Trafficking of Adhesion and Growth Factor Receptors and Their Effector Kinases

PI(3,5)P 2 Controls the Signaling Activity of Class I PI3K

3'-Phosphoinositides are ubiquitous cellular lipids that play pivotal regulatory roles in health and disease. Generation of 3'-phosphoinositides are driven by three families of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) but the mechanisms underlying their regulation and cross-talk are not fully understood. Among 3'-phosphoinositides, phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P 2 ) remains the least understood species in terms of its spatiotemporal dynamics and physiological function due to the lack of specific probes. By means of spatiotemporally resolved in situ quantitative imaging of PI(3,5)P 2 using a newly developed ratiometric PI(3,5)P 2 sensor we demonstrate that a special pool of PI(3,5)P 2 is generated on lysosomes and late endosomes in response to growth factor stimulation. This PI(3,5)P 2 pool, the formation of which is mediated by Class II PI3KC2β and PIKFyve, plays a crucial role in terminating the activity of growth factor-stimulated Class I PI3K, one of the most frequently mutated proteins in cancer, via specific interaction with its regulatory p85 subunit. Cancer-causing mutations of Class I PI3K inhibit the p85-PI(3,5)P 2 interaction and thereby induce sustained activation of Class I PI3K. Our results unravel a hitherto unknown tight regulatory interplay between Class I and II PI3Ks mediated by PI(3,5)P 2 , which may be important for controlling the strength of PI3K-mediated growth factor signaling. These results also suggest a new therapeutic possibility of treating cancer patients with p85 mutations.

Characterisation of a nucleo-adhesome

In addition to central functions in cell adhesion signalling, integrin-associated proteins have wider roles at sites distal to adhesion receptors. In experimentally defined adhesomes, we noticed that there is clear enrichment of proteins that localise to the nucleus, and conversely, we now report that nuclear proteomes contain a class of adhesome components that localise to the nucleus. We here define a nucleo-adhesome, providing experimental evidence for a remarkable scale of nuclear localisation of adhesion proteins, establishing a framework for interrogating nuclear adhesion protein functions. Adding to nuclear FAK's known roles in regulating transcription, we now show that nuclear FAK regulates expression of many adhesion-related proteins that localise to the nucleus and that nuclear FAK binds to the adhesome component and nuclear protein Hic-5. FAK and Hic-5 work together in the nucleus, co-regulating a subset of genes transcriptionally. We demonstrate the principle that there are subcomplexes of nuclear adhesion proteins that cooperate to control transcription.

[Novel Tyrosine Phosphorylation Signals in the Nucleus and on Mitotic Spindle Fibers and Lysosomes Revealed by Strong Inhibition of Tyrosine Dephosphorylation]

Protein-tyrosine phosphorylation is one of the posttranslational modifications and plays critical roles in regulating a wide variety of cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration, survival, and apoptosis. Protein-tyrosine phosphorylation is reversibly regulated by protein-tyrosine kinases and protein-tyrosine phosphatases. Strong inhibition of protein-tyrosine phosphatase activities is required to undoubtedly detect tyrosine phosphorylation. Our extremely careful usage of Na₃VO₄, a potent protein-tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, has revealed not only the different intracellular trafficking pathways of Src-family tyrosine kinase members but also novel tyrosine phosphorylation signals in the nucleus and on mitotic spindle fibers and lysosomes. Furthermore, despite that the first identified oncogene product v-Src is generally believed to induce transformation through continuous stimulation of proliferation signaling by its strong tyrosine kinase activity, v-Src-driven transformation was found to be caused not by continuous proliferation signaling but by v-Src tyrosine kinase activity-dependent stochastic genome alterations. Here, I summarize our findings regarding novel tyrosine phosphorylation signaling in a spatiotemporal sense and highlight the significance of the roles of tyrosine phosphorylation in transcriptional regulation inside the nucleus and chromosome dynamics.

The Seminiferous Epithelial Cycle of Spermatogenesis: Role of Non-receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Non-receptor tyrosine kinases (NRTKs) are implicated in various biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis, as well as cell adhesion and movement. NRTKs are expressed in all mammals and in different cell types, with extraordinarily high expression in the testis. Their association with the plasma membrane and dynamic subcellular localization are crucial parameters in their activation and function. Many NRTKs are found in endosomal protein trafficking pathways, which suggests a novel mechanism to regulate the timely junction restructuring in the mammalian testis to facilitate spermiation and germ cell transport across the seminiferous epithelium.

Of Cell Shapes and Motion: The Physical Basis of Animal Cell Migration

Motile cells have developed a variety of migration modes relying on diverse traction-force-generation mechanisms. Before the behavior of intracellular components could be easily imaged, cell movements were mostly classified by different types of cellular shape dynamics. Indeed, even though some types of cells move without any significant change in shape, most cell propulsion mechanisms rely on global or local deformations of the cell surface. In this review, focusing mostly on metazoan cells, we discuss how different types of local and global shape changes underlie distinct migration modes. We then discuss mechanical differences between force-generation mechanisms and finish by speculating on how they may have evolved.

