scholarly journals Targeting of chimeric G alpha i proteins to specific membrane domains

1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. de Almeida ◽  
E.J. Holtzman ◽  
P. Peters ◽  
L. Ercolani ◽  
D.A. Ausiello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Eukaryotic Expression ◽  
Chimeric Proteins ◽  
Membrane Domains ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Attachment Sites ◽  
Membrane Attachment ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
Plasma Membrane Domain

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-regulatory (G) proteins are associated with a variety of intracellular membranes and specific plasma membrane domains. In polarized epithelial LLC-PK1 cells we have shown previously that endogenous G alpha i-2 is localized on the basolateral plasma membrane, whereas G alpha i-3 is localized on Golgi membranes. The targeting of these highly homologous G alpha i proteins to distinct membrane domains was studied by the transfection and expression of chimeric G alpha i proteins in LLC-PK1 cells. Chimeric cDNAs were constructed from the cDNAs for G alpha i-3 and G alpha i-2 and introduced into a pMXX eukaryotic expression vector containing a mouse metallothionein-I promoter. Stably transfected cell lines were produced that expressed either G alpha i-2/3 or G alpha i-3/2 chimeric proteins. Chimeric and endogenous G alpha i proteins were detected in cells using specific carboxy-terminal peptide antibodies. Immunofluorescence staining was used to localize endogenous and chimeric G alpha i proteins in LLC-PK1 cells. The staining of chimeric proteins was detected as an increased intensity of staining on membranes containing endogenous G alpha i proteins. Using confocal microscopy and image analysis we localized G alpha i-2 to a specific sub-domain of the lateral membrane of polarized cells, the chimeric G alpha i-3/2 protein was then shown to colocalize with endogenous G alpha i-2 in the same lateral plasma membrane domain. The chimeric G alpha i-2/3 protein colocalized with endogenous G alpha i-3 on Golgi membranes in LLC-PK1 cells. These results show that chimeric G alpha i proteins were targeted to the same membrane domains as endogenous G alpha i proteins and the specificity of their membrane targeting was conferred by the carboxy-terminal end of the proteins. These data provide the first evidence for specific targeting information contained in the carboxy termini of G alpha i proteins, which appears to be independent of amino-terminal membrane attachment sites in these proteins.

Disruption of dynamic cell surface architecture of NIH3T3 fibroblasts by the N-terminal domains of moesin and ezrin: in vivo imaging with GFP fusion proteins

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Amieva ◽  
P. Litman ◽  
L. Huang ◽  
E. Ichimaru ◽  
H. Furthmayr
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Cell Behavior ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Carboxy Terminal Domain ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

Lamellipodia, filopodia, microspikes and retraction fibers are characteristic features of a dynamic and continuously changing cell surface architecture and moesin, ezrin and radixin are thought to function in these microextensions as reversible links between plasma membrane proteins and actin microfilaments. Full-length and truncated domains of the three proteins were fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), expressed in NIH3T3 cells, and distribution and behaviour of cells were analysed by using digitally enhanced differential interference contrast (DIC) and fluorescence video microscopy. The amino-terminal (N-)domains of all three proteins localize to the plasma membrane and fluorescence recordings parallel the dynamic changes in cell surface morphology observed by DIC microscopy of cultured cells. Expression of this domain, however, significantly affects cell surface architecture by the formation of abnormally long and fragile filopodia that poorly attach and retract abnormally. Even more striking are abundant irregular, branched and motionless membraneous structures that accumulate during retraction of lamellipodia. These are devoid of actin, endogenous moesin, ezrin and radixin, but contain the GFP-labeled domain. While a large proportion of endogenous proteins can be extracted with non-ionic detergents as in untransfected control cells, >90% of N-moesin and >60% of N-ezrin and N-radixin remain insoluble. The minimal size of the domain of moesin required for membrane localization and change in behavior includes residues 1–320. Deletions of amino acid residues from either end result in diffuse intracellular distribution, but also in normal cell behavior. Expression of GFP-fusions of full-length moesin or its carboxy-terminal domain has no effect on cell behavior during the observation period of 6–8 hours. The data suggest that, in the absence of the carboxy-terminal domain, N-moesin, -ezrin and -radixin interact tightly with the plasma membrane and interfere with normal functions of endogeneous proteins mainly during retraction.

scholarly journals Dominant Negative Alleles ofSEC10Reveal Distinct Domains Involved in Secretion and Morphogenesis in Yeast

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1725-1739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagmar Roth ◽  
Wei Guo ◽  
Peter Novick
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Secretory Vesicles ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Vesicle Docking ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Exocyst Complex ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

