Selective expression of vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit d2 by particular subsets of dendritic cells among leukocytes

Environment-mediated drug resistance in Bcr/Abl-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Although cure rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have increased, development of resistance to drugs and patient relapse are common. The environment in which the leukemia cells are present during the drug treatment is known to provide significant survival benefit. Here, we have modeled this process by culturing murine Bcr/Abl-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in the presence of stroma while treating them with a moderate dose of two unrelated drugs, the farnesyltransferase inhibitor lonafarnib and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib. This results in an initial large reduction in cell viability of the culture and inhibition of cell proliferation. However, after a number of days, cell death ceases and the culture becomes drug-tolerant, enabling cell division to resume. Using gene expression profiling, we found that the development of drug resistance was accompanied by massive transcriptional upregulation of genes that are associated with general inflammatory responses such as the metalloproteinase MMP9. MMP9 protein levels and enzymatic activity were also increased in ALL cells that had become nilotinib-tolerant. Activation of p38, Akt and Erk correlated with the development of environment-mediated drug resistance (EMDR), and inhibitors of Akt and Erk in combination with nilotinib reduced the ability of the cells to develop resistance. However, inhibition of p38 promoted increased resistance to nilotinib. We conclude that development of EMDR by ALL cells involves changes in numerous intracellular pathways. Development of tolerance to drugs such as nilotinib may therefore be circumvented by simultaneous treatment with other drugs having divergent targets.

Elevated expression of the V-ATPase D2 subunit triggers increased energy metabolite levels in KrasG12D -driven cancer cells

Mutations of the Ras oncogene are frequently detected in human cancers. Among Ras-mediated tumorigenesis, Kras-driven cancers are the most dominant mutation types. Here, we investigated molecular markers related to the Kras mutation, which is involved in energy metabolism in Kras mutant-driven cancer. We first generated a knock-in KrasG12D cell line as a model. The genotype and phenotype of the Kras G12D -driven cells were first confirmed. Dramatically elevated metabolite characterization was observed in Kras G12D -driven cells compared with wild-type cells. Analysis of mitochondrial metabolite-related genes showed that two of the 84 genes in Kras G12D -driven cells differed from control cells by at least twofold. The messenger RNA and protein levels of ATP6V0D2 were significantly upregulated in Kras G12D -driven cells. Knockdown of ATP6V0D2 expression inhibited motility and invasion but did not affect the proliferation of Kras G12D -driven cells. We further investigated ATP6V0D2 expression in tumor tissue microarrays. ATP6V0D2 overexpression was observed in most carcinoma tissues, such as melanoma, pancreas, and kidney. Thus, we suggest that ATP6V0D2, as one of the V-ATPase (vacuolar-type H + -ATPase) subunit isoforms, may be a potential therapeutic target for Kras mutation cancer.

Vacuolar ATPase in phagosome-lysosome fusion

The vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (v-ATPase) complex is instrumental in establishing and maintaining acidification of some cellular compartments, thereby ensuring their functionality. Recently it has been proposed that the transmembrane V0 sector of v-ATPase and its a-subunits promote membrane fusion in the endocytic and exocytic pathways independent of their acidification functions. Here, we tested if such a proton-pumping independent role of v-ATPase also applies to phagosome-lysosome fusion. Surprisingly, endo(lyso)somes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the V0 a3 subunit of the v-ATPase acidified normally, and endosome and lysosome marker proteins were recruited to phagosomes with similar kinetics in the presence or absence of the a3 subunit. Further experiments used macrophages with a knockdown of v-ATPase accessory protein 2 (ATP6AP2) expression, resulting in a strongly reduced level of the V0 sector of the v-ATPase. However, acidification appeared undisturbed, and fusion between latex bead-containing phagosomes and lysosomes, as analyzed by electron microscopy, was even slightly enhanced, as was killing of non-pathogenic bacteria by V0 mutant macrophages. Pharmacologically neutralized lysosome pH did not affect maturation of phagosomes in mouse embryonic cells or macrophages. Finally, locking the two large parts of the v-ATPase complex together by the drug saliphenylhalamide A did not inhibit in vitro and in cellulo fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes. Hence, our data do not suggest a fusion-promoting role of the v-ATPase in the formation of phagolysosomes.

