Mutations in TGIF cause holoprosencephaly and link NODAL signalling to human neural axis determination.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is the most common structural defect of the developing forebrain in humans (1 in 250 conceptuses, 1 in 16,000 live-born infants). HPE is aetiologically heterogeneous, with both environmental and genetic causes. So far, three human HPE genes are known: SHH at chromosome region 7q36 (ref. 6); ZIC2 at 13q32 (ref. 7); and SIX3 at 2p21 (ref. 8). In animal models, genes in the Nodal signalling pathway, such as those mutated in the zebrafish mutants cyclops (refs 9,10), squint (ref. 11) and one-eyed pinhead (oep; ref. 12), cause HPE. Mice heterozygous for null alleles of both Nodal and Smad2 have cyclopia. Here we describe the involvement of the TG-interacting factor (TGIF), a homeodomain protein, in human HPE. We mapped TGIF to the HPE minimal critical region in 18p11.3. Heterozygous mutations in individuals with HPE affect the transcriptional repression domain of TGIF, the DNA-binding domain or the domain that interacts with SMAD2. (The latter is an effector in the signalling pathway of the neural axis developmental factor NODAL, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family.) Several of these mutations cause a loss of TGIF function. Thus, TGIF links the NODAL signalling pathway to the bifurcation of the human forebrain and the establishment of ventral midline structures.

Juxtacrine cell signaling molecules.

Cell adhesion molecules and diffusible growth factors have long been studied as two separate forms of intercellular communication. However, biologists working in these two areas are seeing their fields converge. This merge has been promoted by the identification of membrane-anchored growth factors that activate receptors on adjacent cells through intimate cell-cell contacts, and cell adhesion molecules that act as signaling receptors. Juxtacrine stimulation mediated by these two classes of molecules is critical in various aspects of tissue development and maintenance. Our increasing appreciation of juxtacrine interactions should foster rapid progress in this field.

Ubiquitin-dependent degradation of TGF-beta-activated smad2.

SMAD proteins are phosphorylated by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) receptors and translocate to the nucleus, where they control transcription. Here we investigate the fate of activated Smad2. We show that receptor-mediated activation leads to multi-ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of Smad2 by the proteasome. Ubiquitination of Smad2 is a consequence of its accumulation in the nucleus. If degradation is averted, the phosphorylated Smad2 remains in the nucleus in an active state. By targeting Smad2 for destruction, TGF-beta ensures the irreversible termination of its own signalling function.

TGFbeta influences Myc, Miz-1 and Smad to control the CDK inhibitor p15INK4b.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) is a cytokine that arrests epithelial cell division by switching off the proto-oncogene c-myc and rapidly switching on cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors such as p15INK4b. Gene responses to TGFbeta involve Smad transcription factors that are directly activated by the TGFbeta receptor. Why downregulation of c-myc expression by TGFbeta is required for rapid activation of p15INK4b has remained unknown. Here we provide evidence that TGFbeta signalling prevents recruitment of Myc to the p15INK4b transcriptional initiator by Myc-interacting zinc-finger protein 1 (Miz-1). This relieves repression and enables transcriptional activation by a TGFbeta-induced Smad protein complex that recognizes an upstream p15INK4b promoter region and contacts Miz-1. Thus, two separate TGFbeta-dependent inputs - Smad-mediated transactivation and relief of repression by Myc - keep tight control over p15INK4b activation.

Repression of p15INK4b expression by Myc through association with Miz-1.

Deregulated expression of c-myc can induce cell proliferation in established cell lines and in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), through a combination of both transcriptional activation and repression by Myc. Here we show that a Myc-associated transcription factor, Miz-1, arrests cells in G1 phase and inhibits cyclin D-associated kinase activity. Miz-1 upregulates expression of the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) inhibitor p15INK4b by binding to the initiator element of the p15INK4b promoter. Myc and Max form a complex with Miz-1 at the p15 initiator and inhibit transcriptional activation by Miz-1. Expression of Myc in primary cells inhibits the accumulation of p15INK4b that is associated with cellular senescence; conversely, deletion of c-myc in an established cell line activates p15INK4b expression. Alleles of c-myc that are unable to bind to Miz-1 fail to inhibit accumulation of p15INK4b messenger RNA in primary cells and are, as a consequence, deficient in immortalization.

Understanding the local and remote source contributions to ambient O3 during a pollution episode using a combination of experimental approaches in the Guadalquivir valley, southern Spain.

