A conformational switch driven by phosphorylation regulates the activity of the evolutionarily conserved SNARE Ykt6.

Ykt6 is a soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor activating protein receptor (SNARE) critically involved in diverse vesicular fusion pathways. While most SNAREs rely on transmembrane domains for their activity, Ykt6 dynamically cycles between the cytosol and membrane-bound compartments where it is active. The mechanism that regulates these transitions and allows Ykt6 to achieve specificity toward vesicular pathways is unknown. Using a Parkinson's disease (PD) model, we found that Ykt6 is phosphorylated at an evolutionarily conserved site which is regulated by Ca2+ signaling. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we show that phosphorylation triggers a conformational change that allows Ykt6 to switch from a closed cytosolic to an open membrane-bound form. In the phosphorylated open form, the spectrum of protein interactions changes, leading to defects in both the secretory and autophagy pathways, enhancing toxicity in PD models. Our studies reveal a mechanism by which Ykt6 conformation and activity are regulated with potential implications for PD.

FKBP12 contributes to α-synuclein toxicity by regulating the calcineurin-dependent phosphoproteome.

Calcineurin is an essential Ca2+-dependent phosphatase. Increased calcineurin activity is associated with α-synuclein (α-syn) toxicity, a protein implicated in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Calcineurin can be inhibited with Tacrolimus through the recruitment and inhibition of the 12-kDa cis-trans proline isomerase FK506-binding protein (FKBP12). Whether calcineurin/FKBP12 represents a native physiologically relevant assembly that occurs in the absence of pharmacological perturbation has remained elusive. We leveraged α-syn as a model to interrogate whether FKBP12 plays a role in regulating calcineurin activity in the absence of Tacrolimus. We show that FKBP12 profoundly affects the calcineurin-dependent phosphoproteome, promoting the dephosphorylation of a subset of proteins that contributes to α-syn toxicity. Using a rat model of PD, partial elimination of the functional interaction between FKBP12 and calcineurin, with low doses of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compound Tacrolimus, blocks calcineurin's activity toward those proteins and protects against the toxic hallmarks of α-syn pathology. Thus, FKBP12 can endogenously regulate calcineurin activity with therapeutic implications for the treatment of PD.

Bilaterian Giant Ankyrins Have a Common Evolutionary Origin and Play a Conserved Role in Patterning the Axon Initial Segment.

In vertebrate neurons, the axon initial segment (AIS) is specialized for action potential initiation. It is organized by a giant 480 Kd variant of ankyrin G (AnkG) that serves as an anchor for ion channels and is required for a plasma membrane diffusion barrier that excludes somatodendritic proteins from the axon. An unusually long exon required to encode this 480Kd variant is thought to have been inserted only recently during vertebrate evolution, so the giant ankyrin-based AIS scaffold has been viewed as a vertebrate adaptation for fast, precise signaling. We re-examined AIS evolution through phylogenomic analysis of ankyrins and by testing the role of ankyrins in proximal axon organization in a model multipolar Drosophila neuron (ddaE). We find giant isoforms of ankyrin in all major bilaterian phyla, and present evidence in favor of a single common origin for giant ankyrins and the corresponding long exon in a bilaterian ancestor. This finding raises the question of whether giant ankyrin isoforms play a conserved role in AIS organization throughout the Bilateria. We examined this possibility by looking for conserved ankyrin-dependent AIS features in Drosophila ddaE neurons via live imaging. We found that ddaE neurons have an axonal diffusion barrier proximal to the cell body that requires a giant isoform of the neuronal ankyrin Ank2. Furthermore, the potassium channel shal concentrates in the proximal axon in an Ank2-dependent manner. Our results indicate that the giant ankyrin-based cytoskeleton of the AIS may have evolved prior to the radiation of extant bilaterian lineages, much earlier than previously thought.

Major diversification of voltage-gated K+ channels occurred in ancestral parahoxozoans.

We examined the origins and functional evolution of the Shaker and KCNQ families of voltage-gated K(+) channels to better understand how neuronal excitability evolved. In bilaterians, the Shaker family consists of four functionally distinct gene families (Shaker, Shab, Shal, and Shaw) that share a subunit structure consisting of a voltage-gated K(+) channel motif coupled to a cytoplasmic domain that mediates subfamily-exclusive assembly (T1). We traced the origin of this unique Shaker subunit structure to a common ancestor of ctenophores and parahoxozoans (cnidarians, bilaterians, and placozoans). Thus, the Shaker family is metazoan specific but is likely to have evolved in a basal metazoan. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the Shaker subfamily could predate the divergence of ctenophores and parahoxozoans, but that the Shab, Shal, and Shaw subfamilies are parahoxozoan specific. In support of this, putative ctenophore Shaker subfamily channel subunits coassembled with cnidarian and mouse Shaker subunits, but not with cnidarian Shab, Shal, or Shaw subunits. The KCNQ family, which has a distinct subunit structure, also appears solely within the parahoxozoan lineage. Functional analysis indicated that the characteristic properties of Shaker, Shab, Shal, Shaw, and KCNQ currents evolved before the divergence of cnidarians and bilaterians. These results show that a major diversification of voltage-gated K(+) channels occurred in ancestral parahoxozoans and imply that many fundamental mechanisms for the regulation of action potential propagation evolved at this time. Our results further suggest that there are likely to be substantial differences in the regulation of neuronal excitability between ctenophores and parahoxozoans.

