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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 282, Issue 28, 20676-20685, July 13, 2007
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1
From the
Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Stra
e 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany, the
Institut für Pharmakologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Thielallee 67-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and the ¶Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center and Institute for Biomembranes, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
Received for publication, December 18, 2006 , and in revised form, May 3, 2007.
| ABSTRACT |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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The QCS is located mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and allows only correctly folded and/or assembled proteins to leave the early secretory pathway and to reach their final cellular destination (6, 7). Several components have been described to contribute to the QCS: (i) the lectin chaperones calnexin and calreticulin involved in the quality control of glycoproteins; (ii) "classical" chaperones such as the IgG heavy chain-binding protein, endoplasmin/grp90, and the ER-resident DnaJ-like proteins ERdj1-ERdj5; and (iii) enzymes such as protein-disulfide isomerase and the thiol oxidoreductase ERp57 (8). Misfolded or unassembled membrane proteins initially display a prolonged association with components of the QCS. They may then either accumulate in the ER, leading to the unfolded protein response (9), and/or be subjected to proteasomal degradation (10, 11). It has also been demonstrated that the QCS is not restricted to the ER but involves post-ER compartments such as the ER/Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) (12, 13). For the V2R, we have shown recently that transport-defective mutant receptors fall into two classes: mutants like L62P are retained exclusively in the ER, whereas others like Y205C escape to the ERGIC (14). In the ERGIC, they are recognized by an as yet incompletely understood mechanism.
Two strategies may lead to the successful treatment of diseases caused by transport-defective membrane proteins. The first comprises the use of substances promoting correct folding, thereby reducing the interaction with components of the QCS. In the case of receptors, membrane-permeable ligands may serve this purpose. Recently, such "pharmacological chaperones" were used to rescue the folding and plasma membrane transport of mutant G protein-coupled receptors such as, for example, the V2R (15, 16) and rhodopsin (17, 18). The pharmacological chaperones have the advantage of acting protein-specific and at low concentrations. The known disadvantage is that tightly bound ligands, mostly receptor antagonists, cannot easily be removed from the protein (16).
A second, not intensively pursued strategy includes the development of inhibitors of the QCS. This approach should prove useful in cases in which mutant proteins still have some functional activity but are nevertheless retained by the QCS, i.e. if the QCS is overprotective. A well known example is the
F508 mutant of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein found in 70% of patients with cystic fibrosis (19).
Here, we describe a new class of substances that rescue the transport of folding-defective membrane proteins. Using the L62P (ER-retained) and Y205C (reaching post-ER compartments) mutants of the V2R as model proteins, we show that the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) penetratin and KLAL (20, 21), which enter the cell via the endocytotic pathway (22, 23), specifically rescue the transport of the Y205C mutant (but not the L62P mutant) at low micromolar concentrations. Thus, these peptides act specifically in post-ER compartments.
| EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
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-D-maltoside, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and protein A-Sepharose were from Sigma (Munich, Germany). Sulfo-NHS-Biotin and ImmunoPure immobilized NeutrAvidinTM were obtained from Pierce. Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG and Cy3-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG were purchased from Dianova (Hamburg, Germany). Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse IgG was obtained from Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories (West Grove, PA). The monoclonal anti-ERGIC-53 antibody was a gift from Hans-Peter Hauri (Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland). The monoclonal anti-58-kDa Golgi protein antibody was obtained from Abcam (Cambridge, UK). The polyclonal anti-green fluorescent protein (GFP) serum for precipitation of the GFP-tagged receptors and detection of biotinylated GFP-tagged receptors was raised against a glutathione S-transferase/GFP fusion protein by us, and its specificity was verified.3 The polyclonal anti-GFP antiserum for immunogold electron microscopy (IEM), Fluo-4/AM, and Pluronic F-127 were purchased from Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR). Plasmids pRCDN2, encoding the V2R (24), and pWT-GFP (25), encoding a C-terminally GFP-tagged V2R, have been described. Vectors pcDNA1/Neo and pEGFP-N1 were from Invitrogen (Leek, The Netherlands) and Clontech (Heidelberg, Germany), respectively. Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were a gift from Falk Fahrenholz (Mainz, Germany). All other reagents were obtained from Sigma.
