Probing the effects of single point mutations in the GKWWRPS motif on the PNAIG motif within Loop 2 of sclerostin (SOST) using in-silico techniques.

Sclerostin (SOST), a Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor, is involved in the pathogenesis of skeletal disorders. This study investigated the impact of the GKWWRPS motif on the PNAIG motif in Loop 2 of SOST, which is accountable for the interactions with the LRP6 protein that triggers the down-regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Single amino acid mutations on the GKWWRPS motif, hypothesized to have a probable stabilization effect towards the PNAIG motif, led to a significant reduction in the primary interactions between the SOST and LRP6 proteins. Protein-protein docking and molecular dynamic studies were conducted to investigate the role of the motif. The study found that a solitary mutation in the GKWWRPS motif significantly reduced the primary interactions between SOST and LRP6 proteins, except for probable cold-spot residues. The study's findings establish the GKWWRPS motif as a promising target for therapeutic interventions. Based on the obtained results, it can be inferred that alterations implemented within the GKWWRPS motif could lead to the destabilization of the PNAIG motif, which would directly modulate the interactions between the SOST and LRP6 proteins. The present investigation thus presents novel opportunities in the field of anti-sclerostin interventions.

Repositioning of antidiabetic drugs for Alzheimer's disease: possibility of Wnt signaling modulation by targeting LRP6 an in silico based study.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common, irreversible and progressive form of dementia for which the exact pathology and cause are still not clear. At present, we are only confined to symptomatic treatment, and the lack of disease-modifying therapeutics is worrisome. Alteration of Wnt signaling has been linked to metabolic diseases as well as AD. The crosstalk between Canonical Wnt signaling and insulin signaling pathway has been widely studied and accepted from several clinical and preclinical studies that have proven the beneficial effect of antidiabetic medications in the case of memory and cognition loss. This structure-based in silico study was focused on exploring the link between the currently available FDA approved antidiabetic drugs and the Wnt signaling pathway. The library of antidiabetics was obtained from drug bank and was screened for their binding affinity with protein (PDB ID: 3S2K) LRP6, a coreceptor of the Wnt signaling pathway using GLIDE module of Schrodinger. The top molecules, with higher docking score, binding energy and stable interactions, were subjected to energy-based calculation using MMGBSA, followed by a molecular dynamics-based simulation study. Drugs of class α-glucosidase inhibitors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) agonists were found to have a strong affinity towards LRP6 proteins, highlighting the possibility of the modulation of Wnt signaling by antidiabetics as one of the possible mechanisms for use in AD. However, further experimental based in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted for verification and support.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Sclerostin inhibits Wnt signaling through tandem interaction with two LRP6 ectodomains.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a coreceptor of the ß-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling pathway. The LRP6 ectodomain binds Wnt proteins, as well as Wnt inhibitors such as sclerostin (SOST), which negatively regulates Wnt signaling in osteocytes. Although LRP6 ectodomain 1 (E1) is known to interact with SOST, several unresolved questions remain, such as the reason why SOST binds to LRP6 E1E2 with higher affinity than to the E1 domain alone. Here, we present the crystal structure of the LRP6 E1E2-SOST complex with two interaction sites in tandem. The unexpected additional binding site was identified between the C-terminus of SOST and the LRP6 E2 domain. This interaction was confirmed by in vitro binding and cell-based signaling assays. Its functional significance was further demonstrated in vivo using Xenopus laevis embryos. Our results provide insights into the inhibitory mechanism of SOST on Wnt signaling.

CL6mN: Rationally Designed Optogenetic Photoswitches with Tunable Dissociation Dynamics.

