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The tryptophan rich basic protein/calcium signal-modulating cyclophilin ligand (WRB/CAML) and Get1p/Get2p complexes, in vertebrates and yeast, respectively, mediate the final step of tail-anchored protein insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via the Get pathway. While WRB appears to exist in all eukaryotes, CAML homologs were previously recognized only among chordates, raising the question as to how CAML's function is performed in other phyla. Furthermore, whereas WRB was recognized as the metazoan homolog of Get1, CAML and Get2, although functionally equivalent, were not considered to be homologous. CAML contains an N-terminal basic, TRC40/Get3-interacting, region, three transmembrane segments near the C-terminus, and a poorly conserved region between these domains. Here, I searched the NCBI protein database for remote CAML homologs in all eukaryotes, using position-specific iterated-basic local alignment search tool, with the C-terminal, the N-terminal or the full-length sequence of human CAML as query. The N-terminal basic region and full-length CAML retrieved homologs among metazoa, plants and fungi. In the latter group several hits were annotated as GET2. The C-terminal query did not return entries outside of the animal kingdom, but did retrieve over one hundred invertebrate metazoan CAML-like proteins, which all conserved the N-terminal TRC40-binding domain. The results indicate that CAML homologs exist throughout the eukaryotic domain of life, and suggest that metazoan CAML and yeast GET2 share a common evolutionary origin. They further reveal a tight link between the particular features of the metazoan membrane-anchoring domain and the TRC40-interacting region. The list of sequences presented here should provide a useful resource for future studies addressing structure-function relationships in CAML proteins.

Significance Selenoprotein N (SEPN1) is a type II transmembrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that senses luminal calcium through an EF-hand domain. On calcium depletion, a SEPN1 oligomer, prevalent under basal calcium concentrations, dissociates to generate a monomeric polypeptide that has enhanced redox trapping potential for its target the calcium pump, SERCA2, as well as for many additional interactors, indicating enhanced reductase activity. Our studies not only support that SEPN1 is one of the long-sought reductases of the ER, but also identify a feedback mechanism through which SEPN1 senses the luminal calcium level to modulate downstream signal transduction. Our results suggest that SEPN1 regulates the SERCA-mediated replenishment of ER calcium stores, a crucial mechanism for excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle., The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the reservoir for calcium in cells. Luminal calcium levels are determined by calcium-sensing proteins that trigger calcium dynamics in response to calcium fluctuations. Here we report that Selenoprotein N (SEPN1) is a type II transmembrane protein that senses ER calcium fluctuations by binding this ion through a luminal EF-hand domain. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that via this domain, SEPN1 responds to diminished luminal calcium levels, dynamically changing its oligomeric state and enhancing its redox-dependent interaction with cellular partners, including the ER calcium pump sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA). Importantly, single amino acid substitutions in the EF-hand domain of SEPN1 identified as clinical variations are shown to impair its calcium-binding and calcium-dependent structural changes, suggesting a key role of the EF-hand domain in SEPN1 function. In conclusion, SEPN1 is a ER calcium sensor that responds to luminal calcium depletion, changing its oligomeric state and acting as a reductase to refill ER calcium stores.

The VAP proteins are integral adaptor proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane that recruit a myriad of interacting partners to the ER surface. Through these interactions, the VAPs mediate a large number of processes, notably the generation of membrane contact sites between the ER and essentially all other cellular membranes. In 2004, it was discovered that a mutation (p.P56S) in the VAPB paralogue causes a rare form of dominantly inherited familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS8). The mutant protein is aggregation-prone, non-functional and unstable, and its expression from a single allele appears to be insufficient to support toxic gain-of-function effects within motor neurons. Instead, loss-of-function of the single wild-type allele is required for pathological effects, and VAPB haploinsufficiency may be the main driver of the disease. In this article, we review the studies on the effects of VAPB deficit in cellular and animal models. Several basic cell physiological processes are affected by downregulation or complete depletion of VAPB, impinging on phosphoinositide homeostasis, Ca2+ signalling, ion transport, neurite extension, and ER stress. In the future, the distinction between the roles of the two VAP paralogues (A and B), as well as studies on motor neurons generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of ALS8 patients will further elucidate the pathogenic basis of p.P56S familial ALS, as well as of other more common forms of the disease.

Tail-anchored (TA) proteins insert into their target organelles by incompletely elucidated posttranslational pathways. Some TA proteins spontaneously insert into protein-free liposomes, yet target a specific organelle in vivo. Two spontaneously inserting cytochrome b5 forms, b5-ER and b5-RR, which differ only in the charge of the C-terminal region, target the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM), respectively. To bridge the gap between the cell-free and in cellula results, we analyzed targeting in digitonin-permeabilized adherent HeLa cells. In the absence of cytosol, the MOM was the destination of both b5 forms, whereas in cytosol the C-terminal negative charge of b5-ER determined targeting to the ER. Inhibition of the transmembrane recognition complex (TRC) pathway only partially reduced b5 targeting, while strongly affecting the classical TRC substrate synaptobrevin 2 (Syb2). To identify additional pathways, we tested a number of small inhibitors, and found that Eeyarestatin I (ESI ) reduced insertion of b5-ER and of another spontaneously inserting TA protein, while not affecting Syb2. The effect was independent from the known targets of ESI , Sec61 and p97/VCP. Our results demonstrate that the MOM is the preferred destination of spontaneously inserting TA proteins, regardless of their C-terminal charge, and reveal a novel, substrate-specific ER-targeting pathway.

Calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAML), together with Tryptophan rich basic protein (WRB, Get1 in yeast), constitutes the mammalian receptor for the Transmembrane Recognition Complex subunit of 40 kDa (TRC40, Get3 in yeast), a cytosolic ATPase with a central role in the post-translational targeting pathway of tail-anchored (TA) proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. CAML has also been implicated in other cell-specific processes, notably in immune cell survival, and has been found in molar excess over WRB in different cell types. Notwithstanding the stoichiometric imbalance, WRB and CAML depend strictly on each other for expression. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which WRB impacts CAML levels. We demonstrate that CAML, generated in the presence of sufficient WRB levels, is inserted into the ER membrane with three transmembrane segments (TMs) in its C-terminal region. By contrast, without sufficient levels of WRB, CAML fails to adopt this topology, and is instead incompletely integrated to generate two aberrant topoforms; these congregate in ER-associated clusters and are degraded by the proteasome. Our results suggest that WRB, a member of the recently proposed Oxa1 superfamily, acts catalytically to assist the topogenesis of CAML and may have wider functions in membrane biogenesis than previously appreciated.

