miR-200c-141 induces a hybrid E/M state and promotes collective cell migration in MDA-MB-231 cells.

The microRNA-200 (miR-200) family is a potent suppressor of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). While its role as a tumor suppressor has been well documented, recent studies suggested that it can promote cancer progression in several stages. In this study, we investigated whether the miR-200 family members play a role in the acquisition of a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) state, which is reported to be associated with cancer malignancy, in mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 cells. Our results demonstrated that the induction of miR-200c-141, a cluster of the miR-200 family member, can induce the expression of epithelial gene and cell-cell junction while mesenchymal markers are retained. Moreover, induction of miR-200c-141 promoted collective migration accompanied by the formation of F-actin cables anchored by adherens junction. These results suggest that the miR-200 family can induce a hybrid E/M state and endows with the ability of collective cell migration in mesenchymal cancer cells.

Roles of TOG and jelly-roll domains of centrosomal protein CEP104 in its functions in cilium elongation and Hedgehog signaling.

Primary cilia are generated through the extension of the microtubule-based axoneme. Centrosomal protein 104 (CEP104) localizes to the tip of the elongating axoneme, and CEP104 mutations are linked to a ciliopathy, Joubert syndrome. Thus, CEP104 has been implicated in ciliogenesis. However, the mechanism by which CEP104 regulates ciliogenesis remains elusive. We report here that CEP104 is critical for cilium elongation but not for initiating ciliogenesis. We also demonstrated that the tumor-overexpressed gene (TOG) domain of CEP104 exhibits microtubule-polymerizing activity and that this activity is essential for the cilium-elongating activity of CEP104. Knockdown/rescue experiments showed that the N-terminal jelly-roll (JR) fold partially contributes to cilium-elongating activity of CEP104, but neither the zinc-finger region nor the SXIP motif is required for this activity. CEP104 binds to a centriole-capping protein, CP110, through the zinc-finger region and to a microtubule plus-end-binding protein, EB1, through the SXIP motif, indicating that the binding of CP110 and EB1 is dispensable for the cilium-elongating activity of CEP104. Moreover, CEP104 depletion does not affect CP110 removal from the mother centriole, which suggests that CEP104 functions after the removal of CP110. Last, we also showed that CEP104 is required for the ciliary entry of Smoothened and export of GPR161 upon Hedgehog signal activation and that the TOG domain plays a critical role in this activity. Our results define the roles of the individual domains of CEP104 in its functions in cilium elongation and Hedgehog signaling and should enhance our understanding of the mechanism underlying CEP104 mutation-associated ciliopathies.

Tactics of cancer invasion: solitary and collective invasion.

Much attention has been paid on the mechanism of cancer invasion from the viewpoint of the behaviour of individual cancer cells. On the other hand, histopathological analyses of specimens from cancer patients and of cancer invasion model animals have revealed that cancer cells often exhibit collective invasion, characterized by sustained cell-to-cell adhesion and polarized invasion as cell clusters. Interestingly, it has recently become evident that during collective invasion of cancer cells, the cells localized at invasion front (leader cells) and the cells following them (follower cells) exhibit distinct cellular characteristics, and that there exist the cells expressing representative proteins related to both epithelial and mesenchymal properties simultaneously, designated as hybrid epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-induced cells, in cancer tissue. Furthermore, the findings that cells adopted in hybrid EMT state form clusters and show collective invasion in vitro emphasize an importance of hybrid EMT-induced cells in collective cancer invasion. In this article, we overview recent findings of the mechanism underlying collective invasion of cancer cells and discuss the possibility of controlling cancer invasion and metastasis by targeting this process.

Furry protein suppresses nuclear localization of yes-associated protein (YAP) by activating NDR kinase and binding to YAP.