The accurate targeting of secretory vesicles to distinct sites on the plasma membrane is necessary to achieve polarized growth and to establish specialized domains at the surface of eukaryotic cells. Members of a protein complex required for exocytosis, the exocyst, have been localized to regions of active secretion in the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae where they may function to specify sites on the plasma membrane for vesicle docking and fusion. In this study we have addressed the function of one member of the exocyst complex, Sec10p. We have identified two functional domains of Sec10p that act in a dominant-negative manner to inhibit cell growth upon overexpression. Phenotypic and biochemical analysis of the dominant-negative mutants points to a bifunctional role for Sec10p. One domain, consisting of the amino-terminal two-thirds of Sec10p directly interacts with Sec15p, another exocyst component. Overexpression of this domain displaces the full-length Sec10 from the exocyst complex, resulting in a block in exocytosis and an accumulation of secretory vesicles. The carboxy-terminal domain of Sec10p does not interact with other members of the exocyst complex and expression of this domain does not cause a secretory defect. Rather, this mutant results in the formation of elongated cells, suggesting that the second domain of Sec10p is required for morphogenesis, perhaps regulating the reorientation of the secretory pathway from the tip of the emerging daughter cell toward the mother–daughter connection during cell cycle progression.

scholarly journals A plasma membrane integral sialoglycoprotein (Sgp 130) molecularly distinguishes nonjunctional dense plaque sites of microfilament attachment.

1987 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 819-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
A A Rogalski
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cardiac Muscle ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Molecular Forms ◽  
Cell Coupling ◽  
Membrane Structures ◽  
Adult Chicken ◽  
Attachment Sites ◽  
Membrane Attachment

An integral sialoglycoprotein with Mr approximately 130,000 (Sgp 130) and highest expression in adult chicken gizzard smooth muscle has been recently identified as an excellent candidate for classification as a plasma membrane protein natively associated (directly or indirectly) with actin microfilaments (Rogalski, A.A., and S.J. Singer, 1985, J. Cell Biol., 101:785-801). In this study, the relative in situ distributions of the Sgp 130 integral species (a designation that also includes non-smooth muscle molecular forms) and the peripheral protein, vinculin, have been simultaneously revealed for the first time in selected cultured cells and tissues abundant in microfilament-membrane attachment sites, particularly, smooth and cardiac muscle. Specific antibody probes against Sgp 130 (mouse mAb 30B6) and vinculin (affinity-purified rabbit antibody) were used in double indirect immunofluorescent and immunoelectron microscopic experiments. In contrast to the widespread distributions of vinculin at microfilament-membrane attachment sites, Sgp 130 has been shown to exhibit striking site-specific variation in its abundancy levels in the plasma membrane. Sgp 130 and vinculin were found coincidentally concentrated at focal contact sites in cultured chick embryo fibroblasts and endothelial cells, membrane dense plaques of smooth muscle, and sarcolemma dense plaque sites overlying the Z line in cardiac muscle. However, at the fascia adherens junctional sites of cardiac muscle where vinculin is sharply confined, Sgp 130 was immunologically undetectable in both intact and EGTA-uncoupled tissue. This latter result was confirmed with immunoblotting experiments using isolated forms of the fascia adherens. The double immunolabeling studies of this report establish Sgp 130 as a major integral protein component of nonjunctional membrane dense plaque structures and raise the possibility that the 130-kD integral sialoglycoprotein (Sgp 130) and vinculin assume stable transmembrane associations at these particular microfilament-membrane attachment sites. Nonjunctional dense plaques are further suggested to be a molecularly distinct class of plasma membrane structures rather than a subgroup of adherens junctions. Our data also support a hypothesis that Sgp 130 is involved in plasma membrane force coupling events but not in junctional-related cell-cell coupling.

scholarly journals Transmembrane orientation of the fibronectin receptor complex (integrin) demonstrated directly by a combination of immunocytochemical approaches.

1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
S C Mueller ◽  
T Hasegawa ◽  
S S Yamada ◽  
K M Yamada ◽  
W T Chen
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Band 3 ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Positive Staining ◽  
Double Labeling ◽  
Intact Cells ◽  
Fibronectin Receptor ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Attachment Sites ◽  
Membrane Attachment

