Monoubiquitination of syntaxin 3 leads to retrieval from the basolateral plasma membrane and facilitates cargo recruitment to exosomes

Syntaxin 3 (Stx3), a SNARE protein located and functioning at the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells, is required for epithelial polarity. A fraction of Stx3 is localized to late endosomes/lysosomes, although how it traffics there and its function in these organelles is unknown. Here we report that Stx3 undergoes monoubiquitination in a conserved polybasic domain. Stx3 present at the basolateral—but not the apical—plasma membrane is rapidly endocytosed, targeted to endosomes, internalized into intraluminal vesicles (ILVs), and excreted in exosomes. A nonubiquitinatable mutant of Stx3 (Stx3-5R) fails to enter this pathway and leads to the inability of the apical exosomal cargo protein GPRC5B to enter the ILV/exosomal pathway. This suggests that ubiquitination of Stx3 leads to removal from the basolateral membrane to achieve apical polarity, that Stx3 plays a role in the recruitment of cargo to exosomes, and that the Stx3-5R mutant acts as a dominant-negative inhibitor. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) acquires its membrane in an intracellular compartment and we show that Stx3-5R strongly reduces the number of excreted infectious viral particles. Altogether these results suggest that Stx3 functions in the transport of specific proteins to apical exosomes and that HCMV exploits this pathway for virion excretion

Instability of Democracy as Resource Curse

We suggest a dynamic game theoretic model to explain why resource abundance may lead to instability of democracy. Stationary Markov perfect equilibria of this game with four players – Politician, Oligarch, Autocrat and Public (voters) – are analyzed. Choosing a rate of resource rent tax, potential Autocrat competes with conventional Politician for the office, and Oligarch, the owner of the resource wealth, bribes Politician to influence her decisions. Actual Autocrat's tax policy may be different from the announced one. If the difference is large, then Public may revolt or Oligarch may organize a coup to throw Autocrat down. It is shown that the probability of democracy preservation is decreasing in the amount of resources if the institutional quality is low enough. It does not depend on the amount of resources, if the institutional quality is higher than a threshold. The level of the threshold, however, depends positively on the resource wealth. We have found also that under very low institutional quality, a paradoxical effect takes place: the probability of democracy preservation may decrease with small improvements of institutional quality. It is shown as well that Oligarch earns larger part of rent under democracy than under autocracy. This result conforms to empirical observation which is demonstrated in the paper: under low quality of institutions, democratization leads to higher inequality and inequality entails worsening of the attitude to democracy

Modeling of miRNA and Drug Action in the EGFR Signaling Pathway

MicroRNAs have gained significant interest due to their widespread occurrence and diverse functions as regulatory molecules, which are essential for cell division, growth, development and apoptosis in eukaryotes. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway is one of the best investigated cellular signaling pathways regulating important cellular processes and its deregulation is associated with severe diseases, such as cancer. In this study, we introduce a systems biological model of the EGFR signaling pathway integrating validated miRNA-target information according to diverse studies, in order to demonstrate essential roles of miRNA within this pathway. The model consists of 1241 reactions and contains 241 miRNAs. We analyze the impact of 100 specific miRNA inhibitors (anit-miRNAs) on this pathway and propose that the embedded miRNA-network can help to identify new drug targets of the EGFR signaling pathway and thereby support the development of new therapeutic strategies against cancer

