Mutations in Disordered Regions Can Cause Disease by Creating Dileucine Motifs.

Many disease-causing missense mutations affect intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins, but the molecular mechanism of their pathogenicity is enigmatic. Here, we employ a peptide-based proteomic screen to investigate the impact of mutations in IDRs on protein-protein interactions. We find that mutations in disordered cytosolic regions of three transmembrane proteins (GLUT1, ITPR1, and CACNA1H) lead to an increased clathrin binding. All three mutations create dileucine motifs known to mediate clathrin-dependent trafficking. Follow-up experiments on GLUT1 (SLC2A1), the glucose transporter causative of GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, revealed that the mutated protein mislocalizes to intracellular compartments. Mutant GLUT1 interacts with adaptor proteins (APs) in vitro, and knocking down AP-2 reverts the cellular mislocalization and restores glucose transport. A systematic analysis of other known disease-causing variants revealed a significant and specific overrepresentation of gained dileucine motifs in structurally disordered cytosolic domains of transmembrane proteins. Thus, several mutations in disordered regions appear to cause "dileucineopathies."

Evolutionary origins and interactomes of human, young microproteins and small peptides translated from short open reading frames.

All species continuously evolve short open reading frames (sORFs) that can be templated for protein synthesis and may provide raw materials for evolutionary adaptation. We analyzed the evolutionary origins of 7,264 recently cataloged human sORFs and found that most were evolutionarily young and had emerged de novo. We additionally identified 221 previously missed sORFs potentially translated into peptides of up to 15 amino acids-all of which are smaller than the smallest human microprotein annotated to date. To investigate the bioactivity of sORF-encoded small peptides and young microproteins, we subjected 266 candidates to a mass-spectrometry-based interactome screen with motif resolution. Based on these interactomes and additional cellular assays, we can associate several candidates with mRNA splicing, translational regulation, and endocytosis. Our work provides insights into the evolutionary origins and interaction potential of young and small proteins, thereby helping to elucidate this underexplored territory of the human proteome.

SorLA restricts TNFα release from microglia to shape a glioma-supportive brain microenvironment.

SorLA, encoded by the gene SORL1, is an intracellular sorting receptor of the VPS10P domain receptor gene family. Although SorLA is best recognized for its ability to shuttle target proteins between intracellular compartments in neurons, recent data suggest that also its microglial expression can be of high relevance for the pathogenesis of brain diseases, including glioblastoma (GBM). Here, we interrogated the impact of SorLA on the functional properties of glioma-associated microglia and macrophages (GAMs). In the GBM microenvironment, GAMs are re-programmed and lose the ability to elicit anti-tumor responses. Instead, they acquire a glioma-supporting phenotype, which is a key mechanism promoting glioma progression. Our re-analysis of published scRNA-seq data from GBM patients revealed that functional phenotypes of GAMs are linked to the level of SORL1 expression, which was further confirmed using in vitro models. Moreover, we demonstrate that SorLA restrains secretion of TNFα from microglia to restrict the inflammatory potential of these cells. Finally, we show that loss of SorLA exacerbates the pro-inflammatory response of microglia in the murine model of glioma and suppresses tumor growth.

GAS1 is required for NOTCH-dependent facilitation of SHH signaling in the ventral forebrain neuroepithelium.

Growth arrest-specific 1 (GAS1) acts as a co-receptor to patched 1, promoting sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling in the developing nervous system. GAS1 mutations in humans and animal models result in forebrain and craniofacial malformations, defects ascribed to a function for GAS1 in SHH signaling during early neurulation. Here, we confirm loss of SHH activity in the forebrain neuroepithelium in GAS1-deficient mice and in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cell models of human neuroepithelial differentiation. However, our studies document that this defect can be attributed, at least in part, to a novel role for GAS1 in facilitating NOTCH signaling, which is essential to sustain a persistent SHH activity domain in the forebrain neuroepithelium. GAS1 directly binds NOTCH1, enhancing ligand-induced processing of the NOTCH1 intracellular domain, which drives NOTCH pathway activity in the developing forebrain. Our findings identify a unique role for GAS1 in integrating NOTCH and SHH signal reception in neuroepithelial cells, and they suggest that loss of GAS1-dependent NOTCH1 activation contributes to forebrain malformations in individuals carrying GAS1 mutations.

