Katsumori Segawa

Adipose Tissue Hypoxia in Obesity and Its Impact on Adipocytokine Dysregulation

Obesity is linked to a variety of metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Dysregulated production of fat-derived secretory factors, adipocytokines, is partly responsible for obesity-linked metabolic disorders. However, the mechanistic role of obesity per se to adipocytokine dysregulation has not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that adipose tissue of obese mice is hypoxic and that local adipose tissue hypoxia dysregulates the production of adipocytokines. Tissue hypoxia was confirmed by an exogenous marker, pimonidazole, and by an elevated concentration of lactate, an endogenous marker. Moreover, local tissue hypoperfusion (measured by colored microspheres) was confirmed in adipose tissue of obese mice. Adiponectin mRNA expression was decreased, and mRNA of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress–mediated protein, was significantly increased in adipose tissue of obese mice. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, hypoxia dysregulated the expression of adipocytokines, such as adiponectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1, and increased the mRNAs of ER stress marker genes, CHOP and GRP78 (glucose-regulated protein, 78 kD). Expression of CHOP attenuated adiponectin promoter activity, and RNA interference of CHOP partly reversed hypoxia-induced suppression of adiponectin mRNA expression in adipocytes. Hypoxia also increased instability of adiponectin mRNA. Our results suggest that hypoperfusion and hypoxia in adipose tissues underlie the dysregulated production of adipocytokines and metabolic syndrome in obesity.

Caspase-mediated cleavage of phospholipid flippase for apoptotic phosphatidylserine exposure

How cells haul down their “eat me” flags Dead and dying cells expose a membrane lipid called phosphatidylserine (PS) on their cell surface as a sort of “eat me” signal. Segawa et al. identified the membrane enzyme responsible for flipping any PS that inadvertently makes it way from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane lipid bilayer. Without the enzyme, macrophages gobbled up healthy cells. Science, this issue p. 1164 An enzyme maintains the asymmetrical distribution of a surface phospholipid during programmed cell death. Phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed in the plasma membrane. This asymmetrical distribution is disrupted during apoptosis, exposing phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) on the cell surface. Using a haploid genetic screen in human cells, we found that ATP11C (adenosine triphosphatase type 11C) and CDC50A (cell division cycle protein 50A) are required for aminophospholipid translocation from the outer to the inner plasma membrane leaflet; that is, they display flippase activity. ATP11C contained caspase recognition sites, and mutations at these sites generated caspase-resistant ATP11C without affecting its flippase activity. Cells expressing caspase-resistant ATP11C did not expose PtdSer during apoptosis and were not engulfed by macrophages, which suggests that inactivation of the flippase activity is required for apoptotic PtdSer exposure. CDC50A-deficient cells displayed PtdSer on their surface and were engulfed by macrophages, indicating that PtdSer is sufficient as an “eat me” signal.

Constitutive exposure of phosphatidylserine on viable cells.

Apoptotic cells are quickly recognized and engulfed by phagocytes to prevent the release of noxious materials from dying cells. Phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells is a proposed “eat-me” signal for the phagocytes. Transmembrane protein 16F (TMEM16F), a membrane protein with eight transmembrane segments, has the Ca-dependent phospholipid scramblase activity. Here we show that when lymphoma cells were transformed with a constitutively active form of TMEM16F, they exposed a high level of PS that was comparable to that observed on apoptotic cells. The PS-exposing cells were morphologically normal and grew normally. They efficiently responded to interleukin 3 and underwent apoptosis upon treatment with Fas ligand. The viable PS-exposing cells bound to peritoneal macrophages at 4 °C, but not at 25 °C. Accordingly, these cells were not engulfed by macrophages. When apoptotic cells were injected i.v. into mice, they were phagocytosed by CD11c+CD8+ dendritic cells (DCs) in the spleen, but the PS-exposing living cells were not phagocytosed by these DCs. Furthermore, when PS-exposing lymphoma cells were transplanted s.c. into nude mice, they generated tumors as efficiently as parental lymphoma cells that did not expose PS. These results indicated that PS exposure alone is not sufficient to be recognized by macrophages as an eat-me signal.

Exposure of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface

Phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) is a phospholipid that is abundant in eukaryotic plasma membranes. An ATP-dependent enzyme called flippase normally keeps PtdSer inside the cell, but PtdSer is exposed by the action of scramblase on the cell’s surface in biological processes such as apoptosis and platelet activation. Once exposed to the cell surface, PtdSer acts as an ‘eat me’ signal on dead cells, and creates a scaffold for blood-clotting factors on activated platelets. The molecular identities of the flippase and scramblase that work at plasma membranes have long eluded researchers. Indeed, their identity as well as the mechanism of the PtdSer exposure to the cell surface has only recently been revealed. Here, we describe how PtdSer is exposed in apoptotic cells and in activated platelets, and discuss PtdSer exposure in other biological processes.

