EphA2 Affects Development of the Eye Lens Nucleus and the Gradient of Refractive Index.

Purpose: Our studies in mouse eye lenses demonstrate that ephrin-A5 and EphA2 are needed for normal epithelial cells and lens transparency. We sought to determine whether EphA2 and ephrin-A5 are important for lens morphometrics, nucleus formation, and refractive index. Methods: We performed tissue morphometric measurements, electron microscopy, Western blots, and interferometric measurements using an X-ray synchrotron beam source to measure the gradient of refractive index (GRIN) to compare mouse lenses with genetic disruption of EphA2 or ephrin-A5. Results: Morphometric analysis revealed that although there is no change in the overall lens volume, there is a change in lens shape in both EphA2-/- lenses and ephrin-A5-/- lenses. Surprisingly, EphA2-/- lenses had small and soft lens nuclei different from hard lens nuclei of control lenses. SEM images revealed changes in cell morphology of EphA2-/- fiber cells close to the center of the lens. Inner EphA2-/- lens fibers had more pronounced tongue-and-groove interdigitations and formed globular membrane morphology only in the deepest layers of the lens nucleus. We did not observe nuclear defects in ephrin-A5-/- lenses. There was an overall decrease in magnitude of refractive index across EphA2-/- lenses, which is most pronounced in the nucleus. Conclusions: This work reveals that Eph-ephrin signaling plays a role in fiber cell maturation, nuclear compaction, and lens shape. Loss of EphA2 disrupts the nuclear compaction resulting in a small lens nucleus. Our data suggest that Eph-ephrin signaling may be required for fiber cell membrane reorganization and compaction and for establishing a normal GRIN.

Role of the EF-hand and coiled-coil domains of human Rab44 in localisation and organelle formation.

Rab44 is a large Rab GTPase that contains an amino-terminal EF-hand domain, a coiled-coil domain, and a carboxyl-terminal Rab GTPase domain. However, the roles of the EF-hand and coiled-coil domains remain unclear. Here, we constructed various deletion and point mutants of human Rab44. When overexpressed in HeLa cells, the wild-type Rab44 (hWT) formed ring-like structures, and partially localised to lysosomes. The dominant negative mutant, hT847N, localised to lysosomes and the cytosol, while the constitutively active mutant, hQ892L, formed ring-like structures, and partially localised to the plasma membrane and nuclei. The hΔEF, hΔcoil, and h826-1021 mutants also formed ring-like structures; however, their localisation patterns differed from hWT. Analysis of live imaging with LysoTracker revealed that the size of LysoTracker-positive vesicles was altered by all other mutations than the hC1019A and hΔEF. Treatment with ionomycin, a Ca2+ ionophore, induced the translocation of hWT and hΔcoil into the plasma membrane and cytosol, but had no effect on the localisation of the hΔEF and h826-1021 mutants. Thus, the EF- hand domain is likely required for the partial translocation of Rab44 to the plasma membrane and cytosol following transient Ca2+ influx, and the coiled-coil domain appears to be important for localisation and organelle formation.

Who and how in the regulation of mitochondrial cristae shape and function.

Mitochondrial adaptation to different physiological conditions highly relies on the regulation of mitochondrial ultrastructure, particularly at the level of cristae compartment. Cristae represent the membrane hub where most of the respiratory complexes embed to account for OXPHOS and energy production in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Changes in cristae number and shape define the respiratory capacity as well as cell viability. The identification of key regulators of cristae morphology and the understanding of their contribution to the mitochondrial ultrastructure and function have become an strategic goal to understand mitochondrial disorders and to exploit as therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the known regulators of cristae ultrastructure and discusses their contribution and implications for mitochondrial dysfunction.

Modelling biochemical features of mitochondrial neuropathology.

BACKGROUND: The neuropathology of mitochondrial disease is well characterised. However, pathophysiological mechanisms at the level of biochemistry and cell biology are less clear. Progress in this area has been hampered by the limited accessibility of neurologically relevant material for analysis. SCOPE OF REVIEW: Here we discuss the recent development of a variety of model systems that have greatly extended our capacity to understand the biochemical features associated with mitochondrial neuropathology. These include animal and cell based models, with mutations in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA encoded genes, which aim to recapitulate the neuropathology and cellular biochemistry of mitochondrial diseases. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of neurological tissue and cells from these models suggests that although there is no unifying mode of pathogenesis, dysfunction of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system is often central. This can be associated with altered reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and inadequate ATP synthesis. Thus, other cellular processes such as calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis, cellular signaling and mitochondrial morphology could be altered, ultimately compromising viability of neuronal cells. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction in mitochondrial disease are only just beginning to be characterised, are system dependent and complex, and not merely driven by energy deficiency. The diversity of pathogenic mechanisms emphasises the need for characterisation in a wide range of models, as different therapeutic strategies are likely to be needed for different diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Frontiers of Mitochondrial Research.

