Beclin 1 regulates growth factor receptor signaling in breast cancer.

Beclin 1 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor that is decreased in many human tumors. The function of beclin 1 in cancer has been attributed primarily to its role in the degradative process of macroautophagy. However, beclin 1 is a core component of the vacuolar protein sorting 34 (Vps34)/class III phosphatidylinositoI-3 kinase (PI3KC3) and Vps15/p150 complex that regulates multiple membrane-trafficking events. In the current study, we describe an alternative mechanism of action for beclin 1 in breast cancer involving its control of growth factor receptor signaling. We identify a specific stage of early endosome maturation that is regulated by beclin 1, the transition of APPL1-containing phosphatidyIinositol 3-phosphate-negative (PI3P(-)) endosomes to PI3P(+) endosomes. Beclin 1 regulates PI3P production in response to growth factor stimulation to control the residency time of growth factor receptors in the PI3P(-)/APPL(+)-signaling-competent compartment. As a result, suppression of BECN1 sustains growth factor-stimulated AKT and ERK activation resulting in increased breast carcinoma cell invasion. In human breast tumors, beclin 1 expression is inversely correlated with AKT and ERK phosphorylation. Our data identify a novel role for beclin 1 in regulating growth factor signaling and reveal a mechanism by which loss of beclin 1 expression would enhance breast cancer progression.

Effect of rosiglitazone on capillary density and angiogenesis in adipose tissue of normoglycaemic humans in a randomised controlled trial.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Recent reports of decreased capillary density in the adipose tissue of obese individuals suggest that an imbalance of angiogenesis and adipogenesis may, in part, underlie insulin resistance. This study aimed to determine whether the insulin-sensitising peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) activator rosiglitazone affects adipose tissue vascularisation in normal humans. METHODS: A randomised, parallel-group, investigator-blinded placebo-controlled trial was conducted with normoglycaemic volunteers with BMI 27-43, recruited from the community at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. Peri-umbilical adipose tissue biopsies were obtained before and after treatment for 6 weeks with rosiglitazone (8 mg once daily) or placebo, which were randomly allocated from a sequentially numbered list. The primary outcomes were adipocyte size and capillary density measured by immunohistochemistry, and angiogenic potential assessed by capillary sprout formation in Matrigel. Secondary outcomes were serum adiponectin, glycaemic, lipid and liver function variables. RESULTS: A total of 35 individuals fulfilling the inclusion criteria were randomised, and complete before-vs-after analyses were achieved in 30 participants (13 and 17, placebo and rosiglitazone, respectively). Significant differences, assessed by paired two-tailed Student t tests, were seen in response to rosiglitazone for adipocyte size (3,458 ± 202 vs 2,693 ± 223 µm(2), p = 0.0049), capillary density (5.6 ± 0.5 vs 7.5 ± 0.5 lumens/field, p = 0.0098), serum adiponectin (14.3 ± 1.5 vs 28.6 ± 3.0 ng/ml, p < 0.0001) and alkaline phosphatase (1.04 ± 0.07 vs 0.87 ± 0.05 µkat/l, p = 0.001). A difference in angiogenic potential before and after treatment between the placebo and rosiglitazone groups was also seen (-23.88 ± 14 vs 13.42 ± 13, p = 0.029, two-tailed Mann-Whitney test). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Significant effects on adipose tissue vascular architecture occur after a short period of treatment with rosiglitazone in individuals with normal glucose tolerance. Improved adipose tissue vascularisation may, in part, mediate the therapeutic actions of this class of drugs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01150981 FUNDING: The study was funded by National Institutes of Health grant DK089101 to S. Corvera, and by pilot funding from the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) Center for Clinical Translational Sciences (M. Thompson, S. Malkani and S. Corvera). Morphology core services were supported by UMASS Diabetes Endocrine Research Center (DERC) grant DK32520.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the control of endosome dynamics: new players defined by structural motifs.