VAPB and VAPA are ubiquitously expressed endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins that play key roles in lipid exchange at membrane contact sites. A mutant, aggregation-prone, form of VAPB (P56S) is linked to a dominantly inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; however, it has been unclear whether its pathogenicity is due to toxic gain of function, to negative dominance, or simply to insufficient levels of the wild-type protein produced from a single allele (haploinsufficiency). To investigate whether reduced levels of functional VAPB, independently from the presence of the mutant form, affect the physiology of mammalian motoneuron-like cells, we generated NSC34 clones, from which VAPB was partially or nearly completely depleted. VAPA levels, determined to be over fourfold higher than those of VAPB in untransfected cells, were unaffected. Nonetheless, cells with even partially depleted VAPB showed an increase in Golgi- and acidic vesicle-localized phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) and reduced neurite extension when induced to differentiate. Conversely, the PI4 kinase inhibitors PIK93 and IN-10 increased neurite elongation. Thus, for long-term survival, motoneurons might require the full dose of functional VAPB, which may have unique function(s) that VAPA cannot perform.

VAPB and VAPA are ubiquitously expressed endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins that play key roles in lipid exchange at membrane contact sites. A mutant, aggregation-prone, form of VAPB (P56S) is linked to a dominantly inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; however, it has been unclear whether its pathogenicity is due to toxic gain of function, to negative dominance, or simply to insufficient levels of the wild-type protein produced from a single allele (haploinsufficiency). To investigate whether reduced levels of functional VAPB, independently from the presence of the mutant form, affect the physiology of mammalian motoneuron-like cells, we generated NSC34 clones, from which VAPB was partially or nearly completely depleted. VAPA levels, determined to be over fourfold higher than those of VAPB in untransfected cells, were unaffected. Nonetheless, cells with even partially depleted VAPB showed an increase in Golgi- and acidic vesicle-localized phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) and reduced neurite extension when induced to differentiate. Conversely, the PI4 kinase inhibitors PIK93 and IN-10 increased neurite elongation. Thus, for long-term survival, motoneurons might require the full dose of functional VAPB, which may have unique function(s) that VAPA cannot perform.

The GET (guided entry of tail-anchored proteins)/TRC (transmembrane recognition complex) pathway for tail-anchored protein targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been characterized in detail in yeast and is thought to function similarly in mammals, where the orthologue of the central ATPase, Get3, is known as TRC40 or Asna1. Get3/TRC40 function requires an ER receptor, which in yeast consists of the Get1/Get2 heterotetramer and in mammals of the WRB protein (tryptophan-rich basic protein), homologous to yeast Get1, in combination with CAML (calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand), which is not homologous to Get2. To better characterize the mammalian receptor, we investigated the role of endogenous WRB and CAML in tail-anchored protein insertion as well as their association, concentration, and stoichiometry in rat liver microsomes and cultured cells. Functional proteoliposomes, reconstituted from a microsomal detergent extract, lost their activity when made with an extract depleted of TRC40-associated proteins or of CAML itself, whereas in vitro synthesized CAML and WRB together were sufficient to confer insertion competence to liposomes. CAML was found to be in ∼5-fold excess over WRB, and alteration of this ratio did not inhibit insertion. Depletion of each subunit affected the levels of the other one; in the case of CAML silencing, this effect was attributable to destabilization of the WRB transcript and not of WRB protein itself. These results reveal unanticipated complexity in the mutual regulation of the TRC40 receptor subunits and raise the question as to the role of the excess CAML in the mammalian ER.

Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are anchored to their corresponding membrane via a single transmembrane segment (TMS) at their C-terminus. In yeast, the targeting of TA proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be mediated by the guided entry of TA proteins (GET) pathway, whereas it is not yet clear how mitochondrial TA proteins are targeted to their destination. It is widely observed that some mitochondrial outer membrane (OM) proteins are mistargeted to the ER when overexpressed or when their targeting signal is masked. However, the mechanism of this erroneous sorting is currently unknown. In this study, we demonstrate the involvement of the GET machinery in mistargeting of non-optimal mitochondrial OM proteins to the ER. These findings suggest that the GET machinery can, in principle, recognize and guide mitochondrial and non-canonical TA proteins. Hence, under normal conditions, an active mitochondrial targeting pathway must exist that dominates the kinetic competition against other pathways.

The α3β4 subtype is the predominant neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor present in the sensory and autonomic ganglia and in a subpopulation of brain neurons. This subtype can form pentameric receptors with either 2 or 3 β4 subunits that have different pharmacologic and functional properties. To further investigate the role of the fifth subunit, we coexpressed a dimeric construct coding for a single polypeptide containing the β4 and α3 subunit sequences, with different monomeric subunits. With this strategy, which allowed the formation of single populations of receptors with unique stoichiometry, we demonstrated with immunofluorescence and biochemical and functional assays that only the receptors with 3 β4 subunits are efficiently expressed at the plasma membrane. Moreover, the LFM export motif of β4 subunit in the fifth position exerts a unique function in the regulation of the intracellular trafficking of the receptors, their exposure at the cell surface, and consequently, their function, whereas the same export motif present in the β4 subunits forming the acetylcholine binding site is dispensable.-Crespi, A., Plutino, S., Sciaccaluga, M., Righi, M., Borgese, N., Fucile, S., Gotti, C., Colombo, S. F. The fifth subunit in α3β4 nicotinic receptor is more than an accessory subunit.

Autophagy plays a major role in the elimination of cellular waste components, the renewal of intracellular proteins and the prevention of the build-up of redundant or defective material. It is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis and especially important in post-mitotic neuronal cells, which, without competent autophagy, accumulate protein aggregates and degenerate. Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with defective autophagy; however, whether altered protein turnover or accumulation of misfolded, aggregate-prone proteins is the primary insult in neurodegeneration has long been a matter of debate. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons. Most of the ALS cases occur in sporadic forms (SALS), while 10%-15% of the cases have a positive familial history (FALS). The accumulation in the cell of misfolded/abnormal proteins is a hallmark of both SALS and FALS, and altered protein degradation due to autophagy dysregulation has been proposed to contribute to ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on the main molecular features of autophagy to provide a framework for discussion of our recent findings about the role in disease pathogenesis of the ALS-linked form of the VAPB gene product, a mutant protein that drives the generation of unusual cytoplasmic inclusions.

