Identification of a cDNA coding for a Ca(2+)-binding phosphoprotein (p90), calnexin, on melanosomes in normal and malignant human melanocytes

MAP kinase activity supported by BRAF (V600E) mutation rather than gene amplification is associated with ETV1 expression in melanoma brain metastases

In primary melanoma, ETV1 transcription factor was suggested to be activated mainly by gene amplification and to promote tumor growth in cooperation with BRAF (V600E) . Aim of this study was to investigate ETV1 expression in human melanoma with a focus on brain metastases. We investigated ETV1 in 68 human melanoma brain metastases using FISH for ETV1 gene (located at chromosome 7p21) and centromere chromosome 7 and immunohistochemistry for ETV1, BRAF (V600E) , and ETV1/BRAF associated proteins pMSK1, pRSK1, pp38, pMEK1/2, MAPKAP kinase 2, CIC, HIF-1alpha and Ki-67. We further studied ETV1 copy number variations in 32 melanoma cell lines from primary and metastatic lesions using array CGH. The influence of the MAP kinase pathway activity on ETV1 mRNA and protein expression under BRAF wild-type and BRAF (V600E) conditions were determined in melanoma cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western Blot. No ETV1 high grade amplifications were observed in tissue samples, but low grade ETV1 gene amplifications were found in 7 (10.3 %) melanoma brain metastases. ETV1 protein expression in tissue samples (15 %) correlated with BRAF (V600E) status (p = 0.007) and HIF-1alpha expression (p = 0.049), but not with ETV1 gene dose. Application of the BRAF(V600E)-specific inhibitor vemurafenib and the BRAF(V6ooE/V600K)-inhibitor dabrafenib revealed predominant regulation of ETV-1 mRNA and protein via MAPK-pathway. ETV1 expression is a rare event in human melanoma and seems to be rather based on hyperactivation of MAPK signals, by BRAF (V600E) mutation, than on ETV1 gene amplification. Consequently, therapeutic inhibition of BRAF and the downstream MAPK pathway also down-regulates oncogenic ETV1 expression.

Melanoma-Targeted Chemothermotherapy and In Situ Peptide Immunotherapy through HSP Production by Using Melanogenesis Substrate, NPrCAP, and Magnetite Nanoparticles

Exploitation of biological properties unique to cancer cells may provide a novel approach to overcome difficult challenges to the treatment of advanced melanoma. In order to develop melanoma-targeted chemothermoimmunotherapy, a melanogenesis substrate, N-propionyl-4-S-cysteaminylphenol (NPrCAP), sulfur-amine analogue of tyrosine, was conjugated with magnetite nanoparticles. NPrCAP was exploited from melanogenesis substrates, which are expected to be selectively incorporated into melanoma cells and produce highly reactive free radicals through reacting with tyrosinase, resulting in chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic effects by oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death. Magnetite nanoparticles were conjugated with NPrCAP to introduce thermotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic effects through nonapoptotic cell death and generation of heat shock protein (HSP) upon exposure to alternating magnetic field (AMF). During these therapeutic processes, NPrCAP was also expected to provide melanoma-targeted drug delivery system.

“Subcellular Proteomics” of Neuromelanin Granules Isolated from the Human Brain

"Subcellular proteomics" is currently the most effective approach to characterize subcellular compartments. Based on the powerful combination of subcellular fractionation and protein identification by LC-MS/MS we were able for the first time to 1) isolate intact neuromelanin granules from the human brain and 2) establish the first protein profile of these granules. This compartment containing neuromelanin (NM) is primarily located in the primate's substantia nigra, one of the main brain regions that severely degenerates in Parkinson disease. We used mechanic tissue disaggregation, discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation, cell disruption, and organelle separation to isolate NM granules from human substantia nigra. Using transmission electron microscopy we demonstrated that the morphological characteristics of the isolated NM granules are similar to those described in human brain tissue. Fundamentally we found numerous proteins definitely demonstrating a close relationship of NM-containing granules with lysosomes or lysosome-related organelles originating from the endosome-lysosome lineage. Intriguingly we further revealed the presence of endoplasmic reticulum-derived chaperones, especially the transmembrane protein calnexin, which recently has been located in lysosome-related melanosomes and has been suggested to be a melanogenic chaperone.

