Structure-guided combination therapy to potently improve the function of mutant CFTRs.

Available corrector drugs are unable to effectively rescue the folding defects of CFTR-ΔF508 (or CFTR-F508del), the most common disease-causing mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, a plasma membrane (PM) anion channel, and thus to substantially ameliorate clinical phenotypes of cystic fibrosis (CF). To overcome the corrector efficacy ceiling, here we show that compounds targeting distinct structural defects of CFTR can synergistically rescue mutant expression and function at the PM. High-throughput cell-based screens and mechanistic analysis identified three small-molecule series that target defects at nucleotide-binding domain (NBD1), NBD2 and their membrane-spanning domain (MSD) interfaces. Although individually these compounds marginally improve ΔF508-CFTR folding efficiency, function and stability, their combinations lead to ~50-100% of wild-type-level correction in immortalized and primary human airway epithelia and in mouse nasal epithelia. Likewise, corrector combinations were effective against rare missense mutations in various CFTR domains, probably acting via structural allostery, suggesting a mechanistic framework for their broad application.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase and beta-arrestin-mediated desensitization of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor elucidated by diacylglycerol dynamics.

Receptor desensitization progressively limits responsiveness of cells to chronically applied stimuli. Desensitization in the continuous presence of agonist has been difficult to study with available assay methods. Here, we used a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based live cell assay for the second messenger diacylglycerol to measure desensitization of a model seven-transmembrane receptor, the Gq-coupled angiotensin II type 1(A) receptor, expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. In response to angiotensin II, we observed a transient diacylglycerol response reflecting activation and complete desensitization of the receptor within 2-5 min. By utilizing a variety of approaches including graded tetracycline-inducible receptor expression, mutated receptors, and overexpression or short interfering RNA-mediated silencing of putative components of the cellular desensitization machinery, we conclude that the rate and extent of receptor desensitization are critically determined by the following: receptor concentration in the plasma membrane; the presence of phosphorylation sites on the carboxyl terminus of the receptor; kinase activity of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2, but not of G protein-coupled receptor kinases 3, 5, or 6; and stoichiometric expression of beta-arrestin. The findings introduce the use of the biosensor diacylglycerol reporter as a powerful means for studying Gq-coupled receptor desensitization and document that, at the levels of receptor overexpression commonly used in such studies, the properties of the desensitization process are markedly perturbed and do not reflect normal cellular physiology.

beta-Arrestin 1 and Galphaq/11 coordinately activate RhoA and stress fiber formation following receptor stimulation.

beta-Arrestins were initially shown, in conjunction with G protein-coupled receptor kinases, to be involved in the desensitization and internalization of activated seven-transmembrane receptors. Recently, beta-arrestin 2 has been shown to act as a signal mediator in mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades and to play a positive regulatory role in chemotaxis. We now show that beta-arrestin 1 is required to activate the small GTPase RhoA leading to the re-organization of stress fibers following the activation of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor. This angiotensin II type 1A receptor-directed RhoA activation and stress fiber formation also require the activation of the heterotrimeric G protein G(alphaq/11). Whereas neither beta-arrestin 1 nor G(alphaq/11) activation alone is sufficient to robustly activate RhoA, the concurrent recruitment of beta-arrestin 1 and activation of G(alphaq/11) leads to full activation of RhoA and to the subsequent formation of stress fibers.

Beta-arrestin 2-dependent angiotensin II type 1A receptor-mediated pathway of chemotaxis.

Chemotaxis is a cellular response that directs cell migration toward a chemical gradient and is fundamental to a variety of cellular processes. The receptors for most known chemokines belong to the seven transmembrane-spanning superfamily and signal through members of the G(alphai) family. Beta-arrestins, in addition to regulating desensitization, have emerged as potential mediators of G-protein-independent signaling pathways and have been implicated in several chemotactic pathways. Here, we report a system wherein chemotaxis is stimulated in a beta-arrestin 2-dependent and apparently G-protein-independent manner. Human embryonic kidney 293 cells with stable expression of the angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor type 1A (AT(1A)R) undergo chemotaxis in response to Ang II. An Ang II peptide analog S(1)I(4)I(8) Ang II that is unable to activate G-protein-mediated responses induces chemotaxis in these cells that is unaffected by pertussis toxin-mediated suppression of G(alphai). Suppression of beta-arrestin 2 expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) essentially eliminated AT(1A)R-mediated chemotaxis induced by either Ang II or the S(1)I(4)I(8) Ang II peptide but had no effect on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced chemotaxis. It also abolished chemotaxis induced by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which was completely sensitive to pertussis toxin. In contrast, reduction of G(alphaq/11) through siRNA and inhibition of protein kinase C, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase did not diminish AT(1A)R-mediated chemotaxis. Inhibiting p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase decreased AT(1A)R-mediated chemotaxis and eliminated EGF-mediated chemotaxis, suggesting that p38 plays a role in chemotaxis that is not specific to the AT(1A)R in this system. These data suggest that beta-arrestin 2 can mediate chemotaxis through mechanisms which may be G-protein-independent (Ang II receptors) or -dependent (LPA receptors).

