MAPK signaling to the early secretory pathway revealed by kinase/phosphatase functional screening

An RNAi screen determines that the early secretory pathway is subject to phosphoregulation via a variety of signaling pathways, including a link between growth factor signaling and ER export

ADP Ribosylation Factors 1 and 4 and Group VIA Phospholipase A2 Regulate Morphology and Intraorganellar Traffic in the Endoplasmic Reticulum–Golgi Intermediate Compartment

In search of morphological determinants for the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC), we found that a concerted action of Arf1, Arf4, and PLA2G6-A controls the architecture of the ERGIC by regulating tubular carriers. This is predicted to impact the rate of transport and destination of cargos in the ERGIC

Biogenesis of intestinal plasma membrane: Posttranslational route and cleavage of sucrase—isomaltase

The biosynthesis in vivo of rat intestinal sucrase—isomaltase [a complex of sucrose α-glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.48, and oligo-1,6-glucosidase (dextrin 6-α-D-glucanohydrolase), EC 3.2.1.10] has been studied by following the incorporation of L-[6-(3)H]fucose into the enzyme with time. Immunoprecipitation of sucrase—isomaltase from Triton-X-100-solubilized Golgi or basolateral membranes and subsequent polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of an immunoreactive glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight approximately twice that of the separated sucrase—isomaltase subunits, but no active subunits were found in these membranes. This glycoprotein was also found in the microvillus membrane in addition to the subunits of sucrase—isomaltase. Kinetic studies showed a maximal labeling of this glycoprotein in Golgi membranes at 15 min, in basolateral membranes at 30 min, and in microvillus membranes at 45 min and a half-life of less than 30 min in each membrane. However, the radioactivity of the sucrase—isomaltase subunits in the microvillus membrane reached a plateau after 60 min. These data suggest that sucrase—isomaltase is synthesized as a one-chain polypeptide precursor that is split into the subunits after its transfer to the microvillus membrane. Elastase (EC 3.4.21.11), but not trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) or α-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1), split the putative precursor into two polypeptides that had electrophoretic behaviors similar to those of the active enzyme subunits. These studies suggest that pancreatic proteases may play an important role in the late posttranslational processing of sucrase—isomaltase in vivo

Phosphorylation Controls CLIMP-63–mediated Anchoring of the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Microtubules

The microtubule-binding 63-kDa cytoskeleton-linking membrane protein (CLIMP-63) is an integral membrane protein that links the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to microtubules. Here, we tested whether this interaction is regulated by phosphorylation. Metabolic labeling with (32)P showed that CLIMP-63 is a phosphoprotein with increased phosphorylation during mitosis. CLIMP-63 of mitotic cells is unable to bind to microtubules in vitro. Mitotic phosphorylation can be prevented by mutation of serines 3, 17, and 19 in the cytoplasmic domain of CLIMP-63. When these residues are mutated to glutamic acid, and hence mimic mitotic phosphorylation, CLIMP-63 does no longer bind to microtubules in vitro. Overexpression of the phospho-mimicking mitotic form of CLIMP-63 in interphase cells leads to a collapse of the ER around the nucleus, leaving the microtubular network intact. The results suggest that CLIMP-63–mediated stable anchoring of the ER to microtubules is required to maintain the spatial distribution of the ER during interphase and that this interaction is abolished by phosphorylation of CLIMP-63 during mitosis