The cytoskeleton and the cellular traffic of the progesterone receptor

Progesterone Receptor Modulates Extraembryonic Mesoderm and Cardiac Progenitor Specification during Mouse Gastrulation

Progesterone treatment is commonly employed to promote and support pregnancy. While maternal tissues are the main progesterone targets in humans and mice, its receptor (PGR) is expressed in the murine embryo, questioning its function during embryonic development. Progesterone has been previously associated with murine blastocyst development. Whether it contributes to lineage specification is largely unknown. Gastrulation initiates lineage specification and generation of the progenitors contributing to all organs. Cells passing through the primitive streak (PS) will give rise to the mesoderm and endoderm. Cells emerging posteriorly will form the extraembryonic mesodermal tissues supporting embryonic growth. Cells arising anteriorly will contribute to the embryonic heart in two sets of distinct progenitors, first (FHF) and second heart field (SHF). We found that PGR is expressed in a posterior–anterior gradient in the PS of gastrulating embryos. We established in vitro differentiation systems inducing posterior (extraembryonic) and anterior (cardiac) mesoderm to unravel PGR function. We discovered that PGR specifically modulates extraembryonic and cardiac mesoderm. Overexpression experiments revealed that PGR safeguards cardiac differentiation, blocking premature SHF progenitor specification and sustaining the FHF progenitor pool. This role of PGR in heart development indicates that progesterone administration should be closely monitored in potential early-pregnancy patients undergoing infertility treatment.

Brain Corticosteroid Receptor Dynamics and Trafficking: Implications from Live Cell Imaging

Adrenal corticosteroids (cortisol in humans or corticosterone in rodents) exert numerous effects in the central nervous system that regulate the stress response, mood, learning and memory, and various neuroendocrine functions. Corticosterone actions in the brain are mediated by two corticosteroid receptors, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and they show a high degree of colocalization in the hippocampal region. These receptors predominantly reside in the cytoplasm without ligand and are translocated into the nucleus upon ligand binding to act as transcriptional factors. Thus, their subcellualr localizations are an important component of their biological activity. Given the differential action of MR and GR in the central nervous system, it is important to elucidate how the trafficking of these receptors between the cytoplasm and the nucleus and their interactions are regulated by ligand or other molecules to exert transcriptional activity. In this review, the authors focus on the nucleocytoplasmic and subnuclear trafficking of GR and MR in neural cells and nonneural cells and discuss various factors affecting the dynamics of these receptors.

Adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) mutations cause recessive hearing impairment in humans and defects in hair cell function and hearing in zebrafish

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) production, which is important for mechanotransduction within the inner ear, is catalyzed by adenylate cyclases (AC). However, knowledge of the role of ACs in hearing is limited. Previously, a novel autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing impairment locus DFNB44 was mapped to chromosome 7p14.1-q11.22 in a consanguineous family from Pakistan. Through whole-exome sequencing of DNA samples from hearing-impaired family members, a nonsense mutation c.3112C>T (p.Arg1038*) within adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) was identified. This stop-gained mutation segregated with hearing impairment within the family and was not identified in ethnically matched controls or within variant databases. This mutation is predicted to cause the loss of 82 amino acids from the carboxyl tail, including highly conserved residues within the catalytic domain, plus a calmodulin-stimulation defect, both of which are expected to decrease enzymatic efficiency. Individuals who are homozygous for this mutation had symmetric, mild-to-moderate mixed hearing impairment. Zebrafish adcy1b morphants had no FM1-43 dye uptake and lacked startle response, indicating hair cell dysfunction and gross hearing impairment. In the mouse, Adcy1 expression was observed throughout inner ear development and maturation. ADCY1 was localized to the cytoplasm of supporting cells and hair cells of the cochlea and vestibule and also to cochlear hair cell nuclei and stereocilia. Ex vivo studies in COS-7 cells suggest that the carboxyl tail of ADCY1 is essential for localization to actin-based microvilli. These results demonstrate that ADCY1 has an evolutionarily conserved role in hearing and that cAMP signaling is important to hair cell function within the inner ear.

Fluorescent protein-labeled glucocorticoid receptor alpha isoform trafficking in cultured human trabecular meshwork cells

PURPOSE

To characterize the roles of the cytoskeleton and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) in steroid-induced glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GRα) translocation in cultured human trabecular meshwork cells.

METHODS

Stably transfected red fluorescent protein (RFP)-GRα NTM5 cell lines were developed. Nuclear localization of RFP-GRα in NTM5 cells treated with vehicle (ethanol), dexamethasone (DEX), or RU486 was measured in cytosolic and nuclear fractions by western blotting and laser confocal microscopy. Cytochalasin D, colchicine, and 17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG, an HSP90 inhibitor), were tested for their abilities to affect GRα trafficking. Nuclear export of RFP-GRα was studied using confocal microscopy following DEX or RU486 removal.

RESULTS

NTM5 cells transfected with RFP-GRα showed a clear cytosolic localization of receptor that underwent nuclear localization after DEX treatment. RFP-GRα translocation was temperature sensitive, occurring at 37°C but not at room temperature. Neither cytochalasin D nor colchicine blocked DEX-induced or RU486-induced RFP-GRα nuclear translocation; however, 17AAG prevented DEX-induced RFP-GRα nuclear translocation. Both nuclear import and export of DEX-induced RFP-GRα were faster than RU-486-induced nuclear shuttling.

CONCLUSIONS

RFP-GRα receptor behaves similarly to the wild-type GRα with its cytosolic localization and shuttling to nucleus after DEX or RU486 treatment. HSP90 is required for nuclear translocation, but the disruption of cytoskeleton had no effect on nuclear translocation of RFP-GRα.

