Peroxisomes are ubiquitous organelles found in almost all eukaryotes. They are sensitive to changes in cellular homeostasis and involved in various metabolic processes. Deficiencies in peroxisome function cause severe neurological problems. Here I report, investigation of peroxisome motility and its relation to peroxisomal functions in the fungal model system Ustilago maydis. Peroxisomes are mostly motile in Ustilago maydis. Motile peroxisomes show different motility patterns: short-range pulse type movements and long range bidirectional motility. Motility behaviour is not static as oscillating peroxisomes may start long-range motility. Here, I present evidence that long-range bidirectional peroxisome motility is an energy driven process and is essential for homogeneous distribution of peroxisomes. Similar to early endosomes and endoplasmic reticulum, microtubule motors kinesin-3 and dynein are responsible for long-range peroxisome transport. In addition to using the same molecular motors for transport, early endosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes have the same transport velocity. Interestingly, motile peroxisomes and endoplasmic reticulum tubules co-localize with early endosomes. Functional investigation of early endosome mutants, Δrab5a and Yup1ts has revealed a novel transport mechanism where endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes hitch hike on early endosomes. Additionally, I report functional characterization of an AAA-ATPase, um05592, which has high homology to human protein NP_055873. Altogether these results reveal molecular mechanism of peroxisome transport in Ustilago maydis. Similarities in transport machinery illustrate Ustilago maydis as a model system to study peroxisome function in mammalian cells.

Angiogenesis is a crucial process under both physiological and pathological conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A and its cognate receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) are key regulators of angiogenesis. Plasma membrane (PM) levels of VEGFR2 are regulated by de novo synthesis, and by both exocytic and endocytic trafficking. VEGF-binding to VEGFR2 induces phosphorylation of key tyrosine residues located in the cytosolic domain of the receptor, followed by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and signal transduction leading to vascular morphogenesis. Disabled protein 2 (Dab2) is a cytosolic, clathrin-adaptor protein that is known to regulate endocytosis of certain cell surface receptors. Studies of Dab2 function have revealed its role in the development of embryonic vasculature. However, the mechanism of Dab2 function, particularly in conjunction with endosomal VEGFR2, remains poorly understood. Our results show that Dab2 interacts with VEGFR2 and that upon VEGF stimulation the two proteins co-localize within Rab5-positive early endosomes. Knockdown of Dab2 reduces levels of VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 at residue Y1175. This is significant because phosphorylation of VEGFR2-Y1175 is crucial for pro-angiogenic signal transduction. Moreover, knockdown of Dab2 causes an increased trafficking of VEGFR2 to late endosomes (LE). Finally, this altered VEGFR2 trafficking following Dab2 knockdown has major functional consequences for endothelial cells, as they are unable to undergo morphogenesis into tube-like structures in an in vitro assay of angiogenesis. Collectively, our data show that Dab2 plays a crucial role in VEGFR2 trafficking in the endocytic system and this impacts receptor signaling and endothelial cell morphogenesis during angiogenesis.

