The predicted proteinase furin is not the hepatic proalbumin convertase.

Rat and chicken liver microsomal membranes were used to investigate the relationship between proalbumin processing activity and the predicted proteinase furin. Two polyclonal antisera directed against the predicted catalytic domain of furin showed the highest level of immunoreactivity in a microsomal fraction that had minimal proalbumin converting activity. Extracts of the fraction containing most converting activity lacked detectable furin. In addition, the proalbumin convertase was not inhibited by the anti-furin antisera. These results strongly suggest that furin is not responsible for the in vivo cleavage of proalbumin.

Yeast aspartic protease 3 (Yap3) prefers substrates with basic residues in the P2, P1 and P2' positions.

The yeast aspartic protease Yap3 is localised to the secretory pathway and correctly cleaves pro-alpha-mating factor at its dibasic sites. We determined the specificity of Yap3 for mono-, di-, and multi-basic cleavage sites in the context of 15 residue synthetic proalbumin peptides. Yap3 cleaved after dibasic ArgArg and LysArg sites but not after monobasic Arg sites even when there was an additional arginine at -6 and/or -4. Yap3 did not cleave a tetra-arginine site and tri-basic sites (RRR and RRK) were poor substrates. Cleavage always occurred C-terminal to the last arginine in the di- or tri-basic sequence. The optimal cleavage site sequence was RR DR and this substrate was cleaved 8-9-fold faster than the normal RR DA sequence. In contrast to Kex2, Yap3 did not remove the propeptide from normal proalbumin or a range of natural or recombinant proalbumin variants. However at pH 4.0 Yap3 slowly cleaved proalbumin and albumin between domains 2 and 3.

Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential during staurosporine-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells.

Cytochrome c release from mitochondria is central to apoptosis, but the events leading up to it are disputed. The mitochondrial membrane potential has been reported to decrease, increase or remain unchanged during cytochrome c release. We measured mitochondrial membrane potential in Jurkat cells undergoing apoptosis by the uptake of the radiolabelled lipophilic cation TPMP, enabling small changes in potential to be determined. The ATP/ADP ratio, mitochondrial and cell volumes, plasma membrane potential and the mitochondrial membrane potential in permeabilised cells were also measured. Before cytochrome c release the mitochondrial membrane potential increased, followed by a decrease in potential associated with mitochondrial swelling and the release of cytochrome c and DDP-1, an intermembrane space house keeping protein. Mitochondrial swelling and cytochrome c release were both blocked by bongkrekic acid, an inhibitor of the permeability transition. We conclude that during apoptosis mitochondria undergo an initial priming phase associated with hyperpolarisation which leads to an effector phase, during which mitochondria swell and release cytochrome c.

Tumor necrosis factor-induced cytotoxicity is not related to rates of mitochondrial morphological abnormalities or autophagy-changes that can be mediated by TNFR-I or TNFR-II.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may cause apoptosis or necrosis and induces mitochondrial changes that have been proposed to be central to cytotoxicity. We report similar patterns of TNF-induced mitochondrial morphological alterations and autophagy in cell types with differing sensitivity to TNF-induced cytotoxicity. Specific ligation of TNFR-I or TNFR-II induces different rates of apoptosis and mitochondrial morphological change, but similar rates of autophagy. These changes do not invariably lead to cell death, and survival or progression to apoptosis or necrosis following TNF exposure may depend in part on the extent of mitochondrial damage and/or the autophagic capacity of the cell.

The imprinted gene Peg3 is not essential for tumor necrosis factor alpha signaling.

The imprinted gene Peg3 encodes a zinc-finger protein which has been proposed to be involved in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) signaling via an interaction with TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2). Primary embryonic fibroblasts derived from mice with a null mutation in Peg3 showed no abnormalities in TNF-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) or phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK), and p38. In addition, the loss of Peg3 function did not increase the sensitivity of the cells to the cytotoxic action of TNF. These results suggest that Peg3 does not play an essential role in TNF signal transduction.

