α-Hederin inhibits G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2-mediated phosphorylation of ß2-adrenergic receptors.

BACKGROUND: Recently is has been shown that α- and ß-hederin increase the ß2-adrenergic responsiveness of alveolar type II cells (A549) and human airway smooth muscle cells (HASM), respectively, by inhibiting the internalization of ß2-adrenergic receptors (ß2AR) under stimulating conditions. Internalization of ß2AR is initiated by phosphorylations of certain serines and threonines by cAMP dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRK). PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of α-hederin on PKA and GRK2 mediated phosphorylation of GFP-tagged ß2AR. STUDY DESIGN: To study this process we performed In-Cell Western using isoprenaline stimulated HEK293 cells overexpressing ß2AR as GFP fusion protein and specific antibodies against PKA (Ser345/346) and GRK2 (Ser355/356) phosphorylation sites. RESULTS: There was no effect found on the PKA mediated phosphorylation (n = 14) but we could show that α-hederin (1 µM, 12 h) significantly inhibits GRK2 mediated phosphorylation at Ser355/356 by 11 ± 5% (n ≥ 29, p ≤ 0.01) under stimulating conditions compared to the positive control. In Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments using the isolated kinases in solution α-hederin did not show any influence neither to GRK2 nor to PKA. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that α-hederin acts as an indirect GRK2 inhibitor leading to a reduced homologous desensitization of ß2AR-GFP in HEK293 cells.

Drosophila screen connects nuclear transport genes to DPR pathology in c9ALS/FTD.

Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) (c9ALS/FTD). Unconventional translation of these repeats produces dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) that may cause neurodegeneration. We performed a modifier screen in Drosophila and discovered a critical role for importins and exportins, Ran-GTP cycle regulators, nuclear pore components, and arginine methylases in mediating DPR toxicity. These findings provide evidence for an important role for nucleocytoplasmic transport in the pathogenic mechanism of c9ALS/FTD.

Alpha-hederin, but not hederacoside C and hederagenin from Hedera helix, affects the binding behavior, dynamics, and regulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptors.

Hederacoside C, alpha-hederin, and hederagenin are saponins of dry extracts obtained from the leaves of ivy (Hedera helix L.). Internalization of beta(2)-adrenergic receptor-GFP fusion proteins after stimulation with 1 microM terbutaline was inhibited by preincubation of stably transfected HEK293 cells with 1 microM alpha-hederin for 24 h, whereas neither hederacoside C nor hederagenin (1 microM each) influenced this receptor regulation. After incubation of A549 cells with 5 nM Alexa532-NA, two different diffusion time constants were found for beta(2)AR-Alexa532-NA complexes by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Evaluation of the autocorrelation curve revealed diffusion time constants: tau(bound1) = 1.4 +/- 1.1 ms (n = 6) found for receptor-ligand complexes with unrestricted lateral mobility, and tau(bound2) = 34.7 +/- 14.1 ms (n = 6) for receptor-ligand complexes with hindered mobility. The distribution of diffusion time constants was 24.3 +/- 2.5% for tau(bound1) and 8.7 +/- 4.3% for tau(bound2) (n = 6). A549 cells pretreated with 1 microM alpha-hederin for 24 h showed dose-dependent alterations in this distribution with 37.1 +/- 5.5% for tau(bound1) and 4.1 +/- 1.1% for tau(bound2). Simultaneously, the level of Alexa532-NA binding was significantly increased from 33.0 +/- 6.8 to 41.2 +/- 4.6%. In saturation experiments, alpha-hederin did not influence the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor density (B(max)), whereas the K(D) value for Alexa532-NA binding decreased from 36.1 +/- 9.2 to 24.3 +/- 11.1 nM. Pretreatment of HASM cells with alpha-hederin (1 microM, 24 h) revealed an increased intracellular cAMP level of 13.5 +/- 7.0% under stimulating conditions. Remarkably, structure-related saponins like hederacoside C and hederagenin did not influence either the binding behavior of beta(2)AR or the intracellular cAMP level.