needs to be documented, especially in view of their various degrees of evolutionary conservation.

Determinants of the t Peptide Involved in Folding, Degradation, and Secretion of Acetylcholinesterase

The C-terminal 40-residue t peptide of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) forms an amphiphilic alpha helix with a cluster of seven aromatic residues. It allows oligomerization and induces a partial degradation of AChE subunits through the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway. We show that the t peptide induces the misfolding of a fraction of AChE subunits, even when mutations disorganized the cluster of aromatic residues or when these residues were replaced by leucines, indicating that this effect is due to hydrophobic residues. Mutations in the aromatic-rich region affected the cellular fate of AChE in a similar manner, with or without mutations that prevented dimerization. Degradation was decreased and secretion was increased when aromatic residues were replaced by leucines, and the opposite occurred when the amphiphilic alpha helix was disorganized. The last two residues (Asp-Leu) somewhat resembled an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal and caused a partial retention but only in mutants possessing aromatic residues in their t peptide. Our results suggested that several "signals" in the catalytic domain and in the t peptide act cooperatively for AChE quality control.

Elements of the C-terminal t peptide of acetylcholinesterase that determine amphiphilicity, homomeric and heteromeric associations, secretion and degradation

The C-terminal t peptide (40 residues) of vertebrate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) T subunits possesses a series of seven conserved aromatic residues and forms an amphiphilic alpha-helix; it allows the formation of homo-oligomers (monomers, dimers and tetramers) and heteromeric associations with the anchoring proteins, ColQ and PRiMA, which contain a proline-rich motif (PRAD). We analyzed the influence of mutations in the t peptide of Torpedo AChE(T) on oligomerization and secretion. Charged residues influenced the distribution of homo-oligomers but had little effect on the heteromeric association with Q(N), a PRAD-containing N-terminal fragment of ColQ. The formation of homo-tetramers and Q(N)-linked tetramers required a central core of four aromatic residues and a peptide segment extending to residue 31; the last nine residues (32-40) were not necessary, although the formation of disulfide bonds by cysteine C37 stabilized T(4) and T(4)-Q(N) tetramers. The last two residues of the t peptide (EL) induced a partial intracellular retention; replacement of the C-terminal CAEL tetrapeptide by KDEL did not prevent tetramerization and heteromeric association with Q(N), indicating that these associations take place in the endoplasmic reticulum. Mutations that disorganize the alpha-helical structure of the t peptide were found to enhance degradation. Co-expression with Q(N) generally increased secretion, mostly as T(4)-Q(N) complexes, but reduced it for some mutants. Thus, mutations in this small, autonomous interaction domain bring information on the features that determine oligomeric associations of AChE(T) subunits and the choice between secretion and degradation.

Minimal mutations are required to effect a radical change in function in CEA family members of the Ig superfamily

GPI anchorage in the CEA family results in the acquisition of radically different functions relative to TM anchorage, including inhibition of differentiation and anoikis, disruption of tissue architecture and promotion of tumorigenicity. CEA GPI anchors, as determined by the carboxy-terminal exon of CEA, demonstrate biological specificity in their ability to confer these functional changes. CEA family GPI anchorage appears to have evolved twice independently during the primate radiation, in a manner suggestive of evolution from more primitive TM-anchored CEACAM1. We show here that very few mutations in the TM exon of present-day human CEACAM1 are required to give efficient GPI anchorage and the biological specificity of CEA GPI anchors, i.e., to give the differentiation-blocking function of GPI-anchored CEA. Such a change in anchorage could therefore represent a relatively facile means for producing radical change in molecular function of Ig superfamily members during evolution.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol lipid anchoring of plant proteins. Sensitive prediction from sequence- and genome-wide studies for Arabidopsis and rice

Posttranslational glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) lipid anchoring is common not only for animal and fungal but also for plant proteins. The attachment of the GPI moiety to the carboxyl-terminus after proteolytic cleavage of a C-terminal propeptide is performed by the transamidase complex. Its four known subunits also have obvious full-length orthologs in the Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa) genomes; thus, the mechanism of substrate protein processing appears similar for all eukaryotes. A learning set of plant proteins (substrates for the transamidase complex) has been collected both from the literature and plant sequence databases. We find that the plant GPI lipid anchor motif differs in minor aspects from the animal signal (e.g. the plant hydrophobic tail region can contain a higher fraction of aromatic residues). We have developed the "big-Pi plant" program for prediction of compatibility of query protein C-termini with the plant GPI lipid anchor motif requirements. Validation tests show that the sensitivity for transamidase targets is approximately 94%, and the rate of false positive prediction is about 0.1%. Thus, the big-Pi predictor can be applied as unsupervised genome annotation and target selection tool. The program is also suited for the design of modified protein constructs to test their GPI lipid anchoring capacity. The big-Pi plant predictor Web server and lists of potential plant precursor proteins in Swiss-Prot, SPTrEMBL, Arabidopsis, and rice proteomes are available at http://mendel.imp.univie.ac.at/gpi/plants/gpi_plants.html. Arabidopsis and rice protein hits have been functionally classified. Several GPI lipid-anchored arabinogalactan-related proteins have been identified in rice.