Modeling and simulation of biological systems from image data.

This essay provides an introduction to the terminology, concepts, methods, and challenges of image-based modeling in biology. Image-based modeling and simulation aims at using systematic, quantitative image data to build predictive models of biological systems that can be simulated with a computer. This allows one to disentangle molecular mechanisms from effects of shape and geometry. Questions like "what is the functional role of shape" or "how are biological shapes generated and regulated" can be addressed in the framework of image-based systems biology. The combination of image quantification, model building, and computer simulation is illustrated here using the example of diffusion in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Cancer biology and the nuclear envelope: a convoluted relationship.

Although its properties have long been used for both typing and prognosis of various tumors, the nuclear envelope (NE) itself and its potential roles in tumorigenesis are only beginning to be understood. Historically viewed as merely a protective barrier, the nuclear envelope is now linked to a wide range of functions. Nuclear membrane proteins connect the nucleus to the cytoskeleton on one side and to chromatin on the other. Several newly identified nuclear envelope functions associated with these connections intersect with cancer pathways. For example, the nuclear envelope could affect genome stability by tethering chromatin. Some nuclear envelope proteins affect cell cycle regulation by directly binding to the master regulator pRb, others by interacting with TGF-ß and Smad signaling cascades, and others by affecting the mitotic spindle. Finally, the NE directly affects cytoskeletal organization and can also influence cell migration in metastasis. In this review we discuss the link between the nuclear envelope and cellular defects that are common in cancer cells, and we show that NE proteins are often aberrantly expressed in tumors. The NE represents a potential reservoir of diagnostic and prognostic markers in cancer.

Mitochondrial morphology in mitophagy and macroautophagy.

Mitochondria are critical organelles in energy conversion, metabolism and amplification of signalling. They are however also major sources of reactive oxygen species and when dysfunctional they consume cytosolic ATP. Maintenance of a cohort of healthy mitochondria is therefore crucial for the overall cell fitness. Superfluous or damaged organelles are mainly degraded by mitophagy, a selective process of autophagy. In response to the triggers of mitophagy, mitochondria fragment: this morphological change accompanies the exposure of "eat-me" signals, resulting in the engulfment of the organelle by the autophagosomes. Conversely, during macroautophagy mitochondria fuse to be spared from degradation and to sustain ATP production in times of limited nutrient availability. Thus, mitochondrial shape defines different types of autophagy, highlighting the interplay between morphology of the organelle and complex cellular responses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial dynamics and physiology.

The budding yeast nuclear envelope adjacent to the nucleolus serves as a membrane sink during mitotic delay.

The mechanisms that dictate nuclear shape are largely unknown. Here we screened the budding yeast deletion collection for mutants with abnormal nuclear shape. A common phenotype was the appearance of a nuclear extension, particularly in mutants in DNA repair and chromosome segregation genes. Our data suggest that these mutations led to the abnormal nuclear morphology indirectly, by causing a checkpoint-induced cell-cycle delay. Indeed, delaying cells in mitosis by other means also led to the appearance of nuclear extensions, whereas inactivating the DNA damage checkpoint pathway in a DNA repair mutant reduced the fraction of cells with nuclear extensions. Formation of a nuclear extension was specific to a mitotic delay, because cells arrested in S or G2 had round nuclei. Moreover, the nuclear extension always coincided with the nucleolus, while the morphology of the DNA mass remained largely unchanged. Finally, we found that phospholipid synthesis continued unperturbed when cells delayed in mitosis, and inhibiting phospholipid synthesis abolished the formation of nuclear extensions. Our data suggest a mechanism that promotes nuclear envelope expansion during mitosis. When mitotic progression is delayed, cells sequester the added membrane to the nuclear envelope associated with the nucleolus, possibly to avoid disruption of intranuclear organization.

Nuclear geometry: mitotic nucleus flares out when arrested.