The Seiji memorial lecture: the melanosome: an ideal model to study cellular differentiation

Melanosomes provide an intriguing model for study at many levels. In part this is due to their unique structure and function, but also in part to their involvement in pigmentary diseases and as a model to study basic cellular mechanisms of organelle biogenesis. Recent studies have elucidated the full proteome of the melanosome and the metabolic and molecular lesions involved in a number of pigmentary diseases have been resolved. This paper summarizes recent advances in the field in these areas.

Proteomic analysis of early melanosomes: identification of novel melanosomal proteins

Melanin is a heterogeneous biopolymer produced only by specific cells termed melanocytes, which synthesize and deposit the pigment in specialized membrane-bound organelles known as melanosomes. Although melanosomes have been suspected of being closely related to lysosomes and platelets, the total number of melanosomal proteins is still unknown. Thus far, six melanosome-specific proteins have been identified, and the challenge is to characterize the complete proteome of the melanosome to further understand its mechanism of biogenesis. In this report, we used mass spectrometry and subcellular fractionation to identify protein components of early melanosomes. Using this approach, we have identified all 6 of the known melanosome-specific proteins, 56 proteins that are shared with other organelles, and confirmed the presence of 6 novel melanosomal proteins using western blotting and by immunohistochemistry.

Oculocutaneous albinism types 1 and 3 are ER retention diseases: mutation of tyrosinase or Tyrp1 can affect the processing of both mutant and wild-type proteins

Various types of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) are associated with reduced pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes that results from mutations in genes involved in melanin synthesis. Immortal mouse melanocyte lines (melan-a, melan-b, and melan-c) provide opportune models with which to investigate the etiology of two different types of OCA (types I and III), which arise from mutations in Tyr and Tyrp1, respectively. We compared intracellular processing, sorting, and degradation of tyrosinase and Tyrp1, and the effects on their catalytic function and melanin synthesis, in these wild-type and mutant melanocytes. A mutation in either Tyr or Tyrp1 increased the time of association of tyrosinase and Tyrp1 with calnexin and Bip, which in turn resulted in the retention of these mutant products in the ER. A mutation in either gene selectively enhanced the duration and efficiency of chaperone interactions (even with the wild-type protein in the mutant melanocytes) and markedly slowed their transport to melanosomes. These results show that OCA1 and OCA3 are (in some cases, at least) ER retention diseases wherein a mutation in one melanogenic protein affects the maturation and stability of the other in the melanogenic pathway.

Increased sensitivity of melanocytes to oxidative stress and abnormal expression of tyrosinase-related protein in vitiligo

BACKGROUND

Vitiligo is a depigmenting disease of the skin, which may derive from programmed melanocyte death or destruction due to inherent sensitivity to oxidative stress arising from either toxic intermediates of melanin, a melanocyte-specific protein, or other sources. Tyrosinase-related protein (TRP) -1 has been shown to be involved not only in melanin biosynthesis but also in the prevention of premature melanocyte death in animals.

OBJECTIVES

To clarify the biological role of human TRP-1 in melanocyte survival.

METHODS

Cultured melanocyte strains from an active advancing border of vitiligo were established and studied.

RESULTS

The established 'vitiligo melanocytes' showed large perikaryon and stubby dendrites. They showed early cell death when exposed to oxidative stress (ultraviolet B) and increased and abnormal immunostaining and immunoprecipitation by antibodies against human and mouse TRP-1, indicating an altered synthesis and processing of TRP-1. In pulse-chase and sequential immunoprecipitation experiments, vitiligo melanocytes revealed abnormal protein-protein interaction with calnexin, a melanogenesis-associated chaperone, suggesting altered folding and maturation of nascent TRP-1 polypeptides. Northern blot analysis indicated a decreased expression of TRP-1 mRNA, but heteroduplex analysis and verification of the mutation at the carboxy terminus of TRP-1 by restriction enzyme analysis did not show any abnormality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that the early cell death of vitiligo melanocytes is related to their increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, which may arise from complex processes of abnormal synthesis and processing of TRP-1 and its interaction with calnexin.

