James Monypenny

Bayesian localization microscopy reveals nanoscale podosome dynamics

We describe a localization microscopy analysis method that is able to extract results in live cells using standard fluorescent proteins and xenon arc lamp illumination. Our Bayesian analysis of the blinking and bleaching (3B analysis) method models the entire dataset simultaneously as being generated by a number of fluorophores that may or may not be emitting light at any given time. The resulting technique allows many overlapping fluorophores in each frame and unifies the analysis of the localization from blinking and bleaching events. By modeling the entire dataset, we were able to use each reappearance of a fluorophore to improve the localization accuracy. The high performance of this technique allowed us to reveal the nanoscale dynamics of podosome formation and dissociation throughout an entire cell with a resolution of 50 nm on a 4-s timescale.

Role of WASP in cell polarity and podosome dynamics of myeloid cells

The integrin-dependent migration of myeloid cells requires tight coordination between actin-based cell membrane protrusion and integrin-mediated adhesion to form a stable leading edge. Under this mode of migration, polarised myeloid cells including dendritic cells, macrophages and osteoclasts develop podosomes that sustain the extending leading edge. Podosome integrity and dynamics vary in response to changes in the physical and biochemical properties of the cell environment. In the current article we discuss the role of various factors in initiation and stability of podosomes and the roles of the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP) in this process. We discuss recent data indicating that in a cellular context WASP is crucial not only for localised actin polymerisation at the leading edge and in podosome cores but also for coordination of integrin clustering and activation during podosome formation and disassembly.

Cdc42 and Rac Family GTPases Regulate Mode and Speed but Not Direction of Primary Fibroblast Migration during Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-Dependent Chemotaxis

ABSTRACT Cdc42 and Rac family GTPases are important regulators of morphology, motility, and polarity in a variety of mammalian cell types. However, comprehensive analysis of their roles in the morphological and behavioral aspects of chemotaxis within a single experimental system is still lacking. Here we demonstrate using a direct viewing chemotaxis assay that of all of the Cdc42/Rac1-related GTPases expressed in primary fibroblasts, Cdc42, Rac1, and RhoG are required for efficient migration towards platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). During migration, Cdc42-, Rac1-, and RhoG-deficient cells show aberrant morphology characterized as cell elongation and cell body rounding, loss of lamellipodia, and formation of thick membrane extensions, respectively. Analysis of individual cell trajectories reveals that cell speed is significantly reduced, as well as persistence, but to a smaller degree, while the directional response to the gradient of PDGF is not affected. Combined knockdown of Cdc42, Rac1, and RhoG results in greater inhibition of cell speed than when each protein is knocked down alone, but the cells are still capable of migrating toward PDGF. We conclude that, Cdc42, Rac1, and RhoG function cooperatively during cell migration and that, while each GTPase is implicated in the control of morphology and cell speed, these and other Cdc42/Rac-related GTPases are not essential for the directional response toward PDGF.

Megakaryocytes assemble podosomes that degrade matrix and protrude through basement membrane

Megakaryocytes give rise to platelets via extension of proplatelet arms, which are released through the vascular sinusoids into the bloodstream. Megakaryocytes and their precursors undergo varying interactions with the extracellular environment in the bone marrow during their maturation and positioning in the vascular niche. We demonstrate that podosomes are abundant in primary murine megakaryocytes adherent on multiple extracellular matrix substrates, including native basement membrane. Megakaryocyte podosome lifetime and density, but not podosome size, are dependent on the type of matrix, with podosome lifetime dramatically increased on collagen fibers compared with fibrinogen. Podosome stability and dynamics depend on actin cytoskeletal dynamics but not matrix metalloproteases. However, podosomes degrade matrix and appear to be important for megakaryocytes to extend protrusions across a native basement membrane. We thus demonstrate for the first time a fundamental requirement for podosomes in megakaryocyte process extension across a basement membrane, and our results suggest that podosomes may have a role in proplatelet arm extension or penetration of basement membrane.

A high speed multifocal multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope for live-cell FRET imaging.