ApoE4 disrupts interaction of sortilin with fatty acid-binding protein 7 essential to promote lipid signaling.

Sortilin is a neuronal receptor for apolipoprotein E (apoE). Sortilin-dependent uptake of lipidated apoE promotes conversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into neuromodulators that induce anti-inflammatory gene expression in the brain. This neuroprotective pathway works with the apoE3 variant but is lost with the apoE4 variant, the main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we elucidated steps in cellular handling of lipids through sortilin, and why they are disrupted by apoE4. Combining unbiased proteome screens with analyses in mouse models, we uncover interaction of sortilin with fatty acid-binding protein 7 (FABP7), the intracellular carrier for PUFA in the brain. In the presence of apoE3, sortilin promotes functional expression of FABP7 and its ability to elicit lipid-dependent gene transcription. By contrast, apoE4 binding blocks sortilin-mediated sorting, causing catabolism of FABP7 and impairing lipid signaling. Reduced FABP7 levels in the brain of AD patients expressing apoE4 substantiate the relevance of these interactions for neuronal lipid homeostasis. Taken together, we document interaction of sortilin with mediators of extracellular and intracellular lipid transport that provides a mechanistic explanation for loss of a neuroprotective lipid metabolism in AD.

LRP2 contributes to planar cell polarity-dependent coordination of motile cilia function.

Motile cilia are protruding organelles on specialized epithelia that beat in a synchronous fashion to propel extracellular fluids. Coordination and orientation of cilia beating on individual cells and across tissues is a complex process dependent on planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. Asymmetric sorting of PCP pathway components, essential to establish planar polarity, involves trafficking along the endocytic path, but the underlying regulatory processes remain incompletely understood. Here, we identified the endocytic receptor LRP2 as regulator of PCP component trafficking in ependyma, a multi-ciliated cell type that is involved in facilitating flow of the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricular system. Lack of receptor expression in gene-targeted mice results in a failure to sort PCP core proteins to the anterior or posterior cell side and, consequently, in the inability to coordinate cilia arrangement and to aligned beating (loss of rotational and translational polarity). LRP2 deficiency coincides with a failure to sort NHERF1, a cytoplasmic LRP2 adaptor to the anterior cell side. As NHERF1 is essential to translocate PCP core protein Vangl2 to the plasma membrane, these data suggest a molecular mechanism whereby LRP2 interacts with PCP components through NHERF1 to control their asymmetric sorting along the endocytic path. Taken together, our findings identified the endocytic receptor LRP2 as a novel regulator of endosomal trafficking of PCP proteins, ensuring their asymmetric partition and establishment of translational and rotational planar cell polarity in the ependyma.

LRP2 controls sonic hedgehog-dependent differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells during outflow tract formation.

Conotruncal malformations are a major cause of congenital heart defects in newborn infants. Recently, genetic screens in humans and in mouse models have identified mutations in LRP2, a multi-ligand receptor, as a novel cause of a common arterial trunk, a severe form of outflow tract (OFT) defect. Yet, the underlying mechanism why the morphogen receptor LRP2 is essential for OFT development remained unexplained. Studying LRP2-deficient mouse models, we now show that LRP2 is expressed in the cardiac progenitor niche of the anterior second heart field (SHF) that contributes to the elongation of the OFT during separation into aorta and pulmonary trunk. Loss of LRP2 in mutant mice results in the depletion of a pool of sonic hedgehog-dependent progenitor cells in the anterior SHF due to premature differentiation into cardiomyocytes as they migrate into the OFT myocardium. Depletion of this cardiac progenitor cell pool results in aberrant shortening of the OFT, the likely cause of CAT formation in affected mice. Our findings identified the molecular mechanism whereby LRP2 controls the maintenance of progenitor cell fate in the anterior SHF essential for OFT separation, and why receptor dysfunction is a novel cause of conotruncal malformation.

The sorting receptor Sortilin exhibits a dual function in exocytic trafficking of interferon-γ and granzyme A in T cells.