A common temperature-sensitive allelic form of human tyrosinase is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum at the nonpermissive temperature

Oculocutaneous albinism type 1TS is caused by mutations that render the melanocyte-specific enzyme tyrosinase temperature-sensitive (ts); the enzyme is inactive in cells grown at 37 degrees C but displays full activity in cells grown at 31 degrees C. To distinguish whether the ts phenotype of the common R402Q variant of human tyrosinase is due to altered enzymatic activity or to misfolding and a defect in intracellular trafficking, we analyzed its localization and processing in transiently transfected HeLa cells. R402Q tyrosinase accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) at 37 degrees C but exits the ER and accumulates in endosomal structures in cells grown at 31 degrees C. The inability of the R402Q variant to exit the ER is confirmed by the failure to acquire endoglycosidase H resistance at 37 degrees C and cannot be accounted for solely by enhanced proteasome-mediated degradation. ER retention at 37 degrees C is mediated by the lumenal domain of R402Q tyrosinase, is not dependent on tethering to the membrane, and is irreversible. Finally, a wild-type allelic form of tyrosinase is partially ts in transiently transfected HeLa cells. The data show that human tyrosinase expressed in non-melanogenic cells folds and exits the ER inefficiently and that R402Q tyrosinase exaggerates this defect, resulting in a failure to exit the ER at physiologic temperatures.

What controls melanogenesis?

The pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin are the visually most striking products of specialized neural crest-derived cells (melanocytes), and provide color to both epidermis and hair shafts. While the intriguing and controversial biological functions of these multifaceted heteropolymers will be discussed in a later feature, here it is explored how their generation (melanogenesis) is controlled. For decades, this has been the object of much controversy, the salient features of which are delineated in the following contributions.

Biological role of tyrosinase related protein and its biosynthesis and transport from TGN to stage I melanosome, late endosome, through gene transfection study

Tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 is one of the most abundant melanosomal glycoproteins involved in melanogenesis. This report summarizes our recent research efforts related to the biological role and biosynthesis of TRP-1 and its transport from TGN (trans-Golgi network) to the stage I melanosome. Our UV irradiation and tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNA co-transfection studies indicated that human TRP-1 is involved in not only melanogenesis but also prevention of melanocyte death, which may occur during biosynthesis of melanin pigment in the presence of tyrosinase. Furthermore, a coordinated gene interaction was indicated between tyrosinase and TRP-1, resulting in upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of LAMP (lysosome-associated membrane protein)-1 that would directly prevent the tyrosinase-mediated programmed cell death of melanocytes. Similar to tyrosinase, however, TRP-1 appears to require a molecular chaperone, calnexin, which we have cloned recently. Our cDNA transfection study of tyrosinase with calnexin showed clearly the necessity of calnexin in order to have efficient, functional activity of melanosomal glycoprotein, especially tyrosinase. Once glycosylation is completed, TRP-1 will be transported from TGN to the stage I melanosome. At this stage, TRP-1 will have its own target signal, in particular, tyrosine-rich leucine residues in cytoplasmic tail. Our TRP-1 cDNA transfection and immunoelectron microscopy study shows that TRP-1 will be transported through small vesicles, probably non-clathrin-coated type, to large vacuoles, identical to the MPR (mannose-6-phosphate receptor)-positive, late endosomes. In this transport process a low molecular weight G-protein, rab-7, was isolated from the purified melanosomal protein on 2D-PAGE and identified by subsequent sequencing and PCR amplification. Confocal microscopy with double immunostaining and immunoelectron microscopy confirmed the co-localization of rab-7 and TRP-1 in the melanosomes with early stages of maturation (I-HI). Furthermore, this process will also be regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase).

