Colocalization of chaperone Cpn60, proinsulin and convertase PC1 within immature secretory granules of insulin-secreting cells suggests a role for Cpn60 in insulin processing

Insulin granule morphology and crinosome formation in mice lacking the pancreatic β cell-specific phogrin (PTPRN2) gene

We recently reported that phogrin, also known as IA-2β or PTPRN2, forms a complex with the insulin receptor in pancreatic β cells upon glucose stimulation and stabilizes insulin receptor substrate 2. In β cells of systemic phogrin gene knockout (IA-2β-/-) mice, impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion, decreased insulin granule density, and an increase in the number and size of lysosomes have been reported. Since phogrin is expressed not only in β cells but also in various neuroendocrine cells, the precise impact of phogrin expressed in β cells on these cells remains unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of morphological changes in RIP-Cre+/-Phogrinflox/flox (βKO) mice with β cell-specific phogrin gene knockout. Compared to control RIP-Cre+/- Phogrin+/+ (Ctrl) mice, aged βKO mice exhibited a decreased density of insulin granules, which can be categorized into three subtypes. While no differences were observed in the density and size of lysosomes and crinosomes, organelles involved in insulin granule reduction, significant alterations in the regions of lysosomes responding positively to carbohydrate labeling were evident in young βKO mice. These alterations differed from those in Ctrl mice and continued to change with age. These electron microscopic findings suggest that phogrin expression in pancreatic β cells plays a role in insulin granule homeostasis and crinophagy during aging, potentially through insulin autocrine signaling and other mechanisms.

The Possible Role of the Type I Chaperonins in Human Insulin Self-Association

Insulin is a hormone that attends to energy metabolism by regulating glucose levels in the bloodstream. It is synthesised within pancreas beta-cells where, before being released into the serum, it is stored in granules as hexamers coordinated by Zn²⁺ and further packaged in microcrystalline structures. The group I chaperonin cpn60, known for its assembly-assisting function, is present, together with its cochaperonin cpn10, at each step of the insulin secretory pathway. However, the exact function of the heat shock protein in insulin biosynthesis and processing is still far from being understood. Here we explore the possibility that the molecular machine cpn60/cpn10 could have a role in insulin hexameric assembly and its further crystallization. Moreover, we also evaluate their potential protective effect in pathological insulin aggregation. The experiments performed with the cpn60 bacterial homologue, GroEL, in complex with its cochaperonin GroES, by using spectroscopic methods, microscopy and hydrodynamic techniques, reveal that the chaperonins in vitro favour insulin hexameric organisation and inhibit its aberrant aggregation. These results provide new details in the field of insulin assembly and its related disorders.

Inside the Insulin Secretory Granule

The pancreatic β-cell is purpose-built for the production and secretion of insulin, the only hormone that can remove glucose from the bloodstream. Insulin is kept inside miniature membrane-bound storage compartments known as secretory granules (SGs), and these specialized organelles can readily fuse with the plasma membrane upon cellular stimulation to release insulin. Insulin is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a biologically inactive precursor, proinsulin, along with several other proteins that will also become members of the insulin SG. Their coordinated synthesis enables synchronized transit through the ER and Golgi apparatus for congregation at the trans-Golgi network, the initiating site of SG biogenesis. Here, proinsulin and its constituents enter the SG where conditions are optimized for proinsulin processing into insulin and subsequent insulin storage. A healthy β-cell is continually generating SGs to supply insulin in vast excess to what is secreted. Conversely, in type 2 diabetes (T2D), the inability of failing β-cells to secrete may be due to the limited biosynthesis of new insulin. Factors that drive the formation and maturation of SGs and thus the production of insulin are therefore critical for systemic glucose control. Here, we detail the formative hours of the insulin SG from the luminal perspective. We do this by mapping the journey of individual members of the SG as they contribute to its genesis.

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation of the mouse PC1/3-N222D hypomorph and human PCSK1 mutations contributes to obesity

BACKGROUND

The proprotein convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), encoded by proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 1 (PCSK1), cleaves and hence activates several orexigenic and anorexigenic proproteins. Congenital inactivation of PCSK1 leads to obesity in human but not in mice. However, a mouse model harboring the hypomorphic mutation N222D is obese. It is not clear why the mouse models differ in phenotype.