The Hippo signaling pathway suppresses cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. In the canonical Hippo pathway, large tumor suppressor kinases 1/2 (LATS1/2) phosphorylate the transcriptional coactivator yes-associated protein (YAP) and thereby suppress its nuclear localization and co-transcriptional activity. Nuclear Dbf2-related kinases 1/2 (NDR1/2), which are closely related to LATS1/2, also phosphorylate and inactivate YAP by suppressing its nuclear localization. Furry (FRY) is a cytoplasmic protein that associates with NDR1/2 and activates them, but its role in the nuclear/cytoplasmic localization of YAP remains unknown. Here, we constructed FRY-knockout cell lines to examine the role of FRY in YAP's cytoplasmic localization. FRY depletion markedly increased YAP nuclear localization and decreased NDR1/2 kinase activity and YAP phosphorylation levels, but did not affect LATS1/2 kinase activity. This indicated that FRY suppresses YAP's nuclear localization by promoting its phosphorylation via NDR1/2 activation. NDR1/2 depletion also promoted YAP nuclear localization, but depletion of both FRY and NDR1/2 increased the number of cells with YAP nuclear localization more strongly than did depletion of NDR1/2 alone, suggesting that FRY suppresses YAP nuclear localization by a mechanism in addition to NDR1/2 activation. Co-precipitation assays revealed that Fry uses its N-terminal 1-2400-amino-acid-long region to bind to YAP. Expression of full-length FRY or its 1-2400 N-terminal fragment restored YAP cytoplasmic localization in FRY-knockout cells. Taken together, these results suggest that FRY plays a crucial role in YAP cytoplasmic retention by promoting YAP phosphorylation via NDR1/2 kinase activation and by binding to YAP, leading to its cytoplasmic sequestration.

Human-specific mutations in VMAT1 confer functional changes and multi-directional evolution in the regulation of monoamine circuits.

BACKGROUND: Neurochemicals like serotonin and dopamine play crucial roles in human cognitive and emotional functions. Vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) transports monoamine neurotransmitters, and its variant (136Thr) is associated with various psychopathological symptoms and reduced monoamine uptake relative to 136Ile. We previously showed that two human-specific amino acid substitutions (Glu130Gly and Asn136Thr/Ile) of VMAT1 were subject to positive natural selection. However, the potential functional alterations caused by these substitutions (Glu130Gly and Asn136Thr) remain unclear. To assess functional changes in VMAT1 from an evolutionary perspective, we reconstructed ancestral residues and examined the role of these substitutions in monoamine uptake in vitro using fluorescent false neurotransmitters (FFN), which are newly developed substances used to quantitatively assay VMATs. RESULTS: Immunoblotting confirmed that all the transfected YFP-VMAT1 variants are properly expressed in HEK293T cells at comparable levels, and no significant difference was seen in the density and the size of vesicles among them. Our fluorescent assays revealed a significant difference in FFN206 uptake among VMAT1 variants: 130Glu/136Asn, 130Glu/136Thr, and 130Gly/136Ile showed significantly higher levels of FFN206 uptake than 130Gly/136Asn and 130Gly/136Thr, indicating that both 130Glu and 136Ile led to increased neurotransmitter uptake, for which 136Thr and 136Asn were comparable by contrast. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that monoamine uptake by VMAT1 initially declined (from 130Glu/136Asn to 130Gly/136Thr) in human evolution, possibly resulting in higher susceptibility to the external environment of our ancestors.

Cullin-3-KCTD10-mediated CEP97 degradation promotes primary cilium formation.

Primary cilia are antenna-like sensory organelles that transmit various extracellular signals. Ciliogenesis requires the removal of CP110 and its interactor CEP97 from the mother centriole for initiating ciliary axoneme extension, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that, upon serum starvation, CEP97 is partially degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. CEP97 was polyubiquitylated in serum-starved cells, and overexpression of a non-ubiquitylatable CEP97 mutant effectively blocked CP110 removal and ciliogenesis induced by serum-starvation. Through several screening steps, we identified the cullin-3-RBX1-KCTD10 complex as the E3 ligase that mediates CEP97 degradation and removal from the mother centriole. Depletion of each component of this E3 complex caused aberrant accumulation of CEP97 on the centrosome, suppressed the removal of CEP97 and CP110 from the mother centriole, and impaired ciliogenesis. Moreover, KCTD10 was specifically localized to the mother centriole. These results suggest that CEP97 degradation by the cullin-3-RBX1-KCTD10 complex plays a crucial role in serum-starvation-induced CP110 removal and ciliogenesis.

