Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate activates a channel from smooth muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) can initiate calcium release into the cytoplasm in a variety of cells. From experiments using permeabilized cells, membrane vesicles, and patch-clamp techniques, it has been suggested that InsP3 acts by directly opening calcium channels. Here, we show that InsP3 induced openings of channels in planar lipid bilayers into which vesicles made from aortic muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were incorporated. Activation of channels by InsP3 was not observed when vesicles made from SR of cardiac or skeletal muscle were incorporated into planar lipid bilayers. The present study demonstrates for the first time unique properties of an InsP3-gated calcium channel in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from vascular smooth muscle. This InsP3-activated channel from aortic SR differs strikingly from the calcium-gated calcium channel of striated muscle SR in single-channel conductance and pharmacology.     

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate induces calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle

The sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle is a specialized form of endoplasmic reticulum that controls myoplasmic calcium concentration and, therefore, the contraction-relaxation cycle. Ultrastructural studies have shown that the sarcoplasmic reticulum is a continuous but heterogeneous membranous network composed of longitudinal tubules that surround myofibrils and terminal cisternae. These cisternae are junctionally associated, via bridging structures called 'feet', with sarcolemmal invaginations (the transverse tubules) to form the triadic junction. Following transverse tubule depolarization, a signal, transmitted along the triadic junction, triggers Ca2+ release from terminal cisternae, but the mechanism of this coupling is still unknown. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) has recently been shown to mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores, referable to endoplasmic reticulum, in a variety of cell types (see ref. 8 for review), including smooth muscle cells of the porcine coronary artery and canine cardiac muscle cells. Here we show that Ins(1,4,5)P3 releases Ca2+ from isolated, purified sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions of rabbit fast-twitch skeletal muscle, the effect being more pronounced on a fraction of terminal cisternae that contains morphologically intact feet structures; and elicits isometric force development in chemically skinned muscle fibres.     

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate mimics muscarinic response in Xenopus oocytes

The enhanced metabolism of phosphoinositides, which is associated with a wide variety of stimuli and physiological responses, has been studied intensively. Berridge and his collaborators demonstrated that the first measurable reaction following cell membrane receptor activation is a rapid hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2), and that the product of this reaction, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), could cause a release of non-mitochondrial calcium. These findings have been verified in other systems. Although the relationship between the hydrolysis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and the mobilization of intracellular calcium was clearly demonstrated, the direct link between Ins(1,4,5)P3 production and the physiological response was only implied. We have investigated the possibility that the intracellular release of Ins(1,4,5)P3 mediates the muscarinic-cholinergic response is Xenopus oocytes, and we show here that intracellularly injected Ins(1,4,5)P3 mimics the muscarinic depolarizing chloride current in Xenopus oocytes. This is the first demonstration of a direct link between phosphoinositides metabolism and a neuro-transmitter-induced physiological response.     

Putative receptor for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate similar to ryanodine receptor

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) serves as an intracellular second messenger for several neurotransmitters, hormones and growth factors by initiating calcium release from intracellular stores. A cerebellar Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor has been characterized biochemically and shown by immunocytochemistry to be present in intracellular membranes in Purkinje cells. We show that a previously described Purkinje-cell messenger RNA encodes a protein of relative molecular mass 260,000 (260 K) with the same properties as the cerebellar Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor. Its sequence is partially homologous to the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor. By immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy the protein is shown to be present in all parts of the endoplasmic reticulum, including those that extend into axon terminals and dendritic spines. Our results indicate that gated calcium release from intracellular stores in muscle and Purkinje cells uses similar calcium-channel proteins localized in analogous intracellular compartments. This implies that the intracellular calcium stores in the endoplasmic reticulum of neurons extend into presynaptic terminals and dendritic spines where they may play a direct role in regulating the efficacy of neurotransmission.     

Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis in fasting and diabetes

In the fasted state, increases in circulating glucagon promote hepatic glucose production through induction of the gluconeogenic program. Triggering of the cyclic AMP pathway increases gluconeogenic gene expression via the de-phosphorylation of the CREB co-activator CRTC2 (ref. 1). Glucagon promotes CRTC2 dephosphorylation in part through the protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated inhibition of the CRTC2 kinase SIK2. A number of Ser/Thr phosphatases seem to be capable of dephosphorylating CRTC2 (refs 2, 3), but the mechanisms by which hormonal cues regulate these enzymes remain unclear. Here we show in mice that glucagon stimulates CRTC2 dephosphorylation in hepatocytes by mobilizing intracellular calcium stores and activating the calcium/calmodulin-dependent Ser/Thr-phosphatase calcineurin (also known as PP3CA). Glucagon increased cytosolic calcium concentration through the PKA-mediated phosphorylation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP(3)Rs), which associate with CRTC2. After their activation, InsP(3)Rs enhanced gluconeogenic gene expression by promoting the calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation of CRTC2. During feeding, increases in insulin signalling reduced CRTC2 activity via the AKT-mediated inactivation of InsP(3)Rs. InsP(3)R activity was increased in diabetes, leading to upregulation of the gluconeogenic program. As hepatic downregulation of InsP(3)Rs and calcineurin improved circulating glucose levels in insulin resistance, these results demonstrate how interactions between cAMP and calcium pathways at the level of the InsP(3)R modulate hepatic glucose production under fasting conditions and in diabetes.     

Purified inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mediates calcium flux in reconstituted lipid vesicles

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), a second messenger molecule involved in actions of neurotransmitters, hormones and growth factors, releases calcium from vesicular non-mitochondrial intracellular stores. An Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding protein, purified from brain membranes, has been shown to be phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase and localized by immunohistochemical techniques to intracellular particles associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. Although the specificity of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding protein for inositol phosphates and the high affinity of the protein for Ins(1,4,5)P3 indicate that it is a physiological Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor mediating calcium release, direct evidence for this has been difficult to obtain. Also, it is unclear whether a single protein mediates both the recognition of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and calcium transport or whether these two functions involve two or more distinct proteins. In the present study we report reconstitution of the purified Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding protein into lipid vesicles. We show that Ins(1,4,5)P3 and other inositol phosphates stimulate calcium flux in the reconstituted vesicles with potencies and specificities that match the calcium releasing actions of Ins(1,4,5)P3. These results indicate that the purified Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding protein is a physiological receptor responsible for calcium release.     

A signal sequence receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane

Protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane is triggered at several stages by information contained in the signal sequence. Initially, the signal sequence of a nascent secretory protein upon emergence from the ribosome is recognized by a polypeptide of relative molecular mass 54,000 (Mr54K) which is part of the signal recognition particle (SRP). Binding of SRP may induce a site-specific elongation arrest of translation in vitro. Attachment of the arrested translation complex to the ER membrane is mediated by the SRP-receptor (docking protein) and is accompanied by displacement of the SRP from both the ribosome and the signal sequence. We have investigated the fate of the signal sequence following the disengagement of SRP and its receptor by a crosslinking approach. We report here that the signal sequence of nascent preprolactin, after its release from the SRP, interacts with a newly discovered component, a signal sequence receptor (SSR), which is an integral, glycosylated protein of the rough ER membrane (Mr approximately 35K).     

Structure of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor binding core in complex with its ligand

In a variety of cells, the Ca2+ signalling process is mediated by the endoplasmic-reticulum-membrane-associated Ca2+ release channel, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptor (InsP3R). Being ubiquitous and present in organisms ranging from humans to Caenorhabditis elegans, InsP3R has a vital role in the control of cellular and physiological processes as diverse as cell division, cell proliferation, apoptosis, fertilization, development, behaviour, memory and learning. Mouse type I InsP3R (InsP3R1), found in high abundance in cerebellar Purkinje cells, is a polypeptide with three major functionally distinct regions: the amino-terminal InsP3-binding region, the central modulatory region and the carboxy-terminal channel region. Here we present a 2.2-A crystal structure of the InsP3-binding core of mouse InsP3R1 in complex with InsP3. The asymmetric, boomerang-like structure consists of an N-terminal beta-trefoil domain and a C-terminal alpha-helical domain containing an 'armadillo repeat'-like fold. The cleft formed by the two domains exposes a cluster of arginine and lysine residues that coordinate the three phosphoryl groups of InsP3. Putative Ca2+-binding sites are identified in two separate locations within the InsP3-binding core.     

