Elke Malzer

Diabetes as a disease of endoplasmic reticulum stress

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is an integral part of life for all professional secretory cells, but it has been studied to greatest depth in the pancreatic β‐cell. This reflects both the crucial role played by ER stress in the pathogenesis of diabetes and also the exquisite vulnerability of these cells to ER dysfunction. The adaptive cellular response to ER stress, the unfolded protein response, comprises mechanisms to both regulate new protein translation and a transcriptional program to allow adaptation to the stress. The core of this response is a triad of stress‐sensing proteins: protein kinase R‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol‐requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) and activating transcription factor 6. All three regulate portions of the transcriptional unfolded protein response, while PERK also attenuates protein synthesis during ER stress and IRE1 interacts directly with the c‐Jun amino‐terminal kinase stress kinase pathway. In this review we shall discuss these processes in detail, with emphasis given to their impact on diabetes and how recent findings indicate that ER stress may be responsible for the loss of β‐cell mass in the disease. Copyright

Actin dynamics tune the integrated stress response by regulating eukaryotic initiation factor 2α dephosphorylation

Four stress-sensing kinases phosphorylate the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) to activate the integrated stress response (ISR). In animals, the ISR is antagonised by selective eIF2α phosphatases comprising a catalytic protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) subunit in complex with a PPP1R15-type regulatory subunit. An unbiased search for additional conserved components of the PPP1R15-PP1 phosphatase identified monomeric G-actin. Like PP1, G-actin associated with the functional core of PPP1R15 family members and G-actin depletion, by the marine toxin jasplakinolide, destabilised the endogenous PPP1R15A-PP1 complex. The abundance of the ternary PPP1R15-PP1-G-actin complex was responsive to global changes in the polymeric status of actin, as was its eIF2α-directed phosphatase activity, while localised G-actin depletion at sites enriched for PPP1R15 enhanced eIF2α phosphorylation and the downstream ISR. G-actins role as a stabilizer of the PPP1R15-containing holophosphatase provides a mechanism for integrating signals regulating actin dynamics with stresses that trigger the ISR. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04872.001

p53 and translation attenuation regulate distinct cell cycle checkpoints during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

Background: ER stress impairs progression through G1 and G2 phases of the cell cycle. Results: G2 arrest is enhanced in p53 mutant cells but is not enhanced by expression of the p53/47 isoform. Conclusion: Early G2 arrest in ER stress is a response to translation attenuation. Significance: Understanding cell cycle regulation in ER stress has implications for rational cancer therapy. Cell cycle checkpoints ensure that proliferation occurs only under permissive conditions, but their role in linking nutrient availability to cell division is incompletely understood. Protein folding within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is exquisitely sensitive to energy supply and amino acid sources because deficiencies impair luminal protein folding and consequently trigger ER stress signaling. Following ER stress, many cell types arrest within the G1 phase, although recent studies have identified a novel ER stress G2 checkpoint. Here, we report that ER stress affects cell cycle progression via two classes of signal: an early inhibition of protein synthesis leading to G2 delay involving CHK1 and a later induction of G1 arrest associated both with the induction of p53 target genes and loss of cyclin D1. We show that substitution of p53/47 for p53 impairs the ER stress G1 checkpoint, attenuates the recovery of protein translation, and impairs induction of NOXA, a mediator of cell death. We propose that cell cycle regulation in response to ER stress comprises redundant pathways invoked sequentially first to impair G2 progression prior to ultimate G1 arrest.

Impaired tissue growth is mediated by checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) in the integrated stress response

The integrated stress response (ISR) protects cells from numerous forms of stress and is involved in the growth of solid tumours; however, it is unclear how the ISR acts on cellular proliferation. We have developed a model of ISR signalling with which to study its effects on tissue growth. Overexpression of the ISR kinase PERK resulted in a striking atrophic eye phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster that could be rescued by co-expressing the eIF2α phosphatase GADD34. A genetic screen of 3000 transposon insertions identified grapes, the gene that encodes the Drosophila orthologue of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1). Knockdown of grapes by RNAi rescued eye development despite ongoing PERK activation. In mammalian cells, CHK1 was activated by agents that induce ER stress, which resulted in a G2 cell cycle delay. PERK was both necessary and sufficient for CHK1 activation. These findings indicate that non-genotoxic misfolded protein stress accesses DNA-damage-induced cell cycle checkpoints to couple the ISR to cell cycle arrest.

Coordinate regulation of eIF2α phosphorylation by PPP1R15 and GCN2 is required during Drosophila development

Summary Phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2&agr;) by the kinase GCN2 attenuates protein synthesis during amino acid starvation in yeast, whereas in mammals a family of related eIF2&agr; kinases regulate translation in response to a variety of stresses. Unlike single-celled eukaryotes, mammals also possess two specific eIF2&agr; phosphatases, PPP1R15a and PPP1R15b, whose combined deletion leads to a poorly understood early embryonic lethality. We report the characterisation of the first non-mammalian eIF2&agr; phosphatase and the use of Drosophila to dissect its role during development. The Drosophila protein demonstrates features of both mammalian proteins, including limited sequence homology and association with the endoplasmic reticulum. Of note, although this protein is not transcriptionally regulated, its expression is controlled by the presence of upstream open reading frames in its 5′UTR, enabling induction in response to eIF2&agr; phosphorylation. Moreover, we show that its expression is necessary for embryonic and larval development and that this is to oppose the inhibitory effects of GCN2 on anabolic growth.

