Developmentally regulated changes in glucosidase II association with, and carbohydrate content of, the protein tyrosine phosphatase CD45

GANAB as a Novel Biomarker in Multiple Sclerosis: Correlation with Neuroinflammation and IFI35

Multiple sclerosis (MS) still lacks reliable biomarkers of neuroinflammation predictive for disease activity and treatment response. Thus, in a prospective study we assessed 55 MS patients (28 interferon (IFN)-treated, 10 treated with no-IFN therapies, 17 untreated) and 20 matched healthy controls (HCs) for the putative correlation of the densitometric expression of glucosidase II alpha subunit (GANAB) with clinical/paraclinical parameters and with interferon-induced protein 35 (IFI35). We also assessed the disease progression in terms of the Rio Score (RS) in order to distinguish the responder patients to IFN therapy (RS = 0) from the non-responder ones (RS ≥ 1). We found GANAB to be 2.51-fold downregulated in the IFN-treated group with respect to the untreated one (p < 0.0001) and 3.39-fold downregulated in responder patients compared to the non-responders (p < 0.0001). GANAB correlated directly with RS (r = 0.8088, p < 0.0001) and lesion load (LL) (r = 0.5824, p = 0.0014) in the IFN-treated group and inversely with disease duration (DD) (r = −0.6081, p = 0.0096) in the untreated one. Lower mean values were expressed for GANAB than IFI35 in IFN responder (p < 0.0001) and higher mean values in the non-responder patients (p = 0.0022). Inverse correlations were also expressed with IFI35 in the overall patient population (r = −0.6468, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the modular expression of GANAB reflects IFI35, RS, DD, and LL values, making it a biomarker of neuroinflammation that is predictive for disease activity and treatment response in MS.

Early Events in Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection: Viral Entry

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus, is an enveloped positive-strand RNA virus that can cause a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild febrile illness to severe neuroinvasive disease. Today, several killed and live vaccines are available in different parts of the globe for use in humans to prevent JEV-induced diseases, yet no antivirals are available to treat JEV-associated diseases. Despite the progress made in vaccine research and development, JEV is still a major public health problem in southern, eastern, and southeastern Asia, as well as northern Oceania, with the potential to become an emerging global pathogen. In viral replication, the entry of JEV into the cell is the first step in a cascade of complex interactions between the virus and target cells that is required for the initiation, dissemination, and maintenance of infection. Because this step determines cell/tissue tropism and pathogenesis, it is a promising target for antiviral therapy. JEV entry is mediated by the viral glycoprotein E, which binds virions to the cell surface (attachment), delivers them to endosomes (endocytosis), and catalyzes the fusion between the viral and endosomal membranes (membrane fusion), followed by the release of the viral genome into the cytoplasm (uncoating). In this multistep process, a collection of host factors are involved. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the viral and cellular components involved in JEV entry into host cells, with an emphasis on the initial virus-host cell interactions on the cell surface.

Uroplakin traffic through the Golgi apparatus induces its fragmentation: new insights from novel in vitro models

Uroplakins (UPs) play an essential role in maintaining an effective urothelial permeability barrier at the level of superficial urothelial cell (UC) layer. Although the organization of UPs in the apical plasma membrane (PM) of UCs is well known, their transport in UCs is only partially understood. Here, we dissected trafficking of UPs and its differentiation-dependent impact on Golgi apparatus (GA) architecture. We demonstrated that individual subunits UPIb and UPIIIa are capable of trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the GA in UCs. Moreover, UPIb, UPIIIa or UPIb/UPIIIa expressing UCs revealed fragmentation and peripheral redistribution of Golgi-units. Notably, expression of UPIb or UPIb/UPIIIa triggered similar GA fragmentation in MDCK and HeLa cells that do not express UPs endogenously. The colocalization analysis of UPIb/UPIIIa-EGFP and COPI, COPII or clathrin suggested that UPs follow constitutively the post-Golgi route to the apical PM. Depolymerisation of microtubules leads to complete blockade of the UPIb/UPIIIa-EGFP post-Golgi transport, while disassembly of actin filaments shows significantly reduced delivery of UPIb/UPIIIa-EGFP to the PM. Our findings show the significant effect of the UPs expression on the GA fragmentation, which enables secretory Golgi-outpost to be distributed as close as possible to the sites of cargo delivery at the PM.

