scholarly journals Human Rab small GTPase- and class V myosin-mediated membrane tethering in a chemically defined reconstitution system

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoki Inoshita ◽  
Joji Mima

AbstractMembrane tethering is a fundamental process essential for compartmental specificity of intracellular membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. Rab-family small GTPases and specific sets of Rab-interacting effector proteins, including coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, have been reported to be responsible for membrane tethering. However, whether and how these key components directly and specifically tether subcellular membranes still remains enigmatic. Using chemically defined proteoliposomal systems reconstituted with purified human Rab proteins and synthetic liposomal membranes to study the molecular basis of membrane tethering, we established here that Rab-family GTPases have a highly conserved function to directly mediate membrane tethering, even in the absence of any types of Rab effectors such as the so-called tethering proteins. Moreover, we demonstrate that membrane tethering mediated by endosomal Rab11a is drastically and selectively stimulated by its cognate Rab effectors, class V myosins (Myo5A and Myo5B), in a GTP-dependent manner. Of note, Myo5A and Myo5B exclusively recognized and cooperated with the membrane-anchored form of their cognate Rab11a to support membrane tethering mediated by trans-Rab assemblies on apposing membranes. Our findings support the novel concept that Rab-family proteins provide a bona fide membrane tether to physically and specifically link two distinct lipid bilayers of subcellular membranes. They further indicate that Rab-interacting effector proteins, including class V myosins, can regulate these Rab-mediated membrane tethering reactions.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanae Ueda ◽  
Naoki Tamura ◽  
Joji Mima

AbstractMembrane tethering is a crucial step to determine the spatiotemporal specificity of secretory and endocytic trafficking pathways in all eukaryotic endomembrane systems. Recent biochemical studies by a chemically-defined reconstitution approach reveal that, in addition to the structurally-diverse classic tethering factors such as coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, Rab-family small GTPases also retain the inherent membrane tethering functions to directly and physically bridge two distinct lipid bilayers by themselves. Although Rab-mediated membrane tethering reactions are fairly efficient and specific in the physiological context, its mechanistic basis is yet to be understood. Here, to explore whether and how the intrinsic tethering potency of Rab GTPases is controlled by their C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) domains that link the conserved small GTPase domains (G-domains) to membrane anchors at the C-terminus, we quantitatively compared tethering activities of two representative Rab isoforms in humans (Rab5a, Rab4a) and their HVR-deleted mutant forms. Strikingly, deletion of the HVR linker domains enabled both Rab5a and Rab4a isoforms to enhance their intrinsic tethering potency, exhibiting 5-to 50-fold higher initial velocities of tethering for the HVR-deleted mutants than those for the full-length, wild-type Rabs. Furthermore, we revealed that the tethering activity of full-length Rab5a was significantly reduced by the omission of anionic lipids and cholesterol from membrane lipids and, however, membrane tethering driven by HVR-deleted Rab5a mutant was completely insensitive to the headgroup composition of lipids. Reconstituted membrane tethering assays with the C-terminally-truncated mutants of Rab4a further uncovered that the N-terminal residues in the HVR linker, located adjacent to the G-domain, are critical for regulating the intrinsic tethering activity. In conclusion, our current findings establish that the non-conserved, flexible C-terminal HVR linker domains define membrane tethering potency of Rab-family small GTPases through controlling the close attachment of the globular G-domains to membrane surfaces, which confers the active tethering-competent state of the G-domains on lipid bilayers.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kana Fujibayashi ◽  
Joji Mima

AbstractArf-family small GTPases are essential protein components for membrane trafficking in all eukaryotic endomembrane systems, particularly during the formation of membrane-bound, coat protein complex-coated transport carriers. In addition to their roles in the transport carrier formation, a number of Arf-family GTPases have been reported to physically associate with coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, which are responsible for membrane tethering, a process of the initial contact between transport carriers and their target subcellular compartments. Nevertheless, whether and how indeed Arf GTPases are involved in the tethering process remain unclear. Here, using a chemically-defined reconstitution approach with purified proteins of two representative Arf isoforms in humans (Arf1, Arf6) and synthetic liposomes for model membranes, we discovered that Arf6 can function as a bona fide membrane tether, directly and physically linking two distinct lipid bilayers even in the absence of any other tethering factors, whereas Arf1 retained little potency to trigger membrane tethering under the current experimental conditions. Arf6-mediated membrane tethering reactions require trans-assembly of membrane-anchored Arf6 proteins and can be reversibly controlled by the membrane attachment and detachment cycle of Arf6. The intrinsic membrane tethering activity of Arf6 was further found to be significantly inhibited by the presence of membrane-anchored Arf1, suggesting that the tethering-competent Arf6-Arf6 assembly in trans can be prevented by the heterotypic Arf1-Arf6 association in a cis configuration. Taken together, these findings lead us to postulate that self-assemblies of Arf-family small GTPases on lipid bilayers contribute to driving and regulating the tethering events of intracellular membrane trafficking.


Author(s):  
Kana Fujibayashi ◽  
Joji Mima

Arf-family small GTPases are essential protein components for membrane trafficking in all eukaryotic endomembrane systems, particularly during the formation of membrane-bound, coat protein complex-coated transport carriers. In addition to their roles in the transport carrier formation, a number of Arf-family GTPases have been reported to physically associate with coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, which are responsible for membrane tethering, a process of the initial contact between transport carriers and their target subcellular compartments. Nevertheless, whether and how indeed Arf GTPases are involved in the tethering process remain unclear. Here, using a chemically-defined reconstitution approach with purified proteins of two representative Arf isoforms in humans (Arf1, Arf6) and synthetic liposomes for model membranes, we discovered that Arf6 can function as a bona fide membrane tether, directly and physically linking two distinct lipid bilayers even in the absence of any other tethering factors, whereas Arf1 retained little potency to trigger membrane tethering under the current experimental conditions. Arf6-mediated membrane tethering reactions require trans-assembly of membrane-anchored Arf6 proteins and can be reversibly controlled by the membrane attachment and detachment cycle of Arf6. The intrinsic membrane tethering activity of Arf6 was further found to be significantly inhibited by the presence of membrane-anchored Arf1, suggesting that the tethering-competent Arf6-Arf6 assembly in trans can be prevented by the heterotypic Arf1-Arf6 association in a cis configuration. Taken together, these findings lead us to postulate that self-assemblies of Arf-family small GTPases on lipid bilayers contribute to driving and regulating the tethering events of intracellular membrane trafficking.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Segawa ◽  
Naoki Tamura ◽  
Joji Mima

AbstractMembrane tethering is a highly regulated event that occurs during the initial physical contact between membrane-bounded transport carriers and their target subcellular membrane compartments, thereby ensuring the spatiotemporal specificity of intracellular membrane trafficking. Although Rab-family small GTPases and specific Rab-interacting effectors, such as coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, are known to be involved in membrane tethering, how these protein components directly act upon the tethering event remains enigmatic. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of membrane tethering by comprehensively and quantitatively evaluating the intrinsic capacities of 10 representative human Rab-family proteins (Rab1a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 9a, 11a, 27a, and 33b) to physically tether two distinct membranes via homotypic and heterotypic Rab-Rab assembly in a chemically defined reconstitution system. All of the Rabs tested, except Rab27a, specifically caused homotypic membrane tethering at physiologically relevant Rab densities on membrane surfaces (e.g., Rab-to-lipid molar ratios of 1:100-1:3,000). Notably, endosomal Rab5a retained its intrinsic potency to drive efficient homotypic tethering even at concentrations below the Rab-to-lipid ratio of 1:3,000. Comprehensive reconstitution studies further uncovered that heterotypic combinations of human Rab-family isoforms, including Rab1a/6a, Rab1a/9a, and Rab1a/33b, can directly and selectively mediate membrane tethering. Rab1a and Rab9a, in particular, synergistically triggered very rapid and efficient membrane tethering reactions through their heterotypic trans-assembly on two opposing membranes. Thus, our findings establish that, in the physiological context, homotypic and heterotypic trans-assembly of Rab-family small GTPases can provide the essential molecular machinery necessary to drive membrane tethering in eukaryotic endomembrane systems.


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1426-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Ortiz Sandoval ◽  
Thomas Simmen

Whereas most of what we know today about the Ras-related small GTPases of the Rab family stems from observations made on Golgi complex, endosome and plasma membrane trafficking, a subset of Rabs localizes in part or predominantly to the ER (endoplasmic reticulum). Here, Rabs such as Rab1, Rab2, Rab6 and Rab33 can regulate the anterograde and retrograde trafficking of vesicles between the Golgi complex, the ERGIC (ER–Golgi intermediate compartment) and the ER itself. However, among the ER-associated Rabs, some Rabs appear to perform roles not directly related to trafficking: these Rabs (e.g. Rab32 or Rab24) could aid proteins of the atlastin and reticulon families in determining the extent and direction of ER tubulation. In so doing, these Rabs regulate not only ER contacts with other organelles such as mitochondria, but also the formation of autophagosomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeonho Kim ◽  
Hyeji Jung ◽  
Hyunsu Jung ◽  
Seok-Kyu Kwon ◽  
Jaewon Ko ◽  
...  

AbstractADP ribosylation factors (ARFs) are a family of small GTPases composed of six members (ARF1–6) that control various cellular functions, including membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement, in eukaryotic cells. Among them, ARF1 and ARF6 are the most studied in neurons, particularly at glutamatergic synapses, but their roles at GABAergic synapses have not been investigated. Here, we show that a subset of ARF6 protein is localized at GABAergic synapses in cultured hippocampal neurons. In addition, we found that knockdown (KD) of ARF6, but not ARF1, triggered a reduction in the number of GABAergic synaptic puncta in mature cultured neurons in an ARF activity-dependent manner. ARF6 KD also reduced GABAergic synaptic density in the mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region. Furthermore, ARF6 KD in the DG increased seizure susceptibility in an induced epilepsy model. Viewed together, our results suggest that modulating ARF6 and its regulators could be a therapeutic strategy against brain pathologies involving hippocampal network dysfunction, such as epilepsy.


Author(s):  
Tianli Li ◽  
Gan Ai ◽  
Xiaowei Fu ◽  
Jin Liu ◽  
Hai Zhu ◽  
...  

The oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici encodes hundreds of RXLR effectors to enter plant cells and suppress host defense responses. Only few of them are conserved across different strains and species. Such ‘core effectors’ may target hub immunity pathways that are essential during Phytophthora pathogens interacting with their hosts. However, the underlying mechanisms of core RXLRs-mediated host immunity manipulation are largely unknown. Here, we report the functional characterization of a P. capsici RXLR effector, RXLR242. RXLR242 expression is highly induced during the infection process. Its ectopic expression in Nicotiana benthamiana promotes Phytophthora infection. RXLR242 physically interacts with a group of RAB proteins, which belong to the small GTPase family and function in specifying transport pathways in the intracellular membrane trafficking system. RXLR242 impedes the secretion of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED 1 (PR1) protein to the apoplast by interfering the formation of RABE1-7-labeled vesicles. Further analysis indicated that such phenomenon is resulted from competitive binding of RXLR242 to RABE1-7. RXLR242 also interferes trafficking of the membrane-located receptor FLAGELLIN-SENSING 2 (FLS2) through competitively interacting with RABA4-3. Taken together, our work demonstrates that RXLR242 manipulates plant immunity by targeting RAB proteins and disturbing vesicle-mediated protein transporting pathway in plant hosts.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2673-2689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjon Audhya ◽  
Michelangelo Foti ◽  
Scott D. Emr

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses two genes that encode phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 4-kinases,STT4 and PIK1. Both gene products phosphorylate PtdIns at the D-4 position of the inositol ring to generate PtdIns(4)P, which plays an essential role in yeast viability because deletion of either STT4 orPIK1 is lethal. Furthermore, although both enzymes have the same biochemical activity, increased expression of either kinase cannot compensate for the loss of the other, suggesting that these kinases regulate distinct intracellular functions, each of which is required for yeast cell growth. By the construction of temperature-conditional single and double mutants, we have found that Stt4p activity is required for the maintenance of vacuole morphology, cell wall integrity, and actin cytoskeleton organization. In contrast, Pik1p is essential for normal secretion, Golgi and vacuole membrane dynamics, and endocytosis. Strikingly,pik1tscells exhibit a rapid defect in secretion of Golgi-modified secretory pathway cargos, Hsp150p and invertase, whereas stt4tscells exhibit no detectable secretory defects. Both single mutants reduce PtdIns(4)P by ∼50%; however,stt4ts/pik1tsdouble mutant cells produce more than 10-fold less PtdIns(4)P as well as PtdIns(4,5)P2. The aberrant Golgi morphology found in pik1tsmutants is strikingly similar to that found in cells lacking the function of Arf1p, a small GTPase that is known to regulate multiple membrane trafficking events throughout the cell. Consistent with this observation, arf1 mutants exhibit reduced PtdIns(4)P levels. In contrast, diminished levels of PtdIns(4)P observed in stt4tscells at restrictive temperature result in a dramatic change in vacuole size compared with pik1tscells and persistent actin delocalization. Based on these results, we propose that Stt4p and Pik1p act as the major, if not the only, PtdIns 4-kinases in yeast and produce distinct pools of PtdIns(4)P and PtdIns(4,5)P2that act on different intracellular membranes to recruit or activate as yet uncharacterized effector proteins.


2006 ◽  
Vol 173 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teijo Pellinen ◽  
Antti Arjonen ◽  
Karoliina Vuoriluoto ◽  
Katja Kallio ◽  
Jack A.M. Fransen ◽  
...  

Dynamic turnover of integrin cell adhesion molecules to and from the cell surface is central to cell migration. We report for the first time an association between integrins and Rab proteins, which are small GTPases involved in the traffic of endocytotic vesicles. Rab21 (and Rab5) associate with the cytoplasmic domains of α-integrin chains, and their expression influences the endo/exocytic traffic of integrins. This function of Rab21 is dependent on its GTP/GDP cycle and proper membrane targeting. Knock down of Rab21 impairs integrin-mediated cell adhesion and motility, whereas its overexpression stimulates cell migration and cancer cell adhesion to collagen and human bone. Finally, overexpression of Rab21 fails to induce cell adhesion via an integrin point mutant deficient in Rab21 association. These data provide mechanistic insight into how integrins are targeted to intracellular compartments and how their traffic regulates cell adhesion.


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