scholarly journals Identification of a putative nuclear localization signal in maspin protein shed light into its nuclear import regulation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Reina ◽  
Lixin Zhou ◽  
Marcos R.M. Fontes ◽  
Nelly Panté ◽  
Nathalie Cella

AbstractMaspin (SERPINB5) is a potential tumor suppressor gene with pleiotropic biological activities, including regulation of cell proliferation, death, adhesion, migration and gene expression. Several studies suggest that subcellular localization plays an essential role on maspin tumor suppression activity. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying maspin nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Anin vitronuclear-import assay using digitonin-permeabilized HeLa cells demonstrated that maspin enters the nucleus by an energy-and carrier-independent mechanism. However, previous studies indicated that maspin subcellular localization is regulated in the cell. Using a nuclear localization signal (NLS) prediction software, we identified a putative NLS in the maspin amino acid sequence. To distinguish between passive and regulated nuclear translocation, maspinNLS or the full-length protein (MaspinFL) were fused to 5GFP, rendering the construct too large to enter the nucleus passively. Unexpectedly, 5GFP-maspinNLS, but not maspinFL-5GFP, entered the nucleus of HeLa cells. Dominant-negative Ran-GTPase mutants RanQ69L or RanT24N, suppressed 5GFP-maspinNLS nuclear localization. In summary, we provide evidence that maspin translocates to the nucleus passively. In addition, we identified a peptide in the maspin protein sequence, which is able to drive a 5GFP construct to the nucleus in an energy-dependent manner.

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 1325-1332 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Duverger ◽  
C. Pellerin-Mendes ◽  
R. Mayer ◽  
A.C. Roche ◽  
M. Monsigny

The nuclear import of many proteins depends on a short peptide sequence called the nuclear localization signal. However, glycosylated proteins, which lack such a nuclear localization signal, upon their injection into the cytosol by electroporation, enter the nucleus in a sugar-dependent manner. This paper brings new insights on the mechanism of this process, based on a study of neoglycoprotein nuclear uptake by digitonin-permeabilized cells. The nuclear import of neoglycoproteins is energy dependent: it does not occur when cells are maintained at 4 degrees C or when cells are ATP-depleted by treatment with apyrase. The nuclear import of neoglycoproteins occurs through the nuclear pore: it is inhibited by preincubation of cells with wheat germ agglutinin, a lectin which binds the nuclear pore glycoproteins and blocks the translocation step of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins through the nuclear pore. Furthermore, the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins does not use the pathway of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins: nuclear import of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins depends on cytosolic factors and is inhibited by treatment of cells with N-ethylmaleimide, while the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins neither requires added cytosolic factors nor is sensitive to alkylation by N-ethylmaleimide. In addition, upon incubation in the presence of a large excess of nuclear localization signal bearing protein, the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins is not inhibited.


1995 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Tagawa ◽  
T Kuroki ◽  
P K Vogt ◽  
K Chida

Cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation and nuclear import of the tumorigenic transcription factor viral Jun (v-Jun) were investigated in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Nuclear accumulation of v-Jun but not of cellular Jun (c-Jun) is cell cycle dependent, decreasing in G1 and increasing in G2. The cell cycle-dependent regulation of v-Jun was mapped to a single serine residue at position 248 (Ser248), adjacent to the nuclear localization signal (NLS). Ser248 of v-Jun represents an amino acid substitution, replacing cysteine of c-Jun. It was shown by peptidase digestion and immunoprecipitation with antibody to the NLS that v-Jun is phosphorylated at Ser248 in the cytoplasm but not in the nucleus. This phosphorylation is high in G1 and low in G2. Nuclear accumulation of v-Jun is correlated with underphosphorylation at Ser248. The regulation of nuclear import by phosphorylation was also examined using NLS peptides with Ser248 of v-Jun. Phosphorylation of the serine inhibited nuclear import mediated by the NLS peptide in vivo and in vitro. The protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine and H7 stimulated but the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid inhibited nuclear import mediated by the NLS peptide. The cytosolic activity of protein kinases phosphorylating Ser248 increased in G0 and decreased during cell cycle progression, reaching a minimum in G2, whereas phosphatase activity dephosphorylating Ser248 was not changed. These results show that nuclear import of v-Jun is negatively regulated by phosphorylation at Ser248 in the cytoplasm in a cell cycle-dependent manner.


2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1221-1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita C. Maiyar ◽  
Meredith L.L. Leong ◽  
Gary L. Firestone

The transcriptionally regulated serum and glucocorticoid inducible protein kinase (Sgk) is localized to the nucleus in a serum-dependent manner, and a yeast two-hybrid genetic screen uncovered a specific interaction between Sgk and the importin-α nuclear import receptor. In vitro GST pull down assays demonstrated a strong and direct association of importin-α with endogenous Sgk and exogenously expressed HA-tagged Sgk, whereas both components coimmunoprecipitate and colocalize to the nucleus after serum stimulation. Consistent with an active mechanism of nuclear localization, the nuclear import of HA-Sgk in permeabilized cells required ATP, cytoplasm, and a functional nuclear pore complex. Ectopic addition of a 107 amino acid carboxy-terminal fragment of importin-α, which contains the Sgk binding region, competitively inhibited the ability of endogenous importin-α to import Sgk into nuclei in vitro. Mutagenesis of lysines by alanine substitution defined a KKAILKKKEEK sequence within the central domain of Sgk between amino acids 131–141 that functions as a nuclear localization signal (NLS) required for the in vitro interaction with importin-α and for nuclear import of full-length Sgk in cultured cells. The serum-induced nuclear import of Sgk requires the NLS-dependent recognition of Sgk by importin-α as well as the PI3-kinase–dependent phosphorylation of Sgk. Our results define a new role importin-α in the stimulus-dependent control of signal transduction by nuclear localized protein kinases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (16) ◽  
pp. 4022-4034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochu Chen ◽  
Lan Xu

