Semaphorin 7A: A novel marker of disease activity in Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a recessively inherited lysosomal storage disorder in which sphingolipids accumulates in the macrophages that transform into Gaucher cells. A growing body of evidence indicates that red blood cells (RBCs) represent important actors in GD pathophysiology. We previously demonstrated that altered RBC properties including increased Lyso-GL1 levels, dyserythropoiesis, and iron metabolism defect in GD patients contribute to anemia and hyperferritinemia. Since RBC defects also correlated well with markers of GD severity and were normalized under enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), the identification of molecules that are deregulated in GD RBCs represents an important issue in the search of pertinent markers of the disease. Here, we found a decreased expression of the GPI-anchored cell surface protein Semaphorin 7A (Sema7A) in RBCs from untreated GD (GD UT) patients, in parallel with increased levels of the soluble form in the plasma. Sema7A plays a role in neural guidance, atherosclerosis, and inflammatory diseases and represents a promigratory cue in physiological and pathological conditions. We showed that the decreased expression of Sema7A in RBCs correlated with their abnormal properties and with markers of GD activity. Interestingly, ERT restored the level of Sema7A to normal values both in RBCs and in plasma from GD patients. We then proposed that SemaA7A represents a simple and pertinent marker of inflammation in GD. Finally, because Sema7A is known to regulate the activity of immune cells, the increased level of soluble Sema7A in GD patients could propagate inflammation in several tissues.

The human Kell blood group binds the erythroid 4.1R protein: new insights into the 4.1R-dependent red cell membrane complex.

Protein 4.1R plays an important role in maintaining the mechanical properties of the erythrocyte membrane. We analysed the expression of Kell blood group protein in erythrocytes from a patient with hereditary elliptocytosis associated with complete 4.1R deficiency (4.1(-) HE). Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses revealed a severe reduction of Kell. In vitro pull down and co-immunoprecipitation experiments from erythrocyte membranes showed a direct interaction between Kell and 4.1R. Using different recombinant domains of 4.1R and the cytoplasmic domain of Kell, we demonstrated that the R(46) R motif in the juxta-membrane region of Kell binds to lobe B of the 4.1R FERM domain. We also observed that 4.1R deficiency is associated with a reduction of XK and DARC (also termed ACKR1) proteins, the absence of the glycosylated form of the urea transporter B and a slight decrease of band 3. The functional alteration of the 4.1(-) HE erythrocyte membranes was also determined by measuring various transport activities. We documented a slower rate of HCO3 (-) /Cl(-) exchange, but normal water and ammonia transport across erythrocyte membrane in the absence of 4.1. These findings provide novel insights into the structural organization of blood group antigen proteins into the 4.1R complex of the human red cell membrane.

Abnormal properties of red blood cells suggest a role in the pathophysiology of Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by glucocerebrosidase deficiency. It is notably characterized by splenomegaly, complex skeletal involvement, ischemic events of the spleen and bones, and the accumulation of Gaucher cells in several organs. We hypothesized that red blood cells (RBCs) might be involved in some features of GD and studied the adhesive and hemorheologic properties of RBCs from GD patients. Hemorheologic analyses revealed enhanced blood viscosity, increased aggregation, and disaggregation threshold of GD RBCs compared with control (CTR) RBCs. GD RBCs also exhibited frequent morphologic abnormalities and lower deformability. Under physiologic flow conditions, GD RBCs adhered more strongly to human microvascular endothelial cells and to laminin than CTR. We showed that Lu/BCAM, the unique erythroid laminin receptor, is overexpressed and highly phosphorylated in GD RBCs, and may play a major role in the adhesion process. The demonstration that GD RBCs have abnormal rheologic and adhesion properties suggests that they may trigger ischemic events in GD, and possibly phagocytosis by macrophages, leading to the appearance of pathogenic Gaucher cells.

Novel role for the Lu/BCAM-spectrin interaction in actin cytoskeleton reorganization.