The field of optogenetics uses genetically encoded photoswitches to modulate biological phenomena with high spatiotemporal resolution. We report a set of rationally designed optogenetic photoswitches that use the photolyase homology region of A. thaliana cryptochrome 2 (Cry2PHR) as a building block and exhibit highly efficient and tunable clustering in a blue-light dependent manner. CL6mN (Cry2-mCherry-LRP6c with N mutated PPPAP motifs) proteins were designed by mutating and/or truncating five crucial PPP(S/T)P motifs near the C-terminus of the optogenetic Wnt activator Cry2-mCherry-LRP6c, thus eliminating its Wnt activity. Light-induced CL6mN clusters have significantly greater dissociation half-lives than clusters of wild-type Cry2PHR. Moreover, the dissociation half-lives can be tuned by varying the number of PPPAP motifs, with the half-life increasing as much as 6-fold for a variant with five motifs (CL6m5) relative to Cry2PHR. Finally, we demonstrate the compatibility of CL6mN with previously reported Cry2-based photoswitches by optogenetically activating RhoA in mammalian cells.

Measuring ligand-cell surface receptor affinities with axial line-scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

Development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms is largely controlled by complex cell-cell signaling networks that rely on specific binding of secreted ligands to cell surface receptors. The Wnt signaling network, as an example, involves multiple ligands and receptors to elicit specific cellular responses. To understand the mechanisms of such a network, ligand-receptor interactions should be characterized quantitatively, ideally in live cells or tissues. Such measurements are possible using fluorescence microscopy yet challenging due to sample movement, low signal-to-background ratio and photobleaching. Here, we present a robust approach based on fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with ultra-high speed axial line scanning, yielding precise equilibrium dissociation coefficients of interactions in the Wnt signaling pathway. Using CRISPR/Cas9 editing to endogenously tag receptors with fluorescent proteins, we demonstrate that the method delivers precise results even with low, near-native amounts of receptors.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6-mediated signaling pathways and associated cardiovascular diseases: diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) family and accumulating evidence points to the critical role of LRP6 in cardiovascular health and homeostasis. In addition to presenting the well-appreciated roles in canonical signaling regulating blood pressure, blood glucose, lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, cardiac valve disease, cardiac development, Alzheimer's disease and tumorigenesis, LRP6 also inhibits non-canonical Wnt signals that promote arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and vascular calcification. Noticeably, the role of LRP6 is displayed in cardiometabolic disease, an increasingly important clinical burden with aging and obesity. The prospect for cardiovascular diseases treatment via targeting LRP6-mediated signaling pathways may improve central blood pressure and lipid metabolism, and reduce neointima formation and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Thus, a deep and comprehensive understanding of LRP6 structure, function and signaling pathways will contribute to clinical diagnosis, therapy and new drug development for LRP6-related cardiovascular diseases.

VSTM2A suppresses colorectal cancer and antagonizes Wnt signaling receptor LRP6.

Hyperactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is a critical step in colorectal tumorigenesis. In this study, we identified that V-set and transmembrane domain containing 2A (VSTM2A) was a top-downregulated secreted protein that negatively regulated Wnt singling pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the functional mechanisms and clinical implication of VSTM2A in CRC. Methods: Function of VSTM2A was investigated in vitro and in vivo. VSTM2A binding partner was identified by mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation and Western blot. The clinical impact of VSTM2A was assessed in 355 CRC patients and TCGA cohort. Results: VSTM2A protein was prominently silenced in CRC tumor tissues and cell lines mediated by its promoter hypermethylation. VSTM2A DNA promoter hypermethylation and VSTM2A protein downregulation was associated with poor survival of CRC patients. Ectopic expression of VSTM2A inhibited colon cancer cell lines and organoid growth, induced CRC cells apoptosis, inhibited cell migration and invasion, and suppressed growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. VSTM2A was released from CRC cells through a canonical secretion pathway. Secreted VSTM2A significantly suppressed Wnt signaling pathway in colon cancer cells. Wnt signaling co-receptor LDL receptor related protein 6 (LRP6) was identified as a cell membrane binding partner of VSTM2A. Using deletion/mutation and immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that VSTM2A bound to LRP6 E1-4 domain with its IgV domain. VSTM2A suppressed LRP6 phosphorylation in a time and dose dependent manner, and induced LRP6 endocytosis and lysosome-mediated degradation, which collectively contributing to the inactivation of Wnt signaling. Conclusions: VSTM2A is a novel antagonist of canonical Wnt signaling by directly binding to LRP6 and induces LRP6 endocytosis and degradation. VSTM2A is a potential prognostic biomarker for the outcome of CRC patients.

