Recent Progress on Genetically Modified Animal Models for Membrane Skeletal Proteins: The 4.1 and MPP Families.

The protein 4.1 and membrane palmitoylated protein (MPP) families were originally found as components in the erythrocyte membrane skeletal protein complex, which helps maintain the stability of erythrocyte membranes by linking intramembranous proteins and meshwork structures composed of actin and spectrin under the membranes. Recently, it has been recognized that cells and tissues ubiquitously use this membrane skeletal system. Various intramembranous proteins, including adhesion molecules, ion channels, and receptors, have been shown to interact with the 4.1 and MPP families, regulating cellular and tissue dynamics by binding to intracellular signal transduction proteins. In this review, we focus on our previous studies regarding genetically modified animal models, especially on 4.1G, MPP6, and MPP2, to describe their functional roles in the peripheral nervous system, the central nervous system, the testis, and bone formation. As the membrane skeletal proteins are located at sites that receive signals from outside the cell and transduce signals inside the cell, it is necessary to elucidate their molecular interrelationships, which may broaden the understanding of cell and tissue functions.

Involvement of membrane palmitoylated protein 2 (MPP2) in the synaptic molecular complex at the mouse cerebellar glomerulus.

We previously reported that the membrane skeletal protein 4.1G in the peripheral nervous system transports membrane palmitoylated protein 6 (MPP6), which interacts with the synaptic scaffolding protein Lin7 and cell adhesion molecule 4 (CADM4) in Schwann cells that form myelin. In the present study, we investigated the localization of and proteins related to MPP2, a highly homologous family protein of MPP6, in the cerebellum of the mouse central nervous system, in which neurons are well organized. Immunostaining for MPP2 was observed at cerebellar glomeruli (CG) in the granular layer after postnatal day 14. Using the high-resolution Airyscan mode of a confocal laser-scanning microscope, MPP2 was detected as a dot pattern and colocalized with CADM1 and Lin7, recognized as small ring/line patterns, as well as with calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK), NMDA glutamate receptor 1 (GluN1), and M-cadherin, recognized as dot patterns, indicating the localization of MPP2 in the excitatory postsynaptic region and adherens junctions of granule cells. An immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that MPP2 formed a molecular complex with CADM1, CASK, M-cadherin, and Lin7. Furthermore, the Lin7 staining pattern showed small rings surrounding mossy fibers in wild-type CG, while it changed to the dot/spot pattern inside small rings detected with CADM1 staining in MPP2-deficient CG. These results indicate that MPP2 influences the distribution of Lin7 to synaptic cell membranes at postsynaptic regions in granule cells at CG, at which electric signals enter the cerebellum.

Cytoskeletal Protein 4.1G Is Essential for the Primary Ciliogenesis and Osteoblast Differentiation in Bone Formation.

The primary cilium is a hair-like immotile organelle with specific membrane receptors, including the receptor of Hedgehog signaling, smoothened. The cilium organized in preosteoblasts promotes differentiation of the cells into osteoblasts (osteoblast differentiation) by mediating Hedgehog signaling to achieve bone formation. Notably, 4.1G is a plasma membrane-associated cytoskeletal protein that plays essential roles in various tissues, including the peripheral nervous system, testis, and retina. However, its function in the bone remains unexplored. In this study, we identified 4.1G expression in the bone. We found that, in the 4.1G-knockout mice, calcium deposits and primary cilium formation were suppressed in the trabecular bone, which is preosteoblast-rich region of the newborn tibia, indicating that 4.1G is a prerequisite for osteoblast differentiation by organizing the primary cilia in preosteoblasts. Next, we found that the primary cilium was elongated in the differentiating mouse preosteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1, whereas the knockdown of 4.1G suppressed its elongation. Moreover, 4.1G-knockdown suppressed the induction of the cilia-mediated Hedgehog signaling and subsequent osteoblast differentiation. These results demonstrate a new regulatory mechanism of 4.1G in bone formation that promotes the primary ciliogenesis in the differentiating preosteoblasts and induction of cilia-mediated osteoblast differentiation, resulting in bone formation at the newborn stage.

