Geoffrey E. Woodard

Parafibromin, product of the hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome gene HRPT2, regulates cyclin D1/PRAD1 expression

Parafibromin is the 531-amino-acid protein product encoded by HRPT2, a putative tumor suppressor gene recently implicated in the autosomal dominant hyperparathyroidism–jaw tumor familial cancer syndrome, sporadic parathyroid cancer, and a minority of families with isolated hyperparathyroidism. Parafibromin contains no identified functional domains but bears sequence homology to Cdc73p, a budding yeast protein component of the RNA polymerase II-associated Paf1 complex. This study addressed the expression and functional properties of human parafibromin. A survey of human and mouse tissues analysed with polyclonal antibodies to parafibromin showed specific immunoreactivity in adrenal and parathyroid glands, kidney, heart, and skeletal muscle. Subcellular fractionation and laser confocal microscopy of normal human parathyroid gland demonstrated expression of parafibromin in both the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. Parafibromin was expressed in four parathyroid adenomas but was absent from two parathyroid carcinomas. Transient overexpression of wild-type parafibromin, but not its Leu64Pro missense mutant implicated in parathyroid cancer and familial isolated hyperparathyroidism, inhibited cell proliferation, and blocked expression of cyclin D1, a key cell cycle regulator previously implicated in parathyroid neoplasia. These results demonstrate that human parafibromin is a nucleocytoplasmic protein with functions consistent with its postulated role as a tumor suppressor protein.

Ric-8A and Giα Recruit LGN, NuMA, and Dynein to the Cell Cortex To Help Orient the Mitotic Spindle

ABSTRACT In model organisms, resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 8 (Ric-8), a G protein α (Gα) subunit guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), functions to orient mitotic spindles during asymmetric cell divisions; however, whether Ric-8A has any role in mammalian cell division is unknown. We show here that Ric-8A and Gαi function to orient the metaphase mitotic spindle of mammalian adherent cells. During mitosis, Ric-8A localized at the cell cortex, spindle poles, centromeres, central spindle, and midbody. Pertussis toxin proved to be a useful tool in these studies since it blocked the binding of Ric-8A to Gαi, thus preventing its GEF activity for Gαi. Linking Ric-8A signaling to mammalian cell division, treatment of cells with pertussis toxin, reduction of Ric-8A expression, or decreased Gαi expression similarly affected metaphase cells. Each treatment impaired the localization of LGN (GSPM2), NuMA (microtubule binding nuclear mitotic apparatus protein), and dynein at the metaphase cell cortex and disturbed integrin-dependent mitotic spindle orientation. Live cell imaging of HeLa cells expressing green fluorescent protein-tubulin also revealed that reduced Ric-8A expression prolonged mitosis, caused occasional mitotic arrest, and decreased mitotic spindle movements. These data indicate that Ric-8A signaling leads to assembly of a cortical signaling complex that functions to orient the mitotic spindle.

NATRIURETIC PEPTIDES IN VASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY

Four major natriuretic peptides have been isolated: atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and Dendroaspis-type natriuretic peptide (DNP). Natriuretic peptides play an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis maintaining blood pressure and extracellular fluid volume. The classical endocrine effects of natriuretic peptides to modulate fluid and electrolyte balance and vascular smooth muscle tone are complemented by autocrine and paracrine actions that include regulation of coronary blood flow and, therefore, myocardial perfusion; modulation of proliferative responses during myocardial and vascular remodeling; and cytoprotective anti-ischemic effects. The actions of natriuretic peptides are mediated by the specific binding of these peptides to three cell surface receptors: type A natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR-A), type B natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR-B), and type C natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR-C). NPR-A and NPR-B are guanylyl cyclase receptors that increase intracellular cGMP concentration and activate cGMP-dependent protein kinases. NPR-C has been presented as a clearance receptor and its activation also results in inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity. The wide range of effects of natriuretic peptides might be the base for the development of new therapeutic strategies of great benefit in patients with cardiovascular problems including coronary artery disease or heart failure. This review summarizes current literature concerning natriuretic peptides, their receptors and their effects on fluid/electrolyte balance, and vascular and cardiac physiology and pathology, including primary hypertension and myocardial infarction. In addition, we will attempt to provide an update on important issues regarding natriuretic peptides in congestive heart failure.