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O vírus sincicial respiratório humano (HRSV) é o mais frequente agente patogênico da família Paramyxoviridae. Apesar de sua grande importância e impacto em saúde pública, alguns aspectos demandam elucidação. Entre eles, estão os mecanismos de tráfego intracelular de proteínas virais para o sitio de montagem. Baseado nisso, fizemos um estudo de imunofluorescência tentando contribuir para o entendimento da participação da via secretória no tráfego de proteínas estruturais de HRSV que não são glicosiladas: proteínas de matriz (M) e de nucleocapsídeo (N). Pudemos observar que essas proteínas seguem rota similar àquelas que são glicosiladas no Golgi, como a proteína de fusão (F). Ademais, as proteínas M e N, além de colocalizarem com proteínas celulares da via secretória, tais como trans-Golgi network-46 (TGN46) e sorting nexin-2 (SNX2), também influem no recrutamento de proteínas celulares para os corpos de inclusão virais, como mostrado no caso da proteína Glut1. Os dados indicam que proteínas M e N de HRSV seguem pela via endocítica inicial, acumulam-se em corpos de inclusão que seriam fábricas virais e, no caso de TGN46, podem ser incorporadas aos vírus em brotamento / Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the most relevant cause of respiratory infection in children worldwide. Despite its importance in public health, some aspects of the mechanisms of the trafficking of viral structural proteins remain unclear. In the present study, immunofluorescence was used to understand how the virus matrix (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins, which are non-glycosylated , are addressed to inclusion bodies in Hep-2 cells (MOI=3). M and N proteins followed similar intracellular trafficking routes as compared to the glycosylated fusion (F) viral protein. Moreover, M and N proteins colocalized with two key elements of the secretory pathway: trans-Golgi network- 46 (TGN46) and sorting nexin-2 (SNX2). Viral proteins M and N appear to be involved in the recruitment of cell proteins at the formation of virus inclusion bodies, as shown for Glucose Transporter Type 1 (Glut1). The data suggest that HRSV M and N proteins follow the secretory pathway, initiating in early endosomes, as indicated by the co-localization with TGN46 and SNX2. In addition, these host cell proteins accumulate in inclusion bodies that are viral factories, and can be part of budding viral progeny. Therefore, HRSV M and N proteins, even though they are not glycosylated, take advantage of the secretory pathway to reach virus inclusion bodies. Confocal images suggest that SNX2, which is known for its membrane-deforming properties, could play a pivotal role in HRSV budding

O vírus sincicial respiratório humano (HRSV) é o mais frequente agente patogênico da família Paramyxoviridae. Apesar de sua grande importância e impacto em saúde pública, alguns aspectos demandam elucidação. Entre eles, estão os mecanismos de tráfego intracelular de proteínas virais para o sitio de montagem. Baseado nisso, fizemos um estudo de imunofluorescência tentando contribuir para o entendimento da participação da via secretória no tráfego de proteínas estruturais de HRSV que não são glicosiladas: proteínas de matriz (M) e de nucleocapsídeo (N). Pudemos observar que essas proteínas seguem rota similar àquelas que são glicosiladas no Golgi, como a proteína de fusão (F). Ademais, as proteínas M e N, além de colocalizarem com proteínas celulares da via secretória, tais como trans-Golgi network-46 (TGN46) e sorting nexin-2 (SNX2), também influem no recrutamento de proteínas celulares para os corpos de inclusão virais, como mostrado no caso da proteína Glut1. Os dados indicam que proteínas M e N de HRSV seguem pela via endocítica inicial, acumulam-se em corpos de inclusão que seriam fábricas virais e, no caso de TGN46, podem ser incorporadas aos vírus em brotamento / Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the most relevant cause of respiratory infection in children worldwide. Despite its importance in public health, some aspects of the mechanisms of the trafficking of viral structural proteins remain unclear. In the present study, immunofluorescence was used to understand how the virus matrix (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins, which are non-glycosylated , are addressed to inclusion bodies in Hep-2 cells (MOI=3). M and N proteins followed similar intracellular trafficking routes as compared to the glycosylated fusion (F) viral protein. Moreover, M and N proteins colocalized with two key elements of the secretory pathway: trans-Golgi network- 46 (TGN46) and sorting nexin-2 (SNX2). Viral proteins M and N appear to be involved in the recruitment of cell proteins at the formation of virus inclusion bodies, as shown for Glucose Transporter Type 1 (Glut1). The data suggest that HRSV M and N proteins follow the secretory pathway, initiating in early endosomes, as indicated by the co-localization with TGN46 and SNX2. In addition, these host cell proteins accumulate in inclusion bodies that are viral factories, and can be part of budding viral progeny. Therefore, HRSV M and N proteins, even though they are not glycosylated, take advantage of the secretory pathway to reach virus inclusion bodies. Confocal images suggest that SNX2, which is known for its membrane-deforming properties, could play a pivotal role in HRSV budding