Tim4- and MerTK-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells by mouse resident peritoneal macrophages.

ABSTRACT Apoptotic cells are swiftly engulfed by macrophages to prevent the release of noxious materials from dying cells. Apoptotic cells expose phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) on their surface, and macrophages engulf them by recognizing PtdSer using specific receptors and opsonins. Here, we found that mouse resident peritoneal macrophages expressing Tim4 and MerTK are highly efficient at engulfing apoptotic cells. Neutralizing antibodies against either Tim4 or MerTK inhibited the macrophage engulfment of apoptotic cells. Tim4-null macrophages exhibited reduced binding and engulfment of apoptotic cells, whereas MerTK-null macrophages retained the ability to bind apoptotic cells but failed to engulf them. The incubation of wild-type peritoneal macrophages with apoptotic cells induced the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of MerTK, which was not observed with Tim4-null macrophages. When mouse Ba/F3 cells were transformed with Tim4, apoptotic cells bound to the transformants but were not engulfed. Transformation of Ba/F3 cells with MerTK had no effect on the binding or engulfment of apoptotic cells; however, Tim4/MerTK transformants exhibited strong engulfment activity. Taken together, these results indicate that the engulfment of apoptotic cells by resident peritoneal macrophages proceeds in two steps: binding to Tim4, a PtdSer receptor, followed by MerTK-mediated cell engulfment.

Phospholipid flippase activities and substrate specificities of human type IV P-type ATPases localized to the plasma membrane.

Background: The enzymatic activities of mammalian P4-ATPases are incompletely characterized. Results: ATP11A and ATP11C catalyze flipping of NBD-PS and NBD-PE, whereas ATP8B1 preferentially catalyzes flipping of NBD-PC. Furthermore, some PFIC1 mutants of ATP8B1 failed to flip PC. Conclusion: ATP11A/ATP11C and ATP8B1/ATP8B2 preferentially translocate aminophospholipids and PC, respectively. Significance: This is the first evidence showing that the PC-flipping activity of ATP8B1 is associated with the episode of PFIC1. Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) are believed to translocate aminophospholipids from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflets of cellular membranes. The yeast P4-ATPases, Drs2p and Dnf1p/Dnf2p, flip nitrobenzoxadiazole-labeled phosphatidylserine at the Golgi complex and nitrobenzoxadiazole-labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC) at the plasma membrane, respectively. However, the flippase activities and substrate specificities of mammalian P4-ATPases remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we established an assay for phospholipid flippase activities of plasma membrane-localized P4-ATPases using human cell lines stably expressing ATP8B1, ATP8B2, ATP11A, and ATP11C. We found that ATP11A and ATP11C have flippase activities toward phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine but not PC or sphingomyelin. By contrast, ATPase-deficient mutants of ATP11A and ATP11C did not exhibit any flippase activity, indicating that these enzymes catalyze flipping in an ATPase-dependent manner. Furthermore, ATP8B1 and ATP8B2 exhibited preferential flippase activities toward PC. Some ATP8B1 mutants found in patients of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1), a severe liver disease caused by impaired bile flow, failed to translocate PC despite their delivery to the plasma membrane. Moreover, incorporation of PC mediated by ATP8B1 can be reversed by simultaneous expression of ABCB4, a PC floppase mutated in PFIC3 patients. Our findings elucidate the flippase activities and substrate specificities of plasma membrane-localized human P4-ATPases and suggest that phenotypes of some PFIC1 patients result from impairment of the PC flippase activity of ATP8B1.

MerTK-mediated engulfment of pyrenocytes by central macrophages in erythroblastic islands.

Definitive erythropoiesis takes place at erythroblastic islands, where erythroblasts proliferate and differentiate in association with central macrophages. At the final stage of erythropoiesis, pyrenocytes (nuclei surrounded by plasma membranes) are excluded from erythroblasts, expose phosphatidylserine (PtdSer), and are engulfed by the macrophages in a PtdSer-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanism(s) involved in the engulfment of pyrenocytes are incompletely understood. Here, we constructed an in vitro assay system for the enucleation and engulfment of pyrenocytes using a methylcellulose-based culture. As reported previously, erythroblasts were bound to macrophages via interactions between integrin-α4β1 on erythroblasts and Vcam1 on macrophages. After enucleation, the resulting pyrenocytes exhibited a reduced affinity for Vcam1 that correlated with the presence of inactive integrin-α4β1 complexes. The pyrenocytes were then engulfed by the macrophages via a MerTK-protein S-dependent mechanism. Protein S appeared to function as a bridge between the pyrenocytes and macrophages by binding to PtdSer on the pyrenocytes and MerTK on the macrophages. Normally, NIH3T3 cells do not engulf pyrenocytes, but when they were transformed with MerTK, they efficiently engulfed pyrenocytes in the presence of protein S. These results suggest that macrophages use similar mechanisms to engulf both pyrenocytes and apoptotic cells.