The hsp90-FKBP52 complex links the mineralocorticoid receptor to motor proteins and persists bound to the receptor in early nuclear events

In this study, we demonstrate that the subcellular localization of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is regulated by tetratricopeptide domain (TPR) proteins. The high-molecular-weight immunophilin (IMM) FKBP52 links the MR-hsp90 complex to dynein/dynactin motors favoring the cytoplasmic transport of MR to the nucleus. Replacement of this hsp90-binding IMM by FKBP51 or the TPR peptide favored the cytoplasmic localization of MR. The complete movement machinery, including dynein and tubulin, could be recovered from paclitaxel/GTP-stabilized cytosol and was fully reassembled on stripped MR immune pellets. The whole MR-hsp90-based heterocomplex was transiently recovered in the soluble fraction of the nucleus after 10 min of incubation with aldosterone. Moreover, cross-linked MR-hsp90 heterocomplexes accumulated in the nucleus in a hormone-dependent manner, demonstrating that the heterocomplex can pass undissociated through the nuclear pore. On the other hand, a peptide that comprises the DNA-binding domain of MR impaired the nuclear export of MR, suggesting the involvement of this domain in the process. This study represents the first report describing the entire molecular system that commands MR nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and proposes that the MR-hsp90-TPR protein heterocomplex is dissociated in the nucleus rather than in the cytoplasm.

Molecular chaperones, essential partners of steroid hormone receptors for activity and mobility

Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) are notorious intracellular travellers, transiting among different cellular compartments as they mature, are subjected to regulation and exert their biological functions. Understanding the processes governing the intracellular traffic of SHRs is important, since their unbalanced or erroneous localization could lead to the development of diseases. In this review, we not only explore the functions of the heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) molecular chaperone machine for the intracellular transport of SHRs, but also for the regulation of their nuclear mobility, for their recycling and for the regulation of their transcriptional output.

FK506-binding protein 51 regulates nuclear transport of the glucocorticoid receptor beta and glucocorticoid responsiveness

PURPOSE

A spliced variant of the human glucocorticoid receptor GRbeta has been implicated in glucocorticoid responsiveness in glaucoma. Over-expression of the FK506-binding immunophilin FKBP51 also causes a generalized state of glucocorticoid resistance. In the present study, the roles of FKBP51 in the nuclear transport of GRbeta and glucocorticoid responsiveness were investigated.

METHODS

Human trabecular meshwork cells (GTM3 and TM5) and HeLa cells were treated with dexamethasone (DEX) and FK506 and transfected with GRbeta and FKBP51 expression vectors. Coimmunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses were performed to study interactions of FKBP51 and FKBP52 with GRalpha, GRbeta, Hsp90, or dynein. The cells were transfected with a GRE-luciferase reporter to evaluate the effects of DEX and FK506 and the overexpression of GRbeta and FKBP51 on glucocorticoid-mediated gene expression.

RESULTS

FKBP51 was involved in constitutive nuclear transport of both GRalpha and -beta in the absence of ligands. FKBP52 appeared to be solely responsible for the nuclear transport of ligand-activated GRalpha. DEX stimulated the translocation of GRalpha but not GRbeta. Overexpression of either GRbeta or FKBP51 stimulated GRbeta translocation and reduced DEX-induced luciferase in HeLa cells. FK506 did not alter DEX-induced translocation of GRalpha. However, FK506 increased the association of FKBP51 with GRbeta and stimulated DEX-induced translocation of GRbeta in normal TM cells, but not in glaucoma TM cells. Increased nuclear GRbeta significantly inhibited glucocorticoid responsiveness in TM cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Nuclear transport of GRbeta represents a novel mechanism through which FKBP51 alters GC sensitivity. GRbeta and FKBP51 may be responsible for increased responsiveness in steroid-induced ocular hypertensive individuals as well as in patients with glaucoma.

Cytoskeletal elements and intracellular transport

Recent advances in the understanding of the functions of various components of the cytoskeleton indicate that, besides serving a structural role, the cytoskeletal elements may regulate the transport of several proteins in the cell. Studies reveal that there are co-operative interactions between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons including functional overlap in the transport influenced by different motor families. Multiple motors are probably involved in the control of the dynamics of many proteins and intriguing hints about how these motors are co-ordinated are appearing. It has been shown that some of the intermediate elements also participate in selected intracellular transport mechanisms. In view of the author's preoccupation with the steroid receptor systems, special attention has been given to the role of the cytoskeletal elements, particularly actin, in the intracellular transport of steroid receptors and receptor-related proteins.

Cytoskeletal and cell contact control of the glucocorticoid pathway

The cytoskeleton is a dynamic network that undergoes restructuring during a variety of cellular events including cell contact formation, cell invasion and the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Here, we review the contribution of the cytoskeletal network to the inductive activity of glucocorticoids by focusing on the hormonal control of glutamine synthetase in the chick neural retina. Depolymerization of the cytoskeleton in cells of the intact retinal tissue inhibits the hormonal induction of glutamine synthetase, but does not alter the cellular amount of the glucocorticoid-receptor protein or the ability of the receptor molecules to translocate into the nucleus. Inhibition of glutamine synthetase induction occurs via a mechanism that involves elevation of c-Jun protein accumulation and repression of glucocorticoid-receptor transcriptional activity. Unlike growth factors and other c-Jun inducing stimuli that control the transcription of the c-Jun gene, depolymerization of the cytoskeleton elevates c-Jun accumulation by upregulating the translation of the c-Jun transcript. We postulate that the cytoskeletal-dependent increase in c-Jun accumulation is involved in cell contact control of both cell proliferation and transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid-receptor protein.

ARA67/PAT1 functions as a repressor to suppress androgen receptor transactivation

The androgen receptor (AR) may recruit multiple coregulators for proper or optimal transactivation. Here we report the identification and characterization of ARA67/PAT1 as an AR coregulator from a prostate cDNA library. ARA67/PAT1 was screened out as an AR N terminus interacting protein. Interaction mapping shows that the cooperation of multiple domains within ARA67/PAT1 may be required for the maximal interaction with AR. ARA67/PAT1 functions as a repressor with better suppressive effects on AR compared to glucocorticoid receptor and estrogen receptor. Further mechanism dissection reveals that the interrupted AR cytoplasmic-nuclear shuttling may play a major role in ARA67/PAT1 mediated suppression on AR. Together, these results suggest that ARA67/PAT1 may function as a novel repressor that can modulate AR function in prostate cancer.

Cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor-interacting proteins

Studies of GR-interacting proteins can provide valuable insights into the regulation of GR cellular signalling. The cytoplasmic localization of GR and reports of GR interaction with such a plethora of other cytoplasmic proteins may point to a unique role for GR in modulating and integrating other signalling pathways. A better insight into these interactions could serve as a tool when trying to understand and modify GR signalling.