Membrane-bound histamine N-methyltransferase in mouse brain: possible role in the synaptic inactivation of neuronal histamine.

In the CNS, histamine is a neurotransmitter that is inactivated by histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT), a soluble enzyme localized to the cytosol of neurons and endothelial cells. However, it has not been established how extracellular histamine, a charged molecule at physiological pH, reaches intracellular HNMT. Present studies investigated two potential routes of histamine inactivation in mouse brain nerve terminal fractions (synaptosomes): (i) histamine uptake and (ii) histamine metabolism by HNMT. Intact synaptosomes demonstrated a weak temperature-dependent histamine uptake (0.098 pmol/min-mg protein), but contained a much greater capacity to metabolize histamine by HNMT (1.4 pmol/min-mg protein). Determination of the distribution of HNMT within synaptosomes revealed that synaptosomal membranes (devoid of soluble HNMT) contribute HNMT activity equivalent to intact synaptosomes (14.3 +/- 2.2 and 18.2 +/- 4.3 pmol/min-tube, respectively) and suggested that histamine-methylating activity is associated with the membrane fraction. Additional experimental findings that support this hypothesis include: (i) the histamine metabolite tele-methylhistamine (tMH) was found exclusively in the supernatant fraction following an HNMT assay with intact synaptosomes; (ii) the membrane-bound HNMT activity was shown to increase 6.5-fold upon the solubilization of the membranes with 0.1% Triton X-100; and (iii) HNMT activity from the S2 fraction, ruptured synaptosomes, and synaptosomal membranes displayed different stability profiles when stored over 23 days at - 20 degrees C. Taken together, these studies demonstrate functional evidence for the existence of membrane-bound HNMT. Although molecular studies have not yet identified the nature of this activity, the present work suggests that levels of biologically active histamine may be controlled by an extracellular process.

Stable interaction between beta-arrestin 2 and angiotensin type 1A receptor is required for beta-arrestin 2-mediated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2.

Binding of beta-arrestins to seven-membrane-spanning receptors (7MSRs) not only leads to receptor desensitization and endocytosis but also elicits additional signaling processes. We recently proposed that stimulation of the angiotensin type 1A (AT(1A)) receptor results in independent beta-arrestin 2- and G protein-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) activation. Here we utilize two AT(1A) mutant receptors to study these independent pathways, one truncated at residue 324, thus removing all potential carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation sites, and the other bearing four mutations in the serine/threonine-rich clusters in the carboxyl terminus. As assessed by confocal microscopy, the two mutant receptors interacted with beta-arrestin 2-green fluorescent protein with much lower affinity than did the wild-type receptor. In addition, the mutant receptors more robustly stimulated G protein-mediated inositol phosphate production. Approximately one-half of the wild-type AT(1A) receptor-stimulated ERK1/2 activation was via a beta-arrestin 2-dependent pathway (suppressed by beta-arrestin 2 small interfering RNA), whereas the rest was mediated by a G protein-dependent pathway (suppressed by protein kinase C inhibitor). ERK1/2 activation by the mutant receptors was insensitive to beta-arrestin 2 small interfering RNA but was reduced more than 80% by a protein kinase C inhibitor. The biochemical consequences of ERK activation by the G protein and beta-arrestin 2-dependent pathways were also distinct. G-protein-mediated ERK activation enhanced the transcription of early growth response 1, whereas beta-arrestin 2-dependent ERK activation did not. In addition, stimulation of the truncated AT(1A) mutant receptor caused significantly greater early growth response 1 transcription than did the wild-type receptor. These findings demonstrate how the ability of receptors to interact with beta-arrestins determines both the mechanism of ERK activation as well as the physiological consequences of this activation.

Characterization of a new mRNA species from the human histamine N-methyltransferase gene.

Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT), a cytosolic histamine-metabolizing enzyme, is the only known product of the 50-kb human HNMT. Here, a detailed investigation of HNMT products revealed the existence of a new brain mRNA product of HNMT. This species, named HNMT-Short (HNMT-S), encodes a 126-amino-acid protein. Northern blot analysis detected HNMT-S mRNA (1.0 kb) in placenta, but not in several other human tissues. In addition, unlike the known HNMT cDNA, HNMT-S cDNA did not result in histamine-methylating activity after transfection into COS-7 cells. These studies show that HNMT-S is a new mRNA species and putative protein product from HNMT. The physiological role of HNMT-S remains to be investigated.