Maintenance of membrane organization in the aging mouse brain as the determining factor for preventing receptor dysfunction and for improving response to anti-Alzheimer treatments.

Although a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the "aging" parameter is not systematically considered in preclinical validation of anti-AD drugs. To explore how aging affects neuronal reactivity to anti-AD agents, the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)-associated pathway was chosen as a model. Comparison of the neuroprotective properties of CNTF in 6- and 18-month old mice revealed that CNTF resistance in the older animals is associated with the exclusion of the CNTF-receptor subunits from rafts and their subsequent dispersion to non-raft cortical membrane domains. This age-dependent membrane remodeling prevented both the formation of active CNTF-receptor complexes and the activation of prosurvival STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways, demonstrating that age-altered membranes impaired the reactivity of potential therapeutic targets. CNTF-receptor distribution and CNTF signaling responses were improved in older mice receiving dietary docosahexaenoic acid, with CNTF-receptor functionality being similar to those of younger mice, pointing toward dietary intervention as a promising adjuvant strategy to maintain functional neuronal membranes, thus allowing the associated receptors to respond appropriately to anti-AD agents.

Expression profile of hepatic genes related to lipid homeostasis in LSR heterozygous mice contributes to their increased response to high-fat diet.

Perturbations of lipid homeostasis manifest as dyslipidemias and obesity, which are significant risk factors for atherosclerosis and diabetes. Lipoprotein receptors in the liver are key players in the regulation of lipid homeostasis, among which the hepatic lipolysis stimulated lipoprotein receptor, LSR, was recently shown to play an important role in the removal of lipoproteins from the circulation during the postprandial phase. Since heterozygous LSR+/- mice demonstrate moderate dyslipidemia and develop higher body weight gain in response to high-fat diet compared with littermate LSR+/+ controls, we questioned if LSR heterozygosity could affect genes related to hepatic lipid metabolism. A target-specific qPCR array for 84 genes related to lipid metabolism was performed on mRNA isolated from livers of 6 mo old female LSR+/- mice and LSR+/+ littermates following a 6 wk period on a standard (STD) or high-fat diet (60% kcal, HFD). Of the 84 genes studied, 32 were significantly downregulated in STD-LSR+/- mice compared with STD-LSR+/+, a majority of which were PPARα target genes involved in lipid metabolism and transport, and insulin and adipokine-signaling pathways. Of these 32 genes, 80% were also modified in HFD-LSR+/+, suggesting that STD-LSR+/- mice demonstrated a predisposition towards a "high-fat"-like profile, which could reflect dysregulation of liver lipid homeostasis. Since similar profiles of genes were affected by either LSR heterozygosity or by high-fat diet, this would suggest that LSR is a key receptor in regulating hepatic lipid homeostasis, and whose downregulation combined with a Western-type diet may increase predisposition to diet-induced obesity.

Membrane raft domains and remodeling in aging brain.

Lipids are the fundamental structural components of biological membranes. For a long time considered as simple barriers segregating aqueous compartments, membranes are now viewed as dynamic interfaces providing a molecular environment favorable to the activity of membrane-associated proteins. Interestingly, variations in membrane lipid composition, whether quantitative or qualitative, play a crucial role in regulation of membrane protein functionalities. Indeed, a variety of alterations in brain lipid composition have been associated with the processes of normal and pathological aging. Although not establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship between these complex modifications in cerebral membranes and the process of cognitive decline, evidence shows that alterations in membrane lipid composition affect important physicochemical properties notably impacting the lateral organization of membranes, and thus microdomains. It has been suggested that preservation of microdomain functionality may represent an effective strategy for preventing or decelerating neuronal dysfunction and cerebral vulnerability, processes that are both aggravated by aging. The working hypothesis developed in this review proposes that preservation of membrane organization, for example, through nutritional supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid, could prevent disturbances in and preserve effective cerebral function.