Endoproteases other than furin have a role in hepatic proprotein processing.

The enzyme or enzymes responsible for dibasic-directed proprotein processing in the liver have not yet been unequivocally identified, although there are a number of potential candidates. We have compared a Kex2-like proalbumin convertase activity present in rat liver ER/Golgi membranes with recombinant furin, a candidate hepatic convertase. Using a series of mutant recombinant proalbumins as substrates the biochemically identified convertase and furin had very similar specificities with both preferring a substrate with an ArgXaaArgArg processing motif. Kinetic studies with normal and -4R proalbumin suggested however that the proalbumin convertase was not identical to furin. This was confirmed in immunoabsorption studies which demonstrated that furin only accounts for approximately half of the convertase activity. Therefore at least two proprotein convertases with overlapping specificities are involved in hepatic proprotein processing.

Recent advances in the molecular basis of TNF signal transduction.

Substantial progress has been made in the last decade toward defining the signaling pathways that can be activated by TNF and identifying the relevant intracellular signaling molecules. The in vivo consequences of targeted disruption of many of the genes encoding proteins involved in TNF signaling (as discussed in this review) are quite different from those observed for knockout mutations of TNF and the TNF receptors (Erickson et al, 1994; Marino et al, 1997; Rothe et al, 1993) that use these molecules. This suggests that there is still much to be learned about the mechanisms for determining specificity in signaling. The ability to specifically manipulate the involvement of these molecules in TNF signaling, without affecting other pathways, may provide new therapeutic approaches to the many diseases in which TNF has a crucial role.

Endoproteolytic processing of recombinant proalbumin variants by the yeast Kex2 protease.

The yeast Kex2 protease is regarded as the prototype of the eukaryotic family of subtilisin-like serine proteases involved in processing after dibasic amino acid sequences. Here we investigate the specificity of Kex2 using recombinant human proalbumin variants. Proalbumins with the processing site sequences Arg-Arg and Lys-Arg were cleaved after the dibasic sequence at approximately the same rate by Kex2 in vitro, and yeast expressing either of these sequences secreted mature albumin into the culture medium. As expected, the Arg-Gly-Val-Phe-His-Arg-albumin (proalbumin Lille) was not a substrate for Kex2 and neither was the Arg-Gly-Arg-Phe-His-Arg-albumin. In contrast to the mammalian endoproteases furin and the hepatic proalbumin convertase, the Kex2 protease was adversely affected by a P4 arginine. There was an 85% decrease in the cleavage of Arg-Gly-Arg-Phe-Arg-Arg-albumin compared with normal; also chicken proalbumin with an Arg-Phe-Ala-Arg processing site sequence was not a substrate for Kex2. A P1' arginine had a marked negative effect on processing and N-terminal sequence analysis confirmed that cleavage was occurring at the P1-P1' bond. The sequence context surrounding the classical dibasic site is critical in determining susceptibility to cleavage by the Kex2 protease.

The specificity of the neuroendocrine convertase PC3 is determined by residues NH2- and COOH-terminal to the cleavage site.

The Kex2-like convertase PC3 (PC1) has been implicated in the processing of a number of prohormones and proneuropeptides. In order to be able to more accurately predict substrates for PC3 its specificity was defined using recombinant proalbumins and synthetic peptide substrates. P2P1 and P4P1 dibasic sites were cleaved with similar efficiencies however there were specific restrictions on amino acids NH2- and COOH-terminal to the cleavage site. His was disallowed at P2 and basic residues were forbidden at P1. The presence of a charged residue at P2 either completely prevented (Arg) or seriously impaired (Glu) cleavage by PC3 and the presence of a P4 Arg did not significantly increase its activity.

Tumor necrosis factor induces distinct patterns of caspase activation in WEHI-164 cells associated with apoptosis or necrosis depending on cell cycle stage.