Immunological control of infections or tumors depends on the release of effector cytokines and polarized secretion of cytotoxic granules from T cells and natural killer cells. Here we show that the sorting receptor Sortilin controlled both processes. In murine Sortilin-deficient cytotoxic T lymphocytes, regulated secretion of granzyme A and cytotoxic killing was enhanced and correlated with increased vesicle-associated membrane protein 7 availability. In contrast, loss of Sortilin reduced the release of interferon-γ upon infections and in autoimmune colitis. Exit of interferon-γ from the Golgi apparatus required the presence of Sortilin. Furthermore, we tracked the transport route of interferon-γ beyond this Sortilin-dependent Golgi to early endosome step. In wild-type T cells, trafficking of interferon-γ from the endosomal sorting platform to the plasma membrane proceeded independently of recycling endosomes, and interferon-γ remained excluded from late endosomes. Our results suggest that Sortilin modulates systemic immune responses through exocytic sorting of immunological effector molecules.

Is LRP2 Involved in Leptin Transport over the Blood-Brain Barrier and Development of Obesity?

The mechanisms underlying the transport of leptin into the brain are still largely unclear. While the leptin receptor has been implicated in the transport process, recent evidence has suggested an additional role of LRP2 (megalin). To evaluate the function of LRP2 for leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we developed a novel leptin-luciferase fusion protein (pLG), which stimulated leptin signaling and was transported in an in vitro BBB model based on porcine endothelial cells. The LRP inhibitor RAP did not affect leptin transport, arguing against a role of LRP2. In line with this, the selective deletion of LRP2 in brain endothelial cells and epithelial cells of the choroid plexus did not influence bodyweight, body composition, food intake, or energy expenditure of mice. These findings suggest that LRP2 at the BBB is not involved in the transport of leptin into the brain, nor in the development of obesity as has previously been described.

SorCS2 facilitates release of endostatin from astrocytes and controls post-stroke angiogenesis.

SorCS2 is an intracellular sorting receptor of the VPS10P domain receptor gene family recently implicated in oxidative stress response. Here, we interrogated the relevance of stress-related activities of SorCS2 in the brain by exploring its role in ischemic stroke in mouse models and in patients. Although primarily seen in neurons in the healthy brain, expression of SorCS2 was massively induced in astrocytes surrounding the ischemic core in mice following stroke. Post-stroke induction was likely a result of increased levels of transforming growth factor ß1 in damaged brain tissue, inducing Sorcs2 gene transcription in astrocytes but not neurons. Induced astrocytic expression of SorCS2 was also seen in stroke patients, substantiating the clinical relevance of this observation. In astrocytes in vitro and in the mouse brain in vivo, SorCS2 specifically controlled release of endostatin, a factor linked to post-stroke angiogenesis. The ability of astrocytes to release endostatin acutely after stroke was lost in mice deficient for SorCS2, resulting in a blunted endostatin response which coincided with impaired vascularization of the ischemic brain. Our findings identified activated astrocytes as a source for endostatin in modulation of post-stroke angiogenesis, and the importance of the sorting receptor SorCS2 in this brain stress response.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-based disease modeling identifies ligand-induced decay of megalin as a cause of Donnai-Barrow syndrome.

Donnai-Barrow syndrome (DBS) is an autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by multiple pathologies including malformation of forebrain and eyes, as well as resorption defects of the kidney proximal tubule. The underlying cause of DBS are mutations in LRP2, encoding the multifunctional endocytic receptor megalin. Here, we identified a unique missense mutation R3192Q of LRP2 in an affected family that may provide novel insights into the molecular causes of receptor dysfunction in the kidney proximal tubule and other tissues affected in DBS. Using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell lines we generated neuroepithelial and kidney cell types as models of the disease. Using these cell models, we documented the inability of megalin R3192Q to properly discharge ligand and ligand-induced receptor decay in lysosomes. Thus, mutant receptors are aberrantly targeted to lysosomes for catabolism, essentially depleting megalin in the presence of ligand in this affected family.

SORCS1 and SORCS3 control energy balance and orexigenic peptide production.