Key role for ubiquitin protein modification in TGFβ signal transduction

The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily of signal transduction molecules plays crucial roles in the regulation of cell behavior. TGFβ regulates gene transcription through Smad proteins and signals via non-Smad pathways. The TGFβ pathway is strictly regulated, and perturbations lead to tumorigenesis. Several pathway components are known to be targeted for proteasomal degradation via ubiquitination by E3 ligases. Smurfs are well known negative regulators of TGFβ, which function as E3 ligases recruited by adaptors such as I-Smads. TGFβ signaling can also be enhanced by E3 ligases, such as Arkadia, that target repressors for degradation. It is becoming clear that E3 ligases often target multiple pathways, thereby acting as mediators of signaling cross-talk. Regulation via ubiquitination involves a complex network of E3 ligases, adaptor proteins, and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), the last-mentioned acting by removing ubiquitin from its targets. Interestingly, also non-degradative ubiquitin modifications are known to play important roles in TGFβ signaling. Ubiquitin modifications thus play a key role in TGFβ signal transduction, and in this review we provide an overview of known players, focusing on recent advances

Endocytic regulation of alkali metal transport proteins in mammals, yeast and plants

The relative concentrations of ions and solutes inside cells are actively maintained by several classes of transport proteins, in many cases against their concentration gradient. These transport processes, which consume a large portion of cellular energy, must be constantly regulated. Many structurally distinct families of channels, carriers, and pumps have been characterized in considerable detail during the past decades and defects in the function of some of these proteins have been linked to a growing list of human diseases. The dynamic regulation of the transport proteins present at the cell surface is vital for both normal cellular function and for the successful adaptation to changing environments. The composition of proteins present at the cell surface is controlled on both the transcriptional and post-translational level. Post-translational regulation involves highly conserved mechanisms of phosphorylation- and ubiquitylation-dependent signal transduction routes used to modify the cohort of receptors and transport proteins present under any given circumstances. In this review, we will summarize what is currently known about one facet of this regulatory process: the endocytic regulation of alkali metal transport proteins. The physiological relevance, major contributors, parallels and missing pieces of the puzzle in mammals, yeast and plants will be discussed.This work was supported by grant BFU2011-30197-C03-03 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain). V.L.-T. is supported by a fellowship from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia. C. P. is supported by a fellowship from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Spain).Mulet Salort, JM.; Llopis Torregrosa, V.; Primo Planta, C.; Marques Romero, MC.; Yenush, L. (2013). Endocytic regulation of alkali metal transport proteins in mammals, yeast and plants. Current Genetics. 59(4):207-230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-013-0401-2S207230594Abe F, Iida H (2003) Pressure-induced differential regulation of the two tryptophan permeases Tat1 and Tat2 by ubiquitin ligase Rsp5 and its binding proteins, Bul1 and Bul2. Mol Cell Biol 23:7566–7584Abriel H, Loffing J, Rebhun JF, Pratt JH, Schild L, Horisberger JD, Rotin D, Staub O (1999) Defective regulation of the epithelial Na+ channel by Nedd4 in Liddle’s syndrome. J Clin Invest 103:667–673. doi: 10.1172/JCI5713Alesutan I, Munoz C, Sopjani M, Dërmaku-Sopjani M, Michael D, Fraser S, Kemp BE, Seebohm G, Föller M, Lang F (2011) Inhibition of Kir2.1 (KCNJ2) by the AMP-activated protein kinase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 408:505–510. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.04.015Alvarez CE (2008) On the origins of arrestin and rhodopsin. BMC Evol Biol 8:222. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-222Amerik AY, Nowak J, Swaminathan S, Hochstrasser M (2000) The Doa4 deubiquitinating enzyme is functionally linked to the vacuolar protein-sorting and endocytic pathways. Mol Biol Cell 11:3365–3380Anderson JA, Huprikar SS, Kochian LV, Lucas WJ, Gaber RF (1992) Functional expression of a probable Arabidopsis thaliana potassium channel in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:3736–3740Anderson JA, Nakamura RL, Gaber RF (1994) Heterologous expression of K+ channels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: strategies for molecular analysis of structure and function. Symp Soc Exp Biol 48:85–97Aniento F, Gu F, Parton RG, Gruenberg J (1996) An endosomal beta COP is involved in the pH-dependent formation of transport vesicles destined for late endosomes. J Cell Biol 133:29–41Apse MP, Aharon GS, Snedden WA, Blumwald E (1999) Salt tolerance conferred by overexpression of a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport in Arabidopsis. Science 285:1256–1258Arino J, Ramos J, Sychrova H (2010) Alkali metal cation transport and homeostasis in yeasts. Microbiol mol biol rev 74:95–120. doi: 10.1128/mmbr.00042-09Arnason TG, Pisclevich MG, Dash MD, Davies GF, Harkness TA (2005) Novel interaction between Apc5p and Rsp5p in an intracellular signaling pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eukaryot Cell 4:134–146. doi: 10.1128/EC.4.1.134-146.2005Arroyo JP, Lagnaz D, Ronzaud C, Vázquez N, Ko BS, Moddes L, Ruffieux-Daidié D, Hausel P, Koesters R, Yang B, Stokes JB, Hoover RS, Gamba G, Staub O (2011) Nedd4-2 modulates renal Na+ –Cl– cotransporter via the aldosterone-SGK1-Nedd4-2 pathway. J Am Soc Nephrol 22:1707–1719. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2011020132Azmi IF, Davies BA, Xiao J, Babst M, Xu Z, Katzmann DJ (2008) ESCRT-III family members stimulate Vps4 ATPase activity directly or via Vta1. Dev Cell 14:50–61. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2007.10.021Babst M, Katzmann DJ, Estepa-Sabal EJ, Meerloo T, Emr SD (2002a) Escrt-III: an endosome-associated heterooligomeric protein complex required for mvb sorting. Dev Cell 3:271–282Babst M, Katzmann DJ, Snyder WB, Wendland B, Emr SD (2002b) Endosome-associated complex, ESCRT-II, recruits transport machinery for protein sorting at the multivesicular body. Dev Cell 3:283–289Bache KG, Slagsvold T, Cabezas A, Rosendal KR, Raiborg C, Stenmark H (2004) The growth-regulatory protein HCRP1/hVps37A is a subunit of mammalian ESCRT-I and mediates receptor down-regulation. Mol Biol Cell 15:4337–4346. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E04-03-0250Baietti MF, Zhang Z, Mortier E, Melchior A, Degeest G, Geeraerts A, Ivarsson Y, Depoortere F, Coomans C, Vermeiren E, Zimmermann P, David G (2012) Syndecan-syntenin-ALIX regulates the biogenesis of exosomes. Nat Cell Biol 14:677–685. doi: 10.1038/ncb2502Barajas D, Nagy PD (2010) Ubiquitination of tombusvirus p33 replication protein plays a role in virus replication and binding to the host Vps23p ESCRT protein. Virology 397:358–368. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2009.11.010Barajas D, Jiang Y, Nagy PD (2009) A unique role for the host ESCRT proteins in replication of Tomato bushy stunt virus. PLoS Pathog 5:e1000705. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000705Barberon M, Zelazny E, Robert S, Conéjéro G, Curie C, Friml J, Vert G (2011) Monoubiquitin-dependent endocytosis of the iron-regulated transporter 1 (IRT1) transporter controls iron uptake in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:E450–E458. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1100659108Barragán V, Leidi EO, Andrés Z, Rubio L, De Luca A, Fernández JA, Cubero B, Pardo JM (2012) Ion exchangers NHX1 and NHX2 mediate active potassium uptake into vacuoles to regulate cell turgor and stomatal function in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 24:1127–1142. doi: 10.1105/tpc.111.095273Bassil E, Ohto MA, Esumi T, Tajima H, Zhu Z, Cagnac O, Belmonte M, Peleg Z, Yamaguchi T, Blumwald E (2011) The Arabidopsis intracellular Na+/H+ antiporters NHX5 and NHX6 are endosome associated and necessary for plant growth and development. Plant Cell 23:224–239. doi: 10.1105/tpc.110.079426Beaudenon SL, Huacani MR, Wang G, McDonnell DP, Huibregtse JM (1999) Rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase mediates DNA damage-induced degradation of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol 19:6972–6979Becuwe M, Vieira N, Lara D, Gomes-Rezende J, Soares-Cunha C, Casal M, Haguenauer-Tsapis R, Vincent O, Paiva S, Léon S (2012) A molecular switch on an arrestin-like protein relays glucose signaling to transporter endocytosis. J Cell Biol 196:247–259. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201109113Belgareh-Touzé N, Léon S, Erpapazoglou Z, Stawiecka-Mirota M, Urban-Grimal D, Haguenauer-Tsapis R (2008) Versatile role of the yeast ubiquitin ligase Rsp5p in intracellular trafficking. Biochem Soc Trans 36:791–796. doi: 10.1042/BST0360791Bhalla V, Oyster NM, Fitch AC, Wijngaarden MA, Neumann D, Schlattner U, Pearce D, Hallows KR (2006) AMP-activated kinase inhibits the epithelial Na+ channel through functional regulation of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2. J Biol Chem 281:26159–26169. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M606045200Blondel MO, Morvan J, Dupre S, Urban-Grimal D, Haguenauer-Tsapis R, Volland C (2004) Direct sorting of the yeast uracil permease to the endosomal system is controlled by uracil binding and Rsp5p-dependent ubiquitylation. Mol Biol Cell 15:883–895. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E03-04-0202Boase NA, Rychkov GY, Townley SL, Dinudom A, Candi E, Voss AK, Tsoutsman T, Semsarian C, Melino G, Koentgen F, Cook DI, Kumar S (2011) Respiratory distress and perinatal lethality in Nedd4-2-deficient mice. Nat Commun 2:287. doi: 10.1038/ncomms1284Boehmer C, Laufer J, Jeyaraj S, Klaus F, Lindner R, Lang F, Palmada M (2008) Modulation of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.5 by the SGK1 protein kinase involves inhibition of channel ubiquitination. Cell Physiol Biochem 22:591–600. doi: 10.1159/000185543Bonifacino JS, Traub LM (2003) Signals for sorting of transmembrane proteins to endosomes and lysosomes. Annu Rev Biochem 72:395–447. doi: 10.1146/annurev.biochem.72.121801.161800Bowers K, Levi BP, Patel FI, Stevens TH (2000) The sodium/proton exchanger Nhx1p is required for endosomal protein trafficking in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Biol Cell 11:4277–4294Brett CL, Tukaye DN, Mukherjee S, Rao R (2005) The yeast endosomal Na+K+/H+ exchanger Nhx1 regulates cellular pH to control vesicle trafficking. Mol Biol Cell 16:1396–1405. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E04-11-0999Cao XR, Lill NL, Boase N, Shi PP, Croucher DR, Shan H, Qu J, Sweezer EM, Place T, Kirby PA, Daly RJ, Kumar S, Yang B (2008) Nedd4 controls animal growth by regulating IGF-1 signaling. Sci Signal 1:ra5. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.1160940Carrasquillo R, Tian D, Krishna S, Pollak MR, Greka A, Schlöndorff J (2012) SNF8, a member of the ESCRT-II complex, interacts with TRPC6 and enhances its channel activity. BMC Cell Biol 13:33. doi: 10.1186/1471-2121-13-33Chen L, Hellmann H (2013) Plant E3 Ligases: flexible enzymes in a sessile world1. Mol Plant. doi: 10.1093/mp/sst005Chinchilla D, Zipfel C, Robatzek S, Kemmerling B, Nürnberger T, Jones JD, Felix G, Boller T (2007) A flagellin-induced complex of the receptor FLS2 and BAK1 initiates plant defence. Nature 448:497–500. doi: 10.1038/nature05999Christie KJ, Martinez JA, Zochodne DW (2012) Disruption of E3 ligase NEDD4 in peripheral neurons interrupts axon outgrowth: linkage to PTEN. Mol Cell Neurosci 50:179–192. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2012.04.006Clague MJ, Liu H, Urbé S (2012) Governance of endocytic trafficking and signaling by reversible ubiquitylation. Dev Cell 23:457–467. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.08.011Clancy JL, Henderson MJ, Russell AJ, Anderson DW, Bova RJ, Campbell IG, Choong DY, Macdonald GA, Mann GJ, Nolan T, Brady G, Olopade OI, Woollatt E, Davies MJ, Segara D, Hacker NF, Henshall SM, Sutherland RL, Watts CK (2003) EDD, the human orthologue of the hyperplastic discs tumour suppressor gene, is amplified and overexpressed in cancer. Oncogene 22:5070–5081. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1206775Coonrod EM, Stevens TH (2010) The yeast vps class E mutants: the beginning of the molecular genetic analysis of multivesicular body biogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 21:4057–4060. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E09-07-0603Crespo JL, Daicho K, Ushimaru T, Hall MN (2001) The GATA transcription factors GLN3 and GAT1 link TOR to salt stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biol Chem 276:34441–34444. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M103601200Debonneville C, Flores SY, Kamynina E, Plant PJ, Tauxe C, Thomas MA, Münster C, Chraïbi A, Pratt JH, Horisberger JD, Pearce D, Loffing J, Staub O (2001) Phosphorylation of Nedd4-2 by Sgk1 regulates epithelial Na(+) channel cell surface expression. EMBO J 20:7052–7059. doi: 10.1093/emboj/20.24.7052Downes BP, Stupar RM, Gingerich DJ, Vierstra RD (2003) The HECT ubiquitin-protein ligase (UPL) family in Arabidopsis: UPL3 has a specific role in trichome development. Plant J 35:729–742Eisenach C, Chen ZH, Grefen C, Blatt MR (2012) The trafficking protein SYP121 of Arabidopsis connects programmed stomatal closure and K+ channel activity with vegetative growth. Plant J 69:241–251. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2011.04786.xEkberg J, Schuetz F, Boase NA, Conroy SJ, Manning J, Kumar S, Poronnik P, Adams DJ (2007) Regulation of the voltage-gated K(+) channels KCNQ2/3 and KCNQ3/5 by ubiquitination. Novel role for Nedd4-2. J Biol Chem 282:12135–12142. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M609385200Faresse N, Lagnaz D, Debonneville A, Ismailji A, Maillard M, Fejes-Toth G, Náray-Fejes-Tóth A, Staub O (2012) Inducible kidney-specific Sgk1 knockout mice show a salt-losing phenotype. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 302:F977–F985. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00535.2011Field MC, Gabernet-Castello C, Dacks JB (2007) Reconstructing the evolution of the endocytic system: insights from genomics and molecular cell biology. Adv Exp Med Biol 607:84–96. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-74021-8_7Fisk HA, Yaffe MP (1999) A role for ubiquitination in mitochondrial inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Cell Biol 145:1199–1208Flinn RJ, Yan Y, Goswami S, Parker PJ, Backer JM (2010) The late endosome is essential for mTORC1 signaling. Mol Biol Cell 21:833–841. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E09-09-0756Fotia AB, Ekberg J, Adams DJ, Cook DI, Poronnik P, Kumar S (2004) Regulation of neuronal voltage-gated sodium channels by the ubiquitin-protein ligases Nedd4 and Nedd4-2. J Biol Chem 279:28930–28935. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M402820200Futter CE, White IJ (2007) Annexins and endocytosis. Traffic 8:951–958. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00590.xGabriely G, Kama R, Gerst JE (2007) Involvement of specific COPI subunits in protein sorting from the late endosome to the vacuole in yeast. Mol Cell Biol 27:526–540. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00577-06Gajewska B, Shcherbik N, Oficjalska D, Haines DS, Zoladek T (2003) Functional analysis of the human orthologue of the RSP5-encoded ubiquitin protein ligase, hNedd4, in yeast. Curr Genet 43:1–10. doi: 10.1007/s00294-003-0371-xGalan JM, Moreau V, Andre B, Volland C, Haguenauer-Tsapis R (1996) Ubiquitination mediated by the Npi1p/Rsp5p ubiquitin-protein ligase is required for endocytosis of the yeast uracil permease. J Biol Chem 271:10946–10952Gao T, Liu Z, Wang Y, Cheng H, Yang Q, Guo A, Ren J, Xue Y (2013) UUCD: a family-based database of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like conjugation. Nucleic Acids Res 41:D445–D451. doi: 10.1093/nar/gks1103Geldner N (2004) The plant endosomal system—its structure and role in signal transduction and plant development. Planta 219:547–560. doi: 10.1007/s00425-004-1302-xGitan RS, Eide DJ (2000) Zinc-regulated ubiquitin conjugation signals endocytosis of the yeast ZRT1 zinc transporter. Biochem J 346:329–336. doi: 10.1042/0264-6021:3460329Gitan RS, Luo H, Rodgers J, Broderius M, Eide D (1998) Zinc-induced inactivation of the yeast ZRT1 zinc transporter occurs through endocytosis and vacuolar degradation. J Biol Chem 273:28617–28624Gómez-Gómez L, Boller T (2000) FLS2: an LRR receptor-like kinase involved in the perception of the bacterial elicitor flagellin in Arabidopsis. Mol Cell 5:1003–1011Gong X, Chang A (2001) A mutant plasma membrane ATPase, Pma1-10, is defective in stability at the yeast cell surface. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:9104–9109. doi: 10.1073/pnas.161282998Guo J, Wang T, Li X, Shallow H, Yang T, Li W, Xu J, Fridman MD, Yang X, Zhang S (2012) Cell surface expression of human ether-a-go–go-related gene (hERG) channels is regulated by caveolin-3 protein via the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2. J Biol Chem 287:33132–33141. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.389643Gwizdek C, Hobeika M, Kus B, Ossareh-Nazari B, Dargemont C, Rodriguez MS (2005) The mRNA nuclear export factor Hpr1 is regulated by Rsp5-mediated ubiquitylation. J Biol Chem 280:13401–13405. doi: 10.1074/jbc.C500040200Haas TJ, Sliwinski MK, Martínez DE, Preuss M, Ebine K, Ueda T, Nielsen E, Odorizzi G, Otegui MS (2007) The Arabidopsis AAA ATPase SKD1 is involved in multivesicular endosome function and interacts with its positive regulator LYST-INTERACTING PROTEIN5. Plant Cell 19:1295–1312. doi: 10.1105/tpc.106.049346Harkness TA, Davies GF, Ramaswamy V, Arnason TG (2002) The ubiquitin-dependent targeting pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays a critical role in multiple chromatin assembly regulatory steps. Genetics 162:615–632Hasenbrink G, Schwarzer S, Kolacna L, Ludwig J, Sychrova H, Lichtenberg-Fraté H (2005) Analysis of the mKir2.1 channel activity in potassium influx defective Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains determined as changes in growth characteristics. FEBS Lett 579:1723–1731. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.025Hatakeyama R, Kamiya M, Takahara T, Maeda T (2010) Endocytosis of the aspartic acid/glutamic acid transporter Dip5 is triggered by substrate-dependent recruitment of the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase via the arrestin-like protein Aly2. Mol Cell Biol 30:5598–5607. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00464-10Hayashi M, Fukuzawa T, Sorimachi H, Maeda T (2005) Constitutive activation of the pH-responsive Rim101 pathway in yeast mutants defective in late steps of the MVB/ESCRT pathway. Mol Cell Biol 25:9478–9490. doi: 10.1128/mcb.25.21.9478-9490.2005He P, Lee SJ, Lin S, Seidler U, Lang F, Fejes-Toth G, Naray-Fejes-Toth A, Yun CC (2011) Serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 3 in recycling endosomes mediates acute activation of Na+/H+ exchanger NHE3 by glucocorticoids. Mol Biol Cell 22:3812–3825. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E11-04-0328Heese A, Hann DR, Gimenez-Ibanez S, Jones AM, He K, Li J, Schroeder JI, Peck SC, Rathjen JP (2007) The receptor-like kinase SERK3/BAK1 is a central regulator of innate immunity in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:12217–12222. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0705306104Hein C, Springael JY, Volland C, Haguenauer-Tsapis R, André B (1995) NPl1, an essential yeast gene involved in induced degradation of Gap1 and Fur4 permeases, encodes the Rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Mol Microbiol 18:77–87Henke G, Maier G, Wallisch S, Boehmer C, Lang F (2004) Regulation of the voltage gated K+ channel Kv1.3 by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 and the serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase SGK1. J Cell Physiol 199:194–199. doi: 10.1002/jcp.10430Herberth S, Shahriari M, Bruderek M, Hessner F, Müller B, Hülskamp M, Schellmann S (2012) Artificial ubiquitylation is sufficient for sorting of a plasma membrane ATPase to the vacuolar lumen of Arabidopsis cells. Planta 236:63–77. doi: 10.1007/s00425-012-1587-0Hicke L, Dunn R (2003) Regulation of membrane protein transport by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-binding proteins. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 19:141–172. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.19.110701.154617Hicke L, Riezman H (1996) Ubiquitination of a yeast plasma membrane receptor signals its ligand-stimulated endocytosis. Cell 84:277–287Hicke L, Zanolari B, Riezman H (1998) Cytoplasmic tail phosphorylation of the alpha-factor receptor is required for its ubiquitination and internalization. J Cell Biol 141:349–358Hoppe T, Matuschewski K, Rape M, Schlenker S, Ulrich HD, Jentsch S (2000) Activation of a membrane-bound transcription factor by regulated ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent processing. Cell 102:577–586Hsu C, Morohashi Y, Yoshimura S, Manrique-Hoyos N, Jung S, Lauterbach MA, Bakhti M, Grønborg M, Möbius W, Rhee J, Barr FA, Simons M (2010) Regulation of exosome secretion by Rab35 and its GTPase-activating proteins TBC1D10A-C. J Cell Biol 189:223–232. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200911018Hu G, Caza M, Cadieux B, Chan V, Liu V, Kronstad J (2013) Cryptococcus neoformans requires the ESCRT protein Vps23 for iron acquisition from heme, for capsule formation, and for virulence. Infect Immun 81:292–302. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01037-12Huang F, Kirkpatrick D, Jiang X, Gygi S, Sorkin A (2006) Differential regulation of EGF receptor internalization and degradation by multiubiquitination within the kinase domain. Mol Cell 21:737–748. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2006.02.018Huang F, Goh LK, Sorkin A (2007) EGF receptor ubiquitination is not necessary for its internalization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:16904–16909. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0707416104Huibregtse JM, Scheffner M, Beaudenon S, Howley PM (1995) A family of proteins structurally and functionally related to the E6-AP ubiquitin-protein ligase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92:2563–2567Hurst AC, Meckel T, Tayefeh S, Thiel G, Homann U (2004) Trafficking of the plant potassium inward rectifier KAT1 in guard cell protoplasts of Vicia faba. Plant J 37:391–397Husnjak K, Dikic I (2012) Ubiquitin-binding proteins: decoders of ubiquitin-mediated cellular functions. Annu Rev Biochem 81:291–322. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-051810-094654Ibl V, Csaszar E, Schlager N, Neubert S, Spitzer C, Hauser MT (2012) Interactome of the plant-specific ESCRT-III component AtVPS2.2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Proteome Res 11:397–411. doi: 10.1021/pr200845nIchimura T, Yamamura H, Sasamoto K, Tominaga Y, Taoka M, Kakiuchi K, Shinkawa T, Takahashi N, Shimada S, Isobe T (2005) 14-3-3 proteins modulate the expression of epithelial Na + channels by phosphorylation-dependent interaction with Nedd4-2 ubiquitin ligase. J Biol Chem 280:13187–13194. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M412884200Jegla TJ, Zmasek CM, Batalov S, Nayak SK (2009) Evolution of the human ion channel set. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 12:2–23Jenness DD, Li Y, Tipper C, Spatrick P (1997) Elimination of defective alpha-factor pheromone receptors. Mol Cell Biol 17:6236–6245Jespersen T, Membrez M, Nicolas CS, Pitard B, Staub O, Olesen SP, Baró I, Abriel H (2007) The KCNQ1 potassium channel is down-regulated by ubiquitylating enzymes of the Nedd4/Nedd4-like family. Cardiovasc Res 74:64–74. doi: 10.1016/j.cardiores.2007.01.008Jolliffe CN, Harvey KF, Haines BP, Parasivam G, Kumar S (2000) Identification of multiple proteins expressed in murine embryos as binding partners for the WW domains of the ubiquitin-protein ligase Nedd4. Biochem J 351(Pt 3):557–565Kallay LM, Brett CL, Tukaye DN, Wemmer MA, Chyou A, Odorizzi G, Rao R (2011) Endosomal Na+(K+)/H+ exchanger Nhx1/Vps44 functions independently and downstream of multivesicular body formation. J Biol Chem 286:44067–44077. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.282319Kamsteeg EJ, Savelkoul PJ, Hendriks G, Konings IB, Nivillac NM, Lagendijk AK, van der Sluijs P, Deen PM (2008) Missorting of the Aquaporin-2 mutant E258K to multivesicular bodies/lysosomes in dominant NDI is associated with its monoubiquitination and increased phosphoryla

Comparison of gene transfection and cytotoxicity mechanisms of linear poly(amidoamine) and branched poly(ethyleneimine) polyplexes

Purpose: This study aimed to further explore the mechanisms behind the ability of certain linear polyamidoamines (PAAs) to transfect cells with minimal cytotoxicity. Methods: The transfection efficiency of DNA complexed with a PAA of a molecular weight over 10 kDa or 25 kDa branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) was compared in A549 cells using a luciferase reporter gene assay. The impact of endo/lysosomal escape on transgene expression was investigated by transfecting cells in presence of bafilomycin A1 or chloroquine. Cytotoxicity caused by the vectors was evaluated by measuring cell metabolic activity, lactate dehydrogenase release, formation of reactive oxygen species and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Results: The luciferase activity was 3-fold lower after transfection with PAA polyplexes than with BPEI complexes at the optimal polymer to nucleotide ratio (RU:Nt). However, in contrast to BPEI vectors, PAA polyplexes caused negligible cytotoxic effects. The transfection efficiency of PAA polyplexes was significantly reduced in presence of bafilomycin A1 while chloroquine enhanced or decreased transgene expression depending on the RU:Nt. Conclusions: PAA polyplexes displayed a pH-dependent endo/lysosomal escape which was not associated with cytotoxic events, unlike observed with BPEI polyplexes. This is likely due to their greater interactions with biological membranes at acidic than neutral pH

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Democratization, Quality of Institutions and Economic Growth

There are two innovations in the paper as compared to the previous literature on democracy and growth. First, we consider not only the level of democracy, but also changes in this level in the 1970s-1990s as measured by increments of Freedom House political rights indices. Second, the distinction is made between democracy and law and order (order based on legal rules); the latter is measured by the rule of law, investors' risk and corruption indices. We discuss two interconnected threshold hypotheses: (1) in countries where law and order is strong enough, democratization stimulates economic growth, whereas in countries with poor law and order democratization undermines growth; (2) if democratization occurs under the conditions of poor law and order (so that illiberal democracy emerges), then shadow economy expands, quality of governance worsens, and macroeconomic policy becomes less prudent. We adduce a number of stylized facts to support our hypotheses. However our econometric findings are mixed: we report results that support the hypotheses as well as regressions that contradict them