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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a detrimental effect on research. However, little has been done to identify and solve the unique challenges faced by early career investigators (ECIs). As a group of American Cancer Society-funded ECIs, we provide recommendations for solving these challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Cytoplasmic dynein-1 transports many intracellular cargos towards microtubule minus ends. Dynein is autoinhibited and undergoes conformational changes to form an active complex, consisting of one or two dynein dimers, the dynactin complex and activating adaptor(s)1,2. The Lissencephaly 1 gene,LIS1, is genetically linked to the dynein pathway from fungi to mammals and is mutated in patients with the neurodevelopmental disease lissencephaly3–5. Lis1 is required for active dynein complexes to form6–10, but how it does so is unclear. Here, we present a structure of two dynein motor domains with two Lis1 dimers wedged in-between. The contact sites between dynein and Lis1 in this structure, termed “Chi”, are required for Lis1’s regulation of dynein inSaccharomyces cerevisiaein vivo and the formation of active human dynein–dynactin– activating adaptor complexes in vitro. We propose that this structure represents an intermediate in dynein’s activation pathway, revealing how Lis1 relieves dynein’s autoinhibited state.

Intracellular transport can be driven by unidirectional motors acting in opposing directions, but how bidirectional transport of cargo is regulated is unclear. Kendrick et al. show that the dynein-activating adaptor Hook3 interacts with the opposite-polarity motors cytoplasmic dynein-1 and the kinesin KIF1C. In vitro, Hook3 can scaffold both motors for bidirectional motility on microtubules., The unidirectional and opposite-polarity microtubule-based motors, dynein and kinesin, drive long-distance intracellular cargo transport. Cellular observations suggest that opposite-polarity motors may be coupled. We recently identified an interaction between the cytoplasmic dynein-1 activating adaptor Hook3 and the kinesin-3 KIF1C. Here, using in vitro reconstitutions with purified components, we show that KIF1C and dynein/dynactin can exist in a complex scaffolded by Hook3. Full-length Hook3 binds to and activates dynein/dynactin motility. Hook3 also binds to a short region in the “tail” of KIF1C, but unlike dynein/dynactin, this interaction does not activate KIF1C. Hook3 scaffolding allows dynein to transport KIF1C toward the microtubule minus end, and KIF1C to transport dynein toward the microtubule plus end. In cells, KIF1C can recruit Hook3 to the cell periphery, although the cellular role of the complex containing both motors remains unknown. We propose that Hook3’s ability to scaffold dynein/dynactin and KIF1C may regulate bidirectional motility, promote motor recycling, or sequester the pool of available dynein/dynactin activating adaptors.

IgA1 proteases (IgA1P) from diverse pathogenic bacteria specifically cleave human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) at the hinge region, thereby thwarting protective host immune responses. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) IgA1P shares no sequence conservation with serine or cysteine types of IgA1Ps or other known proteins, other than a conserved HExxH Zn-binding motif (1604-1608) found in metalloproteases. We have developed a novel expression system to produce the mature S. pneumoniae IgA1P and we have discovered that this form is both attached to the bacterial cell surface and released in its full form. Our data demonstrate that the S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises two distinct regions that associate to form an active metalloprotease, the first such example of a metalloprotease that can be split in vitro and recombined to form an active enzyme. By capitalizing on this novel domain architecture, we show that the N-terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises the primary binding region for IgA1, although the C-terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P is necessary for cleavage of IgA1. Our findings lend insight into the protein domain architecture of the S. pneumoniae IgA1P and function of this important virulence factor for S. pneumoniae infection.

// Agnieszka A. Kendrick 1 , Johnathon Schafer 1 , Monika Dzieciatkowska 1 , Travis Nemkov 1 , Angelo D’Alessandro 1 , Deepika Neelakantan 2 , Heide L. Ford 2 , Chad G. Pearson 3 , Colin D. Weekes 4 , Kirk C. Hansen 1 , Elan Z. Eisenmesser 1 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA 2 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA 3 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA 4 Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA Correspondence to: Elan Z. Eisenmesser, email: elan.eisenmesser@ucdenver.edu Keywords: metabolism, ancillary protein, PDAC, transmembrane, tumor microenvironment Received: September 20, 2016 Accepted: November 30, 2016 Published: December 27, 2016 ABSTRACT Increased expression of CD147 in pancreatic cancer has been proposed to play a critical role in cancer progression via CD147 chaperone function for lactate monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). Here, we show for the first time that CD147 interacts with membrane transporters beyond MCTs and exhibits a protective role for several of its interacting partners. CD147 prevents its interacting partner’s proteasome-dependent degradation and incorrect plasma membrane localization through the CD147 transmembrane (TM) region. The interactions with transmembrane small molecule and ion transporters identified here indicate a central role of CD147 in pancreatic cancer metabolic reprogramming, particularly with respect to amino acid anabolism and calcium signaling. Importantly, CD147 genetic ablation prevents pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in conjunction with metabolic rewiring towards amino acid anabolism, thus paving the way for future combined pharmacological treatments.