Stepwise enzymatic dephosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to inositol in liver

Many receptors for hormones, neurotransmitters and other signals cause hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) and effect a rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) liberated during PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown seems to serve as a second messenger that activates the release of Ca2+ from a nonmitochondrial intracellular compartment. As expected if it is an important intracellular messenger, Ins(1,4,5)P3 is relatively rapidly degraded, both within stimulated cells and when added to homogenates of blowfly salivary gland or to permeabilized, but not intact, hepatocytes. Here we report that the dephosphorylation reactions responsible for the conversion of Ins(1,4,5)P3 to free inositol in rat liver are catalysed by two or more enzymes, and that these reactions are distributed between the plasma membrane and cytosol. The Ins(1,4,5)P3 5-phosphatase and inositol 1-phosphate (Ins(1)P) phosphatase of liver appear similar to enzymes described previously in erythrocytes and brain.     

Topology of signal recognition particle receptor in endoplasmic reticulum membrane

The signal recognition particle (SRP) receptor is an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum which, in conjunction with SRP, ensures the correct targeting of nascent secretory proteins to this membrane system. From the complementary DNA sequence we have deduced the complete primary structure of the SRP receptor and established that its amino-terminal region is anchored in the membrane. The anchor fragment and the cytoplasmic fragment contribute jointly to a functionally important region which is highly charged and may function in nucleic acid binding.     

Identification of a ribosome receptor in the rough endoplasmic reticulum

Attachment of ribosomes to the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum is one of the crucial first steps in the transport and secretion of intracellular proteins in mammalian cells. The process is mediated by an integral membrane protein of relative molecular mass 180,000 (Mr 180K), having a large (at least 160K) cytosolic domain that, when proteolytically detached from the membrane, can competitively inhibit the binding of ribosomes to intact membranes. Isolation of this domain has led to the identification, purification and characterization of the intact ribosome receptor, as well as its functional reconstitution into lipid vesicles.     

Bell-shaped calcium-response curves of Ins(1,4,5)P3- and calcium-gated channels from endoplasmic reticulum of cerebellum.

Release of calcium from intracellular stores occurs by two pathways, an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-gated channel and a calcium-gated channel (ryanodine receptor). Using specific antibodies, both receptors were found in Purkinje cells of cerebellum. We have now compared the functional properties of the channels corresponding to the two receptors by incorporating endoplasmic reticulum vesicles from canine cerebellum into planar bilayers. InsP3-gated channels were observed most frequently. Another channel type was activated by adenine nucleotides or caffeine, inhibited by ruthenium red, and modified by ryanodine, characteristics of the ryanodine receptor/channel6. The open probability of both channel types displayed a bell-shaped curve for dependence on calcium. For the InsP3-gated channel, the maximum probability of opening occurred at 0.2 microM free calcium, with sharp decreases on either side of the maximum. Maximum activity for the ryanodine receptor/channel was maintained between 1 and 100 microM calcium. Thus, within the physiological range of cytoplasmic calcium, the InsP3-gated channel itself allows positive feedback and then negative feedback for calcium release, whereas the ryanodine receptor/channel behaves solely as a calcium-activated channel. The existence in the same cell of two channels with different responses to calcium and different ligand sensitivities provides a basis for complex patterns of intracellular calcium regulation.     

