Yukio Kimata

Diphtheria toxin receptor–mediated conditional and targeted cell ablation in transgenic mice

Specific cell ablation is a useful method for analyzing the in vivo function of cells. We have developed a simple and sensitive method for conditional cell ablation in transgenic mice, called “toxin receptor–mediated cell knockout.” We expressed the diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor in transgenic mice using a hepatocyte-specific promoter and found that injection of DT caused fulminant hepatitis. Three independently established transgenic lines demonstrated a good correlation between the sensitivity of hepatocytes to DT and the expression level of the DT receptors. Moreover, the degree of hepatocyte damage was easily controlled over a wide range of doses of injected DT without any obvious abnormalities in other cells or tissues. This system is useful for generating mouse models of disease and for studying the recovery or regeneration of tissues from cell damage or loss. As DT is a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis in both growing and non-growing cells, the method is applicable to a wide range of cells and tissues in mice or in other DT-insensitive animals.

Translational control by the ER transmembrane kinase/ribonuclease IRE1 under ER stress

Under conditions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mammalian cells induce both translational repression and the unfolded protein response that transcriptionally activates genes encoding ER-resident molecular chaperones. To date, the only known pathway for translational repression in response to ER stress has been the phosphorylation of eIF-2α by the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) or the transmembrane PKR-like ER kinase (PERK). Here we report another pathway in which the ER transmembrane kinase/ribonuclease IRE1β induces translational repression through 28S ribosomal RNA cleavage in response to ER stress. The evidence suggests that both pathways are important for efficient translational repression during the ER stress response.

A role for BiP as an adjustor for the endoplasmic reticulum stress-sensing protein Ire1

In the unfolded protein response, the type I transmembrane protein Ire1 transmits an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signal to the cytoplasm. We previously reported that under nonstressed conditions, the ER chaperone BiP binds and represses Ire1. It is still unclear how this event contributes to the overall regulation of Ire1. The present Ire1 mutation study shows that the luminal domain possesses two subregions that seem indispensable for activity. The BiP-binding site was assigned not to these subregions, but to a region neighboring the transmembrane domain. Phenotypic comparison of several Ire1 mutants carrying deletions in the indispensable subregions suggests these subregions are responsible for multiple events that are prerequisites for activation of the overall Ire1 proteins. Unexpectedly, deletion of the BiP-binding site rendered Ire1 unaltered in ER stress inducibility, but hypersensitive to ethanol and high temperature. We conclude that in the ER stress-sensory system BiP is not the principal determinant of Ire1 activity, but an adjustor for sensitivity to various stresses.

Two regulatory steps of ER-stress sensor Ire1 involving its cluster formation and interaction with unfolded proteins

Chaperone protein BiP binds to Ire1 and dissociates in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, it remains unclear how the signal transducer Ire1 senses ER stress and is subsequently activated. The crystal structure of the core stress-sensing region (CSSR) of yeast Ire1 luminal domain led to the controversial suggestion that the molecule can bind to unfolded proteins. We demonstrate that, upon ER stress, Ire1 clusters and actually interacts with unfolded proteins. Ire1 mutations that affect these phenomena reveal that Ire1 is activated via two steps, both of which are ER stress regulated, albeit in different ways. In the first step, BiP dissociation from Ire1 leads to its cluster formation. In the second step, direct interaction of unfolded proteins with the CSSR orients the cytosolic effector domains of clustered Ire1 molecules.

Translational Pausing Ensures Membrane Targeting and Cytoplasmic Splicing of XBP1u mRNA

A peptide-mediated translational pause facilitates the unconventional splicing of a messenger RNA on the endoplasmic reticulum. Upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, an endoribonuclease, inositol-requiring enzyme-1α, splices the precursor unspliced form of X-box–binding protein 1 messenger RNA (XBP1u mRNA) on the ER membrane to yield an active transcription factor (XBP1s), leading to the alleviation of the stress. The nascent peptide encoded by XBP1u mRNA drags the mRNA–ribosome–nascent chain (R-RNC) complex to the membrane for efficient cytoplasmic splicing. We found that translation of the XBP1u mRNA was briefly paused to stabilize the R-RNC complex. Mutational analysis of XBP1u revealed an evolutionarily conserved peptide module at the carboxyl terminus that was responsible for the translational pausing and was required for the efficient targeting and splicing of the XBP1u mRNA. Thus, translational pausing may be used for unexpectedly diverse cellular processes in mammalian cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-sensing mechanisms in yeast and mammalian cells.

Upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, ER-located transmembrane stress sensors evoke diverse protective responses. Although ER stress-dependent activation of the sensor proteins is partly explained through their negative regulation by the ER-located chaperone BiP under non-stress conditions, each of the sensors is also regulated by distinct mechanism(s). For instance, yeast Ire1 is fully activated via its direct interaction with unfolded proteins accumulated in the ER. This insight is consistent with a classical notion that unfolded proteins per se trigger ER-stress responses, while various stress stimuli also seem to activate individual sensors independently of unfolded proteins and in a stimuli-specific manner. These properties may account for the different responses observed under different conditions in mammalian cells, which carry multiple ER-stress sensors.

Membrane aberrancy and unfolded proteins activate the endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor Ire1 in different ways.

In contrast to the classical model, in which unfolded proteins accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum trigger the unfolded-protein response (UPR), we show that membrane aberrancy also evokes this protective cellular event. This finding may explain UPR activation under various physiological conditions.

Cotranslational Targeting of XBP1 Protein to the Membrane Promotes Cytoplasmic Splicing of Its Own mRNA

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers the cytoplasmic splicing of XBP1 mRNA by the transmembrane endoribonuclease IRE1alpha, resulting in activation of the unfolded protein response, which maintains ER homeostasis. We show that the unspliced XBP1 (XBP1u) mRNA is localized to the membrane, although its product is neither a secretory nor a membrane protein and is released to the cytosol after splicing. Biochemical and mutagenic analyses demonstrated that membrane localization of XBP1u mRNA required its in-frame translation. An insertional frame-shift mutation greatly diminished both membrane localization and splicing of the XBP1u mRNA. Furthermore, membrane localization was compromised by puromycin treatment and required a hydrophobic region within XBP1u. These data demonstrate that the nascent XBP1u polypeptide recruits its own mRNA to the membrane. This system serves to enhance cytoplasmic splicing and could facilitate a more rapid response to ER stress, and represents a unique way of cotranslational protein targeting coupled to mRNA maturation.

Yeast unfolded protein response pathway regulates expression of genes for anti-oxidative stress and for cell surface proteins

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular protective event against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In the yeast UPR signaling pathway, the ER‐located transmembrane protein Ire1 promotes splicing of the HAC1 premRNA (HAC1u) to produce the translatable transcription factor mRNA (HAC1i). We generated a HAC1i gene‐bearing strain, in which the UPR pathway was constitutively activated, and compared its gene expression profile with that of a Δire1 HAC1u strain using cDNA microarray technology. Comparison of the gene expression profile was also performed between non‐stressed wild‐type cells and those exposed to ER stress. Genes for which the expression level was significantly changed in both of these experiments were categorized as targets of the Ire1‐HAC1 signaling pathway. This analysis revealed that in addition to the previously known UPR targets, some anti‐oxidative stress genes were up‐regulated by the Ire1‐HAC1 pathway, possibly in order to reduce reactive oxygen species produced during the cellular response to ER stress. Moreover, we categorized 15 genes as those down‐regulated by the UPR, most of which seem to encode cell surface or extracellular proteins. This UPR‐mediated gene repression may alleviate the load of client proteins targeted to the ER.

Activation of mammalian IRE1α upon ER stress depends on dissociation of BiP rather than on direct interaction with unfolded proteins

IRE1, an ER-localized transmembrane protein, plays a central role in the unfolded protein response. Upon ER stress, IRE1 senses the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER, and transfers signal from the ER to the cytosol. Recently, it was reported that the luminal domain of yeast Ire1 senses the unfolded proteins via a two-step mechanism, namely dissociation of BiP and direct interaction with unfolded proteins. However, it has been unclear whether a similar mechanism is applicable to mammalian IRE1alpha. To address this point, we analyzed luminal-domain mutants of mammalian IRE1alpha in cells, and evaluated the anti-aggregation activity of the luminal fragment of IRE1alpha in vitro. We generated a mutant that has low affinity for BiP, and this mutant was significantly activated even under normal conditions. Moreover, the luminal fragments of mammalian IRE1alpha did not exhibit anti-aggregation activity. These results suggest that in contrast to yeast Ire1, the regulation of mammalian IRE1alpha strongly depends on the dissociation of BiP.