DNA damage modulates nucleolar interaction of the Werner protein with the AAA ATPase p97/VCP

p97 inhibits integrated stress response-induced neuronal apoptosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice by enhancing proteasome function

Neuronal apoptosis is a common pathological change in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and it is closely associated with neurological deficits. According to previous research, p97 exhibits a remarkable anti-cardiomyocyte apoptosis effect. p97 is a critical molecule in the growth and development of the nervous system. However, it remains unknown whether p97 can exert an anti-neuronal apoptosis effect in SAH. In the present study, we examined the role of p97 in neuronal apoptosis induced after SAH and investigated the underlying mechanism. We established an in vivo SAH mice model and overexpressed the p97 protein through transfection of the mouse cerebral cortex. We analyzed the protective effect of p97 on neurons and evaluated short-term and long-term neurobehavior in mice after SAH. p97 was found to be significantly downregulated in the cerebral cortex of the affected side in mice after SAH. The site showing reduced p97 expression also exhibited a high level of neuronal apoptosis. Adeno-associated virus-mediated overexpression of p97 significantly reduced the extent of neuronal apoptosis, improved early and long-term neurological function, and repaired the neuronal damage in the long term. These neuroprotective effects were accompanied by enhanced proteasome function and inhibition of the integrated stress response (ISR) apoptotic pathway involving eIF2α/CHOP. The administration of the p97 inhibitor NMS-873 induced a contradictory effect. Subsequently, we observed that inhibiting the function of the proteasome with the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 blocked the anti-neuronal apoptosis effect of p97 and enhanced the activation of the ISR apoptotic pathway. However, the detrimental effects of NMS-873 and PS-341 in mice with SAH were mitigated by the administration of the ISR inhibitor ISRIB. These results suggest that p97 can promote neuronal survival and improve neurological function in mice after SAH. The anti-neuronal apoptosis effect of p97 is achieved by enhancing proteasome function and inhibiting the overactivation of the ISR apoptotic pathway.

Novel VCP activator reverses multisystem proteinopathy nuclear proteostasis defects and enhances TDP-43 aggregate clearance

Pathogenic variants in VCP cause multisystem proteinopathy (MSP), a disease characterized by multiple clinical phenotypes including inclusion body myopathy, Paget's disease of the bone, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). How such diverse phenotypes are driven by pathogenic VCP variants is not known. We found that these diseases exhibit a common pathologic feature, ubiquitinated intranuclear inclusions affecting myocytes, osteoclasts and neurons. Moreover, knock-in cell lines harboring MSP variants show a reduction in nuclear VCP. Given that MSP is associated with neuronal intranuclear inclusions comprised of TDP-43 protein, we developed a cellular model whereby proteostatic stress results in the formation of insoluble intranuclear TDP-43 aggregates. Consistent with a loss of nuclear VCP function, cells harboring MSP variants or cells treated with VCP inhibitor exhibited decreased clearance of insoluble intranuclear TDP-43 aggregates. Moreover, we identified four novel compounds that activate VCP primarily by increasing D2 ATPase activity whereby pharmacologic VCP activation appears to enhance clearance of insoluble intranuclear TDP-43 aggregate. Our findings suggest that VCP function is important for nuclear protein homeostasis, that MSP may be the result of impaired nuclear proteostasis, and that VCP activation may be potential therapeutic by virtue of enhancing the clearance of intranuclear protein aggregates.

Phospho-Ku70 induced by DNA damage interacts with RNA Pol II and promotes the formation of phospho-53BP1 foci to ensure optimal cNHEJ

Canonical non-homologous end-joining (cNHEJ) is the prominent mammalian DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair pathway operative throughout the cell cycle. Phosphorylation of Ku70 at ser27-ser33 (pKu70) is induced by DNA DSBs and has been shown to regulate cNHEJ activity, but the underlying mechanism remained unknown. Here, we established that following DNA damage induction, Ku70 moves from nucleoli to the sites of damage, and once linked to DNA, it is phosphorylated. Notably, the novel emanating functions of pKu70 are evidenced through the recruitment of RNA Pol II and concomitant formation of phospho-53BP1 foci. Phosphorylation is also a prerequisite for the dynamic release of Ku70 from the repair complex through neddylation-dependent ubiquitylation. Although the non-phosphorylable ala-Ku70 form does not compromise the formation of the NHEJ core complex per se, cells expressing this form displayed constitutive and stress-inducible chromosomal instability. Consistently, upon targeted induction of DSBs by the I-SceI meganuclease into an intrachromosomal reporter substrate, cells expressing pKu70, rather than ala-Ku70, are protected against the joining of distal DNA ends. Collectively, our results underpin the essential role of pKu70 in the orchestration of DNA repair execution in living cells and substantiated the way it paves the maintenance of genome stability.

CDK2 phosphorylation of Werner protein (WRN) contributes to WRN's DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice

Werner syndrome (WS) is an accelerated aging disorder characterized by genomic instability, which is caused by WRN protein deficiency. WRN participates in DNA metabolism including DNA repair. In a previous report, we showed that WRN protein is recruited to laser-induced DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites during various stages of the cell cycle with similar intensities, supporting that WRN participates in both non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Here, we demonstrate that the phosphorylation of WRN by CDK2 on serine residue 426 is critical for WRN to make its DSB repair pathway choice between NHEJ and HR. Cells expressing WRN engineered to mimic the unphosphorylated or phosphorylation state at serine 426 showed abnormal DSB recruitment, altered RPA interaction, strand annealing, and DSB repair activities. The CDK2 phosphorylation on serine 426 stabilizes WRN's affinity for RPA, likely increasing its long-range resection at the end of DNA strands, which is a crucial step for HR. Collectively, the data shown here demonstrate that a CDK2-dependent phosphorylation of WRN regulates DSB repair pathway choice and cell cycle participation.

Functional Inhibition of Valosin-Containing Protein Induces Cardiac Dilation and Dysfunction in a New Dominant-Negative Transgenic Mouse Model

Valosin-containing protein (VCP) was found to play a vital protective role against cardiac stresses. Genetic mutations of VCP are associated with human dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the essential role of VCP in the heart during the physiological condition remains unknown since the VCP knockout in mice is embryonically lethal. We generated a cardiac-specific dominant-negative VCP transgenic (DN-VCP TG) mouse to determine the effects of impaired VCP activity on the heart. Using echocardiography, we showed that cardiac-specific overexpression of DN-VCP induced a remarkable cardiac dilation and progressively declined cardiac function during the aging transition. Mechanistically, DN-VCP did not affect the endogenous VCP (EN-VCP) expression but significantly reduced cardiac ATPase activity in the DN-VCP TG mouse hearts, indicating a functional inhibition. DN-VCP significantly impaired the aging-related cytoplasmic/nuclear shuffling of EN-VCP and its co-factors in the heart tissues and interrupted the balance of the VCP-cofactors interaction between the activating co-factors, ubiquitin fusion degradation protein 1 (UFD-1)/nuclear protein localization protein 4 (NPL-4) complex, and its inhibiting co-factor P47, leading to the binding preference with the inhibitory co-factor, resulting in functional repression of VCP. This DN-VCP TG mouse provides a unique functional-inactivation model for investigating VCP in the heart in physiological and pathological conditions.