METHODS

Gene expression analysis was performed with pancreatic islets from Pcsk1(N222D/N222D) mice. Subsequently, biosynthesis, maturation, degradation and activity were studied in islets, pituitary, hypothalamus and cell lines. Coimmunoprecipitation of PC1/3-N222D and human PC1/3 variants associated with obesity with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone BiP was studied in cell lines.

RESULTS

Gene expression analysis of islets of Pcsk1(N222D/N222D) mice showed enrichment of gene sets related to the proteasome and the unfolded protein response. Steady-state levels of PC1/3-N222D and in particular the carboxy-terminally processed form were strongly reduced in islets, pituitary and hypothalamus. However, impairment of substrate cleavage was tissue dependent. Proinsulin processing was drastically reduced, while processing of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in pituitary was only mildly impaired. Growth hormone expression and IGF-1 levels were normal, indicating near-normal processing of hypothalamic proGHRH. PC1/3-N222D binds to BiP and is rapidly degraded by the proteasome. Analysis of human PC1/3 obesity-associated mutations showed increased binding to BiP and prolonged intracellular retention for all investigated mutations, in particular for PC1/3-T175M, PC1/3-G226R and PC1/3-G593R.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the hypomorphic mutation in Pcsk1(N222D) mice has an effect on catalytic activity in pancreatic islets, pituitary and hypothalamus. Reduced substrate processing activity in Pcsk1(N222D/N222D) mice is due to enhanced degradation in addition to reduced catalytic activity of the mutant. PC1/3-N222D binds to BiP, suggesting impaired folding and reduced stability. Enhanced BiP binding is also observed in several human obesity-associated PC1/3 variants, suggesting a common mechanism.

Insulin granule biogenesis, trafficking and exocytosis

It is becoming increasingly apparent that beta cell dysfunction resulting in abnormal insulin secretion is the essential element in the progression of patients from a state of impaired glucose tolerance to frank type 2 diabetes (Del Prato, 2003; Del Prato and Tiengo, 2001). Although extensive studies have examined the molecular, cellular and physiologic mechanisms of insulin granule biogenesis, sorting, and exocytosis the precise mechanisms controlling these processes and their dysregulation in the developed of diabetes remains an area of important investigation. We now know that insulin biogenesis initiates with the synthesis of preproinsulin in rough endoplastic reticulum and conversion of preproinsulin to proinsulin. Proinsulin begins to be packaged in the Trans-Golgi Network and is sorting into immature secretory granules. These immature granules become acidic via ATP-dependent proton pump and proinsulin undergoes proteolytic cleavage resulting the formation of insulin and C-peptide. During the granule maturation process, insulin is crystallized with zinc and calcium in the form of dense-core granules and unwanted cargo and membrane proteins undergo selective retrograde trafficking to either the constitutive trafficking pathway for secretion or to degradative pathways. The newly formed mature dense-core insulin granules populate two different intracellular pools, the readily releasable pools (RRP) and the reserved pool. These two distinct populations are thought to be responsible for the biphasic nature of insulin release in which the RRP granules are associated with the plasma membrane and undergo an acute calcium-dependent release accounting for first phase insulin secretion. In contrast, second phase insulin secretion requires the trafficking of the reserved granule pool to the plasma membrane. The initial trigger for insulin granule fusion with the plasma membrane is a rise in intracellular calcium and in the case of glucose stimulation results from increased production of ATP, closure of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel and cellular depolarization. In turn, this opens voltage-dependent calcium channels allowing increased influx of extracellular calcium. Calcium is thought to bind to members of the fusion regulatory proteins synaptogamin that functionally repressors the fusion inhibitory protein complexin. Both complexin and synaptogamin interact as well as several other regulatory proteins interact with the core fusion machinery composed of the Q- or t-SNARE proteins syntaxin 1 and SNAP25 in the plasma membrane that assembles with the R- or v-SNARE protein VAMP2 in insulin granules. In this chapter we will review the current progress of insulin granule biogenesis, sorting, trafficking, exocytosis and signaling pathways that comprise the molecular basis of glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

Glucose-modulated tyrosine nitration in beta cells: targets and consequences

Hyperglycemia, key factor of the pre-diabetic and diabetic pathology, is associated with cellular oxidative stress that promotes oxidative protein modifications. We report that protein nitration is responsive to changes in glucose concentrations in islets of Langerhans and insulinoma beta cells. Alterations in the extent of tyrosine nitration as well as the cellular nitroproteome profile correlated tightly with changing glucose concentrations. The target proteins we identified function in protein folding, energy metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and membrane permeability. Nitration of heat shock protein 60 in vitro was found to decrease its ATP hydrolysis and interaction with proinsulin, suggesting a mechanism by which protein nitration could diminish insulin secretion. This was supported by our finding of a decrease in stimulated insulin secretion following glycolytic stress in cultured cells. Our results reveal that protein tyrosine nitration may be a previously unrecognized factor in beta-cell dysfunction and the pathogenesis of diabetes.