New explanation for autosomal dominant high bone mass: Mutation of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6.

LRP5 encodes low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5). When LRP5 with a Frizzled receptor join on the surface of an osteoblast and bind a member of the Wnt family of ligands, canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling occurs and increases bone formation. Eleven heterozygous gain-of-function missense mutations within LRP5 are known to prevent the LRP5 inhibitory ligands sclerostin and dickkopf1 from attaching to LRP5's first ß-propeller, and thereby explain the rare autosomal dominant (AD) skeletal disorder "high bone mass" (HBM). LRP6 is a cognate co-receptor of LRP5 and similarly controls Wnt signaling in osteoblasts, yet the consequences of increased LRP6-mediated signaling remain unknown. We investigated two multi-generational American families manifesting the clinical and routine laboratory features of LRP5 HBM but without an LRP5 defect and instead carrying a heterozygous LRP6 missense mutation that would alter the first ß-propeller of LRP6. In Family 1 LRP6 c.602C>T, p.A201V was homologous to LRP5 HBM mutation c.641C>T, p.A214V, and in Family 2 LRP6 c.553A>C, p.N185H was homologous to LRP5 HBM mutation c.593A>G, p.N198S but predicting a different residue at the identical amino acid position. In both families the LRP6 mutation co-segregated with striking generalized osteosclerosis and hyperostosis. Clinical features shared by the seven LRP6 HBM family members and ten LRP5 HBM patients included a broad jaw, torus palatinus, teeth encased in bone and, reportedly, resistance to fracturing and inability to float in water. For both HBM disorders, all affected individuals were taller than average for Americans (Ps < 0.005), but with similar mean height Z-scores (P = 0.7606) and indistinguishable radiographic skeletal features. Absence of adult maxillary lateral incisors was reported by some LRP6 HBM individuals. In contrast, our 16 patients with AD osteopetrosis [i.e., Albers-Schönberg disease (A-SD)] had an unremarkable mean height Z-score (P = 0.9401) lower than for either HBM group (Ps < 0.05). DXA mean BMD Z-scores in LRP6 HBM versus LRP5 HBM were somewhat higher at the lumbar spine (+7.8 vs +6.5, respectively; P = 0.0403), but no different at the total hip (+7.9 vs +7.7, respectively; P = 0.7905). Among the three diagnostic groups, only the LRP6 HBM DXA BMD values at the spine seemed to increase with subject age (R = +0.7183, P = 0.0448). Total hip BMD Z-scores were not significantly different among the three disorders (Ps > 0.05), and showed no age effect (Ps > 0.1). HR-pQCT available only for LRP6 HBM revealed indistinct corticomedullary boundaries, high distal forearm and tibial total volumetric BMD, and finite element analysis predicted marked fracture resistance. Hence, we have discovered mutations of LRP6 that cause a dento-osseous disorder indistinguishable without mutation analysis from LRP5 HBM. LRP6 HBM seems associated with generally good health, providing some reassurance for the development of anabolic treatments aimed to enhance LRP5/LRP6-mediated osteogenesis.

Anti-LRP5/6 VHHs promote differentiation of Wnt-hypersensitive intestinal stem cells.