The unidirectional and opposite-polarity microtubule-based motors, dynein and kinesin, drive long-distance intracellular cargo transport. Cellular observations support the existence of mechanisms to couple opposite polarity motors: in cells some cargos rapidly switch directions and kinesin motors can be used to localize dynein. We recently identified an interaction between the cytoplasmic dynein-1 activating adaptor HOOK3 and the kinesin-3 KIF1C. Here we show that KIF1C and dynein/dynactin can exist in a single complex scaffolded by HOOK3. Full-length HOOK3 binds to and activates dynein/dynactin motility. HOOK3 also binds to a short region in the “tail” of KIF1C, but unlike dynein/dynactin, this interaction does not affect the processive motility of KIF1C. HOOK3 scaffolding allows dynein to transport KIF1C towards the microtubule minus end, and KIF1C to transport dynein towards the microtubule plus end. We propose that linking dynein and kinesin motors by dynein activating adaptors may be a general mechanism to regulate bidirectional motility.

Interleukin-8 (CXCL8, IL-8) is a proinflammatory chemokine important for the regulation of inflammatory and immune responses via its interaction with G-protein coupled receptors, including CXC receptor 1 (CXCR1). CXCL8 exists as both a monomer and as a dimer at physiological concentrations, yet the molecular basis of CXCL8 interaction with its receptor as well as the importance of CXCL8 dimer formation remain poorly characterized. Although several biological studies have indicated that both the CXCL8 monomer and dimer are active, biophysical studies have reported conflicting results regarding the binding of CXCL8 to CXCR1. To clarify this problem, we expressed and purified a peptide (hCXCR1pep) corresponding to the N-terminal region of human CXCR1 (hCXCR1) and utilized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to interrogate the binding of wild-type CXCL8 and a previously reported mutant (CXCL8M) that stabilizes the monomeric form. Our data reveal that the CXCL8 monomer engages hCXCR1pep with a slightly higher affinity than the CXCL8 dimer, but that the CXCL8 dimer does not dissociate upon binding hCXCR1pep. These investigations also showed that CXCL8 is dynamic on multiple timescales, which may help explain the versatility in this interleukin for engaging its target receptors.

Mucosal surfaces of the lower gastrointestinal tract are subject to frequent, pronounced fluctuations in oxygen tension, particularly during inflammation. Adaptive responses to hypoxia are orchestrated largely by the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs). As HIF-1α and HIF-2α are coexpressed in mucosal epithelia that constitute the barrier between the lumen and the underlying immune milieu, we sought to define the discrete contribution of HIF-1 and HIF-2 transactivation pathways to intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis. The present study identifies creatine kinases (CKs), key metabolic enzymes for rapid ATP generation via the phosphocreatine-creatine kinase (PCr/CK) system, as a unique gene family that is coordinately regulated by HIF. Cytosolic CKs are expressed in a HIF-2-dependent manner in vitro and localize to apical intestinal epithelial cell adherens junctions, where they are critical for junction assembly and epithelial integrity. Supplementation with dietary creatine markedly ameliorated both disease severity and inflammatory responses in colitis models. Further, enzymes of the PCr/CK metabolic shuttle demonstrate dysregulated mucosal expression in a subset of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease patients. These findings establish a role for HIF-regulated CK in epithelial homeostasis and reveal a fundamental link between cellular bioenergetics and mucosal barrier.

