No abstract

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is cytoplasmic and structurally related to guanine-nucleotide free chaperones. TCTP (also called histamine-releasing factor) has been described previously as a secreted protein that participates in inflammatory responses by promoting the release of histamine. How TCTP is eventually exported out of the cell to promote such activities is unknown. Here we show that TCTP secretion was insensitive to either brefeldin A or monensin, suggesting that it proceeds via an endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi-independent or nonclassical pathway. Moreover, our analyses also suggest that secreted TCTP originates from pre-existing pools. TSAP6, a p53-inducible 5-6 transmembrane protein, was found to interact with TCTP in a yeast two-hybrid hunt. GST pull down assays confirmed their direct interaction, and immunofluorescence analysis revealed their partial co-distribution to vesicular-like structures at the plasma membrane and around the nucleus. Functionally, the overexpression of TSAP6 consistently leads to enhanced secretion of both endogenously and exogenously expressed TCTP. Finally, we found TCTP in preparations of small secreted vesicles called exosomes, which have been suggested as a possible pathway for nonclassical secretion. Overexpression of TSAP6 also increased TCTP levels in exosome preparations. Altogether, these data identify a novel role for TSAP6 in the export of TCTP and indicate that this multipass membrane protein could have a general role in the regulation of vesicular trafficking and secretion.

Recently, we demonstrated that the expression levels of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) were strongly down-regulated at the mRNA and protein levels during tumor reversion͞suppression and by the activation of p53 and Siah-1. To better characterize the function of TCTP, a yeast two-hybrid hunt was performed. Subsequent analysis identified the translation elongation factor, eEF1A, and its guanine nucleotide exchange factor, eEF1B␤, as TCTP-interacting partners. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that TCTP bound specifically eEF1B␤ and eEF1A. Additionally, MS analysis also identified eEF1A as a TCTP interactor. Because eEF1A is a GTPase, we investigated the role of TCTP on the nucleotide exchange reaction of eEF1A. Our results show that TCTP preferentially stabilized the GDP form of eEF1A, and, furthermore, impaired the GDP exchange reaction promoted by eEF1B␤. These data suggest that TCTP has guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor activity, and, moreover, implicate TCTP in the elongation step of protein synthesis.

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis by controlling cell-cycle progression and apoptosis. We have previously described a transcript designated tumor suppressor activated pathway-6 (TSAP6) that is up-regulated in the p53-inducible cell line, LTR6. Cloning of the murine and human fulllength TSAP6 cDNA revealed that it encodes a 488-aa protein with five to six transmembrane domains. This gene is the murine and human homologue of the recently published rat pHyde. Antibodies raised against murine and human TSAP6 recognize a 50-to 55-kDa band induced by p53. Analysis of the TSAP6 promoter identified a functional p53-responsive element. Functional studies demonstrated that TSAP6 antisense cDNA diminished levels of the 50-to 55-kDa protein and decreased significantly the levels of p53-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TSAP6 small interfering RNA inhibited apoptosis in TSAP6-overexpressing cells. Yeast two-hybrid analysis followed by GST͞in vitro-transcribed͞translated pulldown assays and in vivo coimmunoprecipitations revealed that TSAP6 associated with Nix, a proapoptotic Bcl-2-related protein and the Myt1 kinase, a negative regulator of the G 2͞M transition. Moreover, TSAP6 enhanced the susceptibility of cells to apoptosis and cooperated with Nix to exacerbate this effect. Cell-cycle studies indicated that TSAP6 could augment Myt1 activity. Overall, these data suggest that TSAP6 may act downstream to p53 to interface apoptosis and cell-cycle progression.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Although the pathogenesis of AD is unknown, it is widely accepted that AD is caused by extracellular accumulation of a neurotoxic peptide, known as A␤. Mutations in the ␤-amyloid precursor protein (APP), from which A␤ arises by proteolysis, are associated with some forms of familial AD (FAD) and result in increased A␤ production. Two other FAD genes, presenilin-1 and -2, have also been shown to regulate A␤ production; however, studies examining the biological role of these FAD genes suggest an alternative theory for the pathogenesis of AD. In fact, all three genes have been shown to regulate programmed cell death, hinting at the possibility that dysregulation of apoptosis plays a primary role in causing neuronal loss in AD. In an attempt to reconcile these two hypotheses, we investigated APP processing during apoptosis and found that APP is processed by the cell death proteases caspase-6 and -8. APP is cleaved by caspases in the intracellular portion of the protein, in a site distinct from those processed by secretases. Moreover, it represents a general effect of apoptosis, because it occurs during cell death induced by several stimuli both in T cells and in neuronal cells.Alzheimer's disease (AD), 1 a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of later life, is characterized by deposition of ␤-amyloid plaques, accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal cell loss (1). It is widely believed that this disease is caused by the extracellular accumulation of the aggregated amyloidogenic form of A␤ peptide (A␤1-42). This peptide arises from the processing of ␤-amyloid precursor protein (APP) by still unknown proteases (secretases) (2). The recent discovery of three genes linked to familial, early-onset forms of AD (FAD) has brought further support to this theory. The first to be discovered was, in fact, APP, the protein from which A␤ derives (3). Moreover, mutations in APP associated with FAD are more efficiently processed by secretases and generate increased amounts of long A␤ (4). Two other FAD genes, the highly homologous multipass membrane proteins presenilin-1 (5) and presenilin-2 (6, 7) (PS-1 and PS-2), also regulate APP processing (8). Of more importance, mutations in presenilins linked to FAD all increased processing of APP and the formation of A␤1-42 (9 -11).Recent studies focusing on the physiologic role of APP, PS-1, and PS-2 have shown that these FAD genes regulate apoptosis and also that AD-associated mutations result in enhanced proapoptotic activity of these molecules (12-18). Finally, PS-1 and PS-2 have been found to be cleaved during apoptosis by caspase-3 (19 -21), a protease whose activity is essential for neuronal apoptosis (22). Together, these data suggest an alternative model for the pathogenesis of AD according to which AD is caused by dysregulation of programmed cell death (PCD) and enhanced susceptibility of neurons to apoptotic stimuli.These two apparently contrasting theories need not be mutually excl...