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity has been implicated in fundamental cellular functions such as endosomal trafficking, growth-factor receptor signal transduction, and cell survival. This multiplicity of actions can be attributed to the existence of three classes of PI 3-kinases in mammalian cells, which can together lead to the production of four known distinct end products: PtdIns(3)P, PtdIns(3,4)P2, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,5)P2. The challenge of deciphering the connection between PI 3-kinase activity, the production of specific phosphoinositides and the control of specific cellular events is being met with the discovery of novel structural motifs that interact specifically with distinct PI 3-kinase products.

Multivalent endosome targeting by homodimeric EEA1.

Early endosome autoantigen localization to early endosomes is mediated by a C-terminal region, which includes a calmodulin binding motif, a Rab5 interaction site, and a FYVE domain that selectively binds phosphatidyl inositol 3-phosphate. The crystal structure of the C-terminal region bound to inositol 1,3-bisphosphate reveals an organized, quaternary assembly consisting of a parallel coiled coil and a dyad-symmetric FYVE domain homodimer. Structural and biochemical observations support a multivalent mechanism for endosomal localization in which domain organization, dimerization, and quaternary structure amplify the weak affinity and modest specificity of head group interactions with conserved residues. A unique mode of membrane engagement deduced from the quaternary structure of the C-terminal region provides insight into the structural basis of endosome tethering.

Role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Rab5 effectors in phagosomal biogenesis and mycobacterial phagosome maturation arrest.

Phagosomal biogenesis is a fundamental biological process of particular significance for the function of phagocytic and antigen-presenting cells. The precise mechanisms governing maturation of phagosomes into phagolysosomes are not completely understood. Here, we applied the property of pathogenic mycobacteria to cause phagosome maturation arrest in infected macrophages as a tool to dissect critical steps in phagosomal biogenesis. We report the requirement for 3-phosphoinositides and acquisition of Rab5 effector early endosome autoantigen (EEA1) as essential molecular events necessary for phagosomal maturation. Unlike the model phagosomes containing latex beads, which transiently recruited EEA1, mycobacterial phagosomes excluded this regulator of vesicular trafficking that controls membrane tethering and fusion processes within the endosomal pathway and is recruited to endosomal membranes via binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns[3]P). Inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3'(OH)-kinase (PI-3K) activity diminished EEA1 recruitment to newly formed latex bead phagosomes and blocked phagosomal acquisition of late endocytic properties, indicating that generation of PtdIns(3)P plays a role in phagosomal maturation. Microinjection into macrophages of antibodies against EEA1 and the PI-3K hVPS34 reduced acquisition of late endocytic markers by latex bead phagosomes, demonstrating an essential role of these Rab5 effectors in phagosomal biogenesis. The mechanism of EEA1 exclusion from mycobacterial phagosomes was investigated using mycobacterial products. Coating of latex beads with the major mycobacterial cell envelope glycosylated phosphatidylinositol lipoarabinomannan isolated from the virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, inhibited recruitment of EEA1 to latex bead phagosomes, and diminished their maturation. These findings define the generation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and EEA1 recruitment as: (a) important regulatory events in phagosomal maturation and (b) critical molecular targets affected by M. tuberculosis. This study also identifies mycobacterial phosphoinositides as products with specialized toxic properties, interfering with discrete trafficking stages in phagosomal maturation.

Insulin action on GLUT4 traffic visualized in single 3T3-l1 adipocytes by using ultra-fast microscopy.