IgA1 proteases (IgA1P) from diverse pathogenic bacteria specifically cleave human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) at the hinge region, thereby thwarting protective host immune responses. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) IgA1P shares no sequence conservation with serine or cysteine types of IgA1Ps or other known proteins, other than a conserved HExxH Zn‐binding motif (1604‐1608) found in metalloproteases. We have developed a novel expression system to produce the mature S. pneumoniae IgA1P and we have discovered that this form is both attached to the bacterial cell surface and released in its full form. Our data demonstrate that the S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises two distinct regions that associate to form an active metalloprotease, the first such example of a metalloprotease that can be split in vitro and recombined to form an active enzyme. By capitalizing on this novel domain architecture, we show that the N‐terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises the primary binding region for IgA1, although the C‐terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P is necessary for cleavage of IgA1. Our findings lend insight into the protein domain architecture of the S. pneumoniae IgA1P and function of this important virulence factor for S. pneumoniae infection.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) is a gram-positive bacterium which causes non-invasive infections, such as otitis media, as well as invasive diseases like pneumonia and meningitis. Despite the development of bacterial antibiotics and vaccines, exposure to SPN still leads to diseases in young, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Current vaccines have serious limitations due to the serotype variability and genomic plasticity of the bacterium and therefore, an ever-increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant strains have been reported. Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) represents 90% of the IgA within the human respiratory tract and multiple bacterial pathogens, including SPN, can produce an IgA1-specific protease (IgA1P) to inactivate this major component of mucosal immunity. IgA1P cleaves IgA1 at the hinge region and leads to removal of the Fc domain of IgA1, which is recognized by host clearance mechanisms. Because of the universal expression among different serotypes of SPN, IgA1P has been shown to be a potential target for new vaccine development. SPN IgA1P is unique with no sequence conservation to any other known protein, other than a conserved HExxH Zn-binding motif found in many metalloproteases. We have discovered that the SPN IgA1P released from cells is active and our biochemical studies have revealed that the SPN IgA1P contains a well-folded C-terminal domain (CTD) that houses the third Zn coordinating residue, Glu1628. Furthermore, our data illustrates that the N-terminal domain (NTD) is primarily responsible for engaging IgA1 and the CTD does not have detectable affinity for IgA1 by itself. However, the CTD does play a role in facilitating the binding and is essential for the catalytic activity. Our discoveries shed light on the mechanistic details of this novel metalloprotease and potentially help in developing better vaccines.

This study demonstrates a critical link between hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and claudin-1 (CLDN1). HIF1β-deficient intestinal epithelial cells develop abnormal tight junction (TJ) structure and have striking barrier defects. CLDN1 is an HIF target gene, and overexpression of CLDN1 in HIF1β-deficient cells restores TJ structure and function., Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are exposed to profound fluctuations in oxygen tension and have evolved adaptive transcriptional responses to a low-oxygen environment. These adaptations are mediated primarily through the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) complex. Given the central role of the IEC in barrier function, we sought to determine whether HIF influenced epithelial tight junction (TJ) structure and function. Initial studies revealed that short hairpin RNA–mediated depletion of the HIF1β in T84 cells resulted in profound defects in barrier and nonuniform, undulating TJ morphology. Global HIF1α chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis identified claudin-1 (CLDN1) as a prominent HIF target gene. Analysis of HIF1β-deficient IEC revealed significantly reduced levels of CLDN1. Overexpression of CLDN1 in HIF1β-deficient cells resulted in resolution of morphological abnormalities and restoration of barrier function. ChIP and site-directed mutagenesis revealed prominent hypoxia response elements in the CLDN1 promoter region. Subsequent in vivo analysis revealed the importance of HIF-mediated CLDN1 expression during experimental colitis. These results identify a critical link between HIF and specific tight junction function, providing important insight into mechanisms of HIF-regulated epithelial homeostasis.

CD147 is a highly glycosylated type I transmembrane protein upregulated in pancreatic cancer where it has received significant attention as a potential therapeutic target due to its regulation of several proteins that drive cancer progression. While CD147 was initially thought to act as a ligand on the cell surface to directly stimulate the secretion of several proteins, recent findings have suggested that CD147 may contribute to cancer progression through a much more complex set of interactions. The present study identified CD147 as having a unique chaperone role for multiple transmembrane proteins important for signaling events related to cancer metastasis and metabolic maintenance in pancreatic cancer. A robust combination of cellular, biochemical, proteomic and metabolomic studies showed that CD147 depletion leads to a significant decline in cell proliferation and migration, an increase in epithelial phenotype, and a striking reprogramming of cellular metabolism. Xenograft mouse models further confirmed these findings where tumor growth and metabolism were dependent on CD147 expression. In order to determine the underlying mechanism of CD147's role in pancreatic cancer, we combined crosslinking methods with mass spectrometry to identify the specific interactions and discovered that CD147 is responsible for targeting multiple transmembrane proteins to the cell surface. Furthermore, CD147 depletion caused a down-regulation of a subset of these proteins, which could then be reversed with proteosomal inhibitor treatment indicating that CD147 is a chaperone. Together, our studies illustrate the functional consequence of CD147 expression and chaperone activity in relation to regulating pancreatic cancer progression.