Studies of budding yeast arrested in mitosis outline a set of rules for nuclear envelope expansion during closed nuclear division.

Curvature of double-membrane organelles generated by changes in membrane size and composition.

Transient double-membrane organelles are key players in cellular processes such as autophagy, reproduction, and viral infection. These organelles are formed by the bending and closure of flat, double-membrane sheets. Proteins are believed to be important in these morphological transitions but the underlying mechanism of curvature generation is poorly understood. Here, we describe a novel mechanism for this curvature generation which depends primarily on three membrane properties: the lateral size of the double-membrane sheets, the molecular composition of their highly curved rims, and a possible asymmetry between the two flat faces of the sheets. This mechanism is evolutionary advantageous since it does not require active processes and is readily available even when resources within the cell are restricted as during starvation, which can induce autophagy and sporulation. We identify pathways for protein-assisted regulation of curvature generation, organelle size, direction of bending, and morphology. Our theory also provides a mechanism for the stabilization of large double-membrane sheet-like structures found in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the Golgi cisternae.

Curvature recognition and force generation in phagocytosis.

BACKGROUND: The uptake of particles by actin-powered invagination of the plasma membrane is common to protozoa and to phagocytes involved in the immune response of higher organisms. The question addressed here is how a phagocyte may use geometric cues to optimize force generation for the uptake of a particle. We survey mechanisms that enable a phagocyte to remodel actin organization in response to particles of complex shape. RESULTS: Using particles that consist of two lobes separated by a neck, we found that Dictyostelium cells transmit signals concerning the curvature of a surface to the actin system underlying the plasma membrane. Force applied to a concave region can divide a particle in two, allowing engulfment of the portion first encountered. The phagosome membrane that is bent around the concave region is marked by a protein containing an inverse Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (I-BAR) domain in combination with an Src homology (SH3) domain, similar to mammalian insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate p53. Regulatory proteins enable the phagocyte to switch activities within seconds in response to particle shape. Ras, an inducer of actin polymerization, is activated along the cup surface. Coronin, which limits the lifetime of actin structures, is reversibly recruited to the cup, reflecting a program of actin depolymerization. The various forms of myosin-I are candidate motor proteins for force generation in particle uptake, whereas myosin-II is engaged only in retracting a phagocytic cup after a switch to particle release. Thus, the constriction of a phagocytic cup differs from the contraction of a cleavage furrow in mitosis. CONCLUSIONS: Phagocytes scan a particle surface for convex and concave regions. By modulating the spatiotemporal pattern of actin organization, they are capable of switching between different modes of interaction with a particle, either arresting at a concave region and applying force in an attempt to sever the particle there, or extending the cup along the particle surface to identify the very end of the object to be ingested. Our data illustrate the flexibility of regulatory mechanisms that are at the phagocyte's disposal in exploring an environment of irregular geometry.

The sodium/proton exchanger NHE8 regulates late endosomal morphology and function.

The pH and lumenal environment of intracellular organelles is considered essential for protein sorting and trafficking through the cell. We provide the first evidence that a mammalian NHE sodium (potassium)/proton exchanger, NHE8, plays a key role in the control of protein trafficking and endosome morphology. At steady state, the majority of epitope-tagged NHE8 was found in the trans-Golgi network of HeLa M-cells, but a proportion was also localized to multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Depletion of NHE8 in HeLa M-cells with siRNA resulted in the perturbation of MVB protein sorting, as shown by an increase in epidermal growth factor degradation. Additionally, NHE8-depleted cells displayed striking perinuclear clustering of endosomes and lysosomes, and there was a ninefold increase in the cellular volume taken up by LAMP1/LBPA-positive, dense MVBs. Our data points to a role for the ion exchange activity of NHE8 being required to maintain endosome morphology, as overexpression of a nonfunctional point mutant protein (NHE8 E225Q) resulted in phenotypes similar to those seen after siRNA depletion of endogenous NHE8. Interestingly, we found that depletion of NHE8, despite its function as a sodium (potassium)/proton antiporter, did not affect the overall pH inside dense MVBs.

Modulation of mitochondrial function and morphology by interaction of Omi/HtrA2 with the mitochondrial fusion factor OPA1.