Atp6v0a4 knockout mouse is a model of distal renal tubular acidosis with hearing loss, with additional extrarenal phenotype

Autosomal recessive distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is a severe disorder of acid-base homeostasis, often accompanied by sensorineural deafness. We and others have previously shown that mutations in the tissue-restricted a4 and B1 subunits of the H(+)-ATPase underlie this syndrome. Here, we describe an Atp6v0a4 knockout mouse, which lacks the a4 subunit. Using β-galactosidase as a reporter for the null gene, developmental a4 expression was detected in developing bone, nose, eye, and skin, in addition to that expected in kidney and inner ear. By the time of weaning, Atp6v0a4(-/-) mice demonstrated severe metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia, and early nephrocalcinosis. Null mice were hypocitraturic, but hypercalciuria was absent. They were severely hearing-impaired, as shown by elevated auditory brainstem response thresholds and absent endocochlear potential. They died rapidly unless alkalinized. If they survived weaning with alkali supplementation, treatment could later be withdrawn, but -/- animals remained acidotic with alkaline urine. They also had an impaired sense of smell. Heterozygous animals were biochemically normal until acid-challenged, when they became more acidotic than +/+ animals. This mouse model recapitulates the loss of H(+)-ATPase function seen in human disease and can provide additional insights into dRTA and the physiology of the a4 subunit.

DC-HIL/glycoprotein Nmb promotes growth of melanoma in mice by inhibiting the activation of tumor-reactive T cells

DC-HIL/glycoprotein nmb (Gpnmb) expressed on antigen-presenting cells attenuates T-cell activation by binding to syndecan-4 (SD-4) on activated T cells. Because DC-HIL/Gpnmb is expressed abundantly by mouse and human melanoma lines, we posited that melanoma-associated DC-HIL/Gpnmb exerts similar inhibitory function on melanoma-reactive T cells. We generated small interfering RNA-transfected B16F10 melanoma cells to completely knock down DC-HIL/Gpnmb expression, with no alteration in cell morphology, melanin synthesis, or MHC class I expression. This knockdown had no effect on B16F10 proliferation in vitro or entry into the cell cycle following growth stimulation, but it markedly reduced the growth of these cells in vivo following their s.c. injection into syngeneic immunocompetent (but not immunodeficient) mice. This reduction in tumor growth was due most likely to an augmented capacity of DC-HIL-knocked down B16F10 cells (compared with controls) to activate melanoma-reactive T cells as documented in vitro and in mice. Whereas DC-HIL knockdown had no effect on susceptibility of melanoma to killing by cytotoxic T cells, blocking SD-4 function enhanced the reactivity of CD8(+) T cells to melanoma-associated antigens on parental B16F10 cells. Using an assay examining the spread to the lung following i.v. injection, DC-HIL-knocked down cells produced lung foci at similar numbers compared with that produced by control cells, but the size of the former foci was significantly smaller than the latter. We conclude that DC-HIL/Gpnmb confers upon melanoma the ability to downregulate the activation of melanoma-reactive T cells, thereby allowing melanoma to evade immunologic recognition and destruction. As such, the DC-HIL/SD-4 pathway is a potentially useful target for antimelanoma immunotherapy.

