Chicken erythroid AE1 anion exchangers associate with the cytoskeleton during recycling to the Golgi

Reticulocyte Maturation

Changes to the membrane proteins and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton must occur for a reticulocyte to mature into a red blood cell (RBC). Different mechanisms of reticulocyte maturation have been proposed to reduce the size and volume of the reticulocyte plasma membrane and to eliminate residual organelles. Lysosomal protein degradation, exosome release, autophagy and the extrusion of large autophagic-endocytic hybrid vesicles have been shown to contribute to reticulocyte maturation. These processes may occur simultaneously or perhaps sequentially. Reticulocyte maturation is incompletely understood and requires further investigation. RBCs with membrane defects or cation leak disorders caused by genetic variants offer an insight into reticulocyte maturation as they present characteristics of incomplete maturation. In this review, we compare the structure of the mature RBC membrane with that of the reticulocyte. We discuss the mechanisms of reticulocyte maturation with a focus on incomplete reticulocyte maturation in red cell variants.

SLC4A2-mediated Cl-/HCO3- exchange activity is essential for calpain-dependent regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in osteoclasts

Bone remodeling requires osteoclasts to generate and maintain an acidified resorption compartment between the apical membrane and the bone surface to solubilize hydroxyapatite crystals within the bone matrix. This acidification process requires (i) apical proton secretion by a vacuolar H(+)-ATPase, (ii) actin cytoskeleton reorganization into a podosome belt that forms a gasket to restrict lacunar acid leakage, and (iii) basolateral chloride uptake and bicarbonate extrusion by an anion exchanger to provide Cl(-) permissive for apical acid secretion while preventing cytoplasmic alkalinization. Here we show that osteoclast-targeted deletion in mice of solute carrier family 4 anion exchanger member 2 (Slc4a2) results in osteopetrosis. We further demonstrate a previously unrecognized consequence of SLC4A2 loss of function in the osteoclast: dysregulation of calpain-dependent podosome disassembly, leading to abnormal actin belt formation, cell spreading, and migration. Rescue of SLC4A2-deficient osteoclasts with functionally defined mutants of SLC4A2 indicates regulation of actin cytoskeletal reorganization by anion-exchange activity and intracellular pH, independent of SLC4A2's long N-terminal cytoplasmic domain. These data suggest that maintenance of intracellular pH in osteoclasts through anion exchange regulates the actin superstructures required for bone resorption.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis of mammalian erythroid AE1 anion exchanger facilitated by a YXXΦ or a noncanonical YXXXΦ motif in the N-terminal stretch

To explore the roles of the conserved YXXΦ-type motif in the erythroid-specific N-terminal stretch of anion exchanger 1 (AE1), cell surface expression and internalization of various mutants derived from murine erythroid AE1 tagged with an N-terminal enhanced green fluorescent protein and an extracellular FLAG (EGFP-mAE1Flag) were explored in K562 and HEK293 cells. EGFP-mAE1Flag showed rapid internalization, in association with the internalizations of transferrin and the endogenous AE1 chaperone-like protein glycophorin A in K562 cells. Disruption of the conserved Y72VEL sequence markedly reduced the internalization and increased the relative abundance of cell-surface AE1, whereas substitution of the N-terminal region from bovine AE1 that lacks the relevant motif for the corresponding region had less of an effect on internalization. Deletion or substitution mutations of the Y7EDQL sequence in the bovine N-terminal stretch resulted in the decreased internalization of the AE1 proteins. Cell surface biotinylation and deglycosylation studies showed that approximately 30% of the cell-surface EGFP-mAE1Flag and several other mutants was sorted to the plasma membrane without N-glycan maturation in the Golgi apparatus. These findings indicate that the conserved YXXΦ sequence or a noncanonical YXXXΦ sequence in the N-terminal region facilitates the endocytic recycling of erythroid AE1 through a clathrin-mediated pathway.