Wnt-induced ß-catenin-mediated transcription is a driving force for stem cell self-renewal during adult tissue homeostasis. Enhanced Wnt receptor expression due to mutational inactivation of the ubiquitin ligases RNF43/ZNRF3 recently emerged as a leading cause for cancer development. Consequently, targeting canonical Wnt receptors such as LRP5/6 holds great promise for treatment of such cancer subsets. Here, we employ CIS display technology to identify single-domain antibody fragments (VHH) that bind the LRP6 P3E3P4E4 region with nanomolar affinity and strongly inhibit Wnt3/3a-induced ß-catenin-mediated transcription in cells, while leaving Wnt1 responses unaffected. Structural analysis reveal that individual VHHs variably employ divergent antigen-binding regions to bind a similar surface in the third ß-propeller of LRP5/6, sterically interfering with Wnt3/3a binding. Importantly, anti-LRP5/6 VHHs block the growth of Wnt-hypersensitive Rnf43/Znrf3-mutant intestinal organoids through stem cell exhaustion and collective terminal differentiation. Thus, VHH-mediated targeting of LRP5/6 provides a promising differentiation-inducing strategy for treatment of Wnt-hypersensitive tumors.

In silico studying of the whole protein structure and dynamics of Dickkopf family members showed that N-terminal domain of Dickkopf 2 in contrary to other Dickkopfs facilitates its interaction with low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5/6.

Wnt (Wingless Int) signaling pathway has been known to be dysregulated in several human cancers, especially colorectal cancer (CRC). The Dickkopf (DKK) family which consists of four secreted proteins in vertebrates (DKK 1, 2, 3, 4) is one of the most critical antagonist families for Wnt signaling pathway. They typically antagonize Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by binding and inhibiting Wnt co-receptors, LRP5/6 (low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5/6). However, except for DKK1 (Dickkopf 1), details about structure and function of the members of this family are poorly defined. In this study, main Dickkopf family members were analyzed structurally, using protein structure prediction tools, molecular dynamics (MD), molecular docking and energy analyses. Three dimensional structure of whole DKKs was predicted and their interaction with LRP6 was investigated in detail. The results indicated that in DKK family members, a considerable diversity, in the case of structure, activity and physicochemical properties was seen. This diversity was more profound in DKK3 (Dickkopf3). Interestingly, the interaction mode of DKK2 (Dickkopf2) with its receptor, LRP6, was shown to be substantially different from other Dickkopf family members while N-terminal region of this ligand was also involved in the binding to the LRP6-P3P4. Moreover, the cysteine-rich domain 2 (CRD2) of DKK1 and DKK3 had a higher binding affinity to LRP6 in comparison with the whole protein structures. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Oligomerization of Frizzled and LRP5/6 protein initiates intracellular signaling for the canonical WNT/ß-catenin pathway.

Upon binding to the canonical WNT glycoproteins, Frizzled family receptors (FZDs) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 (LRP5/6) undergo a series of polymerizations on the cell surface that elicit canonical WNT/ß-catenin signaling. The hyperactivation of WNT/ß-catenin signaling is the major cause of tumorigenesis, but the mechanism in tumors such as hepatoma remains unclear. Here, we observed that WNT3A manifested the hyperactivity in ß-catenin-dependent signaling after binding to FZD's competitive inhibitory molecule secreted Frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2). To understand the mechanism of FZDs in the presence of SFRP2, we explored how FZDs can bind and activate the LRP5/6 signalosome independently of WNT glycoproteins. Our findings further revealed that oligomerizations of FZDs and LRP5/6 can integrate the cytoplasmic protein Dishevelled into the LRP5/6 signalosome, resulting in a robust activation of ligand-independent ß-catenin signaling. We propose that besides WNT-bridged FZD-WNT-LRP5/6 protein complexes, the homo- and hetero-oligomerizations of WNT receptors may contribute to the formation of the LRP5/6 signalosome on the cell surface. Of note, we identified four highly expressed FZDs in the hepatoma cell line HepG2, all of which significantly promoted ligand-independent LRP5/ß-catenin signaling. As FZDs are ectopically expressed in numerous tumors, our findings may provide a new perspective on tumor pathologies. Furthermore, the results in our study suggest that the composition and stoichiometry of FZDs and LRP5/6 within the LRP5/6 signalosome may tune the selection of bound WNT glycoproteins and configure downstream WNT/ß-catenin signaling.

Structure of the Wnt signaling enhancer LYPD6 and its interactions with the Wnt coreceptor LRP6.

