The role of PTEN as a PI(3,4)P2 lipid phosphatase in Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase signalling

Name: Anna Jadwiga Kielkowska Dissertation title: The role of PTEN as a PI(3,4)P2 lipid phosphatase in Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase signalling Abstract Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (Class I PI3Ks) are essential players involved in the signalling events in the cell and are critical promoters of cellular growth, survival and metabolism. Once activated by environmental stimuli such as growth factors, cytokines or antigens, they exert their catalytic activity by phosphorylating phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) to yield a second messenger - PI(3,4,5)P3. Unrestrained PI(3,4,5)P3 signalling has been classically associated with hyperactivation of the Class I PI3K/AKT pathway and has been shown to be a molecular trigger of many pathophysiologies in humans, including autoimmune disorders, respiratory diseases and cancer. To date, two classes of lipid phosphatases SHIP1/2 and PTEN have been reported, which dephosphorylate PI(3,4,5)P3 on positions 5’ and 3’ of the inositol ring to generate PI(3,4)P2 and PI(4,5)P2 respectively, and thus quench Class I PI3K signalling. Moreover, PI(3,4)P2 levels in the cell are regulated by two important lipid 4-phosphatases - INPP4A/B. While the role of PTEN as a tumour suppressor is well established, functions of SHIP1/2 and INPP4A/B are just starting to emerge. A major barrier to progress in this field has been the lack of high quality measurements of PI(3,4)P2, to assess the impact it may have on shaping cellular behaviour. This dissertation summarises the work performed to develop a novel, HPLC-ESI MS/MS based method, in order to measure the product of PI(3,4,5)P3 5-dephosphorylation, PI(3,4)P2, separated from its more abundant regioisomer in cells - PI(4,5)P2. This and an existing HPLC-ESI MS/MS method for measuring PI(3,4,5)P3, have enabled us to describe the fluxes through Class I PI3K-controlled PI(3,4,5)P3 generation and its subsequent 3- and 5- dephosphorylation pathways in human mammary epithelial cells (Mcf10a) stimulated with epidermal growth factor (EGF). By means of genetic suppression of PTEN and INPP4B, we revealed an unexpectedly high level of PI(3,4)P2 that accumulates in EGF-stimulated PTEN-INPP4B-KO Mcf10a cells. Further, an in vitro biochemical assay suggested a novel role for PTEN as a direct PI(3,4)P2 3-phosphatase in Mcf10a cells. This important observation was supported by in sillico phosphatidylinositol lipid modelling of the relevant pathways. In an effort to understand its potential physiological significance, we demonstrated that PI(3,4)P2 accumulation correlates with the ability of genetically modified Mcf10a cells to form gelatin-degrading invadopodia. Finally, we used a mouse prostate cancer model to show PTEN’s importance in controlling PI(3,4)P2 levels in vivo, pointing to a potential role for PI(3,4)P2 in PTEN-dependent tumourigenesis. I hope that the work described in this dissertation will contribute to the current knowledge of phosphatidylinositol lipid biology in the context of Class I PI3K signalling and will simulate future efforts to gain an in-depth understanding of the roles of PTEN and PI(3,4)P2 in cellular physiology

A Semisynthetic Fluorescent Sensor Protein for Glutamate

We report the semisynthesis of a fluorescent glutamate sensor protein on cell surfaces. Sensor excitation at 547 nm yields a glutamate-dependent emission spectrum between 550 and 700 nm that can be exploited for ratiometric sensing. On cells, the sensor displays a ratiometric change of 1.56. The high sensitivity toward glutamate concentration changes of the sensor and its exclusive extracellular localization make it an attractive tool for glutamate sensing in neurobiology

Localizing the lipid products of PI3Kγ in neutrophils

Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are important regulators of neutrophil migration in response to a range of chemoattractants. Their primary lipid products PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 preferentially accumulate near to the leading edge of migrating cells and are thought to act as an important cue organizing molecular and morphological polarization. We have investigated the distribution and accumulation of these lipids independently in mouse neutrophils using eGFP-PH reporters and electron microscopy (EM). We found that authentic mouse neutrophils rapidly polarized their Class I PI3K signalling, as read-out by eGFP-PH reporters, both at the up-gradient leading edge in response to local stimulation with fMLP as well as spontaneously and randomly in response to uniform stimulation. EM studies revealed these events occurred at the plasma membrane, were dominated by accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, but not PtdIns(3,4)P2, and were dependent on PI3Kγ and its upstream activation by both Ras and Gβγs.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Lipids under stress - a lipidomic approach for the study of mood disorders

The emerging field of lipidomics has identified lipids as key players in disease physiology. Their physicochemical diversity allows precise control of cell structure and signaling events through modulation of membrane prop- erties and trafficking of proteins. As such, lipids are important regulators of brain function and have been implicated in neurodegenerative and mood disorders. Importantly, environmental chronic stress has been associated with anxiety and depression and its exposure in rodents has been extensively used as a model to study these diseases. With the accessibility to modern mass- spectrometry lipidomic platforms, it is now possible to snapshot the extensively interconnected lipid network. Here, we review the fundamentals of lipid biology and outline a framework for the interpretation of lipidomic studies as a new approach to study brain pathophysiology. Thus, lipid profiling provides an exciting avenue for the identification of disease signatures with important implications for diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders.We would like to thank Nuno Sousa for critical reading of the manuscript. André Miranda is funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PD/BD/105915/2014). Tiago Gil Oliveira is funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/ SAU-NMC/118971/2010)

PLEKHS1 drives PI3Ks and remodels pathway homeostasis in PTEN-null prostate

The PIP3/PI3K network is a central regulator of metabolism and is frequently activated in cancer, commonly by loss of the PIP3/PI(3,4)P2 phosphatase, PTEN. Despite huge research investment, the drivers of the PI3K network in normal tissues and how they adapt to overactivation are unclear. We find that in healthy mouse prostate PI3K activity is driven by RTK/IRS signaling and constrained by pathway feedback. In the absence of PTEN, the network is dramatically remodeled. A poorly understood YXXM- and PIP3/PI(3,4)P2-binding PH domain-containing adaptor, PLEKHS1, became the dominant activator and was required to sustain PIP3, AKT phosphorylation, and growth in PTEN-null prostate. This was because PLEKHS1 evaded pathway-feedback and experienced enhanced PI3K- and Src-family kinase-dependent phosphorylation of Y258XXM, eliciting PI3K activation. hPLEKHS1 mRNA and activating Y419 phosphorylation of hSrc correlated with PI3K pathway activity in human prostate cancers. We propose that in PTEN-null cells receptor-independent, Src-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of PLEKHS1 creates positive feedback that escapes homeostasis, drives PIP3 signaling, and supports tumor progression