Stress relief protein modulation by calnexin

Oxygen free radical (OFR)-mediated oxidative stress in myocardial cells following ischemia could damage unit membrane and macromolecules such as nucleic acids (DNA). It is being reported that under this condition these cells produce antioxidants and heat shock proteins (HSP 70). It is implied that this family of proteins could function as a "molecular chaperone" in the cell and hence has to be transported to various target sites. This process is comparable to the induction of oxygen free radicals in melanocytes and its response, melanin production following UV light exposure stress. Lamp-1, trp-1 and tyrosinase are melanosomal-associated stress relief proteins which are involved in the production of melanin in the subcellular organelle, melanosomes. UV exposure studies as well as gene transfection studies and antisense hybridization in human melanoma cells clearly indicated an increase and marked coordinated interaction of all these stress relief proteins in melanogenesis. These proteins are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and have to undergo posttranslation modification, sorting and posting to their respective target sites. We simultaneously identified and characterized an ER resident protein, calnexin. It became the potential candidate for "chaperoning" these proteins following translation. Based on the computer analysis of HSP 70 cDNA, we postulate that similar to stress response proteins in melanogenesis, stress relief proteins in myocardial cells may also be modulated by the same ER resident protein, calnexin.

Molecular control of melanogenesis in malignant melanoma: functional assessment of tyrosinase and lamp gene families by UV exposure and gene co-transfection, and cloning of a cDNA encoding calnexin, a possible melanogenesis "chaperone"

Melanogenesis is a cascade of events significantly controlled by regulatory genes which are associated with the melanosomal membrane. This report introduces our current research efforts dealing with (a) the gene and protein expressions of tyrosinase and Lamp (lysosome-associated membrane protein) families by human melanoma cells after repeated exposures to UV light, (b) the coordinated alterations in the expression of the Lamp family gene and its encoding product after transfection of two genes of the tyrosinase family in human melanoma cells and (c) cloning and sequencing of a Ca(2+)-binding phosphoprotein, calnexin, which could be a candidate as a chaperone for sorting and maturation of tyrosinase and Lamp family glycoproteins in melanogenesis cascade. Our UV exposure study, as well as gene transfection and antisense hybridization experiments, has clearly indicated a marked and coordinated interaction of the Lamp-1 gene with the tyrosinase and TRP-1 genes in this process. We propose that melanogenesis is controlled at least by two major gene family products, i.e., (a) the tyrosinase family of tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2, and the Lamp family of Lamp-1, Lamp-2 and Lamp-3. These two gene families probably derived from primordial melanogenesis-associated genes which are common or closely related to each other.

Coordinated mRNA and protein expression of human LAMP-1 in induction of melanogenesis after UV-B exposure and co-transfection of human tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs

In order to better understand the cascade of melanogenic events in melanocytes, this report has introduced our two recent approaches for the expression of melanogenesis/or melanosome-associated genes and encoded proteins in melanocytes (melanoma cells) after repeated exposure to UV-B and after cotransfection of two human genes, i.e., tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1). Repeated exposure of UV-B (2.5-5.0 mJ/cm2) caused not only upregulation of tyrosinase and TRP-1 genes but also coordinated increase in the gene and protein synthesis expression of Lamp-1 (lysosome-associated membrane protein-1). When COS-7 kidney cells and amelanotic melanoma (C32 and SK-MEL-24) and melanotic melanoma (G361 and SK-MEL-23) cells were exposed to cotransfection of human tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs, there was also an increased expression of Lamp-1 mRNA and protein along with tyrosinase activation and new melanin synthesis. Importantly, single transfectants of human tyrosinase cDNA revealed marked cellular degeneration, whereas this degeneration was not seen in single transfectants of TRP-1 cDNA or cotransfectants of human tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs, indicating that TRP-1 prevented, along with Lamp-1, programmed death of melanocytes after transfection of tyrosinase gene. The coordinated expression of TRP-1 and Lamp-1 was further confirmed by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide hybridization experiment against Lamp-1 gene, showing the decreased expression of TRP-1 as identified by three different types of anti-TRP-1 monoclonal antibodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)