Critical band 3 multiprotein complex interactions establish early during human erythropoiesis

Band 3, the major anion transport protein of human erythrocytes, forms the core of a multiprotein complex in the erythrocyte membrane. Here we studied the spatiotemporal mechanisms of band 3 multiprotein complex assembly during erythropoiesis. Significant pools of intracellular band 3 and Rh-associated glycoprotein (RhAG) were found in the basophilic erythroblast. These intracellular pools decreased in the polychromatic erythroblast, whereas surface expression increased and were lowest in the orthochromatic erythroblast and reticulocytes. Protease treatment of intact cells to remove extracellular epitopes recognized by antibodies to band 3 and RhAG was used to study surface delivery kinetics and intracellular complex composition from the proerythroblast stage to the enucleated reticulocyte. Newly synthesized band 3 and protein 4.2 interact initially in the early stages of the secretory pathway and are found associated at the plasma membrane from the basophilic stage of erythropoiesis. Although we could successfully coimmunoprecipitate Rh with RhAG from plasma membrane pools at a similar stage, no intracellular interaction between these proteins was detectable. Knockdown of RhAG during early erythropoiesis was accompanied by a concomitant drop in membrane expression of Rh polypeptides. These data are consistent with assembly of major components of the band 3 macrocomplex at an early stage during erythropoiesis.

Targeting of the AE2 anion exchanger to the Golgi apparatus is cell type-dependent and correlates with the expression of Ank(195), a Golgi membrane skeletal protein

Sodium-independent anion exchangers (AE1-4) show remarkable variability in their tissue-specific expression and subcellular localization. Currently, isoform-specific targeting mechanisms are considered to be responsible for this variable localization. Here, we report that targeting can also be cell type-specific. We show that the full-length AE2 protein and its green fluorescent protein- or DsRed-tagged variants localize predominantly either to the Golgi apparatus in COS-7 cells, or to the plasma membrane in HeLa cells. This alternative targeting did not seem to result from either translational or post-translational differences, but rather from differential expression of at least one of the Golgi membrane skeletal proteins, ankyrin(195) (Ank(195)), between the two cell types. Comparative studies with several different cell lines revealed that the Golgi localization of the AE2 protein correlated strictly with the expression of Ank(195) in the cells. The two Golgi-associated proteins also co-localized well and similarly resisted detergent extraction in the cold, whereas the plasma membrane-localized AE2 in Ank(195)-deficient cells was mostly detergent-soluble. Collectively, our results suggest that Ank(195) expression is a key determinant for the variable and cell type-dependent localization of the AE2 protein in the Golgi apparatus in mammalian cells.

Multiple cytoplasmic signals direct the intracellular trafficking of chicken kidney AE1 anion exchangers in MDCK cells

AE1/F(c) receptor chimeras have been used to define the sequences that direct the basolateral sorting, recycling and cytoskeletal association of the chicken AE1-4 anion exchanger in MDCK cells. These analyses revealed that amino acids 1-63 of AE1-4 were sufficient to redirect a cytoplasmic tailless murine IgG F(c)RII B2 receptor from the apical to the basolateral membrane of MDCK cells, where F(c)1-63 associated with elements of the actin cytoskeleton. In contrast to F(c)1-63, chimeras containing amino acids 1-37 (F(c)1-37) or 38-63 (F(c)38-63) of AE1-4 accumulated in intracellular membrane compartments that overlapped late endosomes and the trans-Golgi network (TGN), respectively. Internalization assays indicated that the patterns of localization observed for F(c)1-37 and F(c)38-63 resulted from the recycling of these chimeras from the cell surface. These assays further indicated that F(c)1-37 and F(c)38-63 each possess a basolateral sorting activity. Mutagenesis studies revealed that the endocytic and basolateral sorting activities in F(c)1-37 are dependent upon serine 25, which is located in a sequence similar to a sorting signal in the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor. In addition, the sorting activities associated with F(c)38-63 were dependent upon tyrosine 47 and leucine 50. These residues resided within the sequence, YVEL, which matches the YXXPhi motif (where X is any amino acid and Phi is a hydrophobic residue) that functions as an endocytic and TGN recycling signal for other membrane proteins. Our data indicate that amino acids 1-63 of AE1-4 contain sorting and cytoskeletal binding activities that account for most of the properties previously associated with AE1-4 in MDCK cells. Furthermore, the alternative localization patterns exhibited by chimeras containing various combinations of these activities suggest that interplay between these cytoplasmic activities is critical for specifying AE1-4 localization in epithelial cells.