TNF is unusual among the death receptor ligands in being able to induce either apoptotic or necrotic cell death. We have observed that in WEHI 164 fibrosarcoma, cells the mode of TNF-induced cell death is dependent on the stage of the cell cycle. Cells arrested in G(0)/G(1) undergo necrosis, while those progressing through the cell cycle undergo apoptosis. TNF induces caspase activity in both settings, and the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk inhibits this activity and blocks both TNF-induced apoptosis and necrosis. Inhibition of oxygen radical accumulation does not block cytotoxicity. The presence and activation of specific caspases were examined by Western blotting. The procaspase-8a isoform was down-regulated in proliferating cells. Procaspases-8b and -7 were cleaved during TNF-induced apoptosis but not necrosis. Thus, a different pattern of caspase expression and activation occurs dependent on the cell cycle and which may determine the mode of cell death.

The N-terminal domains target TNF receptor-associated factor-2 to the nucleus and display transcriptional regulatory activity.

The subcellular localization of the TNF receptor-associated factor-2 (TRAF2) adaptor protein in human endothelial cells, which mediates proinflammatory responses of TNF, has been analyzed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and by Western blotting of fractionated cell extracts. Rabbit antisera reactive with either amino- or carboxyl-terminal TRAF2 peptides frequently but not uniformly stain nuclei of cultured HUVEC or the established human endothelial cell line, ECV304. However, Western blotting reveals significant heterogeneity in the reactivities of these polyclonal Abs. Transiently transfected HUVEC expressing FLAG epitope-tagged TRAF2 consistently show prominent nuclear localization, and deletion mutants of TRAF2 identify the portion of the molecule responsible for nuclear localization as the amino-terminal ring finger domain. TNF treatment does not appear to influence the localization of endogenous or transfected TRAF2 protein. Transfection of the amino-terminal half of the TRAF2 molecule, containing the ring and zinc finger domains, which localizes to the nucleus, results in activation of E-selectin but not of NF-kappaB promoter-reporter gene transcription or of c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation. These observations suggest that TRAF2 may reside in the nucleus and directly regulate transcription, independent of its role in cytoplasmic signal transduction.

Selective targeting of a redox-active ubiquinone to mitochondria within cells: antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties.

With the recognition of the central role of mitochondria in apoptosis, there is a need to develop specific tools to manipulate mitochondrial function within cells. Here we report on the development of a novel antioxidant that selectively blocks mitochondrial oxidative damage, enabling the roles of mitochondrial oxidative stress in different types of cell death to be inferred. This antioxidant, named mitoQ, is a ubiquinone derivative targeted to mitochondria by covalent attachment to a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation through an aliphatic carbon chain. Due to the large mitochondrial membrane potential, the cation was accumulated within mitochondria inside cells, where the ubiquinone moiety inserted into the lipid bilayer and was reduced by the respiratory chain. The ubiquinol derivative thus formed was an effective antioxidant that prevented lipid peroxidation and protected mitochondria from oxidative damage. After detoxifying a reactive oxygen species, the ubiquinol moiety was regenerated by the respiratory chain enabling its antioxidant activity to be recycled. In cell culture studies, the mitochondrially localized antioxidant protected mammalian cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis but not from apoptosis induced by staurosporine or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. This was compared with untargeted ubiquinone analogs, which were ineffective in preventing apoptosis. These results suggest that mitochondrial oxidative stress may be a critical step in apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide but not for apoptosis induced by staurosporine or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. We have shown that selectively manipulating mitochondrial antioxidant status with targeted and recyclable antioxidants is a feasible approach to investigate the role of mitochondrial oxidative damage in apoptotic cell death. This approach will have further applications in investigating mitochondrial dysfunction in a range of experimental models.

Comparison of the molecular forms of the Kex2/subtilisin-like serine proteases SPC2, SPC3, and furin in neuroendocrine secretory vesicles reveals differences in carboxyl-terminus truncation and membrane association.

