Zonula occludens-2 regulates Rho proteins activity and the development of epithelial cytoarchitecture and barrier function.

Silencing Zonula occludens 2 (ZO-2), a tight junctions (TJ) scaffold protein, in epithelial cells (MDCK ZO-2 KD) triggers: 1) Decreased cell to substratum attachment, accompanied by reduced expression of claudin-7 and integrin ß1, and increased vinculin recruitment to focal adhesions and stress fibers formation; 2) Lowered cell-cell aggregation and appearance of wider intercellular spaces; 3) Increased RhoA/ROCK activity, mediated by GEF-HI recruitment to cell borders by cingulin; 4) Increased Cdc42 activity, mitotic spindle disorientation and the appearance of cysts with multiple lumens; 5) Increased Rac and cofilin activity, multiple lamellipodia formation and random cell migration but increased wound closure; 6) Diminished cingulin phosphorylation and disappearance of planar network of microtubules at the TJ region; and 7) Increased transepithelial electrical resistance at steady state, coupled to an increased expression of ZO-1 and claudin-4 and a decreased expression of claudin-2 and paracingulin. Hence, ZO-2 is a crucial regulator of Rho proteins activity and the development of epithelial cytoarchitecture and barrier function.

Ouabain induces endocytosis and degradation of tight junction proteins through ERK1/2-dependent pathways.

In addition to being a very well-known ion pump, Na(+), K(+)-ATPase is a cell-cell adhesion molecule and the receptor of digitalis, which transduces regulatory signals for cell adhesion, growth, apoptosis, motility and differentiation. Prolonged ouabain (OUA) blockage of activity of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase leads to cell detachment from one another and from substrates. Here, we investigated the cellular mechanisms involved in tight junction (TJ) disassembly upon exposure to toxic levels of OUA (≥300 nM) in epithelial renal canine cells (MDCK). OUA induces a progressive decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER); inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, PD153035), cSrc (SU6656 and PP2) and ERK1/2 kinases (PD98059) delay this decrease. We have determined that the TER decrease depends upon internalization and degradation of the TJs proteins claudin (CLDN) 2, CLDN-4, occludin (OCLN) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1). OUA-induced degradation of proteins is either sensitive (CLDN-4, OCLN and ZO-1) or insensitive (CLDN-2) to ERK1/2 inhibition. In agreement with the protein degradation findings, OUA decreases the cellular content of ZO-1 and CLDN-2 mRNAs but surprisingly, increases the mRNA of CLDN-4 and OCLN. Changes in the mRNA levels are sensitive (CLDN-4, OCLN and ZO-1) or insensitive (CLDN-2) to ERK1/2 inhibition as well. Thus, toxic levels of OUA activate the EGFR-cSrc-ERK1/2 pathway to induce endocytosis, internalization and degradation of TJ proteins. We also observed decreases in the levels of CLDN-2 protein and mRNA, which were independent of the EGFR-cSrc-ERK1/2 pathway.

Ouabain modulates epithelial cell tight junction.

Epithelial cells treated with high concentrations of ouabain (e.g., 1 microM) retrieve molecules involved in cell contacts from the plasma membrane and detach from one another and their substrates. On the basis of this observation, we suggested that ouabain might also modulate cell contacts at low, nontoxic levels (10 or 50 nM). To test this possibility, we analyzed its effect on a particular type of cell-cell contact: the tight junction (TJ). We demonstrate that at concentrations that neither inhibit K(+) pumping nor disturb the K(+) balance of the cell, ouabain modulates the degree of sealing of the TJ as measured by transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and the flux of neutral 3 kDa dextran (J(DEX)). This modulation is accompanied by changes in the levels and distribution patterns of claudins 1, 2, and 4. Interestingly, changes in TER, J(DEX), and claudins behavior are mediated through signal pathways containing ERK1/2 and c-Src, which have distinct effects on each physiological parameter and claudin type. These observations support the theory that at low concentrations, ouabain acts as a modulator of cell-cell contacts.

In Vivo Analysis of Pathways Regulating Epithelial Polarity and Secretion Using Drosophila Salivary Glands.

The experimental versatility of the fruit fly has helped to uncover the molecular basis of epithelial cell polarity. In this chapter, we provide protocols to dissect Drosophila larval salivary glands (SGs) for ex vivo culture and live imaging, and for fixing and immunostaining for analysis by fluorescence microscopy. We describe how to combine these approaches with genetic and pharmacological assays. These techniques can be applied to study signaling pathways regulating epithelial cell polarity, membrane trafficking, gland secretion, and their impacts on animal feeding behavior.

Tight junction and polarity interaction in the transporting epithelial phenotype.