Plasmid ConstructionsPlasmids encoding the C-terminally GFP-tagged V2R mutants L62P and Y205C (14) and wild-type V2R (25) have been described. The corresponding cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) constructs of the wild-type receptor, L62P, and Y205C were generated by cloning the receptor moieties of the wild-type V2R-GFP, L62P-GFP, and Y205C-GFP plasmids on a BamHI/SacI fragment into the pECFP-N1 vector. The nucleotide sequences of all DNA fragments were verified by sequencing.
Cell Culture and TransfectionTransiently or stably transfected HEK 293 cells were cultured at 37 °C and 5% CO2 in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% heat-in-activated fetal calf serum, 100 units/ml penicillin, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin. Transfection of the cells with FuGENE 6TM was carried out according to the supplier's recommendations. Stable transfection of HEK 293 cells was carried out using LipofectamineTM according to the supplier's recommendations. G418 (400 µg/ml) was used for selection and maintenance of the cell clones expressing wild-type V2R-GFP, L62P-GFP, and Y205C-GFP.
Visualization of GFP- and CFP-tagged Receptors in Transiently Transfected Living HEK 293 CellsHEK 293 cells (2.5 x 105) grown for 24 h in a 35-mm diameter dish containing a poly-L-lysine-coated coverslip were transfected with 1 µg of plasmid DNA and FuGENE 6TM according to the supplier's recommendations. Cells were incubated overnight, washed once with phosphate-buffered saline, and transferred immediately into a self-made chamber.4 Cells were covered with 1 ml of phosphate-buffered saline, and trypan blue was added to a final concentration of 0.05%. After 1 min of staining, GFP and trypan blue fluorescence signals were visualized at room temperature on a Zeiss LSM 510 META inverted confocal laser scanning microscope (objective lens, x100/1.3 oil; optical section, <0.8 µm; multitrack mode; GFP,
ex = 488 nm, argon laser; 500-530-nm band-pass filter; trypan blue,
ex = 543 nm, heliumneon laser, 560-nm long-pass filter). The overlay of both signals was computed using Zeiss LSM 510 acquisition software (Release 3.2 SP2). Images were imported into Adobe Photoshop Version 5.5 software, and contrast was adjusted to approximate the original image. In the case of the cell-surface integrity assay, cells were stained for 15 min with trypan blue prior to recording. In the case of the receptor/peptide colocalization experiments, CFP-tagged receptors and 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (FLUOS)-labeled peptides were analyzed at room temperature using the same microscope (objective lens, x40/1.3 oil; optical section, <0.8 µm; multitrack mode; CFP,
ex = 810 nm, ChameleonTM laser, 430-498-nm band-pass filter; FLUOS,
ex = 488 nm, argon laser, 500-550-nm band-pass filter). The overlay of the signals was computed, and the images were processed as described above.
Visualization of GFP-tagged Receptors in Stably Transfected HEK 293 Cell Clones by IEMCell clones expressing similar amounts of the L62P and Y205C mutants were fixed in 2% freshly prepared formaldehyde plus 0.2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) for 2 h at room temperature. After three washes with phosphate buffer, the cells were scraped in 1% gelatin, spun down, and resuspended in 12% gelatin at 37 °C. Subsequently, the cells were centrifuged, and the gelatin was solidified on ice. The pellet was cut into small blocks, and the samples were infiltrated with 2.3 M sucrose in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) overnight at 4 °C. The blocks were mounted on pins and frozen in liquid nitrogen until processing into 50-60-nm cryosections. Sections were double-labeled with primary antibodies and detected by protein A-gold as described previously (26).
Quantification of Plasma Membrane GFP Fluorescence IntensitiesFor quantification of the peptide-mediated transport rescue, the ratio of cell membrane to intracellular fluorescence signal intensities was calculated and statistically analyzed as described previously (16).
Calcium MeasurementsHEK 293 cells were cultivated for 48 h in a 35-mm diameter dish containing a poly-L-lysine-coated coverslip. Cells were preloaded with the Ca2+ indicator Fluo-4/AM (2 µM in a solution of 140 mM NaCl, 4.6 mM KCl, 2 mM CaCl2, 10 mM glucose, and 0.01% Pluronic F-127 (pH 7.4)) for 30 min at 37 °C in the dark. Cells were washed three times with the same solution without Fluo-4/AM and Pluronic F-127 and supplemented with penetratin, KLAL, KALK, TAT, or thapsigargin (1 µM). The optical measurements were performed using the LSM 510 META inverted confocal laser scanning microscope (objective lens, x63/1.4 oil; optical slice, <3.4 µm; single-track mode; GFP,
ex = 488 nm, argon laser, 505-nm long-pass filter). Fluorescence images were recorded in a time series (2 s, 300 images) and computed as described above.