Glucose deprivation induces primary cilium formation through mTORC1 inactivation.

Primary cilia are antenna-like sensory organelles extending from the surface of many cell types that play critical roles in tissue development and homeostasis. Here, we examined the effect of nutrient status on primary cilium formation. Glucose deprivation significantly increased the number of ciliated cells under both serum-fed and -starved conditions. Glucose deprivation-induced ciliogenesis was suppressed by overexpression of Rheb, an activator of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex-1 (mTORC1). Inactivating mTORC1 by rapamycin treatment or Raptor knockdown significantly promoted ciliogenesis. These results indicate that glucose deprivation promotes primary cilium formation through mTORC1 inactivation. Rapamycin treatment did not promote autophagy or degradation of OFD1, a negative regulator of ciliogenesis. In contrast, rapamycin treatment increased the level of the p27KIP1 (also known as CDKN1B) cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, and rapamycin-induced ciliogenesis was abrogated in p27KIP1-depleted cells. These results indicate that mTORC1 inactivation induces ciliogenesis through p27KIP1 upregulation, but not through autophagy. By contrast, glucose deprivation or rapamycin treatment shortened the cilium length. Thus, glucose deprivation and subsequent inactivation of mTORC1 play dual roles in ciliogenesis: triggering primary cilium formation and shortening cilium length.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Jasplakinolide induces primary cilium formation through cell rounding and YAP inactivation.

Primary cilia are non-motile cilia that serve as cellular antennae for sensing and transducing extracellular signals. In general, primary cilia are generated by cell quiescence signals. Recent studies have shown that manipulations to increase actin assembly suppress quiescence-induced ciliogenesis. To further examine the role of actin dynamics in ciliogenesis, we analyzed the effect of jasplakinolide (Jasp), a potent inducer of actin polymerization, on ciliogenesis. Unexpectedly, Jasp treatment induced ciliogenesis in serum-fed cells cultured at low density. In contrast, Jasp had no apparent effect on ciliogenesis in cells cultured at higher densities. Jasp-induced ciliogenesis was correlated with a change in cell morphology from a flat and adherent shape to a round and weakly adherent one. Jasp treatment also induced the phosphorylation and cytoplasmic localization of the YAP transcriptional co-activator and suppressed cell proliferation in low density-cultured cells. Overexpression of an active form of YAP suppressed Jasp-induced ciliogenesis. These results suggest that Jasp induces ciliogenesis through cell rounding and cytoplasmic localization and inactivation of YAP. Knockdown of LATS1/2 only faintly suppressed Jasp-induced YAP phosphorylation, indicating that LATS1/2 are not primarily responsible for Jasp-induced YAP phosphorylation. Furthermore, overexpression of active Src kinase suppressed Jasp-induced cytoplasmic localization of YAP and ciliogenesis, suggesting that down-regulation of Src activity is involved in Jasp-induced YAP inactivation and ciliogenesis. Our data suggest that actin polymerization does not suppress ciliogenesis per se but rather that cell rounding and reduced cell adhesion are more crucially involved in Jasp-induced ciliogenesis.

Localization of Protein Kinase NDR2 to Peroxisomes and Its Role in Ciliogenesis.