Dissociation of spectrin-ankyrin complex as a basis for loss of Na-K-ATPase polarity after ischemia

The polarized distribution of Na-K-ATPase at the basolateral membranes of renal tubule epithelial cells is maintained via a tethering interaction with the underlying spectrin-ankyrin cytoskeleton. In this study, we have explored the mechanism underlying the loss of Na-K-ATPase polarity after ischemic injury in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, utilizing a novel antibody raised against a recently described kidney-specific isoform of ankyrin. In control MDCK cells, ankyrin was colocalized with Na-K-ATPase at the basolateral membrane. ATP depletion resulted in a duration-dependent mislocation of Na-K-ATPase and ankyrin throughout the cytoplasm. Colocalization studies showed a partial overlap between the distribution of ankyrin and Na-K-ATPase at all periods after ATP depletion. By immunoprecipitation with anti-ankyrin antibody, the mislocated Na-K-ATPase remained bound to ankyrin at all time points after ATP depletion. However, the interaction between ankyrin and spectrin was markedly diminished within 3 h of ATP depletion and was completely lost after 6 h. In solution binding assays using a fusion peptide of glutathione S-transferase with the ankyrin binding domain of Na-K-ATPase, a complex with ankyrin was detected at all time points after ATP depletion, but spectrin was lost from the complex in a duration-dependent manner. The loss of spectrin binding was not attributable to spectrin degradation but was associated with hyperphosphorylation of ankyrin. The results suggest that a dissociation of the membrane-cytoskeleton complex at the spectrin-ankyrin interface may contribute to the loss of Na-K-ATPase polarity after ischemic injury and reaffirm a critical adapter role for ankyrin in the normal maintenance of Na-K-ATPase polarity.

CK2 constitutively associates with and phosphorylates chicken erythroid ankyrin and regulates its ability to bind to spectrin

Previous analyses have shown that the phosphorylation state of chicken erythroid ankyrin regulates its association with the spectrin cytoskeleton in vivo. Treatment of erythroid cells with serine and threonine phosphatase inhibitors stimulates the hyperphosphorylation of ankyrin and its dissociation from spectrin. In this study, we demonstrate that a kinase that directs the phosphorylation of ankyrin in vivo coprecipitates with ankyrin-containing complexes and has properties identical to CK2. Studies using CK2-specific inhibitors have indicated that all of the phosphorylation events associated with erythroid ankyrin in vivo are CK2 dependent. Furthermore, inhibitor studies combined with in vitro binding analyses have indicated that the phosphorylation of erythroid ankyrin by CK2 regulates its ability to associate with spectrin. Additional analyses revealed that CK2 coprecipitates with ankyrin-3-containing complexes isolated from Madin Darby canine kidney epithelial cells and phosphorylates this epithelial ankyrin isoform in vivo. These results are the first demonstration of a kinase constitutively associating with the ankyrin-spectrin cytoskeleton in erythroid and kidney epithelial cells. This association provides a mechanism for rapidly reorganizing the membrane cytoskeleton in these cell types through the phosphorylation of ankyrin.

Impaired trafficking of distal renal tubular acidosis mutants of the human kidney anion exchanger kAE1

Distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is an inherited disease characterized by the failure of the kidneys to appropriately acidify urine and is associated with mutations in the anion exchanger (AE)1 gene. The effect of the R589H dRTA mutation on the expression of the human erythroid AE1 and the truncated kidney form (kAE1) was examined in transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells. AE1, AE1 R589H, and kAE1 were present at the cell surface, whereas kAE1 R589H was located primarily intracellularly as shown by immunofluorescence, cell surface biotinylation, N-glycosylation, and anion transport assays. Coexpression of kAE1 R589H reduced the cell surface expression of kAE1 and AE1 by a dominant-negative effect, due to heterodimer formation. The mutant AE1 and kAE1 bound to an inhibitor affinity resin, suggesting that they were not grossly misfolded. Other mutations at R589 also prevented the formation of the cell surface form of kAE1, indicating that this conserved arginine residue is important for proper trafficking. The R589H dRTA mutation creates a severe trafficking defect in kAE1 but not in erythroid AE1.