RepID-deficient cancer cells are sensitized to a drug targeting p97/VCP segregase

Background

The p97/valosin-containing protein (VCP) complex is a crucial factor for the segregation of ubiquitinated proteins in the DNA damage response and repair pathway.

Objective

We investigated whether blocking the p97/VCP function can inhibit the proliferation of RepID-deficient cancer cells using immunofluorescence, clonogenic survival assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and immunoblotting.

Result

p97/VCP was recruited to chromatin and colocalized with DNA double-strand breaks in RepID-deficient cancer cells that undergo spontaneous DNA damage. Inhibition of p97/VCP induced death of RepID-depleted cancer cells. This study highlights the potential of targeting p97/VCP complex as an anticancer therapeutic approach.

Conclusion

Our results show that RepID is required to prevent excessive DNA damage at the endogenous levels. Localization of p97/VCP to DSB sites was induced based on spontaneous DNA damage in RepID-depleted cancer cells. Anticancer drugs targeting p97/VCP may be highly potent in RepID-deficient cells. Therefore, we suggest that p97/VCP inhibitors synergize with RepID depletion to kill cancer cells.

The RepID-CRL4 ubiquitin ligase complex regulates metaphase to anaphase transition via BUB3 degradation

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) prevents premature chromosome segregation by inactivating the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) until all chromosomes are properly attached to mitotic spindles. Here we identify a role for Cullin–RING ubiquitin ligase complex 4 (CRL4), known for modulating DNA replication, as a crucial mitotic regulator that triggers the termination of the SAC and enables chromosome segregation. CRL4 is recruited to chromatin by the replication origin binding protein RepID/DCAF14/PHIP. During mitosis, CRL4 dissociates from RepID and replaces it with RB Binding Protein 7 (RBBP7), which ubiquitinates the SAC mediator BUB3 to enable mitotic exit. During interphase, BUB3 is protected from CRL4-mediated degradation by associating with promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, ensuring its availability upon mitotic onset. Deficiencies in RepID, CRL4 or RBBP7 delay mitotic exit, increase genomic instability and enhance sensitivity to paclitaxel, a microtubule stabilizer and anti-tumor drug.

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) safeguards chromosome segregation by regulating the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), allowing chromosomes to correctly attach to mitotic spindles. Here the authors reveal a role for Cullin–RING ubiquitin ligase complex 4 (CRL4) in regulating metaphase to anaphase transition via BUB3 degradation.

Genome-Wide Identification and Transcriptional Expression of the METTL21C Gene Family in Chicken

The chicken is a common type of poultry that is economically important both for its medicinal and nutritional values. Previous studies have found that free-range chickens have more skeletal muscle mass. The methyltransferase-like 21C gene (METTL21C) plays an important role in muscle development; however, there have been few reports on the role of METTL21C in chickens. In this study, we performed a genome-wide identification of chicken METTL21C genes and analyzed their phylogeny, transcriptional expression profile, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We identified 10 GgMETTL21C genes from chickens, 11 from mice, and 32 from humans, and these genes were divided into six groups, which showed a large amount of variation among these three species. A total of 15 motifs were detected in METTL21C genes, and the intron phase of the gene structure showed that the METTL21C gene family was conservative in evolution. Further, both the transcript data and qPCR showed that a single gene’s (GgMETTL21C3) expression level increased with the muscle development of chickens, indicating that the METTL21C genes are involved in the development of chicken muscles. Our results provide some reference value for the subsequent study of the function of METTL21C.

PARP1 regulates DNA damage-induced nucleolar-nucleoplasmic shuttling of WRN and XRCC1 in a toxicant and protein-specific manner

The prime function of nucleoli is ribogenesis, however, several other, non-canonical functions have recently been identified, including a role in genotoxic stress response. Upon DNA damage, numerous proteins shuttle dynamically between the nucleolus and the nucleoplasm, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that PARP1 and PARylation contribute to genotoxic stress-induced nucleolar-nucleoplasmic shuttling of key genome maintenance factors in HeLa cells. Our work revealed that the RECQ helicase, WRN, translocates from nucleoli to the nucleoplasm upon treatment with the oxidizing agent H₂O₂, the alkylating agent 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), and the topoisomerase inhibitor camptothecin (CPT). We show that after treatment with H₂O₂ and CEES, but not CPT, WRN translocation was dependent on PARP1 protein, yet independent of its enzymatic activity. In contrast, nucleolar-nucleoplasmic translocation of the base excision repair protein, XRCC1, was dependent on both PARP1 protein and its enzymatic activity. Furthermore, gossypol, which inhibits PARP1 activity by disruption of PARP1-protein interactions, abolishes nucleolar-nucleoplasmic shuttling of WRN, XRCC1 and PARP1, indicating the involvement of further upstream factors. In conclusion, this study highlights a prominent role of PARP1 in the DNA damage-induced nucleolar-nucleoplasmic shuttling of genome maintenance factors in HeLa cells in a toxicant and protein-specific manner.

Disruption of valosin-containing protein activity causes cardiomyopathy and reveals pleiotropic functions in cardiac homeostasis

Valosin-containing protein (VCP), also known as p97, is an ATPase with diverse cellular functions, although the most highly characterized is targeting of misfolded or aggregated proteins to degradation pathways, including the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. However, how VCP functions in the heart has not been carefully examined despite the fact that human mutations in VCP cause Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia, an autosomal dominant multisystem proteinopathy that includes disease in the heart, skeletal muscle, brain, and bone. Here we generated heart-specific transgenic mice overexpressing WT VCP or a VCP^K524A mutant with deficient ATPase activity. Transgenic mice overexpressing WT VCP exhibit normal cardiac structure and function, whereas mutant VCP-overexpressing mice develop cardiomyopathy. Mechanistically, mutant VCP-overexpressing hearts up-regulate ERAD complex components and have elevated levels of ubiquitinated proteins prior to manifestation of cardiomyopathy, suggesting dysregulation of ERAD and inefficient clearance of proteins targeted for proteasomal degradation. The hearts of mutant VCP transgenic mice also exhibit profound defects in cardiomyocyte nuclear morphology with increased nuclear envelope proteins and nuclear lamins. Proteomics revealed overwhelming interactions of endogenous VCP with ribosomal, ribosome-associated, and RNA-binding proteins in the heart, and impairment of cardiac VCP activity resulted in aggregation of large ribosomal subunit proteins. These data identify multifactorial functions and diverse mechanisms whereby VCP regulates cardiomyocyte protein and RNA quality control that are critical for cardiac homeostasis, suggesting how human VCP mutations negatively affect the heart.

Golgi Structure and Function in Health, Stress, and Diseases

The Golgi apparatus is a central intracellular membrane-bound organelle with key functions in trafficking, processing, and sorting of newly synthesized membrane and secretory proteins and lipids. To best perform these functions, Golgi membranes form a unique stacked structure. The Golgi structure is dynamic but tightly regulated; it undergoes rapid disassembly and reassembly during the cell cycle of mammalian cells and is disrupted under certain stress and pathological conditions. In the past decade, significant amount of effort has been made to reveal the molecular mechanisms that regulate the Golgi membrane architecture and function. Here we review the major discoveries in the mechanisms of Golgi structure formation, regulation, and alteration in relation to its functions in physiological and pathological conditions to further our understanding of Golgi structure and function in health and diseases.