Tail-anchored proteins are a special class of transmembrane proteins, consisting of a cytosolic domain anchored to the phospholipid bilayer by a single hydrophobic segment adjacent to their most C-terminus. Because of their particular topology, the C-terminal anchor must be inserted into membranes post-translationally by mechanisms that differ from the well-known targeting/translocation co-translational pathway. Recently, several advances have created a new understanding of the tail-anchored protein insertion machinery. Because of the essential cellular roles carried out by tail-anchored proteins, including vesicle fusion, regulation of apoptosis and formation of interorganellar contact sites, uncovering the machinery responsible for their biogenesis should further our ability to understand a wide variety of diseases such as forms of cancer caused by activation of the tail-anchored protein oncogene BCL2. Key Concepts Tail-anchored proteins have C-terminal hydrophobic domains. Tail-anchored proteins are inserted post-translationally into the membrane. The GET complex inserts tail-anchored proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane in yeast. The TRC complex chaperones tail-anchored proteins into endoplasmic reticulum membranes in mammals. The mitochondrial outer membrane appears to be the preferred destination of tail-anchored proteins that fail to engage the GET/TRC complex. Functions of the GET/TRC pathway additional to tail-anchored protein targeting are presently under intense investigation. Keywords: tail-anchored proteins; membrane insertion; GET/TRC; ATPase; endoplasmic reticulum; mitochondria

Calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAML) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that functions, along with WRB and TRC40, to mediate tail-anchored (TA) protein insertion into the ER membrane. Physiologic roles for CAML include endocytic trafficking, intracellular calcium signaling, and the survival and proliferation of specialized immune cells, recently attributed to its requirement for TA protein insertion. To identify a possible role for CAML in cancer cells, we generated Eμ-Myc transgenic mice that carry a tamoxifen-inducible deletion allele of Caml. In multiple B-cell lymphoma cell lines derived from these mice, homozygous loss of Caml activated apoptosis. Cell death was blocked by Bcl-2/Bcl-xL overexpression; however, rescue from apoptosis was insufficient to restore proliferation. Tumors established from an Eμ-Myc lymphoma cell line completely regressed after tamoxifen administration, suggesting that CAML is also required for these cancer cells to survive and grow in vivo. Cell cycle analyses of Caml-deleted lymphoma cells revealed an arrest in G2/M, accompanied by low expression of the mitotic marker, phospho-histone H3 (Ser10). Surprisingly, lymphoma cell viability did not depend on the domain of CAML required for its interaction with TRC40. Furthermore, a small protein fragment consisting of the C-terminal 111 amino acid residues of CAML, encompassing the WRB-binding domain, was sufficient to rescue growth and survival of Caml-deleted lymphoma cells. Critically, this minimal region of CAML did not restore TA protein insertion in knockout cells. Taken together, these data reveal an essential role for CAML in supporting survival and mitotic progression in Myc-driven lymphomas that is independent of its TA protein insertion function.

Most available information on endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) contacts in cells of higher eukaryotes concerns proteins implicated in the regulation of Ca(2+) entry. However, growing evidence suggests that such contacts play more general roles in cell physiology, pointing to the existence of additionally ubiquitously expressed ER-PM tethers. Here, we show that the three extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts) are ER proteins that participate in such tethering function via C2 domain-dependent interactions with the PM that require PI(4,5)P2 in the case of E-Syt2 and E-Syt3 and also elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) in the case of E-Syt1. As they form heteromeric complexes, the E-Syts confer cytosolic Ca(2+) regulation to ER-PM contact formation. E-Syts-dependent contacts, however, are not required for store-operated Ca(2+) entry. Thus, the ER-PM tethering function of the E-Syts (tricalbins in yeast) mediates the formation of ER-PM contacts sites, which are functionally distinct from those mediated by STIM1 and Orai1.

Heteromeric nAChRs are pentameric cation channels, composed of combinations of two or three α and three or two β subunits, which play key physiological roles in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The prototypical agonist nicotine acts intracellularly to upregulate many nAChR subtypes, a phenomenon that is thought to contribute to the nicotine dependence of cigarette smokers. The α3β4 subtype has recently been genetically linked to nicotine dependence and lung cancer; however, the mode of action of nicotine on this receptor subtype has been incompletely investigated. Here, using transfected mammalian cells as model system, we characterized the response of the human α3β4 receptor subtype to nicotine and the mechanism of action of the drug. Nicotine, when present at 1 mm concentration, elicited a ∼5-fold increase of cell surface α3β4 and showed a more modest upregulatory effect also at concentrations as low as 10 μM. Upregulation was obtained if nicotine was present during, but not after, pentamer assembly and was caused by increased stability and trafficking of receptors assembled in the presence of the drug. Experimental determinations as well as computational studies of subunit stoichiometry showed that nicotine favors assembly of pentamers with (α3)(2)(β4)(3) stoichiometry; these are less prone than (α3)(3)(β4)(2) receptors to proteasomal degradation and, because of the presence in the β subunit of an endoplasmic reticulum export motif, more efficiently transported to the plasma membrane. Our findings uncover a novel mechanism of nicotine-induced α3β4 nAChR upregulation that may be relevant also for other nAChR subtypes.

Secretory proteins exit the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in coat protein complex II (COPII)-coated vesicles and then progress through the Golgi complex before delivery to their final destination. Soluble cargo can be recruited to ER exit sites by signal-mediated processes (cargo capture) or by bulk flow. For membrane proteins, a third mechanism, based on the interaction of their transmembrane domain (TMD) with lipid microdomains, must also be considered. In this Commentary, I review evidence in favor of the idea that partitioning of TMDs into bilayer domains that are endowed with distinct physico-chemical properties plays a pivotal role in the transport of membrane proteins within the early secretory pathway. The combination of such self-organizational phenomena with canonical intermolecular interactions is most likely to control the release of membrane proteins from the ER into the secretory pathway.

Summary VAPB (vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B) is a ubiquitously expressed, ER-resident tail-anchored protein that functions as adaptor for lipid-exchange proteins. Its mutant form, P56S-VAPB, is linked to a dominantly inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS8). P56S-VAPB forms intracellular inclusions, whose role in ALS pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated. We recently demonstrated that these inclusions are formed by profoundly remodelled stacked ER cisternae. Here, we used stable HeLa-TetOff cell lines inducibly expressing wild-type VAPB and P56S-VAPB, as well as microinjection protocols in non-transfected cells, to investigate the dynamics of inclusion generation and degradation. Shortly after synthesis, the mutant protein forms small, polyubiquitinated clusters, which then congregate in the juxtanuclear region independently of the integrity of the microtubule cytoskeleton. The rate of degradation of the aggregated mutant is higher than that of the wild-type protein, so that the inclusions are cleared only a few hours after cessation of P56S-VAPB synthesis. At variance with other inclusion bodies linked to neurodegenerative diseases, clearance of P56S-VAPB inclusions involves the proteasome, with no apparent participation of macro-autophagy. Transfection of a dominant-negative form of the AAA ATPase p97/VCP stabilizes mutant VAPB, suggesting a role for this ATPase in extracting the aggregated protein from the inclusions. Our results demonstrate that the structures induced by P56S-VAPB stand apart from other inclusion bodies, both in the mechanism of their genesis and of their clearance from the cell, with possible implications for the pathogenic mechanism of the mutant protein.

SummaryFor proliferation, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum needs to modify the infected host cell extensively. To achieve this, the parasite exports proteins containing a Plasmodium export element (PEXEL) into the host cell. Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate binding and cleavage of the PEXEL are thought to mediate protein export. We show that these requirements can be bypassed, exposing a second level of export control in the N terminus generated after PEXEL cleavage that is sufficient to distinguish exported from nonexported proteins. Furthermore, this region also corresponds to the export domain of a second group of exported proteins lacking PEXELs (PNEPs), indicating shared export properties among different exported parasite proteins. Concordantly, export of both PNEPs and PEXEL proteins depends on unfolding, revealing translocation as a common step in export. However, translocation of transmembrane proteins occurs at the parasite plasma membrane, one step before translocation of soluble proteins, indicating unexpectedly complex translocation events at the parasite periphery.