A novel imaging technology, high-speed microscopy, has been used to visualize the process of GLUT4 translocation in response to insulin in single 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A key advantage of this technology is that it requires extremely low light exposure times, allowing the quasi-continuous capture of information over 20-30 min without photobleaching or photodamage. The half-time for the accumulation of GLUT4-eGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) at the plasma membrane in a single cell was found to be of 5-7 min at 37 degrees C. This half-time is substantially longer than that of exocytic vesicle fusion in neuroendocrine cells, suggesting that additional regulatory mechanisms are involved in the stimulation of GLUT4 translocation by insulin. Analysis of four-dimensional images (3-D over time) revealed that, in response to insulin, GLUT4-eGFP-enriched vesicles rapidly travel from the juxtanuclear region to the plasma membrane. In nontransfected adipocytes, impairment of microtubule and actin filament function inhibited insulin-stimulated glucose transport by 70 and 50%, respectively. When both filament systems were impaired insulin-stimulated glucose transport was completely inhibited. Taken together, the data suggest that the regulation of long-range motility of GLUT4-containing vesicles through the interaction with microtubule- and actin-based cytoskeletal networks plays an important role in the overall effect of insulin on GLUT4 translocation.

Cell confluence-dependent remodeling of endothelial membranes mediated by cholesterol.

The plasma membranes of endothelial cells reaching confluence undergo profound structural and functional modifications, including the formation of adherens junctions, crucial for the regulation of vascular permeability and angiogenesis. Adherens junction formation is accompanied by the tyrosine dephosphorylation of adherens junctions proteins, which has been correlated with the strength and stability of adherens junctions. Here we show that cholesterol is a critical determinant of plasma membrane remodeling in cultures of growing cow pulmonary aortic endothelial cells. Membrane cholesterol increased dramatically at an early stage in the formation of confluent cow pulmonary aortic endothelial cell monolayers, prior to formation of intercellular junctions. This increase was accompanied by the redistribution of caveolin from a high density to a low density membrane compartment, previously shown to require cholesterol, and increased binding of the annexin II-p11 complex to membranes, consistent with other studies indicating cholesterol-dependent binding of annexin II to membranes. Furthermore, partial depletion of cholesterol from confluent cells with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin both induced tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple membrane proteins, including adherens junctions proteins, and disrupted adherens junctions. Both effects were dramatically reduced by prior complexing of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin with cholesterol. Our results reveal a novel physiological role for cholesterol regulating the formation of adherens junctions and other plasma membrane remodeling events as endothelial cells reach confluence.

The FYVE domain of early endosome antigen 1 is required for both phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and Rab5 binding. Critical role of this dual interaction for endosomal localization.

Early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) is 170-kDa polypeptide required for endosome fusion. EEA1 binds to both phosphtidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) and to Rab5-GTP in vitro, but the functional role of this dual interaction at the endosomal membrane is unclear. Here we have determined the structural features in EEA1 required for binding to these ligands. We have found that the FYVE domain is critical for both PtdIns3P and Rab5 binding. Whereas PtdIns3P binding only required the FYVE domain, Rab5 binding additionally required a 30-amino acid region directly adjacent to the FYVE domain. Microinjection of glutathione S-transferase fusion constructs into Cos cells revealed that the FYVE domain alone is insufficient for localization to cellular membranes; the upstream 30-amino acid region required for Rab5 binding must also be present for endosomal binding. The importance of Rab5 in membrane binding of EEA1 is underscored by the finding that the increased expression of wild-type Rab5 increases endosomal binding of EEA1 and decreases its dependence on PtdIns3P. Thus, the levels of Rab5 are rate-limiting for the recruitment of EEA1 to endosome membranes. PtdIns3P may play a role in modulating the Rab5 EEA1 interaction.

Signal transduction: stuck with FYVE domains.

The FYVE domain is a protein motif that allows the interaction of cytosolic proteins with membranes containing the lipid phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Structural information about FYVE domains has come from two crystal structures and NMR analysis. Corvera discusses how these structures differ and what they tell us about how proteins with FYVE domains interact with biological membranes. The Perspective also addresses how proteins with FYVE domains and protein internalization are involved in signal transduction.

ADP-ribosylation factor 6 as a target of guanine nucleotide exchange factor GRP1.

The GRP1 protein contains a Sec7 homology domain that catalyzes guanine nucleotide exchange on ADP-ribosylation factors (ARF) 1 and 5 as well as a pleckstrin homology domain that binds phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)P(3), an intermediate in cell signaling by insulin and other extracellular stimuli (Klarlund, J. K., Guilherme, A., Holik, J. J., Virbasius, J. V., Chawla, A., and Czech, M. P. (1997) Science 275, 1927-1930). Here we show that both endogenous GRP1 and ARF6 rapidly co-localize in plasma membrane ruffles in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-T) cells expressing human insulin receptors and COS-1 cells in response to insulin and epidermal growth factor, respectively. The pleckstrin homology domain of GRP1 appears to be sufficient for regulated membrane localization. Using a novel method to estimate GTP loading of expressed HA epitope-tagged ARF proteins in intact cells, levels of biologically active, GTP-bound ARF6 as well as GTP-bound ARF1 were elevated when these ARF proteins were co-expressed with GRP1 or the related protein cytohesin-1. GTP loading of ARF6 in both control cells and in response to GRP1 or cytohesin-1 was insensitive to brefeldin A, consistent with previous data on endogenous ARF6 exchange activity. The ability of GRP1 to catalyze GTP/GDP exchange on ARF6 was confirmed using recombinant proteins in a cell-free system. Taken together, these results suggest that phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)P(3) may be generated in cell membrane ruffles where receptor tyrosine kinases are concentrated in response to growth factors, causing recruitment of endogenous GRP1. Further, co-localization of GRP1 with ARF6, combined with its demonstrated ability to activate ARF6, suggests a physiological role for GRP1 in regulating ARF6 functions.

Phosphoinositides in membrane traffic.

Phosphoinositides serve as direct local modulators or recruiters of the protein machineries that control membrane trafficking. In the past year, examples of phosphoinositide effectors include regulators of small GTPases in coat assembly, dynamin in clathrin coated vesicle formation and FYVE finger proteins in endocytic membrane traffic. A novel phosphoinositide appears to regulate effectors involved in the formation of multivesicular endosomes.

Direct targets of phosphoinositide 3-kinase products in membrane traffic and signal transduction.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases are a family of lipid kinases that phosphorylate the 3' position of the inositol ring on phosphatidylinositol and higher-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositides. The multiplicity of cellular functions influenced by the activity of these enzymes has captured the attention of researchers working on two important fields of cell biology--signal transduction and membrane traffic. This review discusses how the recent identification of proteins that interact directly with 3'-polyphosphoinositides has revealed novel potential interconnections between these fundamental cellular processes.

Regulation of GRP1-catalyzed ADP ribosylation factor guanine nucleotide exchange by phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate.

Cellular levels of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3) are rapidly elevated in response to activation of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. This polyphosphoinositide binds the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of GRP1, a protein that also contains 200 residues with high sequence similarity to a segment of the yeast Sec7 protein that functions as an ADP ribosylation exchange factor (ARF) (Klarlund, J., Guilherme, A., Holik, J. J., Virbasius, J. V., Chawla, A., and Czech, M. P. (1997) Science 275, 1927-1930). Here we show that dioctanoyl PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 binds the PH domain of GRP1 with a Kd = 0.5 microM, an affinity 2 orders of magnitude greater than dioctanoyl-PtdIns(4,5)P2. Further, the Sec7 domain of GRP1 is found to catalyze guanine nucleotide exchange of ARF1 and -5 but not ARF6. Importantly, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, but not PtdIns(4,5)P2, markedly enhances the ARF exchange activity of GRP1 in a reaction mixture containing dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine micelles, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid, and a low concentration of sodium cholate. PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-mediated ARF nucleotide exchange through GRP1 is selectively blocked by 100 microM inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, which also binds the PH domain of GRP1. Taken together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that selective recruitment of GRP1 to PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 in membranes activates ARF1 and -5, known regulators of intracellular membrane trafficking.