Elucidation of the control mechanism of dynamic tissues using freezing techniques.

The preparation of histological specimens from animals and humans is a multi-step process comprising tissue collection, fixation, and dehydration, followed by paraffin embedding. Each process can be achieved using different methods and substances. For example, dehydration may not be required depending on the substance used for embedding. The freezing technique described in the present study can be used for tissue collection and fixation. Tissues obtained using "in vivo cryotechnique (IVCT)" reflect blood flow and protein localization in body fluids at the time of tissue collection, making it an indispensable method in histological analyses of the future. This study utilized the IVCT to capture histological images of dynamic objects from multiple viewpoints and elucidate the mechanism underlying their movement control at the molecular level.

Pharmacological inhibition of Mint3 attenuates tumour growth, metastasis, and endotoxic shock.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays essential roles in human diseases, though its central role in oxygen homoeostasis hinders the development of direct HIF-1-targeted pharmacological approaches. Here, we surveyed small-molecule compounds that efficiently inhibit the transcriptional activity of HIF-1 without affecting body homoeostasis. We focused on Mint3, which activates HIF-1 transcriptional activity in limited types of cells, such as cancer cells and macrophages, by suppressing the factor inhibiting HIF-1 (FIH-1). We identified naphthofluorescein, which inhibited the Mint3-FIH-1 interaction in vitro and suppressed Mint3-dependent HIF-1 activity and glycolysis in cancer cells and macrophages without evidence of cytotoxicity in vitro. In vivo naphthofluorescein administration suppressed tumour growth and metastasis without adverse effects, similar to the genetic depletion of Mint3. Naphthofluorescein attenuated inflammatory cytokine production and endotoxic shock in mice. Thus, Mint3 inhibitors may present a new targeted therapeutic option for cancer and inflammatory diseases by avoiding severe adverse effects.

Mint3 is dispensable for pancreatic and kidney functions in mice.

Munc-18 interacting protein 3 (Mint3) is an activator of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in cancer cells, macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts under pathological conditions. However, exactly which cells highly express Mint3 in vivo and whether Mint3 depletion affects their physiological functions remain unclear. Here, we surveyed mouse tissues for specific expression of Mint3 by comparing Mint3 expression in wild-type and Mint3-knockout mice. Interestingly, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that Mint3 was highly expressed in islet cells of the pancreas, distal tubular epithelia of the kidney, choroid plexus ependymal cells of the cerebrum, medullary cells of the adrenal gland, and epithelial cells of the seminal gland. We also studied whether Mint3 depletion affects the physiological functions of the islets and kidneys. Mint3-knockout mice did not show any abnormalities in glucose-tolerance and urine-biochemical tests, indicating that Mint3 depletion was compensated for in these organs. Thus, loss of Mint3 might be compensated in the islets and kidneys under physiological conditions in mice.

Mint3 depletion restricts tumor malignancy of pancreatic cancer cells by decreasing SKP2 expression via HIF-1.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers without druggable molecular targets. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a heterodimeric transcriptional factor that promotes malignancy in various cancers including pancreatic cancer. Herein, we found that HIF-1 is accumulated in normoxic or moderate hypoxic areas of pancreatic cancer xenografts in vivo and is active even during normoxia in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. This prompted us to analyze whether the HIF-1 activator Mint3 contributes to malignant features of pancreatic cancer. Mint3 depletion by shRNAs attenuated HIF-1 activity during normoxia and cell proliferation concomitantly with accumulated p21 and p27 protein in pancreatic cancer cells. Further analyses revealed that Mint3 increased transcription of the oncogenic ubiquitin ligase SKP2 in pancreatic cancer cells via HIF-1. This Mint3-HIF-1-SKP2 axis also promoted partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness features, and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Even in vivo, Mint3 depletion attenuated tumor growth of orthotopically inoculated human pancreatic cancer AsPC-1 cells. Database and tissue microarray analyses showed that Mint3 expression is correlated with SKP2 expression in human pancreatic cancer specimens and high Mint3 expression is correlated with poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. Thus, targeting Mint3 may be useful for attenuating the malignant features of pancreatic cancer.