Pulse-Chase ExperimentsHEK 293 cells (4 x 106) were grown for 24 h in a 100-mm diameter dish and transiently transfected with 6 µg of plasmid DNA and Lipofectamine according to the supplier's recommendations. Cells were harvested 48 h after transfection with trypsin/EDTA (pH 7.4), washed twice with phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4), and starved for 45 min in 5 ml methionine/cysteine-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. Cells were then pulse-labeled with Expre35S35S protein labeling mixture (150-200 µCi/ml) for 25 min at 37 °C and incubated in 4 ml of stop medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, 10% fetal calf serum, 1.5 mM methionine, and 0.5 mM cysteine) at 37 °C for chase periods of 1, 2, and 4 h. Cells were harvested, and labeled proteins were extracted for 1 h with 1 ml of ice-cold lysis buffer (1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 50 mM Tris-HCl, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM Na-EDTA, 40 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 µg/ml Trasylol, and 100 mM benzamidine (pH 8.0)). Insoluble debris was removed by centrifugation at 47,000 x g for 20 min at 4 °C, and labeled proteins were recovered from the supernatant by overnight incubation at 4 °C with protein A-Sepharose beads loaded with anti-GFP antiserum. Beads were sedimented at 13,000 x g for 3 min at 4 °C and washed twice with buffer containing 0.5% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 50 mM Tris-HCl, 50 mM NaCl, and 1 mM Na-EDTA (pH 7.4) and once with the same buffer without NaCl. Proteins were solubilized in 40 µl of Laemmli buffer (60 mM Tris-HCl, 2% SDS, 10% glycerol, 5%
-mercaptoethanol, and 0.01% bromphenol blue (pH 6.8)) and separated by SDS-PAGE (10% acrylamide). The gel was incubated for 25 min in a fixing solution of 50% methanol and 10% acetic acid, dried, and exposed for 4 days to radiographic film.
ImmunofluorescenceHEK 293 cells (1 x 105) were spread on a poly-L-lysine-coated glass coverslip (12 mm in diameter) and incubated for 24 h. Cells were transiently transfected with 125 ng of plasmid DNA and FuGENE 6TM according to the supplier's recommendations. 18 h after transfection, the cell culture medium was supplemented with bafilomycin A1 (1 µM) or vehicle and incubated for another 4 h. The immunofluorescence procedure using anti-ERGIC-53 or anti-58-kDa Golgi protein antibody was carried out as described (14).
Treatment of Cells with the Peptides, Bafilomycin A1, and Brefeldin A (BFA)Bafilomycin A1 treatment of cells was carried out for 4 h at a final concentration of 1 µM. Treatment of cells with penetratin or KLAL was performed for 12 h using the peptide concentrations indicated under "Results." In receptor/peptide colocalization studies, peptide treatment was performed for only 6 h due to the reduced stability of the FLUOS-labeled peptides (peptide pretreatment = 2 h plus an additional 4 h together with bafilomycin A1). Combined treatment with penetratin (1 µM) and BFA (0.5 µg/ml) was carried out for 18 h.
Peptide Synthesis and LabelingPeptides were synthesized automatically (ABI 433A peptide synthesizer) by the solid-phase method using standard Fmoc chemistry in a batch-wise mode as described previously for the synthesis of corticotropin-releasing factor analogs (27). Carboxyfluorescein (FLUOS) was N-terminally incorporated after the last Fmoc cleavage on peptide resin via the FLUOS N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (2 eq in N,N-dimethylformamide overnight). After final cleavage/deprotection using trifluoroacetic acid/H2O (9:1), crude peptides were purified by preparative HPLC to give final products of 95% purity according to HPLC analysis. The peptides were characterized by mass spectrometry, which yielded the expected masses.
Cell-surface Biotinylation AssayStably transfected HEK 293 cells (9 x 105) were grown for 48 h in a 60-mm diameter dish to 80% confluence. The cell-surface biotinylation assay was carried out in the cold as described previously for transiently transfected HEK 293 cells (28). Biotinylated proteins were detected by immunoblotting using polyclonal anti-GFP serum and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG.