Ly6/urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) (LU) domain containing 6 (LYPD6) is a Wnt signaling enhancer that promotes phosphorylation of the Wnt coreceptor low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6). It also binds the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). We report here the 1.25 Å resolution structure of the LYPD6 extracellular LU domain and map its interaction with LRP6 by mutagenesis and surface plasmon resonance. The LYPD6LU structure reveals a 'trifingered protein domain' fold with the middle fingertip bearing an 'NxI' motif, a tripeptide motif associated with LRP5/6 binding by Wnt inhibitors. Of the Ly6 protein family members, only LYPD6 has an NxI motif. Since mutations in the LYPD6 NxI motif abolish or severely reduce interaction with LRP6, our results indicate its key role in the interaction of LYPD6 with LRP6.

MiR-381-3p inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting LRP6 in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: MiR-381-3p plays an essential role in the progression of a variety of cancers, but its expression and role in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) progression have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miR-381-3p and its function in PTC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels of miR-381-3p and low-density lipoprotein receptor­related protein 6 (LRP6) mRNA in PTC tissues and cell lines were measured using RT-PCR. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed by cell viability assay and transwell assay. Luciferase assays and Western blotting were performed to demonstrate miR-381-3p target gene. RESULTS: We found that miR-381-3p was significantly down-regulated in PTC tissues and cell lines. In vitro assay indicated that up-regulation of miR-381-3p significantly suppressed PTC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that miR-381-3p could target LRP6 by binding to the 3' UTR. Western blot and Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) showed that miR-381-3p overexpression suppressed the expression of LRP6 at both mRNA and proteins levels. In addition, functional experiment confirmed that LRP6 was involved in the suppressive effect of miR-381-3p-mediated PTC on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested, for the first time, that miR-381-3p was lowly expressed in PTC tissues, and its up-regulation inhibited tumorigenesis of PTC by targeting LRP6.

A receptor tyrosine kinase ROR1 inhibitor (KAN0439834) induced significant apoptosis of pancreatic cells which was enhanced by erlotinib and ibrutinib.

There is a great unmet medical need in pancreatic carcinoma (PC) for novel drugs with other mechanisms of action than existing. PC cells express the onco-fetal RTK ROR1, absent on most normal post-partem cells. ROR1 is involved in proliferation, survival, EMT and metastasis of tumor cells in various malignancies. A small molecule inhibitor (KAN0439834) (530 Da) targeting the TK domain of ROR1 was developed and the activity in ROR1 expressing human PC cell lines (n = 8) evaluated. The effects were compared to a murine mAb against the external part of ROR1, gemcitabine, erlotinib and ibrutinib. KAN0439834 induced significant apoptosis of the tumor cells. EC50 values for KAN0439834 varied between 250-650 nM depending on the cell line. The corresponding values for erlotinib and ibrutinib were 10-40 folds higher. KAN0439834 was much more effective in inducing tumor cell death than the ROR1 mAb although both inhibited ROR1 phosphorylation and downstream non-canonical Wnt pathway molecules. Combination of KAN0439834 with erlotinib or ibrutinib had significant additive effects on tumor cell death. A first-in-class small molecule ROR1 inhibitor (KAN0439834) showed promising in vitro activity against a number of human PC cell lines. Interesting is the additive effects of erlotinib and ibrutinib which warrants further studies as both these agents are in clinical trials for pancreatic carcinoma.