Transmission-blocking antibodies against mosquito C-type lectins for dengue prevention

C-type lectins are a family of proteins with carbohydrate-binding activity. Several C-type lectins in mammals or arthropods are employed as receptors or attachment factors to facilitate flavivirus invasion. We previously identified a C-type lectin in Aedes aegypti, designated as mosquito galactose specific C-type lectin-1 (mosGCTL-1), facilitating the attachment of West Nile virus (WNV) on the cell membrane. Here, we first identified that 9 A. aegypti mosGCTL genes were key susceptibility factors facilitating DENV-2 infection, of which mosGCTL-3 exhibited the most significant effect. We found that mosGCTL-3 was induced in mosquito tissues with DENV-2 infection, and that the protein interacted with DENV-2 surface envelop (E) protein and virions in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the other identified mosGCTLs interacted with the DENV-2 E protein, indicating that DENV may employ multiple mosGCTLs as ligands to promote the infection of vectors. The vectorial susceptibility factors that facilitate pathogen invasion may potentially be explored as a target to disrupt the acquisition of microbes from the vertebrate host. Indeed, membrane blood feeding of antisera against mosGCTLs dramatically reduced mosquito infective ratio. Hence, the immunization against mosGCTLs is a feasible approach for preventing dengue infection. Our study provides a future avenue for developing a transmission-blocking vaccine that interrupts the life cycle of dengue virus and reduces disease burden.

Dengue virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is currently the most significant arbovirus afflicting tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide. No vaccine or therapeutics are available, and dengue has rapidly spread over the last decade. Therefore, additional strategies to combat dengue are urgently needed. In this study, we characterized multiple C-type lectins as susceptibility factors for dengue infection in A. aegypti. These mosGCTLs directly interacted with dengue virus in vitro and in vivo. The combination of antisera against multiple mosGCTLs efficiently reduced DENV-2 infection after a blood meal, suggesting that it is feasible to develop a mosGCTL-based transmission-blocking vaccine to interrupt the life cycle of dengue virus and control disease burden in nature. This study substantially extends our understanding of dengue replication in vectors and provides a research avenue by which the development of therapeutics for preventing the dissemination of mosquito-borne viral diseases can be pursued in the future.

Flavivirus entry receptors: an update

Flaviviruses enter host cells by endocytosis initiated when the virus particles interact with cell surface receptors. The current model suggests that flaviviruses use at least two different sets of molecules for infectious entry: attachment factors that concentrate and/or recruit viruses on the cell surface and primary receptor(s) that bind to virions and direct them to the endocytic pathway. Here, we present the currently available knowledge regarding the flavivirus receptors described so far with specific attention to C-type lectin receptors and the phosphatidylserine receptors, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) and TYRO3, AXL and MER (TAM). Their role in flavivirus attachment and entry as well as their implication in the virus biology will be discussed in depth.

Distinct processing of the pre-B cell receptor and the B cell receptor

It has been recently demonstrated that while oligosaccharide moieties of μ heavy chains in the B-cell receptor (BCR) are of the complex type as expected, those of the pre-BCR on the surface of pre-B cells contain oligosaccharide moieties of the high-mannose type only. This is unique, because high-mannose glycans are generally restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum and not presented on the surface of mammalian cells. In the present study, we examined the processing of the unusually glycosylated μ heavy chains in pre-B cells. We demonstrate that the pre-BCR reaches the cell surface by a non-conventional brefeldin A-sensitive monensin-insensitive transport pathway. Although pre-BCR complexes consist of μ heavy chains with high-mannose oligosaccharide moieties, they are stably expressed in the plasma membrane and demonstrate turnover rates similar to those of the BCR. Thus, rapid internalization cannot account for their low surface expression, as previously postulated. Rather, we demonstrate that the low pre-BCR abundance in the plasma membrane results, at least in part, from insufficient production of surrogate light chains, which appears to be a limiting factor in pre-BCR expression.