Stimulation of polyomavirus DNA replication by wild-type p53 through the DNA-binding site.

The tumor suppressor p53 possesses characteristics of a transcription factor; it binds to specific DNA sequences and activates transcription from various promoters. Here we found that murine wild-type p53 stimulated not only transcription but also polyomavirus (Py) DNA replication in a sequence-dependent manner. Oncogenic mutant p53, lacking the DNA-binding activity, showed no stimulation of Py DNA replication. Deletion of the N-terminal acidic transactivation domain of wild-type p53, which completely eliminated the ability to stimulate transcription, only impaired the function to stimulate Py DNA replication. The replication-stimulating activity of wild-type p53 was impaired by the deletion of the C-terminal oligomerization domain as well, without affecting the ability to stimulate transcription. The region responsible for the sequence-specific DNA-binding activity mapped to the central portion of the p53 molecule has a minimal activity. The results indicate that both the N-terminal and the C-terminal regions significantly contribute to the p53-mediated stimulation of Py DNA replication.

Human Type IV P-type ATPases that Work as Plasma Membrane Phospholipid Flippases, and Their Regulation by Caspase and Calcium

In plasma membranes, flippases translocate aminophospholipids such as phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from the extracellular to the cytoplasmic leaflet. Mammalian ATP11C, a type IV P-type ATPase, acts as a flippase at the plasma membrane. Here, by expressing 12 human type IV P-type ATPases in ATP11C-deficient cells, we determined that ATP8A2 and ATP11A can also act as plasma membrane flippases. As with ATP11C, ATP8A2 and ATP11A localized to the plasma membrane in a CDC50A-dependent manner. ATP11A was cleaved by caspases during apoptosis, and a caspase-resistant ATP11A blocked apoptotic PtdSer exposure. In contrast, ATP8A2 was not cleaved by caspase, and cells expressing ATP8A2 did not expose PtdSer during apoptosis. Similarly, high Ca2+ concentrations inhibited the ATP11A and ATP11C PtdSer flippase activity, but ATP8A2 flippase activity was relatively resistant to Ca2+. ATP11A and ATP11C were ubiquitously expressed in human and mouse adult tissues. In contrast, ATP8A2 was expressed in specific tissues, such as the brain and testis. Thus, ATP8A2 may play a specific role in translocating PtdSer in these tissues.

Characterization of the scrambling domain of the TMEM16 family

Significance Plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells is composed of two layers, and phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed between them by an action of flippases. Ca2+-dependent scramblases (TMEM16 family members) disrupt the asymmetry, and phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) exposed to the cell surface functions as a signaling molecule in various biological systems. We show that TMEM16F-supported phospholipid scrambling proceeds at 4 °C, independent of phospholipid flipping. Seven TMEM16 members carry a scrambling domain that confers scrambling ability to TMEM16A, a Ca2+-dependent Cl− channel. Mutational analysis identified hydrophilic residues in the transmembrane segments of TMEM16F that are important for exposing PtdSer. Our results may support a model in which TMEM16 proteins provide a cleft containing hydrophilic “stepping stones” in the transmembrane segments for the outward translocation of phospholipids. The TMEM16 protein family has 10 members, each of which carries 10 transmembrane segments. TMEM16A and 16B are Ca2+-activated Cl− channels. Several other members, including TMEM16F, promote phospholipid scrambling between the inner and outer leaflets of a cell membrane in response to intracellular Ca2+. However, the mechanism by which TMEM16 proteins translocate phospholipids in plasma membranes remains elusive. Here we show that Ca2+-activated, TMEM16F-supported phospholipid scrambling proceeds at 4 °C. Similar to TMEM16F and 16E, seven TMEM16 family members were found to carry a domain (SCRD; scrambling domain) spanning the fourth and fifth transmembrane segments that conferred scrambling ability to TMEM16A. By introducing point mutations into TMEM16F, we found that a lysine in the fourth transmembrane segment of the SCRD as well as an arginine in the third and a glutamic acid in the sixth transmembrane segment were important for exposing phosphatidylserine from the inner to the outer leaflet. However, their role in internalizing phospholipids was limited. Our results suggest that TMEM16 provides a cleft containing hydrophilic “stepping stones” for the outward translocation of phospholipids.