The Steady-State Distribution of Glycosyltransferases Between the Golgi Apparatus and the Endoplasmic Reticulum is Approximately 90:10

A quantitative study of the Golgi retention of glycosyltransferases

How Golgi glycosyltransferases and glycosidases (hereafter glycosyltransferases) localize to the Golgi is still unclear. Here, we first investigated the post-Golgi trafficking of glycosyltransferases. We found that glycosyltransferases can escape the Golgi to the plasma membrane, where they are subsequently endocytosed to the endolysosome. Post-Golgi glycosyltransferases are probably degraded by ectodomain shedding. We discovered that most glycosyltransferases are not retrieved from post-Golgi sites, indicating that retention rather than retrieval is the primary mechanism for their Golgi localization. We therefore used the Golgi residence time to study Golgi retention of glycosyltransferases quantitatively and systematically. Quantitative analysis of chimeras of ST6GAL1 and either transferrin receptor or tumor necrosis factor α revealed the contributions of three regions of ST6GAL1, namely the N-terminal cytosolic tail, the transmembrane domain and the ectodomain, to Golgi retention. We found that each of the three regions is sufficient for Golgi retention in an additive manner. N-terminal cytosolic tail length negatively affects the Golgi retention of ST6GAL1, similar to effects observed for the transmembrane domain. Therefore, the long N-terminal cytosolic tail and transmembrane domain could act as Golgi export signals for transmembrane secretory cargos. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Unveiling the Physical and Functional Niches of FAM26F by Analyzing Its Subcellular Localization and Novel Interacting Partners

The knowledge of a protein's subcellular localization and interacting partners are crucial for elucidating its cellular function and associated regulatory networks. Although FAM26F (family with sequence similarity 26, member F) has been recognized as a vital player in various infections, stimulation studies, cancer, and immune pathogenesis, the precise location and function of FAM26F are not well understood. The current study is the first to focus on functional characterization of FAM26F by analyzing its subcellular localization and identifying its novel interacting partners using advanced proteome approaches. The immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy results revealed FAM26F to be largely localized within the Golgi apparatus of the cell. However, its minor presence in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pointed toward the probable retrograde transfer of FAM26F from Golgi to ER during adverse conditions. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation and MS/MS results demonstrated a total of 85 proteins, 44 of which significantly copurified with FAM26F. Interestingly, out of these 44 MS/MS identified proteins, almost 52% were involved in innate immunity, 38.6% in neutrophil degranulation, and remaining 10% were either involved in phosphorylation, degradation, or regulation of apoptosis. Further characterization through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed that majority of these proteins was involved in maintaining calcium homeostasis of cell. Consequently, the validation of selected proteins uncovered the key interaction of FAM26F with Thioredoxin, which essentially paved the way for depicting its mechanism of action under stress or disease conditions. It is proposed that activation and inhibition of the cellular immune response is essentially dependent on whether FAM26F or Thioredoxin considerably interact with CD30R.

JAGN1, tetraspanins, and Erv proteins: is common topology indicative of common function in cargo sorting?

The endoplasmic reticulum protein Jagunal (JAGN1) was first identified as a requirement for Drosophila melanogaster oocyte development. Subsequent studies in human patients linked mutations in JAGN1 to severe congenital neutropenia, as well as a broad range of additional symptoms, suggesting that JAGN1 function is required in many tissues. Moreover, JAGN1 orthologs are found throughout animal and plant phylogeny, suggesting that JAGN1 supports fundamental cellular processes not restricted to egg development or neutrophil function. JAGN1 lacks sequence similarity or recognizable domains other than a coatomer protein complex I-binding motif, and its cellular function is currently unknown. JAGN1 shares a tetraspanning membrane topology with two families of known cargo transporters: the tetraspanins and the endoplasmic reticulum vesicle (Erv) proteins. Herein, we discuss the similarities between JAGN1, tetraspanins, and Ervs and, based on those, suggest a role for JAGN1 in facilitating the traffic of cell-restricted and ubiquitously expressed proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi interface.

3D ultrastructural analysis of α-granule, dense granule, mitochondria, and canalicular system arrangement in resting human platelets

BACKGROUND

State-of-the-art 3-dimensional (3D) electron microscopy approaches provide a new standard for the visualization of human platelet ultrastructure. Application of these approaches to platelets rapidly fixed prior to purification to minimize activation should provide new insights into resting platelet ultrastructure.

OBJECTIVES

Our goal was to determine the 3D organization of α-granules, dense granules, mitochondria, and canalicular system in resting human platelets and map their spatial relationships.