The length and hydrophobicity of the transmembrane domain (TMD) play an important role in the sorting of membrane proteins within the secretory pathway; however, the relative contributions of protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions to this phenomenon are currently not understood. To investigate the mechanism of TMD-dependent sorting, we used the following two C tail–anchored fluorescent proteins (FPs), which differ only in TMD length: FP-17, which is anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by 17 uncharged residues, and FP-22, which is driven to the plasma membrane by its 22-residue-long TMD. Before export of FP-22, the two constructs, although freely diffusible, were seen to distribute differently between ER tubules and sheets. Analyses in temperature-blocked cells revealed that FP-17 is excluded from ER exit sites, whereas FP-22 is recruited to them, although it remains freely exchangeable with the surrounding reticulum. Thus, physicochemical features of the TMD influence sorting of membrane proteins both within the ER and at the ER–Golgi boundary by simple receptor-independent mechanisms based on partitioning.

A large group of diverse, functionally important, and differently localized transmembrane proteins shares a particular membrane topology, consisting of a cytosolic N-terminal region, followed by a transmembrane domain close to the C-terminus. Because of their structure, these C-tail-anchored (TA) proteins must insert into all their target membranes by post-translational pathways. Recent work, based on the development of stringent and sensitive biochemical assays, has demonstrated that novel unexplored mechanisms underlie these post-translational targeting and membrane insertion pathways. Unravelling these pathways will shed light on the biosynthesis and regulation of an important group of membrane proteins and is likely to lead to new concepts in the field of membrane biogenesis.

The GET (guided entry of tail-anchored proteins)/TRC (transmembrane recognition complex) pathway for tail-anchored protein targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been characterized in detail in yeast and is thought to function similarly in mammals, where the orthologue of the central ATPase, Get3, is known as TRC40 or Asna1. Get3/TRC40 function requires an ER receptor, which in yeast consists of the Get1/Get2 heterotetramer and in mammals of the WRB protein (tryptophan-rich basic protein), homologous to yeast Get1, in combination with CAML (calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand), which is not homologous to Get2. To better characterize the mammalian receptor, we investigated the role of endogenous WRB and CAML in tail-anchored protein insertion as well as their association, concentration, and stoichiometry in rat liver microsomes and cultured cells. Functional proteoliposomes, reconstituted from a microsomal detergent extract, lost their activity when made with an extract depleted of TRC40-associated proteins or of CAML itself, whereas in vitro synthesized CAML and WRB together were sufficient to confer insertion competence to liposomes. CAML was found to be in ∼5-fold excess over WRB, and alteration of this ratio did not inhibit insertion. Depletion of each subunit affected the levels of the other one; in the case of CAML silencing, this effect was attributable to destabilization of the WRB transcript and not of WRB protein itself. These results reveal unanticipated complexity in the mutual regulation of the TRC40 receptor subunits and raise the question as to the role of the excess CAML in the mammalian ER.

Mitochondrial damage induced by superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutants has been proposed to have a causative role in the selective degeneration of motoneurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In order to investigate the basis of the tissue specificity of mutant SOD1 we compared the effect of the continuous expression of wild-type or mutant (G93A) human SOD1 on mitochondrial morphology in the NSC-34 motoneuronal-like, the N18TG2 neuroblastoma and the non-neuronal Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell lines. Morphological alterations of mitochondria were observed in NSC-34 expressing the G93A mutant (NSC-G93A) but not the wild-type SOD1, whereas a ten-fold greater level of total expression of the mutant had no effect on mitochondria of non-motoneuronal cell lines. Fragmented network, swelling and cristae remodelling but not vacuolization of mitochondria or other intracellular organelles were observed only in NSC-G93A cells. The mitochondrial alterations were not explained by a preferential localization of the mutant within NSC-G93A mitochondria, as a higher amount of the mutant SOD1 was found in mitochondria of MDCK-G93A cells. Our results suggest that mitochondrial vulnerability of motoneurons to G93ASOD1 is recapitulated in NSC-34 cells, and that peculiar features in network dynamics may account for the selective alterations of motoneuronal mitochondria.

The enzyme endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) is involved in key physiological and pathological processes, including cell motility and apoptosis. It is widely believed that at the cell surface eNOS is localized in caveolae, where caveolin-1 negatively regulates its activity, however, there are still uncertainties on its intracellular distribution. Here, we applied high resolution confocal microscopy to investigate the surface distribution of eNOS in transfected HeLa cells and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) endogenously expressing the enzyme. In confluent and non-confluent HUVEC and HeLa cells, we failed to detect substantial colocalization between eNOS and caveolin-1 at the cell surface. Instead, in non-confluent cells, eNOS was concentrated in ruffles and at the leading edge of migrating cells, colocalizing with actin filaments and with the raft marker ganglioside G(M1), and well segregated from caveolin-1, which was restricted to the posterior region of the cells. Treatments that disrupted microfilaments caused loss of eNOS from the cell surface and decreased Ca(2+)-stimulated activity, suggesting a role of the cytoskeleton in the localization and function of the enzyme. Our results provide a morphological correlate for the role of eNOS in cell migration and raise questions on the site of interaction between eNOS and caveolin-1.

A large class of proteins with cytosolic functional domains is anchored to selected intracellular membranes by a single hydrophobic segment close to the C-terminus. Although such tail-anchored (TA) proteins are numerous, diverse, and functionally important, the mechanism of their transmembrane insertion and the basis of their membrane selectivity remain unclear. To address this problem, we have developed a highly specific, sensitive, and quantitative in vitro assay for the proper membrane-spanning topology of a model TA protein, cytochrome b5 (b5). Selective depletion from membranes of components involved in cotranslational protein translocation had no effect on either the efficiency or topology of b5 insertion. Indeed, the kinetics of transmembrane insertion into protein-free phospholipid vesicles was the same as for native ER microsomes. Remarkably, loading of either liposomes or microsomes with cholesterol to levels found in other membranes of the secretory pathway sharply and reversibly inhibited b5 transmembrane insertion. These results identify the minimal requirements for transmembrane topogenesis of a TA protein and suggest that selectivity among various intracellular compartments can be imparted by differences in their lipid composition.

Mammalian NADH-cytochrome b(5) reductase (b5R) is an N-myristoylated protein that is dually targeted to ER and mitochondrial outer membranes. The N-linked myristate is not required for anchorage to membranes because a stretch of hydrophobic amino acids close to the NH2 terminus guarantees a tight interaction of the protein with the phospholipid bilayer. Instead, the fatty acid is required for targeting of b5R to mitochondria because a nonmyristoylated mutant is exclusively localized to the ER. Here, we have investigated the mechanism by which N-linked myristate affects b5R targeting. We find that myristoylation interferes with interaction of the nascent chain with signal recognition particle, so that a portion of the nascent chains escapes from cotranslational integration into the ER and can be post-translationally targeted to the mitochondrial outer membrane. Thus, competition between two cotranslational events, binding of signal recognition particle and modification by N-myristoylation, determines the site of translation and the localization of b5R.