T cells modulate glycans on CD43 and CD45 during development and activation, signal regulation, and survival

Glycosylation affects many essential T cell processes and is intrinsically controlled throughout the lifetime of a T cell. CD43 and CD45 are the two most abundant glycoproteins on the T cell surface and are decorated with O- and N-glycans. Global T cell glycosylation and specific glycosylation of CD43 and CD45 are modulated during thymocyte development and T cell activation; T cells control the type and abundance of glycans decorating CD43 and CD45 by regulating expression of glycosyltransferases and glycosidases. Additionally, T cells regulate glycosylation of CD45 by expressing alternatively spliced isoforms of CD45 that have different glycan attachment sites. The glycophenotype of CD43 and CD45 on T cells influences how T cells interact with the extracellular environment, including how T cells interact with endogenous lectins. This review focuses on changes in glycosylation of CD43 and CD45 occurring throughout T cell development and activation and the role that glycosylation plays in regulating T cell processes, such as migration, T cell receptor signaling, and apoptosis.

The human cytomegalovirus UL11 protein interacts with the receptor tyrosine phosphatase CD45, resulting in functional paralysis of T cells

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) exerts diverse and complex effects on the immune system, not all of which have been attributed to viral genes. Acute CMV infection results in transient restrictions in T cell proliferative ability, which can impair the control of the virus and increase the risk of secondary infections in patients with weakened or immature immune systems. In a search for new immunomodulatory proteins, we investigated the UL11 protein, a member of the CMV RL11 family. This protein family is defined by the RL11 domain, which has homology to immunoglobulin domains and adenoviral immunomodulatory proteins. We show that pUL11 is expressed on the cell surface and induces intercellular interactions with leukocytes. This was demonstrated to be due to the interaction of pUL11 with the receptor tyrosine phosphatase CD45, identified by mass spectrometry analysis of pUL11-associated proteins. CD45 expression is sufficient to mediate the interaction with pUL11 and is required for pUL11 binding to T cells, indicating that pUL11 is a specific CD45 ligand. CD45 has a pivotal function regulating T cell signaling thresholds; in its absence, the Src family kinase Lck is inactive and signaling through the T cell receptor (TCR) is therefore shut off. In the presence of pUL11, several CD45-mediated functions were inhibited. The induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple signaling proteins upon TCR stimulation was reduced and T cell proliferation was impaired. We therefore conclude that pUL11 has immunosuppressive properties, and that disruption of T cell function via inhibition of CD45 is a previously unknown immunomodulatory strategy of CMV.

The human cytomegalovirus (CMV) belongs to a class of viruses that interferes with the immune response of its host. Accordingly, infection with CMV is a severe risk for immunologically immature newborns and immunocompromised patients such as transplant recipients. The mechanisms by which CMV affects the immune system are not completely understood. Here we show that a CMV protein, pUL11, which is expressed on the surface of cells, binds to leukocytes by interacting with the receptor tyrosine phosphatase CD45. In T cells, CD45 is essential for transmission of activating signals received via the T cell receptor (TCR) to downstream effector molecules that ultimately lead to activation and proliferation of these immune cells. Binding of the CMV pUL11 protein to CD45 on T cells prevents signal transduction via the TCR and restricts T cell proliferation. Interestingly, the mechanism by which the activity of CD45 is regulated is a matter of debate and no specific cellular ligand of CD45 has yet been described. The identification of a first viral ligand for CD45 may provide the means to investigate CD45 regulatory mechanisms and also allow the development of therapies to interfere with CMV-mediated immunomodulation.

Golgi bypass: skirting around the heart of classical secretion

Classical secretion consists of the delivery of transmembrane and soluble proteins to the plasma membrane and the extracellular medium, respectively, and is mediated by the organelles of the secretory pathway, the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), the ER exit sites, and the Golgi, as described by the Nobel Prize winner George Palade (Palade 1975). At the center of this transport route, the Golgi stack has a major role in modifying, processing, sorting, and dispatching newly synthesized proteins to their final destinations. More recently, however, it has become clear that an increasing number of transmembrane proteins reach the plasma membrane unconventionally, either by exiting the ER in non-COPII vesicles or by bypassing the Golgi. Here, we discuss the evidence for Golgi bypass and the possible physiological benefits of it. Intriguingly, at least during Drosophila development, Golgi bypass seems to be mediated by a Golgi protein, dGRASP, which is found ectopically localized to the plasma membrane.