METHODS

We used serial block face-scanning electron microscopy images to render the 3D ultrastructure of α-granules, dense granules, mitochondria, canalicular system, and plasma membrane for 30 human platelets, 10 each from 3 donors. α-Granule compositional data were assessed by sequential, serial section cryo-immunogold electron microscopy and by immunofluorescence (structured illumination microscopy).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

α-Granule number correlated linearly with platelet size, while dense granule and mitochondria number had little correlation with platelet size. For all subcellular compartments, individual organelle parameters varied considerably and organelle volume fraction had little correlation with platelet size. Three-dimensional data from 30 platelets indicated only limited spatial intermixing of the different organelle classes. Interestingly, almost 70% of α-granules came within ≤35 nm of each other, a distance associated in other cell systems with protein-mediated contact sites. Size and shape analysis of the 1488 α-granules analyzed revealed no more variation than that expected for a Gaussian distribution. Protein distribution data indicated that all α-granules likely contained the same major set of proteins, albeit at varying amounts and varying distribution within the granule matrix.

A Random Forest Sub-Golgi Protein Classifier Optimized via Dipeptide and Amino Acid Composition Features

To gain insight into the malfunction of the Golgi apparatus and its relationship to various genetic and neurodegenerative diseases, the identification of sub-Golgi proteins, both cis-Golgi and trans-Golgi proteins, is of great significance. In this study, a state-of-art random forests sub-Golgi protein classifier, rfGPT, was developed. The rfGPT used 2-gap dipeptide and split amino acid composition for the feature vectors and was combined with the synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) feature selection method. The rfGPT was trained on a sub-Golgi protein sequence data set (137 sequences), with sequence identity less than 25%. For the optimal rfGPT classifier with 93 features, the accuracy (ACC) was 90.5%; the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) was 0.811; the sensitivity (Sn) was 92.6%; and the specificity (Sp) was 88.4%. The independent testing scores for the rfGPT were ACC = 90.6%; MCC = 0.696; Sn = 96.1%; and Sp = 69.2%. Although the independent testing accuracy was 4.4% lower than that for the best reported sub-Golgi classifier trained on a data set with 40% sequence identity (304 sequences), the rfGPT is currently the top sub-Golgi protein predictor utilizing feature vectors without any position-specific scoring matrix and its derivative features. Therefore, the rfGPT is a more practical tool, because no sequence alignment is required with tens of millions of protein sequences. To date, the rfGPT is the Golgi classifier with the best independent testing scores, optimized by training on smaller benchmark data sets. Feature importance analysis proves that the non-polar and aliphatic residues composition, the (aromatic residues) + (non-polar, aliphatic residues) dipeptide and aromatic residues composition between NH2-termial and COOH-terminal of protein sequences are the three top biological features for distinguishing the sub-Golgi proteins.

Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of UDP N-acetyl-α-d-galactosamine: Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 4 from Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidium spp. are the causative agents of diarrheal disease worldwide, but effective treatments are lacking. Cryptosporidium employs mucin-like glycoproteins with O-glycans to attach to and infect host intestinal epithelial cells. The Tn antigen (GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr) is an O-glycan essential for these processes, as Tn-specific lectins and a Tn-specific monoclonal antibody block attachment to and infection of host cells in vitro. The enzymes in Cryptosporidium catalyzing their synthesis, however, have not been studied. Previously, we identified four genes encoding putative UDP N-acetyl-α-d-galactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (ppGalNAc-Ts) in the genomes of three Cryptosporidium spp. Here we report the in silico analysis, cloning, expression, purification, and characterization of one of the four enzymes Cryptosporidium parvum (Cp)-ppGalNAc-T4. This enzyme contains the characteristic domains and motifs conserved in ppGalNAc-Ts and is expressed at multiple time points during in vitro infection. Recombinant soluble Cp-ppGalNAc-T4 was enzymatically active against an unmodified EA2 peptide suggesting that it may function as an "initiating" ppGalNAc-T. Cp-ppGalNAc-T4 also exhibited a strong preference for UDP-GalNAc over other nucleotide sugar donors and was active against unmodified and O-glycosylated versions of the C. parvum gp40-derived peptide, with a preference for the former, suggesting it may play a role in modifying this glycoprotein in vivo. Given the importance of mucin-type O-glycosylation in Cryptosporidium spp., the enzymes that catalyze their synthesis may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

Mechanisms and Regulation of the Mitotic Inheritance of the Golgi Complex

In mammalian cells, the Golgi complex is structured in the form of a continuous membranous system composed of stacks connected by tubular bridges: the "Golgi ribbon." At the onset of mitosis, the Golgi complex undergoes a multi-step fragmentation process that is required for its correct partition into the dividing cells. Importantly, inhibition of Golgi disassembly results in cell-cycle arrest at the G2 stage, which indicates that accurate inheritance of the Golgi complex is monitored by a "Golgi mitotic checkpoint." Moreover, mitotic Golgi disassembly correlates with the release of a set of Golgi-localized proteins that acquire specific functions during mitosis, such as mitotic spindle formation and regulation of the spindle checkpoint. Most of these events are regulated by small GTPases of the Arf and Rab families. Here, we review recent studies that are revealing the fundamental mechanisms, the molecular players, and the biological significance of mitotic inheritance of the Golgi complex in mammalian cells. We also briefly comment on how Golgi partitioning is coordinated with mitotic progression.