Immunoprecipitation of Total Receptor ProteinsImmunoprecipitations were carried out in the cold. To immobilize polyclonal anti-GFP antibodies, protein A-Sepharose beads were incubated for 15 min in buffer A (0.3% N-dodecyl
-D-maltoside, 25 mM Tris-HCl, 10 mM CaCl2, 0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0.5 mM aprotinin, 0.5 mM benzamidine, 0.5 mM 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2.]octane, and 0.5 mM Igepal CA-630 (pH 8.0)) and then washed three times with the same buffer. The beads (10 mg for the lysate of cells from one 100-mm diameter dish) were then incubated overnight with polyclonal anti-GFP serum (1:200) in a final volume of 1 ml of buffer A. Buffer A was removed by centrifugation at 500 x g for 5 min.
For immunoprecipitation, stably transfected HEK 293 cells were grown on 100-mm diameter dishes for 48 h to 80% confluence. Cells were washed twice with phosphate-buffered saline and lysed in buffer A for 1 h. Insoluble debris was removed by centrifugation at 12,000 x g for 30 min. The lysates were incubated for 3 h with the antibody-coupled protein A-Sepharose and washed twice with buffer A, twice with buffer B (same as buffer A but without detergent), twice with buffer C (same as buffer B but with 2 mM EDTA instead of CaCl2), and finally once with 12.5 mM Tris-HCl (pH 6.8). Precipitated proteins were eluted for 15 min at room temperature in Laemmli buffer (final concentrations of 60 mM Tris-HCl, 2% SDS, 10% glycerol, 5%
-mercaptoethanol, and 0.01% bromphenol blue (pH 6.8)), boiled for 2 min at 95 °C, and finally subjected to SDS-PAGE/immunoblot analysis using monoclonal anti-GFP antibodies and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse IgG.
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| RESULTS |
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Localization of the mutant receptors by IEM was performed using stably transfected cell clones expressing similar amounts of L62P and Y205C (Fig. 2). (Receptor expression was monitored by quantifying the receptors' GFP fluorescence signals fluorometrically (data not shown).) Cells were double-labeled for ERGIC-53 (15-nm gold particles) and GFP (10-nm gold particles). Mutant L62P was detectable in the ER cisternae, whereas no label was found in the ERGIC and in other post-ER compartments (Fig. 2A; ERGIC-53-positive membranes are marked with an asterisk). An escape of minor amounts of L62P from the ER was detectable only when cell clones expressing very high levels of this mutant were used (data not shown). By contrast, Y205C-GFP was readily seen in the ERGIC (Fig. 2B; ERGIC-53-positive membranes are marked with an asterisk) and throughout the Golgi stack (Fig. 2C; the cis-side of the stack is indicated by the presence of ERGIC-53). Expression of the Y205C mutant in the ER was low in the stably transfected cell clone under steady-state conditions, in contrast to the situation in the transiently transfected cells, where bafilomycin A1 treatment was needed to facilitate detection of the Y205C mutant in post-ER compartments (see Fig. 1B and Ref. 14). This is explicable if one assumes that transient transfections lead to stronger overexpression and to more ER aggregates of the Y205C mutant. In summary, these data confirm that the transport-defective NDI-causing V2R mutants fall into two classes: those retained in the ER and those reaching post-ER compartments.
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To determine whether the peptides rescue the transport of proteins retained by the QCS in post-ER compartments, transiently transfected HEK 293 cells expressing the ER-retained L62P mutant and the ER-escaping Y205C mutant were treated with the CPPs penetratin and TAT and the synthetic analog KLAL at 1 µM for 12 h (Figs. 3 and 4). We used a scrambled version (KALK) of the KLAL peptide as a negative control. Cell-surface expression of the receptors was analyzed by confocal LSM using the fluorescent dye trypan blue as a plasma membrane marker (Fig. 4, upper panels). In untreated cells, a colocalization of GFP and trypan blue signals was observed in the case of the wild-type receptor. The intracellular fluorescence signals represent transport intermediates en route to the cell surface and/or receptors that are retained as a consequence of overexpression (25, 33). Neither peptide influenced the transport of the wild-type receptor. In the case of mutant Y205C, the GFP signals were detectable intracellularly in untreated cells. The cell-surface delivery of mutant Y205C was restored by treatment with both penetratin and KLAL; TAT and the scrambled peptide were not effective. In the case of mutant L62P, neither peptide worked. These results show that the cell-penetrating peptides penetratin and KLAL specifically rescue the transport of mutant Y205C. Taking the different intracellular locations of Y205C and L62P into account (see Figs. 1 and 2), it is conceivable that the peptides act specifically in post-ER compartments. The results also show that the ability to rescue receptor trafficking is not attributable to the whole CPP family because TAT was ineffective in the case of the Y205C mutant.