Development of tight junctions and cell polarity in epithelial cells requires a complex cellular machinery to execute an internal program in response to ambient cues. Tight junctions, a product of this machinery, can act as gates of the paracellular pathway, fences that keep the identity of plasma membrane domains, bridges that communicate neighboring cells. The polarization internal program and machinery are conserved in yeast, worms, flies and mammals, and in cell types as different as epithelia, neurons and lymphocytes. Polarization and tight junctions are dynamic features that change during development, in response to physiological and pharmacological challenges and in pathological situations like infection.

Rabs on the fly: Functions of Rab GTPases during development.

The organization of intracellular transport processes is adapted specifically to different cell types, developmental stages, and physiologic requirements. Some protein traffic routes are universal to all cells and constitutively active, while other routes are cell-type specific, transient, and induced under particular conditions only. Small GTPases of the Rab (Ras related in brain) subfamily are conserved across eukaryotes and regulate most intracellular transit pathways. The complete sets of Rab proteins have been identified in model organisms, and molecular principles underlying Rab functions have been uncovered. Rabs provide intracellular landmarks that define intracellular transport sequences. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to systematically map the subcellular distribution of all Rabs and their functional interrelations. This task requires novel tools to precisely describe and manipulate the Rab machinery in vivo. Here we discuss recent findings about Rab roles during development and we consider novel approaches to investigate Rab functions in vivo.

Crumbs organizes the transport machinery by regulating apical levels of PI(4,5)P2 in Drosophila.

An efficient vectorial intracellular transport machinery depends on a well-established apico-basal polarity and is a prerequisite for the function of secretory epithelia. Despite extensive knowledge on individual trafficking pathways, little is known about the mechanisms coordinating their temporal and spatial regulation. Here, we report that the polarity protein Crumbs is essential for apical plasma membrane phospholipid-homeostasis and efficient apical secretion. Through recruiting ßHeavy-Spectrin and MyosinV to the apical membrane, Crumbs maintains the Rab6-, Rab11- and Rab30-dependent trafficking and regulates the lipid phosphatases Pten and Ocrl. Crumbs knock-down results in increased apical levels of PI(4,5)P2 and formation of a novel, Moesin- and PI(4,5)P2-enriched apical membrane sac containing microvilli-like structures. Our results identify Crumbs as an essential hub required to maintain the organization of the apical membrane and the physiological activity of the larval salivary gland.

Giardipain-1, a protease secreted by Giardia duodenalis trophozoites, causes junctional, barrier and apoptotic damage in epithelial cell monolayers.

The adhesion of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites to intestinal epithelial cells allows the onset and maintenance of giardiasis. During these interactions, epithelial cells can be committed to apoptosis by enzymes secreted by the parasites, including cysteine proteases that are increasingly identified as virulence factors in parasitic protozoa. In this work, a monoclonal antibody (mAb1G3) raised against G. duodenalis surface components was found to react with a 25 kDa protein expressed in the cell surface and flagella of G. duodenalis trophozoites. When trophozoites expressing this protein were cultured with IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cell monolayers, a dynamic release of this protein was observed with mAbIG3. Proteomic analysis identified the protein as a mature cathepsin B-like (gCatB) enzyme, whose proteolytic activity, detected in zymograms, was eliminated by CatB inhibitor E-64. This protein was named giardipain-1 due to its functional papain-like features and was purified by affinity chromatography using mAbIG3. Upon exposure to the purified, mature and secreted forms of giardipain-1, IEC-6 epithelial cell monolayers displayed membrane blebbing and phosphatidylserine exposure on the outer cell surface, indicating an apoptotic process. In Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell monolayers, giardipain-1 leads to the appearance of pore-like regions and of gaps along cell-cell junctions, to decreased transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), caspase-3 activation and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) fragmentation. At early times during exposure, giardipain-1 co-localized at cell-cell junctions, associated with occludin and induced the delocalization and degradation of tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-1. The damage caused to epithelial monolayers by giardipain-1 was blocked by pre-incubation with the CatB B Inhibitor E-64. Furthermore, silencing the giardipain-1 gene in trophozoites lowered the proteolytic activity of giardipain-1 and reduced the damage in IEC-6 monolayers. The damage observed appears to be specific to giardipain activity since almost no damage was observed when IEC-6 monolayers were incubated with papain, a non-related cysteine protease. Hence this study suggests that giardipain-1 triggers, in epithelial cells, degradation of cell-cell junctional components and apoptotic damage, supporting the notion of giardiapain-1 as a virulence factor of Giardia.

New diseases derived or associated with the tight junction.