Interleukin-8 (CXCL8, IL-8) is a proinflammatory chemokine important for the regulation of inflammatory and immune responses via its interaction with G-protein coupled receptors, including CXC receptor 1 (CXCR1). CXCL8 exists as both a monomer and as a dimer at physiological concentrations, yet the molecular basis of CXCL8 interaction with its receptor as well as the importance of CXCL8 dimer formation remain poorly characterized. Although several biological studies have indicated that both the CXCL8 monomer and dimer are active, biophysical studies have reported conflicting results regarding the binding of CXCL8 to CXCR1. To clarify this problem, we expressed and purified a peptide (hCXCR1pep) corresponding to the N-terminal region of human CXCR1 (hCXCR1) and utilized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to interrogate the binding of wild-type CXCL8 and a previously reported mutant (CXCL8M) that stabilizes the monomeric form. Our data reveal that the CXCL8 monomer engages hCXCR1pep with a slightly higher affinity than the CXCL8 dimer, but that the CXCL8 dimer does not dissociate upon binding hCXCR1pep. These investigations also showed that CXCL8 is dynamic on multiple timescales, which may help explain the versatility in this interleukin for engaging its target receptors.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key contributors to cancer where they play an integral role in cell-cell communication and transfer pro-oncogenic molecules to recipient cells thereby conferring a cancerous phenotype. Here, we purified EVs using straightforward biochemical approaches from multiple cancer cell lines and subsequently characterized these EVs via multiple biochemical and biophysical methods. In addition, we used fluorescence microscopy to directly show internalization of EVs into the recipient cells within a few minutes upon addition of EVs to recipient cells. We confirmed that the transmembrane protein EMMPRIN, postulated to be a marker of EVs, was indeed secreted from all cell lines studied here. We evaluated the response to EV stimulation in several different types of recipient cells lines and measured the ability of these purified EVs to induce secretion of several factors highly upregulated in human cancers. Our data indicate that purified EVs preferentially stimulate secretion of several proteins implicated in driving cancer in monocytic cells but only harbor limited activity in epithelial cells. Specifically, we show that EVs are potent stimulators of MMP-9, IL-6, TGF-β1 and induce the secretion of extracellular EMMPRIN, which all play a role in driving immune evasion, invasion and inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, by using a comprehensive approach that includes biochemical, biological, and spectroscopic methods, we have begun to elucidate the stimulatory roles.

Acetylation has recently emerged as an important mechanism for controlling a broad array of proteins mediating cellular adaptation to metabolic fuels. Acetylation is governed, in part, by SIRTs (sirtuins), class III NAD+-dependent deacetylases that regulate lipid and glucose metabolism in liver during fasting and aging. However, the role of acetylation or SIRTs in pathogenic hepatic fuel metabolism under nutrient excess is unknown. In the present study, we isolated acetylated proteins from total liver proteome and observed 193 preferentially acetylated proteins in mice fed on an HFD (high-fat diet) compared with controls, including 11 proteins not previously identified in acetylation studies. Exposure to the HFD led to hyperacetylation of proteins involved in gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, methionine metabolism, liver injury and the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress response. Livers of mice fed on the HFD had reduced SIRT3 activity, a 3-fold decrease in hepatic NAD+ levels and increased mitochondrial protein oxidation. In contrast, neither SIRT1 nor histone acetyltransferase activities were altered, implicating SIRT3 as a dominant factor contributing to the observed phenotype. In Sirt3−/− mice, exposure to the HFD further increased the acetylation status of liver proteins and reduced the activity of respiratory complexes III and IV. This is the first study to identify acetylation patterns in liver proteins of HFD-fed mice. Our results suggest that SIRT3 is an integral regulator of mitochondrial function and its depletion results in hyperacetylation of critical mitochondrial proteins that protect against hepatic lipotoxicity under conditions of nutrient excess.