Microtubule-dependent subcellular redistribution of the transcriptional coactivator p/CIP

The transcriptional coactivator p/CIP is a member of a family of nuclear receptor coactivator/steroid receptor coactivator (NCoA/SRC) proteins that mediate the transcriptional activities of nuclear hormone receptors. We have found that p/CIP is predominantly cytoplasmic in a large proportion of cells in various tissues of the developing mouse and in a number of established cell lines. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts, serum deprivation results in the redistribution of p/CIP to the cytoplasmic compartment and stimulation with growth factors or tumor-promoting phorbol esters promotes p/CIP shuttling into the nucleus. Cytoplasmic accumulation of p/CIP is also cell cycle dependent, occurring predominantly during the S and late M phases. Leptomycin B (LMB) treatment results in a marked nuclear accumulation, suggesting that p/CIP undergoes dynamic nuclear export as well as import. We have identified a strong nuclear import signal in the N terminus of p/CIP and two leucine-rich motifs in the C terminus that resemble CRM-1-dependent nuclear export sequences. When fused to green fluorescent protein, the nuclear export sequence region is cytoplasmic and is retained in the nucleus in an LMB-dependent manner. Disruption of the leucine-rich motifs prevents cytoplasmic accumulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cytoplasmic p/CIP associates with tubulin and that an intact microtubule network is required for intracellular shuttling of p/CIP. Immunoaffinity purification of p/CIP from nuclear and cytosolic extracts revealed that only nuclear p/CIP complexes possess histone acetyltransferase activity. Collectively, these results suggest that cellular compartmentalization of NCoA/SRC proteins could potentially regulate nuclear hormone receptor-mediated events as well as integrating signals in response to different environmental cues.

Two parallel pathways mediate cytoplasmic localization of the dioxin (aryl hydrocarbon) receptor

The dioxin receptor is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that mediates the biological effects of dioxin and related environmental pollutants. In the absence of ligand the receptor is present in the cytoplasmic compartment of the cell associated with the hsp90-dependent chaperone complex. This complex regulates several functions of the receptor such as ligand binding and nuclear import. Furthermore, intracellular localization of the receptor is modulated by multiple factors such as the export protein CRM-1 and the hsp90-associated immunophilin XAP-2. We have identified the mechanism of XAP-2-induced cytoplasmic localization of the receptor and studied the potential cross-talk between CRM-1 and XAP-2. We show that XAP-2 anchors the ligand-free receptor to cytoskeletal structures. This effect is blocked upon treatment with the actin inhibitor cytochalasin B, whereas the tubulin inhibitor colchicine had no effect on receptor localization. In addition, we show that the receptor interacts with CRM-1 both in the presence and absence of ligand. CRM-1-mediated nuclear export occurs independently of XAP-2. Our data provide evidence that CRM-1 and XAP-2 act in parallel through different mechanisms and target different interfaces of the receptor. These results suggest that two pathways cooperate to localize the non-activated receptor in the cytoplasmic compartment of the cell.

Androgen receptor (AR) coregulators: an overview

The biological action of androgens is mediated through the androgen receptor (AR). Androgen-bound AR functions as a transcription factor to regulate genes involved in an array of physiological processes, most notably male sexual differentiation and maturation, and the maintenance of spermatogenesis. The transcriptional activity of AR is affected by coregulators that influence a number of functional properties of AR, including ligand selectivity and DNA binding capacity. As the promoter of target genes, coregulators participate in DNA modification, either directly through modification of histones or indirectly by the recruitment of chromatin-modifying complexes, as well as functioning in the recruitment of the basal transcriptional machinery. Aberrant coregulator activity due to mutation or altered expression levels may be a contributing factor in the progression of diseases related to AR activity, such as prostate cancer. AR demonstrates distinct differences in its interaction with coregulators from other steroid receptors due to differences in the functional interaction between AR domains, possibly resulting in alterations in the dynamic interactions between coregulator complexes.

Heat shock protein 90 and the nuclear transport of progesterone receptor

Steroid receptors exist as large oligomeric complexes in hypotonic cell extracts. In the present work, we studied the nuclear transport of the 2 major components of the oligomeric complex, the receptor itself and the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), by using different in vitro transport systems: digitonin permeabilized cells and purified nuclei. We demonstrate that the stabilized oligomeric complex of progesterone receptor (PR) cannot be transported into the nucleus and that unliganded PR salt dissociated from Hsp90 is transported into the nucleus. When nonstabilized PR oligomer was introduced into the nuclear transport system, the complex dissociated and the PR but not the Hsp90 was transported into the nucleus. If PR exists as an oligomeric form after synthesis, as suggested by the experiments with reticulocyte lysate, the present results suggest that the complex is short-lived and is dissociated before or during nuclear transport. Thus, the role of Hsp90 in PR action is likely to reside in the Hsp90-assisted chaperoning process of PR preceding nuclear transport of the receptor.

Dynamic changes in subcellular localization of mineralocorticoid receptor in living cells: in comparison with glucocorticoid receptor using dual-color labeling with green fluorescent protein spectral variants

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are ligand-dependent transcription factors. Although it is generally accepted that GR is translocated into the nucleus from the cytoplasm only after ligand binding, the subcellular localization of MR is still quite controversial. We examined the intracellular trafficking of MR in living neurons and nonneural cells using a fusion protein of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and rat MR (GFP-MR). Corticosterone (CORT) induced a rapid nuclear accumulation of GFP-MR, whereas in the absence of ligand, GFP-MR was distributed in both cytoplasm and nucleus in the majority of transfected cells. Given the differential action of MR and GR in the central nervous system, it is important to elucidate how the trafficking of these receptors between cytoplasm and nucleus is regulated by ligand. To examine the simultaneous trafficking of MR and GR within single living cells, we use different spectral variants of GFP, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), linked to MR and GR, respectively. In COS-1 cells, expressing no endogenous corticosteroid receptors, the YFP-MR chimera was accumulated in the nucleus faster than the CFP-GR chimera in the presence of 10(-9) M CORT, while there was no significant difference in the nuclear accumulation rates in the presence of 10(-6) M CORT. On the other hand, in primary cultured hippocampal neurons expressing endogenous receptors, the nuclear accumulation rates of the YFP-MR chimera and CFP-GR chimera were nearly the same in the presence of both concentrations of CORT. These results suggest that CORT-induced nuclear translocation of MR and GR exhibits differential patterns depending on ligand concentrations or cell types.