The Guadalquivir Valley is one of three major O3 hotspots in Spain. An airborne and surface measurement campaign was carried out from July 9th to 11th, 2019 to quantify the local/regional O3 contributions using experimental approaches. Air quality and meteorology data from surface measurements, a microlight aircraft, a helium balloon, and remote sensing data (TROPOMI-NO2-ESA) were used to obtain the 3D distribution of O3 and various tracer pollutants. O3 accumulation over 2.5 days started with inputs from oceanic air masses transported inland by sea breezes, which drew O3 and its precursors from a local/regional origin to the northeastern end of the basin. The orographic-meteorological setting of the valley caused vertical recirculation of the air masses inside the valley that caused the accumulation by increasing regional background O3 concentration by 25-30 ppb. Furthermore, possible Mediterranean O3 contributions and additional vertical recirculation through the entrainment zone of the convective boundary layer also contributed. Using particulate matter finer than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), ultrafine particles (UFP), and black carbon (BC) as tracers of local sources, we calculated that local contributions increased regional O3 levels by 20 ppb inside specific pollution plumes transported by the breeze into the valley, and by 10 ppb during midday when flying over an area with abundant agricultural burning during the morning. Air masses that crossed the southern boundaries of the Betic system at mid-altitude (400-1850 m a.s.l.) on July 10th and 11th may have provided additional O3. Meanwhile, a decreasing trend at high altitudes (3000-5000 m a.s.l.) was observed, signifying that the impact of stratospheric O3 intrusion decreased during the campaign.

The TGF-beta family and its composite receptors.

In their search for regulators of animal growth and development, biologists have often come upon members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family and have realized that these are among the most versatile carriers of growth and differentiation signals. New evidence suggests that these factors signal through receptors with remarkable structures. Each receptor is a complex of two distantly related transmembrane serine/threonine kinases that are both essential for signalling. TGF-beta and related factors have at their disposal a repertoire of such receptors, a feature that could account for their multifunctional nature.

Transforming growth factor-beta modulates the high-affinity receptors for epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor mediates the induction of a transformed phenotype in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells by transforming growth factors (TGFs). The ability of EGF and its analogue TGF-alpha to induce the transformed phenotype in NRK cells is greatly potentiated by TGF-beta, a polypeptide that does not interact directly with binding sites for EGF or TGF-alpha. Our evidence indicates that TGF-beta purified from retrovirally transformed rat embryo cells and human platelets induces a rapid (t 1/2 = 0.3 h) decrease in the binding of EGF and TGF-alpha to high-affinity cell surface receptors in NRK cells. No change due to TGF-beta was observed in the binding of EGF or TGF-alpha to lower affinity sites also present in NRK cells. The effect of TGF-beta on EGF/TGF-alpha receptors was observed at concentrations (0.5-20 pM) similar to those at which TGF-beta is active in promoting proliferation of NRK cells in monolayer culture and semisolid medium. Affinity labeling of NRK cells and membranes by cross-linking with receptor-bound 125I-TGF-alpha and 125I-EGF indicated that both factors interact with a common 170-kD receptor structure. Treatment of cells with TGF-beta decreased the intensity of affinity-labeling of this receptor structure. These data suggest that the 170 kD high-affinity receptors for EGF and TGF-alpha in NRK cells are a target for rapid modulation by TGF-beta.

Transforming growth factor-alpha and beta-amyloid precursor protein share a secretory mechanism.

Cleavage and release of membrane protein ectodomains, a regulated process that affects many cell surface proteins, remains largely uncharacterized. To investigate whether cell surface proteins are cleaved through a shared mechanism or through multiple independent mechanisms, we mutagenized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and selected clones that were unable to cleave membrane-anchored transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha). The defect in TGF-alpha cleavage in these clones is most apparent upon cell treatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator PMA, which stimulates TGF-alpha cleavage in wild-type cells. The mutant clones do not have defects in TFG-alpha expression, transport to the cell surface or turnover. Concomitant with the loss of TGF-alpha cleavage, these clones have lost the ability to cleave many structurally unrelated membrane proteins in response to PMA. These proteins include beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP), whose cleavage into a secreted form avoids conversion into the amyloidogenic peptide A beta, and a group of cell surface proteins whose release into the medium is stimulated by PMA in wild type CHO cells but not in mutants. The mutations prevent cleavage by PKC-dependent as well as PKC-independent mechanisms, and thus affect an essential component that functions downstream of these various signaling mechanisms. We propose that regulated cleavage and secretion of membrane protein ectodomains is mediated by a common system whose components respond to multiple activators and act on susceptible proteins of diverse structure and function.

Activated release of membrane-anchored TGF-alpha in the absence of cytosol.