We demonstrate diffraction limited multiphoton imaging in a massively parallel, fully addressable time-resolved multi-beam multiphoton microscope capable of producing fluorescence lifetime images with sub-50ps temporal resolution. This imaging platform offers a significant improvement in acquisition speed over single-beam laser scanning FLIM by a factor of 64 without compromising in either the temporal or spatial resolutions of the system. We demonstrate FLIM acquisition at 500 ms with live cells expressing green fluorescent protein. The applicability of the technique to imaging protein-protein interactions in live cells is exemplified by observation of time-dependent FRET between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the adapter protein Grb2 following stimulation with the receptor ligand. Furthermore, ligand-dependent association of HER2-HER3 receptor tyrosine kinases was observed on a similar timescale and involved the internalisation and accumulation or receptor heterodimers within endosomes. These data demonstrate the broad applicability of this novel FLIM technique to the spatio-temporal dynamics of protein-protein interaction.

β1 integrins regulate fibroblast chemotaxis through control of N-WASP stability.

Chemotactic migration of fibroblasts towards growth factors, such as during development and wound healing, requires precise spatial coordination of receptor signalling. However, the mechanisms regulating this remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that β1 integrins are required both for fibroblast chemotaxis towards platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) and growth factor‐induced dorsal ruffling. Mechanistically, we show that β1 integrin stabilises and spatially regulates the actin nucleating endocytic protein neuronal Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (N‐WASP) to facilitate PDGF receptor traffic and directed motility. Furthermore, we show that in intact cells, PDGF binding leads to rapid activation of β1 integrin within newly assembled actin‐rich membrane ruffles. Active β1 in turn controls assembly of N‐WASP complexes with both Cdc42 and WASP‐interacting protein (WIP), the latter of which acts to stabilise the N‐WASP. Both of these protein complexes are required for PDGF internalisation and fibroblast chemotaxis downstream of β1 integrins. This represents a novel mechanism by which integrins cooperate with growth factor receptors to promote localised signalling and directed cell motility.

A targeted siRNA screen identifies regulators of Cdc42 activity at the natural killer cell immunological synapse.

The oscillating activity of a cytoskeletal regulator enables natural killer cells to effectively perform their surveillance functions and polarize cytotoxic vesicles. Oscillatory Behavior at the Immunological Synapse Natural killer (NK) cells are required for effective immune responses against virally infected cells and tumor cells. The activity of NK cells is controlled by coordinated signals from stimulatory and inhibitory receptors at the cell surface, which are engaged when the NK cell forms conjugates with target cells. Effective cell killing by NK cells is dependent on changes in the actin cytoskeleton that require Rho family GTPases, such as Cdc42. Carlin et al. used fluorescence-based live-cell imaging to show that after an initial “spike,” the activity of Cdc42 at the NK cell–target cell interface oscillated over time. Bioinformatics analysis and a short inhibitory RNA (siRNA)–based screen identified Akt and a subunit of PI3K as required for the stimulation and oscillation of Cdc42 activity, as well as for the polarization of cytotoxic vesicles, a critical step in NK cell cytotoxicity. Natural killer (NK) cells kill tumor cells and virally infected cells, and an effective NK cell response requires processes, such as motility, recognition, and directional secretion, that rely on cytoskeletal rearrangement. The Rho guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Cdc42 coordinates cytoskeletal reorganization downstream of many receptors. The Rho-related GTPase from plants 1 (ROP1) exhibits oscillatory activation behavior at the apical plasma membrane of growing pollen tubes; however, a similar oscillation in Rho GTPase activity has so far not been demonstrated in mammalian cells. We hypothesized that oscillations in Cdc42 activity might occur within NK cells as they interact with target cells. Through fluorescence lifetime imaging of a Cdc42 biosensor, we observed that in live NK cells forming immunological synapses with target cells, Cdc42 activity oscillated after exhibiting an initial increase. We used protein-protein interaction networks and structural databases to identify candidate proteins that controlled Cdc42 activity, leading to the design of a targeted short interfering RNA screen. The guanine nucleotide exchange factors RhoGEF6 and RhoGEF7 were necessary for Cdc42 activation within the NK cell immunological synapse. In addition, the kinase Akt and the p85α subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) were required for Cdc42 activation, the periodicity of the oscillation in Cdc42 activity, and the subsequent polarization of cytotoxic vesicles toward target cells. Given that PI3Ks are targets of tumor therapies, our findings suggest the need to monitor innate immune function during the course of targeted therapy against these enzymes.