EXOSC9 depletion attenuates P-body formation, stress resistance, and tumorigenicity of cancer cells.

Cancer cells adapt to various stress conditions by optimizing gene expression profiles via transcriptional and translational regulation. However, whether and how EXOSC9, a component of the RNA exosome complex, regulates adaptation to stress conditions and tumorigenicity in cancer cells remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of EXOSC9 depletion on cancer cell growth under various stress conditions. EXOSC9 depletion attenuated growth and survival under various stress conditions in cancer cells. Interestingly, this also decreased the number of P-bodies, which are messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) required for stress adaptation. Meanwhile, EXOSC2/EXOSC4 depletion also attenuated P-body formation and stress resistance with decreased EXOSC9 protein. EXOSC9-mediated stress resistance and P-body formation were found to depend on the intact RNA-binding motif of this protein. Further, RNA-seq analyses identified 343 EXOSC9-target genes, among which, APOBEC3G contributed to defects in stress resistance and P-body formation in MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, EXOSC9 also promoted xenografted tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in an intact RNA-binding motif-dependent manner. Database analyses further showed that higher EXOSC9 activity, estimated based on the expression of 343 target genes, was correlated with poorer prognosis in some cancer patients. Thus, drugs targeting activity of the RNA exosome complex or EXOSC9 might be useful for cancer treatment.

Structures and Molecular Composition of Schmidt-Lanterman Incisures.

Schmidt-Lanterman incisure (SLI) is a circular-truncated cone shape in the myelin internode that is a specific feature of myelinated nerve fibers formed in Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The SLI circular-truncated cones elongate like spring at the narrow sites of beaded appearance nerve fibers under the stretched condition. In this chapter, we demonstrate various molecular complexes in SLI, and especially focus on membrane skeleton, protein 4.1G-membrane protein palmitoylated 6 (MPP6)-cell adhesion molecule 4 (CADM4). 4.1G was essential for the molecular targeting of MPP6 and CADM4 in SLI. Motor activity and myelin ultrastructures were abnormal in 4.1G-deficient mice, indicating the 4.1G function as a signal for proper formation of myelin in PNS. Thus, SLI probably has potential roles in the regulation of adhesion and signal transduction as well as in structural stability in Schwann cell myelin formation.

MITOL deletion in the brain impairs mitochondrial structure and ER tethering leading to oxidative stress.

Mitochondrial abnormalities are associated with developmental disorders, although a causal relationship remains largely unknown. Here, we report that increased oxidative stress in neurons by deletion of mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase MITOL causes a potential neuroinflammation including aberrant astrogliosis and microglial activation, indicating that mitochondrial abnormalities might confer a risk for inflammatory diseases in brain such as psychiatric disorders. A role of MITOL in both mitochondrial dynamics and ER-mitochondria tethering prompted us to characterize three-dimensional structures of mitochondria in vivo. In MITOL-deficient neurons, we observed a significant reduction in the ER-mitochondria contact sites, which might lead to perturbation of phospholipids transfer, consequently reduce cardiolipin biogenesis. We also found that branched large mitochondria disappeared by deletion of MITOL. These morphological abnormalities of mitochondria resulted in enhanced oxidative stress in brain, which led to astrogliosis and microglial activation partly causing abnormal behavior. In conclusion, the reduced ER-mitochondria tethering and excessive mitochondrial fission may trigger neuroinflammation through oxidative stress.

Scaffold protein Lin7 family in membrane skeletal protein complex in mouse seminiferous tubules.