The molecular forms and membrane association of SPC2, SPC3, and furin were investigated in neuroendocrine secretory vesicles from the anterior, intermediate, and neural lobes of bovine pituitary and bovine adrenal medulla. The major immunoreactive form of SPC2 was the full-length enzyme with a molecular mass of 64 kDa. The major immunoreactive form of SPC3 was truncated at the carboxyl terminus and had a molecular mass of 64 kDa. Full-length 86-kDa SPC3 with an intact carboxyl terminus was found only in bovine chromaffin granules. Immunoreactive furin was also detected in secretory vesicles. The molecular masses of 80 and 76 kDa were consistent with carboxyl-terminal truncation of furin to remove the transmembrane domain. All three enzymes were distributed between the soluble and membrane fractions of secretory vesicles although the degree of membrane association was tissue specific and, in the case of SPC3, dependent on the molecular form of the enzyme. Significant amounts of membrane-associated and soluble forms of SPC2, SPC3, and furin were found in pituitary secretory vesicles, whereas the majority of the immunoreactivity in chromaffin granules was membrane associated. More detailed analyses of chromaffin granule membranes revealed that 86-kDa SPC3 was more tightly associated with the membrane fraction than the carboxyl terminus-truncated 64-kDa form.

TNF recruits TRADD to the plasma membrane but not the trans-Golgi network, the principal subcellular location of TNF-R1.

The subcellular localization of TNF-R1 to the Golgi apparatus, initially observed in endothelial cells, has been confirmed using transfection of bovine aortic endothelial cells with a human TNF-R1 expression plasmid. The subcellular interactions of TNF-R1 and the TRADD (TNFR-associated death domain protein) adaptor protein have been analyzed in the human monocyte cell line U937 and the human endothelial cell line ECV304 by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and by Western blot analysis of fractionated cell extracts. In untreated cells, in which TNF-R1 is found on the cell surface but principally localizes to the trans-Golgi network, TRADD is concentrated in the cis- or medial-Golgi region, but separates from the Golgi during cell fractionation. Coimmunoprecipitation studies have shown that TRADD binds to TNF-R1 within 1 min of TNF treatment in a cell fraction-containing plasma membrane. This association is followed by a gradual dissociation, which is prevented if receptor-mediated endocytosis is inhibited by hypertonic medium. In contrast, no association is detected between TRADD and TNF-R1 in the Golgi in response to exogenous TNF at any time examined. These results suggest that although TNF-R1 is predominantly a Golgi-associated protein and TRADD also localizes to the Golgi region, exogenous TNF causes TRADD to bind to TNF-R1 only at the plasma membrane.

Tumor necrosis factor is delivered to mitochondria where a tumor necrosis factor-binding protein is localized.

The roles of the known tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (TNFR-I and TNFR-II) and their associated signaling pathways in mediating the diverse actions of TNF remain incompletely defined. We have found that a proportion of exogenous TNF is delivered to mitochondria as well as to lysosomes. Using confocal and immunoelectron microscopy and Western blotting of subcellular fractions, we have identified a 60-kd protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane that is recognized by a monoclonal antibody to TNFR-II. In isolated mitochondria, this protein binds [125I]-TNF. This provides evidence of a mitochondrial binding protein for an extracellular ligand and demonstrates the presence of a pathway capable of delivering TNF from the cell surface to mitochondria. These findings suggest that TNF effects on cells may be due in part to a direct effect on mitochondria.

Using mitochondria-targeted molecules to study mitochondrial radical production and its consequences.

The production of ROS (reactive oxygen species) by the mitochondrial respiratory chain contributes to a range of pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases, ischaemia/reperfusion injury and aging. There are also indications that mitochondrial ROS production plays a role in damage response and signal transduction pathways. To unravel the role of mitochondrial ROS production in these processes, we have developed a range of mitochondria-targeted probe molecules. Covalent attachment of a lipophilic cation leads to their accumulation into mitochondria, driven by the membrane potential. Molecules developed so far include antioxidants designed to intercept mitochondrial ROS and reagents that specifically label mitochondrial thiol proteins. Here we outline how mitochondrial ROS formation and its consequences can be investigated using these probes.