Lu/BCAM (Lutheran/basal cell-adhesion molecule) is a laminin 511/521 receptor expressed in erythroid and endothelial cells, and in epithelial tissues. The RK573-574 (Arg573-Lys574) motif of the Lu/BCAM cytoplasmic domain interacts with αI-spectrin, the main component of the membrane skeleton in red blood cells. In the present paper we report that Lu/BCAM binds to the non-erythroid αII-spectrin via the RK573-574 motif. Alanine substitution of this motif abolished the Lu/BCAM-spectrin interaction, enhanced the half-life of Lu/BCAM at the MDCK (Madin-Darby canine kidney) cell surface, and increased Lu/BCAM-mediated cell adhesion and spreading on laminin 511/521. We have shown that the Lu/BCAM-spectrin interaction mediated actin reorganization during cell adhesion and spreading on laminin 511/521. This interaction was involved in a laminin 511/521-to-actin signalling pathway leading to stress fibre formation. This skeletal rearrangement was associated with an activation of the small GTP-binding protein RhoA, which depended on the integrity of the Lu/BCAM laminin 511/521-binding site. It also required a Lu/BCAM-αII-spectrin interaction, since its disruption decreased stress fibre formation and RhoA activation. We conclude that the Lu/BCAM-spectrin interaction is required for stress fibre formation during cell spreading on laminin 511/521, and that spectrin acts as a signal relay between laminin 511/521 and actin that is involved in actin dynamics.

Ubc9 interacts with Lu/BCAM adhesion glycoproteins and regulates their stability at the membrane of polarized MDCK cells.

Lu (Lutheran) blood group and BCAM (basal cell adhesion molecule) antigens both reside on two gp (glycoprotein) isoforms, Lu and Lu(v13), that differ by the size of their cytoplasmic tail. They are receptors of laminin-10/11 and are expressed in RBCs (red blood cells), epithelial cells of multiple tissues and vascular endothelial cells. To gain more insights into the biological function of Lu/BCAM gps, we looked for potential partners of their cytoplasmic tail. We isolated Ubc9 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9) protein by screening a human kidney library using the yeast two-hybrid system. Lu/Ubc9 interaction was validated by GST (glutathione S-transferase) pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Endogenous Ubc9 formed a complex with endogenous or recombinant Lu gp in A498 and MDCK (Madin-Darby canine kidney) epithelial cells respectively. Replacement of Lys(585) by alanine in the Lu gp abolished in vitro and ex vivo interactions of Lu gp with Ubc9 protein. Lu K585A mutant transfected in MDCK cells exhibited a normal basolateral membrane expression but was overexpressed at the surface of polarized MDCK cells as compared with wild-type Lu. Pulse-chase experiments showed extended half-life of Lu K585A gp at the plasma membrane, suggesting an impaired endocytosis of this mutant leading to protein accumulation at the membrane. Furthermore, we showed that the ability of MDCK-Lu K585A cells to spread on immobilized laminin was dramatically decreased. Our results support a physiological role for the direct interaction between Lu gp and Ubc9 protein and reveal a role for this enzyme in regulating the stability of Lu gp at the cell membrane.

The Kell protein of the common K2 phenotype is a catalytically active metalloprotease, whereas the rare Kell K1 antigen is inactive. Identification of novel substrates for the Kell protein.

The Kell blood group is a highly polymorphic system containing over 20 different antigens borne by the protein Kell, a 93-kDa type II glycoprotein that displays high sequence homology with members of the M13 family of zinc-dependent metalloproteases whose prototypical member is neprilysin. Kell K1 is an antigen expressed in 9% of the Caucasian population, characterized by a point mutation (T193M) of the Kell K2 antigen, and located within a putative N-glycosylation consensus sequence. Recently, a recombinant, non-physiological, soluble form of Kell was shown to cleave Big ET-3 to produce the mature vasoconstrictive peptide. To better characterize the enzymatic activity of the Kell protein and the possible differences introduced by antigenic point mutations affecting post-translational processing, the membrane-bound forms of the Kell K1 and Kell K2 antigens were expressed either in K562 cells, an erythroid cell line, or in HEK293 cells, a non-erythroid system, and their pharmacological profiles and enzymatic specificities toward synthetic and natural peptides were evaluated. Results presented herein reveal that the two antigens possess considerable differences in their enzymatic activities, although not in their trafficking pattern. Indeed, although both antigens are expressed at the cell surface, Kell K1 protein is shown to be inactive, whereas the Kell K2 antigen binds neprilysin inhibitory compounds such as phosphoramidon and thiorphan with high affinity, cleaves the precursors of the endothelin peptides, and inactivates members of the tachykinin family with enzymatic properties resembling those of other members of the M13 family of metalloproteases to which it belongs.