The membrane skeletal complex, protein 4.1G-membrane palmitoylated protein 6 (MPP6), is localized in spermatogonia and early spermatocytes of mouse seminiferous tubules. In this study, we investigated the Lin7 family of scaffolding proteins, which interact with MPP6. By immunohistochemistry, Lin7a and Lin7c were localized in germ cells, and Lin7c had especially strong staining in spermatogonia and early spermatocytes, characterized by staging of seminiferous tubules. By immunoelectron microscopy, Lin7 localization appeared under cell membranes in germ cells. The Lin7 staining pattern in seminiferous tubules was partially similar to that of 4.1G, cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1), and melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM). Lin7-positive cells included type A spermatogonia, as revealed by double staining for Lin28a. Lin7 staining became weaker in MPP6-deficient mice by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, indicating that MPP6 transports and maintains Lin7 in germ cells. The histology of seminiferous tubules was unchanged in MPP6-deficient mice compared to that of wild-type mice. In cultured spermatogonial stem cells maintained with glial cell line-derived neurotropic factor (GDNF), Lin7 was clearly expressed and immunolocalized along cell membranes, especially at cell-cell junctions. Thus, Lin7 protein is expressed in germ cells, and Lin7, particularly Lin7c, is a useful marker for early spermatogenesis.

The membrane palmitoylated protein, MPP6, is involved in myelin formation in the mouse peripheral nervous system.

A membrane skeletal molecular complex, protein 4.1G-membrane palmitoylated protein 6 (MPP6)-Lin7-cell adhesion molecule 4 (CADM4), is incorporated in Schwann cells, especially in Schmidt-Lanterman incisures (SLIs), in the mouse peripheral nervous system (PNS). MPP6, Lin7, and CADM4 are transported to SLIs by 4.1G. In this study, we created MPP6-deficient mice and evaluated myelin structure and MPP6 protein complexes. In SLIs in MPP6-deficient nerves, Lin7 was rarely detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, but the localization and amount of CADM4 and 4.1G were not altered. Motor activity was not significantly impaired in a tail-suspension test, but the sciatic nerves of MPP6-deficient mice had thicker myelin in internodes by electron microscopy compared to that of wild-type mice. These results indicate that the MPP6-Lin7 complex regulates myelin formation.

Electron microscopic observation of photoreceptor cells in directly inserted anesthetized Drosophila into a high-pressure freezing unit.

The high-pressure freezing (HPF) technique is known to cryofix water-containing materials with little ice-crystal formation in deep depths compared with other freezing techniques. In this study, HPF for anesthetized living Drosophila was performed by placing them directly on the carrier of the HPF unit and exposing them to light. Frozen Drosophila were freeze substituted, and their compound eyes were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructures of ommatidia composed of photoreceptor cells were well preserved. The location of the cytoplasmic organelles inside the photoreceptor cells was observed. In some photoreceptor cells in ommatidia of the light-exposed Drosphila, the cytoplasmic small granules were localized nearer the base of rhabdomeres, compared with those of the nonlight-exposed Drosophila. Thus, HPF with the direct insertion of living Drosophila under light exposure into the HPF machine enabled us to examine changes to functional structures of photoreceptor cells that occur within seconds.

Improved Serial Sectioning Techniques for Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy Mapping of Human Langerhans Islets.

Combined analysis of immunostaining for various biological molecules coupled with investigations of ultrastructural features of individual cells is a powerful approach for studies of cellular functions in normal and pathological conditions. However, weak antigenicity of tissues fixed by conventional methods poses a problem for immunoassays. This study introduces a method of correlative light and electron microscopy imaging of the same endocrine cells of compact and diffuse islets from human pancreatic tissue specimens. The method utilizes serial sections obtained from Epon-embedded specimens fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. Double-immunofluorescence staining of thick Epon sections for endocrine hormones (insulin and glucagon) and regenerating islet-derived gene 1 α (REG1α) was performed following the removal of Epoxy resin with sodium ethoxide, antigen retrieval by autoclaving, and de-osmification treatment with hydrogen peroxide. The immunofluorescence images of endocrine cells were superimposed with the electron microscopy images of the same cells obtained from serial ultrathin sections. Immunofluorescence images showed well-preserved secretory granules in endocrine cells, whereas electron microscopy observations demonstrated corresponding secretory granules and intracellular organelles in the same cells. In conclusion, the correlative imaging approach developed by us may be useful for examining ultrastructural features in combination with immunolocalisation of endocrine hormones in the same human pancreatic islets.