The avian 140-KD cell adhesion receptor or "integrin," a complex of three glycoproteins with molecular masses averaging 140 KD, interacts with extracellular fibronectin and forms a linkage complex that co-localizes with intracellular actin. To probe the molecular interactions involved in this linkage complex, we used monoclonal antibodies and a combination of immunolocalization approaches to determine whether any component was transmembrane. Immunoadsorption and immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that anti-120-KD Mabs recognized the band 3 component of integrin isolated from chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) by JG22E immunoaffinity chromatography, and they co-localize with anti-fibronectin and polyclonal anti-integrin at cell contact sites in double-labeling experiments. Immunofluorescence experiments involved comparisons of double-labeled intact cells or substrate-attached, ventral plasma membrane "rip-off" fragments, using anti-fibronectin and each of the anti-120-KD Mabs. The extracellular faces of living intact cells were strongly labeled by a majority (approximately 70%) of the anti-120-KD Mabs at fibronectin-membrane attachment sites. The remainder (approximately 30%) labeled intact cells weakly or not at all. However, although the anti-120-KD Mab ES186 did not stain living cells, it did demonstrate positive staining above substratum contact sites over entire isolated rip-off membranes. In contrast, Mabs directed against putative extracellular epitopes and anti-fibronectin antibodies did not label these sites at the center of rip-offs unless the membranes were detergent permeabilized. Proteolysis experiments suggested that the ES186 epitope was located at one end of the molecule, since removal of short fragments from integrin band 3 concomitantly removed or destroyed the ES186 epitope, whereas the extracellular epitopes still remained. These experiments directly demonstrate that integrin band 3 is a transmembrane polypeptide with at least one epitope recognized by anti-120-KD Mabs on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane and at least one epitope on the extracellular cell surface.

scholarly journals Identification of distinct classes and functional domains of Wnts through expression of wild-type and chimeric proteins in Xenopus embryos.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 2625-2634 ◽  
Author(s):  
S J Du ◽  
S M Purcell ◽  
J L Christian ◽  
L L McGrew ◽  
R T Moon
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Functional Class ◽  
Chimeric Proteins ◽  
Axis Formation ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Xenopus Embryos ◽  
Secondary Axis ◽  
Putative Transcription Factor ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Embryos

Wnts are secreted signaling factors which influence cell fate and cell behavior in developing embryos. Overexpression in Xenopus laevis embryos of a Xenopus Wnt, Xwnt-8, leads to a duplication of the embryonic axis. In embryos ventralized by UV irradiation, Xwnt-8 restores expression of the putative transcription factor goosecoid, and rescues normal axis formation. In contrast, overexpression of Xwnt-5A in normal embryos generates defects in dorsoanterior structures, without inducing goosecoid or a secondary axis. To determine whether Xwnt-4 and Xwnt-11 fall into one of these two previously described classes of activity, synthetic mRNAs were introduced into animal caps, normal embryos, and UV-treated embryos. The results indicate that Xwnt-4, Xwnt-5A, and Xwnt-11 are members of a single functional class with activities that are indistinguishable in these assays. To investigate whether distinct regions of Xwnt-8 and Xwnt-5A were sufficient for eliciting the observed effects of overexpression, we generated a series of chimeric Xwnts. RNAs encoding the chimeras were injected into normal and UV-irradiated Xenopus embryos. Analysis of the embryonic phenotypes and goosecoid levels reveals that chimeras composed of carboxy-terminal regions of Xwnt-8 and amino-terminal regions of Xwnt-5A are indistinguishable from the activities of native Xwnt-8 and that are the reciprocal chimeras elicit effects indistinguishable from overexpression of native Xwnt-5A. We conclude that the carboxy-terminal halves of these Xwnts are candidate domains for specifying responses to Xwnt signals.

scholarly journals Ezrin contains cytoskeleton and membrane binding domains accounting for its proposed role as a membrane-cytoskeletal linker.

1993 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Algrain ◽  
O Turunen ◽  
A Vaheri ◽  
D Louvard ◽  
M Arpin
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Carboxy Terminal Domain ◽  
Cell Surface Structures ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
Amino Terminal Domain

Ezrin, a widespread protein present in actin-containing cell-surface structures, is a substrate of some protein tyrosine kinases. Based on its primary and secondary structure similarities with talin and band 4.1 it has been suggested that this protein could play a role in linking the cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane (Gould, K.L., A. Bretscher, F.S. Esch, and T. Hunter. 1989. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.), J. 8:4133-4142; Turunen, O., R. Winqvist, R. Pakkanen, K.-H. Grzeschik, T. Wahlström, and A. Vaheri. 1989. J. Biol. Chem. 264:16727-16732). To test this hypothesis, we transiently expressed the complete human ezrin cDNA, or truncated cDNAs encoding the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains of the protein, in CV-1 cells. Protein epitope tagging was used to unambiguously determine the subcellular distribution of the protein encoded by the transfected cDNA. We show that this protein is concentrated underneath the dorsal plasma membrane in all actin-containing structures and is partially detergent insoluble. The amino-terminal domain displays the same localization but is readily extractable by nonionic detergent. The carboxy-terminal domain colocalizes with microvillar actin filaments as well as with stress fibers and remains associated with actin filaments after detergent extraction, and with disorganized actin structures after cytochalasin D treatment. Our results clearly demonstrate that ezrin interacts with membrane-associated components via its amino-terminal domain, and with the cytoskeleton via its carboxy-terminal domain. The amino-terminal domain could include the main determinant that restricts the entire protein to the cortical cytoskeleton in contact with the dorsal plasma membrane and its specialized microdomains such as microvilli, microspikes and lamellipodia.

scholarly journals Characterization of pp60src phosphorylation in vitro in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cell membranes.

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 916-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Resh ◽  
R L Erikson
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Rous Sarcoma Virus ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Transformed Cell ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Rous Sarcoma ◽  
Sarcoma Virus ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

Phosphorylation of the src gene product pp60v-src was studied in plasma membrane fractions prepared from Rous sarcoma virus-transformed vole cells. Upon addition of [gamma-32P]ATP to isolated membrane vesicles, phosphate was incorporated into a 60,000-dalton polypeptide identified as pp60v-src. In the presence of vanadate, pp60v-src phosphorylation was stimulated ca. 30-fold. At low concentrations of ATP (1 microM), this reaction occurred almost exclusively on the carboxy-terminal 26,000-dalton region of pp60v-src. However, at higher ATP concentrations (100 microM), additional sites of phosphorylation were evident in the amino-terminal 34,000-dalton region. Kinetic analyses, performed under conditions in which ATP hydrolysis was minimal, revealed that the phosphorylation reaction at the carboxy terminus exhibited a higher Vmax and a lower Km for ATP than those occurring at the amino terminus. In addition, the amino-terminal region of pp60v-src was more rapidly dephosphorylated than the carboxy-terminal region. These results indicate that interaction of pp60v-src with the plasma membrane may limit the extent of amino-terminal phosphorylation by lowering the rate of the reaction and the affinity for the substrate while increasing its susceptibility to phosphoprotein phosphatases. We suggest that the use of transformed-cell membrane preparations provides a model system for studying the possible regulatory roles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation on pp60v-src function.

scholarly journals Two distinct attachment sites for vimentin along the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope in avian erythrocytes: a basis for a vectorial assembly of intermediate filaments.

1987 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
S D Georgatos ◽  
G Blobel
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Nuclear Surface ◽  
Tail Domain ◽  
Binding Studies ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Attachment Sites ◽  
10 Nm Filaments

In vitro binding studies with isolated bovine lens vimentin and avian erythrocyte membranes reveal the existence of two functionally distinct sets of intermediate filament attachment sites. One population of such receptors is located along the nuclear envelope and comprises polypeptides recognizing the carboxy-terminal tail domain of vimentin. Vimentin associates with these nuclear surface receptors in a cooperative manner and forms extensive 10-nm filaments in a concentration-dependent fashion. Conversely, the plasma membrane contains binding sites that interact in a noncooperative, saturable fashion with vimentin, recognizing its amino-terminal head domain. The functional dichotomy of the vimentin-binding sites under in vitro conditions may reflect a vectorial assembly process whereby 10-nm filaments, although structurally apolar, acquire polar features brought about by the differential attachment to specific receptors arranged along the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope.

scholarly journals Ultrastructural Analysis of Human Epidermal CD44 Reveals Preferential Distribution on Plasma Membrane Domains Facing the Hyaluronan-rich Matrix Pouches

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Liisa Tuhkanen ◽  
Markku Tammi ◽  
Alpo Pelttari ◽  
Ulla M. Ågren ◽  
Raija Tammi
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Intercellular Space ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Ultrastructural Localization ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Membrane Domains ◽  
Immunogold Staining ◽  
Plasma Membrane Domains ◽  
Plasma Membrane Domain

We used immunogold staining and stereology to examine the ultrastructural localization and to estimate the relative content of CD44 in different strata and cell types of normal human epidermis. We found that CD44 existed almost exclusively on the plasma membranes; only rare labeling occurred on vesicular structures within the cytoplasm. Quantitation of the immunogold particles indicated that the labeling density of melanocytes corresponded to that of basal keratinocytes, and Langerhans cells displayed a labeling density of ∼10% that of the surrounding spinous cells. Among keratinocyte strata, the highest labeling density occurred on spinous cells, suggesting upregulation of CD44 after detachment from the basement membrane. The plasma membrane distribution of CD44 was compartmentalized, with little signal on cell–cell and cell-substratum contact sites such as desmosomes, the plasma membrane domain facing the basement membrane, and the close apposition of terminally differentiating granular cells. In contrast, CD44 was abundant on plasma membrane domains facing an open intercellular space, rich in hyaluronan. This distribution is in line with a role of CD44 as a hyaluronan receptor, important in the maintenance of the intercellular space for nutritional and cell motility functions in stratified epithelia.

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