Cripto-1 contributes to stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma by stabilizing Dishevelled-3 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Identification and characterization of functional molecular targets conferring stemness properties in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) offers crucial insights to overcome the major hurdles of tumor recurrence, metastasis and chemoresistance in clinical management. In the current study, we investigated the significance of Cripto-1 in contributing to HCC stemness. Cripto-1 was upregulated in the sorafenib-resistant clones derived from HCC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft that we previously developed, suggesting an association between Cripto-1 and stemness. By in vitro experiments, Cripto-1 fostered cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. It also enhanced self-renewal ability and conferred chemoresistance of HCC cells. Consistently, silencing of Cripto-1 suppressed in vivo tumorigenicity on serial transplantation. On the downstream signaling mechanism, expression of major components of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway ß-catenin, AXIN2, and C-MYC, accompanied by ß-catenin activity was reduced upon Cripto-1 knockdown. The suppressive effects on stemness properties with Cripto-1 knockdown in vitro and in vivo were partially rescued by forced expression of constitutively active ß-catenin. Further elucidation revealed the binding of Cripto-1 to Frizzled-7 (FZD7), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) and Dishevelled-3 (DVL3) of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and stabilized DVL3 protein. Analyses with clinical samples validated Cripto-1 overexpression in HCC tissues, as well as a positive correlation between Cripto-1 and AXIN2 expressions. High Cripto-1 level in tumor was associated with poorer disease-free survival of HCC patients. Taken together, Cripto-1 binds to FZD7/LRP6 and DVL3, stabilizes DVL3 expression and activates the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling cascade to confer stemness in HCC. Our study findings substantiated the role of Cripto-1 in determining stemness phenotypes of HCC and mechanistically in modulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling cascade, one of the most frequently deregulated pathways in liver cancer.

Haemorrhagic snake venom metalloproteases and human ADAMs cleave LRP5/6, which disrupts cell-cell adhesions in vitro and induces haemorrhage in vivo.

Snake venom metalloproteases (SVMPs) are members of the a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) family of proteins, as they possess similar domains. SVMPs are known to elicit snake venom-induced haemorrhage; however, the target proteins and cleavage sites are not known. In this work, we identified a target protein of vascular apoptosis-inducing protein 1 (VAP1), an SVMP, relevant to its ability to induce haemorrhage. VAP1 disrupted cell-cell adhesions by relocating VE-cadherin and γ-catenin from the cell-cell junction to the cytosol, without inducing proteolysis of VE-cadherin. The Wnt receptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 (LRP5/6) are known to promote catenin relocation, and are rendered constitutively active in Wnt signalling by truncation. Thus, we examined whether VAP1 cleaves LRP5/6 to induce catenin relocation. Indeed, we found that VAP1 cleaved the extracellular region of LRP6 and LRP5. This cleavage removes four inhibitory ß-propeller structures, resulting in activation of LRP5/6. Recombinant human ADAM8 and ADAM12 also cleaved LRP6 at the same site. An antibody against a peptide including the LRP6-cleavage site inhibited VAP1-induced VE-cadherin relocation and disruption of cell-cell adhesions in cultured cells, and blocked haemorrhage in mice in vivo. Intriguingly, animals resistant to the effects of haemorrhagic snake venom express variants of LRP5/6 that lack the VAP1-cleavage site, or low-density lipoprotein receptor domain class A domains involved in formation of the constitutively active form. The results validate LRP5/6 as physiological targets of ADAMs. Furthermore, they indicate that SVMP-induced cleavage of LRP5/6 causes disruption of cell-cell adhesion and haemorrhage, potentially opening new avenues for the treatment of snake bites.

Rational design of DKK3 structure-based small peptides as antagonists of Wnt signaling pathway and in silico evaluation of their efficiency.

Dysregulated Wnt signaling pathway is highly associated with the pathogenesis of several human cancers. Dickkopf proteins (DKKs) are thought to inhibit Wnt signaling pathway through binding to lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) 5/6. In this study, based on the 3-dimensional (3D) structure of DKK3 Cys-rich domain 2 (CRD2), we have designed and developed several peptide inhibitors of Wnt signaling pathway. Modeller 9.15 package was used to predict 3D structure of CRD2 based on the Homology modeling (HM) protocol. After refinement and minimization with GalaxyRefine and NOMAD-REF servers, the quality of selected models was evaluated utilizing VADAR, SAVES and ProSA servers. Molecular docking studies as well as literature-based information revealed two distinct boxes located at CRD2 which are actively involved in the DKK3-LRP5/6 interaction. A peptide library was constructed conducting the backrub sequence tolerance scanning protocol in Rosetta3.5 according to the DKK3-LRP5/6 binding sites. Seven tolerated peptides were chosen and their binding affinity and stability were improved by some logical amino acid substitutions. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of peptide-LRP5/6 complexes were carried out using GROMACS package. After evaluation of binding free energies, stability, electrostatic potential and some physicochemical properties utilizing computational approaches, three peptides (PEP-I1, PEP-I3 and PEP-II2) demonstrated desirable features. However, all seven improved peptides could sufficiently block the Wnt-binding site of LRP6 in silico. In conclusion, we have designed and improved several small peptides based on the LRP6-binding site of CRD2 of DKK3. These peptides are highly capable of binding to LRP6 in silico, and may prevent the formation of active Wnt-LRP6-Fz complex.