Overexpression of the Large-Conductance, Ca2+-Activated K+ (BK) Channel Shortens Action Potential Duration in HL-1 Cardiomyocytes

Long QT syndrome is characterized by a prolongation of the interval between the Q wave and the T wave on the electrocardiogram. This abnormality reflects a prolongation of the ventricular action potential caused by a number of genetic mutations or a variety of drugs. Since effective treatments are unavailable, we explored the possibility of using cardiac expression of the large-conductance, Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (BK) channel to shorten action potential duration (APD). We hypothesized that expression of the pore-forming α subunit of human BK channels (hBKα) in HL-1 cells would shorten action potential duration in this mouse atrial cell line. Expression of hBKα had minimal effects on expression levels of other ion channels with the exception of a small but significant reduction in Kv11.1. Patch-clamped hBKα expressing HL-1 cells exhibited an outward voltage- and Ca²⁺-sensitive K⁺ current, which was inhibited by the BK channel blocker iberiotoxin (100 nM). This BK current phenotype was not detected in untransfected HL-1 cells or in HL-1 null cells sham-transfected with an empty vector. Importantly, APD in hBKα-expressing HL-1 cells averaged 14.3 ± 2.8 ms (n = 10), which represented a 53% reduction in APD compared to HL-1 null cells lacking BKα expression. APD in the latter cells averaged 31.0 ± 5.1 ms (n = 13). The shortened APD in hBKα-expressing cells was restored to normal duration by 100 nM iberiotoxin, suggesting that a repolarizing K⁺ current attributed to BK channels accounted for action potential shortening. These findings provide initial proof-of-concept that the introduction of hBKα channels into a cardiac cell line can shorten APD, and raise the possibility that gene-based interventions to increase hBKα channels in cardiac cells may hold promise as a therapeutic strategy for long QT syndrome.

Keratin 1 plays a critical role in golgi localization of core 2 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase M via interaction with its cytoplasmic tail

Core 2 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2/M (C2GnT-M) synthesizes all three β6GlcNAc branch structures found in secreted mucins. Loss of C2GnT-M leads to development of colitis and colon cancer. Recently we have shown that C2GnT-M targets the Golgi at the Giantin site and is recycled by binding to non-muscle myosin IIA, a motor protein, via the cytoplasmic tail (CT). But how this enzyme is retained in the Golgi is not known. Proteomics analysis identifies keratin type II cytoskeletal 1 (KRT1) as a protein pulled down with anti-c-Myc antibody or C2GnT-M CT from the lysate of Panc1 cells expressing bC2GnT-M tagged with c-Myc. Yeast two-hybrid analysis shows that the rod domain of KRT1 interacts directly with the WKR(6) motif in the C2GnT-M CT. Knockdown of KRT1 does not affect Golgi morphology but increases the interaction of C2GnT-M with non-muscle myosin IIA and its transportation to the endoplasmic reticulum, ubiquitination, and degradation. During Golgi recovery after brefeldin A treatment, C2GnT-M forms a complex with Giantin before KRT1, demonstrating CT-mediated sequential events of Golgi targeting and retention of C2GnT-M. In HeLa cells transiently expressing C2GnT-M-GFP, knockdown of KRT1 does not affect Golgi morphology but leaves C2GnT-M outside of the Golgi, resulting in the formation of sialyl-T antigen. Interaction of C2GnT-M and KRT1 was also detected in the goblet cells of human colon epithelial tissue and primary culture of colonic epithelial cells. The results indicate that glycosylation and thus the function of glycoconjugates can be regulated by a protein that helps retain a glycosyltransferase in the Golgi.

ERK8 is a negative regulator of O-GalNAc glycosylation and cell migration

ER O-glycosylation can be induced through relocalisation GalNAc-Transferases from the Golgi. This process markedly stimulates cell migration and is constitutively activated in more than 60% of breast carcinomas. How this activation is achieved remains unclear. Here, we screened 948 signalling genes using RNAi and imaging. We identified 12 negative regulators of O-glycosylation that all control GalNAc-T sub-cellular localisation. ERK8, an atypical MAPK with high basal kinase activity, is a strong hit and is partially localised at the Golgi. Its inhibition induces the relocation of GalNAc-Ts, but not of KDEL receptors, revealing the existence of two separate COPI-dependent pathways. ERK8 down-regulation, in turn, activates cell motility. In human breast and lung carcinomas, ERK8 expression is reduced while ER O-glycosylation initiation is hyperactivated. In sum, ERK8 appears as a constitutive brake on GalNAc-T relocalisation, and the loss of its expression could drive cancer aggressivity through increased cell motility.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01828.001

The likelihood of an individual being able to recover from cancer depends on: where the cancer is within the body, how quickly the disease is detected and how quickly treatment is started. Cancers that have spread from their original location to another part of the body are particular challenging to treat, and cause the vast majority of cancer deaths every year.

Treatments that can recognize and eradicate cancer cells, while leaving nearby healthy cells untouched, are still needed—and so there has been a lot of research into identifying the key differences between healthy cells and cancer cells. For several decades, researchers have been aware that cancer cells have more proteins coated with modified sugars on their cell surfaces than healthy cells. This is caused by the enzymes that add these sugars to the proteins relocating from one location within the cell, the Golgi apparatus, to another, called the endoplasmic reticulum. These specific ‘sugar-coated’ proteins are known to encourage cancer cells to migrate and invade new tissues, but the mechanisms that regulate the addition of these sugar molecules to proteins remains poorly understood.