Identification of an early endosomal protein regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI 3-kinases) have been implicated in membrane trafficking in the secretory and endocytic pathways of yeast and mammalian cells, but the molecular mechanisms by which these lipid kinases operate are not known. Here we identify a protein of 170 kDa that is rapidly released from cell membranes in response to wortmannin, a potent inhibitor of mammalian PI 3-kinases. The amino acid sequence of peptides from p170 reveal its identity to early endosomal antigen (EEA) 1, an endosomal antigen with homology to several yeast proteins genetically implicated in membrane trafficking. Immunofluorescence analysis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with antisera against p170/EEA1 reveal a punctate peripheral pattern that becomes diffuse in response to wortmannin. In vitro, p170/EEA1 binds specifically to liposomes containing PIns(3)P, suggesting that the effect of wortmannin on cells is due to inhibition of PIns(3)P production. Thus, p170/EEA1 may define a family of proteins that mediate the regulatory effects of 3'-phosphoinositides on membrane trafficking in yeast and mammalian cells.

Formation of c-Cbl.phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complexes on lymphocyte membranes by a p56lck-independent mechanism.

The proto-oncogene c-Cbl was originally identified as a cellular homologue of the transforming protein expressed by the murine Cas NS-1 retrovirus. The full-length c-Cbl protein is a predominantly cytoplasmic protein, abundant in lymphoid cells, and potentially involved in signal transduction in several cell types. The specific signal transduction pathways in which c-Cbl participates, and its precise role in these pathways, are unclear. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that c-Cbl is the predominant tyrosine-phosphorylated protein bound to the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase on T lymphocyte and B lymphocyte activation. To further understand the properties of c-Cbl and the significance of its interactions with PI 3-kinase, we have further studied the cellular biological and biochemical responses of c-Cbl to stimulation in lymphoid cells. We show that stimulation induces the association of a highly tyrosine-phosphorylated pool of c-Cbl with lymphocyte membranes and with a detergent-insoluble particulate fraction. Immunoprecipitation of c-Cbl from subcellular fractions reveals that p85 is predominantly associated with the c-Cbl pool recovered from the membrane fraction, despite the fact that this pool represents a small amount of total cellular c-Cbl. The formation of c-Cbl.PI 3-kinase complexes on lymphocyte membranes did not depend on the catalytic activity of PI 3-kinase since it was unaltered by the treatment of cells with wortmannin prior to stimulation. Interestingly, c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation and the formation of c-Cbl.PI 3-kinase complexes were also observed in a mutant Jurkat cell line, JCaM1.6, lacking p56(lck) expression. Because p56(lck) is critical for mitogenic signal transduction in response to T cell receptor activation, our results suggest that the activation of c-Cbl and the formation of c-Cbl.PI 3-kinase complexes occur upstream or independently of mitogenic signal transduction pathways in T cells.

Potential sites of PI-3 kinase function in the endocytic pathway revealed by the PI-3 kinase inhibitor, wortmannin.

Previously we have shown that PDGF receptor mutants that do not bind PI-3 kinase internalize after ligand binding, but fail to downregulate and degrade. To define further the role of PI-3 kinase in trafficking processes in mammalian cells, we have investigated the effects of a potent inhibitor of PI-3 kinase activity, wortmannin. At nanomolar concentrations, wortmannin inhibited both the transfer of PDGF receptors from peripheral compartments to juxtanuclear vesicles, and their subsequent degradation. In contrast, the delivery of soluble phase markers to lysosomes, assessed by the accumulation of Lucifer yellow (LY) in perinuclear vesicles after 120 min of incubation, was not blocked by wortmannin. Furthermore, wortmannin did not affect the rate of transferrin uptake, and caused only a small decrease in its rate of recycling. Thus, the effects of wortmannin on PDGFr trafficking are much more pronounced than its effects on other endocytic events. Unexpectedly, wortmannin also caused a striking effect on the morphology of endosomal compartments, marked by tubulation and enlargement of endosomes containing transferrin or LY. This effect was somewhat similar to that produced by brefeldin A, and was also blocked by pre-treatment of cells with aluminum fluoride (AlF4-). These results suggest two sites in the endocytic pathway where PI-3 kinase activity may be required: (a) to sort PDGF receptors from peripheral compartments to the lysosomal degradative pathway; and (b) to regulate the structure of endosomes containing lysosomally directed and recycling molecules. This latter function could be mediated through the activation of AlFt4-)-sensitive GTP-binding proteins downstream of PI-3 kinase.

