Novel ESCRT functions in cell biology: spiraling out of control?

LEM2 recruits CHMP7 for ESCRT-mediated nuclear envelope closure in fission yeast and human cells

The molecular mechanism for sealing newly formed nuclear envelopes was unclear until the recent discovery that endosomal sorting complexes required for transport III (ESCRT-III) proteins mediate this process. Cmp7p (CHMP7), in particular, was identified as an early acting factor that recruits other ESCRT-III proteins to the nuclear envelope. A fundamental aspect of the varied roles of ESCRT factors is their recruitment by site-specific adaptors, yet the central question of how the ESCRT machinery is targeted to nuclear membranes has remained outstanding. Our study identifies the inner nuclear membrane protein LEM2 as a key, conserved factor that recruits CHMP7 and downstream ESCRT-III proteins to breaches in the nuclear envelope.

Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport III (ESCRT-III) proteins have been implicated in sealing the nuclear envelope in mammals, spindle pole body dynamics in fission yeast, and surveillance of defective nuclear pore complexes in budding yeast. Here, we report that Lem2p (LEM2), a member of the LEM (Lap2-Emerin-Man1) family of inner nuclear membrane proteins, and the ESCRT-II/ESCRT-III hybrid protein Cmp7p (CHMP7), work together to recruit additional ESCRT-III proteins to holes in the nuclear membrane. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, deletion of the ATPase vps4 leads to severe defects in nuclear morphology and integrity. These phenotypes are suppressed by loss-of-function mutations that arise spontaneously in lem2 or cmp7, implying that these proteins may function upstream in the same pathway. Building on these genetic interactions, we explored the role of LEM2 during nuclear envelope reformation in human cells. We found that CHMP7 and LEM2 enrich at the same region of the chromatin disk periphery during this window of cell division and that CHMP7 can bind directly to the C-terminal domain of LEM2 in vitro. We further found that, during nuclear envelope formation, recruitment of the ESCRT factors CHMP7, CHMP2A, and IST1/CHMP8 all depend on LEM2 in human cells. We conclude that Lem2p/LEM2 is a conserved nuclear site-specific adaptor that recruits Cmp7p/CHMP7 and downstream ESCRT factors to the nuclear envelope.

A Rab5 endosomal pathway mediates Parkin-dependent mitochondrial clearance

Damaged mitochondria pose a lethal threat to cells that necessitates their prompt removal. The currently recognized mechanism for disposal of mitochondria is autophagy, where damaged organelles are marked for disposal via ubiquitylation by Parkin. Here we report a novel pathway for mitochondrial elimination, in which these organelles undergo Parkin-dependent sequestration into Rab5-positive early endosomes via the ESCRT machinery. Following maturation, these endosomes deliver mitochondria to lysosomes for degradation. Although this endosomal pathway is activated by stressors that also activate mitochondrial autophagy, endosomal-mediated mitochondrial clearance is initiated before autophagy. The autophagy protein Beclin1 regulates activation of Rab5 and endosomal-mediated degradation of mitochondria, suggesting cross-talk between these two pathways. Abrogation of Rab5 function and the endosomal pathway results in the accumulation of stressed mitochondria and increases susceptibility to cell death in embryonic fibroblasts and cardiac myocytes. These data reveal a new mechanism for mitochondrial quality control mediated by Rab5 and early endosomes.

Hydraulic fracturing in cells and tissues: fracking meets cell biology

The animal body is largely made of water. A small fraction of body water is freely flowing in blood and lymph, but most of it is trapped in hydrogels such as the extracellular matrix (ECM), the cytoskeleton, and chromatin. Besides providing a medium for biological molecules to diffuse, water trapped in hydrogels plays a fundamental mechanical role. This role is well captured by the theory of poroelasticity, which explains how any deformation applied to a hydrogel causes pressure gradients and water flows, much like compressing a sponge squeezes water out of it. Here we review recent evidence that poroelastic pressures and flows can fracture essential biological barriers such as the nuclear envelope, the cellular cortex, and epithelial layers. This type of fracture is known in engineering literature as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking'.

The Abscission Checkpoint: Making It to the Final Cut

Cytokinesis is the final stage of cell division and is concluded by abscission of the intercellular bridge to physically separate the daughter cells. Timing of cytokinetic abscission is monitored by a molecular machinery termed the abscission checkpoint. This machinery delays abscission in cells with persistent chromatin in the intercellular bridge. Recent work has also uncovered its response to high membrane tension, nuclear pore defects, and DNA replication stress. Although it is known that the abscission checkpoint depends on persistent activity of the Aurora B protein kinase, we have only recently begun to understand its molecular basis. We propose here a molecular framework for abscission checkpoint signaling and we discuss outstanding questions relating to its function and physiological relevance.