Conformational Freedom of the LRP6 Ectodomain Is Regulated by N-glycosylation and the Binding of the Wnt Antagonist Dkk1.

LDL-receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a single-pass membrane glycoprotein with a large modular ectodomain and forms a higher order signaling platform upon binding Wnt ligands on the cell surface. Although multiple crystal structures are available for fragments of the LRP6 ectodomain, we lack a consensus view on the overall molecular architecture of the full-length LRP6 and its dynamic aspects. Here, we used negative-stain electron microscopy to probe conformational states of the entire ectodomain of LRP6 in solution and found that the four-module ectodomain undergoes a large bending motion hinged at the junction between the second and the third modules. Importantly, the extent of inter-domain motion is modulated by evolutionarily conserved N-glycan chains proximal to the joint. We also found that the LRP6 ectodomain becomes highly compact upon complexation with the Wnt antagonist Dkk1, suggesting a potential role for the ectodomain conformational change in the regulation of receptor oligomerization and signaling.

Ubiquitin-dependent folding of the Wnt signaling coreceptor LRP6.

Many membrane proteins fold inefficiently and require the help of enzymes and chaperones. Here we reveal a novel folding assistance system that operates on membrane proteins from the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We show that folding of the Wnt signaling coreceptor LRP6 is promoted by ubiquitination of a specific lysine, retaining it in the ER while avoiding degradation. Subsequent ER exit requires removal of ubiquitin from this lysine by the deubiquitinating enzyme USP19. This ubiquitination-deubiquitination is conceptually reminiscent of the glucosylation-deglucosylation occurring in the ER lumen during the calnexin/calreticulin folding cycle. To avoid infinite futile cycles, folded LRP6 molecules undergo palmitoylation and ER export, while unsuccessfully folded proteins are, with time, polyubiquitinated on other lysines and targeted to degradation. This ubiquitin-dependent folding system also controls the proteostasis of other membrane proteins as CFTR and anthrax toxin receptor 2, two poor folders involved in severe human diseases.

Structure of the Dual-Mode Wnt Regulator Kremen1 and Insight into Ternary Complex Formation with LRP6 and Dickkopf.

Kremen 1 and 2 have been identified as co-receptors for Dickkopf (Dkk) proteins, hallmark secreted antagonists of canonical Wnt signaling. We present here three crystal structures of the ectodomain of human Kremen1 (KRM1ECD) at resolutions between 1.9 and 3.2 Å. KRM1ECD emerges as a rigid molecule with tight interactions stabilizing a triangular arrangement of its Kringle, WSC, and CUB structural domains. The structures reveal an unpredicted homology of the WSC domain to hepatocyte growth factor. We further report the general architecture of the ternary complex formed by the Wnt co-receptor Lrp5/6, Dkk, and Krm, determined from a low-resolution complex crystal structure between ß-propeller/EGF repeats (PE) 3 and 4 of the Wnt co-receptor LRP6 (LRP6PE3PE4), the cysteine-rich domain 2 (CRD2) of DKK1, and KRM1ECD. DKK1CRD2 is sandwiched between LRP6PE3 and KRM1Kringle-WSC. Modeling studies supported by surface plasmon resonance suggest a direct interaction site between Krm1CUB and Lrp6PE2.