Unconventional myosins are actin-based motors with a growing number of attributed functions. Interestingly, it has been proposed that integrins are transported by unidentified myosins to facilitate cellular remodelling. Here we present an interaction between the unconventional myosin-X (Myo10) FERM (band 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin) domain and an NPXY motif within beta-integrin cytoplasmic domains. Importantly, knock-down of Myo10 by short interfering RNA impaired integrin function in cell adhesion, whereas overexpression of Myo10 stimulated the formation and elongation of filopodia in an integrin-dependent manner and relocalized integrins together with Myo10 to the tips of filopodia. This integrin relocalization and filopodia elongation did not occur with Myo10 mutants deficient in integrin binding or with a beta(1)-integrin point mutant deficient in Myo10 binding. Taken together, these results indicate that Myo10-mediated relocalization of integrins might serve to form adhesive structures and thereby promote filopodial extension.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is a metallophosphoesterase participating in osteoclast-mediated bone turnover. Activation of TRAP is associated with the redox state of the di-iron metal center as well as with limited proteolytic cleavage in an exposed loop domain. The cysteine proteinases cathepsin B, L, K, and S as well as the matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9, -13, and -14 are expressed by osteoclasts and/or other bone cells and have been implicated in the turnover of bone and cartilage. To identify proteases that could act as activators of TRAP in bone, we report here that cathepsins K and L, in contrast to the matrix metalloproteinases, efficiently cleaved and activated recombinant TRAP in vitro. Activation of TRAP by cathepsin K/L was because of increases in catalytic activity, substrate affinity, and sensitivity to reductants. Processing by cathepsin K occurred sequentially by an initial excision of the loop peptide Gly Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), 1 also known as type 5 acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) or uteroferrin, belongs to the purple acid phosphatase (PAP) subfamily of the non-heme dinuclear metallophosphatases (1-3). The metals of the catalytic center of all PAPs consist of a common ferric ion and a divalent metal cation in an active enzyme, where mammalian PAPs characteristically contain a redox-active iron in the M(II) site (4 -6).The TRAP enzyme is abundantly expressed by bone-resorbing cells, osteoclasts, and certain subpopulations of monocytes/ macrophages and dendritic cells (7-10). The precise role of osteoclastic TRAP is not fully understood, but studies on TRAP knock-out mice showed disturbed endochondral ossification with decreased resorptive activity of osteoclasts (11, 12), whereas overexpression of TRAP was associated with increased bone turnover (10). Different functions have been suggested for TRAP, e.g. as an osteopontin phosphatase (13-15), generation of reactive oxygen species (16 -19), iron transport (20 -24), and as a growth/differentiation factor for hematopoietic (25) and osteoblastic (26) cells.Mammalian PAPs are synthesized as 35-37-kDa monomers but are commonly isolated from tissues as proteolytically cleaved two-subunit forms consisting of a 23-kDa N-terminal domain disulfide-linked to a 16-kDa C-terminal domain. The monomeric form exhibits properties of a proenzyme with low phosphatase activity that is converted to a high activity, twosubunit form upon proteolytic cleavage in the intervening loop domain with either serine proteases, e.g. trypsin or chymotrypsin (27), or members of the cathepsin family (28,29). Mutagenesis studies suggested that proteolysis removes or alters repressive interactions between loop amino acids and active site residues because replacement of Asp 146 of the exposed loop domain with Ala resulted in activation of unproteolyzed TRAP (30).Several lines of evidence indicate a role for cathepsin K in bone resorption. Cathepsin K is highly expressed in osteoclasts near the ruffled border membrane and has been shown to participate i...

TRACP is synthesized as a latent proenzyme requiring proteolytic processing to attain maximal phosphatase activity. Excision of an exposed loop domain abolishes the interaction between the loop residue Asp146 and a ligand to the redox-sensitive iron of the active site, most likely Asn91, providing a mechanism for the enzyme repression. Both cathepsin K and L efficiently cleave in the loop domain and activate the latent enzyme, and we propose that cathepsin K acts as a physiological activator of TRACP in osteoclasts, whereas cathepsin L might fulfill a similar role in different types of macrophages. Considering the rather broad substrate specificity of TRACP, a tight regulation of its activity in the cell appears warranted. Besides proteolytic cleavage, the enzyme should need a specific local environment with a slightly acidic pH and reducing equivalents to keep the enzyme fully active. Cellular subcompartments where these required conditions prevail are potential subcellular site ( M AMMALIAN TARTRATE-RESISTANT purple acid phosphatase (TRACP/PAP) is an iron-containing, cationic glycoprotein with a molecular weight of around 35 kDa. Although the enzyme is translated as a single polypeptide, the protein isolated from different tissues commonly exist as a disulfide-linked two-subunit structure with an N-terminal fragment of 20 -23 kDa joined to the 16-to 17-kDa C-terminal part.(1) It now appears clear that the two-subunit form is generated by proteolytic excision of a loop domain protruding between helix 5 and 6 at the surface of the molecule, and that its removal leads to a significant increase in the enzymatic activity of the molecule at pH Ͼ5. Besides serine proteases (e.g., trypsin and chymotrypsin), several cysteine proteinases of the cathepsin family have been shown to cleave in the loop region, with the latter proteases leading to markedly higher enzyme activation. (3,4) We have focused our interest on the cysteine proteinases as potential physiological regulators of TRACP enzyme activation in osteoclasts and macrophages, primarily because members of this family have been implicated in resorption of bone as well as in lysosomal protein degradation. Interestingly, both cathepsin K and L are highly efficient activators of the latent monomeric TRACP in vitro.(5,6) Cathepsins B, H, and S were much less effective, and MMP 2 and 9 were completely ineffective.(5) Of the two cathepsins, only cathepsin K is expressed to a significant extent in osteoclasts, while cathepsin L predominate in other types of macrophages.(7) That cathepsin K is involved in processing of TRACP in bone was shown by use of cathepsin K knockout mice, where an increased content of monomeric TRACP was recovered from their bones.(5) Thus, members of the cathepsin family can process TRACP to a more active enzyme, and we propose that cathepsin K fulfills this role in osteoclasts while in other TRACP expressing cells of the macrophage lineage cleavage can be accomplished by cathepsin L.

BackgroundObesity is associated with macrophage infiltration of adipose tissue, which may link adipose inflammation to insulin resistance. However, the impact of inflammatory cells in the pathophysiology of obesity remains unclear. Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is an enzyme expressed by subsets of macrophages and osteoclasts that exists either as an enzymatically inactive monomer or as an active, proteolytically processed dimer.Principal FindingsUsing mice over expressing TRAP, we show that over-expression of monomeric, but not the dimeric form in adipose tissue leads to early onset spontaneous hyperplastic obesity i.e. many small fat cells. In vitro, recombinant monomeric, but not proteolytically processed TRAP induced proliferation and differentiation of mouse and human adipocyte precursor cells. In humans, monomeric TRAP was highly expressed in the adipose tissue of obese individuals. In both the mouse model and in the obese humans the source of TRAP in adipose tissue was macrophages. In addition, the obese TRAP over expressing mice exhibited signs of a low-grade inflammatory reaction in adipose tissue without evidence of abnormal adipocyte lipolysis, lipogenesis or insulin sensitivity.ConclusionMonomeric TRAP, most likely secreted from adipose tissue macrophages, induces hyperplastic obesity with normal adipocyte lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity.