Structure and membrane remodeling activity of ESCRT-III helical polymers

Dividing the Archaeal Way: The Ancient Cdv Cell-Division Machinery

Cell division in most prokaryotes is mediated by the well-studied fts genes, with FtsZ as the principal player. In many archaeal species, however, division is orchestrated differently. The Crenarchaeota phylum of archaea features the action of the three proteins, CdvABC. This Cdv system is a unique and less-well-studied division mechanism that merits closer inspection. In vivo, the three Cdv proteins form a composite band that contracts concomitantly with the septum formation. Of the three Cdv proteins, CdvA is the first to be recruited to the division site, while CdvB and CdvC are thought to participate in the active part of the Cdv division machinery. Interestingly, CdvB shares homology with a family of proteins from the eukaryotic ESCRT-III complex, and CdvC is a homolog of the eukaryotic Vps4 complex. These two eukaryotic complexes are key factors in the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway, which is responsible for various budding processes in eukaryotic cells and which participates in the final stages of division in Metazoa. There, ESCRT-III forms a contractile machinery that actively cuts the membrane, whereas Vps4, which is an ATPase, is necessary for the turnover of the ESCRT membrane-abscission polymers. In contrast to CdvB and CdvC, CdvA is unique to the archaeal Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota phyla. The Crenarchaeota division mechanism has often been suggested to represent a simplified version of the ESCRT division machinery thus providing a model system to study the evolution and mechanism of cell division in higher organisms. However, there are still many open questions regarding this parallelism and the division mechanism of Crenarchaeota. Here, we review the existing data on the role of the Cdv proteins in the division process of Crenarchaeota as well as concisely review the ESCRT system in eukaryotes. We survey the similarities and differences between the division and abscission mechanisms in the two cases. We suggest that the Cdv system functions differently in archaea than ESCRT does in eukaryotes, and that, unlike the eukaryotic case, the Cdv system's main function may be related to surplus membrane invagination and cell-wall synthesis.

Modularized Extracellular Vesicles: The Dawn of Prospective Personalized and Precision Medicine

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are ubiquitous nanosized membrane vesicles consisting of a lipid bilayer enclosing proteins and nucleic acids, which are active in intercellular communications. EVs are increasingly seen as a vital component of many biological functions that were once considered to require the direct participation of stem cells. Consequently, transplantation of EVs is gradually becoming considered an alternative to stem cell transplantation due to their significant advantages, including their relatively low probability of neoplastic transformation and abnormal differentiation. However, as research has progressed, it is realized that EVs derived from native-source cells may have various shortcomings, which can be corrected by modification and optimization. To date, attempts are made to modify or improve almost all the components of EVs, including the lipid bilayer, proteins, and nucleic acids, launching a new era of modularized EV therapy through the "modular design" of EV components. One high-yield technique, generating EV mimetic nanovesicles, will help to make industrial production of modularized EVs a reality. These modularized EVs have highly customized "modular design" components related to biological function and targeted delivery and are proposed as a promising approach to achieve personalized and precision medicine.

Prokaryotic cytoskeletons: protein filaments organizing small cells

Most, if not all, bacterial and archaeal cells contain at least one protein filament system. Although these filament systems in some cases form structures that are very similar to eukaryotic cytoskeletons, the term 'prokaryotic cytoskeletons' is used to refer to many different kinds of protein filaments. Cytoskeletons achieve their functions through polymerization of protein monomers and the resulting ability to access length scales larger than the size of the monomer. Prokaryotic cytoskeletons are involved in many fundamental aspects of prokaryotic cell biology and have important roles in cell shape determination, cell division and nonchromosomal DNA segregation. Some of the filament-forming proteins have been classified into a small number of conserved protein families, for example, the almost ubiquitous tubulin and actin superfamilies. To understand what makes filaments special and how the cytoskeletons they form enable cells to perform essential functions, the structure and function of cytoskeletal molecules and their filaments have been investigated in diverse bacteria and archaea. In this Review, we bring these data together to highlight the diverse ways that linear protein polymers can be used to organize other molecules and structures in bacteria and archaea.

Molecular Determinants of Malignant Brain Cancers: From Intracellular Alterations to Invasion Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles

Malignant glioma cells invade the surrounding brain parenchyma, by migrating along the blood vessels, thus promoting cancer growth. The biological bases of these activities are grounded in profound alterations of the metabolism and the structural organization of the cells, which consequently acquire the ability to modify the surrounding microenvironment, by altering the extracellular matrix and affecting the properties of the other cells present in the brain, such as normal glial-, endothelial- and immune-cells. Most of the effects on the surrounding environment are probably exerted through the release of a variety of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which contain many different classes of molecules, from genetic material to defined species of lipids and enzymes. EV-associated molecules can be either released into the extracellular matrix (ECM) and/or transferred to neighboring cells: as a consequence, both deep modifications of the recipient cell phenotype and digestion of ECM components are obtained, thus causing cancer propagation, as well as a general brain dysfunction. In this review, we first analyze the main intracellular and extracellular transformations required for glioma cell invasion into the brain parenchyma; then we discuss how these events may be attributed, at least in part, to EVs that, like the pawns of a dramatic chess game with cancer, open the way to the tumor cells themselves.

Automated tracing of helical assemblies from electron cryo-micrographs

Structure determination of helical specimens commonly requires datasets from thousands of micrographs often obtained by automated cryo-EM data acquisition. Interactive tracing of helical assemblies from such a number of micrographs is labor-intense and time-consuming. Here, we introduce an automated tracing tool MicHelixTrace that precisely locates helix traces from micrographs of rigid as well as very flexible helical assemblies with small numbers of false positives. The computer program is fast and has low computational requirements. In addition to helix coordinates required for a subsequent helical reconstruction work-flow, we determine the persistence length of the polymer ensemble. This information provides a useful measure to characterize mechanical properties of helical assemblies and to evaluate the potential for high-resolution structure determination.

Ist1 regulates ESCRT-III assembly and function during multivesicular endosome biogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos

Degradation of most integral membrane proteins is directed by the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery, which selectively targets ubiquitin-modified cargoes into intralumenal vesicles (ILVs) within multivesicular endosomes (MVEs). To better understand the mechanisms underlying ESCRT-mediated formation of ILVs, we exploited the rapid, de novo biogenesis of MVEs during the oocyte-to-embryo transition in C. elegans. In contrast to previous models suggesting that ILVs form individually, we demonstrate that they remain tethered to one another subsequent to internalization, arguing that they bud continuously from stable subdomains. In addition, we show that membrane bending and ILV formation are directed specifically by the ESCRT-III complex in vivo in a manner regulated by Ist1, which promotes ESCRT-III assembly and inhibits the incorporation of upstream ESCRT components into ILVs. Our findings underscore essential actions for ESCRT-III in membrane remodeling, cargo selection, and cargo retention, which act repetitively to maximize the rate of ILV formation.

Recruitment dynamics of ESCRT-III and Vps4 to endosomes and implications for reverse membrane budding

The ESCRT machinery mediates reverse membrane scission. By quantitative fluorescence lattice light-sheet microscopy, we have shown that ESCRT-III subunits polymerize rapidly on yeast endosomes, together with the recruitment of at least two Vps4 hexamers. During their 3–45 s lifetimes, the ESCRT-III assemblies accumulated 75–200 Snf7 and 15–50 Vps24 molecules. Productive budding events required at least two additional Vps4 hexamers. Membrane budding was associated with continuous, stochastic exchange of Vps4 and ESCRT-III components, rather than steady growth of fixed assemblies, and depended on Vps4 ATPase activity. An all-or-none step led to final release of ESCRT-III and Vps4. Tomographic electron microscopy demonstrated that acute disruption of Vps4 recruitment stalled membrane budding. We propose a model in which multiple Vps4 hexamers (four or more) draw together several ESCRT-III filaments. This process induces cargo crowding and inward membrane buckling, followed by constriction of the nascent bud neck and ultimately ILV generation by vesicle fission.

Extracellular Vesicle-Associated RNA as a Carrier of Epigenetic Information

Post-transcriptional regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) metabolism and subcellular localization is of the utmost importance both during development and in cell differentiation. Besides carrying genetic information, mRNAs contain cis-acting signals (zip codes), usually present in their 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs). By binding to these signals, trans-acting factors, such as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and/or non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), control mRNA localization, translation and stability. RBPs can also form complexes with non-coding RNAs of different sizes. The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a conserved process that allows both normal and cancer cells to horizontally transfer molecules, and hence properties, to neighboring cells. By interacting with proteins that are specifically sorted to EVs, mRNAs as well as ncRNAs can be transferred from cell to cell. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the sorting to EVs of different classes of molecules, as well as the role of extracellular RNAs and the associated proteins in altering gene expression in the recipient cells. Importantly, if, on the one hand, RBPs play a critical role in transferring RNAs through EVs, RNA itself could, on the other hand, function as a carrier to transfer proteins (i.e., chromatin modifiers, and transcription factors) that, once transferred, can alter the cell's epigenome.

ESCRT-dependent control of membrane remodelling during cell division

The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) proteins form an evolutionarily conserved membrane remodelling machinery. Identified originally for their role in cargo sorting and remodelling of endosomal membranes during yeast vacuolar sorting, an extensive body of work now implicates a sub-complex of this machinery (ESCRT-III), as a transplantable membrane fission machinery that is dispatched to various cellular locations to achieve a topologically unique membrane separation. Surprisingly, several ESCRT-III-regulated processes occur during cell division, when cells undergo a dramatic and co-ordinated remodelling of their membranes to allow the physical processes of division to occur. The ESCRT machinery functions in regeneration of the nuclear envelope during open mitosis and in the abscission phase of cytokinesis, where daughter cells are separated from each other in the last act of division. Roles for the ESCRT machinery in cell division are conserved as far back as Archaea, suggesting that the ancestral role of these proteins was as a membrane remodelling machinery that facilitated division and that was co-opted throughout evolution to perform a variety of other cell biological functions. Here, we will explore the function and regulation of the ESCRT machinery in cell division.

Growing functions of the ESCRT machinery in cell biology and viral replication

The vast expansion in recent years of the cellular processes promoted by the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery has reinforced its identity as a modular system that uses multiple adaptors to recruit the core membrane remodelling activity at different intracellular sites and facilitate membrane scission. Functional connections to processes such as the aurora B-dependent abscission checkpoint also highlight the importance of the spatiotemporal regulation of the ESCRT machinery. Here, we summarise the role of ESCRTs in viral budding, and what we have learned about the ESCRT pathway from studying this process. These advances are discussed in the context of areas of cell biology that have been transformed by research in the ESCRT field, including cytokinetic abscission, nuclear envelope resealing and plasma membrane repair.

Genetic dissection of early endosomal recycling highlights a TORC1-independent role for Rag GTPases

Recycling of internalized membrane proteins back to the cell surface controls diverse cellular processes. MacDonald and Piper genetically dissect a recycling pathway in yeast to reveal a cohort of novel and conserved factors, including the Rag GTPases, which contribute to metabolic control by regulating surface recycling independently of TORC1 signaling.

Endocytosed cell surface membrane proteins rely on recycling pathways for their return to the plasma membrane. Although endosome-to-plasma membrane recycling is critical for many cellular processes, much of the required machinery is unknown. We discovered that yeast has a recycling route from endosomes to the cell surface that functions efficiently after inactivation of the sec7-1 allele of Sec7, which controls transit through the Golgi. A genetic screen based on an engineered synthetic reporter that exclusively follows this pathway revealed that recycling was subject to metabolic control through the Rag GTPases Gtr1 and Gtr2, which work downstream of the exchange factor Vam6. Gtr1 and Gtr2 control the recycling pathway independently of TORC1 regulation through the Gtr1 interactor Ltv1. We further show that the early-endosome recycling route and its control though the Vam6>Gtr1/Gtr2>Ltv1 pathway plays a physiological role in regulating the abundance of amino acid transporters at the cell surface.

Dynamic and elastic shape transitions in curved ESCRT-III filaments

The ESCRT-III complex is an evolutionary ancient and conserved complex that catalyzes fission of lipid membranes from the lumen of the neck in many, if not all processes requiring this specific fission reaction. The ESCRT-III membrane remodeling complex is unique as its molecular and polymeric structures do not intuitively suggests how it could deform and break lipid membranes. Here we review the common structural features of the ESCRT-III subunits, and the shape diversity of the various filamentous forms. We propose a simple geometry and elasticity framework that could help to isolate which features of the ESCRT-III filaments are common to all filamentous forms as well as to explain their diversity. We speculate on how these features could provide mechanistic insights into the many functions of the ESCRT-III complex.

A Consensus View of ESCRT-Mediated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Abscission

The strong dependence of retroviruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), on host cell factors is no more apparent than when the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is purposely disengaged. The resulting potent inhibition of retrovirus release underscores the importance of understanding fundamental structure-function relationships at the ESCRT-HIV-1 interface. Recent studies utilizing advanced imaging technologies have helped clarify these relationships, overcoming hurdles to provide a range of potential models for ESCRT-mediated virus abscission. Here, we discuss these models in the context of prior work detailing ESCRT machinery and the HIV-1 release process. To provide a template for further refinement, we propose a new working model for ESCRT-mediated HIV-1 release that reconciles disparate and seemingly conflicting studies.

ESCRT-III Acts Downstream of MLKL to Regulate Necroptotic Cell Death and Its Consequences

The activation of mixed lineage kinase-like (MLKL) by receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) results in plasma membrane (PM) disruption and a form of regulated necrosis, called necroptosis. Here, we show that, during necroptosis, MLKL-dependent calcium (Ca²⁺) influx and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane preceded loss of PM integrity. Activation of MLKL results in the generation of broken, PM "bubbles" with exposed PS that are released from the surface of the otherwise intact cell. The ESCRT-III machinery is required for formation of these bubbles and acts to sustain survival of the cell when MLKL activation is limited or reversed. Under conditions of necroptotic cell death, ESCRT-III controls the duration of plasma membrane integrity. As a consequence of the action of ESCRT-III, cells undergoing necroptosis can express chemokines and other regulatory molecules and promote antigenic cross-priming of CD8⁺ T cells.

Functional assignment of multiple ESCRT-III homologs in cell division and budding in Sulfolobus islandicus

The archaea Sulfolobus utilizes the ESCRT-III-based machinery for cell division. This machinery comprises three proteins: CdvA, Eukaryotic-like ESCRT-III and Vps4. In addition to ESCRT-III, Sulfolobus cells also encode three other ESCRT-III homologs termed ESCRT-III-1, -2 and -3. Herein, we show that ESCRT-III-1 and -2 in S. islandicus REY15A are localized at midcell between segregating chromosomes, indicating that both are involved in cell division. Genetic analysis reveals that escrt-III-2 is indispensable for cell viability and cells with reduced overall level of ESCRT-III-1 exhibit growth retardation and cytokinesis defect with chain-like cell morphology. In contrast, escrt-III-3 is dispensable for cell division. We show that S. islandicus REY15A cells generate buds when infected with S. tengchongensis spindle shaped-virus 2 (STSV2) or when ESCRT-III-3 is over-expressed. Interestingly, Δescrt-III-3 cells infected with STSV2 do not produce buds. These results suggest that ESCRT-III-3 plays an important role in budding. In addition, cells over-expressing the C-terminal truncated mutants of ESCRT-III, ESCRT-III-1 and ESCRT-III-2 are maintained predominantly at the early, late, and membrane abscission stages of cell division respectively, suggesting a crucial role of the ESCRTs at different stages of membrane ingression. Intriguingly, intercellular bridge and midbody-like structures are observed in cells over-expressing MIM2-truncated mutant of ESCRT-III-2.

Dynamic subunit turnover in ESCRT-III assemblies is regulated by Vps4 to mediate membrane remodelling during cytokinesis

The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT)-III mediates membrane fission in fundamental cellular processes, including cytokinesis. ESCRT-III is thought to form persistent filaments that over time increase their curvature to constrict membranes. Unexpectedly, we found that ESCRT-III at the midbody of human cells rapidly turns over subunits with cytoplasmic pools while gradually forming larger assemblies. ESCRT-III turnover depended on the ATPase VPS4, which accumulated at the midbody simultaneously with ESCRT-III subunits, and was required for assembly of functional ESCRT-III structures. In vitro, the Vps2/Vps24 subunits of ESCRT-III formed side-by-side filaments with Snf7 and inhibited further polymerization, but the growth inhibition was alleviated by the addition of Vps4 and ATP. High-speed atomic force microscopy further revealed highly dynamic arrays of growing and shrinking ESCRT-III spirals in presence of Vps4. Continuous ESCRT-III remodeling by subunit turnover might facilitate shape adaptions to variable membrane geometries, with broad implications for diverse cellular processes.

Extracellular Vesicles in Renal Pathophysiology

Extracellular vesicles are a heterogeneous population of microparticles released by virtually all living cells which have been recently widely investigated in different biological fields. They are typically composed of two primary types (exosomes and microvesicles) and are recently commanding increasing attention as mediators of cellular signaling. Indeed, these vesicles can affect recipient cells by carrying and delivering complex cargos of biomolecules (including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids), protected from enzymatic degradation in the environment. Their importance has been demonstrated in the pathophysiology of several organs, in particular in kidney, where different cell types secrete extracellular vesicles that mediate their communication with downstream urinary tract cells. Over the past few years, evidence has been shown that vesicles participate in kidney development and normal physiology. Moreover, EVs are widely demonstrated to be implicated in cellular signaling during renal regenerative and pathological processes. Although many EV mechanisms are still poorly understood, in particular in kidney, the discovery of their role could help to shed light on renal biological processes which are so far elusive. Lastly, extracellular vesicles secreted by renal cells gather in urine, thus becoming a great resource for disease or recovery markers and a promising non-invasive diagnostic instrument for renal disease. In the present review, we discuss the most recent findings on the role of extracellular vesicles in renal physiopathology and their potential implication in diagnosis and therapy.

The ESCRT regulator Did2 maintains the balance between long-distance endosomal transport and endocytic trafficking

In highly polarised cells, like fungal hyphae, early endosomes function in both endocytosis as well as long-distance transport of various cargo including mRNA and protein complexes. However, knowledge on the crosstalk between these seemingly different trafficking processes is scarce. Here, we demonstrate that the ESCRT regulator Did2 coordinates endosomal transport in fungal hyphae of Ustilago maydis. Loss of Did2 results in defective vacuolar targeting, less processive long-distance transport and abnormal shuttling of early endosomes. Importantly, the late endosomal protein Rab7 and vacuolar protease Prc1 exhibit increased shuttling on these aberrant endosomes suggesting defects in endosomal maturation and identity. Consistently, molecular motors fail to attach efficiently explaining the disturbed processive movement. Furthermore, the endosomal mRNP linker protein Upa1 is hardly present on endosomes resulting in defects in long-distance mRNA transport. In conclusion, the ESCRT regulator Did2 coordinates precise maturation of endosomes and thus provides the correct membrane identity for efficient endosomal long-distance transport.

Defects in ER-endosome contacts impact lysosome function in hereditary spastic paraplegia

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a genetically heterogeneous disease caused by mutations in many genes, including those encoding spastin, strumpellin, or REEP1. Allison et al. show that similar lysosomal phenotypes are associated with mutations in different classes of HSP proteins and suggest that defective ER–endosome contacts and endosome tubule fission may be a common cause of axon degeneration in the disease.

Contacts between endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) promote endosomal tubule fission, but the mechanisms involved and consequences of tubule fission failure are incompletely understood. We found that interaction between the microtubule-severing enzyme spastin and the ESCRT protein IST1 at ER–endosome contacts drives endosomal tubule fission. Failure of fission caused defective sorting of mannose 6-phosphate receptor, with consequently disrupted lysosomal enzyme trafficking and abnormal lysosomal morphology, including in mouse primary neurons and human stem cell–derived neurons. Consistent with a role for ER-mediated endosomal tubule fission in lysosome function, similar lysosomal abnormalities were seen in cellular models lacking the WASH complex component strumpellin or the ER morphogen REEP1. Mutations in spastin, strumpellin, or REEP1 cause hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a disease characterized by axonal degeneration. Our results implicate failure of the ER–endosome contact process in axonopathy and suggest that coupling of ER-mediated endosomal tubule fission to lysosome function links different classes of HSP proteins, previously considered functionally distinct, into a unifying pathway for axonal degeneration.

Structural basis of protein translocation by the Vps4-Vta1 AAA ATPase

Many important cellular membrane fission reactions are driven by ESCRT pathways, which culminate in disassembly of ESCRT-III polymers by the AAA ATPase Vps4. We report a 4.3 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the active Vps4 hexamer with its cofactor Vta1, ADP·BeF_x, and an ESCRT-III substrate peptide. Four Vps4 subunits form a helix whose interfaces are consistent with ATP binding, is stabilized by Vta1, and binds the substrate peptide. The fifth subunit approximately continues this helix but appears to be dissociating. The final Vps4 subunit completes a notched-washer configuration as if transitioning between the ends of the helix. We propose that ATP binding propagates growth at one end of the helix while hydrolysis promotes disassembly at the other end, so that Vps4 ‘walks’ along ESCRT-III until it encounters the ordered N-terminal domain to destabilize the ESCRT-III lattice. This model may be generally applicable to other protein-translocating AAA ATPases.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24487.001

Membranes surround multiple compartments within cells as well as the cell itself. In living cells, these membranes are remodeled continuously. This allows cells to divide, move molecules between different compartments and perform other essential activities. One important remodeling event is known as fission, which splits a membrane into separate parts.

Large repeating structures (or polymers) of ESCRT-III proteins play a crucial role in membrane fission. Breaking apart ESCRT-III polymers triggers membrane fission and also recycles the ESCRT-III proteins so that they can be used again.

An enzyme called Vps4 converts chemical energy (stored in the form of a molecule called ATP) into the mechanical force that breaks apart the ESCRT-III polymers. The active form of Vps4 consists of six Vps4 subunits working together to form a complex that includes a cofactor protein called Vta1. Monroe et al. have now used a technique called cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of an active yeast Vps4-Vta1 complex while it is bound to a segment of an ESCRT-III protein. This revealed that four of the six Vps4 subunits form a helix (which resembles a spiral staircase) that binds ESCRT-III in its central pore.

The structure implies that binding of ATP causes the Vps4 helix to grow at one end and that converting ATP into a molecule called ADP (to release energy) causes disassembly at the other end. The two additional Vps4 subunits move from the disassembling end to the growing end of the helix. In this manner, Vps4 ‘walks’ along ESCRT-III, thereby pulling it through the pore at the center of the Vps4 complex and triggering breakdown of the ESCRT-III polymer. Further work is now needed to understand exactly how this activity leads to membrane fission.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24487.002

Extracellular Vesicles: Unique Intercellular Delivery Vehicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous collection of membrane-bound carriers with complex cargoes including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. While the release of EVs was previously thought to be only a mechanism to discard nonfunctional cellular components, increasing evidence implicates EVs as key players in intercellular and even interorganismal communication. EVs confer stability and can direct their cargoes to specific cell types. EV cargoes also appear to act in a combinatorial manner to communicate directives to other cells. This review focuses on recent findings and knowledge gaps in the area of EV biogenesis, release, and uptake. In addition, we highlight examples whereby EV cargoes control basic cellular functions, including motility and polarization, immune responses, and development, and contribute to diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

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.

Structural insights into the activation mechanism of dynamin-like EHD ATPases

Eps15 (epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 15)-homology domain containing proteins (EHDs) comprise a family of dynamin-related mechano-chemical ATPases involved in cellular membrane trafficking. Previous studies have revealed the structure of the EHD2 dimer, but the molecular mechanisms of membrane recruitment and assembly have remained obscure. Here, we determined the crystal structure of an amino-terminally truncated EHD4 dimer. Compared with the EHD2 structure, the helical domains are 50° rotated relative to the GTPase domain. Using electron paramagnetic spin resonance (EPR), we show that this rotation aligns the two membrane-binding regions in the helical domain toward the lipid bilayer, allowing membrane interaction. A loop rearrangement in GTPase domain creates a new interface for oligomer formation. Our results suggest that the EHD4 structure represents the active EHD conformation, whereas the EHD2 structure is autoinhibited, and reveal a complex series of domain rearrangements accompanying activation. A comparison with other peripheral membrane proteins elucidates common and specific features of this activation mechanism.

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.

The Lysosome as a Regulatory Hub

The lysosome has long been viewed as the recycling center of the cell. However, recent discoveries have challenged this simple view and have established a central role of the lysosome in nutrient-dependent signal transduction. The degradative role of the lysosome and its newly discovered signaling functions are not in conflict but rather cooperate extensively to mediate fundamental cellular activities such as nutrient sensing, metabolic adaptation, and quality control of proteins and organelles. Moreover, lysosome-based signaling and degradation are subject to reciprocal regulation. Transcriptional programs of increasing complexity control the biogenesis, composition, and abundance of lysosomes and fine-tune their activity to match the evolving needs of the cell. Alterations in these essential activities are, not surprisingly, central to the pathophysiology of an ever-expanding spectrum of conditions, including storage disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Thus, unraveling the functions of this fascinating organelle will contribute to our understanding of the fundamental logic of metabolic organization and will point to novel therapeutic avenues in several human diseases.

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.