Nuclear Dbf2-related (NDR) kinases, comprising NDR1 and NDR2, are serine/threonine kinases that play crucial roles in the control of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and morphogenesis. We recently showed that NDR2, but not NDR1, is involved in primary cilium formation; however, the mechanism underlying their functional difference in ciliogenesis is unknown. To address this issue, we examined their subcellular localization. Despite their close sequence similarity, NDR2 exhibited punctate localization in the cytoplasm, whereas NDR1 was diffusely distributed within the cell. Notably, NDR2 puncta mostly co-localized with the peroxisome marker proteins, catalase and CFP-SKL (cyan fluorescent protein carrying the C-terminal typical peroxisome-targeting signal type-1 (PTS1) sequence, Ser-Lys-Leu). NDR2 contains the PTS1-like sequence, Gly-Lys-Leu, at the C-terminal end, whereas the C-terminal end of NDR1 is Ala-Lys. An NDR2 mutant lacking the C-terminal Leu, NDR2(ΔL), exhibited almost diffuse distribution in cells. Additionally, NDR2, but neither NDR1 nor NDR2(ΔL), bound to the PTS1 receptor Pex5p. Together, these findings indicate that NDR2 localizes to the peroxisome by using the C-terminal GKL sequence. Intriguingly, topology analysis of NDR2 suggests that NDR2 is exposed to the cytosolic surface of the peroxisome. The expression of wild-type NDR2, but not NDR2(ΔL), recovered the suppressive effect of NDR2 knockdown on ciliogenesis. Furthermore, knockdown of peroxisome biogenesis factor genes (PEX1 or PEX3) partially suppressed ciliogenesis. These results suggest that the peroxisomal localization of NDR2 is implicated in its function to promote primary cilium formation.

A pleckstrin homology-like domain is critical for F-actin binding and cofilin-phosphatase activity of Slingshot-1.

Slingshot-1 (SSH1) is a protein phosphatase that specifically dephosphorylates and activates cofilin, an F-actin-severing protein. SSH1 binds to and co-localizes with F-actin, and the cofilin-phosphatase activity of SSH1 is markedly increased by binding to F-actin. In this study, we performed a secondary structure analysis of SSH1, which predicted the existence of a pleckstrin homology (PH)-like domain in the N-terminal region of SSH1. SSH1 also contains a DEK-C domain in the N-terminal region. The N-terminal fragment of SSH1 bound to and co-localized with F-actin, but mutation at Arg-96 or a Leu-His-Lys (LHK) motif in the PH-like domain reduced this activity. Furthermore, mutation at Arg-96 abrogated the cofilin-phosphatase activity of SSH1 in the presence of F-actin. These results suggest that the N-terminal PH-like domain plays a critical role in F-actin binding and F-actin-mediated activation of the cofilin-phosphatase activity of SSH1.

Pharmacological Inhibition of Centrosome Clustering by Slingshot-Mediated Cofilin Activation and Actin Cortex Destabilization.

Centrosome amplification is a hallmark of virtually all types of cancers, including solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Cancer cells with extra centrosomes use centrosome clustering (CC) to allow for successful division. Because normal cells do not rely on this mechanism, CC is regarded as a promising target to selectively eradicate cells harboring supernumerary centrosomes. To identify novel inhibitors of CC, we developed a cell-based high-throughput screen that reports differential drug cytotoxicity for isogenic cell populations with different centrosome contents. We identified CP-673451 and crenolanib, two chemically related compounds originally developed for the inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFR-ß), as robust inhibitors of CC with selective cytotoxicity for cells with extra centrosomes. We demonstrate that these compounds induce mitotic spindle multipolarity by activation of the actin-severing protein cofilin, leading to destabilization of the cortical actin network, and provide evidence that this activation is dependent on slingshot phosphatases 1 and 2 but unrelated to PDGFR-ß inhibition. More specifically, we found that although both compounds attenuated PDGF-BB-induced signaling, they significantly enhanced the phosphorylation of PDGFR-ß downstream effectors, Akt and MEK, in almost all tested cancer cell lines under physiologic conditions. In summary, our data reveal a novel mechanism of CC inhibition depending on cofilin-mediated cortical actin destabilization and identify two clinically relevant compounds interfering with this tumor cell-specific target. Cancer Res; 76(22); 6690-700. ©2016 AACR.

Synthesis and optical properties of chlorin monomer, dimer and trimer on an amino nitrogen atom.