The role of ubiquitin-dependent segregase p97 (VCP or Cdc48) in chromatin dynamics after DNA double strand breaks

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are the most cytotoxic DNA lesions and, if not repaired, lead to chromosomal rearrangement, genomic instability and cell death. Cells have evolved a complex network of DNA repair and signalling molecules which promptly detect and repair DSBs, commonly known as the DNA damage response (DDR). The DDR is orchestrated by various post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, methylation, ubiquitination or SUMOylation. As DSBs are located in complex chromatin structures, the repair of DSBs is engineered at two levels: (i) at sites of broken DNA and (ii) at chromatin structures that surround DNA lesions. Thus, DNA repair and chromatin remodelling machineries must work together to efficiently repair DSBs. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of the ubiquitin-dependent molecular unfoldase/segregase p97 (VCP in vertebrates and Cdc48 in worms and lower eukaryotes) in DSB repair. We identify p97 as an essential factor that regulates DSB repair. p97-dependent extraction of ubiquitinated substrates mediates spatio-temporal protein turnover at and around the sites of DSBs, thus orchestrating chromatin remodelling and DSB repair. As p97 is a druggable target, p97 inhibition in the context of DDR has great potential for cancer therapy, as shown for other DDR components such as PARP, ATR and CHK1.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'.

Crosstalk between the nucleolus and the DNA damage response

Nucleolar function and the cellular response to DNA damage have long been studied as distinct disciplines. New research and a new appreciation for proteins holding multiple functional roles, however, is beginning to change the way we think about the crosstalk among distinct cellular processes. Here, we focus on the crosstalk between the DNA damage response and the nucleolus, including a comprehensive review of the literature that reveals a role for conventional DNA repair proteins in ribosome biogenesis, and conversely, ribosome biogenesis proteins in DNA repair. Furthermore, with recent advances in nucleolar proteomics and a growing list of proteins that localize to the nucleolus, it is likely that we will continue to identify new DNA repair proteins with a nucleolar-specific role. Given the importance of ribosome biogenesis and DNA repair in essential cellular processes and the role that they play in diverse pathologies, continued elucidation of the overlap between these two disciplines will be essential to the advancement of both fields and to the development of novel therapeutics.

Drosophila clueless is involved in Parkin-dependent mitophagy by promoting VCP-mediated Marf degradation

PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial quality control (MQC) requires valosin-containing protein (VCP)-dependent Mitofusin/Marf degradation to prevent damaged organelles from fusing with the healthy mitochondrial pool, facilitating mitochondrial clearance by autophagy. Drosophila clueless (clu) was found to interact genetically with PINK1 and parkin to regulate mitochondrial clustering in germ cells. However, whether Clu acts in MQC has not been investigated. Here, we show that overexpression of Drosophila Clu complements PINK1, but not parkin, mutant muscles. Loss of clu leads to the recruitment of Parkin, VCP/p97, p62/Ref(2)P and Atg8a to depolarized swollen mitochondria. However, clearance of damaged mitochondria is impeded. This paradox is resolved by the findings that excessive mitochondrial fission or inhibition of fusion alleviates mitochondrial defects and impaired mitophagy caused by clu depletion. Furthermore, Clu is upstream of and binds to VCP in vivo and promotes VCP-dependent Marf degradation in vitro Marf accumulates in whole muscle lysates of clu-deficient flies and is destabilized upon Clu overexpression. Thus, Clu is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis and functions in concert with Parkin and VCP for Marf degradation to promote damaged mitochondrial clearance.

Ring of Change: CDC48/p97 Drives Protein Dynamics at Chromatin

The dynamic composition of proteins associated with nuclear DNA is a fundamental property of chromosome biology. In the chromatin compartment dedicated protein complexes govern the accurate synthesis and repair of the genomic information and define the state of DNA compaction in vital cellular processes such as chromosome segregation or transcription. Unscheduled or faulty association of protein complexes with DNA has detrimental consequences on genome integrity. Consequently, the association of protein complexes with DNA is remarkably dynamic and can respond rapidly to cellular signaling events, which requires tight spatiotemporal control. In this context, the ring-like AAA+ ATPase CDC48/p97 emerges as a key regulator of protein complexes that are marked with ubiquitin or SUMO. Mechanistically, CDC48/p97 functions as a segregase facilitating the extraction of substrate proteins from the chromatin. As such, CDC48/p97 drives molecular reactions either by directed disassembly or rearrangement of chromatin-bound protein complexes. The importance of this mechanism is reflected by human pathologies linked to p97 mutations, including neurodegenerative disorders, oncogenesis, and premature aging. This review focuses on the recent insights into molecular mechanisms that determine CDC48/p97 function in the chromatin environment, which is particularly relevant for cancer and aging research.

Strategic role of the ubiquitin-dependent segregase p97 (VCP or Cdc48) in DNA replication

Genome amplification (DNA synthesis) is one of the most demanding cellular processes in all proliferative cells. The DNA replication machinery (also known as the replisome) orchestrates genome amplification during S-phase of the cell cycle. Genetic material is particularly vulnerable to various events that can challenge the replisome during its assembly, activation (firing), progression (elongation) and disassembly from chromatin (termination). Any disturbance of the replisome leads to stalling of the DNA replication fork and firing of dormant replication origins, a process known as DNA replication stress. DNA replication stress is considered to be one of the main causes of sporadic cancers and other pathologies related to tissue degeneration and ageing. The mechanisms of replisome assembly and elongation during DNA synthesis are well understood. However, once DNA synthesis is complete, the process of replisome disassembly, and its removal from chromatin, remains unclear. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has alluded to a central role in replisome regulation for the ubiquitin-dependent protein segregase p97, also known as valosin-containing protein (VCP) in metazoans and Cdc48 in lower eukaryotes. By orchestrating the spatiotemporal turnover of the replisome, p97 plays an essential role in DNA replication. In this review, we will summarise our current knowledge about how p97 controls the replisome from replication initiation, to elongation and finally termination. We will also further examine the more recent findings concerning the role of p97 and how mutations in p97 cofactors, also known as adaptors, cause DNA replication stress induced genomic instability that leads to cancer and accelerated ageing. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review concerning the mechanisms involved in the regulation of DNA replication by p97.

Airway Exposure to E-Cigarette Vapors Impairs Autophagy and Induces Aggresome Formation

AIMS

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are proposed to be a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Hence, we evaluated if e-cigarette vapors (eCV) impair cellular proteostasis similar to cigarette smoke exposure.

RESULTS

First, we evaluated the impact of eCV exposure (2.5 or 7.5 mg) on Beas2b cells that showed significant increase in accumulation of total polyubiquitinated proteins (Ub, insoluble fractions) with time-dependent decrease in proteasomal activities from 1 h (p < 0.05), 3 h (p < 0.001) to 6 h (p < 0.001) of eCV exposure compared to room air control. We verified that even minimal eCV exposure (1 h) induces valosin-containing protein (VCP; p < 0.001), sequestosome-1/p62 (aberrant autophagy marker; p < 0.05), and aggresome formation (total poly-Ub-accumulation; p < 0.001) using immunoblotting (IB), fluorescence microscopy, and immunoprecipitation (IP). The inhibition of protein synthesis by 6 h of cycloheximide (50 μg/ml) treatment significantly (p < 0.01) alleviates eCV-induced (1 h) aggresome bodies. We also observed that eCV (1 h)-induced protein aggregation can activate oxidative stress, apoptosis (caspase-3/7), and senescence (p < 0.01) compared to room air controls. We verified using an autophagy inducer carbamazepine (20 μM, 6 h) or cysteamine (250 μM; 6 h, antioxidant) that eCV-induced changes in oxidative stress, poly-ub-accumulation, proteasomal activity, autophagy, apoptosis, and/or senescence could be controlled by autophagy induction. We further confirmed the role of acute eCV exposure on autophagy impairment in murine lungs (C57BL/6 and CD1) by IB (Ub, p62, VCP) and IP (VCP, p62), similar to in-vitro experiments.