A group of integral membrane proteins, known as C-tail anchored, is defined by the presence of a cytosolic N-terminal domain that is anchored to the phospholipid bilayer by a single segment of hydrophobic amino acids close to the C-terminus. The mode of insertion into membranes of these proteins, many of which play key roles in fundamental intracellular processes, is obligatorily post-translational, is highly specific and may be subject to regulatory processes that modulate the protein's function. Recent work has demonstrated that tail-anchored proteins translocate their C-termini across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane by a mechanism different from that used for Sec61-dependent post-translational signal-peptide-driven translocation. Here we summarize recent results on the insertion of tail-anchored proteins and discuss possible mechanisms that could be involved.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can transform from a network of branching tubules into stacked membrane arrays (termed organized smooth ER [OSER]) in response to elevated levels of specific resident proteins, such as cytochrome b(5). Here, we have tagged OSER-inducing proteins with green fluorescent protein (GFP) to study OSER biogenesis and dynamics in living cells. Overexpression of these proteins induced formation of karmellae, whorls, and crystalloid OSER structures. Photobleaching experiments revealed that OSER-inducing proteins were highly mobile within OSER structures and could exchange between OSER structures and surrounding reticular ER. This indicated that binding interactions between proteins on apposing stacked membranes of OSER structures were not of high affinity. Addition of GFP, which undergoes low affinity, antiparallel dimerization, to the cytoplasmic domains of non–OSER-inducing resident ER proteins was sufficient to induce OSER structures when overexpressed, but addition of a nondimerizing GFP variant was not. These results point to a molecular mechanism for OSER biogenesis that involves weak homotypic interactions between cytoplasmic domains of proteins. This mechanism may underlie the formation of other stacked membrane structures within cells.

A group of integral membrane proteins, known as C-tail anchored, is defined by the presence of a cytosolic NH2-terminal domain that is anchored to the phospholipid bilayer by a single segment of hydrophobic amino acids close to the COOH terminus. The mode of insertion into membranes of these proteins, many of which play key roles in fundamental intracellular processes, is obligatorily posttranslational, is highly specific, and may be subject to regulatory processes that modulate the protein's function. Although recent work has elucidated structural features in the tail region that determine selection of the correct target membrane, the molecular machinery involved in interpreting this information, and in modulating tail-anchored protein localization, has not been identified yet.

Activation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) has been shown to occur through various pathways involving increases in the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase/Akt pathway, as well as regulation by other kinases and by protein-protein interactions. We have recently reported that eNOS, expressed in an inducible HeLa Tet-off cell line, is activated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in a previously undescribed pathway that involves the lipid messenger ceramide. We have now characterized this pathway. We report here that eNOS activation in response to TNF-alpha correlated with phosphorylation of Akt at Ser 473 and of eNOS itself at Ser 1179. Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, as well as eNOS activation, were blocked by inhibitors of both phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase and neutral sphingomyelinase. In contrast, although acid sphingomyelinase was also stimulated by TNF-alpha, its inhibition was without effect. The activation of neutral sphingomyelinase triggered by TNF-alpha was insensitive to phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase inhibitors. Taken together, these results indicate that eNOS activation by TNF-alpha occurs through sequential activation of neutral sphingomyelinase and of the phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase/Akt pathway. The time course of eNOS activation induced through this pathway was markedly different from that triggered by ATP and epidermal growth factor, which activate eNOS through an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and through a sphingomyelinase-independent stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase/Akt pathway, respectively. The novel pathway of activation of eNOS described here may have broad biological relevance because neutral sphingomyelinase is activated not only by TNF-alpha but also by a variety of other physiological and pathological stimuli.

C-tail-anchored proteins are defined by an N-terminal cytosolic domain followed by a transmembrane anchor close to the C terminus. Their extreme C-terminal polar residues are translocated across membranes by poorly understood post-translational mechanism(s). Here we have used the yeast system to study translocation of the C terminus of a tagged form of mammalian cytochrome b(5), carrying an N-glycosylation site in its C-terminal domain (b(5)-Nglyc). Utilization of this site was adopted as a rigorous criterion for translocation across the ER membrane of yeast wild-type and mutant cells. The C terminus of b(5)-Nglyc was rapidly glycosylated in mutants where Sec61p was defective and incapable of translocating carboxypeptidase Y, a well known substrate for post-translational translocation. Likewise, inactivation of several other components of the translocon machinery had no effect on b(5)-Nglyc translocation. The kinetics of translocation were faster for b(5)-Nglyc than for a signal peptide-containing reporter. Depletion of the cellular ATP pool to a level that retarded Sec61p-dependent post-translational translocation still allowed translocation of b(5)-Nglyc. Similarly, only low ATP concentrations (below 1 microm), in addition to cytosolic protein(s), were required for in vitro translocation of b(5)-Nglyc into mammalian microsomes. Thus, translocation of tail-anchored b(5)-Nglyc proceeds by a mechanism different from that of signal peptide-driven post-translational translocation.

The Golgi complex and ER are dynamically connected by anterograde and retrograde trafficking pathways. To what extent and by what mechanism outward-bound cargo proteins escape retrograde trafficking has been poorly investigated. Here, we analysed the behaviour of several membrane proteins at the ER/Golgi interface in live cells. When Golgi-to-plasma membrane transport was blocked, vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG), which bears an ER export signal, accumulated in the Golgi, whereas an export signal-deleted version of VSVG attained a steady state determined by the balance of retrograde and anterograde traffic. A similar behaviour was displayed by EGF receptor and by a model tail-anchored protein, whose retrograde traffic was slowed by addition of VSVG's export signal. Retrograde trafficking was energy- and Rab6-dependent, and Rab6 inhibition accelerated signal-deleted VSVG's transport to the cell surface. Our results extend the dynamic bi-directional relationship between the Golgi and ER to include surface-directed proteins, uncover an unanticipated role for export signals at the Golgi complex, and identify recycling as a novel factor that regulates cargo transport out of the early secretory pathway.

