Multi-chaperone function modulation and association with cytoskeletal proteins are key features of the function of AIP in the pituitary gland

Despite the well-recognized role of loss-of-function mutations of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein gene (AIP) predisposing to pituitary adenomas, the pituitary-speci c function of this tumor suppressor remains an enigma. To determine the repertoire of interacting partners for the AIP protein in somatotroph cells, wild-type and variant AIP proteins were used for pull-down/quantitative mass spectrometry experiments against lysates of rat somatotropinoma-derived cells; relevant ndings were validated by co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization. Global gene expression was studied in AIP mutation positive and negative pituitary adenomas via RNA microarrays. Direct interaction with AIP was con rmed for three known and six novel partner proteins. Novel interactions with HSPA5 and HSPA9, together with known interactions with HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1 and HSPA8, indicate that the function/ stability of multiple chaperone client proteins could be perturbed by a de cient AIP co-chaperone function. Interactions with TUBB, TUBB2A, NME1 and SOD1 were also identi ed. The AIP variants p.R304* and p.R304Q showed impaired interactions with HSPA8, HSP90AB1, NME1 and SOD1; p.R304* also displayed reduced binding to TUBB and TUBB2A, and AIP-mutated tumors showed reduced TUBB2A expression. Our ndings suggest that cytoskeletal organization, cell motility/adhesion, as well as oxidative stress responses, are functions that are likely to be involved in the tumor suppressor activity of AIP

Structure of the TPR Domain of AIP: Lack of Client Protein Interaction with the C-Terminal alpha-7 Helix of the TPR Domain of AIP Is Sufficient for Pituitary Adenoma Predisposition

PMCID: PMC3534021This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Cooperation of local motions in the Hsp90 molecular chaperone ATPase mechanism

The Hsp90 chaperone is a central node of protein homeostasis activating a large number of diverse client proteins. Hsp90 functions as a molecular clamp that closes and opens in response to the binding and hydrolysis of ATP. Crystallographic studies define distinct conformational states of the mechanistic core implying structural changes that have not yet been observed in solution. Here, we engineered one-nanometer fluorescence probes based on photo-induced electron transfer into yeast Hsp90 to observe these motions. We found that the ATPase activity of the chaperone was reflected in the kinetics of specific structural rearrangements at remote positions that acted cooperatively. Nanosecond single-molecule fluorescence fluctuation analysis uncovered that critical structural elements that undergo rearrangement are mobile on a sub-millisecond time scale. We identified a two-step mechanism for lid closure over the nucleotide-binding pocket. The activating co-chaperone Aha1 mobilizes the lid of apo Hsp90, suggesting an early role in the catalytic cycle

Primary cilia respond to fluid shear stress and mediate flow-induced calcium deposition in osteoblasts

Bone turnover in vivo is regulated by mechanical forces such as shear stress originating from interstitial oscillatory fluid flow (OFF), and bone cells in vitro respond to mechanical loading. However, the mechanisms by which bone cells sense mechanical forces, resulting in increased mineral deposition, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the primary cilium in mechanosensing by osteoblasts. MLO-A5 murine osteoblasts were cultured in monolayer and subjected to two different OFF regimens: 5 short (2 h daily) bouts of OFF followed by morphological analysis of primary cilia; or exposure to chloral hydrate to damage or remove primary cilia and 2 short bouts (2 h on consecutive days) of OFF. Primary cilia were shorter and there were fewer cilia per cell after exposure to periods of OFF compared with static controls. Damage or removal of primary cilia inhibited OFF-induced PGE2 release into the medium and mineral deposition, assayed by Alizarin red staining. We conclude that primary cilia are important mediators of OFF-induced mineral deposition, which has relevance for the design of bone tissue engineering strategies and may inform clinical treatments of bone disorders causes by load-deficiency.—Delaine-Smith, R. M., Sittichokechaiwut, A., Reilly, G. C. Primary cilia respond to fluid shear stress and mediate flow-induced calcium deposition in osteoblasts

Rapid proteasomal degradation of mutant proteins is the primary mechanism leading to tumorigenesis in patients with missense AIP mutations

CONTEXT The pathogenic effect of AIP mutations (AIPmuts) in pituitary adenomas is incompletely understood. We have identified the primary mechanism of loss of function for missense AIPmuts. OBJECTIVE To analyze the mechanism/speed of protein turnover of wild-type (WT) and missense AIP variants, correlating protein half-life with clinical parameters. DESIGN Half-life and protein-protein interaction experiments and cross-sectional analysis of AIPmut positive patients' data were performed. SETTING Clinical academic research institution. PATIENTS Data was obtained from our cohort of pituitary adenoma patients and literature-reported cases. INTERVENTIONS Protein turnover of endogenous AIP in two cell lines and fifteen AIP variants overexpressed in HEK293 cells was analyzed via cycloheximide chase and proteasome inhibition. GST pull-down and quantitative mass spectrometry identified proteins involved in AIP degradation; results were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and gene knockdown. Relevant clinical data was collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Half-life of WT and mutant AIP proteins and its correlation with clinical parameters. RESULTS Endogenous AIP half-life was similar in HEK293 and lymphoblastoid cells (43.5 and 32.7h). AIP variants were divided in stable proteins (median 77.7h [IQR 60.7-92.9]), and those with short (27h [21.6-28.7]) or very short (7.7h [5.6-10.5]) half-life; proteasomal inhibition rescued the rapid degradation of mutant proteins. The experimental half-life significantly correlated with age at diagnosis of acromegaly/gigantism (r=0.411, P=0.002). The FBXO3-containing SCF complex was identified as the E3 ubiquitin-ligase recognizing AIP. CONCLUSIONS AIP is a stable protein, driven to ubiquitination by the SCF complex. Enhanced proteasomal degradation is a novel pathogenic mechanism for AIPmuts, with direct implications for the phenotype

MicroRNA expression profiles in pediatric dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors.