Specific association of the beta isoform of the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase with the proto-oncogene c-cbl.

Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3 kinase) has been implicated in cellular events such as mitogenic signaling, actin organization, and receptor sorting. The p85 subunit of PI-3 kinase contains multiple domains capable of protein-protein interactions that may contribute to mediate the multiple physiological functions of this enzyme. Here, we demonstrate that antibodies raised against the p85 subunit of PI-3 kinase immunoprecipitate a single tyrosine-phosphorylated protein of 120 kDa (pp120) from lysates of activated Jurkat T cells and A20 B cells. This protein is the only significant phosphotyrosine-containing protein in p85 immunoprecipitates from these cells, and it cannot be detected in immunoprecipitates of other signaling proteins such as PLC gamma. Furthermore, antibodies specific for the beta isoform of p85 but not antibodies specific for the alpha isoform immunoprecipitate this tyrosine-phosphorylated protein. pp120 completely comigrates with the proto-oncogene c-cbl, which is a 120 kDa protein product abundant in lymphoid cells. Furthermore, immunoblots of p85 immunoprecipitates using antibodies raised against c-cbl detect a band at exactly the position of pp120. In addition, p85 can be detected in immunoblots of c-cbl immunoprecipitates. Thus, pp120 appears to correspond to c-cbl. A direct association between c-cbl and p85 can be observed in vitro using a fusion protein comprising the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of p85, and this binding is abolished by phenyl phosphate, suggesting that the interaction is mediated through phosphotyrosine-SH2 domain interactions. Thus, these results show important functional differences between the alpha and beta isoforms of p85 in vivo and point to c-cbl as a potentially important mediator of some of the functions of PI-3 kinase in intact cells.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity is required at a postendocytic step in platelet-derived growth factor receptor trafficking.

We have previously reported that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor mutants that lack high affinity binding sites for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) fail to concentrate in juxtanuclear vesicular structures after activation with PDGF. We have now identified the point in the endocytic pathway at which PI 3-kinase binding sites are required. Receptor internalization from the plasma membrane, measured as the acquisition of acid resistance of prebound 125I-PDGF, was only slightly decreased in cells expressing a PDGF receptor mutant (F5) lacking PI 3-kinase, GTPase-activating protein (GAP), phospholipase C gamma, and Syp binding sites but not expressing mutants where any of these individual sites were restored nor expressing a mutant lacking exclusively PI 3-kinase binding sites. In contrast, the extent of down-regulation of PDGF binding sites from the cell surface after prolonged incubation with PDGF as well as the degradation of [35S]methionine-labeled receptor were markedly reduced in cells expressing the F5 mutant, mutants restored in GAP, phospholipase C gamma, or Syp binding sites or expressing the mutant exclusively lacking PI 3-kinase binding sites but not in cells expressing the mutant where PI 3-kinase binding sites were restored. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase activity with wortmannin caused a dramatic decrease in the rates of down-regulation and degradation of wild-type receptors. These results suggest that PI 3-kinase binding sites are not required for internalization of PDGF receptor but are required to divert the PDGF receptor to a degradative pathway. Furthermore, the requirement for PI 3-kinase binding sites on the receptor appears to be due to a requirement for PI 3-kinase catalytic activity.