Arginine methylation of SHANK2 by PRMT7 promotes human breast cancer metastasis through activating endosomal FAK signalling

Arginine methyltransferase PRMT7 is associated with human breast cancer metastasis. Endosomal FAK signalling is critical for cancer cell migration. Here we identified the pivotal roles of PRMT7 in promoting endosomal FAK signalling activation during breast cancer metastasis. PRMT7 exerted its functions through binding to scaffold protein SHANK2 and catalyzing di-methylation of SHANK2 at R240. SHANK2 R240 methylation exposed ANK domain by disrupting its SPN-ANK domain blockade, promoting in co-accumulation of dynamin2, talin, FAK, cortactin with SHANK2 on endosomes. In addition, SHANK2 R240 methylation activated endosomal FAK/cortactin signals in vitro and in vivo. Consistently, all the levels of PRMT7, methylated SHANK2, FAK Y397 phosphorylation and cortactin Y421 phosphorylation were correlated with aggressive clinical breast cancer tissues. These findings characterize the PRMT7-dependent SHANK2 methylation as a key player in mediating endosomal FAK signals activation, also point to the value of SHANK2 R240 methylation as a target for breast cancer metastasis.

APP-Mediated Signaling Prevents Memory Decline in Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its metabolites play key roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. Whereas short amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides derived from APP are pathogenic, the APP holoprotein serves multiple purposes in the nervous system through its cell adhesion and receptor-like properties. Our studies focused on the signaling mediated by the APP cytoplasmic tail. We investigated whether sustained APP signaling during brain development might favor neuronal plasticity and memory process through a direct interaction with the heterotrimeric G-protein subunit Gα_S (stimulatory G-protein alpha subunit). Our results reveal that APP possesses autonomous regulatory capacity within its intracellular domain that promotes APP cell surface residence, precludes Aβ production, facilitates axodendritic development, and preserves cellular substrates of memory. Altogether, these events contribute to strengthening cognitive functions and are sufficient to modify the course of AD pathology.

CCN1 expression by fibroblasts is required for bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis

The microenvironment contributes to the excessive connective tissue deposition that characterizes fibrosis. Members of the CCN family of matricellular proteins are secreted by fibroblasts into the fibrotic microenvironment; however, the role of endogenous CCN1 in skin fibrosis is unknown. Mice harboring a fibroblast-specific deletion for CCN1 were used to assess if CCN1 contributes to dermal homeostasis, wound healing, and skin fibrosis. Mice with a fibroblast-specific CCN1 deletion showed progressive skin thinning and reduced accumulation of type I collagen; however, the overall mechanical property of skin (Young's modulus) was not significantly reduced. Real time-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that CCN1-deficient skin displayed reduced expression of mRNAs encoding enzymes that promote collagen stability (including prolyl-4-hydroxylase and PLOD2), although expression of COL1A1 mRNA was unaltered. CCN1-deficent skin showed reduced hydroxyproline levels. Electron microscopy revealed that collagen fibers were disorganized in CCN1-deficient skin. CCN1-deficient mice were resistant to bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis, as visualized by reduced collagen accumulation and skin thickness suggesting that deposition/accumulation of collagen is impaired in the absence of CCN1. Conversely, CCN1-deficient mice showed unaltered wound closure kinetics, suggesting de novo collagen production in response to injury did not require CCN1. In response to either wounding or bleomycin, induction of α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts was unaffected by loss of CCN1. CCN1 protein was overexpressed by dermal fibroblasts isolated from lesional (i.e., fibrotic) areas of patients with early onset diffuse scleroderma. Thus, CCN1 expression by fibroblasts, being essential for skin fibrosis, is a viable anti-fibrotic target.

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The role of endogenous CCN1 in skin biology is largely unknown

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Fibroblast-specific deletion CCN1 causes thinner skin and misaligned collagen

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CCN1-deficient mice were resistant to bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis

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Wound healing closure kinetics was unaffected by loss of CCN1

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CCN1 may be as a target for anti-fibrotic therapy

Signal transduction via integrin adhesion complexes

Integrin adhesion complexes (IACs) have evolved over millions of years to integrate metazoan cells physically with their microenvironment. It is presumed that the simultaneous interaction of thousands of integrin receptors to binding sites in anisotropic extracellular matrix (ECM) networks enables cells to assemble a topological description of the chemical and mechanical properties of their surroundings. This information is then converted into intracellular signals that influence cell positioning, differentiation and growth, but may also influence other fundamental processes, such as protein synthesis and energy regulation. In this way, changes in the microenvironment can influence all aspects of cell phenotype. Current concepts envisage cell fate decisions being controlled by the integrated signalling output of myriad receptor clusters, but the mechanisms are not understood. Analyses of the adhesome, the complement of proteins attracted to the vicinity of IACs, are now providing insights into some of the primordial links connecting these processes. This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of the composition of IACs, the mechanisms used to transduce signals through these junctions, and the links between IACs and cell phenotype.