Evidence that the peptidylprolyl isomerase domain of the hsp90-binding immunophilin FKBP52 is involved in both dynein interaction and glucocorticoid receptor movement to the nucleus

We have previously shown that immunoadsorption of the FKBP52 immunophilin component of steroid receptor.hsp90 heterocomplexes is accompanied by coadsorption of cytoplasmic dynein, a motor protein involved in retrograde transport of vesicles toward the nucleus. Coimmunoadsorption of dynein is competed by an expressed fragment of FKBP52 comprising its peptidylprolyl isomerase (PPIase) domain (Silverstein, A. M., Galigniana, M. D., Kanelakis, K. C., Radanyi, C., Renoir, J.-M., and Pratt, W. B. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 52, 36980-36986). Here we show that cotransfection of 3T3 cells with the FKBP52 PPIase domain and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) glucocorticoid receptor (GR) chimera inhibits dexamethasone-dependent movement of the GFP-GR from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Cotransfection with FKBP12 does not affect GFP-GR movement. Inhibition of movement by the FKBP52 PPIase domain is abrogated in cells treated with colcemid to eliminate microtubules prior to steroid addition. After withdrawal of colcemid, microtubules reform, and PPIase inhibition of GFP-GR movement is restored. These observations are consistent with the notion that FKBP52 targets retrograde movement of the GFP-GR along microtubules by linking the receptor to the dynein motor. Here, we also show that native GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes immunoadsorbed from L cell cytosol contain dynein and that GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes assembled in reticulocyte lysate contain cytoplasmic dynein in a manner that is competed by the PPIase domain of FKBP52.

Histochemistry and cytochemistry of nuclear receptors

Receptors of steroid hormones, thyroid hormones and several kinds of vitamins have been shown to act as nuclear transcription factors and to form a nuclear receptor (NR) family. Histochemical techniques including autoradiography using radio-labeled ligands, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry, have displayed that target cells of these receptors are distributed not only in the classical target organs but also widely in a variety of tissues; these techniques can demonstrate the presence of receptor proteins and mRNAs, even though they are expressed in a small cell population of tissues. On the other hand, many studies have been performed to demonstrate the interaction between NRs and nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, and to clarify the mechanism of transcriptional regulation through NRs in artificial conditions which are created in gene transfer experiments or under cell-free conditions. Some data coincide with those obtained from histochemical techniques, however, some histochemical data do not support the results of studies in vitro. This review focuses on the following topics: histochemical methodologies to detect NRs, the distribution and function of NRs in the tissues, the intracellular and intranuclear localization of NRs, roles of gonadal steroid receptors and their ligands on developing tissues including cell communications such as mesenchymal-stromal interaction, and the interaction between other cellular components and NRs. In addition, the agreement and disagreement between the results of histochemical studies and those from the experiments in the model systems or in vitro are discussed.

Vascular endothelial growth factor is modulated in vascular muscle cells by estradiol, tamoxifen, and hypoxia

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes neovascularization, microvascular permeability, and endothelial proliferation. We described previously VEGF mRNA and protein induction by estradiol (E2) in human endometrial fibroblasts. We report here E2 induction of VEGF expression in human venous muscle cells [smooth muscle cells (SMC) from human saphenous veins; HSVSMC] expressing both ER-alpha and ER-beta estrogen receptors. E2 at 10(-9) to 10(-8) M increases VEGF mRNA in HSVSMC in a time-dependent manner (3-fold at 24 h), as analyzed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. This level of induction is comparable with E2 endometrial induction of VEGF mRNA. Tamoxifen and hypoxia also increase HSVSMC VEGF mRNA expression over control values. Immunocytochemistry of saphenous veins and isolated SMC confirms translation of VEGF mRNA into protein. Immunoblot analysis of HSVSMC-conditioned medium detects three bands of 18, 23, and 28 kDa, corresponding to VEGF isoforms of 121, 165, and 189 amino acids. Radioreceptor assay of the conditioned medium produced by E2-stimulated HSVSMC reveals an increased VEGF secretion. Our data indicate that VEGF is E2, tamoxifen, and hypoxia inducible in cultured HSVSMC and E2 inducible in aortic SMC, suggesting E2 modulation of VEGF effects in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and integrity.

Androgen receptor nuclear translocation is facilitated by the f-actin cross-linking protein filamin

The human androgen receptor (hAR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor responsible for the development of the male phenotype. The mechanism whereby nuclear translocation of the hAR is induced by its natural ligand 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone is a phenomenon not fully understood. The two-hybrid interaction trap assay has been used to isolate proteins that interact with the hAR in an attempt to identify molecules involved in hAR transactivation and movement. We have identified the actin-binding protein filamin, a 280-kDa component of the cytoskeleton, as an hAR interacting protein. This interaction is ligand independent but is enhanced in its presence. The functional significance of this interaction was analyzed using a cell line deficient in filamin via transient expression of a green fluorescent protein-hAR chimera. In filamin-deficient cells this revealed that hAR remained cytoplasmic even after prolonged exposure to synthetic ligand. Nuclear shuttling was restored when this cell line regained wild-type expression of filamin. These data suggest a novel role for filamin, implicating it as an important molecule in AR movement from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.

A model for the cytoplasmic trafficking of signalling proteins involving the hsp90-binding immunophilins and p50cdc37

A number of transcription factors and protein kinases involved in signal transduction exist in heterocomplexes with the ubiquitous and essential protein chaperone hsp90. These signalling protein x hsp90 heterocomplexes are assembled by a multiprotein chaperone system comprising hsp90, hsp70, Hop, hsp40, and p23. In the case of transcription factors, the heterocomplexes with hsp90 also contain a high molecular weight immunophilin with tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motifs, such as FKBP52 or CyP-40. In the case of the protein kinases, the heterocomplexes contain p50cdc37. The immunophilins bind to a single TPR acceptor site on hsp90, and p50cdc37 binds to an adjacent site so that binding is exclusive for p50cdc37 or an immunophilin. Direct interaction of immunophilins with the transcription factors or p50cdc37 with the protein kinases leads to selection of different heterocomplexes after their assembly by a common mechanism. Studies with the glucocorticoid receptor, for which translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus is under hormonal control, suggest that dynamic assembly of the heterocomplexes is required for rapid movement of the receptor through the cytoplasm along cytoskeletal tracts. As for the similar short-range trafficking of vesicles along microtubules, there must be a mechanism for linking the signalling protein solutes to the molecular motors involved in movement. We present here a model in which the immunophilins and p50cdc37 target, respectively, the retrograde or anterograde direction of signalling protein movement by functioning as connectors that link the signalling proteins to the movement machinery.