Eukaryotic-Like Virus Budding in Archaea

Similar to many eukaryotic viruses (and unlike bacteriophages), viruses infecting archaea are often encased in lipid-containing envelopes. However, the mechanisms of their morphogenesis and egress remain unexplored. Here, we used dual-axis electron tomography (ET) to characterize the morphogenesis of Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1), the prototype of the family Fuselloviridae and representative of the most abundant archaea-specific group of viruses. Our results show that SSV1 assembly and egress are concomitant and occur at the cellular cytoplasmic membrane via a process highly reminiscent of the budding of enveloped viruses that infect eukaryotes. The viral nucleoprotein complexes are extruded in the form of previously unknown rod-shaped intermediate structures which have an envelope continuous with the host membrane. Further maturation into characteristic spindle-shaped virions takes place while virions remain attached to the cell surface. Our data also revealed the formation of constricted ring-like structures which resemble the budding necks observed prior to the ESCRT machinery-mediated membrane scission during egress of various enveloped viruses of eukaryotes. Collectively, we provide evidence that archaeal spindle-shaped viruses contain a lipid envelope acquired upon budding of the viral nucleoprotein complex through the host cytoplasmic membrane. The proposed model bears a clear resemblance to the egress strategy employed by enveloped eukaryotic viruses and raises important questions as to how the archaeal single-layered membrane composed of tetraether lipids can undergo scission.

The replication of enveloped viruses has been extensively studied in eukaryotes but has remained unexplored for enveloped viruses infecting bacteria and archaea. Here, we provide a sequential view on the assembly and egress of SSV1, a prototypic archaeal virus. The observed process is highly similar to the budding of eukaryotic enveloped viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, influenza virus, and Ebola virus. The present study is the first to characterize such a phenomenon in archaeal cells, showing that membrane budding is not an exclusive feature of eukaryotic viruses. Our results provide significant insights into the biogenesis and architecture of unique, spindle-shaped virions that infect archaea. Furthermore, our findings open doors for future inquiries into (i) the evolution of the virus budding process, (ii) mechanistic details of virus-mediated membrane scission in Archaea, and (iii) elucidation of virus- and host-encoded molecular players responsible for archaeal membrane and surface remodeling.

Herpes Simplex Virus Capsid Localization to ESCRT-VPS4 Complexes in the Presence and Absence of the Large Tegument Protein UL36p

UL36p (VP1/2) is the largest protein encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and resides in the innermost layer of tegument, the complex protein layer between the capsid and envelope. UL36p performs multiple functions in the HSV life cycle, including a critical but unknown role in capsid cytoplasmic envelopment. We tested whether UL36p is essential for envelopment because it is required to engage capsids with the cellular ESCRT/Vps4 apparatus. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused form of the dominant negative ATPase Vps4-EQ was used to irreversibly tag ESCRT envelopment sites during infection by UL36p-expressing and UL36-null HSV strains. Using fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we quantitated capsid/Vps4-EQ colocalization and examined the ultrastructure of the corresponding viral assembly intermediates. We found that loss of UL36p resulted in a two-thirds reduction in the efficiency of capsid/Vps4-EQ association but that the remaining UL36p-null capsids were still able to engage the ESCRT envelopment apparatus. It appears that although UL36p helps to couple HSV capsids to the ESCRT pathway, this is likely not the sole reason for its absolute requirement for envelopment.

IMPORTANCE

Envelopment of the HSV capsid is essential for the assembly of an infectious virion and requires the complex interplay of a large number of viral and cellular proteins. Critical to envelope assembly is the virally encoded protein UL36p, whose function is unknown. Here we test the hypothesis that UL36p is essential for the recruitment of cellular ESCRT complexes, which are also known to be required for envelopment.

Membrane curvature in cell biology: An integration of molecular mechanisms

Curving biological membranes establishes the complex architecture of the cell and mediates membrane traffic to control flux through subcellular compartments. Common molecular mechanisms for bending membranes are evident in different cell biological contexts across eukaryotic phyla. These mechanisms can be intrinsic to the membrane bilayer (either the lipid or protein components) or can be brought about by extrinsic factors, including the cytoskeleton. Here, we review examples of membrane curvature generation in animals, fungi, and plants. We showcase the molecular mechanisms involved and how they collaborate and go on to highlight contexts of curvature that are exciting areas of future research. Lessons from how membranes are bent in yeast and mammals give hints as to the molecular mechanisms we expect to see used by plants and protists.

Phosphorylation-Dependent Activation of the ESCRT Function of ALIX in Cytokinetic Abscission and Retroviral Budding

The modular adaptor protein ALIX is a key player in multiple ESCRT-III-mediated membrane remodeling processes. ALIX is normally present in a closed conformation due to an intramolecular interaction that renders ALIX unable to perform its ESCRT functions. Here we demonstrate that M phase-specific phosphorylation of the intramolecular interaction site within the proline-rich domain (PRD) of ALIX transforms cytosolic ALIX from closed to open conformation. Defining the role of this mechanism of ALIX regulation in three classical ESCRT-mediated processes revealed that phosphorylation of the intramolecular interaction site in the PRD is required for ALIX to function in cytokinetic abscission and retroviral budding, but not in multivesicular body sorting of activated epidermal growth factor receptor. Thus, phosphorylation of the intramolecular interaction site in the PRD is one of the major mechanisms that activates the ESCRT function of ALIX.