Non-conventional trafficking of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator through the early secretory pathway

The mechanism(s) of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the Golgi apparatus, the step impaired in individuals afflicted with the prevalent CFTR-DeltaF508 mutation leading to cystic fibrosis, is largely unknown. Recent morphological observations suggested that CFTR is largely absent from the Golgi in situ (Bannykh, S. I., Bannykh, G. I., Fish, K. N., Moyer, B. D., Riordan, J. R., and Balch, W. E. (2000) Traffic 1, 852-870), raising the possibility of a novel trafficking pathway through the early secretory pathway. We now report that export of CFTR from the ER is regulated by the conventional coat protein complex II (COPII) in all cell types tested. Remarkably, in a cell type-specific manner, processing of CFTR from the core-glycosylated (band B) ER form to the complex-glycosylated (band C) isoform followed a non-conventional pathway that was insensitive to dominant negative Arf1, Rab1a/Rab2 GTPases, or the SNAp REceptor (SNARE) component syntaxin 5, all of which block the conventional trafficking pathway from the ER to the Golgi. Moreover, CFTR transport through the non-conventional pathway was potently blocked by overexpression of the late endosomal target-SNARE syntaxin 13, suggesting that recycling through a late Golgi/endosomal system was a prerequisite for CFTR maturation. We conclude that CFTR transport in the early secretory pathway can involve a novel pathway between the ER and late Golgi/endosomal compartments that may influence developmental expression of CFTR on the cell surface in polarized epithelial cells.

Trafficking and cell surface stability of the epithelial Na+ channel expressed in epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney cells

The apically located epithelial Na(+) channel (alphabetagamma-ENaC) plays a key role in the regulation of salt and fluid transport in the kidney and other epithelia, yet its mode of trafficking to the plasma membrane and its cell surface stability in mammalian cells are poorly understood. Because the expression of ENaC in native tissues/cells is very low, we generated epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells stably expressing alphabetagamma-ENaC, where each subunit is tagged differentially at the intracellular C terminus and the beta-subunit is also Myc-tagged at the ectodomain (alpha(HA)beta(Myc,T7)gamma(FLAG)). ENaC expression in these cells was verified by immunoblotting with antibodies to the tags, and patch clamp analysis has confirmed that the tagged channel is functional. Moreover, using electron microscopy, we demonstrated apical, but not basal, membrane localization of ENaC in these cells. The glycosylation pattern of the intracellular pool of ENaC revealed peptide N-glycosidase F and endoglycosidase H sensitivity. Surprisingly, the cell surface pool of ENaC, analyzed by surface biotinylation, was also core glycosylated and lacked detectable endoglycosidase H-resistant channels. Extraction of the channel from cells in Triton X-100 demonstrated that both intracellular and cell surface pools of ENaC are largely soluble. Moreover, floatation assays to analyze the presence of ENaC in lipid rafts showed that both intracellular and cell surface pools of this channel are not associated with rafts. We have shown previously that the total cellular pool of ENaC is turned over rapidly (t(1/2) approximately 1-2 h). Using cycloheximide treatment and surface biotinylation we now demonstrate that the cell surface pool of ENaC has a similarly short half-life (t(1/2) approximately 1 h), unlike the long half-life reported recently for the Xenopus A6 cells. Collectively, these results help elucidate key aspects of ENaC trafficking and turnover rates in mammalian kidney epithelial cells.