ROS-DET: robust detector of switching mechanisms in gene expression

A switching mechanism in gene expression, where two genes are positively correlated in one condition and negatively correlated in the other condition, is a key to elucidating complex biological systems. There already exist methods for detecting switching mechanisms from microarrays. However, current approaches have problems under three real cases: outliers, expression values with a very small range and a small number of examples. ROS-DET overcomes these three problems, keeping the computational complexity of current approaches. We demonstrated that ROS-DET outperformed existing methods, under that all these three situations are considered. Furthermore, for each of the top 10 pairs ranked by ROS-DET, we attempted to identify a pathway, i.e. consecutive biological phenomena, being related with the corresponding two genes by checking the biological literature. In 8 out of the 10 pairs, we found two parallel pathways, one of the two genes being in each of the two pathways and two pathways coming to (or starting with) the same gene. This indicates that two parallel pathways would be cooperatively used under one experimental condition, corresponding to the positive correlation, and the two pathways might be alternatively used under the other condition, corresponding to the negative correlation. ROS-DET is available from http://www.bic.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pathway/kayano/ros-det.htm.

A C-type lectin collaborates with a CD45 phosphatase homolog to facilitate West Nile virus infection of mosquitoes

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most common arthropod-borne flavivirus in the United States; however, the vector ligand(s) that participate in infection are not known. We now show that an Aedes aegypti C-type lectin, mosGCTL-1, is induced by WNV, interacts with WNV in a calcium-dependent manner, and facilitates infection in vivo and in vitro. A mosquito homolog of human CD45 in A. aegypti, designated mosPTP-1, recruits mosGCTL-1 to enable viral attachment to cells and to enhance viral entry. In vivo experiments show that mosGCTL-1 and mosPTP-1 function as part of the same pathway and are critical for WNV infection of mosquitoes. A similar phenomenon was also observed in Culex quinquefasciatus, a natural vector of WNV, further demonstrating that these genes participate in WNV infection. During the mosquito blood-feeding process, WNV infection was blocked in vivo with mosGCTL-1 antibodies. A molecular understanding of flaviviral-arthropod interactions may lead to strategies to control viral dissemination in nature.

Mechanisms of regulated unconventional protein secretion

Most eukaryotic proteins are secreted through the conventional endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi secretory pathway. However, cytoplasmic, nuclear and signal-peptide-containing proteins have been shown to reach the cell surface by non-conventional transport pathways. The mechanisms and molecular components of unconventional protein secretion are beginning to emerge, including a role for caspase 1 and for the peripheral Golgi protein GRASP, which could function as a plasma membrane tether for membrane compartments during specific stages of development.

Combinations of CD45 isoforms are crucial for immune function and disease

Expression of the CD45 Ag in hemopoietic cells is essential for normal development and function of lymphocytes, and both mice and humans lacking expression exhibit SCID. Human genetic variants of CD45, the exon 4 C77G and exon 6 A138G alleles, which alter the pattern of CD45 isoform expression, are associated with autoimmune and infectious diseases. We constructed transgenic mice expressing either an altered level or combination of CD45 isoforms. We show that the total level of CD45 expressed is crucial for normal TCR signaling, lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokine production. Most importantly, transgenic lines with a normal level, but altered combinations of CD45 isoforms, CD45(RABC/+) and CD45(RO/+) mice, which mimic variant CD45 expression in C77G and A138G humans, show more rapid onset and increased severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. CD45(RO/+) cells produce more TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. Thus, for the first time, we have shown experimentally that it is the combination of CD45 isoforms that affects immune function and disease.