Ion channels activated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in plasma membrane of human T-lymphocytes

Hydrolysis of membrane-associated phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)-P2) to water soluble inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) is a common response by many different kinds of cells to a wide variety of external stimuli (see refs 1 and 2 for review). Ins (1,4,5)P3 is a putative second messenger which increases intracellular Ca2+ by mobilizing internal Ca2+ stores, a hypothesis which has been substantiated by studies with chemically permeabilized cells and with isolated microsomal membrane fractions. But the possibility that Ins(1,4,5)P3 could induce in intact cells an influx of external Ca2+ through transmembrane channels, originally hypothesized by Michell in 1975, has never been directly tested. We report here single-channel recordings of an Ins(1,4,5)P3-activated conductance in excised patches of T-lymphocyte plasma membrane. The Ins(1,4,5)P3-activated transmembrane channel appears to be identical to the recently described mitogen-regulated, voltage-insensitive Ca2+ permeable channel involved in T-cell activation. We suggest that Ins(1,4,5)P3 acts as the second messenger mediating transmembrane Ca2+ influx through specific Ca2+-permeable channels in mitogen-stimulated T-cell activation.     

Quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum protein factory

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a factory where secretory proteins are manufactured, and where stringent quality-control systems ensure that only correctly folded proteins are sent to their final destinations. The changing needs of the ER factory are monitored by integrated signalling pathways that constantly adjust the levels of folding assistants. ER chaperones and signalling molecules are emerging as drug targets in amyloidoses and other protein-conformational diseases.     

An endoplasmic reticulum retention signal in the CD3 epsilon chain of the T-cell receptor.

Isolated polypeptide chains of the T-cell antigen receptor complex are degraded or retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Assembly of the multisubunit complex allows the individual chains to escape retention in the ER and to be expressed on the cell surface. We engineered a series of deletions in the CD3 epsilon subunit of the human T-cell receptor in order to find the sequences responsible for its retention in the ER. Deletion of amino acids 171 to 180 in the cytosolic tail resulted in the cell-surface expression of the isolated chain. This sequence also promotes retention when it is appended to CD4, a plasma membrane protein. Mutagenesis of the 10-amino-acid CD3 epsilon sequence established that the tyrosine and serine residues are important for ER retention. This and other ER retention signals must be hidden when a complete T-cell receptor complex is assembled in order to allow its expression on the cell surface.     

Purkinje neuron synchrony elicits time-locked spiking in the cerebellar nuclei

An unusual feature of the cerebellar cortex is that its output neurons, Purkinje cells, release GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). Their high intrinsic firing rates (50?Hz) and extensive convergence predict that their target neurons in the cerebellar nuclei would be largely inhibited unless Purkinje cells pause their spiking, yet Purkinje and nuclear neuron firing rates do not always vary inversely. One indication of how these synapses transmit information is that populations of Purkinje neurons synchronize their spikes during cerebellar behaviours. If nuclear neurons respond to Purkinje synchrony, they may encode signals from subsets of inhibitory inputs. Here we show in weanling and adult mice that nuclear neurons transmit the timing of synchronous Purkinje afferent spikes, owing to modest Purkinje-to-nuclear convergence ratios (～40:1), fast inhibitory postsynaptic current kinetics (τ(decay) = 2.5?ms) and high intrinsic firing rates (～90?Hz). In vitro, dynamically clamped asynchronous inhibitory postsynaptic potentials mimicking Purkinje afferents suppress nuclear cell spiking, whereas synchronous inhibitory postsynaptic potentials entrain nuclear cell spiking. With partial synchrony, nuclear neurons time-lock their spikes to the synchronous subpopulation of inputs, even when only 2 out of 40 afferents synchronize. In vivo, nuclear neurons reliably phase-lock to regular trains of molecular layer stimulation. Thus, cerebellar nuclear neurons can preferentially relay the spike timing of synchronized Purkinje cells to downstream premotor areas.     

Retrograde transport of endocytosed Shiga toxin to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Shiga toxin and some other protein toxins that act on targets in the cytosol have previously been shown to enter the trans-Golgi network. Transport by this route may be necessary for translocation of the toxin to the cytosol and for intoxication, but it is not known whether the enzymatically active part of the toxins actually enters the cytosol from the trans-Golgi network. It has been suggested that such toxins are transported in a retrograde manner to the endoplasmic reticulum and that translocation occurs in this organelle, but retrograde transport of endocytosed material beyond the trans-Golgi network has never been demonstrated. Here we show that in butyric acid-treated A431 cells endocytosed Shiga toxin is not only transported to the trans-Golgi network, but also to all Golgi stacks, to the endoplasmic reticulum and to the nuclear envelope. Furthermore, butyric acid sensitizes the cells to Shiga toxin, which is consistent with the possibility that retrograde transport is required for translocation of the toxin to the cytosol.     