Sorting of membrane proteins within the secretory pathway of eukaryotic cells is a complex process involving discrete sorting signals as well as physico-chemical properties of the transmembrane domain (TMD). Previous work demonstrated that tail-anchored (TA) protein sorting at the interface between the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex is exquisitely dependent on the length and hydrophobicity of the transmembrane domain, and suggested that an imbalance between TMD length and bilayer thickness (hydrophobic mismatch) could drive long TMD-containing proteins into curved membrane domains, including ER exit sites, with consequent export of the mismatched protein out of the ER. Here, we tested a possible role of curvature in TMD-dependent sorting in a model system consisting of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) from which narrow membrane tubes were pulled by micromanipulation. Fluorescent TA proteins differing in TMD length were incorporated into GUVs of uniform lipid composition or made of total ER lipids, and TMD-dependent sorting and diffusion, as well as the bending rigidity of bilayers made of microsomal lipids, were investigated. Long and short TMD-containing constructs were inserted with similar orientation, diffused equally rapidly in GUVs and in tubes pulled from GUVs, and no difference in their final distribution between planar and curved regions was detected. These results indicate that curvature alone is not sufficient to drive TMD-dependent sorting at the ER-Golgi interface, and set the basis for the investigation of the additional factors that must be required.

The lipids and proteins in eukaryotic cells are continuously exchanged between cell compartments, although these retain their distinctive composition and functions despite the intense interorganelle molecular traffic. The techniques described in this paper are powerful means of studying protein and lipid mobility and trafficking in vivo and in their physiological environment. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) are widely used live-cell imaging techniques for studying intracellular trafficking through the exo-endocytic pathway, the continuity between organelles or subcompartments, the formation of protein complexes, and protein localization in lipid microdomains, all of which can be observed under physiological and pathological conditions. The limitations of these approaches are mainly due to the use of fluorescent fusion proteins, and their potential drawbacks include artifactual over-expression in cells and the possibility of differences in the folding and localization of tagged and native proteins. Finally, as the limit of resolution of optical microscopy (about 200 nm) does not allow investigation of the fine structure of the ER or the specific subcompartments that can originate in cells under stress (i.e. hypoxia, drug administration, the over-expression of transmembrane ER resident proteins) or under pathological conditions, we combine live-cell imaging of cultured transfected cells with ultrastructural analyses based on transmission electron microscopy.

Many mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) proteins have a transmembrane domain near the C terminus and an N-terminal cytosolic moiety. It is not clear how these tail-anchored (TA) proteins posttranslationally select their target, but C-terminal charged residues play an important role. To investigate how discrimination between MOM and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) occurs, we used mammalian cytochrome b5, a TA protein existing in two, MOM or ER localized, versions. Substitution of the seven C-terminal residues of the ER isoform or of green fluorescent protein reporter constructs with one or two arginines resulted in MOM-targeted proteins, whereas a single C-terminal threonine caused promiscuous localization. To investigate whether targeting to MOM occurs from the cytosol or after transit through the ER, we tagged a MOM-directed construct with a C-terminal N-glycosylation sequence. Although in vitro this construct was efficiently glycosylated by microsomes, the protein expressed in vivo localized almost exclusively to MOM, and was nearly completely unglycosylated. The small fraction of glycosylated protein was in the ER and was not a precursor to the unglycosylated form. Thus, targeting occurs directly from the cytosol. Moreover, ER and MOM compete for the same polypeptide, explaining the dual localization of some TA proteins.

Cell death via apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays an important role in many physiological and pathological conditions. The signal transduction pathway activated by this cytokine is known to be regulated by several intracellular messengers. In particular, in many systems nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to protect cells from TNF-α-induced apoptosis. However, whether NO can be generated by the cytokine to down-regulate its own apoptotic program has never been studied. We have addressed this question in HeLa Tet-off cell clones stably transfected with the endothelial NO synthase under a tetracycline-responsive promoter. Endothelial NO synthase, induced about 100-fold in these cells by removal of the antibiotic, retained the characteristics of the native enzyme of endothelial cells, both in terms of intracellular localization and functional activity. Expression of the endothelial NO synthase was sufficient to protect from TNF-α-induced apoptosis. This protection was mediated by the generation of NO. TNF-α itself stimulated endothelial NO synthase activity to generate NO through a pathway involving its lipid messenger, ceramide. Our results identify a novel mechanism of regulation of a signal transduction pathway activated by death receptors and suggest that NO may constitute a built-in mechanism by which TNF-α controls its own apoptotic program.

Two forms of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase (b5R), an erythrocyte-restricted soluble form, active in methemoglobin reduction, and a ubiquitous membrane-associated form involved in lipid metabolism, are produced from one gene. In the rat, the two forms are generated from alternative transcripts differing in the first exon, however, biogenesis of human b5R was less understood. Recently, two different transcripts (M and S), differing in the first exon were also described in humans. Here, we have investigated the tissue-specificity and the role of the S-transcript in the generation of soluble b5R. By RNase protection assays designed to simultaneously detect alternative b5R transcripts in the same sample, the S transcript was undetectable in nonerythroid and in erythroleukemic K562 cells induced to differentiate, but was present in terminal erythroblast cultures, and represented a major b5R transcript in reticulocytes. Analysis of the translation products of the M- and S-transcripts in HeLa cells transfected with the corresponding cDNAs demonstrated that the S-transcript generates soluble b5R, presumably from an internal initiation codon. Our results indicate that the S-transcript is expressed at late stages of erythroid maturation to generate soluble b5R.

It is well known that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is capable of expanding its surface area in response both to cargo load and to increased expression of resident membrane proteins. Although the response to increased cargo load, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), is well characterized, the mechanism of the response to membrane protein load has been unclear. As a model system to investigate this phenomenon, we have used a HeLa-TetOff cell line inducibly expressing a tail-anchored construct consisting of an N-terminal cytosolic GFP moiety anchored to the ER membrane by the tail of cytochrome b5 [GFP-b(5)tail]. After removal of doxycycline, GFP-b(5)tail is expressed at moderate levels (1–2% of total ER protein) that, nevertheless, induce ER proliferation, as assessed both by EM and by a three- to fourfold increase in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. We investigated possible participation of each of the three arms of the UPR and found that only the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) arm was selectively activated after induction of GFP-b(5)tail expression; peak ATF6α activation preceded the increase in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. Surprisingly, up-regulation of known ATF6 target genes was not observed under these conditions. Silencing of ATF6α abolished the ER proliferation response, whereas knockdown of Ire1 was without effect. Because GFP-b(5)tail lacks a luminal domain, the response we observe is unlikely to originate from the ER lumen. Instead, we propose that a sensing mechanism operates within the lipid bilayer to trigger the selective activation of ATF6.

Cytochrome b5 and NADH-cytochrome b5, reductase are integral membrane proteins with cytosolic active domains and short membrane anchors, which are inserted post-translationally into their target membranes. Both are produced as different isoforms, with different localizations, in mammalian cells. In the rat, the reductase gene generates two transcripts by an alternative promoter mechanism: a ubiquitous mRNA coding for the myristylated membrane-bound form, and an erythroid mRNA which generates both the soluble form and a nonmyristylated membrane-binding form. The available evidence indicates that the ubiquitous myristylated form binds to the cytosolic face of both outer mitochondrial membranes and ER. In contrast, two genes code for two homologous forms of cytochrome b5, one of which is found on outer mitochondrial membranes, the other on the ER. The gene specifying the ER form probably also generates an erythroid-specific mRNA by alternative splicing, which codes for soluble cytochrome b5. Possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the observed localizations of these different enzyme isoforms are discussed.