Regulation and isoform function of the V-ATPases

The vacuolar (H(+))-ATPases are ATP-dependent proton pumps that acidify intracellular compartments and, in some cases, transport protons across the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. Intracellular V-ATPases play an important role in normal physiological processes such as receptor-mediated endocytosis, intracellular membrane trafficking, pro-hormone processing, protein degradation, and the coupled uptake of small molecules, such as neurotransmitters. They also function in the entry of various pathogenic agents, including many envelope viruses, like influenza virus, and toxins, like anthrax toxin. Plasma membrane V-ATPases function in renal pH homeostasis, bone resorption and sperm maturation, and various disease processes, including renal tubular acidosis, osteopetrosis, and tumor metastasis. V-ATPases are composed of a peripheral V(1) domain containing eight different subunits that is responsible for ATP hydrolysis and an integral V(0) domain containing six different subunits that translocates protons. In mammalian cells, most of the V-ATPase subunits exist in multiple isoforms which are often expressed in a tissue specific manner. Isoforms of one of the V(0) subunits (subunit a) have been shown to possess information that targets the V-ATPase to distinct cellular destinations. Mutations in isoforms of subunit a lead to the human diseases osteopetrosis and renal tubular acidosis. A number of mechanisms are employed to regulate V-ATPase activity in vivo, including reversible dissociation of the V(1) and V(0) domains, control of the tightness of coupling of proton transport and ATP hydrolysis, and selective targeting of V-ATPases to distinct cellular membranes. Isoforms of subunit a are involved in regulation both via the control of coupling and via selective targeting. This review will begin with a brief introduction to the function, structure, and mechanism of the V-ATPases followed by a discussion of the role of V-ATPase subunit isoforms and the mechanisms involved in regulation of V-ATPase activity.

Gpnmb is a melanosome-associated glycoprotein that contributes to melanocyte/keratinocyte adhesion in a RGD-dependent fashion

Gpnmb is a glycosylated transmembrane protein implicated in the development of glaucoma in mice and melanoma in humans. It shares significant amino acid sequence homology with the melanosome protein Pmel-17. Its extracellular domain contains a RGD motif for binding to integrin and its intracellular domain has a putative endosomal and/or melanosomal-sorting motif. These features led us to posit that Gpnmb is associated with melanosomes and involved in cell adhesion. We showed that human Gpnmb is expressed constitutively by melanoma cell lines, primary-cultured melanocytes and epidermal melanocytes in situ, with most of it found intracellularly within melanosomes and to a lesser degree in lysosomes. Our newly developed monoclonal antibody revealed surface expression of Gpnmb on these pigment cells, albeit to a lesser degree than the intracellular fraction. Gpnmb expression was upregulated by UVA (but not UVB) irradiation and by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) (but not beta-MSH); its cell surface expression on melanocytes (but not on melanoma cells) was increased markedly by IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. PAM212 keratinocytes adhered to immobilized Gpnmb in a RGD-dependent manner. These results indicate that Gpnmb is a melanosome-associated glycoprotein that contributes to the adhesion of melanocytes with keratinocytes.

Atp6v0d2 is an essential component of the osteoclast-specific proton pump that mediates extracellular acidification in bone resorption

Bone resorption relies on the extracellular acidification function of vacuolar (V-) ATPase proton pump(s) present in the plasma membrane of osteoclasts. The exact configuration of osteoclast-specific V-ATPases remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that Atp6v0d2 (d2), an isoform of the d subunit in the V-ATPase, showed 5-fold higher expression than that of Atp6v0d1 (d1) in mature osteoclasts, indicating a potential function in osteoclastic bone resorption. When d2 was depleted at an early stage of RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in vitro, formation of multinucleated cells was severely impaired. However, depletion of d2 at a late differentiation stage did not affect osteoclast fusion but did abolish the activity of extracellular acidification and bone resorption of mature osteoclasts. We also showed the association of the two tagged-proteins d2 and a3 when co-expressed in mammalian cells with a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay showed the direct interaction of d2 with the N terminus of Atp6v0a3 (a3), which is the functionally identified osteoclast-specific component of V-ATPase. Therefore, our results show the dual function of d2 as a regulator of cell fusion in osteoclast differentiation and as an essential component of the osteoclast-specific proton pump that mediates extracellular acidification in bone resorption.