Inhibitory action of benzo[α]pyrene on hepatic lipoprotein receptors in vitro and on liver lipid homeostasis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia associated with obesity often manifests as increased plasma LDL and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein levels suggesting changes in hepatic lipoprotein receptor status. Persistent organic pollutants have been recently postulated to contribute to the obesity etiology by increasing adipogenesis, but little information is available on their potential effect on hepatic lipoprotein metabolism. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the common environmental pollutant, benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) on two lipoprotein receptors, the LDL-receptor and the lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR) as well as the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) using cell and animal models. RESULTS: LSR, LDL-receptor as well as ABCA1 protein levels were significantly decreased by 26-48% in Hepa1-6 cells incubated (<2 h) in the presence of B[α]P (≤1 µM). Real-time PCR analysis and lactacystin studies revealed that this effect was due primarily to increased proteasome, and not lysosomal-mediated degradation rather than decreased transcription. Furthermore, ligand blots revealed that lipoproteins exposed to 1 or 5 µM B[α]P displayed markedly decreased (42-86%) binding to LSR or LDL-receptor. B[α]P-treated (0.5 mg/kg/48 h, i.p. 15 days) C57BL/6J mice displayed higher weight gain, associated with significant increases in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver cholesterol content, and decreased hepatic LDL-receptor and ABCA1 levels. Furthermore, correlational analysis revealed that B[α]P abolished the positive association observed in control mice between the LSR and LDL-receptor. Interestingly, levels of other proteins involved in liver cholesterol metabolism, ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 and scavenger receptor-BI, were decreased, while those of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 and 2 were increased in B[α]P-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: B[α]P demonstrates inhibitory action on LSR and LDL-R, as well as ABCA1, which we propose leads to modified lipid status in B[α]P-treated mice, thus providing new insight into mechanisms underlying the involvement of pollutants in the disruption of lipid homeostasis, potentially contributing to dyslipidemia associated with obesity.

Assembly of gamma-tubulin ring complexes: implications for cell biology and disease.

Microtubules are among the main constituents of the cytoskeleton. They are assembled from dimers of alpha- and beta-tubulin. This assembly occurs preferentially at organizing centers such as the centrosomes, catalyzed by multiprotein complexes of gamma-tubulin. At the beginning of mitosis, the amount of gamma-tubulin complexes at the centrosomes increases sharply, supporting the sudden formation of numerous spindle microtubules. Recent studies on the structure of gamma-tubulin complex proteins have advanced our understanding of the assembly process of gamma-tubulin complexes, and have pointed toward putative mechanisms of microtubule nucleation. Moreover, the discovery of novel proteins associated with gamma-tubulin complexes has illustrated the possibilities of how gamma-tubulin might be recruited and regulated at specific sites of microtubule organization. This chapter highlights recent developments in the field and discusses the potential of the gamma-tubulin complex as a pharmacological target, to control proliferation of cells.

Structure and properties of the Ca(2+)-binding CUB domain, a widespread ligand-recognition unit involved in major biological functions.

CUB domains are 110-residue protein motifs exhibiting a ß-sandwich fold and mediating protein-protein interactions in various extracellular proteins. Recent X-ray structural and mutagenesis studies have led to the identification of a particular CUB domain subset, cbCUB (Ca(2+)-binding CUB domain). Unlike other CUB domains, these harbour a homologous Ca(2+)-binding site that underlies a conserved binding site mediating ionic interaction between two of the three conserved acidic Ca(2+) ligands and a basic (lysine or arginine) residue of a protein ligand, similar to the interactions mediated by the low-density lipoprotein receptor family. cbCUB-mediated protein-ligand interactions usually involve multipoint attachment through several cbCUBs, resulting in high-affinity binding through avidity, despite the low affinity of individual interactions. The aim of the present review is to summarize our current knowledge about the structure and functions of cbCUBs, which represent the majority of the known CUB repertoire and are involved in a variety of major biological functions, including immunity and development, as well as in various cancer types. Examples discussed in the present review include a wide range of soluble and membrane-associated human proteins, as well as some archaeal and invertebrate proteins. The fact that these otherwise unrelated proteins share a common Ca(2+)-dependent ligand-binding ability suggests a mechanism inherited from very primitive ancestors. The information provided in the present review should stimulate further investigations on the crucial interactions mediated by cbCUB-containing proteins.

Crystal structure of γ-tubulin complex protein GCP4 provides insight into microtubule nucleation.

Microtubule nucleation in all eukaryotes involves γ-tubulin small complexes (γTuSCs) that comprise two molecules of γ-tubulin bound to γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs) GCP2 and GCP3. In many eukaryotes, multiple γTuSCs associate with GCP4, GCP5 and GCP6 into large γ-tubulin ring complexes (γTuRCs). Recent cryo-EM studies indicate that a scaffold similar to γTuRCs is formed by lateral association of γTuSCs, with the C-terminal regions of GCP2 and GCP3 binding γ-tubulin molecules. However, the exact role of GCPs in microtubule nucleation remains unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of human GCP4 and show that its C-terminal domain binds directly to γ-tubulin. The human GCP4 structure is the prototype for all GCPs, as it can be precisely positioned within the γTuSC envelope, revealing the nature of protein-protein interactions and conformational changes regulating nucleation activity.