Loss of Omi/HtrA2 function leads to nerve cell loss in mouse models and has been linked to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Omi/HtrA2 is a serine protease released as a pro-apoptotic factor from the mitochondrial intermembrane space into the cytosol. Under physiological conditions, Omi/HtrA2 is thought to be involved in protection against cellular stress, but the cytological and molecular mechanisms are not clear. Omi/HtrA2 deficiency caused an accumulation of reactive oxygen species and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. In Omi/HtrA2 knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts, as well as in Omi/HtrA2 silenced human HeLa cells and Drosophila S2R+ cells, we found elongated mitochondria by live cell imaging. Electron microscopy confirmed the mitochondrial morphology alterations and showed abnormal cristae structure. Examining the levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion, we found a selective up-regulation of more soluble OPA1 protein. Complementation of knockout cells with wild-type Omi/HtrA2 but not with the protease mutant [S306A]Omi/HtrA2 reversed the mitochondrial elongation phenotype and OPA1 alterations. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation showed direct interaction of Omi/HtrA2 with endogenous OPA1. Thus, we show for the first time a direct effect of loss of Omi/HtrA2 on mitochondrial morphology and demonstrate a novel role of this mitochondrial serine protease in the modulation of OPA1. Our results underscore a critical role of impaired mitochondrial dynamics in neurodegenerative disorders.

The changing shape of mitochondrial apoptosis.

Mitochondria are key organelles in conversion of energy, regulation of cellular signaling and amplification of programmed cell death. The anatomy of the organelle matches this functional versatility in complexity and is modulated by the concerted action of proteins that impinge on its fusion-fission equilibrium. A growing body of evidence implicates changes in mitochondrial shape in the progression of apoptosis and, therefore, proteins governing such changes are likely candidates for involvement in pathogenetic mechanisms in neurodegeneration and cancer. Here, we discuss the recent advancements in our knowledge about the machinery that regulates mitochondrial shape and on the role of molecular mechanisms controlling mitochondrial morphology during cell death.

Actin-ADF/cofilin rod formation in Caenorhabditis elegans muscle requires a putative F-actin binding site of ADF/cofilin at the C-terminus.

Under a number of stress or pathological conditions, actin and actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin form rod-like structures that contain abnormal bundles of actin filaments that are heavily decorated with ADF/cofilin. However, the mechanism of actin rod formation and the physiological role of actin rods are not clearly understood. Here, we report that overexpression of green fluorescent protein-fused UNC-60B, a muscle-specific ADF/cofilin isoform, in Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle induces formation of rod-like structures. The rods contained GFP-UNC-60B, actin-interacting protein 1 (AIP1), and actin, but not other major actin-associated proteins, thus resembling actin-ADF/cofilin rods found in other organisms. However, depletion or overexpression of AIP1 did not affect formation of the actin-GFP-UNC-60B rods, suggesting that AIP1 does not play a significant role in the rod assembly. Truncation of the C-terminal tail, a putative F-actin binding site, of UNC-60B abolished induction of the rod formation, strongly suggesting that stable association of UNC-60B with F-actin, which is mediated by its C-terminus, is required for inducing actin-ADF/cofilin rods. This study suggests that C. elegans can be a new model to study functions of actin-ADF/cofilin rods.

Tunneling nanotube (TNT)-like structures facilitate a constitutive, actomyosin-dependent exchange of endocytic organelles between normal rat kidney cells.

Tunneling nanotube (TNT)-like structures are intercellular membranous bridges that mediate the transfer of various cellular components including endocytic organelles. To gain further insight into the magnitude and mechanism of organelle transfer, we performed quantitative studies on the exchange of fluorescently labeled endocytic structures between normal rat kidney (NRK) cells. This revealed a linear increase in both the number of cells receiving organelles and the amount of transferred organelles per cell over time. The intercellular transfer of organelles was unidirectional, independent of extracellular diffusion, and sensitive to shearing force. In addition, during a block of endocytosis, a significant amount of transfer sustained. Fluorescence microscopy revealed TNT-like bridges between NRK cells containing F-actin but no microtubules. Depolymerization of F-actin led to the disappearance of TNT and a strong inhibition of organelle exchange. Partial ATP depletion did not affect the number of TNT but strongly reduced organelle transfer. Interestingly, the myosin II specific inhibitor S-(-)-blebbistatin strongly induced both organelle transfer and the number of TNT, while the general myosin inhibitor 2,3-butanedione monoxime induced the number of TNT but significantly inhibited transfer. Taken together, our data indicate a frequent and continuous exchange of endocytic organelles between cells via TNT by an actomyosin-dependent mechanism.