Contribution of lysosomal vesicles to the formation of lipid raft redox signaling platforms in endothelial cells

We have demonstrated that the formation of lipid raft (LR)-redox signaling platforms membrane is associated with activation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) in coronary arterial endothelial cells (CAECs). Given that the trafficking of lysosomal vesicles might play an essential role in ASMase activation, the present study tested whether lysosomal vesicles contribute to the formation of LR redox signaling platforms. By confocal microscopy, we found that Fas ligand (FasL) induced the formation of LR clusters in the plasma membrane of CAECs, accompanied by aggregation of NAD(P)H oxidase subunits, gp91phox and p47phox, and ROS production. When the cells were pretreated with two structurally different lysosomal vesicle function inhibitors, bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and glycyl-L-phenylalanine-beta-naphthylamide (GPN), the FasL-induced LRs clustering was substantially blocked, and corresponding ROS production significantly decreased. By confocal microscopic observations in living CAECs by using LysoTracker, a colocalization of LRs and lysosomal vesicles was found around the cell membrane, which was abolished by Baf or GPN. Functionally, FasL-induced inhibition of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation was also reduced by both inhibitors of lysosome function. These results suggest that lysosomal vesicles importantly contribute to the formation of LR-redox signaling platforms and thereby participate in the oxidative injury of endothelial function during activation of death receptor-Fas in coronary arteries.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel V-ATPase associated protein, DVA9.2, from human dendritic cells

The vacuolar proton-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a ubiquitous ATP-driven H(+) transporter that functions in numerous cell processes. Accumulating evidence shows important roles of V-ATPase in tumor metastasis and antigen presentation of dendritic cells (DC). A novel V-ATPase associated protein, designated as DVA9.2 (dendritic cell-derived V-ATPase associated protein of 9.2 kDa), has been identified from a human DC cDNA library by large-scale random sequencing. Full length cDNA of DVA9.2 encodes an 81-residue protein that shares 70-80% homology with human V-ATPase subunit M9.2. Distant relationship is also found with Vma21p, a yeast protein required for V-ATPase assembly. DVA9.2 contains a conserved domain, ATP synthase subunit H (pafm05493), and two membrane-spanning helices. DVA9.2 mRNA is detectable in several human tumor cell lines as well as some human normal cells and tissues. Moreover, the inducible expression of DVA9.2 mRNA in DC during maturation is observed. DVA9.2 displays integration with membrane and main localization in lysosome, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi-associated organelles, only less at the plasma membrane. In addition, DVA9.2 is co-localized with V(0)-sector subunit a. Silencing of DVA9.2 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) does not affect the V-ATPase activity in cell membrane fractions or attenuate the migration and invasion in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. These results indicate that DVA9.2, as a novel V-ATPase-associated protein, is not essential for the activity of V-ATPase complex and may be involved in functions of DC.

Haplotype-specific gene expression profiles in a telomeric major histocompatibility complex gene cluster and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases

The telomeric class III region of the major histocompatibility complex is gene dense, but apart from the three tumour necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily members (TNF, lymphotoxin alpha and lymphotoxin beta) little is known of the expression and function of the majority of the genes. Recent genetic studies in autoimmune diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have suggested a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-independent disease effect in this region. To gain further insights into these associations, we used lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human macrophages to examine inducible mRNA expression and genotype-phenotype relationships for genes in this region. Following stimulation in addition to the expected induction of TNF mRNA, a 14-fold increase of ATP6V1G2 at 18 h (P<0.001) was seen, whereas B-associated transcript (BAT)2 (P<0.001) and leucocyte-specific transcript (LST)1 (P<0.001) were both downregulated. By genotyping single-nucleotide polymorphisms spanning a 70 kb interval centred on the TNF locus, we constructed haplotypes and determined associated expression profiles for 10 genes in the cluster using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overexpression of BAT1 mRNA was associated with carriers of a haplotype containing the LST1 marker transmitted to RA cases in a family study and also DRB1(*)15 associated with susceptibility to nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus. The implications of our findings for the understanding of genetic associations with disease susceptibility in this region are discussed.