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015Among noncoding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been most extensively studied, and their biology has repeatedly been proven critical for central nervous system pathological conditions. The diagnostic value of several miRNAs was appraised in pediatric dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNETs) using miRNA microarrays and receiving operating characteristic curves analyses. Overall, five pediatric DNETs were studied. As controls, 17 samples were used: the FirstChoice Human Brain Reference RNA and 16 samples from deceased children who underwent autopsy and were not present with any brain malignancy. The miRNA extraction was carried out using the mirVANA miRNA Isolation Kit, while the experimental approach included miRNA microarrays covering 1211 miRNAs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to validate the expression profiles of miR-1909* and miR-3138 in all samples initially screened with miRNA microarrays. Our findings indicated that miR-3138 might act as a tumor suppressor gene when down-regulated and miR-1909* as a putative oncogenic molecule when up-regulated in pediatric DNETs compared to the control cohort. Subsequently, both miRNA signatures might serve as putative diagnostic biomarkers for pediatric DNETs.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Mapping the mechanisms of retinal degeneration caused by mutations in the co-chaperone AIPL1

Mutations in the photoreceptor/pineal-expressed gene AIPL1 cause Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), the most severe form of childhood inherited retinopathy. AIPL1 is a photoreceptor-specific co-chaperone that interacts with HSP90 via a C-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain to facilitate the correct assembly and activity of retinal cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE6). The AIPL1 N-terminal FKBP-like domain interacts directly with the isoprenyl moiety of the PDE6 catalytic subunits. We investigated the functional impact of novel LCA-associated AIPL1 variants. Our data reveal that the relative domain organization and integrity of AIPL1 is important for PDE6-mediated catalysis, with variants mapping to one domain also affecting the activity of the other independently folded domain. The functional assessment and confirmation of likely pathogenic AIPL1 variants is moreover important for the accurate diagnosis and effective triage of patients for AIPL1-targeted gene replacement therapy

The structure of FKBP38 in complex with the MEEVD tetratricopeptide binding-motif of Hsp90

Tetratricopeptide (TPR) domains are known protein interaction domains. We show that the TPR domain of FKBP8 selectively binds Hsp90, and interactions upstream of the conserved MEEVD motif are critical for tight binding. In contrast FKBP8 failed to bind intact Hsp70. The PPIase domain was not essential for the interaction with Hsp90 and binding was completely encompassed by the TPR domain alone. The conformation adopted by Hsp90 peptides, containing the conserved MEEVD motif, in the crystal structure were similar to that seen for the TPR domains of CHIP, AIP and Tah1. The carboxylate clamp interactions with bound Hsp90 peptide were a critical component of the interaction and mutation of Lys 307, involved in the carboxylate clamp, completely disrupted the interaction with Hsp90. FKBP8 binding to Hsp90 did not substantially influence its ATPase activity

Modeling Signal Propagation Mechanisms and Ligand-Based Conformational Dynamics of the Hsp90 Molecular Chaperone Full-Length Dimer

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone essential for protein folding and activation in normal homeostasis and stress response. ATP binding and hydrolysis facilitate Hsp90 conformational changes required for client activation. Hsp90 plays an important role in disease states, particularly in cancer, where chaperoning of the mutated and overexpressed oncoproteins is important for function. Recent studies have illuminated mechanisms related to the chaperone function. However, an atomic resolution view of Hsp90 conformational dynamics, determined by the presence of different binding partners, is critical to define communication pathways between remote residues in different domains intimately affecting the chaperone cycle. Here, we present a computational analysis of signal propagation and long-range communication pathways in Hsp90. We carried out molecular dynamics simulations of the full-length Hsp90 dimer, combined with essential dynamics, correlation analysis, and a signal propagation model. All-atom MD simulations with timescales of 70 ns have been performed for complexes with the natural substrates ATP and ADP and for the unliganded dimer. We elucidate the mechanisms of signal propagation and determine “hot spots” involved in interdomain communication pathways from the nucleotide-binding site to the C-terminal domain interface. A comprehensive computational analysis of the Hsp90 communication pathways and dynamics at atomic resolution has revealed the role of the nucleotide in effecting conformational changes, elucidating the mechanisms of signal propagation. Functionally important residues and secondary structure elements emerge as effective mediators of communication between the nucleotide-binding site and the C-terminal interface. Furthermore, we show that specific interdomain signal propagation pathways may be activated as a function of the ligand. Our results support a “conformational selection model” of the Hsp90 mechanism, whereby the protein may exist in a dynamic equilibrium between different conformational states available on the energy landscape and binding of a specific partner can bias the equilibrium toward functionally relevant complexes