The chaperone activity of GRP94 toward insulin-like growth factor II is necessary for the stress response to serum deprivation

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II is a hormone with mitogenic activity for many cell types and tissues. We demonstrate that its intracellular processing and secretion strictly depend on the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 94. GRP94 interacts physically and transiently with pro-IGF-II intermediates, and its activity is essential for secretion of active IGF-II, thus establishing IGF-II as a client of GRP94. Embryonic stem (ES) cells that lack GRP94 are hypersensitive to stress conditions such as serum deprivation and die by apoptosis because they cannot respond to the stress by producing active IGF-II. This chaperone-client interaction may explain the previously documented antiapoptotic activity of GRP94 in a number of stress responses.

Active and passive mechanisms drive secretory granule biogenesis during differentiation of the intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia

The parasitic protozoan Giardia lamblia undergoes important changes to survive outside the intestine of its host by differentiating into infective cysts. During encystation, three cyst wall proteins (CWPs) are specifically expressed and concentrated within encystation-specific secretory vesicles (ESVs). ESVs are electron-dense secretory granules that transport CWPs before exocytosis and extracellular polymerization into a rigid cyst wall. Because secretory granules form at the trans-Golgi in higher eukaryotes and because Giardia lacks an identifiable Golgi apparatus, the aim of this work was to investigate the molecular basis of secretory granule formation in Giardia by examining the role of CWPs in this process. Although CWP1, CWP2, and CWP3 are structurally similar in their 26-kDa leucine-rich overlapping region, CWP2 is distinguished by the presence of a 13-kDa C-terminal basic extension. In non-encysting trophozoites, expression of different CWP chimeras showed that the CWP2 basic extension is necessary for biogenesis of ESVs, which occurs in a compartment derived from the endoplasmic reticulum. Nevertheless, the CWP2 basic extension per se is insufficient to trigger ESV formation, indicating that other domains in CWPs are also required. We found that CWP2 is a key regulator of ESV formation by acting as an aggregation factor for CWP1 and CWP3 through interactions mediated by its conserved region. CWP2 also acts as a ligand for sorting via its C-terminal basic extension. These findings show that granule biogenesis requires complex interactions among granule components and membrane receptors.

Aggregation and lack of secretion of most newly synthesized proinsulin in non-beta-cell lines

Myoblasts transfected with HB10D insulin secrete more hormone than those transfected with wild-type insulin, as published previously, indicating that production of wild-type insulin is not efficient in these cells. The ability of non-beta-cells to produce insulin was examined in several cell lines. In clones of neuroendocrine GH(4)C(1) cells stably transfected with proinsulin, two thirds of (35)S-proinsulin was degraded within 3 h of synthesis, whereas (35)S-prolactin was stable. In transiently transfected neuroendocrine AtT20 cells, half of (35)S-proinsulin was degraded within 3 h after synthesis, whereas (35)S-GH was stable. In transiently transfected fibroblast COS cells, (35)S-proinsulin was stable for longer, but less than 10% was secreted 8 h after synthesis. Proinsulin formed a concentrated patch detected by immunofluorescence in transfected cells that did not colocalize with calreticulin or BiP, markers for the endoplasmic reticulum, but did colocalize with membrin, a marker for the cis-medial Golgi complex. Proinsulin formed a Lubrol-insoluble aggregate within 30 min after synthesis in non-beta-cells but not in INS-1E cells, a beta-cell line that normally produces insulin. More than 45% of (35)S-HB10D proinsulin was secreted from COS cells 3 h after synthesis, and this mutant formed less Lubrol-insoluble aggregate in the cells than did wild-type hormone. These results indicate that proinsulin production from these non-beta-cells is not efficient and that proinsulin aggregates in their secretory pathways. Factors in the environment of the secretory pathway of beta-cells may prevent aggregation of proinsulin to allow efficient production.