Deficiency of a membrane skeletal protein, 4.1G, results in myelin abnormalities in the peripheral nervous system.

We previously demonstrated that a membrane skeletal molecular complex, 4.1G-membrane palmitoylated protein 6 (MPP6)-cell adhesion molecule 4, is incorporated in Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In this study, we evaluated motor activity and myelin ultrastructures in 4.1G-deficient (-/-) mice. When suspended by the tail, aged 4.1G-/- mice displayed spastic leg extension, especially after overwork. Motor-conduction velocity in 4.1G-/- mice was slower than that in wild-type mice. Using electron microscopy, 4.1G-/- mice exhibited myelin abnormalities: myelin was thicker in internodes, and attachment of myelin tips was distorted in some paranodes. In addition, we found a novel function of 4.1G for sorting a scaffold protein, Lin7, due to disappearance of the immunolocalization and reduction of the production of Lin7c and Lin7a in 4.1G-/- sciatic nerves, as well as the interaction of MPP6 and Lin7 with immunoprecipitation. Thus, we herein propose 4.1G functions as a signal for proper formation of myelin in PNS.

Polymorphic regulation of mitochondrial fission and fusion modifies phenotypes of microglia in neuroinflammation.

Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system and play complex roles in the milieu of diseases including the primary diseases of myelin. Although mitochondria are critical for cellular functions and survival in the nervous system, alterations in and the roles of mitochondrial dynamics and associated signaling in microglia are still poorly understood. In the present study, by combining immunohistochemistry and 3D ultrastructural analyses, we show that mitochondrial fission/fusion in reactive microglia is differentially regulated from that in monocyte-derived macrophages and the ramified microglia of normal white matter in myelin disease models. Mouse cerebral microglia in vitro demonstrated that stimulation of TLR4 with lipopolysaccharide, widely used to examine microglial reactions, caused the activation of the mitochondrial fission protein, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The increase in the ROS level activated 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and facilitated elongation of mitochondria along the microtubule tracks. These results suggest that the polymorphic regulation of mitochondrial fission and fusion in reactive microglia is mediated by distinct signaling under inflammatory conditions, and modulates microglial phenotypes through the production of ROS.

Renaissance of morphological studies: the examination of functional structures in living animal organs using the in vivo cryotechnique.

Medical and biological scientists wish to understand the in vivo structures of the cells and tissues that make up living animal organs, as well as the locations of their molecular components. Recently, the live imaging of animal cells and tissues with fluorescence-labeled proteins produced via gene manipulation has become increasingly common. Therefore, it is important to ensure that findings derived from histological or immunohistochemical tissue sections of living animal organs are compatible with those obtained from live images of the same organs, which can be assessed using recently developed digital imaging techniques. Over the past two decades, we have performed immunohistochemical and morphological studies of the cells and tissues in living animal organs using a novel in vivo cryotechnique. The use of a specially designed liquid cryogen system with or without a cryoknife during this cryotechnique solved the technical problems that inevitably arise during the conventional preparation methods employed prior to light or electron microscopic examinations. Our in vivo cryotechnique has been found to be extremely useful for arresting transient physiological processes in cells and tissues and for maintaining their functional components-such as rapidly changing signaling molecules, membrane channels, or receptors-in situ. The purpose of the present review is to describe the basic mechanism underlying cryotechniques and the significance of our in vivo cryotechnique. In addition, it describes various morphological or immunohistochemical findings, observations made using quantum dots, and a Raman cryomicroscopy-based method for assessing oxygen saturation in the erythrocytes flowing through intestinal tissues.