Sterol metabolism regulates neuroserpin polymer degradation in the absence of the unfolded protein response in the dementia FENIB

Mutants of neuroserpin are retained as polymers within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of neurones to cause the autosomal dominant dementia familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies or FENIB. The cellular consequences are unusual in that the ordered polymers activate the ER overload response (EOR) in the absence of the canonical unfolded protein response. We use both cell lines and Drosophila models to show that the G392E mutant of neuroserpin that forms polymers is degraded by UBE2j1 E2 ligase and Hrd1 E3 ligase while truncated neuroserpin, a protein that lacks 132 amino acids, is degraded by UBE2g2 (E2) and gp78 (E3) ligases. The degradation of G392E neuroserpin results from SREBP-dependent activation of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway in cells that express polymers of neuroserpin (G392E). Inhibition of HMGCoA reductase, the limiting enzyme of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, reduced the ubiquitination of G392E neuroserpin in our cell lines and increased the retention of neuroserpin polymers in both HeLa cells and primary neurones. Our data reveal a reciprocal relationship between cholesterol biosynthesis and the clearance of mutant neuroserpin. This represents the first description of a link between sterol metabolism and modulation of the proteotoxicity mediated by the EOR.

The endoplasmic reticulum remains functionally connected by vesicular transport after its fragmentation in cells expressing Z-α1-antitrypsin

α1‐Antitrypsin is a serine protease inhibitor produced in the liver that is responsible for the regulation of pulmonary inflammation. The commonest pathogenic genemutation yields Z‐α1‐antitrypsin, which has a propensity to self‐associate forming polymers that become trapped in inclusions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It is unclear whether these inclusions are connected to the main ER network in Z‐α1‐antitrypsin‐expressing cells. Using live cell imaging, we found that despite inclusions containing an immobile matrix of polymeric α1‐antitrypsin, small ER resident proteins can diffuse freely within them. Inclusions havemany features to suggest they represent fragmented ER, and some are physically separated from the tubular ER network, yetwe observed cargo to be transported between them in a cytosol‐dependent fashion that is sensitive to N‐ethylmaleimide and dependent on Sar1 and sec22B. We conclude that protein recycling occurs between ER inclusions despite their physical separation.—Dickens, J. A., Ordóñez, A., Chambers, J. E., Beckett, A. J., Patel, V., Malzer, E., Dominicus, C.S., Bradley, J., Peden, A.A., Prior, I. A., Lomas, D. A., Marciniak, S. J. The endoplasmic reticulum remains functionally connected by vesicular transport after its fragmentation in cells expressing Z‐a1‐antitrypsin. FASEB J. 30, 4083–4097 (2016). www.fasebj.org

New Concepts in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disease Mechanisms

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is predominantly caused by point mutations that alter the proteins folding. These mutations fall into two broad categories: those that destabilize the protein dramatically and lead to its post-translational degradation and those that affect protein structure more subtly to promote protein polymerization within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This distinction is important because it determines the cells response to each mutant. The severely misfolded mutants trigger an unfolded protein response (UPR) that promotes improved protein folding but can kill the cell in the chronic setting. In contrast, mutations that permit polymer formation fail to activate the UPR but instead promote a nuclear factor-κB-mediated ER overload response. The ability of polymers to increase a cells sensitivity to ER stress likely explains apparent inconsistencies in the alpha-1 antitrypsin-signaling literature that have linked polymers with the UPR. In this review we discuss the use of mutant serpins to dissect each signaling pathway.

Unravelling the story of protein misfolding in diabetes mellitus

Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus and although monogenic disorders are rare, they offer unique insights into the fundamental biology underlying the disease. Mutations of the insulin gene or genes involved in the response to protein misfolding cause early onset diabetes. These have revealed an important role for endoplasmic reticulum stress in β-cell survival. This form of cellular stress occurs when secretory proteins fail to fold efficiently. Of all the professional secretory cells we possess, β-cells are the most sensitive to endoplasmic reticulum stress because of the large fluctuations in protein synthesis they face daily. Studies of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling therefore offer the potential to identify new drug targets to treat diabetes.

The integrated stress response regulates BMP signalling through effects on translation

BackgroundDevelopmental pathways must be responsive to the environment. Phosphorylation of eIF2α enables a family of stress-sensing kinases to trigger the integrated stress response (ISR), which has pro-survival and developmental consequences. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) regulate multiple developmental processes in organisms from insects to mammals.ResultsHere we show in Drosophila that GCN2 antagonises BMP signalling through direct effects on translation and indirectly via the transcription factor crc (dATF4). Expression of a constitutively active GCN2 or loss of the eIF2α phosphatase dPPP1R15 impairs developmental BMP signalling in flies. In cells, inhibition of translation by GCN2 blocks downstream BMP signalling. Moreover, loss of d4E-BP, a target of crc, augments BMP signalling in vitro and rescues tissue development in vivo.ConclusionThese results identify a novel mechanism by which the ISR modulates BMP signalling during development.