Novel Molecular Interactions of Acylcarnitines and Fatty Acids with Myoglobin.

Previous research has indicated that long-chain fatty acids can bind myoglobin (Mb) in an oxygen-dependent manner. This suggests that oxy-Mb may play an important role in fuel delivery in Mb-rich muscle fibers (e.g. type I fibers and cardiomyocytes), and raises the possibility that Mb also serves as an acylcarnitine-binding protein. We report for the first time the putative interaction and affinity characteristics for different chain lengths of both fatty acids and acylcarnitines with oxy-Mb using molecular dynamic simulations and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments. We found that short- to medium-chain fatty acids or acylcarnitines (ranging from C2:0 to C10:0) fail to achieve a stable conformation with oxy-Mb. Furthermore, our results indicate that C12:0 is the minimum chain length essential for stable binding of either fatty acids or acylcarnitines with oxy-Mb. Importantly, the empirical lipid binding studies were consistent with structural modeling. These results reveal that: (i) the lipid binding affinity for oxy-Mb increases as the chain length increases (i.e. C12:0 to C18:1), (ii) the binding affinities of acylcarnitines are higher when compared with their respective fatty acid counterparts, and (iii) both fatty acids and acylcarnitines bind to oxy-Mb in 1:1 stoichiometry. Taken together, our results support a model in which oxy-Mb is a novel regulator of long-chain acylcarnitine and fatty acid pools in Mb-rich tissues. This has important implications for physiological fuel management during exercise, and relevance to pathophysiological conditions (e.g. fatty acid oxidation disorders and cardiac ischemia) where long-chain acylcarnitine accumulation is evident.

Identification of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Nonstructural Protein 2 Residues Essential for Exploitation of the Host Ubiquitin System and Inhibition of Innate Immune Responses.

UNLABELLED: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in young children worldwide. The RSV nonstructural protein 2 (NS2) is a multifunctional protein that primarily acts to antagonize the innate immune system by targeting STAT2 for proteasomal degradation. We investigated the structural determinants of NS2 important for interaction with the host ubiquitin system to degrade STAT2 during infection. We found that NS2 expression enhances ubiquitination of host proteins. Bioinformatics analysis provided a platform for identification of specific residues that limit NS2-induced ubiquitination. Combinations of multiple mutations displayed an additive effect on reducing NS2-induced ubiquitination. Using a reverse genetics system, we generated recombinant RSV (rRSV) containing NS2 ubiquitin mutations, which maintained their effect on ubiquitin expression during infection. Interestingly, STAT2 degradation activity was ablated in the NS2 ubiquitin mutant rRSV. In addition, NS2 ubiquitin mutations decreased rRSV replication, indicating a correlation between NS2's ubiquitin function and antagonism of innate immune signaling to enhance viral replication. Our approach of targeting NS2 residues required for NS2 inhibition of immune responses provides a mechanism for attenuating RSV for vaccine development. IMPORTANCE: RSV has been circulating globally for more than 60 years, causing severe respiratory disease in pediatric, elderly, and immunocompromised populations. Production of a safe, effective vaccine against RSV is a public health priority. The NS2 protein is an effective target for prevention and treatment of RSV due to its antagonistic activity against the innate immune system. However, NS2-deleted RSV vaccine candidates rendered RSV overattenuated or poorly immunogenic. Alternatively, we can modify essential NS2 structural features to marginally limit viral growth while maintaining immune responses, providing the necessary balance between antigenicity and safety required for an effective vaccine. We coupled bioinformatics analysis with reverse genetics to introduce mutations into RSV's negative-sense genome. In this way we constructed rRSV NS2 ubiquitin mutants that limited NS2's ability to antagonize the innate immune system, thereby attenuating rRSV growth and increasing innate immune responses.

Functional evolution of Erg potassium channel gating reveals an ancient origin for IKr.