Furin interacts with proMT1-MMP and integrin alphaV at specialized domains of renal cell plasma membrane

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and integrins are essential for cell and extracellular matrix homeostasis. Both membrane type-1 MMP (MT1-MMP) and the integrin alphaV subunit are fully activated upon cleavage at a furin recognition site. Furin is shuttled to the cell surface through the trans-Golgi network and endosomal system, and its only known role on plasma membrane consists in activation of opportunistic pathogenic entities. Here, we report findings about the interaction of furin with MT1-MMP and the integrin alphaV at the cell surface. By using in vivo gene delivery, western blotting and immunogold electron microscopy, we provide evidence of significant pools of furin and proMT1-MMP along the surface of cells lining basement membranes. Moreover, furin and integrin alphaV are frequently found associated with the slit diaphragm of renal podocytes and around endothelial fenestrations. ProMT1-MMP, by contrast, is concentrated at the slit diaphragm. Coimmunoprecipitations and double immunogold labelings indicate that furin interacts with proMT1-MMP and alphaV at points of insertion of the slit diaphragm. Our results suggest that these focalized complexes could trigger basement membrane proteolysis either directly by activation of proMT1-MMP or indirectly by promoting activation of proMMP2.

Expression differences in mitochondrial and secretory chaperonin 60 (Cpn60) in pancreatic acinar cells

In pancreatic acinar cells, chaperonin Cpn60 is present in all the cellular compartments involved in protein secretion as well as in mitochondria. To better understand the role Cpn60 plays in pancreatic secretion, we have evaluated its changes under experimental conditions known to alter pancreatic secretion. Quantitative protein A-gold immunocytochemistry was used to reveal Cpn60 in pancreatic acinar cells. Cpn60 immunolabelings in cellular compartments involved in secretion were found to decrease in acute pancreatitis as well as upon stimulation of secretion and in starvation conditions. A major increase in Cpn60 was recorded in diabetic condition. This was normalized by insulin treatment. Although in certain situations changes in secretory enzymes and in Cpn60 correlate well, in others, nonparallel secretion seemed to take place. In contrast, expression of mitochondrial Cpn60 in acinar cells appeared to remain stable in all conditions except starvation, where its levels decreased. Expression of Cpn60 in the secretory pathway and in mitochondria thus appears to behave differently, and Cpn60 in the secretory pathway must be important for quality control and integrity of secretion.

Aggregation of human wild-type and H27A-prolactin in cells and in solution: roles of Zn(2+), Cu(2+), and pH

Aggregation of hormones is an important step in the formation of secretory granules that results in concentration of hormones. In transfected AtT20 cells, but not COS cells, Lubrol-insoluble aggregates of human prolactin (PRL) accumulated within 30 min after synthesis. Aggregation in AtT20 cells was reduced by incubation with 30 microM chloroquine, which neutralizes intracellular compartments, and was slowed by incubation with diethyldithiocarbamate, which chelates Cu(2+) and Zn(2+). H27A-PRL aggregated in AtT20 cells as well as wild-type PRL, indicating that a high affinity Zn(2+)-binding site is not necessary. In solution, purified recombinant human PRL was precipitated by 20 microM Cu(2+) or Zn(2+). In solution without polyethylene glycol there was no precipitation with acidic pH alone, precipitation with Zn(2+) was most effective at neutral pH, and the ratio of Zn(2+) to PRL was greater than 1 in the precipitate. In solution with polyethylene glycol, precipitation occurred with acidic pH, precipitation with Zn(2+) occurred effectively at acidic pH, and the ratio of Zn(2+) to PRL was less than 1. The aggregates obtained in polyethylene glycol are therefore better models for aggregates in cells. Unlike human PRL, aggregation of rat PRL has been shown to occur at neutral pH in cells and in solution, and therefore these two similar proteins form aggregates that are the cores of secretory granules in ways that are not completely identical.

Concentrating hormones into secretory granules: layers of control

Soluble protein hormones are concentrated and stored in secretory granules The cisternal maturation model for transport of proteins through the Golgi complex allows a major role for formation of reversible aggregates as a means of both concentrating and sorting hormones, since soluble proteins will be removed in small vesicles, leaving behind the aggregated hormones. The storage of secretory granule proteins, however, is more selective than would be expected if passive aggregation were the only process involved. Aggregation of hormones in the secretory pathway may not be completely passive, but may be controlled by the cells. In addition to aggregation, other layers of sorting must exist, because there is selective retention of proteins after aggregation or packaging into granules.