TRPC3 Regulates Agonist-stimulated Ca2+ Mobilization by Mediating the Interaction between Type I Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor, RACK1, and Orai1

There is a body of evidence suggesting that Ca2+ handling proteins assemble into signaling complexes required for a fine regulation of Ca2+ signals, events that regulate a variety of critical cellular processes. Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) and Orai proteins have both been proposed to form Ca2+-permeable channels mediating Ca2+ entry upon agonist stimulation. A number of studies have demonstrated that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) interact with plasma membrane TRPC channels; however, at present there is no evidence supporting the interaction between Orai proteins and IP3Rs. Here we report that treatment with thapsigargin or cellular agonists results in association of Orai1 with types I and II IP3Rs. In addition, we have found that TRPC3, RACK1 (receptor for activated protein kinase C-1), and STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) interact with Orai1 upon stimulation with agonists. TRPC3 expression silencing prevented both the interaction of Orai1 with TRPC3 and, more interestingly, the association of Orai1 with the type I IP3R, but not with the type II IP3R, thus suggesting that TRPC3 selectively mediates interaction between Orai1 and type I IP3R. In addition, TRPC3 expression silencing attenuated ATP- and CCh-stimulated interaction between RACK1 and the type I IP3R, as well as Ca2+ release and entry. In conclusion, our results indicate that agonist stimulation results in the formation of an Orai1-STIM1-TRPC3-RACK1-type I IP3R complex, where TRPC3 plays a central role. This Ca2+ signaling complex might be important for both agonist-induced Ca2+ release and entry.

STIM1 and STIM2 are located in the acidic Ca2+ stores and associates with Orai1 upon depletion of the acidic stores in human platelets.

Mammalian cells accumulate Ca2+ into agonist-sensitive acidic organelles, vesicles that possess a vacuolar proton- ATPase. Acidic Ca2+ stores include secretory granules and lysosome-related organelles. Current evidence clearly indicates that acidic Ca2+ stores participate in cell signaling and function, including the activation of store-operated Ca2+ entry in human platelets upon depletion of the acidic stores, although the mechanism underlying the activation of store-operated Ca2+ entry controlled by the acidic stores remains unclear. STIM1 has been presented as the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor, but its role sensing intraluminal Ca2+ concentration in the acidic stores has not been investigated. Here we report that STIM1 and STIM2 are expressed in the lysosome-related organelles and dense granules in human platelets isolated by immunomagnetic sorting. Depletion of the acidic Ca2+ stores using the specific vacuolar proton-ATPase inhibitor, bafilomycin A1, enhanced the association between STIM1 and STIM2 as well as between these proteins and the plasma membrane channel Orai1. Depletion of the acidic Ca2+ stores also induces time-dependent co-immunoprecipitation of STIM1 with the TRPC proteins hTRPC1 and hTRPC6, as well as between Orai1 and both TRPC proteins. In addition, bafilomycin A1 enhanced the association between STIM2 and SERCA3. These findings demonstrate the location of STIM1 and STIM2 in the acidic Ca2+ stores and their association with Ca2+ channels and ATPases upon acidic stores discharge.

Lipid rafts modulate the activation but not the maintenance of store-operated Ca2+ entry

Different studies have reported that proteins involved in Ca(2+) entry are localized in discrete plasma membrane domains known as lipid rafts, which have been suggested to support store-operated Ca(2+) entry by facilitating STIM1 clustering in endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions as well as the interaction of STIM1 with TRPC1. Here we report that treatment of HEK293 cells with thapsigargin (TG) results in the activation of Ca(2+) entry with two components, an early, La(3+)-sensitive, component and a late component that shows both La(3+)-sensitive and -insensitive constituents. Preincubation with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD) prevented TG-induced activation of Ca(2+) entry but, in contrast, enhanced this process after its activation. Addition of MbetaCD after store depletion did not modify the La(3+)-sensitive store-operated divalent cation entry but increased La(3+)-insensitive non-capacitative Ca(2+) entry. Cell stimulation with TG results in a transient increase in Orai1 co-immunoprecipitation with STIM1, TRPC1 and TRPC6. TG-induced association of these proteins was significantly attenuated by preincubation for 30 min with MbetaCD, without altering surface expression of Orai1 or TRPCs. In contrast, the association of Orai1 with STIM1 or TRPC1 was unaffected when MbetaCD was added after store depletion with TG. Addition of MbetaCD to TG-treated cells promoted dissociation between Orai1 and TRPC6, as well as non-capacitative Ca(2+) entry. TRPC6 expression silencing indicates that MbetaCD-enhanced non-capacitative Ca(2+) entry was mediated by TRPC6. In conclusion, lipid raft domains are necessary for the activation but not the maintenance of SOCE probably due to the support of the formation of Ca(2+) signalling complexes involving Orai1, TRPCs and STIM1.