Now Chia et al. have discovered 12 molecules that regulate this process, including an enzyme called ERK8 that is found at the Golgi apparatus. ERK8 is shown to prevent the relocation of the sugar-adding enzymes from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby restricting the production of sugar-coated proteins that help the cancer cells to spread within the body. By identifying 12 potential targets for new therapeutics aimed at preventing the spread of cancer, the work of Chia et al. could ultimately help to improve the chances of patients recovering from certain cancers.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01828.002

COG complexes form spatial landmarks for distinct SNARE complexes

Vesicular tethers and SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmalemide-sensitive fusion attachment protein receptors) are two key protein components of the intracellular membrane-trafficking machinery. The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex has been implicated in the tethering of retrograde intra-Golgi vesicles. Here, using yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation approaches, we show that three COG subunits, namely COG4, 6 and 8, are capable of interacting with defined Golgi SNAREs, namely STX5, STX6, STX16, GS27 and SNAP29. Comparative analysis of COG8-STX16 and COG4-STX5 interactions by a COG-based mitochondrial relocalization assay reveals that the COG8 and COG4 proteins initiate the formation of two different tethering platforms that can facilitate the redirection of two populations of Golgi transport intermediates to the mitochondrial vicinity. Our results uncover a role for COG sub-complexes in defining the specificity of vesicular sorting within the Golgi.

Quantitative fluorescence loss in photobleaching for analysis of protein transport and aggregation

Background

Fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) is a widely used imaging technique, which provides information about protein dynamics in various cellular regions. In FLIP, a small cellular region is repeatedly illuminated by an intense laser pulse, while images are taken with reduced laser power with a time lag between the bleaches. Despite its popularity, tools are lacking for quantitative analysis of FLIP experiments. Typically, the user defines regions of interest (ROIs) for further analysis which is subjective and does not allow for comparing different cells and experimental settings.

Results

We present two complementary methods to detect and quantify protein transport and aggregation in living cells from FLIP image series. In the first approach, a stretched exponential (StrExp) function is fitted to fluorescence loss (FL) inside and outside the bleached region. We show by reaction–diffusion simulations, that the StrExp function can describe both, binding/barrier–limited and diffusion-limited FL kinetics. By pixel-wise regression of that function to FL kinetics of enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), we determined in a user-unbiased manner from which cellular regions eGFP can be replenished in the bleached area. Spatial variation in the parameters calculated from the StrExp function allow for detecting diffusion barriers for eGFP in the nucleus and cytoplasm of living cells. Polyglutamine (polyQ) disease proteins like mutant huntingtin (mtHtt) can form large aggregates called inclusion bodies (IB’s). The second method combines single particle tracking with multi-compartment modelling of FL kinetics in moving IB’s to determine exchange rates of eGFP-tagged mtHtt protein (eGFP-mtHtt) between aggregates and the cytoplasm. This method is self-calibrating since it relates the FL inside and outside the bleached regions. It makes it therefore possible to compare release kinetics of eGFP-mtHtt between different cells and experiments.

Conclusions

We present two complementary methods for quantitative analysis of FLIP experiments in living cells. They provide spatial maps of exchange dynamics and absolute binding parameters of fluorescent molecules to moving intracellular entities, respectively. Our methods should be of great value for quantitative studies of intracellular transport.

Irradiation-induced protein inactivation reveals Golgi enzyme cycling to cell periphery

Acute inhibition is a powerful technique to test proteins for direct roles and order their activities in a pathway, but as a general gene-based strategy, it is mostly unavailable in mammalian systems. As a consequence, the precise roles of proteins in membrane trafficking have been difficult to assess in vivo. Here we used a strategy based on a genetically encoded fluorescent protein that generates highly localized and damaging reactive oxygen species to rapidly inactivate exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during live-cell imaging and address the long-standing question of whether the integrity of the Golgi complex depends on constant input from the ER. Light-induced blockade of ER exit immediately perturbed Golgi membranes, and surprisingly, revealed that cis-Golgi-resident proteins continuously cycle to peripheral ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) membranes and depend on ER exit for their return to the Golgi. These experiments demonstrate that ER exit and extensive cycling of cis-Golgi components to the cell periphery sustain the mammalian Golgi complex.