SORCS1 and SORCS3 are two related sorting receptors expressed in neurons of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Using mouse models with individual or dual receptor deficiencies, we document a previously unknown function of these receptors in central control of metabolism. Specifically, SORCS1 and SORCS3 act as intracellular trafficking receptors for tropomyosin-related kinase B to attenuate signaling by brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a potent regulator of energy homeostasis. Loss of the joint action of SORCS1 and SORCS3 in mutant mice results in excessive production of the orexigenic neuropeptide agouti-related peptide and in a state of chronic energy excess characterized by enhanced food intake, decreased locomotor activity, diminished usage of lipids as metabolic fuel, and increased adiposity, albeit at overall reduced body weight. Our findings highlight a novel concept in regulation of the melanocortin system and the role played by trafficking receptors SORCS1 and SORCS3 in this process.

Apolipoprotein E4 disrupts the neuroprotective action of sortilin in neuronal lipid metabolism and endocannabinoid signaling.

INTRODUCTION: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a carrier for brain lipids and the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE binds the receptor sortilin, which mediates uptake of apoE-bound cargo into neurons. The significance of this uptake route for brain lipid homeostasis and AD risk seen with apoE4, but not apoE3, remains unresolved. METHODS: Combining neurolipidomics in patient specimens with functional studies in mouse models, we interrogated apoE isoform-specific functions for sortilin in brain lipid metabolism and AD. RESULTS: Sortilin directs the uptake and conversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids into endocannabinoids, lipid-based neurotransmitters that act through nuclear receptors to sustain neuroprotective gene expression in the brain. This sortilin function requires apoE3, but is disrupted by binding of apoE4, compromising neuronal endocannabinoid metabolism and action. DISCUSSION: We uncovered the significance of neuronal apoE receptor sortilin in facilitating neuroprotective actions of brain lipids, and its relevance for AD risk seen with apoE4.

Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters in Physiology and Disorders of the Central Nervous System.

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) encompass a class of five transporters with distinct expression in neurons and glia of the central nervous system (CNS). EAATs are mainly recognized for their role in uptake of the amino acid glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter. EAATs-mediated clearance of glutamate released by neurons is vital to maintain proper glutamatergic signalling and to prevent toxic accumulation of this amino acid in the extracellular space. In addition, some EAATs also act as chloride channels or mediate the uptake of cysteine, required to produce the reactive oxygen speciesscavenger glutathione. Given their central role in glutamate homeostasis in the brain, as well as their additional activities, it comes as no surprise that EAAT dysfunctions have been implicated in numerous acute or chronic diseases of the CNS, including ischemic stroke and epilepsy, cerebellar ataxias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Here we review the studies in cellular and animal models, as well as in humans that highlight the roles of EAATs in the pathogenesis of these devastating disorders. We also discuss the mechanisms regulating EAATs expression and intracellular trafficking and new exciting possibilities to modulate EAATs and to provide neuroprotection in course of pathologies affecting the CNS.

Deletion of claudin-10 rescues claudin-16-deficient mice from hypomagnesemia and hypercalciuria.

The tight junction proteins claudin-10 and -16 are crucial for the paracellular reabsorption of cations along the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop in the kidney. In patients, mutations in CLDN16 cause familial hypomagnesemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis, while mutations in CLDN10 impair kidney function. Mice lacking claudin-16 display magnesium and calcium wasting, whereas absence of claudin-10 results in hypermagnesemia and interstitial nephrocalcinosis. In order to study the functional interdependence of claudin-10 and -16 we generated double-deficient mice. These mice had normal serum magnesium and urinary excretion of magnesium and calcium and showed polyuria and sodium retention at the expense of increased renal potassium excretion, but no nephrocalcinosis. Isolated thick ascending limb tubules of double mutants displayed a complete loss of paracellular cation selectivity and functionality. Mice lacking both claudin-10 and -16 in the thick ascending limb recruited downstream compensatory mechanisms and showed hypertrophic distal convoluted tubules with changes in gene expression and phosphorylation of ion transporters in this segment, presumably triggered by the mild decrease in serum potassium. Thus, severe individual phenotypes in claudin-10 and claudin-16 knockout mice are corrected by the additional deletion of the other claudin.

Sorting receptor SORLA: cellular mechanisms and implications for disease.