Trimerization domain of the collagen tail of acetylcholinesterase

In the collagen-tailed forms of cholinesterases, each subunit of a specific triple helical collagen, ColQ, may be attached through a proline-rich domain (PRAD) situated in its N-terminal noncollagenous region, to tetramers of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). This heteromeric assembly ensures the functional anchoring of AChE in extracellulare matrices, for example, at the neuromuscular junction. In this study, we analyzed the influence of deletions in the noncollagenous C-terminal region of ColQ on its capacity to form a triple helix. We show that an 80-residue segment located downstream of the collagenous regions contains the trimerization domain, that it can form trimers without the collagenous regions, and that a pair of cysteines located at the N-boundary of this domain facilitates oligomerization, although it is not absolutely required. We further show that AChE subunits can associate with nonhelical collagen ColQ monomers, forming ColQ-associated tetramers (G4-Q), which are secreted or are anchored at the cell surface when the C-terminal domain of ColQ is replaced by a GPI-addition signal.

Effect of mutation of two critical glutamic acid residues on the activity and stability of human carboxypeptidase M and characterization of its signal for glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring

Human carboxypeptidase (CP) M was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells in a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored form, whereas a truncated form, lacking the putative signal sequence for glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring, was secreted at high levels into the medium. Both forms had lower molecular masses (50 kDa) than native placental CPM (62 kDa), indicating minimal glycosylation. The predicted glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor attachment site was investigated by mutation of Ser(406) to Ala, Thr or Pro and expression in HEK-293 and COS-7 cells. The wild-type and S406A and S406T mutants were expressed on the plasma membrane in glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored form, but the S406P mutant was not and was retained in a perinuclear location. The roles of Glu(260) and Glu(264) in CPM were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of Glu(260) to Gln had minimal effects on kinetic parameters, but decreased heat stability, whereas mutation to Ala reduced the k(cat)/ K(m) by 104-fold and further decreased stability. In contrast, mutation of Glu(264) to Gln resulted in a 10000-fold decrease in activity, but the enzyme still bound to p-aminobenzoylarginine-Sepharose and was resistant to trypsin treatment, indicating that the protein was folded properly. These results show that Glu(264) is the critical catalytic glutamic acid and that Glu(260) probably stabilizes the conformation of the active site.

Prediction of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in Arabidopsis. A genomic analysis

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring of proteins provides a potential mechanism for targeting to the plant plasma membrane and cell wall. However, relatively few such proteins have been identified. Here, we develop a procedure for database analysis to identify GPI-anchored proteins (GAP) based on their possession of common features. In a comprehensive search of the annotated Arabidopsis genome, we identified 167 novel putative GAP in addition to the 43 previously described candidates. Many of these 210 proteins show similarity to characterized cell surface proteins. The predicted GAP include homologs of beta-1,3-glucanases (16), metallo- and aspartyl proteases (13), glycerophosphodiesterases (6), phytocyanins (25), multi-copper oxidases (2), extensins (6), plasma membrane receptors (19), and lipid-transfer-proteins (18). Classical arabinogalactan (AG) proteins (13), AG peptides (9), fasciclin-like proteins (20), COBRA and 10 homologs, and novel potential signaling peptides that we name GAPEPs (8) were also identified. A further 34 proteins of unknown function were predicted to be GPI anchored. A surprising finding was that over 40% of the proteins identified here have probable AG glycosylation modules, suggesting that AG glycosylation of cell surface proteins is widespread. This analysis shows that GPI anchoring is likely to be a major modification in plants that is used to target a specific subset of proteins to the cell surface for extracellular matrix remodeling and signaling.

Acetylcholinesterase H and T dimers are associated through the same contact. Mutations at this interface interfere with the C-terminal T peptide, inducing degradation rather than secretion

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) exists as AChE(H) and AChE(T) subunits, which differ by their C-terminal H or T peptides, generating glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored dimers and various oligomers, respectively. We introduced mutations in the four-helix bundle interface of glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored dimers, and analyzed their effect on the production and oligomerization of AChE(H), of AChE(T), and of truncated subunits, AChE(C) (without H or T peptide). Dimerization was reduced for all types of subunits, showing that they interact through the same contact zone; the formation of amphiphilic tetramers (Torpedo AChE(T)) and 13.5 S oligomers (rat AChE(T)) was also suppressed. Oligomerization appeared totally blocked by introduction of an N-linked glycan on the surface of helix alpha(7,8). Other point mutations did not affect the synthesis or the catalytic properties of AChE but reduced or blocked the secretion of AChE(T) subunits. Secretion of AChE(T) was partially restored by co-expression with Q(N), a secretable protein containing a proline-rich attachment domain (PRAD); Q(N) organized PRAD-linked tetramers, except for the N-glycosylated mutants. Thus, the simultaneous presence of an abnormal four-helix bundle zone and an exposed T peptide targeted the enzyme toward degradation, indicating a cross-talk between the catalytic and tetramerization domains.