The ectodomain of proTGF-alpha, a membrane-anchored growth factor, is converted into soluble TGF-alpha by a regulated cellular proteolytic system that recognizes proTGF-alpha via the C-terminal valine of its cytoplasmic tail. In order to define the biochemical components involved in proTGF-alpha cleavage, we have used cells permeabilized with streptolysin O (SLO) that have been extensively washed to remove cytosol. PMA, acting through a Ca(2+)-independent protein kinase C, activates cleavage as efficiently in permeabilized cells as it does in intact cells. ProTGF-alpha cleavage is also stimulated by GTP gamma S through a mechanism whose pharmacological properties suggest the involvement of a heterotrimeric G protein acting upstream of the PMA-sensitive Ca(2+)-independent protein kinase C. Activated proTGF-alpha cleavage is dependent on ATP hydrolysis, appears not to require vesicular traffic, and acts specifically on proTGF-alpha that has reached the cell surface. These results indicate that proTGF-alpha is cleaved from the cell surface by a regulated system whose signaling, recognition, and proteolytic components are retained in cells devoid of cytosol.

Membrane-anchored and soluble forms of betaglycan, a polymorphic proteoglycan that binds transforming growth factor-beta.

Transforming growth factors beta 1 and beta 2 bind with high affinity to the core protein of a 250-350-kD cell surface proteoglycan. This proteoglycan (formerly referred to as the type III TGF-beta receptor) coexists in many cells with the receptor implicated in TGF-beta signal transduction (type I TGF-beta receptor), but its function is not known. We report here that soluble TGF-beta-binding proteoglycans are released by several cell types into the culture media, and can be found in serum and extracellular matrices. As has been shown for the membrane-bound form, the soluble proteoglycans have a heterogeneous core protein of 100-120 kD that carries chondroitin sulfate and/or heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains and a small amount of N-linked carbohydrate. The membrane-bound form of this proteoglycan is hydrophobic and associates with liposomes, whereas the soluble forms lack a membrane anchor and do not associate with liposomes. Differences in the electrophoretic migration of the soluble and membrane forms of this proteoglycan suggest additional structural differences in their core proteins and glycosaminoglycan chains. These soluble and membrane-bound proteoglycans, for which we propose the name "betaglycans," might play distinct roles in pericellular retention, delivery, or clearance of activated TGF-beta.

Betaglycan can act as a dual modulator of TGF-beta access to signaling receptors: mapping of ligand binding and GAG attachment sites.

Betaglycan, also known as the TGF-beta type III receptor, is a membrane-anchored proteoglycan that presents TGF-beta to the type II signaling receptor, a transmembrane serine/threonine kinase. The betaglycan extracellular region, which can be shed by cells into the medium, contains a NH2-terminal domain related to endoglin and a COOH-terminal domain related to uromodulin, sperm receptors Zp2 and 3, and pancreatic secretory granule GP-2 protein. We identified residues Ser535 and Ser546 in the uromodulin-related region as the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) attachment sites. Their mutation to alanine prevents GAG attachment but does not interfere with betaglycan stability or ability to bind and present TGF-beta to receptor II. Using a panel of deletion mutants, we found that TGF-beta binds to the NH2-terminal endoglin-related region of betaglycan. The remainder of the extracellular domain and the cytoplasmic domain are not required for presentation of TGF-beta to receptor II; however, membrane anchorage is required. Soluble betaglycan can bind TGF-beta but does not enhance binding to membrane receptors. In fact, recombinant soluble betaglycan acts as potent inhibitor of TGF-beta binding to membrane receptors and blocks TGF-beta action, this effect being particularly pronounced with the TGF-beta 2 isoform. The results suggest that release of betaglycan into the medium converts this enhancer of TGF-beta action into a TGF-beta antagonist.

Negative regulation of G1 in mammalian cells: inhibition of cyclin E-dependent kinase by TGF-beta.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a naturally occurring growth inhibitory polypeptide that arrests the cell cycle in middle to late G1 phase. Cells treated with TGF-beta contained normal amounts of cyclin E and cyclin-dependent protein kinase 2 (Cdk2) but failed to stably assemble cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes or accumulate cyclin E-associated kinase activity. Moreover, G1 phase extracts from TGF-beta-treated cells did not support activation of endogenous cyclin-dependent protein kinases by exogenous cyclins. These effects of TGF-beta, which correlated with the inhibition of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation, suggest that mammalian G1 cyclin-dependent kinases, like their counterparts in yeast, are targets for negative regulators of the cell cycle.

Absence of TGF-beta receptors and growth inhibitory responses in retinoblastoma cells.

