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Seltmann K, Hettich B, Abele S, Gurri S, Mantella V, Leroux J, Werner S. Transport of CLCA2 to the nucleus by extracellular vesicles controls keratinocyte survival and migration. J Extracell Vesicles 2024; 13:e12430. [PMID: 38602325 PMCID: PMC11007793 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chloride channel accessory 2 (CLCA2) is a transmembrane protein, which promotes adhesion of keratinocytes and their survival in response to hyperosmotic stress. Here we show that CLCA2 is transported to the nucleus of keratinocytes via extracellular vesicles. The nuclear localization is functionally relevant, since wild-type CLCA2, but not a mutant lacking the nuclear localization signal, suppressed migration of keratinocytes and protected them from hyperosmotic stress-induced cell death. In the nucleus, CLCA2 bound to and activated β-catenin, resulting in enhanced expression of Wnt target genes. Mass-spectrometry-based interaction screening and functional rescue studies identified RNA binding protein 3 as a key effector of nuclear CLCA2. This is of likely relevance in vivo because both proteins co-localize in the human epidermis. Together, these results identify an unexpected nuclear function of CLCA2 in keratinocytes under homeostatic and stress conditions and suggest a role of extracellular vesicles and their nuclear transport in the control of key cellular activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Seltmann
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Department of BiologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Britta Hettich
- Department of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesInstitute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Seraina Abele
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Department of BiologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Selina Gurri
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Department of BiologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Valeria Mantella
- Department of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesInstitute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jean‐Christophe Leroux
- Department of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesInstitute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sabine Werner
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Department of BiologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Gurri S, Siegenthaler B, Cangkrama M, Restivo G, Huber M, Saliba J, Dummer R, Blank V, Hohl D, Werner S. NRF3 suppresses squamous carcinogenesis, involving the unfolded protein response regulator HSPA5. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17761. [PMID: 37807968 PMCID: PMC10630885 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202317761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial skin cancers are extremely common, but the mechanisms underlying their malignant progression are still poorly defined. Here, we identify the NRF3 transcription factor as a tumor suppressor in the skin. NRF3 protein expression is strongly downregulated or even absent in invasively growing cancer cells of patients with basal and squamous cell carcinomas (BCC and SCC). NRF3 deficiency promoted malignant conversion of chemically induced skin tumors in immunocompetent mice, clonogenic growth and migration of human SCC cells, their invasiveness in 3D cultures, and xenograft tumor formation. Mechanistically, the tumor-suppressive effect of NRF3 involves HSPA5, a key regulator of the unfolded protein response, which we identified as a potential NRF3 interactor. HSPA5 levels increased in the absence of NRF3, thereby promoting cancer cell survival and migration. Pharmacological inhibition or knock-down of HSPA5 rescued the malignant features of NRF3-deficient SCC cells in vitro and in preclinical mouse models. Together with the strong expression of HSPA5 in NRF3-deficient cancer cells of SCC patients, these results suggest HSPA5 inhibition as a treatment strategy for these malignancies in stratified cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Gurri
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Siegenthaler
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Cangkrama
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gaetana Restivo
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Huber
- Service of Dermatology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - James Saliba
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Volker Blank
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Daniel Hohl
- Service of Dermatology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Werner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Brütsch SM, Madzharova E, Pantasis S, Wüstemann T, Gurri S, Steenbock H, Gazdhar A, Kuhn G, Angel P, Bellusci S, Brinckmann J, Auf dem Keller U, Werner S, Bordoli MR. Mesenchyme-derived vertebrate lonesome kinase controls lung organogenesis by altering the matrisome. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:89. [PMID: 36920550 PMCID: PMC10017657 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04735-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate lonesome kinase (VLK) is the only known secreted tyrosine kinase and responsible for the phosphorylation of a broad range of secretory pathway-resident and extracellular matrix proteins. However, its cell-type specific functions in vivo are still largely unknown. Therefore, we generated mice lacking the VLK gene (protein kinase domain containing, cytoplasmic (Pkdcc)) in mesenchymal cells. Most of the homozygous mice died shortly after birth, most likely as a consequence of their lung abnormalities and consequent respiratory failure. E18.5 embryonic lungs showed a reduction of alveolar type II cells, smaller bronchi, and an increased lung tissue density. Global mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics identified 97 proteins with significantly and at least 1.5-fold differential abundance between genotypes. Twenty-five of these had been assigned to the extracellular region and 15 to the mouse matrisome. Specifically, fibromodulin and matrilin-4, which are involved in extracellular matrix organization, were significantly more abundant in lungs from Pkdcc knockout embryos. These results support a role for mesenchyme-derived VLK in lung development through regulation of matrix dynamics and the resulting modulation of alveolar epithelial cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salome M Brütsch
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elizabeta Madzharova
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sophia Pantasis
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Till Wüstemann
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Selina Gurri
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heiko Steenbock
- Institute of Virology and Cell Biology, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Amiq Gazdhar
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gisela Kuhn
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Biomechanics, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Angel
- Division of Signal Transduction and Growth Control, DKFZ/ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saverio Bellusci
- German Lung Research Center (DCL), Giessen, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Aulweg 130, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Brinckmann
- Institute of Virology and Cell Biology, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ulrich Auf dem Keller
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Sabine Werner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Mattia R Bordoli
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Rauschendorfer T, Gurri S, Heggli I, Maddaluno L, Meyer M, Inglés-Prieto Á, Janovjak H, Werner S. Acute and chronic effects of a light-activated FGF receptor in keratinocytes in vitro and in mice. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:4/11/e202101100. [PMID: 34548382 PMCID: PMC8473723 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic activation of FGFR2 allowed temporally precise induction of signaling and behavioural changes, but counter-regulation at multiple levels prevented a sustained response in keratinocytes. FGFs and their high-affinity receptors (FGFRs) play key roles in development, tissue repair, and disease. Because FGFRs bind overlapping sets of ligands, their individual functions cannot be determined using ligand stimulation. Here, we generated a light-activated FGFR2 variant (OptoR2) to selectively activate signaling by the major FGFR in keratinocytes. Illumination of OptoR2-expressing HEK 293T cells activated FGFR signaling with remarkable temporal precision and promoted cell migration and proliferation. In murine and human keratinocytes, OptoR2 activation rapidly induced the classical FGFR signaling pathways and expression of FGF target genes. Surprisingly, multi-level counter-regulation occurred in keratinocytes in vitro and in transgenic mice in vivo, including OptoR2 down-regulation and loss of responsiveness to light activation. These results demonstrate unexpected cell type–specific limitations of optogenetic FGFRs in long-term in vitro and in vivo settings and highlight the complex consequences of transferring optogenetic cell signaling tools into their relevant cellular contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Rauschendorfer
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Selina Gurri
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irina Heggli
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luigi Maddaluno
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Meyer
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Harald Janovjak
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria .,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Sabine Werner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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