Naturally occurring chlorophyll-a was chemically modified to methyl 3-aminomethyl-pyropheophorbides-a including primary, secondary, and tertiary amines. Reductive amination of methyl pyropheophorbide-d possessing the 3-formyl group with ammonia efficiently gave a chlorin dimer covalently linked with CH2NHCH2 at the 3-position, which was transformed into a trimer through the substitution at the amino group. Conformational analyses by (1)H NMR spectroscopic observation and molecular modeling estimation indicated that the dimer and trimer were apt to form closely packed structures. Chlorin chromophores in the dimer and trimer were weakly interacted in dichloromethane to shift their Qy absorption bands to longer wavelengths by 4-6nm than the maxima of the corresponding monomer. In the red-shifted Qy region, the trimer gave an S-shaped circular dichroism band by exciton coupling of composite chlorin units. All the semi-synthetic chlorophyll derivatives were highly fluorescent and no intramolecular quenching was observed even in the trimer. The behaviors would be ascribable to the formation of compact conformers and suppression of intramolecular motion, which are important to construct light-harvesting antenna complexes in phototrophs and their model systems.

Binding to Cep164, but not EB1, is essential for centriolar localization of TTBK2 and its function in ciliogenesis.

Primary cilia are formed by extending the microtubule-based axoneme from the mother centriole-derived basal body. Recruitment of Tau tubulin kinase-2 (TTBK2) to the mother centriole and subsequent removal of CP110 and its interactor Cep97 are crucial for the initiation of ciliogenesis. We analyzed the roles of two TTBK2-binding proteins, EB1 and Cep164, in centriolar localization of TTBK2. TTBK2 bound EB1 and Cep164 through its SxIP motifs and a proline-rich motif, respectively. Using TTBK2 variants that contained mutations in the SxIP or proline-rich motifs, we obtained evidence that Cep164, but not EB1, is essential for centriolar localization of TTBK2. Depletion of TTBK2 inhibited CP110 removal and ciliogenesis, whereas expression of wild-type TTBK2, but not non-Cep164-binding mutants, rescued CP110 removal and ciliogenesis in TTBK2-depleted cells. Therefore, Cep164 binding is essential for the function of TTBK2 in promoting CP110 removal and ciliogenesis. We also provide evidence that TTBK2 has the potential to effectively phosphorylate Cep164 and Cep97 and inhibits the interaction between Cep164 and its binding partner Dishevelled-3 (an important regulator of ciliogenesis) in a kinase activity-dependent manner.

Synthesis of amino-analogs of bacteriochlorophyll-d and their self-aggregation in an aqueous micelle solution.

Zinc methyl 3-aminomethyl- and 3-(1-aminoethyl)-pyropheophorbides-a were prepared by modifying naturally occurring chlorophyll-a. The synthetic amino-analogs of bacteriochlorophyll-d self-aggregated in an aqueous micelle solution to give large oligomers with red-shifted and broadened electronic absorption bands. The spectra of these self-aggregates were similar to those of bacteriochlorophyll self-aggregates in the main light-harvesting antennas of green photosynthetic bacteria. The 3(1)-amino groups were alternative to the 3(1)-hydroxy groups in natural bacteriochlorophylls-c/d/e/f.

Multifaceted roles of Furry proteins in invertebrates and vertebrates.

Furry (Fry) is a large protein that is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. Fry and its orthologues in invertebrates (termed Tao3p in budding yeast, Mor2p in fission yeast, Sax-2 in nematode and Fry in fruit fly) genetically and physically interact with nuclear Dbf2-related (NDR) kinases (termed Cbk1p in budding yeast, Orb6p in fission yeast, Sax-1 in nematode and Trc in fruitfly), and function as activators or scaffolds of these kinases. Fry-NDR kinase signals are implicated in the control of polarized cell growth and morphogenesis in yeast, neurite outgrowth in nematode, and epidermal morphogenesis and dendritic tiling in fruit fly. Recent studies revealed that mammalian Fry is a microtubule-associated protein that is involved in the control of chromosome alignment, spindle organization and Polo-like kinase-1 activation in mitosis, and promotes microtubule acetylation in mitotic spindles via inhibiting the tubulin deacetylase Sirtuin 2. Here, we review current knowledge about the diverse cellular functions and regulation of Fry proteins in invertebrates and vertebrates.

Furry promotes acetylation of microtubules in the mitotic spindle by inhibition of SIRT2 tubulin deacetylase.