The space between neighboring epithelial cells is sealed by the tight junction (TJ). When this seal is leaky, such as in the proximal tubule of the kidney or the gallbladder, substances may cross the epithelium between the cells (paracellular pathway). Yet, when TJs are really hermetic, as is the case in the epithelium of the urinary bladder or the colon, substances can mainly cross the epithelium through the transcellular pathway. The structure of the TJ involves (so far) some 50-odd protein species. Failure of any of these components causes a variety of diseases, some of them so serious that fetuses are not viable. A fast-growing number of diseases are recognized to depend or involve alterations in the TJ. These include autoimmune diseases, in which intestinal TJs allow the passage of antigens from the intestinal flora, challenging the immune system to produce antibodies that may cross react with proteins in the brain, thyroid gland or pancreas. TJs are also involved in cancer development, infections, allergies, etc. The present article does not catalogue all TJ diseases known so far, but describes one of each type as illustration. It also depicts the efforts being made to find pharmaceutical agents that would seal faulty TJs or release their grip to allow for the passage of large molecules through the upper respiratory and digestive tracts, such as insulin, thyroid, appetite-regulatory peptide, etc.

Dynamics of epithelial cell polarity in Drosophila: how to regulate the regulators?

Apico-basal polarity is a hallmark of epithelial tissues. The integrated activity of several evolutionarily conserved protein complexes is essential to control epithelial polarity during development and homeostasis. Many components of these protein complexes were originally identified in genetic screens performed in Drosophila or Caenorhabditis elegans due to defects in cell polarity. With time, it became obvious that these protein complexes not only control various aspects of apico-basal polarity, but also perform a plethora of other functions, such as growth control, organization of endocytic activity, regulation of signaling and asymmetric cell division, to mention just a few. Here we summarize some results mostly obtained from studies in Drosophila to elucidate how variation in protein composition and modification of individual components contribute to make polarity complexes versatile platforms to fulfill a variety of functions.

Crumbs is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-cell adhesion during dorsal closure in Drosophila.

The evolutionarily conserved Crumbs protein is required for epithelial polarity and morphogenesis. Here we identify a novel role of Crumbs as a negative regulator of actomyosin dynamics during dorsal closure in the Drosophila embryo. Embryos carrying a mutation in the FERM (protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin) domain-binding motif of Crumbs die due to an overactive actomyosin network associated with disrupted adherens junctions. This phenotype is restricted to the amnioserosa and does not affect other embryonic epithelia. This function of Crumbs requires DMoesin, the Rho1-GTPase, class-I p21-activated kinases and the Arp2/3 complex. Data presented here point to a critical role of Crumbs in regulating actomyosin dynamics, cell junctions and morphogenesis.

Ménage a Trois to Form the Tricellular Junction.

Tricellular junctions tightly seal epithelia at the corners of three cells. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Byri et al. (2015) show that Anakonda, a novel Drosophila transmembrane protein, contains an unusual tripartite extracellular domain organization, which explains the tripartite septum filling the tricellular junction, previously revealed by ultrastructure analysis.

Fosmid-based structure-function analysis reveals functionally distinct domains in the cytoplasmic domain of Drosophila crumbs.

The evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein Crumbs is required for epithelial polarity and morphogenesis in the embryo, control of tissue size in imaginal discs and morphogenesis of photoreceptor cells, and prevents light-dependent retinal degeneration. The small cytoplasmic domain contains two highly conserved regions, a FERM (i.e., protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin)-binding and a PDZ (i.e., postsynaptic density/discs large/ZO-1)-binding domain. Using a fosmid-based transgenomic approach, we analyzed the role of the two domains during invagination of the tracheae and the salivary glands in the Drosophila embryo. We provide data to show that the PDZ-binding domain is essential for the maintenance of cell polarity in both tissues. In contrast, in embryos expressing a Crumbs protein with an exchange of a conserved Tyrosine residue in the FERM-binding domain to an Alanine, both tissues are internalized, despite some initial defects in apical constriction, phospho-Moesin recruitment, and coordinated invagination movements. However, at later stages these embryos fail to undergo dorsal closure, germ band retraction, and head involution. In addition, frequent defects in tracheal fusion were observed. These results suggest stage and/or tissue specific binding partners. We discuss the power of this fosmid-based system for detailed structure-function analyses in comparison to the UAS/Gal4 system.

The polarized distribution of Na+,K+-ATPase: role of the interaction between {beta} subunits.

The very existence of higher metazoans depends on the vectorial transport of substances across epithelia. A crucial element of this transport is the membrane enzyme Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. Not only is this enzyme distributed in a polarized manner in a restricted domain of the plasma membrane but also it creates the ionic gradients that drive the net movement of glucose, amino acids, and ions across the entire epithelium. In a previous work, we have shown that Na(+),K(+)-ATPase polarity depends on interactions between the beta subunits of Na(+),K(+)-ATPases located on neighboring cells and that these interactions anchor the entire enzyme at the borders of the intercellular space. In the present study, we used fluorescence resonance energy transfer and coprecipitation methods to demonstrate that these beta subunits have sufficient proximity and affinity to permit a direct interaction, without requiring any additional extracellular molecules to span the distance.