Identification of a functional domain within the p115 tethering factor that is required for Golgi ribbon assembly and membrane trafficking

The tethering factor p115 (known as Uso1p in yeast) has been shown to facilitate Golgi biogenesis and membrane traffic in cells in culture. However, the role of p115 within an intact animal is largely unknown. Here, we document that depletion of p115 by using RNA interference (RNAi) in C. elegans causes accumulation of the 170 kD soluble yolk protein (YP170) in the body cavity and retention of the yolk receptor RME-2 in the ER and the Golgi within oocytes. Structure-function analyses of p115 have identified two homology regions (H1 and H2) within the N-terminal globular head and the coiled-coil 1 (CC1) domain as essential for p115 function. We identify a new C-terminal domain of p115 as necessary for Golgi ribbon formation and cargo trafficking. We show that p115 mutants that lack the fourth CC domain (CC4) act in a dominant-negative manner to disrupt Golgi and prevent cargo trafficking in cells containing endogenous p115. Furthermore, using RNAi of p115 and the subsequent transfection with p115 deletion mutants, we show that CC4 is necessary for Golgi ribbon formation and membrane trafficking in cells depleted of endogenous p115. p115 has been shown to bind a subset of ER-Golgi SNAREs through CC1 and CC4 domains (Shorter et al., 2002). Our findings show that CC4 is required for p115 function, and suggest that both the CC1 and the CC4 SNARE-binding motifs participate in p115-mediated membrane tethering.

Postsynaptic density-95 scaffolding of Shaker-type K⁺ channels in smooth muscle cells regulates the diameter of cerebral arteries

Postsynaptic density-95 (PSD95) is a 95 kDa scaffolding molecule in the brain that clusters postsynaptic proteins including ion channels, receptors, enzymes and other signalling partners required for normal cognition. The voltage-gated, Shaker-type K(+) (K(V)1) channel is one key binding partner of PSD95 scaffolds in neurons. However, K(V)1 channels composed of α1.2 and α1.5 pore-forming subunits also are expressed in the vascular smooth muscle cells (cVSMCs) of the cerebral circulation, although the identity of their molecular scaffolds is unknown. Since α1.2 contains a binding motif for PSD95, we explored the possibility that cVSMCs express PSD95 as a scaffold to promote K(V)1 channel expression and cerebral vasodilatation. Cerebral arteries from Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated for analysis of PSD95 and K(V)1 channel proteins. PSD95 was detected in cVSMCs and it co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with the pore-forming α1.2 subunit of the K(V)1 channel. Antisense-mediated knockdown of PSD95 profoundly reduced K(V)1 channel expression and suppressed K(V)1 current in patch-clamped cVSMCs. Loss of PSD95 also depolarized cVSMCs in pressurized cerebral arteries and induced a strong constriction associated with a loss of functional K(V)1 channels. Our findings provide initial evidence that PSD95 is expressed in cVSMCs, and the K(V)1 channel is one of its important binding partners. PSD95 appears to function as a critical 'dilator' scaffold in cerebral arteries by increasing the number of functional K(V)1 channels at the plasma membrane.

Golgi glycosylation

Glycosylation is a very common modification of protein and lipid, and most glycosylation reactions occur in the Golgi. Although the transfer of initial sugar(s) to glycoproteins or glycolipids occurs in the ER or on the ER membrane, the subsequent addition of the many different sugars that make up a mature glycan is accomplished in the Golgi. Golgi membranes are studded with glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, and nucleotide sugar transporters arrayed in a generally ordered manner from the cis-Golgi to the trans-Golgi network (TGN), such that each activity is able to act on specific substrate(s) generated earlier in the pathway. The spectrum of glycosyltransferases and other activities that effect glycosylation may vary with cell type, and thus the final complement of glycans on glycoconjugates is variable. In addition, glycan synthesis is affected by Golgi pH, the integrity of Golgi peripheral membrane proteins, growth factor signaling, Golgi membrane dynamics, and cellular stress. Knowledge of Golgi glycosylation has fostered the development of assays to identify mechanisms of intracellular vesicular trafficking and facilitated glycosylation engineering of recombinant glycoproteins.

Cellular and molecular biology of glycosphingolipid glycosylation

Brain tissue is characterized by its high glycosphingolipid content, particularly those containing sialic acid (gangliosides). As a result of this observation, brain tissue was a focus for studies leading to the characterization of the enzymes participating in ganglioside biosynthesis, and their participation in driving the compositional changes that occur in glycolipid expression during brain development. Later on, this focus shifted to the study of cellular aspects of the synthesis, which lead to the identification of the site of synthesis in the neuronal soma and their axonal transport toward the periphery. In this review article, we will focus in subcellular aspects of the biosynthesis of glycosphingolipid oligosaccharides, particularly the mechanisms underlying the trafficking of glycosphingolipid glycosyltransferases from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi, those that promote their retention in the Golgi and those that participate in their topological organization as part of the complex membrane bound machinery for the synthesis of glycosphingolipids.

Defective GM3 synthesis in Cog2 null mutant CHO cells associates to mislocalization of lactosylceramide sialyltransferase in the Golgi complex

The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex is a eight subunit (COG1 to 8) tethering complex involved in the retrograde trafficking of multiple Golgi processing proteins. Here we studied the glycolipid synthesis status in ldlC cells, a Cog2 null mutant CHO cell line. Biochemical studies revealed a block in the coupling between LacCer and GM3 synthesis, resulting in decreased levels of GM3 in these cells. Uncoupling was not attributable to decreased activity of the glycosyltransferase that uses LacCer as acceptor substrate (SialT1). Rather, immunocytochemical experiments evidenced a mislocalization of SialT1 as consequence of the lack of Cog2 in these cells. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments disclose a Cog2 mediated interaction of SialT1 with the COG complex member Cog1. Results indicate that cycling of some Golgi glycolipid glycosyltransferases depends on the participation of the COG complex and that deficiencies in COG complex subunits, by altering their traffic and localization, affect glycolipid composition.

