Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Intracellular Trafficking and Signal Transduction

The seven transmembrane-spanning G Protein-coupled Receptor (GPCR) super family is the largest family of cell-surface receptors, comprising greater than 650 members. GPCRs represent the primary targets of most therapeutic drugs. Desensitization, endocytosis and recycling are major mechanisms of receptor regulation and intracellular trafficking of GPCRs is linked to the Rab family of small G proteins. In the present study, we examined whether multiple Rab GTPase regulate receptor trafficking through endosomal cellular compartments as a consequence of their direct association with GPCRs. We find that Rab4, Rab7 and Rab11 all bind to the last 10 amino acid residues of the angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1R) carboxyl-terminal tail. We show that the Rab GTPases compete with one another for receptor binding and that Rab4 effectively displaces Rab11 from the receptor. In contrast, Rab11 overexpression does not prevent Rab4 binding to the AT1R. Overexpression of wild-type Rab4, but not Rab11, facilitates AT1R dephosphorylation, and a constitutively active Rab4-Q67L mutant reduces AT1R desensitization and promotes AT1R resensitization. We also find that Rab8, a RabGTPase involved in the regulation of secretory/recycling vesicles, modulation of the actin cytoskeleton and cell polarity, interacts with the carboxyl-terminal tail of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1a) and attenuates mGluR1a signalling and endocytosis in a protein kinase C-dependent manner. Finally, we have examined several previously uncharacterised but naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mGluR1a that have been associated with cancer that may alter mGluR1a signalling. We find that SNPs found within the ligand binding domain of mGluR1a result in both decreased cell surface expression and basal inositol 1,4,5, trisphosphate formation and bias mGluR1a signalling via the ERK1/2 pathway. Additional mGluR1a SNPs localized to the mGluR1a glutamate binding site, intracellular regulatory domains and Homer binding site also result in changes in mGluR1a subcellular localization, signalling and cell morphology. Taken together, these results indicate that GPCR signalling is significantly modulated by the association of intracellular regulatory proteins that can be influenced by receptor structure

Pannexin 1 Influences Lineage Specification of Human iPSCs

Every single cell in the body communicates with nearby cells to locally organize activities with their neighbors and dysfunctional cell-cell communication can be detrimental during cell lineage commitment, tissue patterning and organ development. Pannexin channels (PANX1, PANX2, and PANX3) facilitate purinergic paracrine signaling through the passage of messenger molecules out of cells. PANX1 is widely expressed throughout the body and has recently been identified in human oocytes as well as 2 and 4-cell stage human embryos. Given its abundance across multiple adult tissues and its expression at the earliest stages of human development, we sought to understand whether PANX1 impacts human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or plays a role in cell fate decisions. Western blot, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry reveal that PANX1 is expressed in iPSCs as well as all three germ lineages derived from these cells: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. PANX1 demonstrates differential glycosylation patterns and subcellular localization across the germ lineages. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene ablation, we find that loss of PANX1 has no obvious impact on iPSC morphology, survival, or pluripotency gene expression. However, PANX1 gene knockout iPSCs exhibit apparent lineage specification bias under 3-dimensional spontaneous differentiation into the three germ lineages. Indeed, loss of PANX1 increases representation of endodermal and mesodermal populations in PANX1 knockout cells. Importantly, PANX1 knockout iPSCs are fully capable of differentiating toward each specific lineage when exposed to the appropriate external signaling pressures, suggesting that although PANX1 influences germ lineage specification, it is not essential to this process

Connexin 43 Gene Ablation Does Not Alter Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Germ Lineage Specification

During embryonic germ layer development, cells communicate with each other and their environment to ensure proper lineage specification and tissue development. Connexin (Cx) proteins facilitate direct cell–cell communication through gap junction channels. While previous reports suggest that gap junctional intercellular communication may contribute to germ layer formation, there have been limited comprehensive expression analyses or genetic ablation studies on Cxs during human pluripotent stem cell (PSC) germ lineage specification. We screened the mRNA profile and protein expression patterns of select human Cx isoforms in undifferentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and after directed differentiation into the three embryonic germ lineages: ectoderm, definitive endoderm, and mesoderm. Transcript analyses by qPCR revealed upregulation of Cx45 and Cx62 in iPSC-derived ectoderm; Cx45 in mesoderm; and Cx30.3, Cx31, Cx32, Cx36, Cx37, and Cx40 in endoderm relative to control human iPSCs. Generated Cx43 (GJA1) CRISPR-Cas9 knockout iPSCs successfully differentiated into cells of all three germ layers, suggesting that Cx43 is dispensable during directed iPSC lineage specification. Furthermore, qPCR screening of select Cx transcripts in our GJA1-/- iPSCs showed no significant Cx upregulation in response to the loss of Cx43 protein. Future studies will reveal possible compensation by additional Cxs, suggesting targets for future CRISPR-Cas9 ablation studies in human iPSC lineage specification

Intrinsic disorder within an AKAP-protein kinase A complex guides local substrate phosphorylation.

Anchoring proteins sequester kinases with their substrates to locally disseminate intracellular signals and avert indiscriminate transmission of these responses throughout the cell. Mechanistic understanding of this process is hampered by limited structural information on these macromolecular complexes. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) spatially constrain phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA). Electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstructions of type-II PKA-AKAP18γ complexes reveal hetero-pentameric assemblies that adopt a range of flexible tripartite configurations. Intrinsically disordered regions within each PKA regulatory subunit impart the molecular plasticity that affords an ∼16 nanometer radius of motion to the associated catalytic subunits. Manipulating flexibility within the PKA holoenzyme augmented basal and cAMP responsive phosphorylation of AKAP-associated substrates. Cell-based analyses suggest that the catalytic subunit remains within type-II PKA-AKAP18γ complexes upon cAMP elevation. We propose that the dynamic movement of kinase sub-structures, in concert with the static AKAP-regulatory subunit interface, generates a solid-state signaling microenvironment for substrate phosphorylation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01319.001

A germline variant in the PANX1 gene has reduced channel function and is associated with multisystem dysfunction

© 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Pannexin1 (PANX1) is probably best understood as an ATP release channel involved in paracrine signaling. Given its ubiquitous expression, PANX1 pathogenic variants would be expected to lead to disorders involving multiple organ systems. Using whole exome sequencing, we discovered the first patient with a homozygous PANX1 variant (c.650G→A) resulting in an arginine to histidine substitution at position 217 (p.Arg217His). The 17-year-old female has intellectual disability, sensorineural hearing loss requiring bilateral cochlear implants, skeletal defects, including kyphoscoliosis, and primary ovarian failure. Her consanguineous parents are each heterozygous for this variant but are not affected by the multiorgan syndromes noted in the proband. Expression of the p.Arg217His mutant in HeLa, N2A, HEK293T, and Ad293 cells revealed normal PANX1 glycosylation and cell surface trafficking. Dye uptake, ATP release, and electrophysiological measurements revealed p.Arg217His to be a loss-of-function variant. Co-expression of the mutant with wild-type PANX1 suggested the mutant was not dominant-negative to PANX1 channel function. Collectively, we demonstrate a PANX1 missense change associated with human disease in the first report of a PANX1-related disorder