To quantify the effects of the peptides, the ratios of cell membrane to intracellular fluorescence signal intensities of the receptors were determined in transiently transfected HEK 293 cells (n = 30 cells) (Fig. 4, lower panels) (see also Ref. 20). In the case of vehicle-treated cells expressing the Y205C mutant, a ratio of <1 was obtained, indicating a predominant intracellular localization of the mutant. Peptide treatment with either penetratin or KLAL significantly increased this ratio, consistent with cell-surface delivery. TAT and the scrambled KALK peptide were ineffective in the case of the Y205C mutant. The ratios of the L62P mutant and the wild-type receptor were not significantly influenced by any peptide treatment.
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To assess whether that the peptide-mediated rescue requires the secretory pathway, we induced disassembly of the Golgi apparatus by concomitant BFA treatment. Transiently transfected HEK 293 cells expressing mutants L62P and Y205C were incubated with penetratin alone or with a penetratin/BFA combination, and the GFP fluorescence signals of the receptors were analyzed by confocal LSM (Fig. 5C). BFA treatment abolished the penetratin-mediated rescue of the Y205C mutant, demonstrating that restoration of the cell-surface transport takes place only when the secretory pathway is functional. Similar results were obtained for KLAL-treated cells (data not shown).
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The Peptides Penetratin, KLAL, and TAT Colocalize with the Y205C Mutant in the ERGICIt was shown previously that penetratin reaches the Golgi apparatus, but not the ER (22, 23). These data may explain why the L62P mutant, which is retained in the ER, is not rescued by the peptides. It is not known whether penetratin is also transported beyond the Golgi apparatus to the ERGIC. To clarify whether the peptides reach the Y205C mutant in the ERGIC, but not the L62P mutant in the ER, we assessed colocalization of the peptides with the receptors after bafilomycin A1 treatment (see also Fig. 1B). To this end, we synthesized FLUOS-labeled penetratin, KLAL, and TAT. Mutant receptors were C-terminally tagged with CFP instead of GFP to allow the distinction of receptor and peptide fluorescence signals. Transiently transfected HEK 293 cells expressing the mutant receptors were pretreated with modified peptides (1 µM each) for 2 h. Bafilomycin A1 was added, and cells were incubated for an additional 4 h to accumulate receptors in the ERGIC (see also Fig. 1B). Analysis of cells by confocal LSM revealed that the Y205C mutant colocalized in the perinuclear ERGIC with either peptide (Fig. 7). (We also showed that the peptides colocalized with the marker protein ERGIC-53 in this case (data not shown).) In contrast, the L62P mutant did not colocalize with the peptides. Rescue of the Y205C mutant by the FLUOS-labeled peptides penetratin and KLAL was not detectable, in contrast to the experiments shown in Fig. 4. This is due to the fact that treatment with FLUOS-labeled peptides was performed for only 6 h (2-h peptide pretreatment + an additional 4 h together with bafilomycin A1) instead of 12 h in the rescue experiments shown above. Incubation of cells with FLUOS-labeled penetratin and KLAL peptides for 12 h also led to rescue of the Y205C mutant (data not shown). However, the fluorophore was not stable under these conditions, and peptide fluorescence disappeared, thus necessitating a decreased incubation time in the receptor/peptide colocalization experiment.
Taken together, the results of the receptor/peptide colocalization study suggest that the peptides penetratin and KLAL reach the ERGIC. Taking into account that they fail to reach the ER (22, 23), this finding provides an explanation for the selective rescue of mutant Y205C. Our data show that the TAT peptide reaches the ERGIC, too. This result demonstrates that the inability of this peptide to rescue the Y205C mutant (see above) is not attributable to a different uptake mechanism and/or a different subcellular location of the peptide.