Use of digitonin-permeabilized cells in studies of steroid receptor subnuclear trafficking

The application of a cell permeabilization technique to the analysis of nuclear import has led to many major breakthroughs in our understanding of this trafficking pathway. Digitonin permeabilization maintains the nucleus in a state competent for faithful, signal-dependent translocation through the nuclear pore complex. This system has also been used to probe the mechanism of hormone-regulated nuclear import through the use of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) as a model substrate. In this report we provide detailed descriptions of the digitonin-permeabilized cell system for use in studies of GR nuclear import. In addition, we present several novel applications that expand the utility of this system to probe for mechanisms of nuclear protein export and subnuclear trafficking.

Expression of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in blood vessels in human endometrium

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-requiring enzymes that can degrade components of the extracellular matrix and that are implicated in tissue remodeling. Their role in the onset of menstruation in vivo has been proven; however, the expression and functions of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in vascular structures are poorly understood. We determined by immunocytochemistry, using characterized monoclonal antibodies, the distribution of MMPs and of their inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the endometrium during the menstrual cycle. MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 had differing distributions and patterns of expression. In addition to the localization of MMP-9 in the epithelium and of MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-1 in the stromal tissue, these MMPs were detected in the vascular structures. MMP-2 (72-kDa gelatinase) and tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were detectable in vessels throughout the cycle. In contrast, MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) was detected only in late-secretory and menstrual endometrial vessels, while MMP-9 (92-kDa gelatinase) was detected in spiral arteries during the secretory phase and in vascular structures during the midfollicular and menstrual phases. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in endometrial vessels during the proliferative and secretory periods suggests their relationship to vascular growth and angiogenesis. The pronounced expression of MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) in the vessels situated in the superficial endometrial layer during menses suggests that this metalloproteinase initiates damage in the vascular wall during menstrual breakdown. The finding of an intense expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the vessels delineating necrotic from non-necrotic areas during menses also suggests that they could limit tissue damage, allowing regeneration of the endometrium after menses. These data indicate that, in addition to expression in epithelial cells and stromal tissue, MMPs are expressed in endometrial vascular cells in a cycle-specific pattern, consistent with regulation by steroid hormones and with specific roles in the vascular remodeling processes occurring in the endometrium during the cycle.

Intracellular distribution of a cytoplasmic progesterone receptor mutant and of immunophilins cyclophilin 40 and FKBP59: effects of cyclosporin A, of various metabolic inhibitors and of several culture conditions

The effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on the intracellular distribution of a mutated NLS minus rabbit progesterone receptor (PRm) and the receptor-associated immunophilins, cyclophilin 40 (Cyp40) and FKBP59, was tested in Lc13 cells by indirect immunofluorescent staining. PRm, which is cytoplasmic in absence of progesterone, is shifted to the nucleus by the hormone as well as by CsA, but not by FK506 or Rapamycin [I. Jung-Testas, M.-C. Lebeau, E.E. Baulieu. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 318 (1995) 873-878]. However the time course of nuclear import due to CsA and its sensitivity to N-ethyl maleimide (NEM) and to a calmodulin inhibitor (W7) was different from those observed for the hormonal effect. Cyp40 in Lc13 cells is localized mainly in the nucleoli. CsA treatment increased nucleolar staining, while NEM and W7 caused it to decrease; after actinomycin D (1 microM) nucleolar staining of Cyp40 disappeared. FKBP59 is mainly cytoplasmic and concentrated in the perinuclear region, never in the nucleoli. CsA, actino D and W7 treatment did not influence FKBP59 localization. In serum-deprived medium FKBP59 was cytoplasmic, but when the culture medium was enriched (20% serum, insulin and EGF) FKBP59 became perinuclear and hsp 86 was partly shifted to the nucleus, but PRm remained cytoplasmic. CsA has an effect on PRm distribution, while it does not influence Cyp40 and FKBP59 localization. In presence of actino D the labelling of Cyp40 disappears from the nucleoli, while the distribution of PRm and FKBP59 is unaffected. Growth factors influence FKBP59 but not PRm or Cyp40. These results suggest that these proteins shuttle independently and that their association is transient.

Inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor nucleocytoplasmic shuttling by okadaic acid requires intact cytoskeleton

It has been shown previously that glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) that have undergone hormone-dependent translocation to the nucleus and have subsequently exited the nucleus upon hormone withdrawal are unable to recycle into the nucleus if cells are treated during hormone withdrawal with okadaic acid, a cell-permeable inhibitor of certain serine/threonine protein phosphatases. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) GR chimera (GFP-GR), we report here that okadaic acid inhibition of steroid-dependent receptor recycling to the nucleus is abrogated in cells treated for 1 h with colcemid to eliminate microtubule networks prior to steroid addition. After withdrawal of colcemid, normal cytoskeletal architecture is restored and okadaic acid inhibition of steroid-dependent GFP-GR nuclear recycling is restored. When okadaic acid is present during hormone withdrawal, GR that is recycled to the cytoplasm becomes complexed with hsp90 and binds steroid, but it does not undergo the normal agonist-dependent dissociation from hsp90 upon retreatment with steroid. However, when the cytoskeleton is disrupted by colcemid, the GR in okadaic acid-treated cells recycles from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in an agonist-dependent manner without dissociating from hsp90. This suggests that under physiological conditions where the cytoskeleton is intact, a dephosphorylation event is required for loss of high affinity binding to hsp90 that is required for receptor translocation through the cytoplasm to the nucleus along cytoskeletal tracts.

The 90-kDa molecular chaperone family: structure, function, and clinical applications. A comprehensive review

The 90-kDa molecular chaperone family (which comprises, among other proteins, the 90-kDa heat-shock protein, hsp90 and the 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein, grp94, major molecular chaperones of the cytosol and of the endoplasmic reticulum, respectively) has become an increasingly active subject of research in the past couple of years. These ubiquitous, well-conserved proteins account for 1-2% of all cellular proteins in most cells. However, their precise function is still far from being elucidated. Their involvement in the aetiology of several autoimmune diseases, in various infections, in recognition of malignant cells, and in antigen-presentation already demonstrates the essential role they likely will play in clinical practice of the next decade. The present review summarizes our current knowledge about the cellular functions, expression, and clinical implications of the 90-kDa molecular chaperone family and some approaches for future research.