Two forms of cytochrome b5 are present in rat tissues, with a sequence identity of approximately 60% in the cytoplasmically exposed, tryptic fragments (Lederer, F., Ghrir, R., Guiard, B., Cortial, S., and Ito, A. (1983) Eur. J. Biochem. 132, 95-102). It has been suggested that the two isoforms have partially overlapping subcellular distributions, with each form localized to some extent on both endoplasmic reticulum and outer mitochondrial membranes (Ito, A. (1980) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 87, 73-80). To investigate the degree of specificity of the localization of cytochrome b5 isoforms, we studied their subcellular distributions with antipeptide antibodies, one specific for microsomal cytochrome b5, one specific for outer membrane cytochrome b, and one against a sequence common to the two cytochromes. We first identified outer membrane Cyt b as a tightly bound, Triton X-114-extractable, 23-kDa polypeptide. We then analyzed biochemically characterized rat liver subcellular fractions by Western blotting and found that outer mitochondrial membrane cytochrome b was not present on endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Conversely, microsomal cytochrome b5 was present on outer mitochondrial membranes in extremely low concentration, at a level

C-tail-anchored (TA) proteins constitute a heterogeneous group of membrane proteins that are inserted into membranes by unique post-translational mechanisms and that play key roles within cells. During recent years, bioinformatic screens on eukaryotic genomes have helped to obtain comprehensive pictures of the number, intracellular distribution and functions of TA proteins, but similar screens had not yet been carried out on prokaryotic cells. Here, we report the results of a bioinformatic screen of the genomes of two bacteria and one archeon. We find that all three of these prokaryotes contain TA proteins in proportions approaching those found in eukaryotic cells, indicating that this protein group is present in all three domains of life. Although some of our hits correspond to proteins of unknown function, others are enzymes with hydrophobic substrates or have functions carried out at the inner face of the cytoplasmic membrane. To generate hypotheses on the insertion mechanisms of prokaryotic TA proteins, we compared the sequences of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic versions of Asna1/Trc40/GET3, a cytosolic ATPase that plays a key role in TA protein post-translational delivery to membranes in eukaryotic cells. We found that hydrophobic residues involved in TA binding by the eukaryotic chaperone (Mateja et al., Nature 2009;461:361–366) are generally replaced with equally hydrophobic amino acids in the archeal homologue (ArsA), whereas this is not the case for the bacterial protein. Thus, eukaryotes may have inherited the GET3 targeting pathway from our archeal ancestor, while the bacterial homologue may be exclusively dedicated to heavy metal resistance.

Nucleotide substitutions in the gene for NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase were identified in three independent probands of hereditary methemoglobinemia type I. Patients in Kagoshima and Okinawa in Japan were shown to possess the same base change, from guanine to adenine at codon 57, which results in amino acid substitution from Arg to Gln. This nucleotide change was the same as formerly found in a patient in Toyoake, Japan (Katsube, T., Sakamoto, N., Kobayashi, Y., Seki, R., Hirano, M., Tanishima, K., Tomoda, A., Takazakura, E., Yubisui, T., Takeshita, M., Sakaki, Y., and Fukumaki, Y. (1991) Am. J. Hum. Genet. 48, 799-808). A type I patient in Italy was shown to have a base change from guanine to adenine at codon 105 which causes substitution from Val to Met. To characterize the enzymes of type I patients, Arg-57----Gln and Val-105----Met mutant enzymes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. kcat/Km values (NADH) of these two enzymes were 25% in Arg-57----Gln and 14.5% in Val-105----Met compared with that of the wild type enzyme, while the value of type II (generalized, severe form of the disease) mutant enzyme was 3% of the normal value (Yubisui, T., Shirabe, K., Takeshita, M., Kobayashi, Y., Fukumaki, Y., Sakaki, Y., and Takano, T. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 66-70). The type I mutant enzymes were less heat-stable and more susceptible to proteinase treatment than the wild type. From these results we conclude that restriction of enzyme deficiency to red cells in hereditary methemoglobinemia type I may be generally derived from instability and increased proteolytic susceptibility of variant NADH-cytochrome b5 reductases due to a point mutation.

VAPB (vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident tail-anchored adaptor protein involved in lipid transport. A dominantly inherited mutant, P56S-VAPB, causes a familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and forms poorly characterized inclusion bodies in cultured cells. To provide a cell biological basis for the understanding of mutant VAPB pathogenicity, we investigated its biogenesis and the inclusions that it generates. Translocation assays in cell-free systems and in cultured mammalian cells were used to investigate P56S-VAPB membrane insertion, and the inclusions were characterized by confocal imaging and electron microscopy. We found that mutant VAPB inserts post-translationally into ER membranes in a manner indistinguishable from the wild-type protein but that it rapidly clusters to form inclusions that remain continuous with the rest of the ER. Inclusions were induced by the mutant also when it was expressed at levels comparable to the endogenous wild-type protein. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that the inclusions represent a novel form of organized smooth ER (OSER) consisting in a limited number of parallel cisternae (usually 2 or 3) interleaved by a similar to 30 nm-thick electron-dense cytosolic layer. Our results demonstrate that the ALS-linked VAPB mutant causes dramatic ER restructuring that may underlie its pathogenicity in motoneurons.-Fasana, E., Fossati, M., Ruggiano, A., Brambillasca, S., Hoogenraad, C. C., Navone, F., Francolini, M., Borgese, N. A VAPB mutant linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis generates a novel form of organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum. FASEB J. 24, 1419-1430 (2010). www.fasebj.org

Nitric oxide (NO) generated by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a key regulator of endothelial cell (EC) migration. Whereas the effects of acute NO generation are generally stimulatory, the role of chronic basal NO release has not been explored so far. Here, we addressed this question both in HeLa and in human endothelial cells. In stably transfected HeLa cells, inducibly expressing eNOS, expression of the enzyme per se blunted the phosphorylation of Akt/PKB in response to serum and strongly inhibited chemotaxis, an effect partially blocked by eNOS- and soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) inhibitors. Likewise, long-term pre-treatment of non-transfected HeLa cells with nanomolar concentrations of an NO donor inhibited subsequent migration, an effect blocked by sGC inhibition and mimicked by a cGMP analog. Finally, EC migration was stimulated by chronic pre-treatment with an eNOS inhibitor. Thus, in addition to its well-known stimulatory role, eNOS attenuates migration through basal long-term NO release.

Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are membrane proteins that contain an N-terminal domain exposed to the cytosol and a single transmembrane segment near the C-terminus followed by few or no polar residues. TA proteins with a mildly hydrophobic transmembrane domain, such as cytochrome b5 (b5), are able to insert post-translationally into pure lipid vesicles without assistance from membrane proteins. Here, we investigated whether any cytosolic proteins are needed to maintain b5 in a competent state for transmembrane integration. Using b5 constructs translated in vitro or produced in bacteria, we demonstrate that cytosolic proteins are neither necessary nor facilitatory for the unassisted translocation of b5. Furthermore, we demonstrate that no cytosolic protein is involved in the translocation of a C-terminal domain of 85 residues appended to the transmembrane domain of b5. Nevertheless, b5 does bind cytosolic proteins, and in their presence but not in their absence, its insertion into liposomes is inhibited by the thiol oxidant diamide and the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide. The effect of diamide is also observed in living cells. Thus, the specific in vivo targeting of b5 might be achieved by interaction with redox-sensitive targeting factors that hinder its nonspecific insertion into any permissive bilayer.

Although transmembrane proteins generally require membrane-embedded machinery for integration, a few can insert spontaneously into liposomes. Previously, we established that the tail-anchored (TA) protein cytochrome b(5) (b5) can posttranslationally translocate 28 residues downstream to its transmembrane domain (TMD) across protein-free bilayers (Brambillasca, S., M. Yabal, P. Soffientini, S. Stefanovic, M. Makarow, R.S. Hegde, and N. Borgese. 2005. EMBO J. 24:2533–2542). In the present study, we investigated the limits of this unassisted translocation and report that surprisingly long (85 residues) domains of different sequence and charge placed downstream of b5's TMD can posttranslationally translocate into mammalian microsomes and liposomes at nanomolar nucleotide concentrations. Furthermore, integration of these constructs occurred in vivo in translocon-defective yeast strains. Unassisted translocation was not unique to b5 but was also observed for another TA protein (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B) whose TMD, like the one of b5, is only moderately hydrophobic. In contrast, more hydrophobic TMDs, like synaptobrevin's, were incapable of supporting unassisted integration, possibly because of their tendency to aggregate in aqueous solution. Our data resolve long-standing discrepancies on TA protein insertion and are relevant to membrane evolution, biogenesis, and physiology.

The gaseous messenger nitric oxide (NO) plays a bewildering number of roles in fundamental processes, such as cell locomotion, differentiation, proliferation and death. Its different and often contrasting roles may depend on its concentration and intracellular site of generation. We describe here a simple system with which to investigate the roles of NO generated at physiological levels in HeLa cells by eNOS transfected under an inducible promoter. This system has allowed us to uncover unexpected signalling circuits between NO and ceramide, involved in the response of cells to apoptotic stimuli. At present, we are using these cells as a tool to investigate the role of NO in migration.

Studies undertaken in the past six years have shown that nitric oxide and many members of the sphingolipid family interact in two-way systems, whereby each ‘player' regulates and is regulated by another ‘player'. These interactions take place at the level of the expression and activity of several enzymes that regulate both the sphingolipid metabolic pathways and the generation of nitric oxide. So far, the outcomes of these interactions have been elucidated only in part. It is already clear, however, that they play prominent roles in key biological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation and cell growth.

Many endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins maintain their residence by dynamic retrieval from downstream compartments of the secretory pathway. In previous work we compared the retrieval process mediated by the two signals, KKMP and KDEL, by appending them to the same neutral reporter protein, CD8, and found that the two signals determine a different steady-state localization of the reporter. CD8-K (the KDEL-bearing form) was restricted mainly to the ER, whereas CD8-E19 (the KKMP-bearing form) was distributed also to the intermediate compartment and Golgi complex. To investigate whether this different steady-state distribution reflects a difference in exit rates from the ER and/or in retrieval, we have now followed the first steps of export of the two constructs from the ER and their trafficking between ER and Golgi complex. Contrary to expectation, we find that CD8-K is efficiently recruited into transport vesicles, whereas CD8-E19 is not. Thus, the more restricted ER localization of CD8-K must be explained by a more efficient retrieval to the ER. Moreover, because most of ER resident CD8-K is not O-glycosylated but almost all CD8-E19 is, the results suggest that CD8-K is retrieved from the intermediate compartment, before reaching the Golgi, whereO-glycosylation begins. These results illustrate how different retrieval signals determine different trafficking patterns and pose novel questions on the underlying molecular mechanisms.

VAPB is a ubiquitously expressed, ER-resident adaptor protein involved in interorganellar lipid exchange, membrane contact site formation, and membrane trafficking. Its mutant form, P56S-VAPB, which has been linked to a dominantly inherited form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS8), generates intracellular inclusions consisting in restructured ER domains whose role in ALS pathogenesis has not been elucidated. P56S-VAPB is less stable than the wild-type protein and, at variance with most pathological aggregates, its inclusions are cleared by the proteasome. Based on studies with cultured cells overexpressing the mutant protein, it has been suggested that VAPB inclusions may exert a pathogenic effect either by sequestering the wild-type protein and other interactors (loss-of-function by a dominant negative effect) or by a more general proteotoxic action (gain-of-function). To investigate P56S-VAPB degradation and the effect of the inclusions on proteostasis and on ER-to-plasma membrane protein transport in a more physiological setting, we used stable HeLa and NSC34 Tet-Off cell lines inducibly expressing moderate levels of P56S-VAPB. Under basal conditions, P56S-VAPB degradation was mediated exclusively by the proteasome in both cell lines, however, it could be targeted also by starvation-stimulated autophagy. To assess possible proteasome impairment, the HeLa cell line was transiently transfected with the ERAD (ER Associated Degradation) substrate CD3δ, while autophagic flow was investigated in cells either starved or treated with an autophagy-stimulating drug. Secretory pathway functionality was evaluated by analyzing the transport of transfected Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Glycoprotein (VSVG). P56S-VAPB expression had no effect either on the degradation of CD3δ or on the levels of autophagic markers, or on the rate of transport of VSVG to the cell surface. We conclude that P56S-VAPB inclusions expressed at moderate levels do not interfere with protein degradation pathways or protein transport, suggesting that the dominant inheritance of the mutant gene may be due mainly to haploinsufficiency.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins maintain their residency by static retention, dynamic retrieval, or a combination of the two. Tail-anchored proteins that contain a cytosolic domain associated with the lipid bilayer via a hydrophobic stretch close to the COOH terminus are sorted within the secretory pathway by largely unknown mechanisms. Here, we have investigated the mode of insertion in the bilayer and the intracellular trafficking of cytochrome b(5) (b[5]), taken as a model for ER-resident tail-anchored proteins. We first demonstrated that b(5) can acquire a transmembrane topology posttranslationally, and then used two tagged versions of b(5), N-glyc and O-glyc b(5), containing potential N- and O-glycosylation sites, respectively, at the COOH-terminal lumenal extremity, to discriminate between retention and retrieval mechanisms. Whereas the N-linked oligosaccharide provided no evidence for retrieval from a downstream compartment, a more stringent assay based on carbohydrate acquisition by O-glyc b(5) showed that b(5) gains access to enzymes catalyzing the first steps of O-glycosylation. These results suggest that b(5) slowly recycles between the ER and the cis-Golgi complex and that dynamic retrieval as well as retention are involved in sorting of tail-anchored proteins.