The Drosophila Seven in absentia (Sina) gene product originally was described as a protein that controls cell fate decisions during eye development. Its mammalian homolog, Siah-1, recently was found to be involved in p53-dependent and -independent pathways of apoptosis and G 1 arrest. We report that Siah-1 interacts directly with and promotes the degradation of the cell fate regulator Numb. Siah-1-mediated Numb degradation leads to redistribution of endogenous cell-surface Notch to the cytoplasm and nucleus and to augmented Notch-regulated transcriptional activity. These data imply that through its ability to target Numb for degradation, Siah-1 can act as a key regulator of Numb-related activities, including Notch signaling.

Purpose Glioblastoma (GBM) inevitably recurs despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. A subpopulation of tumor cells, GBM stem cells (GSCs), has been implicated in this recurrence. The chemotherapeutic agent, etoposide is generally reserved for treating recurrent tumors, however its effectiveness is limited due to acute and cumulative toxicities to normal tissues. We investigate a novel combinatorial approach of low dose etoposide with an oncolytic HSV to enhance anti-tumor activity and limit drug toxicity. Experimental design In vitro, human GBM cell lines and GSCs were treated with etoposide alone, oHSV-G47Δ alone or the combination. Cytotoxic interactions were analyzed using the Chou-Talalay method and changes in caspase-dependent apoptosis and cell cycle were determined. In vivo, the most etoposide-resistant human GSC, BT74, was implanted intracranially and treated with either treatment alone or the combination. Analysis included effects on survival, therapy-associated adverse events and histological detection of apoptosis. Results GSCs varied in their sensitivity to etoposide by over 50-fold in vitro, while their sensitivity to G47Δ was similar. Combining G47Δ with low dose etoposide was moderately synergistic in GSCs and GBM cell lines. This combination did not enhance virus replication, but significantly increased apoptosis. In vivo, the combination of a single cycle of low dose etoposide with G47Δ significantly extended survival of mice bearing etoposide-insensitive intracranial human GSC-derived tumors. Conclusions The combination of low dose etoposide with G47Δ increases survival of mice bearing intracranial human GSC-derived tumors without adverse side effects. These results establish this as a promising combination strategy to treat resistant and recurrent GBM.

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) is an emerging paradigm in signal transduction. RIP is mediated by intramembrane-cleaving proteases (I-CliPs), which liberate biologically active nuclear or secreted domains from their membrane-tethered precursor proteins. The yeast Pcp1p/Rbd1p protein is a Rhomboid-like I-CliP that regulates mitochondrial membrane remodeling and fusion through cleavage of Mgm1p, a regulator of these essential activities. Although this ancient function is conserved in PARL (Presenilins-associated Rhomboid-like protein), the mammalian ortholog of Pcp1p/Rbd1p, the two proteins show a strong divergence at their N termini. However, the N terminus of PARL is significantly conserved among vertebrates, particularly among mammals, suggesting that this domain evolved a distinct but still unknown function. Here, we show that the cytosolic N-terminal domain of PARL is cleaved at positions 52-53 (␣-site) and 77-78 (␤-site). Whereas ␣-cleavage is constitutive and removes the mitochondrial targeting sequence, ␤-cleavage appears to be developmentally controlled and dependent on PARL I-CliP activity supplied in trans. The ␤-cleavage of PARL liberates P␤, a nuclear targeted peptide whose sequence is conserved only in mammals. Thus, in addition to its evolutionarily conserved function in regulating mitochondrial dynamics, PARL might mediate a mammalian-specific, developmentally regulated mitochondriato-nuclei signaling through regulated proteolysis of its N terminus and release of the P␤ peptide.