Nuclear translocation of human angiogenin in cultured human umbilical artery endothelial cells is microtubule and lysosome independent

Exogenous angiogenin undergoes rapid nuclear translocation in cultured human umbilical artery endothelial cells at 37 degrees C but not at 4 degrees C. Treatment of cells with colchicine, nocodazole and taxol, which disrupt the microtubule system, does not affect the nuclear translocation process of angiogenin, suggesting that cells transport internalized angiogenin in a microtubule independent fashion. Lysosomal inhibitors, chloroquine and leupeptin, neither inhibit nor enhance the nuclear translocation of angiogenin, indicating that lysosomal targeting and processing are not required for, and do not compete with, the nuclear translocation. Moreover, treatment of cells with a tyrosine kinase antagonist, genistein, does not change the ability of the cells to translocate angiogenin into the nucleus. We suggest that exogenous angiogenin is translocated to the nucleus by a mechanism that does not require activation of tyrosine kinase, but includes receptor-mediated endocytosis, microtubule and lysosome independent transport across the cytoplasm, and nuclear localization sequence-assisted nuclear import.

Steroid receptor interactions with heat shock protein and immunophilin chaperones

We have provided a historical perspective on a body of steroid receptor research dealing with the structure and physiological significance of the untransformed 9S receptor that has often confused both novice and expert investigators. The frequent controversies and equivocations of earlier studies were due to the fact that the native, hormone-free state of these receptors is a large multiprotein complex that resisted description for many years because of its unstable and dynamic nature. The untransformed 9S state of the steroid and dioxin receptors has provided a unique system for studying the function of the ubiquitous, abundant, and conserved heat shock protein, hsp90. The hormonal control of receptor association with hsp90 provided a method of manipulating the receptor heterocomplex in a manner that was physiologically meaningful. For several steroid receptors, binding to hsp90 was required for the receptor to be in a native hormone-binding state, and for all of the receptors, hormone binding promoted dissociation of the receptor from hsp90 and conversion of the receptor to the DNA-binding state. Although the complexes between tyrosine kinases and hsp90 were discovered earlier, the hormonal regulation or steroid receptor association with hsp90 permitted much more rapid and facile study of hsp90 function. The observations that hsp90 binds to the receptors through their HBDs and that these domains can be fused to structurally different proteins bringing their function under hormonal control provided a powerful linkage between the hormonal regulation of receptor binding to hsp90 and the initial step in steroid hormone action. Because the 9S receptor hsp90 heterocomplexes could be physically stabilized by molybdate, their protein composition could be readily studied, and it became clear that these complexes are multiprotein structures containing a number of unique proteins, such as FKBP51, FKBP52, CyP-40, and p23, that were discovered because of their presence in these structures. Further analysis showed that hsp90 itself exists in a variety of native multiprotein heterocomplexes independent of steroid receptors and other 'substrate' proteins. Cell-free systems can now be used to study the formation of receptor heterocomplexes. As we outlined in the scheme of Fig. 1, the multicomponent receptor-hsp90 heterocomplex assembly system is being reconstituted, and the importance of individual proteins, such as hsp70, p60, and p23, in the assembly process is becoming recognized. It should be noted that our understanding of the mechanism and purpose of steroid receptor heterocomplex assembly is still at an early stage. We can now speculate on the roles of receptor-associated proteins in receptor action, both as individuals and as a group, but their actual functions are still vague or unknown. We can make realistic models about the chaperoning and trafficking of steroid receptors, but we don't yet know how these processes occur, we don't know where chaperoning occurs in the cell (e.g. Is it limited to the cytoplasm? Is it a diffuse process or does chaperoning occur in association with structural elements?), and, with the exception of the requirement for hormone binding, we don't know the extent to which the hsp90-based chaperone system impacts on steroid hormone action. It is not yet clear how far the discovery of this hsp90 heterocomplex assembly system will be extended to the development of a general understanding of protein processing in the cell. Because this assembly system is apparently present in all eukaryotic cells, it probably performs an essential function for many proteins. The bacterial homolog of hsp90 is not an essential protein, but hsp90 is essential in eukaryotes, and recent studies indicate that the development of the cell nucleus from prokaryotic progenitors was accompanied by the duplication of genes for hsp90 and hsp70 (698). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Internalization of prolactin receptor and prolactin in transfected cells does not involve nuclear translocation

Prolactin (PRL) interacts with a specific, well characterized plasma membrane receptor (PRLR) that is coupled to signal transduction pathways involving Jak2, Fyn, and MAP kinases, and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT). Although a few previous studies have indicated nuclear translocation of PRL in IL-2 stimulated T lymphocytes, PRL-dependent Nb2 lymphoma cell lines and 235–1 lactotrophs, the mechanisms of nuclear targeting remain unknown and conflicting results have been reported concerning the putative nuclear translocation of the PRLR. We therefore decided to investigate nuclear translocation of PRLR and PRL in various cell lines transfected with an expression plasmid encoding PRLR, using confocal laser microscopy. We have constructed various cDNAs of the long and short forms of the rat PRLR containing an oligonucleotide encoding a Flag epitope inserted either just before the N-terminal amino acid or in the C-terminal end of the mature receptor (named N-terminal or C-terminal Flag-tagged PRLR). The corresponding receptors function as the PRLR in transfected cells: they are expressed at the plasma membrane and in compartments of the secretory pathway, they bind PRL with normal affinity (Kd= 4x10(−10) M) and have the same capacity to stimulate the transcriptional activity of a milk protein (beta-casein) gene as wild-type PRLR. In addition, the tagged receptors are much more efficiently immunodetected using anti-Flag antibodies, as compared to anti-PRL antibodies (U5 or U6). Immunofluorescence combined with detailed confocal laser microscopy showed that addition of PRL (0 to 12 hours) to COS-7, CHO and NIH-3T3 transfected fibroblasts induces rapid internalization of the receptor (long form), without any translocation to the nucleus. Using PRL-R tagged both in the N-terminal or C-terminal regions of the mature receptor excludes the possibility of a cleaved fragment which could have been subsequently imported into the nucleus. An absence of nuclear translocation of PRLR was also observed in a 293 cell line stably expressing the receptor, and in physiological targets for PRL, i.e. in Nb2 lymphoma cells expressing the Nb2 form of the receptor or in BGME mammary gland epithelial cells upon overexpression of a Flag-tagged PRLR. Similarly, the short form of the PRLR was not detected in nuclei of transfected COS cells upon PRL treatment. Clearly, our results provide evidence that internalization of the plasma membrane PRLR does not lead to nuclear translocation of the receptor, or part of it, in most fibroblasts and epithelial cells at physiological concentrations of PRL. Also, in co-localization experiments, PRL was internalized without nuclear translocation. Activation of STATs transcription factors and MAP kinases, as well as translocation of these proteins to the nucleus following their phosphorylation, probably remains the intracellular mechanism coupling stimulation to nuclear events.