Independent phosphatidylinositol synthesis in pituitary plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), the most abundant phosphoinositide, is the precursor of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate which is converted to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, the lipid hydrolysed as an early step in signal transduction by many stimuli. It is generally thought that a single enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum, PtdIns synthase (CDP-diglyceride:myoinositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.11), is responsible for PtdIns synthesis and that newly synthesized PtdIns is transported to the plasma membrane by exchange proteins. Several investigators have proposed that there are two functionally distinct pools of PtdIns, one responsive to stimulation and the other not, and that the stimulus-responsive pool may be synthesized at a different site within the cell, perhaps within the plasma membrane. Indeed, it was suggested that there is PtdIns synthase activity in plasma membrane isolated from rat liver. GH3 rat pituitary tumour cells are an excellent model system to study stimulation of phosphoinositide metabolism by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Conversion of PtdIns to polyphosphoinositides and TRH (and GTP)-activated phosphoinositide hydrolysis are known to occur in plasma membrane isolated from GH3 cells. Here we report that PtdIns synthase activity in the plasma membrane of GH3 cells is distinct from that present in the endoplasmic reticulum. The plasma membrane PtdIns synthase may be responsible for a portion of PtdIns re-synthesis that occurs during cell stimulation.     

内质网应激对小鼠脂肪组织的影响

为了探究内质网应激对小鼠白色脂肪组织的影响,通过腹腔注射衣霉素(tunicamycin, TM)诱导小鼠体内内质网应激,构建内质网应激小鼠模型,然后获取小鼠附睾处白色脂肪组织,并采用RT-PCR和Western blot检测白色脂肪组织中内质网应激相关因子的mRNA水平及蛋白表达情况,通过荧光显微镜观察白色脂肪组织细胞的变化,测定甘油三酯、游离脂肪酸含量及脂肪细胞因子和炎症因子分泌情况.结果表明：1.0 mg/kg TM处理72 h诱导小鼠内质网应激效果最佳;内质网应激可以导致白色脂肪组织比例减少,脂肪细胞直径减小,脂解反应增多,脂肪细胞因子分泌减少及炎症反应增多等.该研究结果说明内质网应激可以诱导小鼠脂肪组织中发生脂解,进而介导脂代谢紊乱.     

Autistic-like behaviour and cerebellar dysfunction in Purkinje cell Tsc1 mutant mice

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, but the underlying pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Recent studies have implicated the cerebellum in these disorders, with post-mortem studies in ASD patients showing cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) loss, and isolated cerebellar injury has been associated with a higher incidence of ASDs. However, the extent of cerebellar contribution to the pathogenesis of ASDs remains unclear. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder with high rates of comorbid ASDs that result from mutation of either TSC1 or TSC2, whose protein products dimerize and negatively regulate mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling. TSC is an intriguing model to investigate the cerebellar contribution to the underlying pathogenesis of ASDs, as recent studies in TSC patients demonstrate cerebellar pathology and correlate cerebellar pathology with increased ASD symptomatology. Functional imaging also shows that TSC patients with ASDs display hypermetabolism in deep cerebellar structures, compared to TSC patients without ASDs. However, the roles of Tsc1 and the sequelae of Tsc1 dysfunction in the cerebellum have not been investigated so far. Here we show that both heterozygous and homozygous loss of Tsc1 in mouse cerebellar PCs results in autistic-like behaviours, including abnormal social interaction, repetitive behaviour and vocalizations, in addition to decreased PC excitability. Treatment of mutant mice with the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, prevented the pathological and behavioural deficits. These findings demonstrate new roles for Tsc1 in PC function and define a molecular basis for a cerebellar contribution to cognitive disorders such as autism.