The structure and function of microtubules (MTs) are regulated by post-translational modifications of tubulin subunits, such as acetylation of the Lys40 residue of α-tubulin. Regulation of the organization and dynamics of MTs is essential for the precise formation of the mitotic spindle. Spindle MTs are highly acetylated, but the mechanism regulating this acetylation is largely unknown. Furry (Fry) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that binds to MTs and colocalizes with acetylated MTs in the mitotic spindle. In this study, we examined the role of Fry in the acetylation of MTs in the mitotic spindle. Depletion of Fry significantly reduced the level of MT acetylation in the mitotic spindle. Expression of the N-terminal fragment of Fry induced hyperacetylation of MTs in both mitotic and interphase cells. These results indicate that Fry promotes MT acetylation in the mitotic spindle. We also found that Fry binds to the tubulin deacetylase SIRT2, preferentially in mitotic cells. Cell-free experiments revealed that the N-terminal region of Fry is the domain responsible for binding to and inhibiting the tubulin-deacetylase activity of SIRT2. AGK2, a specific inhibitor of SIRT2, increased the level of MT acetylation in the mitotic spindle, indicating that SIRT2 is involved in the deacetylation of spindle MTs. Furthermore, AGK2 reversed the decrease in MT acetylation induced by Fry depletion. In summary, these results suggest that Fry plays a crucial role in promoting the level of MT acetylation in the mitotic spindle by inhibiting the tubulin-deacetylase activity of SIRT2.

Measurements of spatiotemporal changes in G-actin concentration reveal its effect on stimulus-induced actin assembly and lamellipodium extension.

To understand the intracellular role of G-actin concentration in stimulus-induced actin assembly and lamellipodium extension during cell migration, we developed a novel technique for quantifying spatiotemporal changes in G-actin concentration in live cells, consisting of sequential measurements of fluorescent decay after photoactivation (FDAP) of Dronpa-labeled actin. Cytoplasmic G-actin concentrations decreased by ∼40% immediately after cell stimulation and thereafter the cell area extended. The extent of stimulus-induced G-actin loss and cell extension correlated linearly with G-actin concentration in unstimulated cells, even at concentrations much higher than the critical concentration of actin filaments, indicating that cytoplasmic G-actin concentration is a critical parameter for determining the extent of stimulus-induced G-actin assembly and cell extension. Multipoint FDAP analysis revealed that G-actin concentration in lamellipodia was comparable to that in the cell body. We also assessed the cellular concentrations of free G-actin, profilin- and thymosin-ß4-bound G-actin, and free barbed and pointed ends of actin filaments by model fitting of jasplakinolide-induced temporal changes in G-actin concentration.

Live-cell imaging of G-actin dynamics using sequential FDAP.

Various microscopic techniques have been developed to understand the mechanisms that spatiotemporally control actin filament dynamics in live cells. Kinetic data on the processes of actin assembly and disassembly on F-actin have been accumulated. However, the kinetics of cytoplasmic G-actin, a key determinant for actin polymerization, has remained unclear because of a lack of appropriate methods to measure the G-actin concentration quantitatively. We have developed two new microscopic techniques based on the fluorescence decay after photoactivation (FDAP) time-lapse imaging of photoswitchable Dronpa-labeled actin. These techniques, sequential FDAP (s-FDAP) and multipoint FDAP, were used to measure the time-dependent changes in and spatial distribution of the G-actin concentration in live cells. Use of s-FDAP provided data on changes in the G-actin concentration with high temporal resolution; these data were useful for the model analysis of actin assembly processes in live cells. The s-FDAP analysis also provided evidence that the cytoplasmic G-actin concentration substantially decreases after cell stimulation and that the extent of stimulus-induced actin assembly and cell size extension are linearly correlated with the G-actin concentration before cell stimulation. The advantages of using s-FDAP and multipoint FDAP to measure spatiotemporal G-actin dynamics and the roles of G-actin concentration and ADF/cofilin in stimulus-induced actin assembly and lamellipodium extension in live cells are discussed.