The ErbB4 CYT2 variant protects EGFR from ligand-induced degradation to enhance cancer cell motility

Dimerization of EGFR with an ErbB4 receptor variant increases growth factor–induced migration of breast cancer cells. Drug Resistance Through Dimerization The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is often targeted in various cancers, including breast cancer. The EGFR can dimerize with related receptors in the ErbB family, and formation of these heterodimers is associated with the development of resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Kiuchi et al. found that binding of EGFR to a naturally occurring variant of the receptor ErbB4 prevented a ubiquitin E3 ligase from associating with EGFR and triggering its breakdown. The migration of breast cancer cells to EGFR ligands was increased when EGFR was overexpressed with the ErbB4 variant, but not with a mutant that could not dimerize with EGFR. Furthermore, the transcript for this ErbB4 variant was increased in a subset of breast cancer patients. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the ErbB family that can promote the migration and proliferation of breast cancer cells. Therapies that target EGFR can promote the dimerization of EGFR with other ErbB receptors, which is associated with the development of drug resistance. Understanding how interactions among ErbB receptors alter EGFR biology could provide avenues for improving cancer therapy. We found that EGFR interacted directly with the CYT1 and CYT2 variants of ErbB4 and the membrane-anchored intracellular domain (mICD). The CYT2 variant, but not the CYT1 variant, protected EGFR from ligand-induced degradation by competing with EGFR for binding to a complex containing the E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl and the adaptor Grb2. Cultured breast cancer cells overexpressing both EGFR and ErbB4 CYT2 mICD exhibited increased migration. With molecular modeling, we identified residues involved in stabilizing the EGFR dimer. Mutation of these residues in the dimer interface destabilized the complex in cells and abrogated growth factor–stimulated cell migration. An exon array analysis of 155 breast tumors revealed that the relative mRNA abundance of the ErbB4 CYT2 variant was increased in ER+ HER2– breast cancer patients, suggesting that our findings could be clinically relevant. We propose a mechanism whereby competition for binding to c-Cbl in an ErbB signaling heterodimer promotes migration in response to a growth factor gradient.

The cortactin-binding domain of WIP is essential for podosome formation and extracellular matrix degradation by murine dendritic cells

In immature dendritic cells (DCs) podosomes form and turn over behind the leading edge of migrating cells. The Arp2/3 complex activator Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP) localises to the actin core of forming podosomes together with WASP-Interacting Protein (WIP). A second weaker Arp2/3 activator, cortactin, is also found at podosomes where it has been proposed to participate in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion. We have previously shown that WIP(-/-) DCs are unable to make podosomes. WIP binds to cortactin and in this report we address whether WIP regulates cortactin-mediated MMP activity. Using DCs derived from splenic murine precursors, we found that wild-type cells were able to localise MMPs at podosomes where matrix degradation takes place. In contrast, WIP(-/-) DCs remain able to synthesise MMPs but do not degrade the extracellular matrix. Infection of WIP KO DCs with lentivirus expressing WIP restored both podosome formation and their ability to degrade the extracellular matrix, implicating WIP-induced podosomes as foci of functional MMP location. When WIP KO DCs were infected with a mutant form of WIP lacking the cortactin-binding domain (WIPΔ110-170) DCs were only able to elaborate disorganised podosomes that were unable to support MMP-mediated matrix degradation. Taken together, these results suggest a role for WIP not only in WASP-mediated actin polymerisation and podosome formation, but also in cortactin-mediated extracellular matrix degradation by MMPs.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of WASP promotes calpain-mediated podosome disassembly

Podosomes are actin-based adhesions involved in migration of cells that have to cross tissue boundaries such as myeloid cells. The Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein regulates de novo actin polymerization during podosome formation and it is cleaved by the protease calpain during podosome disassembly. The mechanisms that may induce the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein cleavage by calpain remain undetermined. We now report that in myeloid cells, tyrosine phosphorylation of the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein-tyrosine291 (Human)/tyrosine293 (mouse) not only enhances Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein-mediated actin polymerization but also promotes its calpain-dependent degradation during podosome disassembly. We also show that activation of the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein leading to podosome formation occurs independently of tyrosine phosphorylation in spleen-derived dendritic cells. We conclude that tyrosine phosphorylation of the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein integrates dynamics of actin and cell adhesion proteins during podosome disassembly required for mobilization of myeloid cells during the immune response.