CD45: a critical regulator of signaling thresholds in immune cells

Regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical control point for integration of environmental signals into cellular responses. This regulation is mediated by the reciprocal actions of protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. CD45, the first and prototypic receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase, is expressed on all nucleated hematopoietic cells and plays a central role in this process. Studies of CD45 mutant cell lines, CD45-deficient mice, and CD45-deficient humans initially demonstrated the essential role of CD45 in antigen receptor signal transduction and lymphocyte development. It is now known that CD45 also modulates signals emanating from integrin and cytokine receptors. Recent work has focused on regulation of CD45 expression and alternative splicing, isoform-specific differences in signal transduction, and regulation of phosphatase activity. From these studies, a model is emerging in which CD45 affects cellular responses by controlling the relative threshold of sensitivity to external stimuli. Perturbation of this function may contribute to autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and malignancy. Moreover, recent advances suggest that modulation of CD45 function can have therapeutic benefit in many disease states.

A high-frequency polymorphism in exon 6 of the CD45 tyrosine phosphatase gene (PTPRC) resulting in altered isoform expression

CD45 (leukocyte common) antigen is a hemopoietic cell-specific tyrosine phosphatase essential for antigen receptor-mediated signaling in lymphocytes. The molecule undergoes complex alternative splicing in the extracellular domain, and different patterns of CD45 splicing are associated with distinct functions. Lack of CD45 leads to severe combined immunodeficiency, and alterations of CD45 splicing, because of a polymorphism in exon 4, have been associated with altered immune function. Here we describe a polymorphism in exon 6 (A138G) of the gene encoding CD45 that interferes with alternative splicing. The polymorphism results in an amino acid substitution of Thr-47 to Ala in exon 6, a potential O- and N-linked glycosylation site. This exon 6 A138G variant is present at a frequency of 23.7% in the Japanese population but is absent in Caucasoids. Peripheral blood T cells from individuals carrying the A138G variant show a significant decrease in the proportion of cells expressing the A, B, and C CD45 isoforms and a high frequency of CD45R0+ cells. These phenotypic alterations in the A138G carriers may lead to changes in ligand binding, homodimerization of CD45, and altered immune responses, suggesting the involvement of natural selection in controlling the A138G carrier frequency.

The role of glucosidase II and endomannosidase in glucose trimming of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides

This review covers various aspects of glucose trimming reactions occurring on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. Structural and functional features of two enzymes, glucosidase II and endo-alpha-mannosidase, prominently involved in this process are summarized and their striking differences in terms of substrate specificities are highlighted. Recent results of analyses by immunoelectron microscopy of their distribution pattern are presented which demonstrate that glucose trimming is not restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but additionally is a function accommodated by the Golgi apparatus. The mutually exclusive subcellular distribution of glucosidase II and endomannosidase are discussed in terms of their significance for quality control of protein folding and N-glycosylation.

The protein-tyrosine phosphatase CD45 reaches the cell surface via golgi-dependent and -independent pathways

CD45 is a receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase essential for T cell development and lymphocyte activation. It is highly glycosylated, with multiple isoforms and glycoforms expressed on the cell surface depending on the cell type and stage of differentiation. Interestingly, we found two pools of newly synthesized CD45 expressed on plasma membrane, one of which arrived by 5 min after synthesis. The remaining pool of CD45 was fully glycosylated and began to arrive at the cell surface at approximately 15 min. The rapidly expressed population of CD45 possessed exclusively endoglycosidase H-sensitive N-linked carbohydrate. Additionally, this rapidly expressed pool of CD45 appeared on the cell surface in a brefeldin A (BFA)-insensitive manner, suggesting that it reached the cell surface independent of the Golgi complex. The remaining CD45 trafficked through the Golgi complex, and transport proceeded via a BFA-sensitive mechanism. These data suggest that CD45 is able to reach the cell surface via two distinct routes. The first is a conventional Golgi-dependent pathway that allows fully processed CD45 to be expressed. The second utilizes an ill defined mechanism that is independent of the Golgi, is BFA-resistant, and allows for the expression of CD45 with immature carbohydrate on the cell surface.

Sweet 'n' sour: the impact of differential glycosylation on T cell responses

The fate and functional activity of T lymphocytes depend largely on the precise timing of gene expression and protein production. However, it is clear that post-translational modification of proteins affects their functional properties. Although modifications such as phosphorylation have been intensely studied by immunologists, less attention has been paid to the impact that changes in glycosylation have on protein function. However, there is considerable evidence that glycosylation plays a key role in immune regulation. We will focus here on examples in which differential glycosylation affects the development, survival or reactivity of T cells.