INNOVATION

In this study, we report for the first time that eCV exposure induces proteostasis/autophagy impairment leading to oxidative stress, apoptosis, and senescence that can be ameliorated by an autophagy inducer.

CONCLUSION

eCV-induced autophagy impairment and aggresome formation suggest their potential role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-emphysema pathogenesis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000.

A non-canonical role of the p97 complex in RIG-I antiviral signaling

RIG-I is a well-studied sensor of viral RNA that plays a key role in innate immunity. p97 regulates a variety of cellular events such as protein quality control, membrane reassembly, DNA repair, and the cell cycle. Here, we report a new role for p97 with Npl4-Ufd1 as its cofactor in reducing antiviral innate immune responses by facilitating proteasomal degradation of RIG-I. The p97 complex is able to directly bind both non-ubiquitinated RIG-I and the E3 ligase RNF125, promoting K48-linked ubiquitination of RIG-I at residue K181. Viral infection significantly strengthens the interaction between RIG-I and the p97 complex by a conformational change of RIG-I that exposes the CARDs and through K63-linked ubiquitination of these CARDs. Disruption of the p97 complex enhances RIG-I antiviral signaling. Consistently, administration of compounds targeting p97 ATPase activity was shown to inhibit viral replication and protect mice from vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection. Overall, our study uncovered a previously unrecognized role for the p97 complex in protein ubiquitination and revealed the p97 complex as a potential drug target in antiviral therapy.

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) regulated by its N domain and C-terminal region

Valosin-containing protein (VCP or p97), a member of the AAA family (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities), plays a key role in many important cellular activities. A genetic deficiency of VCP can cause inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD). Previous studies showed that the VCP N domain is essential for the regulation of nuclear entry of VCP. Here we report that IBMPFD mutations, which are mainly located in the N domain, suppress the nuclear entry of VCP. Moreover, the peptide sequence G780AGPSQ in the C-terminal region regulates the retention of VCP in the nucleus. A mutant lacking this sequence can increase the nuclear distribution of IBMPFD VCP, suggesting that this sequence is a potential molecular target for correcting the deficient nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of IBMPFD VCP proteins.

Role of p97/VCP (Cdc48) in genome stability

Ubiquitin-dependent molecular chaperone p97, also known as valosin-containing protein (VCP) or Cdc48, is an AAA ATPase involved in protein turnover and degradation. p97 converts its own ATPase hydrolysis into remodeling activity on a myriad of ubiquitinated substrates from different cellular locations and pathways. In this way, p97 mediates extraction of targeted protein from cellular compartments or protein complexes. p97-dependent protein extraction from various cellular environments maintains cellular protein homeostasis. In recent years, p97-dependent protein extraction from chromatin has emerged as an essential evolutionarily conserved process for maintaining genome stability. Inactivation of p97 segregase activity leads to accumulation of ubiquitinated substrates on chromatin, consequently leading to protein-induced chromatin stress (PICHROS). PICHROS directly and negatively affects multiple DNA metabolic processes, including replication, damage responses, mitosis, and transcription, leading to genotoxic stress and genome instability. By summarizing and critically evaluating recent data on p97 function in various chromatin-associated protein degradation processes, we propose establishing p97 as a genome caretaker.

Regulation of molecular chaperones through post-translational modifications: decrypting the chaperone code

Molecular chaperones and their associated cofactors form a group of highly specialized proteins that orchestrate the folding and unfolding of other proteins and the assembly and disassembly of protein complexes. Chaperones are found in all cell types and organisms, and their activity must be tightly regulated to maintain normal cell function. Indeed, deregulation of protein folding and protein complex assembly is the cause of various human diseases. Here, we present the results of an extensive review of the literature revealing that the post-translational modification (PTM) of chaperones has been selected during evolution as an efficient mean to regulate the activity and specificity of these key proteins. Because the addition and reciprocal removal of chemical groups can be triggered very rapidly, this mechanism provides an efficient switch to precisely regulate the activity of chaperones on specific substrates. The large number of PTMs detected in chaperones suggests that a combinatory code is at play to regulate function, activity, localization, and substrate specificity for this group of biologically important proteins. This review surveys the core information currently available as a starting point toward the more ambitious endeavor of deciphering the "chaperone code".

VCP gene variation predicts outcome of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer platinum-based chemotherapy

Valosin-containing protein (VCP), or p97, is a member of the ATP-binding protein family, and is involved in numerous cellular events, such as, protein degradation, membrane fusion, and chaperone activity. VCP has been demonstrated playing a critical role in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) pathogenesis and progression recently. We investigated the association between VCP polymorphisms and clinical outcome in advanced NSCLC patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy. We recruited 663 Chinese advanced NSCLC patients who were treated with platinum-based regimens, and using their clinical data, we assessed the efficacy and side effects of their treatment. Three tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VCP were genotyped. SNP rs2074549 showed a significant association with severe neutropenia. Its G/G genotype increased the risk of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia compared with wild-type homozygotes A/A (P = .001, odds ratio = 2.975). Haplotype association analysis revealed that CGA was associated with the increased incidence of severe neutropenia (P = .041, odds ratio = 1.439). However, no significant relationship was found between the presence of VCP polymorphisms and treatment efficacy when objective response, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Our study is the first to provide evidence that VCP polymorphisms are associated with a severe chemotherapy-related adverse outcome in platinum-treated advanced NSCLC patients.

Nucleolin inhibits G4 oligonucleotide unwinding by Werner helicase

BACKGROUND

The Werner protein (WRNp), a member of the RecQ helicase family, is strongly associated with the nucleolus, as is nucleolin (NCL), an important nucleolar constituent protein. Both WRNp and NCL respond to the effects of DNA damaging agents. Therefore, we have investigated if these nuclear proteins interact and if this interaction has a possible functional significance in DNA damage repair.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Here we report that WRNp interacts with the RNA-binding protein, NCL, based on immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent co-localization in live and fixed cells, and direct binding of purified WRNp to nucleolin. We also map the binding region to the C-terminal domains of both proteins. Furthermore, treatment of U2OS cells with 15 µM of the Topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, causes the dissociation of the nucleolin-Werner complex in the nucleolus, followed by partial re-association in the nucleoplasm. Other DNA damaging agents, such as hydroxyurea, Mitomycin C, and aphidicolin do not have these effects. Nucleolin or its C-terminal fragment affected the helicase, but not the exonuclease activity of WRNp, by inhibiting WRN unwinding of G4 tetraplex DNA structures, as seen in activity assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

These data suggest that nucleolin may regulate G4 DNA unwinding by WRNp, possibly in response to certain DNA damaging agents. We postulate that the NCL-WRNp complex may contain an inactive form of WRNp, which is released from the nucleolus upon DNA damage. Then, when required, WRNp is released from inhibition and can participate in the DNA repair processes.