Mammalian Ether-a-go-go related gene (Erg) family voltage-gated K(+) channels possess an unusual gating phenotype that specializes them for a role in delayed repolarization. Mammalian Erg currents rectify during depolarization due to rapid, voltage-dependent inactivation, but rebound during repolarization due to a combination of rapid recovery from inactivation and slow deactivation. This is exemplified by the mammalian Erg1 channel, which is responsible for IKr, a current that repolarizes cardiac action potential plateaus. The Drosophila Erg channel does not inactivate and closes rapidly upon repolarization. The dramatically different properties observed in mammalian and Drosophila Erg homologs bring into question the evolutionary origins of distinct Erg K(+) channel functions. Erg channels are highly conserved in eumetazoans and first evolved in a common ancestor of the placozoans, cnidarians, and bilaterians. To address the ancestral function of Erg channels, we identified and characterized Erg channel paralogs in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. N. vectensis Erg1 (NvErg1) is highly conserved with respect to bilaterian homologs and shares the IKr-like gating phenotype with mammalian Erg channels. Thus, the IKr phenotype predates the divergence of cnidarians and bilaterians. NvErg4 and Caenorhabditis elegans Erg (unc-103) share the divergent Drosophila Erg gating phenotype. Phylogenetic and sequence analysis surprisingly indicates that this alternate gating phenotype arose independently in protosomes and cnidarians. Conversion from an ancestral IKr-like gating phenotype to a Drosophila Erg-like phenotype correlates with loss of the cytoplasmic Ether-a-go-go domain. This domain is required for slow deactivation in mammalian Erg1 channels, and thus its loss may partially explain the change in gating phenotype.

The BRCA1 tumor suppressor binds to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors to stimulate apoptotic calcium release.

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) is a ubiquitously expressed endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident calcium channel. Calcium release mediated by IP3Rs influences many signaling pathways, including those regulating apoptosis. IP3R activity is regulated by protein-protein interactions, including binding to proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors to regulate cell death. Here we show that the IP3R binds to the tumor suppressor BRCA1. BRCA1 binding directly sensitizes the IP3R to its ligand, IP3. BRCA1 is recruited to the ER during apoptosis in an IP3R-dependent manner, and, in addition, a pool of BRCA1 protein is constitutively associated with the ER under non-apoptotic conditions. This is likely mediated by a novel lipid binding activity of the first BRCA1 C terminus domain of BRCA1. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation by which BRCA1 can act as a proapoptotic protein.

Reevaluation of the evolutionary events within recA/RAD51 phylogeny.

BACKGROUND: The recA/RAD51 gene family encodes a diverse set of recombinase proteins that affect homologous recombination, DNA-repair, and genome stability. The recA gene family is expressed across all three domains of life - Eubacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes - and even in some viruses. To date, efforts to resolve the deep evolutionary origins of this ancient protein family have been hindered by the high sequence divergence between paralogous groups (i.e. ~30% average pairwise identity). RESULTS: Through large taxon sampling and the use of a phylogenetic algorithm designed for inferring evolutionary events in highly divergent paralogs, we obtained a robust, parsimonious and more refined phylogenetic history of the recA/RAD51 superfamily. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our model for the evolution of recA/RAD51 family provides a better understanding of the ancient origin of recA proteins and the multiple events that lead to the diversification of recA homologs in eukaryotes, including the discovery of additional RAD51 sub-families.

Conserved GXXXG- and S/T-like motifs in the transmembrane domains of NS4B protein are required for hepatitis C virus replication.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) is an integral membrane protein, which plays an important role in the organization and function of the HCV replication complex (RC). Although much is understood about its amphipathic N-terminal and C-terminal domains, we know very little about the role of the transmembrane domains (TMDs) in NS4B function. We hypothesized that in addition to anchoring NS4B into host membranes, the TMDs are engaged in intra- and intermolecular interactions required for NS4B structure/function. To test this hypothesis, we have engineered a chimeric JFH1 genome containing the Con1 NS4B TMD region. The resulting virus titers were greatly reduced from those of JFH1, and further analysis indicated a defect in genome replication. We have mapped this incompatibility to NS4B TMD1 and TMD2 sequences, and we have defined putative TMD dimerization motifs (GXXXG in TMD2 and TMD3; the S/T cluster in TMD1) as key structural/functional determinants. Mutations in each of the putative motifs led to significant decreases in JFH1 replication. Like most of the NS4B chimeras, mutant proteins had no negative impact on NS4B membrane association. However, some mutations led to disruption of NS4B foci, implying that the TMDs play a role in HCV RC formation. Further examination indicated that the loss of NS4B foci correlates with the destabilization of NS4B protein. Finally, we have identified an adaptive mutation in the NS4B TMD2 sequence that has compensatory effects on JFH1 chimera replication. Taken together, these data underscore the functional importance of NS4B TMDs in the HCV life cycle.