Dynamics of ankyrin-containing complexes in chicken embryonic erythroid cells: role of phosphorylation

Chicken erythroid ankyrin undergoes a fairly rapid cycle of cytoskeletal association, dissociation, and turnover. In addition, the cytoskeletal association of ankyrin is regulated by phosphorylation. Treatment of erythroid cells with serine and threonine phosphatase inhibitors stimulated the hyperphosphorylation of the 225- and 205-kDa ankyrin isoforms, and dissociated the bulk of these isoforms from cytoskeletal spectrin. In vitro binding studies have shown that this dissociation of ankyrin from spectrin in vivo can be attributed to a reduced ability of hyperphosphorylated ankyrin to bind spectrin. Interestingly, a significant fraction of detergent insoluble ankyrin accumulates in a spectrin-independent pool. At least some of this spectrin-independent pool of ankyrin is complexed with the AE1 anion exchanger, and the solubility properties of this pool are also regulated by phosphorylation. Treatment of cells with serine and threonine phosphatase inhibitors had no effect on ankyrin/AE1 complex formation. However, these inhibitors were sufficient to shift ankyrin/AE1 complexes from the detergent insoluble to the soluble pool. These analyses, which are the first to document the in vivo consequences of ankyrin phosphorylation, indicate that erythroid ankyrin-containing complexes can undergo dynamic rearrangements in response to changes in phosphorylation.

Trafficking and cell surface stability of ENaC

The epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) plays a key role in the regulation of Na(+) and water absorption in several epithelia, including those of the distal nephron, distal colon, and lung. Accordingly, mutations in ENaC leading to reduced or increased channel activity cause human diseases such as pseudohypoaldosteronism type I or Liddle's syndrome, respectively. The gain of ENaC function in Liddle's syndrome is associated with increased activity and stability of the channel at the plasma membrane. Thus understanding the regulation of channel processing and trafficking to and stability at the cell surface is of fundamental importance. This review describes some of the recent advances in our understanding of ENaC trafficking, including the role of glycosylation, ENaC solubility in nonionic detergent, targeting signal(s) and hormones. It also describes the regulation of ENaC stability at the cell surface and the roles of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4 (and ubiquitination) and clathrin-mediated endocytosis in that regulation.

Red-cell glycophorin A-band 3 interactions associated with the movement of band 3 to the cell surface

We have examined the mechanism by which glycophorin A (GPA) facilitates the movement of the human red-cell anion exchanger (band 3, AE1) to the cell surface. GPA itself forms stable dimers in membranes and detergent solution. Four mutants of human GPA with impaired dimerization were prepared (L75I, I76A, G79L and G83L). All four GPA mutants enhanced band 3 translocation to the Xenopus oocyte plasma membrane in the same way as wild-type GPA, showing that the GPA monomer is sufficient to mediate this process. Cell-surface expression of the natural band 3 mutant G701D has an absolute requirement for GPA. GPA monomers also rescued the cell-surface expression of this mutant band 3. Taking into account other evidence, we infer that the site of GPA interaction with band 3 is located outside the GPA dimerization interface but within the GPA transmembrane span. The results of examination of the cell-surface expression of GPA and band 3 in different K562 erythroleukaemia cell clones stably transfected with band 3 are consistent with the movement of GPA and band 3 to the cell surface together. We discuss the pathways by which band 3 moves to the cell surface in the presence and the absence of GPA, concluding that GPA has a role in enhancing the folding and maturation of band 3. We propose that GPA functions in erythroid cells to assist with the incorporation of large amounts of properly folded band 3 into the membrane within a limited time span during erythroid maturation.

ADPKD: a human disease altering Golgi function and basolateral exocytosis in renal epithelia

Epithelial cells explanted from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) tissue exhibit impaired exocytosis, specifically between the Golgi and basolateral membrane (Charron A, Nakamura B, Bacallo R, Wandinger-Ness A. Compromised cytoarchitecture and polarized trafficking in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease cells. J Cell Biol 2000; 148: 111-124.). Here the defect is shown to result in the accumulation of the basolateral transport marker vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G protein in the Golgi complex. Golgi complex morphology is consequently altered in the disease cells, evident in the noticeable fenestration and dilation of the cisternae. Further detailed microscopic evaluation of normal kidney and ADPKD cells revealed that ineffective basolateral exocytosis correlated with modulations in the localization of select post-Golgi transport effectors. The cytosolic coat proteins p200/myosin II and caveolin exhibited enhanced association with the cytoskeleton or the Golgi of the disease cells, respectively. Most cytoskeletal components with known roles in vesicle translocation or formation were normally arrayed with the exception of Golgi beta-spectrin, which was less prevalent on vesicles. The rab8 GTPase, important for basolateral vesicle targeting, was redistributed from the perinuclear Golgi region to disperse vesicles in ADPKD cells. At the basolateral membrane of ADPKD cells, there was a notable loss of the exocyst components sec6/sec8 and an unidentified syntaxin. It is postulated that dysregulated basolateral transport effector function precipitates the disruption of basolateral exocytosis and dilation of the ADPKD cell Golgi as basolateral cargo accumulates within the cisternae.