Conductive resins improve charging and resolution of acquired images in electron microscopic volume imaging.

Recent advances in serial block-face imaging using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have enabled the rapid and efficient acquisition of 3-dimensional (3D) ultrastructural information from a large volume of biological specimens including brain tissues. However, volume imaging under SEM is often hampered by sample charging, and typically requires specific sample preparation to reduce charging and increase image contrast. In the present study, we introduced carbon-based conductive resins for 3D analyses of subcellular ultrastructures, using serial block-face SEM (SBF-SEM) to image samples. Conductive resins were produced by adding the carbon black filler, Ketjen black, to resins commonly used for electron microscopic observations of biological specimens. Carbon black mostly localized around tissues and did not penetrate cells, whereas the conductive resins significantly reduced the charging of samples during SBF-SEM imaging. When serial images were acquired, embedding into the conductive resins improved the resolution of images by facilitating the successful cutting of samples in SBF-SEM. These results suggest that improving the conductivities of resins with a carbon black filler is a simple and useful option for reducing charging and enhancing the resolution of images obtained for volume imaging with SEM.

Rapid specimen preparation to improve the throughput of electron microscopic volume imaging for three-dimensional analyses of subcellular ultrastructures with serial block-face scanning electron microscopy.

Serial block-face imaging using scanning electron microscopy enables rapid observations of three-dimensional ultrastructures in a large volume of biological specimens. However, such imaging usually requires days for sample preparation to reduce charging and increase image contrast. In this study, we report a rapid procedure to acquire serial electron microscopic images within 1 day for three-dimensional analyses of subcellular ultrastructures. This procedure is based on serial block-face with two major modifications, including a new sample treatment device and direct polymerization on the rivets, to reduce the time and workload needed. The modified procedure without uranyl acetate can produce tens of embedded samples observable under serial block-face scanning electron microscopy within 1 day. The serial images obtained are similar to the block-face images acquired by common procedures, and are applicable to three-dimensional reconstructions at a subcellular resolution. Using this approach, regional immune deposits and the double contour or heterogeneous thinning of basement membranes were observed in the glomerular capillary loops of an autoimmune nephropathy model. These modifications provide options to improve the throughput of three-dimensional electron microscopic examinations, and will ultimately be beneficial for the wider application of volume imaging in life science and clinical medicine.

Involvement of membrane skeletal molecules in the Schmidt-Lanterman incisure in Schwann cells.

Membrane skeletal networks form a two-dimensional lattice structure beneath erythrocyte membranes. 4.1R-MPP (membrane palmitoylated protein) 1-glycophorin C is one of the basic molecular complexes of the membrane skeleton. An analogous molecular complex, 4.1G-MPP6-cell adhesion molecule 4 (CADM4), is incorporated into the Schmidt-Lanterman incisure (SLI), a truncated cone shape in the myelin internode that is a specific feature of myelinated nerve fibers formed in Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. In this review, the dynamic structure of peripheral nerve fibers under stretching conditions is demonstrated using in vivo cryotechnique. The structures of nerve fibers had a beaded appearance, and the heights of SLI circular-truncated cones increased at the narrow sites of nerve fibers under the stretched condition. The height of SLI-truncated cones was lower in 4.1G-deficient nerve fibers than in wild-type nerve fibers. 4.1G was essential for the molecular targeting of MPP6 and CADM4 in SLI. The signal transduction protein, Src, was also involved in the 4.1G-MPP6-CADM4 molecular complex. The phosphorylation of Src was altered by the deletion of 4.1G. Thus, we herein demonstrate a membrane skeletal molecular complex in SLI that has potential roles in the regulation of adhesion and signal transduction as well as in structural stability in Schwann cells.