Xanthohumol impairs autophagosome maturation through direct inhibition of valosin-containing protein

Autophagy is a bulk, nonspecific protein degradation pathway that is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Here, we observed that xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated chalcone present in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and beer, modulates autophagy. By using XN-immobilized beads, valosin-containing protein (VCP) was identified as a XN-binding protein. VCP has been reported to be an essential protein for autophagosome maturation. Using an in vitro pull down assay, we showed that XN bound directly to the N domain, which is known to mediate cofactor and substrate binding to VCP. These data indicated that XN inhibited the function of VCP, thereby allowing the impairment of autophagosome maturation and resulting in the accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II). This is the first report demonstrating XN as a VCP inhibitor that binds directly to the N domain of VCP. Our finding that XN bound to and inactivated VCP not only reveals the molecular mechanism of XN-modulated autophagy but may also explain how XN exhibits various biological activities that have been reported previously.

Critical role of VCP/p97 in the pathogenesis and progression of non-small cell lung carcinoma

Background

Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97 is an AAA ATPase molecular chaperone that regulates vital cellular functions and protein-processing. A recent study indicated that VCP expression levels are correlated with prognosis and progression of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We not only verified these findings but also identified the specific role of VCP in NSCLC pathogenesis and progression.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Our results show that VCP is significantly overexpressed in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) as compared to normal tissues and cell lines (p<0.001). Moreover, we observed the corresponding accumulation of ubiquitinated-proteins in NSCLC cell lines and tissues as compared to the normal controls. VCP inhibition by si/shRNA or small-molecule (Eeyarestatin I, EerI) significantly (p<0.05, p<0.00007) suppressed H1299 proliferation and migration but induced (p<0.00001) apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry verified this data and shows that VCP inhibition significantly (p<0.001, p<0.003) induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phases. We also found that VCP directly regulates p53 and NFκB protein levels as a potential mechanism to control tumor cell proliferation and progression. Finally, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of VCP inhibition and observed significantly reduced NSCLC tumor growth in both in vitro and xenograft murine (athymic-nude) models after EerI treatment (p<0.05).

Conclusions/Significance

Thus, targeting VCP in NSCLC may provide a novel strategy to restore p53 and NFκB levels and ameliorate the growth and tumorigenicity, leading to improved clinical outcomes.

Recent advances in p97/VCP/Cdc48 cellular functions

p97/VCP/Cdc48 is one of the best-characterized type II AAA (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) ATPases. p97 is suggested to be a ubiquitin-selective chaperone and its key function is to disassemble protein complexes. p97 is involved in a wide variety of cellular activities. Recently, novel functions, namely autophagy and mitochondrial quality control, for p97 have been uncovered. p97 was identified as a causative factor for inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) and more recently as a causative factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this review, we will summarize and discuss recent progress and topics in p97 functions and the relationship to its associated diseases.

Critical role of proteostasis-imbalance in pathogenesis of COPD and severe emphysema

The environmental, genetic, and/or age-related changes in proteostasis induce inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. We quantified the correlation of protein expression of critical proteostasis mediators to severity of chronic lung disease using lung tissue samples from control and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects (GOLD stage 0-IV) and cigarette smoke (CS)-induced murine model. The human bronchial epithelial cells, HEK-293, and Beas2B cells were used for in vitro experiments to verify the mechanisms. Our data verifies the correlation of higher expression of valosin-containing protein (VCP) retrograde translocation complex (VCP-Rma1-gp78) with severity of emphysema in COPD lung tissues and over-expression of inflammatory, ER stress and apoptotic mediators like NFκB, GADD-153/CHOP, and p-eIF2α. Moreover, subjects with severe emphysema had a higher accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and deubiquitinating enzyme, UCHL-1, indicating towards the aggregation of misfolded or damaged proteins. The modulation of both protein degradation and synthesis rates by CS-extract substantiates the pathogenetic role of proteostasis-imbalance in emphysema and COPD. We identified that VCP also mediates proteasomal degradation of HDAC2 and Nrf2, as a potential mechanism for increased oxidative stress and corticosteroid resistance in COPD subjects with emphysema. Next, we confirmed that higher VCP expression associates with increased inflammation and apoptosis using in vitro and murine models. Our data clearly shows aberrant proteostasis in COPD subjects with severe emphysema. In addition, we evaluate therapeutic efficacy of salubrinal (ER stress inhibitor) to correct the proteostasis-imbalance based on its ability to control VCP expression and ubiquitin accumulation. Overall, our data demonstrate for the first time the critical role of proteostasis-imbalance in pathogenesis of severe emphysema.

Strumpellin is a novel valosin-containing protein binding partner linking hereditary spastic paraplegia to protein aggregation diseases

Mutations of the human valosin-containing protein gene cause autosomal-dominant inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia. We identified strumpellin as a novel valosin-containing protein binding partner. Strumpellin mutations have been shown to cause hereditary spastic paraplegia. We demonstrate that strumpellin is a ubiquitously expressed protein present in cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum cell fractions. Overexpression or ablation of wild-type strumpellin caused significantly reduced wound closure velocities in wound healing assays, whereas overexpression of the disease-causing strumpellin N471D mutant showed no functional effect. Strumpellin knockdown experiments in human neuroblastoma cells resulted in a dramatic reduction of axonal outgrowth. Knockdown studies in zebrafish revealed severe cardiac contractile dysfunction, tail curvature and impaired motility. The latter phenotype is due to a loss of central and peripheral motoneuron formation. These data imply a strumpellin loss-of-function pathogenesis in hereditary spastic paraplegia. In the human central nervous system strumpellin shows a presynaptic localization. We further identified strumpellin in pathological protein aggregates in inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia, various myofibrillar myopathies and in cortical neurons of a Huntington's disease mouse model. Beyond hereditary spastic paraplegia, our findings imply that mutant forms of strumpellin and valosin-containing protein may have a concerted pathogenic role in various protein aggregate diseases.

The Nucleolus Takes Control of Protein Trafficking Under Cellular Stress

The nucleolus is a highly dynamic nuclear substructure that was originally described as the site of ribosome biogenesis. The advent of proteomic analysis has now allowed the identification of over 4500 nucleolus associated proteins with only about 30% of them associated with ribogenesis (1). The great number of nucleolar proteins not associated with traditionally accepted nucleolar functions indicates a role for the nucleolus in other cellular functions such as mitosis, cell-cycle progression, cell proliferation and many forms of stress response including DNA repair (2). A number of recent reviews have addressed the pivotal role of the nucleolus in the cellular stress response (1, 3, 4). Here, we will focus on the role of Nucleolin and Nucleophosmin, two major components of the nucleolus, in response to genotoxic stress. Due to space constraint only a limited number of studies are cited. We thus apologize to all our colleagues whose works are not referenced here.