The responses of retinoblastoma tumor cells and normal retinal cells to various growth inhibitory factors were examined. Whereas fetal retinal cells were highly sensitive to the antimitogenic effects of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), retinoblastoma tumor cell lines were all resistant to this factor. Binding assays and affinity labeling of these cells with radioiodinated TGF-beta 1 revealed that the cells did not have TGF-beta receptors. The retinoblastoma cells lacked the three affinity-labeled proteins of 65, 95, and 300 kilodaltons typically seen in human cell lines and thus differed from normal retinal cells and from other types of neuroectodermal tumors that display the normal pattern of receptors. Loss of TGF-beta receptors, which is a rare event among tumor cells, may represent one mechanism through which these cells escape from negative control and form retinoblastomas.

Structural basis of Smad2 recognition by the Smad anchor for receptor activation.

The Smad proteins mediate transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) signaling from the transmembrane serine-threonine receptor kinases to the nucleus. The Smad anchor for receptor activation (SARA) recruits Smad2 to the TGFbeta receptors for phosphorylation. The crystal structure of a Smad2 MH2 domain in complex with the Smad-binding domain (SBD) of SARA has been determined at 2.2 angstrom resolution. SARA SBD, in an extended conformation comprising a rigid coil, an alpha helix, and a beta strand, interacts with the beta sheet and the three-helix bundle of Smad2. Recognition between the SARA rigid coil and the Smad2 beta sheet is essential for specificity, whereas interactions between the SARA beta strand and the Smad2 three-helix bundle contribute significantly to binding affinity. Comparison of the structures between Smad2 and a comediator Smad suggests a model for how receptor-regulated Smads are recognized by the type I receptors.

Mammalian antiproliferative signals and their targets.

The effect of mitogens on the mammalian cell cycle is opposed by the action of antimitogens, such as TGF-beta, cAMP agonists, and various antiproliferative drugs. The recent identification of TGF-beta receptors that initiate antimitogenic signals and of cell cycle kinase inhibitors that respond to these signals has provided new insights into this process. The evidence argues that mitogenic and antimitogenic signals confront each other by regulating in opposite ways the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases that control cell commitment to DNA replication.

SMADs: mediators and regulators of TGF-beta signaling.

The discovery of SMAD proteins has allowed the delineation of a mechanism by which TGF-beta and related growth factors convey their signals from membrane receptors all the way into the nucleus. SMADs are directly phosphorylated and activated by the receptors and then form heteromeric SMAD-SMAD complexes that move into the nucleus where they orchestrate transcriptional responses. In rapid succession, recent reports have identified different modes of SMAD regulation by phosphorylation and have defined the SMAD domains that mediate SMAD interactions, binding to DNA or transcriptional activation. The recent discovery of antagonistic SMADs and regulatory crosstalk with Ras/MAP-kinase pathways add to our rapidly expanding understanding of this major regulatory network.

Negative regulators of growth.

The proliferation of cells is regulated by countervailing positively- and negatively-acting signaling networks. The anti-proliferative signals, the study of which has been much neglected until recently, are often conveyed by growth-inhibitory peptides. Elements that mediate the cellular response to growth inhibitors are encoded by tumor suppressor genes that if lost may lead to the runaway growth of the cancer cell.

TGF-beta signaling blockade inhibits PTHrP secretion by breast cancer cells and bone metastases development.

Breast cancer frequently metastasizes to the skeleton, and the associated bone destruction is mediated by the osteoclast. Growth factors, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), released from bone matrix by the action of osteoclasts, may foster metastatic growth. Because TGF-beta inhibits growth of epithelial cells, and carcinoma cells are often defective in TGF-beta responses, any role of TGF-beta in metastasis is likely to be mediated by effects on the surrounding normal tissue. However, we present evidence that TGF-beta promotes breast cancer metastasis by acting directly on the tumor cells. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant (TbetaRIIDeltacyt) of the TGF-beta type II receptor rendered the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 unresponsive to TGF-beta. In a murine model of bone metastases, expression of TbetaRIIDeltacyt by MDA-MB-231 resulted in less bone destruction, less tumor with fewer associated osteoclasts, and prolonged survival compared with controls. Reversal of the dominant-negative signaling blockade by expression of a constitutively active TGF-beta type I receptor in the breast cancer cells increased tumor production of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), enhanced osteolytic bone metastasis, and decreased survival. Transfection of MDA-MB-231 cells that expressed the dominant-negative TbetaRIIDeltacyt with the cDNA for PTHrP resulted in constitutive tumor PTHrP production and accelerated bone metastases. These data demonstrate an important role for TGF-beta in the development of breast cancer metastasis to bone, via the TGF-beta receptor-mediated signaling pathway in tumor cells, and suggest that the bone destruction is mediated by PTHrP.