Electrostatic Interactions between Elongated Monomers Drive Filamentation of Drosophila Shrub, a Metazoan ESCRT-III Protein

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a conserved protein complex that facilitates budding and fission of membranes. It executes a key step in many cellular events, including cytokinesis and multi-vesicular body formation. The ESCRT-III protein Shrub in flies, or its homologs in yeast (Snf7) or humans (CHMP4B), is a critical polymerizing component of ESCRT-III needed to effect membrane fission. We report the structural basis for polymerization of Shrub and define a minimal region required for filament formation. The X-ray structure of the Shrub core shows that individual monomers in the lattice interact in a staggered arrangement using complementary electrostatic surfaces. Mutations that disrupt interface salt bridges interfere with Shrub polymerization and function. Despite substantial sequence divergence and differences in packing interactions, the arrangement of Shrub subunits in the polymer resembles that of Snf7 and other family homologs, suggesting that this intermolecular packing mechanism is shared among ESCRT-III proteins.

ALIX and ESCRT-I/II function as parallel ESCRT-III recruiters in cytokinetic abscission

Cytokinetic abscission, the final stage of cell division, is mediated by the ESCRT machinery. Here, Christ et al. dissect the regulation of ESCRT-III recruitment and abscission timing and identify an intersection with abscission checkpoint signaling in cells with chromatin bridges.

Cytokinetic abscission, the final stage of cell division where the two daughter cells are separated, is mediated by the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. The ESCRT-III subunit CHMP4B is a key effector in abscission, whereas its paralogue, CHMP4C, is a component in the abscission checkpoint that delays abscission until chromatin is cleared from the intercellular bridge. How recruitment of these components is mediated during cytokinesis remains poorly understood, although the ESCRT-binding protein ALIX has been implicated. Here, we show that ESCRT-II and the ESCRT-II–binding ESCRT-III subunit CHMP6 cooperate with ESCRT-I to recruit CHMP4B, with ALIX providing a parallel recruitment arm. In contrast to CHMP4B, we find that recruitment of CHMP4C relies predominantly on ALIX. Accordingly, ALIX depletion leads to furrow regression in cells with chromosome bridges, a phenotype associated with abscission checkpoint signaling failure. Collectively, our work reveals a two-pronged recruitment of ESCRT-III to the cytokinetic bridge and implicates ALIX in abscission checkpoint signaling.

Resolving new ultrastructural features of cytokinetic abscission with soft-X-ray cryo-tomography

Mammalian cytokinetic abscission is mediated by the ESCRT membrane fission machinery. While much has been clarified on the topology and kinetics of abscission through high-resolution microscopy, key questions regarding the mechanism of abscission remain open. Here we apply cryogenic soft-X-ray tomography to elucidate new ultrastructural details in the intercellular membrane bridge connecting cells undergoing abscission. In particular, we resolve defined ring-like structures inside the midbody dark zone that have been inaccessible to EM, and identify membrane extrusions at the abscission sites. In cells at late stages of abscission we resolve a complex array of helical spirals, extending the structural information obtained by EM. Our results highlight the advantages of soft-X-ray tomography and emphasize the importance of using complementary approaches for characterizing cellular structures. Notably, by providing new structural data from intact cells we present a realistic view on the topology of abscission and suggest new mechanistic models for ESCRT mediated abscission.

Deducing the symmetry of helical assemblies: Applications to membrane proteins

Helical reconstruction represents a convenient and powerful approach for structure determination of macromolecules that assemble into helical arrays. In the case of membrane proteins, formation of tubular crystals with helical symmetry represents an attractive alternative, especially when their small size precludes the use of single-particle analysis. An essential first step for helical reconstruction is to characterize the helical symmetry. This process is often daunting, due to the complexity of helical diffraction and to the low signal-to-noise ratio in images of individual assemblies. Furthermore, the large diameters of the tubular crystals produced by membrane proteins exacerbates the innate ambiguities that, if not resolved, will produce incorrect structures. In this report, we describe a set of tools that can be used to eliminate ambiguities and to validate the choice of symmetry. The first approach increases the signal-to-noise ratio along layer lines by incoherently summing data from multiple helical assemblies, thus producing several candidate indexing schemes. The second approach compares the layer lines from images with those from synthetic models built with the various candidate schemes. The third approach uses unit cell dimensions measured from collapsed tubes to distinguish between these candidate schemes. These approaches are illustrated with tubular crystals from a boron transporter from yeast, Bor1p, and a β-barrel channel from the outer membrane of E. coli, OmpF.