Processing of N-linked oligosaccharide depends on its location in the anion exchanger, AE1, membrane glycoprotein

The human erythrocyte anion exchanger (AE)1 (Band 3) contains a single complex N-linked oligosaccharide that is attached to Asn(642) in the fourth extracellular loop of this polytopic membrane protein, while other isoforms (AE2, AE3 and trout AE1) are N-glycosylated on the preceding extracellular loop. Human AE1 expressed in transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 or COS-7 cells contained a high-mannose oligosaccharide. The lack of oligosaccharide processing was not due to retention of AE1 in the endoplasmic reticulum since biotinylation assays showed that approx. 30% of the protein was expressed at the cell surface. Moving the N-glycosylation site to the preceding extracellular loop in an AE1 glycosylation mutant (N555) resulted in processing of the oligosaccharide and production of a complex form of AE1. A double N-glycosylation mutant (N555/N642) contained both a high-mannose and a complex oligosaccharide chain. The complex form of the N555 mutant could be biotinylated showing that this form of the glycoprotein was at the cell surface. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the N555 mutant was efficiently converted from a high-mannose to a complex oligosaccharide with a half-time of approx. 4 h, which reflected the time course of trafficking of AE1 from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane. The turnover of the complex form of the N555 mutant occurred with a half-life of approx. 15 h. The results show that the oligosaccharide attached to the endogenous site in extracellular loop 4 in human AE1 is not processed in HEK-293 or COS-7 cells, while the oligosaccharide attached to the preceding loop is converted into the complex form.

The L1-type cell adhesion molecule neuroglian influences the stability of neural ankyrin in the Drosophila embryo but not its axonal localization

Ankyrins are linker proteins, which connect various membrane proteins, including members of the L1 family of neural cell adhesion molecules, with the submembranous actin-spectrin skeleton. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a second, novel Drosophila ankyrin gene (Dank2) that appears to be the result of a gene duplication event during arthropod evolution. The Drosophila L1-type protein neuroglian interacts with products from both Drosophila ankyrin genes. Whereas the previously described ankyrin gene is ubiquitously expressed during embryogenesis, the expression of Dank2 is restricted to the nervous system in the Drosophila embryo. The absence of neuroglian protein in a neuroglian null mutant line causes decreased levels of Dank2 protein in most neuronal cells. This suggests that neuroglian is important for the stability of Dank2 protein. However, neuroglian is not required for Dank2 axonal localization. In temperature-sensitive neuroglian mutants in which neuroglian protein is mislocated at the restrictive temperature to an intracellular location in the neuronal soma, Dank2 protein can still be detected along embryonic nerve tracts.

The L1-type cell adhesion molecule neuroglian influences the stability of neural ankyrin in the Drosophila embryo but not its axonal localization

Ankyrins are linker proteins, which connect various membrane proteins, including members of the L1 family of neural cell adhesion molecules, with the submembranous actin-spectrin skeleton. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a second, novel Drosophila ankyrin gene (Dank2) that appears to be the result of a gene duplication event during arthropod evolution. The Drosophila L1-type protein neuroglian interacts with products from both Drosophila ankyrin genes. Whereas the previously described ankyrin gene is ubiquitously expressed during embryogenesis, the expression of Dank2 is restricted to the nervous system in the Drosophila embryo. The absence of neuroglian protein in a neuroglian null mutant line causes decreased levels of Dank2 protein in most neuronal cells. This suggests that neuroglian is important for the stability of Dank2 protein. However, neuroglian is not required for Dank2 axonal localization. In temperature-sensitive neuroglian mutants in which neuroglian protein is mislocated at the restrictive temperature to an intracellular location in the neuronal soma, Dank2 protein can still be detected along embryonic nerve tracts.

