Joëlle Morvan

The ubiquitin ligase Rsp5p is required for modification and sorting of membrane proteins into multivesicular bodies.

Precursor forms of vacuolar proteins with transmembrane domains, such as the carboxypeptidase S Cps1p and the polyphosphatase Phm5p, are selectively sorted in endosomal compartments to vesicles that invaginate, budding into the lumen of the late endosomes, resulting in the formation of multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These proteins are then delivered to the vacuolar lumen following fusion of the MVBs with the vacuole. The sorting of Cps1p and Phm5p to these structures is mediated by ubiquitylation, and in doa4 mutant cells, which have reduced level of free ubiquitin, these proteins are missorted to the vacuolar membrane. A RING‐finger ubiquitin ligase Tul1p has been shown to participate in the ubiquitylation of Cps1p and Phm5p. We show here that the HECT‐ubiquitin ligase Rsp5p is also required for the ubiquitylation of these proteins, and therefore for their sorting to MVBs. Rsp5p is an essential ubiquitin ligase containing an N‐terminal C2 domain followed by three WW domains, and a C‐terminal catalytic HECT domain. In cells with low levels of Rsp5p (npi1 mutant cells), vacuolar hydrolases do not reach the vacuolar lumen and are instead missorted to the vacuolar membrane. The C2 domain and both the second and third WW domains of Rsp5p are important determinants for sorting to MVBs. Ubiquitylation of Cps1p was strongly reduced in the npi1 mutant strain and ubiquitylation was completely abolished in the npi1 tul1Δ double mutant. These data demonstrate that Rsp5p plays a novel and key role in intracellular trafficking, and extend the currently very short list of substrates ubiquitylated in vivo by several different ubiquitin ligases acting cooperatively.

Targeting of Sna3p to the endosomal pathway depends on its interaction with Rsp5p and multivesicular body sorting on its ubiquitylation.

Rsp5p is an ubiquitin (Ub)‐protein ligase of the Nedd4 family that carries WW domains involved in interaction with PPXY‐containing proteins. It plays a key role at several stages of intracellular trafficking, such as Ub‐mediated internalization of endocytic cargoes and Ub‐mediated sorting of membrane proteins to internal vesicles of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), a process that is crucial for their subsequent targeting to the vacuolar lumen. Sna3p is a membrane protein previously described as an Ub‐independent MVB cargo, but proteomic studies have since shown it to be an ubiquitylated protein. Sna3p carries a PPXY motif. We observed that this motif mediates its interaction with Rsp5p WW domains. Mutation of either the Sna3p PPXY motif or the Rsp5p WW3 domain or reduction in the amounts of Rsp5 results in the mistargeting of Sna3p to multiple mobile vesicles and prevents its sorting to the endosomal pathway. This sorting defect appears to occur prior to the defect displayed in rsp5 mutants by other MVB cargoes, which are correctly sorted to the endosomal pathway but missorted to the vacuolar membrane instead of the vacuolar lumen. Sna3p is polyubiquitylated on one target lysine, and a mutant Sna3p lacking its target lysine displays defective MVB sorting. Sna3p undergoes Rsp5‐dependent polyubiquitylation, with K63‐linked Ub chains.

The BAR Domain Protein Arfaptin-1 Controls Secretory Granule Biogenesis at the trans-Golgi Network

BAR domains can prevent membrane fission through their ability to shield necks of budding vesicles from fission-inducing factors. However, the physiological role of this inhibitory function and its regulation is unknown. Here we identify a checkpoint involving the BAR-domain-containing protein Arfaptin-1 that controls biogenesis of secretory granules at the trans-Golgi network (TGN). We demonstrate that protein kinase D (PKD) phosphorylates Arfaptin-1 at serine 132, which disrupts the ability of Arfaptin-1 to inhibit the activity of ADP ribosylation factor, an important component of the vesicle scission machinery. The physiological significance of this regulatory mechanism is evidenced by loss of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion due to granule scission defects in pancreatic β cells expressing nonphosphorylatable Arfaptin-1. Accordingly, depletion of Arfaptin-1 leads to the generation of small nonfunctional secretory granules. Hence, PKD-mediated Arfaptin-1 phosphorylation is necessary to ensure biogenesis of functional transport carriers at the TGN in regulated secretion.