Insulin binding and fluid-phase endocytosis stimulation in the mouse neuroblastoma cell line 41A3

As well as many other hormones and growth factors, insulin is known to influence several processes in the CNS; its specific effects, however, are still poorly understood. Neuroblastoma cell lines represent a useful experimental system for the analysis of the insulin-specific effect on neurons, in the absence of possible regulatory mechanisms elicited by other neuronal/glial cells and/or soluble factors. The expression and the binding properties of insulin receptors, as well as the insulin effects on both membrane fluidity and cell surface architecture, have been investigated in 41A3 mouse neuroblastoma cells, by radioligand-binding fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively the same cells, insulin-induced modifications on cytoskeletal organisation also have been studied. Binding studies were performed using 125I-insulin, while the cationic fluorescent probe trimethylammonium 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was used for biophysical investigations. The results presented in this paper provide evidence that insulin interacts with 41A3 neuroblastoma cells through a receptor-mediated mechanism and that, in these cells, insulin binding modifies the cell surface morphology and stimulates endocytosis.

Visualization of glucocorticoid receptor translocation and intranuclear organization in living cells with a green fluorescent protein chimera

A highly fluorescent mutant form of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been fused to the rat glucocorticoid receptor (GR). When GFP-GR is expressed in living mouse cells, it is competent for normal transactivation of the GR-responsive mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. The unliganded GFP-GR resides in the cytoplasm and translocates to the nucleus in a hormone-dependent manner with ligand specificity similar to that of the native GR receptor. Due to the resistance of the mutant GFP to photobleaching, the translocation process can be studied by time-lapse video microscopy. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed nuclear accumulation in a discrete series of foci, excluding nucleoli. Complete receptor translocation is induced with RU486 (a ligand with little agonist activity), although concentration into nuclear foci is not observed. This reproducible pattern of transactivation-competent GR reveals a previously undescribed intranuclear architecture of GR target sites.

The Ernst Schering Poster Award. Intracellular traffic of steroid hormone receptors

The signal responsible for the nuclear localization of the progesterone receptor has been characterized. It is a complex signal. The study of the mechanism of this nuclear localization has revealed that the receptor continuously shuttles between nucleus and the cytoplasm. The receptor diffuses into the cytoplasm and is constantly and actively transported back into the nucleus. The same phenomenon exists for estradiol and glucocorticoid receptors. The mechanism of entry of proteins into the nucleus is well documented, whereas the mechanism of their outward movement to the cytoplasm is not understood. We have grafted different nuclear localization signals (NLSs) onto beta-galactosidase and have studied the traffic of this protein using heterokaryons and microinjection experiments. We have demonstrated that the same NLSs are involved in both the inward and the outward movement of proteins through the nuclear membrane. These results suggest that the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling may be a general phenomenon for nuclear proteins that could possibly undergo modifications in the cytoplasm and exert some biological activities there. These conclusions also imply that at least part of the cellular machinery involved in the nuclear import of proteins may function bidirectionally. Using these techniques, we have shown that the two major antiprogestins, RU486 and ZK98299, act at the same distal level of hormone action.

Hormones and the cytoskeleton of animals and plants

It is often overlooked that a cell can exert its specific functions only after it has acquired a specific morphology: function follows form. The cytoskeleton plays an important role in establishing this form, and a variety of hormones can influence it. The cytoskeletal framework has also been shown to function in a variety of cellular processes, such as cell motility (important for behavior), migration (important for the interrelationship between the endocrine and immune systems, e.g., chemotaxis), intracellular transport of particles, mitosis and meiosis, maintenance of cellular morphology, spatial distribution of cell organelles (e.g., nucleus and Golgi system), cellular responses to membrane events (e.g., endocytosis and exocytosis), intracellular communication including conductance of electrical signals, localization of mRNA, protein synthesis, and--more specifically in plants--ordered cell wall deposition, cytoplasmic streaming, and spindle function followed by phragmoplast function. All classes of hormones seem to make use of the cytoskeleton, either during their synthesis, transport, secretion, degradation, or when influencing their target cells. In this review special attention is paid to cytoskeleton-mediated effects of selected hormones related to growth, transepithelial transport, steroidogenesis, thyroid and parathyroid functioning, motility, oocyte maturation, and cell elongation in plants.

The 59 kDa FK506-binding protein, a 90 kDa heat shock protein binding immunophilin (FKBP59-HBI), is associated with the nucleus, the cytoskeleton and mitotic apparatus