New insights into functions of erythroid proteins in nonerythroid cells

This article presents new insights into potential roles that three erythrocyte cytoskeletal proteins, protein 4.1, ankyrin, and spectrin, may play in nonerythroid nucleated cells. Each of these proteins is encoded by several closely related genes characterized by complex alternative splicing of their pre-mRNA, thus resulting in the cellular expression of a broad repertoire of isoforms that can adopt tissue- and cell-specific distribution. This could account for the presence of skeletal networks in intracellular organelles such as lysosomes, the Golgi apparatus, or the nucleus. In addition to providing structural support to cell membranes, these cytoskeletal proteins regulate the functions of various transmembrane proteins they interact with, in particular ion channels, as well as the activity of membrane-bound enzymes. Thus, they appear to be key players in major unsuspected cell functions such as protein sorting, dynamics of nuclear architecture during mitosis, or regulation of signal transduction pathways.

Intracellular trafficking of variant chicken kidney AE1 anion exchangers: role Of alternative NH(2) termini in polarized sorting and Golgi recycling

The variant chicken kidney AE1 anion exchangers differ only at the NH(2) terminus of their cytoplasmic domains. Transfection studies have indicated that the variant chicken AE1-4 anion exchanger accumulates in the basolateral membrane of polarized MDCK kidney epithelial cells, while the AE1-3 variant, which lacks the NH(2)-terminal 63 amino acids of AE1-4, primarily accumulates in the apical membrane. Mutagenesis studies have shown that the basolateral accumulation of AE1-4 is dependent upon two tyrosine residues at amino acids 44 and 47 of the polypeptide. Interestingly, either of these tyrosines is sufficient to direct efficient basolateral sorting of AE1-4. However, in the absence of both tyrosine residues, AE1-4 accumulates in the apical membrane of MDCK cells. Pulse-chase studies have shown that after delivery to the cell surface, newly synthesized AE1-4 is recycled to the Golgi where it acquires additional N-linked sugar modifications. This Golgi recycling activity is dependent upon the same cytoplasmic tyrosine residues that are required for the basolateral sorting of this variant transporter. Furthermore, mutants of AE1-4 that are defective in Golgi recycling are unable to associate with the detergent insoluble actin cytoskeleton and are rapidly turned over. These studies, which represent the first description of tyrosine-dependent cytoplasmic sorting signal for a type III membrane protein, have suggested a critical role for the actin cytoskeleton in regulating AE1 anion exchanger localization and stability in this epithelial cell type.

Uptake and intracellular transport of acidic fibroblast growth factor: evidence for free and cytoskeleton-anchored fibroblast growth factor receptors

Endocytic uptake and intracellular transport of acidic FGF was studied in cells transfected with FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4). Acidification of the cytosol to block endocytic uptake from coated pits did not inhibit endocytosis of the growth factor in COS cells transfected with FGFR4, indicating that it is to a large extent taken up by an alternative endocytic pathway. Fractionation of the cells demonstrated that part of the growth factor receptor was present in a low-density, caveolin-containing fraction, but we were unable to demonstrate binding to caveolin in immunoprecipitation studies. Upon treatment of the cells with acidic FGF, the activated receptor, together with the growth factor, moved to a juxtanuclear compartment, which was identified as the recycling endosome compartment. When the cells were lysed with Triton X-100, 3-([3-chloramidopropyl]dimethylammonio)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfona te, or 2-octyl glucoside, almost all surface-exposed and endocytosed FGFR4 was solubilized, but only a minor fraction of the total FGFR4 in the cells was found in the soluble fraction. The data indicate that the major part of FGFR4 is anchored to detergent-insoluble structures, presumably cytoskeletal elements associated with the recycling endosome compartment.