Stepwise up-regulation of microRNA expression levels from replicating to reversible and irreversible growth arrest states in WI-38 human fibroblasts

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate diverse genetic expression networks through their control of mRNA stability or translation. Their role in aging mechanisms has been proposed in various model systems. In this report, the expression profiling of 462 human miRNAs in the reversible growth arrest state of quiescence, and irreversible states of replicative senescence and hydrogen peroxide-induced premature senescence, are compared to young replicating lung fibroblasts. Greater numbers of up-regulated than down-regulated miRNAs are observed when cells stop proliferating, particularly in premature senescence, somewhat less in replicative senescence, and less still in quiescence. Several altered miRNA expressions are shared by the three growth arrest states, including the up-regulation of miR-34a, -624, -638 and miR-377, and the down-regulation of miR-365 and miR-512-5p. miRNAs up-regulated in both permanent growth arrest states but not in quiescence include let-7g, miR-26a, -136, -144, -195 and miR-200b. In each of the growth arrest states, miR-34a and let-7f have the most robust up-regulation in H(2)O(2)-induced premature senescence, followed by miR-638 and miR-663 in replicative senescence, and finally, miR-331-3p and miR-595 in quiescence. Our comprehensive evaluation of miRNA target correlations with known biomarkers for replicative senescence suggests that miRNAs may repress pathways controlling not only cell cycle traverse and proliferation, but also insulin-like signaling, DNA repair and apoptosis, all of which are cellular functions deficient in senescent human fibroblasts.

Suppression of the ER-localized AAA ATPase NgCDC48 inhibits tobacco growth and development

CDC48 is a member of the AAA ATPase superfamily. Yeast CDC48 and its mammalian homolog p97 are implicated in diverse cellular processes, including mitosis, membrane fusion, and ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation. However, the cellular functions of plant CDC48 proteins are largely unknown. In the present study, we performed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) screening and found that silencing of a gene encoding a tobacco CDC48 homolog, NgCDC48, resulted in severe abnormalities in leaf and shoot development in tobacco. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants (35S:anti-NgCDC48), in which the NgCDC48 gene was suppressed using the antisense RNA method, exhibited severely aberrant development of both vegetative and reproductive organs, resulting in arrested shoot and leaf growth and sterile flowers. Approximately 57-83% of 35S:anti-NgCDC48 plants failed to develop mature organs and died at early stage of development. Scanning electron microscopy showed that both adaxial and abaxial epidermal pavement cells in antisense transgenic leaves were significantly smaller and more numerous than those in wild type leaves. These results indicate that NgCDC48 is critically involved in cell growth and development of tobacco plants. An in vivo targeting experiment revealed that NgCDC48 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in tobacco protoplasts. We consider the tantalizing possibility that CDC48-mediated degradation of an as-yet unidentified protein(s) in the ER might be a critical step for cell growth and expansion in tobacco leaves.

The proapoptotic function of SAP provides a clue to the clinical picture of X-linked lymphoproliferative disease

Deletion or mutation of the SAP gene is associated with the X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) that is characterized by extreme sensitivity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Primary infection of the affected individuals leads to serious, sometimes fatal infectious mononucleosis (IM) and proneness to lymphoma. Our present results revealed a proapoptotic function of SAP by which it contributes to the maintenance of T-cell homeostasis and to the elimination of potentially dangerous DNA-damaged cells. Therefore, the loss of this function could be responsible for the uncontrolled T-cell proliferation in fatal IM and for the generation of lymphomas. We show now the role of SAP in apoptosis in T and B lymphocyte-derived lines. Among the clones of T-ALL line, the ones with higher SAP levels succumbed more promptly to activation induced cell death (AICD). Importantly, introduction of SAP expression into lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) established from XLP patients led to elevated apoptotic response to DNA damage. Similar results were obtained in the osteosarcoma line, Saos-2. We have shown that the anti-apoptotic protein VCP (valosin-containing protein) binds to SAP, suggesting that it could be instrumental in the enhanced apoptotic response modulated by SAP.

Hereditary inclusion body myopathy-linked p97/VCP mutations in the NH2 domain and the D1 ring modulate p97/VCP ATPase activity and D2 ring conformation

Hereditary inclusion body myopathy associated with early-onset Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (hIBMPFTD) is a degenerative disorder caused by single substitutions in highly conserved residues of p97/VCP. All mutations identified thus far cluster within the NH(2) domain or the D1 ring, which are both required for communicating conformational changes to adaptor protein complexes. In this study, biochemical approaches were used to identify the consequences of the mutations R155P and A232E on p97/VCP structure. Assessment of p97/VCP oligomerization revealed that p97(R155P) and p97(A232E) formed hexameric ring-shaped structures of approximately 600 kDa. p97(R155P) and p97(A232E) exhibited an approximately 3-fold increase in ATPase activity compared to wild-type p97 (p97(WT)) and displayed increased sensitivity to heat-induced upregulation of ATPase activity. Protein fluorescence analysis provided evidence for conformational differences in the D2 rings of both hIBMPFTD mutants. Furthermore, both mutations increased the proteolytic susceptibility of the D2 ring. The solution structures of all p97/VCP proteins revealed a didispersed distribution of a predominant hexameric population and a minor population of large-diameter complexes. ATP binding significantly increased the abundance of large-diameter complexes for p97(R155P) and p97(A232E), but not p97(WT) or the ATP-binding mutant p97(K524A). Therefore, we propose that hIBMPFTD p97/VCP mutants p97(R155P) and p97(A232E) possess structural defects that may compromise the mechanism of p97/VCP activity within large multiprotein complexes.

VCP mutations causing frontotemporal lobar degeneration disrupt localization of TDP-43 and induce cell death

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with inclusion body myopathy and Paget disease of bone is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the VCP (valosin-containing protein) gene. The disease is characterized neuropathologically by frontal and temporal lobar atrophy, neuron loss and gliosis, and ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U), which are distinct from those seen in other sporadic and familial FTLD-U entities. The major component of the ubiquitinated inclusions of FTLD with VCP mutation is TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa). TDP-43 proteinopathy links sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sporadic FTLD-U, and most familial forms of FTLD-U. Understanding the relationship between individual gene defects and pathologic TDP-43 will facilitate the characterization of the mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration. Using cell culture models, we have investigated the role of mutant VCP in intracellular trafficking, proteasomal function, and cell death and demonstrate that mutations in the VCP gene 1) alter localization of TDP-43 between the nucleus and cytosol, 2) decrease proteasome activity, 3) induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, 4) increase markers of apoptosis, and 5) impair cell viability. These results suggest that VCP mutation-induced neurodegeneration is mediated by several mechanisms.

Cell cycle progression requires the CDC-48UFD-1/NPL-4 complex for efficient DNA replication

Since cdc48 mutants were isolated by the first genetic screens for cell division cycle (cdc) mutants in yeast, the requirement of the chaperone-like ATPase Cdc48/p97 during cell division has remained unclear. Here, we discover an unanticipated function for Caenorhabditis elegans CDC-48 in DNA replication linked to cell cycle control. Our analysis of the CDC-48(UFD-1/NPL-4) complex identified a general role in S phase progression of mitotic cells essential for embryonic cell division and germline development of adult worms. These developmental defects result from activation of the DNA replication checkpoint caused by replication stress. Similar to loss of replication licensing factors, DNA content is strongly reduced in worms depleted for CDC-48, UFD-1, and NPL-4. In addition, these worms show decreased DNA synthesis and hypersensitivity toward replication blocking agents. Our findings identified a role for CDC-48(UFD-1/NPL-4) in DNA replication, which is important for cell cycle progression and genome stability.