Insulin secretory granules control autophagy in pancreatic β cells

Too hungry to eat, too hungry not to eat Pancreatic beta cells, the source of insulin in response to food, employ an unusual mechanism to adapt to nutrient depletion. Goginashvili et al. found that starvation of beta cells induced selective degradation of newly formed insulin granules through their fusion with lysosomes, the cells garbage disposal units (see the Perspective by Rutter). The nutrient sensor mTOR is recruited to these lysosomes, leading to its local activation and the suppression of autophagy—a process by which cells “eat” their own constituents. Protein kinase D, a major regulator of insulin granule biogenesis, controls this granule degradation in response to nutrient availability. Thus, unlike most other cells, autophagy is not the strategy of choice in beta cells to adapt to starvation. Science, this issue p. 878; see also p. 826 Newly formed insulin granules are degraded by lysosomes to prevent insulin release upon fasting. [Also see Perspective by Rutter] Pancreatic β cells lower insulin release in response to nutrient depletion. The question of whether starved β cells induce macroautophagy, a predominant mechanism maintaining energy homeostasis, remains poorly explored. We found that, in contrast to many mammalian cells, macroautophagy in pancreatic β cells was suppressed upon starvation. Instead, starved β cells induced lysosomal degradation of nascent secretory insulin granules, which was controlled by protein kinase D (PKD), a key player in secretory granule biogenesis. Starvation-induced nascent granule degradation triggered lysosomal recruitment and activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin that suppressed macroautophagy. Switching from macroautophagy to insulin granule degradation was important to keep insulin secretion low upon fasting. Thus, β cells use a PKD-dependent mechanism to adapt to nutrient availability and couple autophagy flux to secretory function.

In vitro reconstitution of fusion between immature autophagosomes and endosomes.

Autophagy is a highly conserved degradative pathway whereby a double membrane engulfs cytoplasmic constituents to form an autophagic vacuole or autophagosome. An essential requirement for efficient autophagy is the acquisition of an adequate degradative capacity by the autophagosomes. To acquire this capacity the immature autophagic vacuoles (AVis) obtain lysosomal hydrolases by fusion with endosomes. The current models suggest that at least two types of endosomes, early and late, fuse with AVis to form mature, degradative AVds. This fusion and maturation requires proteins also involved in endosome maturation such as Rab7. However, it is not known if there are molecular requirements unique to AVi-endosome fusion. To identify and investigate the molecular requirements of this fusion we developed a cell-free fusion assay based on content mixing, which occurs after fusion of isolated AVis and different endosomal fractions. Our assay shows that isolated AVis can fuse to a similar extent in vitro with both early and late endosomes. Furthermore, fusion between autophagosomes and endosomes requires cytosolic and endosomal proteins, but does not show a nucleotide-dependence, and is partially N-ethylmaleimide sensitive. We also demonstrate that the lipidated form of the autophagosomal protein LC3 is dispensable for this fusion event.

A Novel Syntaxin 6‐Interacting Protein, SHIP164, Regulates Syntaxin 6‐Dependent Sorting from Early Endosomes

Membrane fusion is dependent on the function of SNAREs and their α‐helical SNARE motifs that form SNARE complexes. The Habc domains at the N‐termini of some SNAREs can interact with their associated SNARE motif, Sec1/Munc18 (SM) proteins, tethering proteins or adaptor proteins, suggesting that they play an important regulatory function. We screened for proteins that interact with the Habc domain of Syntaxin 6, and isolated an uncharacterized 164‐kDa protein that we named SHIP164. SHIP164 is part of a large (∼700 kDa) complex, and interacts with components of the Golgi‐associated retrograde protein (GARP) tethering complex. Depletion of GARP subunits or overexpression of Syntaxin 6 results in a redistribution of soluble SHIP164 to endosomal structures. Co‐overexpression of Syntaxin 6 and SHIP164 produced excessive tubulation of endosomes, and perturbed the transport of cation‐independent mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor (CI‐MPR) and transferrin receptor. Thus, we propose that SHIP164 functions in trafficking through the early/recycling endosomal system.

Pkh1/2-dependent phosphorylation of Vps27 regulates ESCRT-I recruitment to endosomes

Sorting of multivesicular bodies requires the endosomal-sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. The kinases Pkh1/2 phosphorylate the ESCRT-0 subunit Vps27 on residue S613. Furthermore, this phosphorylation regulates ESCRT-I recruitment to endosomes.

Btn3 regulates the endosomal sorting function of the yeast Ent3 epsin, an adaptor for SNARE proteins.

ABSTRACT Ent3 and Ent5 are yeast epsin N-terminal homology (ENTH) domain-containing proteins involved in protein trafficking between the Golgi and late endosomes. They interact with clathrin, clathrin adaptors at the Golgi (AP-1 and GGA) and different SNAREs (Vti1, Snc1, Pep12 and Syn8) required for vesicular transport at the Golgi and endosomes. To better understand the role of these epsins in membrane trafficking, we performed a protein–protein interaction screen. We identified Btn3 (also known as Tda3), a putative oxidoreductase, as a new partner of both Ent3 and Ent5. Btn3 is a negative regulator of the Batten-disease-linked protein Btn2 involved in the retrieval of specific SNAREs (Vti1, Snc1, Tlg1 and Tlg2) from the late endosome to the Golgi. We show that Btn3 endosomal localization depends on the epsins Ent3 and Ent5. We demonstrated that in btn3&Dgr; mutant cells, endosomal sorting of ubiquitylated cargos and endosomal recycling of the Snc1 SNARE are delayed. We thus propose that Btn3 regulates the sorting function of two adaptors for SNARE proteins, the epsin Ent3 and the Batten-disease-linked protein Btn2.

Arfaptine-1 et biogenèse des granules de sécrétion

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