Chm7 and Heh1 collaborate to link nuclear pore complex quality control with nuclear envelope sealing

The integrity of the nuclear envelope barrier relies on membrane remodeling by the ESCRTs, which seal nuclear envelope holes and contribute to the quality control of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs); whether these processes are mechanistically related remains poorly defined. Here, we show that the ESCRT-II/III chimera, Chm7, is recruited to a nuclear envelope subdomain that expands upon inhibition of NPC assembly and is required for the formation of the storage of improperly assembled NPCs (SINC) compartment. Recruitment to sites of NPC assembly is mediated by its ESCRT-II domain and the LAP2-emerin-MAN1 (LEM) family of integral inner nuclear membrane proteins, Heh1 and Heh2. We establish direct binding between Heh2 and the "open" forms of both Chm7 and the ESCRT-III, Snf7, and between Chm7 and Snf7. Interestingly, Chm7 is required for the viability of yeast strains where double membrane seals have been observed over defective NPCs; deletion of CHM7 in these strains leads to a loss of nuclear compartmentalization suggesting that the sealing of defective NPCs and nuclear envelope ruptures could proceed through similar mechanisms.

Reverse-topology membrane scission by the ESCRT proteins

The narrow membrane necks formed during viral, exosomal and intra-endosomal budding from membranes, as well as during cytokinesis and related processes, have interiors that are contiguous with the cytosol. Severing these necks involves action from the opposite face of the membrane as occurs during the well-characterized formation of coated vesicles. This 'reverse' (or 'inverse')-topology membrane scission is carried out by the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) proteins, which form filaments, flat spirals, tubes and conical funnels that are thought to direct membrane remodelling and scission. Their assembly, and their disassembly by the ATPase vacuolar protein sorting-associated 4 (VPS4) have been intensively studied, but the mechanism of scission has been elusive. New insights from cryo-electron microscopy and various types of spectroscopy may finally be close to rectifying this situation.

Mechanisms and functions of extracellular vesicle release in vivo-What we can learn from flies and worms

Cells from bacteria to man release extracellular vesicles (EVs) that contain signaling molecules like proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The content, formation, and signaling roles of these conserved vesicles are diverse, but the physiological relevance of EV signaling in vivo is still debated. Studies in classical genetic model organisms like C. elegans and Drosophila have begun to reveal the developmental and behavioral roles for EVs. In this review, we discuss the emerging evidence for the in vivo signaling roles of EVs. Significant effort has also been made to understand the mechanisms behind the formation and release of EVs, specifically of exosomes derived from exocytosis of multivesicular bodies and of microvesicles derived from plasma membrane budding called ectocytosis. In this review, we detail the impact of flies and worms on understanding the proteins and lipids involved in EV biogenesis and highlight the open questions in the field.

Multifaceted Roles of ALG-2 in Ca(2+)-Regulated Membrane Trafficking

ALG-2 (gene name: PDCD6) is a penta-EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding protein and interacts with a variety of proteins in a Ca²⁺-dependent fashion. ALG-2 recognizes different types of identified motifs in Pro-rich regions by using different hydrophobic pockets, but other unknown modes of binding are also used for non-Pro-rich proteins. Most ALG-2-interacting proteins associate directly or indirectly with the plasma membrane or organelle membranes involving the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system, coat protein complex II (COPII)-dependent ER-to-Golgi vesicular transport, and signal transduction from membrane receptors to downstream players. Binding of ALG-2 to targets may induce conformational change of the proteins. The ALG-2 dimer may also function as a Ca²⁺-dependent adaptor to bridge different partners and connect the subnetwork of interacting proteins.

Coordination of Genomic RNA Packaging with Viral Assembly in HIV-1

The tremendous progress made in unraveling the complexities of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication has resulted in a library of drugs to target key aspects of the replication cycle of the virus. Yet, despite this accumulated wealth of knowledge, we still have much to learn about certain viral processes. One of these is virus assembly, where the viral genome and proteins come together to form infectious progeny. Here we review this topic from the perspective of how the route to production of an infectious virion is orchestrated by the viral genome, and we compare and contrast aspects of the assembly mechanisms employed by HIV-1 with those of other RNA viruses.