AAA ATPase p97/VCP: cellular functions, disease and therapeutic potential

p97/VCP, a member of the AAA-ATPase super family, has been associated with a wide variety of essential cellular protein pathways com prising: (i) nuclear envelope reconstruction, (ii) cell cycle, (iii) Golgi reassembly, (iv) suppression of apoptosis and (v) DNA-damage response [1-6]. In addition, vasolin-containing protein (VCP) dislodges the ubiquitinated proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and chaperones them to the cytosol for proteasomal degradation by endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) [7]. The interactions of VCP in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway determine the substrate selection for proteasomal degradation. Moreover, the interaction with VCP is also required for the ubiquitination of substrate. VCP is phosphorylated by the master cellular kinase, Akt as a mechanism to regulate ERAD [8]. These multiple interactions in protein degradation pathways points to central role of VCP in misfolded protein degradation. VCP has a poly-glutamine and ubiquitin-binding capacity and is involved in proteasomal degradation, cytosolic aggregation and processing of polyQ and polyUb aggregates in neurodegenerative and other misfolded protein diseases [9, 10]. Mutations in VCP gene are also linked to a protein deposition disorder, IBMFD [11]. We propose VCP as a therapeutic target for diseases caused by cytosolic protein aggregation or degradation of misfolded protein. We predict that selective interference of VCP interaction(s) with aberrant protein or its ERAD function will be an effective therapeutic site to rescue functional misfolded protein in diseases like cystic fibrosis and alpha-1-trypsin deficiency. The control of VCP expression is also proposed to be a potential therapeutic target in ex-polyQ-induced neurodegenerative diseases [12]. The further functional characterization of VCP and associated proteins in these diseases will help in designing of selective therapeutics.

GTPase-mediated regulation of the unfolded protein response in Caenorhabditis elegans is dependent on the AAA+ ATPase CDC-48

When endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis is perturbed, an adaptive mechanism is triggered and named the unfolded protein response (UPR). Thus far, three known UPR signaling branches (IRE-1, PERK, and ATF-6) mediate the reestablishment of ER functions but can also lead to apoptosis if ER stress is not alleviated. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms integrating the UPR to other ER functions, such as membrane traffic or endomembrane signaling, remains incomplete. We consequently sought to identify new regulators of UPR-dependent transcriptional mechanisms and focused on a family of proteins known to mediate, among other, ER-related functions: the small GTP-binding proteins of the RAS superfamily. To this end, we used transgenic UPR reporter Caenorhabditis elegans strains as a model to specifically silence small-GTPase expression. We show that the Rho subfamily member CRP-1 is an essential component of UPR-induced transcriptional events through its physical and genetic interactions with the AAA+ ATPase CDC-48. In addition, we describe a novel signaling module involving CRP-1 and CDC-48 which may directly link the UPR to DNA remodeling and transcription control.

The differentiation/retrodifferentiation program of human U937 leukemia cells is accompanied by changes of VCP/p97

Background

Retrodifferentiation and regained proliferative capacity of growth-arrested human leukemic cells after monocyte-like differentiation requires proteolytic activities together with distinct regulatory factors. The AAA ATPase valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) contributes to protein degradation and cell cycle regulation, respectively, and it was of interest to study a possible role of VCP/p97 during this myelomonocytic differentiation and retrodifferentiation.

Results

Separation of autonomously proliferating human U937 myeloid leukemia cells by centrifugal elutriation demonstrated unaltered VCP/p97 expression levels throughout distinct phases of the cell cycle. However, phorbol ester-induced G₀/G₁ cell cycle arrest in differentiating human U937 leukemia cells was associated with a significantly increased protein and mRNA amount of this AAA ATPase. These elevated VCP/p97 levels progressively decreased again when growth-arrested U937 cells entered a retrodifferentiation program and returned to the tumorigenic phenotype. Whereas VCP/p97 was observed predominantly in the cytosol of U937 tumor and retrodifferentiated cells, a significant nuclear accumulation appeared during differentiation and G₀/G₁ growth arrest. Analysis of subcellular compartments by immunoprecipitations and 2D Western blots substantiated these findings and revealed furthermore a tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of VCP/p97 in the cytosolic but not in the nuclear fractions. These altered tyrosine phosphorylation levels, according to distinct subcellular distributions, indicated a possible functional involvement of VCP/p97 in the leukemic differentiation process. Indeed, a down-modulation of VCP/p97 protein by siRNA revealed a reduced expression of differentiation-associated genes in subsequent DNA microarray analysis. Moreover, DNA-binding and proliferation-associated genes, which are down-regulated during differentiation of the leukemic cells, demonstrated elevated levels in the VCP/p97 siRNA transfectants.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrated that monocytic differentiation and G₀/G₁ growth arrest in human U937 leukemia cells was accompanied by an increase in VCP/p97 expression and a distinct subcellular distribution to be reverted during retrodifferentiation. Together with a down-modulation of VCP/p97 by siRNA, these results suggested an association of this AAA ATPase in the differentiation/retrodifferentiation program.

Nuclear localization of valosin-containing protein in normal muscle and muscle affected by inclusion-body myositis

Inclusion-body myopathy with Paget's disease and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) is a disease of muscle, bone, and brain that results from mutations in the gene encoding valosin-containing protein (VCP). The mechanism of disease resulting from VCP mutations is unknown. Previous studies of VCP localization in normal human muscle samples have found a capillary and perinuclear distribution, but not a nuclear localization. Here we demonstrate that VCP is present in both myonuclei and endothelial cell nuclei in normal human muscle tissue. The immunodetection of VCP varies with acetone or paraformaldehyde fixation. Within the nucleus, VCP associates with the nucleolar protein fibrillarin and Werner syndrome protein (Wrnp) in normal and IBMPFD muscle. In patients with inclusion-body myositis (IBM), normal nuclear localization is present and some rimmed vacuoles are lined with VCP. These findings suggest that impairment in the nuclear function of VCP might contribute to the muscle pathology occurring in IBMPFD.

Tumor-associated embryonic antigen-expressing vaccines that target CCR6 elicit potent CD8+ T cell-mediated protective and therapeutic antitumor immunity

Despite its potency, the wider use of immunotherapy for B cell malignancies is hampered by the lack of well-defined tumor-specific Ags. In this study, we demonstrate that an evolutionarily conserved 37-kDa immature laminin receptor protein (OFA-iLRP), a nonimmunogenic embryonic Ag expressed by a variety of tumors, is rendered immunogenic if targeted to the APCs using the CCR6 ligands MIP3alpha/CCL20 and mDF2beta. The CCR6 targeting facilitated efficient Ag cross-presentation and induction of tumor-neutralizing CTLs. Although the Ag targeting alone, without activation of dendritic cells (DCs), is proposed to induce tolerance, and MIP3alpha does not directly activate DCs, the MIP3alpha-based vaccine efficiently induced protective and therapeutic antitumor responses. The responses were as strong as those elicited by the OFA-iLRP fusions with moieties that activated DCs and Th1-type cytokine responses, mDF2beta, or mycobacterial Hsp70 Ag. Although the same cDNA encodes the dimerized high-affinity mature 67-kDa mLRP that is expressed in normal tissues to stabilize the binding of laminin to cell surface integrins, the vaccines expressing OFA-iLRP elicited long-term protective CD8(+) T cell-mediated memory responses against syngeneic B cell lymphoma, indicating the potential application of these simple vaccines as preventive and therapeutic formulations for human use.

Werner syndrome protein prevents DNA breaks upon chromatin structure alteration

Werner syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by genome instability and the premature onset of several pathologies associated with aging. The gene responsible for Werner syndrome codes for a RecQ-type DNA helicase and is believed to be involved in different aspects of DNA repair, replication, and transcription. The human Werner protein (WRN) translocates from nucleoli to the nucleoplasm upon DNA damage. Here, for the first time we show WRN translocation following treatment with chloroquine (CHL) or trichostatin A (TSA), agents that alter chromatin structure without producing DNA breaks. In contrast to normal cells, WRN deficient human and murine cells incurred extensive DNA breaks upon CHL or TSA treatment, indicating a functional role for WRN in the proper response to these agents. Cells deficient for another RecQ-type helicase, Bloom syndrome, were not sensitive to these agents. WRN is known from in vitro studies to bind and stimulate the activity of topoisomerase I (Topol). CHL enhanced the association between WRN and Topol, suggesting that topological stress elicits a requirement for the stimulation of Topol by WRN. Supporting this idea, overexpression of Topol reduced CHL and TSA-induced DNA breaks in WRN null cells. We thus describe a novel function for WRN in ensuring genome stability to act in concert with Topol to prevent DNA breaks, following alterations in chromatin topology.

Cockayne syndrome protein B interacts with and is phosphorylated by c-Abl tyrosine kinase

The Cockayne Syndrome group B (CSB) protein plays important roles in transcription, transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair and base excision DNA repair. c-Abl kinase also plays a role in DNA repair as a regulator/coordinator of the DNA damage response. This study presents evidence that the N-terminal region of CSB interacts with the SH3 domain of c-Abl in vitro and in vivo. In addition, c-Abl kinase phosphorylates CSB at Tyr932. The subcellular localization of CSB to the nucleus and nucleolus is altered after phosphorylation by c-Abl. c-Abl-dependent phosphorylation of CSB increased in cells treated with hydrogen peroxide and decreased in cells pre-treated with STI-571, a c-Abl-specific protein kinase inhibitor. Activation of the c-Abl kinase in response to oxidative damage is not observed in CSB null cells. These results suggest that c-Abl and CSB may regulate each other in a reciprocal manner in response to oxidative stress.

Mechanisms of RecQ helicases in pathways of DNA metabolism and maintenance of genomic stability

Helicases are molecular motor proteins that couple the hydrolysis of NTP to nucleic acid unwinding. The growing number of DNA helicases implicated in human disease suggests that their vital specialized roles in cellular pathways are important for the maintenance of genome stability. In particular, mutations in genes of the RecQ family of DNA helicases result in chromosomal instability diseases of premature aging and/or cancer predisposition. We will discuss the mechanisms of RecQ helicases in pathways of DNA metabolism. A review of RecQ helicases from bacteria to human reveals their importance in genomic stability by their participation with other proteins to resolve DNA replication and recombination intermediates. In the light of their known catalytic activities and protein interactions, proposed models for RecQ function will be summarized with an emphasis on how this distinct class of enzymes functions in chromosomal stability maintenance and prevention of human disease and cancer.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Vacuolization and Valosin-Containing Protein Relocalization Result from Simultaneous Hsp90 Inhibition by Geldanamycin and Proteasome Inhibition by Velcade

Geldanamycin and Velcade, new anticancer drugs with novel mechanisms of action, are currently undergoing extensive clinical trials. Geldanamycin interrupts Hsp90 chaperone activity and causes down-regulation of its many client proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway; Velcade is a specific proteasome inhibitor. Misfolded Hsp90 clients within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen are cleared by ER--associated protein degradation, a sequential process requiring valosin-containing protein (VCP)-dependent retrotranslocation followed by ubiquitination and proteasomal proteolysis. Cotreatment of cells with geldanamycin and Velcade prevents destruction of destabilized, ubiquitinated Hsp90 client proteins, causing them to accumulate. Here, we report that misfolded protein accumulation within the ER resulting from geldanamycin and Velcade exposure overwhelms the ability of the VCP--centered machine to maintain the ER secretory pathway, causing the ER to distend into conspicuous vacuoles. Overexpression of dominant-negative VCP or the "small VCP--interacting protein" exactly recapitulated the vacuolated phenotype provoked by the drugs, associating loss of VCP function with ER vacuolization. In cells transfected with a VCP--enhanced yellow fluorescent protein fluorescent construct, geldanamycin plus Velcade treatment redistributed VCP--enhanced yellow fluorescent protein from the cytoplasm and ER into perinuclear aggresomes. In further support of the view that compromise of VCP function is responsible for ER vacuolization, small interfering RNA interference of VCP expression induced ER vacuolization that was markedly increased by Velcade. VCP knockdown by small interfering RNA eventually deconstructed both the ER and Golgi and interdicted protein trafficking through the secretory pathway to the plasma membrane. Thus, simultaneous geldanamycin and Velcade treatment has far-reaching secondary cytotoxic consequences that likely contribute to the cytotoxic activity of this anticancer drug combination.

Age-specific hormonal decline is accompanied by transcriptional changes in human sebocytes in vitro

The importance of hormones in endogenous aging has been displayed by recent studies performed on animal models and humans. To decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in aging we maintained human sebocytes at defined hormone-substituted conditions that corresponded to average serum levels of females from 20 (f20) to 60 (f60) years of age. The corresponding hormone receptor expression was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. Cells at f60 produced significantly lower lipids than at f20. Increased mRNA and protein levels of c-Myc and increased protein levels of FN1, which have been associated with aging, were detected in SZ95 sebocytes at f60 compared to those detected at f20 after 5 days of treatment. Expression profiling employing a cDNA microarray composed of 15 529 cDNAs identified 899 genes with altered expression levels at f20 vs. f60. Confirmation of gene regulation was performed by real-time RT-PCR. The functional annotation of these genes according to the Gene Ontology identified pathways related to mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, cell cycle, immune responses, steroid biosynthesis and phospholipid degradation - all hallmarks of aging. Twenty-five genes in common with those identified in aging kidneys and several genes involved in neurodegenerative diseases were also detected. This is the first report describing the transcriptome of human sebocytes and its modification by a cocktail of hormones administered in age-specific levels and provides an in vitro model system, which approximates some of the hormone-dependent changes in gene transcription that occur during aging in humans.

Chemokine receptor targeting efficiently directs antigens to MHC class I pathways and elicits antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses

Chemokines are key controllers of cell trafficking and are involved in numerous pathologic and inflammatory conditions. However, the fate of a chemokine ligand, once it is endocytosed with its receptor, remains obscure. Here, using chemokine-tumor antigen fusion constructs, we demonstrate for the first time that chemokines are internalized to early/late endosomal and lysosomal compartments through a clathrin-dependent process and subsequently delivered to the cytosol for proteasomal processing, facilitating efficient cross-presentation to the TAP-1-dependent MHC class I processing pathway. These data not only elucidate the intracellular fate of chemokine ligands upon receptor uptake, but also demonstrate the superior carrier potency of chemokines for delivering self-antigens to both class I and II processing pathways to induce CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell responses.