Sorting-related receptor with A-type repeats (SORLA) is an intracellular sorting receptor that directs cargo proteins, such as kinases, phosphatases, and signaling receptors, to their correct location within the cell. The activity of SORLA assures proper function of cells and tissues, and receptor dysfunction is the underlying cause of common human malignancies, including Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and obesity. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that govern sorting of SORLA and its cargo in multiple cell types, and why genetic defects in this receptor results in devastating diseases.

SNX27 and SORLA Interact to Reduce Amyloidogenic Subcellular Distribution and Processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein.

UNLABELLED: Proteolytic generation of amyloidogenic amyloid ß (Aß) fragments from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) significantly contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although amyloidogenic APP proteolysis can be affected by trafficking through genetically associated AD components such as SORLA, how SORLA functionally interacts with other trafficking components is yet unclear. Here, we report that SNX27, an endosomal trafficking/recycling factor and a negative regulator of the γ-secretase complex, binds to the SORLA cytosolic tail to form a ternary complex with APP. SNX27 enhances cell surface SORLA and APP levels in human cell lines and mouse primary neurons, and depletion of SNX27 or SORLA reduces APP endosome-to-cell surface recycling kinetics. SNX27 overexpression enhances the generation of cell surface APP cleavage products such as soluble alpha-APP C-terminal fragment (CTFα) in a SORLA-dependent manner. SORLA-mediated Aß reduction is attenuated by downregulation of SNX27. This indicates that an SNX27/SORLA complex functionally interacts to limit APP distribution to amyloidogenic compartments, forming a non-amyloidogenic shunt to promote APP recycling to the cell surface. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Many genes have been identified as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and a large proportion of these genes function to limit production or toxicity of the AD-associated amyloid ß (Aß) peptide. Whether and how these genes precisely operate to limit AD onset remains an important question. We identify binding and trafficking interactions between two of these factors, SORLA and SNX27, and demonstrate that SNX27 can direct trafficking of SORLA and the Aß precursor APP to the cell surface to limit the production of Aß. Diversion APP to the cell surface through modulation of this molecular complex may represent a complimentary strategy for future development in AD treatment.

Endocytic receptor LRP2/megalin-of holoprosencephaly and renal Fanconi syndrome.

Megalin (or LRP2) is an endocytic receptor that plays a central role in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Loss of this receptor in congenital or acquired diseases results in multiple organ dysfunctions, including forebrain malformation (holoprosencephaly) and renal reabsorption defects (renal Fanconi syndrome). Here, we describe current concepts of the mode of receptor action that include co-receptors and a repertoire of different ligands, and we discuss how these interactions govern functional integrity of the kidney and the brain, and cause disease when defective.

Nanotubes, the fast track to treatment of Dent disease?

Studies in mice have suggested bone marrow transplantation as a strategy to correct the endocytic dysfunction of the proximal tubules in renal Fanconi syndrome, yet the mode of action has remained mysterious. Using a mouse model of Dent disease, Gabriel et al. now show that rescue of the resorptive capacity in the diseased kidney involves cell-to-cell contact between engrafted and host cells via nanotubes, cellular projections that enable transfer of wild-type activity into mutant cells of the proximal tubule.

Role of Sortilin in Models of Autoimmune Neuroinflammation.

The proneurotrophin receptor sortilin is a protein with dual functions, being involved in intracellular protein transport, as well as cellular signal transduction. The relevance of the receptor for various neuronal disorders, such as dementia, seizures, and brain injury, is well established. In contrast, little is known about the role of sortilin in immune cells and inflammatory diseases. The aim of our study was to elucidate the distribution of sortilin in different immune cell types in mice and humans and to analyze its function in autoimmune CNS inflammation. Sortilin was expressed most profoundly in murine and human macrophages and dendritic cells and to a much lesser extent in B and T cells. In dendritic cells, sortilin had an impact on Ag processing. Accordingly, sortilin was highly expressed by infiltrated perivascular myeloid cells, mainly in vessel cuffs, in the CNS of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, the most common inflammatory autoimmune disease of the CNS. Yet, sortilin gene-targeted mice (Sort1(-/-)) and chimeras deficient in sortilin in the immune system were as susceptible as wild-type littermates to T cell-dependent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Considering our results and recent data from other investigators, we conclude that the proneurotrophin receptor sortilin plays a role in innate, rather than in adaptive, immune processes and, thus, not in autoimmune neuroinflammation.