Role of SKD1 Regulators LIP5 and IST1-LIKE1 in Endosomal Sorting and Plant Development

SKD1 is a core component of the mechanism that degrades plasma membrane proteins via the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) pathway. Its ATPase activity and endosomal recruitment are regulated by the ESCRT components LIP5 and IST1. How LIP5 and IST1 affect ESCRT-mediated endosomal trafficking and development in plants is not known. Here we use Arabidopsis mutants to demonstrate that LIP5 controls the constitutive degradation of plasma membrane proteins and the formation of endosomal intraluminal vesicles. Although lip5 mutants were able to polarize the auxin efflux facilitators PIN2 and PIN3, both proteins were mis-sorted to the tonoplast in lip5 root cells. In addition, lip5 root cells over-accumulated PIN2 at the plasma membrane. Consistently with the trafficking defects of PIN proteins, the lip5 roots showed abnormal gravitropism with an enhanced response within the first 4 h after gravistimulation. LIP5 physically interacts with IST1-LIKE1 (ISTL1), a protein predicted to be the Arabidopsis homolog of yeast IST1. However, we found that Arabidopsis contains 12 genes coding for predicted IST1-domain containing proteins (ISTL1-12). Within the ISTL1-6 group, ISTL1 showed the strongest interaction with LIP5, SKD1, and the ESCRT-III-related proteins CHMP1A in yeast two hybrid assays. Through the analysis of single and double mutants, we found that the synthetic interaction of LIP5 with ISTL1, but not with ISTL2, 3, or 6, is essential for normal plant growth, repression of spontaneous cell death, and post-embryonic lethality.

ESCRT-III activation by parallel action of ESCRT-I/II and ESCRT-0/Bro1 during MVB biogenesis

The endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway facilitates multiple fundamental membrane remodeling events. Previously, we determined X-ray crystal structures of ESCRT-III subunit Snf7, the yeast CHMP4 ortholog, in its active and polymeric state (Tang et al., 2015). However, how ESCRT-III activation is coordinated by the upstream ESCRT components at endosomes remains unclear. Here, we provide a molecular explanation for the functional divergence of structurally similar ESCRT-III subunits. We characterize novel mutations in ESCRT-III Snf7 that trigger activation, and identify a novel role of Bro1, the yeast ALIX ortholog, in Snf7 assembly. We show that upstream ESCRTs regulate Snf7 activation at both its N-terminal core domain and the C-terminus α6 helix through two parallel ubiquitin-dependent pathways: the ESCRT-I-ESCRT-II-Vps20 pathway and the ESCRT-0-Bro1 pathway. We therefore provide an enhanced understanding for the activation of the spatially unique ESCRT-III-mediated membrane remodeling.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15507.001

A model for coordinating nuclear mechanics and membrane remodeling to support nuclear integrity

A polymer network of intranuclear lamin filaments underlies the nuclear envelope and provides mechanical stability to the nucleus in metazoans. Recent work demonstrates that the expression of A-type lamins scales positively with the stiffness of the cellular environment, thereby coupling nuclear and extracellular mechanics. Using the spectrin-actin network at the erythrocyte plasma membrane as a model, we contemplate how the relative stiffness of the nuclear scaffold impinges on the growing number of interphase-specific nuclear envelope remodeling events, including recently discovered, nuclear envelope-specialized quality control mechanisms. We suggest that a stiffer lamina impedes these remodeling events, necessitating local lamina remodeling and/or concomitant scaling of the efficacy of membrane-remodeling machineries that act at the nuclear envelope.

Closing a gap in the nuclear envelope

The nuclear envelope (NE) ensures nucleo-cytoplasmic compartmentalization, with trafficking of macromolecules across this double membrane controlled by embedded nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). The NE and associated proteins are dismantled during open mitosis and reestablishment of this barrier during mitotic exit requires dynamic remodeling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and coordination with NPC reformation, with NPC deposition continuing during subsequent interphase. In this review, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of NE reformation and nuclear pore complex generation, with special focus on work implicating the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) membrane remodeling machinery in these events.

ESCRT-III and Vps4: a dynamic multipurpose tool for membrane budding and scission

Complex molecular machineries bud, scission and repair cellular membranes. Components of the multi-subunit endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery are enlisted when multivesicular bodies are generated, extracellular vesicles are formed, the plasma membrane needs to be repaired, enveloped viruses bud out of host cells, defective nuclear pores have to be cleared, the nuclear envelope must be resealed after mitosis and for final midbody abscission during cytokinesis. While some ESCRT components are only required for specific processes, the assembly of ESCRT-III polymers on target membranes and the action of the AAA-ATPase Vps4 are mandatory for every process. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of structural and functional features of ESCRT-III/Vps4 assemblies in the growing pantheon of ESCRT-dependent pathways. We describe specific recruitment processes for ESCRT-III to different membranes, which could be useful to selectively inhibit ESCRT function during specific processes, while not affecting other ESCRT-dependent processes. Finally, we speculate how ESCRT-III and Vps4 might function together and highlight how the characterization of their precise spatiotemporal organization will improve our understanding of ESCRT-mediated membrane budding and scission in vivo.

The ESCRT machinery: new roles at new holes

The ESCRT machinery drives a diverse collection of membrane remodeling events, including multivesicular body biogenesis, release of enveloped retroviruses and both reformation of the nuclear envelope and cytokinetic abscission during mitotic exit. These events share the requirement for a topologically equivalent membrane remodeling for their completion and the cells deployment of the ESCRT machinery in these different contexts highlights its functionality as a transposable membrane-fission machinery. Here, we will examine recent data describing ESCRT-III dependent membrane remodeling and explore new roles for the ESCRT-III complex at the nuclear envelope.