Journeys through the Golgi--taking stock in a new era

The Golgi apparatus is essential for protein sorting and transport. Many researchers have long been fascinated with the form and function of this organelle. Yet, despite decades of scrutiny, the mechanisms by which proteins are transported across the Golgi remain controversial. At a recent meeting, many prominent Golgi researchers assembled to critically evaluate the core issues in the field. This report presents the outcome of their discussions and highlights the key open questions that will help guide the field into a new era.

Spatial separation of Golgi and ER during mitosis protects SREBP from unregulated activation

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are membrane-bound transcription factors that reside as inactive precursors in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. After sterol depletion, the proteins are transported to the Golgi apparatus, where they are cleaved by site-1 protease (S1P). Cleavage releases the active transcription factors, which then enter the nucleus to induce genes that regulate cellular levels of cholesterol and phospholipids. This regulation depends on the spatial separation of the Golgi and the ER, as mixing of the compartments induces unregulated activation of SREBPs. Here, we show that S1P is localized to the Golgi, but cycles continuously through the ER and becomes trapped when ER exit is inhibited. During mitosis, S1P is associated with mitotic Golgi clusters, which remain distinct from the ER. In mitotic cells, S1P is active, but SREBP is not cleaved as S1P and SREBP reside in different compartments. Together, these results indicate that the spatial separation of the Golgi and the ER is maintained during mitosis, which is essential to protect the S1P substrate SREBP from unregulated activation during mitosis.

Retrograde traffic in the biosynthetic-secretory route

In the biosynthetic-secretory route from the rough endoplasmic reticulum, across the pre-Golgi intermediate compartments, the Golgi apparatus stacks, trans Golgi network, and post-Golgi organelles, anterograde transport is accompanied and counterbalanced by retrograde traffic of both membranes and contents. In the physiologic dynamics of cells, retrograde flow is necessary for retrieval of molecules that escaped from their compartments of function, for keeping the compartments' balances, and maintenance of the functional integrities of organelles and compartments along the secretory route, for repeated use of molecules, and molecule repair. Internalized molecules may be transported in retrograde direction along certain sections of the secretory route, and compartments and machineries of the secretory pathway may be misused by toxins. An important example is the toxin of Shigella dysenteriae, which has been shown to travel from the cell surface across endosomes, and the Golgi apparatus en route to the endoplasmic reticulum, and the cytosol, where it exerts its deleterious effects. Most importantly in medical research, knowledge about the retrograde cellular pathways is increasingly being utilized for the development of strategies for targeted delivery of drugs to the interior of cells. Multiple details about the molecular transport machineries involved in retrograde traffic are known; a high number of the molecular constituents have been characterized, and the complicated fine structural architectures of the compartments involved become more and more visible. However, multiple contradictions exist, and already established traffic models again are in question by contradictory results obtained with diverse cell systems, and/or different techniques. Additional problems arise by the fact that the conditions used in the experimental protocols frequently do not reflect the physiologic situations of the cells. Regular and pathologic situations often are intermingled, and experimental treatments by themselves change cell organizations. This review addresses physiologic and pathologic situations, tries to correlate results obtained by different cell biologic techniques, and asks questions, which may be the basis and starting point for further investigations.

Glycosylation of glycolipids in the Golgi complex

Gangliosides are a family of glycolipids characterized by containing a variable number of sialic acid residues. Nearly, all animal cells contain at least some class of ganglioside in their membranes, but membranes from the CNS are characterized by their high content of these lipids. The synthesis of the oligosaccharide moiety of glycolipids is carried out in the Golgi complex. In this study, I will discuss the cellular and molecular basis of the organization of the glycosylating machinery in the Golgi complex, with particular attention to the mutual relationships, sub-Golgi localization, and intracellular trafficking of glycolipid glycosyltransferases, and to their relationships with the corresponding glycolipid acceptors and sugar nucleotide donors. I will also discuss how the organization of the glycosylating machinery in the Golgi may adapt to events controlling glycolipid expression.

Using quantitative fluorescence microscopy to probe organelle assembly and membrane trafficking

With current light microscopy and laboratory-level computational capability, many questions in organelle assembly and membrane trafficking that were once treated in a qualitative manner can now be treated quantitatively. We present here an overview of the principles involved in doing quantitative fluorescence microscopy. We illustrate these with examples drawn from our work with the Golgi apparatus and endosomes in cultured mammalian cells. The principles themselves can be applied to any system.