ABSTRACT Cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation of Smad is a fundamental step in transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signal transduction. Here we identify a subset of nucleoporins that, in conjunction with Msk (Drosophila Imp7/8), specifically mediate activation-induced nuclear translocation of MAD (Drosophila Smad1) but not the constitutive import of proteins harboring a classic nuclear localization signal (cNLS) or the spontaneous nuclear import of Medea (Drosophila Smad4). Surprisingly, many of these nucleoporins, including Sec13, Nup75, Nup93, and Nup205, are scaffold nucleoporins considered important for the overall integrity of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) but not known to have cargo-specific functions. We demonstrate that the roles of these nucleoporins in supporting Smad nuclear import are separate from their previously assigned functions in NPC assembly. Furthermore, we uncovered novel pathway-specific functions of Sec13 and Nup93; both Sec13 and Nup93 are able to preferentially interact with the phosphorylated/activated form of MAD, and Nup93 acts to recruit the importin Msk to the nuclear periphery. These findings, together with the observation that Sec13 and Nup93 could interact directly with Msk, suggest their direct involvement in the nuclear import of MAD. Thus, we have delineated the nucleoporin requirement of MAD nuclear import, reflecting a unique trans-NPC mechanism.


1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (7) ◽  
pp. 1807-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Kambach ◽  
I.W. Mattaj

Experiments investigating the nuclear import of the U2 snRNP-specific B'' protein (U2B'') are presented. U2B'' nuclear transport is shown to be able to occur independently of binding to U2 snRNA. The central segment of the protein (amino acids 90–146) encodes an unusual nuclear localization signal (NLS) that is related to that of the U1 snRNP-specific A protein. However, nuclear import of U2B'' does not depend on this NLS. Sequences in the N-terminal RNP motif of the protein are sufficient to direct nuclear transport, and evidence is presented that the interaction of U2B'' with the U2A' protein mediates this effect. This suggests that U2B'' can ‘piggy-back’ to the nucleus in association with U2A’, and thus be imported to the nucleus by two different mechanisms. U2A' nuclear transport, on the other hand, can occur independently of both U2B'' binding and of U2 snRNA.


2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (15) ◽  
pp. 2771-2781
Author(s):  
P.S. Subramaniam ◽  
J. Larkin ◽  
M.G. Mujtaba ◽  
M.R. Walter ◽  
H.M. Johnson

We have recently shown that the nuclear localization of IFN gamma is mediated by a polybasic nuclear localization sequence (NLS) in its C terminus. This NLS is required for the full expression of biological activity of IFN gamma, both extracellularly and intracellularly. We now show that this NLS plays an integral intracellular role in the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor STAT1 alpha activated by IFN gamma. Treatment of IFN gamma with antibodies to the C-terminal region (95–133) containing the NLS blocked the induction of STAT1 alpha nuclear translocation. The antibodies had no effect on nuclear translocation of STAT1 alpha in IFN gamma treated cells. A deletion mutant of human IFN gamma, IFN gamma (1–123), which is devoid of the C-terminal NLS region was found to be biologically inactive, but was still able to bind to the IFN gamma receptor complex on cells with a K(d) similar to that of the wild-type protein. Deletion of the NLS specifically abolished the ability of IFN gamma(1–123) to initiate the nuclear translocation of STAT1 alpha, which is required for the biological activities of IFN gamma following binding to the IFN gamma receptor complex. Thus, the NLS region appears to contribute minimally to extracellular high-affinity receptor-ligand binding, yet exerts a strong functional role in STAT1 alpha nuclear localization. A high-affinity site for the interaction of the C-terminal NLS domain of IFN gamma with a K(d) approx. 3 × 10(−8) M(−1) has been described by previous studies on the intracellular cytoplasmic domain of the IFN gamma receptor alpha-chain. To examine the role of the NLS at the intracellular level, we microinjected neutralizing antibodies raised against the C-terminal NLS domain of IFN gamma into the cytoplasm of cells before treatment of cells with IFN gamma. These intracellular antibodies specifically blocked the nuclear translocation of STAT1 alpha following the subsequent treatment of these cells extracellularly with IFN gamma. These data show that the NLS domain of IFN gamma interacts at an intracellular site to regulate STAT1 alpha nuclear import. A C-terminal peptide of murine IFN gamma, IFN gamma(95–133), that contains the NLS motif, induced nuclear translocation of STAT1 alpha when taken up intracellularly by a murine macrophage cell line. Deletion of the NLS motif specifically abrogated the ability of this intracellular peptide to cause STAT1 alpha nuclear translocation. In cells activated with IFN gamma, IFN gamma was found to as part of a complex that contained STAT1 alpha and the importin-alpha analog Npi-1, which mediates STAT1 alpha nuclear import. The tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 alpha, the formation of the complex IFN gamma/Npi-1/STAT1 alpha complex and the subsequent nuclear translocation of STAT1 alpha were all found to be dependent on the presence of the IFN gamma NLS. Thus, the NLS of IFN gamma functions intracellularly to directly regulate the activation and ultimate nuclear translocation STAT1 alpha.


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