Recent advances in natriuretic peptide research.

•  Introduction •  Natriuretic peptides as a ‘biomarker’ of congestive heart failure and acute renal failure/insufficiency •  Renoprotective effect of natriuretic peptides after acute renal failure •  Nesiritide – current benefits/hazards of drug usage

Enhanced exocytotic-like insertion of Orai1 into the plasma membrane upon intracellular Ca2+ store depletion

Ca+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels are activated when free Ca2+ concentration in the intracellular stores is substantially reduced and mediate sustained Ca2+ entry. Recent studies have identified Orai1 as a CRAC channel subunit. Here we demonstrate that passive Ca2+ store depletion using the inhibitor of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, thapsigargin (TG), enhances the surface expression of Orai1, a process that depends on rises in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, as demonstrated in cells loaded with dimethyl BAPTA, an intracellular Ca2+ chelator that prevented TG-evoked cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration elevation. Similar results were observed with a low concentration of carbachol. Cleavage of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment protein receptor, synaptosomal-assiciated protein-25 (SNAP-25), with botulinum neurotoxin A impaired TG-induced increase in the surface expression of Orai1. In addition, SNAP-25 cleaving by botulinum neurotoxin A reduces the maintenance but not the initial stages of store-operated Ca2+ entry. In aggregate, these findings demonstrate that store depletion enhances Orai1 plasma membrane expression in an exocytotic manner that involves SNAP-25, a process that contributes to store-dependent Ca2+ entry.

Gγ Subunit-selective G Protein β5Mutant Defines Regulators of G Protein Signaling Protein Binding Requirement for Nuclear Localization

The signal transducing function of Gβ5 in brain is unknown. When studied in vitro Gβ5 is the only heterotrimeric Gβ subunit known to interact with both Gγ subunits and regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins. When tested with Gγ, Gβ5interacts with other classical components of heterotrimeric G protein signaling pathways such as Gα and phospholipase C-β. We recently demonstrated nuclear expression of Gβ5 in neurons and brain (Zhang, J. H., Barr, V. A., Mo, Y., Rojkova, A. M., Liu, S., and Simonds, W. F. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 10284–10289). To gain further insight into the mechanism of Gβ5 nuclear localization, we generated a Gβ5 mutant deficient in its ability to interact with RGS7 while retaining its ability to bind Gγ, and we compared its properties to the wild-type Gβ5. In HEK-293 cells co-transfection of RGS7 but not Gγ2 supported expression in the nuclear fraction of transfected wild-type Gβ5. In contrast the Gγ-preferring Gβ5 mutant was not expressed in the HEK-293 cell nuclear fraction with either co-transfectant. The Gγ-selective Gβ5 mutant was also excluded from the cell nucleus of transfected PC12 cells analyzed by laser confocal microscopy. These results define a requirement for RGS protein binding for Gβ5 nuclear expression.

Orais and STIMs: physiological mechanisms and disease

•  Introduction•  Intracellular Ca2+ stores and disease  ‐ Mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis  ‐ Abnormal intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and disease•  Sensing Ca2+ stores•  Importance of Orais and STIMs in tissues•  Participation of Orai and STIM in human diseases  ‐ Orai1‐deficient function and human disease  ‐ STIM1‐deficient function and human disease  ‐ Orai1 and STIM1 in human diabetic platelets•  Orai and STIM mutant mouse as models of disease  ‐ Sudden and perinatal mortality  ‐ Immunodeficiency  ‐ Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases  ‐ Skeletal muscle  ‐ Thrombosis and haemostasis  ‐ Neuronal system•  Emerging studies of Orai and STIM in cancer and cell cycle•  Concluding remarks