Bortezomib down-regulates the cell-surface expression of HLA class I and enhances natural killer cell-mediated lysis of myeloma

Human leukocyte antigen class I molecules expressed by tumor cells play a central role in the regulation of natural killer (NK) cell-mediated immune responses. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib has demonstrated significant activity in multiple myeloma (MM). We hypothesized that treatment of MM with bortezomib results in the reduction of cell-surface expression of class I and thereby sensitizes MM to NK cell-mediated lysis. Here we report that bortezomib down-regulates class I in a time- and dose-dependent fashion on all MM cell lines and patient MM cells tested. Downregulation of class I can also be induced in vivo after a single dose of 1.0 mg/m(2) bortezomib. Bortezomib significantly enhances the sensitivity of patient myeloma to allogeneic and autologous NK cell-mediated lysis. Further, the level of decrease in class I expression correlates with increased susceptibility to lysis by NK cells. Clinically relevant bortezomib concentrations do not affect NK-cell function. Our findings have clear therapeutic implications for MM and other NK cell-sensitive malignancies in the context of both allogeneic and autologous adoptively transferred NK cells.

Evidence that differential packaging of the major platelet granule proteins von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen can support their differential release

BACKGROUND

von Willebrand factor (VWF) and fibrinogen are major storage proteins of platelet alpha-granules. VWF is synthesized by the megakaryocyte, the cell from which platelets bud, and fibrinogen is delivered to alpha-granules by endocytosis.

AIM

Considering biosynthetic origins, VWF and fibrinogen might be differentially packaged within platelets. We applied immunofluorescence microscopy to provide whole platelet, global information on the distributions of VWF and fibrinogen.

RESULTS

The distribution of VWF and fibrinogen were characterized in both the resting state and handling activated human platelets. Full cell volume image stacks were collected by spinning-disk confocal microscopy, corrected for a small pixel shift between green and red channels, deconvolved, and visualized in a three-dimensional space. In sum, we found that there was little overlap in the distribution of VWF and fibrinogen in resting state platelets. In an important control, the distributions of green and red secondary antibodies overlapped completely when different color secondary antibodies directed against the same first antibody were used. Moreover, the same result was observed using different first antibodies and switching second antibody color to switch the color of VWF and fibrinogen staining. No accumulation of fibrinogen in late endosomes or lysosomes was detected by co-staining with LAMP2, a late endosome/lysosome membrane protein. Significantly, we found that in handling activated platelets there was differential retention of fibrinogen-positive granules relative to VWF positive granules.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that VWF and fibrinogen are differentially packaged in human platelets. Moreover, the results suggest that differential packaging could support differential release of alpha-granule proteins.

Both post-Golgi and intra-Golgi cycling affect the distribution of the Golgi phosphoprotein GPP130

Golgi phosphoprotein, GPP130, a cis Golgi protein, is representative of proteins cycling between the Golgi apparatus and endosomes in a pH-sensitive manner. The present qualitative data are insufficient to distinguish the relative contributions of Golgi and endosomal processes in regulating the cycling of such proteins. We have taken a quantitative approach to analyze GPP130 distribution in response to pH perturbation. We have used Shiga-like toxin B fragment, a protein that traffics from the cell surface and Golgi apparatus by the late endosomal bypass pathway, as a probe to highlight one aspect of GPP130 cycling and similarly the trafficking of tsO45-green fluorescent protein (GFP) between the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane to treat that aspect of GPP130 cycling in isolation. Overall, we conclude from quantitative analysis and simulations that treatment of HeLa cells with the pH perturbant, monensin, affects GPP130 cycling at several stages with effects on (i) intra-Golgi cycling, (ii) trans Golgi to endosome transport and (iii) endosome to Golgi transport. Our analysis indicates that the effect is greatest at the trans Golgi, the most acidic portion of the Golgi apparatus. In sum, multiple, regulated steps affect the trafficking of GPP130.

Alternate routes for drug delivery to the cell interior: pathways to the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum

The targeted delivery of drugs to the cell interior can be accomplished by taking advantage of the various receptor-mediated endocytic pathways operating in a particular cell. Among these pathways, the retrograde trafficking pathway from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum is of special importance since it provides a route to deliver drugs bypassing the acid pH, hydrolytic environment of the lysosome. The existence of pathways for drug or antigen delivery to the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus has been to a large extent an outcome of research on the trafficking of A/B type-bacterial or plant toxins such as Shiga toxin within the cell. The targeting properties of these toxins reside in their B subunit. In this article we present an overview of the multiplicity of pathways to deliver drugs intracellularly. We highlight the retrograde trafficking pathway illustrated by Shiga toxin and Shiga-like toxin, and the potential role of the B subunit of these toxins as carriers of drugs, antigens and imaging agents.

Mitosis controls the Golgi and the Golgi controls mitosis

In mammals, the Golgi complex is structured in the form of a continuous membranous system composed of up to 100 stacks connected by tubular bridges, the 'Golgi ribbon'. During mitosis, the Golgi undergoes extensive fragmentation through a multistage process that allows its correct partitioning and inheritance by daughter cells. Strikingly, this Golgi fragmentation is required not only for inheritance but also for mitotic entrance itself, since its block results in the arrest of the cell cycle in G2. This is called the 'Golgi mitotic checkpoint'. Recent studies have identified the severing of the ribbon into its constituent stacks during early G2 as the precise stage of Golgi fragmentation that controls mitotic entry. This opens new ways to elucidate the mechanism of the Golgi checkpoint.