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Peptide Treatment with Penetratin or KLAL Leads to an Increase in Intracellular Ca2+ ConcentrationsIt has been shown previously that Ca2+ release into the cytosol mediated by inhibitors of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPases (SERCAs), such as thapsigargin and curcumin, leads to rescue of the transport of some misfolded proteins (34). It is believed that decreased Ca2+ levels in the ER caused by these compounds influence the function of molecular chaperones and/or other quality control components (35). Recently, a thapsigargin-mediated transport rescue has also been reported for a V2R mutant (36).
High luminal Ca2+ concentrations are found not only in the ER, but also throughout the whole secretory pathway (37). We thus addressed the question of whether CPPs may cause Ca2+ release. To this end, HEK 293 cells were preloaded with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorophore Fluo-4/AM and incubated with thapsigargin and the peptides penetratin, KLAL, TAT, and KALK. Changes in cytosolic Ca2+ were monitored by measuring Fluo-4/AM fluorescence using confocal LSM (Fig. 9, A and B). In agreement with previous results (e.g. Ref. 36), thapsigargin treatment led to a quick increase in cytosolic Ca2+ with a peak after 30 s. Ca2+ levels then decreased to a steady-state level, which was higher than the level under the starting conditions. The CPPs penetratin and KLAL also caused a significant (albeit delayed) Ca2+ mobilization. Steady-state concentrations were higher than those following thapsigargin treatment. No response was seen for the TAT and KALK control peptides. Taken together, these data indicate that the penetratin- and KLAL-mediated transport rescue is associated with an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ levels.
| DISCUSSION |
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Release of Ca2+ into the cytosol mediated by SERCA inhibitors such as thapsigargin and curcumin rescues the transport of some misfolded proteins, most likely by affecting chaperone functions (34, 35). We have shown here that the CPPs penetratin and KLAL, but not the TAT peptide, also increase cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations, indicating that the peptide-mediated rescue is associated with these changes. In comparison with thapsigargin, the increase in Ca2+ is delayed and develops more gradually. This could easily be explained by the endocytotic uptake mechanism of the peptides. Because the peptides are not transported to the ER, it is conceivable that they affect Ca2+ stores in post-ER compartments of the secretory pathway such as the ERGIC. This may affect Ca2+-dependent chaperones involved in post-ER quality control in the ERGIC such as the IgG heavy chain-binding protein (13). Because of their delayed mode of action, it is unlikely that the peptides affect plasma membrane Ca2+ permeability in an ionomycin-like mechanism, although this possibility has not been excluded rigorously as yet.
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We have shown that all three CPPs, penetratin, KLAL, and TAT, reach the ERGIC. In the case of the TAT peptide, however, rescue of the transport of the Y205C mutant was not observed. These data raise the question as to the structural properties of the peptides responsible for this rescue. TAT is a cationic CPP; KLAL and penetratin are more or less amphipathic. Thus, amphipathicity may be relevant. However, TAT is also significantly shorter than penetratin and KLAL, and peptide length must also be considered. Further studies are needed to address these questions in more detail.
CPPs are used to target compounds into cells. Our data indicate that care should be taken when using penetratin and KLAL for this purpose because it is conceivable that they also affect Ca2+-dependent signal transduction. For use as a carrier, the TAT peptide seems to be the best choice.
We have shown that the endocytosed CPPs penetratin and KLAL represent a new class of substances leading to a transport rescue of misfolded membrane proteins specifically from post-ER compartments. Penetratin and KLAL may thus represent powerful tools to study the mechanisms of post-ER quality control.
| FOOTNOTES |
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1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: 49-30-94793-255; Fax: 49-30-94793-109; E-mail: schuelein{at}fmp-berlin.de.
2 The abbreviations used are: AVP, 8-arginine vasopressin; V2R, vasopressin V2 receptor; NDI, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus; QCS, quality control system; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; ERGIC, endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi intermediate compartment; CPPs, cell-penetrating peptides; GFP, green fluorescent protein; IEM, immunogold electron microscopy; HEK, human embryonic kidney; CFP, cyan fluorescent protein; BFA, brefeldin A; Fmoc, N-(9-fluorenyl)methoxycarbonyl; HPLC, high pressure liquid chromatography; LSM, laser scanning microscopy; SERCAs, sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPases. ![]()
3 M. Oueslati, R. Hermosilla, and R. Schülein, unpublished data. ![]()
4 Details are available upon request. ![]()
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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