FKBP59-HBI, a 59 kDa FK506 binding protein which binds the 90 kDa heat shock protein hsp90 and thus is a heat shock protein binding immunophilin (HBI), was originally discovered in association with unliganded steroid receptors in their heat shock protein containing heterooligomer form. It belongs to a growing family including other FKBPs which bind the immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin, and cyclophilins which bind cyclosporin A, all having rotamase (peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase) activity which may be involved in protein folding. Targets for drug-immunophilin complexes have been mostly studied in vivo in T lymphocytes; however, immunophilins are present in all cell types, where their role and distribution are still unknown. Here we report the localization of FKBP59-HBI in various non lymphoid cells (mouse fibroblasts (L-929), monkey kidney cells (Cos-7), Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK), and mouse neuronal cells (GT1)). Two polyclonal antipeptide antibodies directed against the C-terminal end (amino acids 441–458) (Ab 173) or the sequence 182–201 (Ab 790) of the FKBP59-HBI were used in light and confocal laser immunofluorescence. FKBP59-HBI was found in the cytoplasm and nucleus of interphase cells. Specific immunofluorescence was much stronger in the cytoplasm than in the nucleus when using Ab 173, and stronger in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm with Ab 790. Detailed observations of L-cells, which have a particularly flat morphology, showed a punctate as well as a fibrous cytoskeletal staining in the cytoplasm using antibody 173, a result which suggests interactions of FKBP59-HBI with an organized network. Colocalization experiments (using antibodies against tubulin, vimentin or actin) and use of cytoskeletal-disrupting drugs revealed partial association of FKBP59-HBI with the microtubules. Western blot experiments confirmed that the protein was present in the subcellular fractions containing either ‘soluble’ proteins released from cells exposed to NP40 detergent, or proteins released from the cytoskeleton exposed to calcium ions (i.e. in microtubule depolymerizing conditions). Exposure of cells to 1 microM FK506 and rapamycin for 1 hour did not modify significantly the staining, although rapamycin treatment rendered the network stained by 173 clearly visible. Interestingly, during mitosis FKBP59-HBI segregated from the region of the chromosomes; it mainly localized with the mitotic apparatus (centrosome, spindle and interzone separating the chromosomes), the cleavage furrow and the midbodies during cytokinesis. It appeared again as a fibrous network in the cytoplasm of the two daughters cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Immunogold labelling of estradiol receptor in MCF7 cells

The distribution of estradiol receptor in serial sections of estradiol-deprived and estradiol-stimulated MCF7 cells was studied by using mouse monoclonal antibodies reacting with different domains of the receptor and goat-antimouse IgG/6 nm gold. In the nucleus and the cytoplasm of estradiol-deprived cells, the receptor was detected by all three monoclonals (13H2, HT 65 and MA1-310). The antibodies 13H2 and MA1-310 detected receptor associated to the microfilament bundles in the cytoplasm. Higher densities of antireceptor attachment to the nuclear areas were accompanied by a reduction in the attachment to the cytoplasm after estradiol stimulation of the cells. The results confirm earlier observations on the presence of cytoplasmic estrogen receptor in estradiol-deprived cells and support the premise of an estradiol-induced translocation of this ligand-dependent transcription regulator.

Subcellular distribution of the glucocorticoid receptor and evidence for its association with microtubules

The cellular distribution of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has not yet been firmly established. The extensive literature indicates that GR is present both in the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus, however, some studies have failed to detect cytoplasmic GR. It is still controversial as to whether GR is randomly diffusing in the cytoplasm and nucleus, or if the GR-distribution is organized or controlled in some way, which may be of importance for the transduction of glucocorticoid effects to cells. There is evidence that both non-activated and activated GR is associated with the plasma membrane, a number of cytoplasmic organelles and the nucleus. Both morphological and biochemical evidence show that GR is associated with microtubules during different stages of the cell cycle, i.e. GR co-localizes, co-purifies and co-polymerizes with tubulin. This indicates that GR is structurally linked to the intracellular MT-network which may be of importance in the mechanism of action of glucocorticoid hormones. The literature in this field is reviewed including the reported data on subcellular GR-localization.

Microtubules are not required for glucocorticoid receptor mediated gene induction

Steroid-free glucocorticoid receptors are generally considered to reside in the cytoplasm of cells. After the binding of steroids, the receptors translocate into the nucleus in a manner that has been proposed to involve microtubules. However, some results with inhibitors of microtubule assembly argue to the contrary. In all of these studies, only the whole cell localization of receptors has been examined; the biological activity of these receptors has not been determined. We now report that steroid-induced gene expression is maintained in the absence of intact microtubules. This argues that microtubules are not required for either the nuclear translocation or biological activity of glucocorticoid receptors.

Steroid hormone receptors: activators of gene transcription

Over the past three decades, a great deal of evidence has accumulated in favor of the hypothesis that steroid hormones act via regulation of gene expression. The action is mediated by specific nuclear receptor proteins, which belong to a superfamily of ligand-modulated transcription factors that regulate homeostasis, reproduction, development and differentiation. This family includes receptors for steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, hormonal forms of vitamin A and D, peroxisomal activators, and ecdysone. Molecular cloning and structure/function analyses have revealed that all members of the steroid/thyroid hormone/retinoic acid receptor family have a similar functional domain structure: a variable N-terminal region, which is involved in modulation of gene expression; a short well-conserved DNA-binding domain, which is crucial for recognition of specific DNA sequences and for receptor dimerization; and a partially conserved C-terminal ligand-binding domain, which is important for hormone binding and also for receptor dimerization and transactivation. In contrast to other members of the receptor superfamily steroid hormone receptors form transient complexes with several heat shock proteins. This interaction promotes proper folding and stability of the receptor molecule. Hormone binding induces a conformational change in the receptor molecule and simultaneously a dissociation of all heat shock proteins, which results in DNA-binding of the hormone-receptor complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cytoplasmic-nuclear trafficking of progesterone receptor. In vivo study of the mechanism of action of antiprogestins

The signal responsible for the nuclear localization of the progesterone receptor has been characterized. The study of the mechanism of this nuclear localization has revealed that the receptor continuously shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The receptor diffuses into the cytoplasm and is constantly and actively transported back into the nucleus. Preliminary evidence suggests that the same mechanism exists for estradiol and glucocorticoid receptors. Experiments designed to study the traffic of steroid hormone receptors have been applied to the determination of the molecular mechanism of action of antisteroids. Using these techniques, we have shown that two major antiprogestins, RU486 and ZK98299, act at the same point in the cell as the hormone.

Cytoplasmic-nuclear trafficking of steroid hormone receptors

The nuclear localization of most steroid hormone receptors reflects a dynamic process: the receptor constantly diffuses out of the nucleus and is reimported by an active mechanism. The outward movement from the nucleus of the receptors and of other nuclear proteins is also mediated by the nuclear localization signals.

The nuclear pore complex and nucleocytoplasmic transport

In the past year we have seen two new three-dimensional views of the nuclear pore complex, the discovery of a nuclear pore complex protein that contains zinc fingers, the purification of nuclear localization signal recognition proteins, and the discovery that hsc70 participates in nuclear import. Other highlights include the finding that certain proteins associated with heterogeneous nuclear RNA shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm, and that a nucleolar nuclear localization signal binding protein, which also shuttles, is located on intranuclear tracks.