Confocal microscopy-based linescan methodologies for intra-Golgi localization of proteins

Localization of resident Golgi proteins to earlier (cis) or later (trans) Golgi compartments has traditionally required quantitative immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, which are inaccessible to many researchers. For this reason, light microscopy has often been used, initially for localization of Golgi glycotransferases and, more recently, for other Golgi proteins (e.g., Arf1, GBF1, Rab6). Quantitation of light microscopic intra-Golgi localization can be problematic. We describe here a novel quantitative light microscopic methodology using linescans crossing the Golgi ribbon. Our method determines a localization for the unknown protein in a one-dimensional coordinate system in which 0.0 corresponds to localization of a cis marker and 1.0 to localization of a trans marker. We also describe a variant of this methodology in which Golgi morphology is simplified by nocodazole-induced dispersal into ministacks, allowing a fully automated analysis. In our assay, beta1,4-galactosyltransferase-YFP and Golgin97 localize similarly to trans markers, whereas p115, GBF1, and p58-YFP are similarly near other cis markers. The medial Golgi protein alpha1,3-1,6-mannosidase II gives an intermediate localization in this assay. These methodologies may prove useful in instances where electron microscopy is technically difficult as well as when rapid analysis of large numbers of samples is required.

Transition of galactosyltransferase 1 from trans-Golgi cisterna to the trans-Golgi network is signal mediated

The Golgi apparatus (GA) is the organelle where complex glycan formation takes place. In addition, it is a major sorting site for proteins destined for various subcellular compartments or for secretion. Here we investigate beta1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (galT) and alpha2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (siaT), two trans-Golgi glycosyltransferases, with respect to their different pathways in monensin-treated cells. Upon addition of monensin galT dissociates from siaT and the GA and accumulates in swollen vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi network (TGN), as shown by colocalization with TGN46, a specific TGN marker. We analyzed various chimeric constructs of galT and siaT by confocal fluorescence microscopy and time-lapse videomicroscopy as well as Optiprep density gradient fractionation. We show that the first 13 amino acids of the cytoplasmic tail of galT are necessary for its localization to swollen vesicles induced by monensin. We also show that the monensin sensitivity resulting from the cytoplasmic tail can be conferred to siaT, which leads to the rapid accumulation of the galT-siaT chimera in swollen vesicles upon monensin treatment. On the basis of these data, we suggest that cycling between the trans-Golgi cisterna and the trans-Golgi network of galT is signal mediated.

Capacity of the Golgi apparatus for cargo transport prior to complete assembly

In yeast, particular emphasis has been given to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived, cisternal maturation models of Golgi assembly while in mammalian cells more emphasis has been given to golgins as a potentially stable assembly framework. In the case of de novo Golgi formation from the ER after brefeldin A/H89 washout in HeLa cells, we found that scattered, golgin-enriched, structures formed early and contained golgins including giantin, ranging across the entire cis to trans spectrum of the Golgi apparatus. These structures were incompetent in VSV-G cargo transport. Second, we compared Golgi competence in cargo transport to the kinetics of addition of various glycosyltransferases and glycosidases into nascent, golgin-enriched structures after drug washout. Enzyme accumulation was sequential with trans and then medial glycosyltransferases/glycosidases found in the scattered, nascent Golgi. Involvement in cargo transport preceded full accumulation of enzymes or GPP130 into nascent Golgi. Third, during mitosis, we found that the formation of a golgin-positive acceptor compartment in early telophase preceded the accumulation of a Golgi glycosyltransferase in nascent Golgi structures. We conclude that during mammalian Golgi assembly components fit into a dynamic, first-formed, multigolgin-enriched framework that is initially cargo transport incompetent. Resumption of cargo transport precedes full Golgi assembly.

Physical factors that affect the number and size of Golgi cisternae

Despite continual membrane reorganization in the Golgi complex, the number of cisternae in a Golgi stack is a stable parameter. The cisternal number is conserved within any given cell line and also after Golgi reassembly, e.g. following brefeldin-A-induced disruption. However, the factors that determine the cisternal number in a single Golgi stack remain to be fully determined. We propose a simple mechanical model of the Golgi stack and present a theoretical analysis of different physical factors that may affect the number of cisternae in a Golgi stack. The model takes into account the Golgi membrane bending elasticity, which is related to the membrane curvature, and the adhesion, which holds the cisternae together. The analysis shows that the equilibrium configuration of the Golgi stack can be regarded as a balance between these two effects - the adhesion, which tends to increase the number of cisternae, is opposed by the membrane resistance to bending, which does not favor highly curved cisternal rims. The adhesion strength that is needed to hold together a typical stack is calculated. In addition, the model is used to analyze changes in the cisternal numbers as a controlled traffic wave enters a Golgi stack and increases the amount of the membrane in that stack.