Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-03-25 / As membranas biológicas são formadas por uma mistura de várias classes de lipídeos, cujo empacotamento preferencial entre esfingolipídeos e esteróis formam junto com proteínas específicas, esta complexa organização conhecida como microdomínios de membrana. Com o intuito de verificar a presença de microdomínios de membrana em leveduras de fungos patogênicos como Paracoccidioides brasiliensis e Histoplasma capsulatum, as leveduras desses dois fungos foram lisadas com pérolas de vidro e incubadas com Brij 98 a 4°C. As frações de microdomínios de membrana foram separadas por ultracentrifugação em gradiente de sacarose e, seus componentes analisados por HPTLC, SDS-PAGE e “Western blotting”. As análises dos lipídeos de membrana mostram que aproximadamente 40% do ergosterol das duas espécies de leveduras analisadas estão presentes nos microdomínios de membrana. Enquanto as porcentagens de glicoesfingolipídeos presentes nessas frações correspondem a 42% e 25%, em leveduras de P. brasiliensis e H. capsulatum, respectivamente. Em conjunto com as análises lipídicas, verificou-se nas duas espécies, um enriquecimento protéico nas frações de microdomínios de membrana, entre estas proteínas podemos citar a Pma1p, uma proteína marcadora de microdomínios de fungos, e uma proteína de 30 kDa, capaz de se ligar a laminina. Para determinar a importância do ergosterol na manutenção da integridade dos microdomínios de membrana utilizou-se metil-beta-ciclodextrina (mβCD), que é capaz de complexar e retirar o ergosterol. Após o tratamento das leveduras com mβCD verificou-se a extração dos esteróis numa proporção de 80% e 70% para P. brasiliensis e H. capsulatum, respectivamente. No entanto, o perfil de distribuição dos glicoesfingolipídeos e fosfolipídeos, analisados por HPTLC, não apresentou mudanças significativas após o tratamento com a mβCD. As análises protéicas demonstraram o deslocamento de algumas proteínas para frações solúveis do gradiente de sacarose como Pma1p e uma proteína de 30 kDa. Por outro lado, a marcação com o anticorpo anti-α5-integrina mostra a presença de uma proteína de 50 kDa nos microdomínios de membrana, mesmo após o tratamento com a mβCD, sugerindo a existência de uma população de microdomínios de membrana que não depende do ergosterol para manutenção de sua integridade. A importância desses microdomínios de membrana foi testada na infectividade de macrófagos alveolares, onde uma redução de 53% na infectividade de macrófagos foi verificada após o tratamento das leveduras de H. capsulatum com mβCD. Os resultados apresentados nessa tese demonstram a existência de microdomínios de membrana em leveduras de P. brasiliensis e H. capsulatum, bem como sua importância para a interação levedura-macrófago. / Biological membranes are constituted by a mixture of several classes of lipids. In this enviroment, sphingolipids and sterols pack tightly to form together with specific proteins a complex membrane organization known as membrane microdomains. In order to detect the presence of membrane microdomains in yeast forms of pathogenic fungi, such as Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Histoplasma capsulatum, yeast forms of both fungi were lysed by vortexing with glass beads and then incubated with Brij 98 at 4ºC. Fractions containing membrane microdomains were isolated by ultracentrifugation on sucrose gradient, and their components were analyzed by HPTLC, SDSPAGE and Western blotting. Analysis of membrane lipids showed that about 40% of ergosterol from both P. brasiliensis and H. capsulatum was present in the membrane microdomains, whereas the percentage of glycosphingolipids present in P. brasiliensis and H. capsulatum was 42% and 25%, respectively. Analysis by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting clearly showed a protein enrichment in the membrane microdomains fraction of both fungi. It is noteworthy the presence of Pma1p, a fungal microdomain marker, and also the presence of a 30 kDa (glyco)protein which binds to laminin. To investigate the requirement of ergosterol to mantain the integrity of membrane microdomains, it was used methylbeta- cyclodextrin (mβCD) an agent able to efficiently extract membrane sterols. After treatment of yeasts using mβCD, it was observed the removal of 80% and 70% of ergosterol in P. brasiliensis and H. capsulatum, respectively. After treatment with mβCD it was observed a shift of 25% of the glycosphingolipids from the insoluble to the soluble fraction, conversely the distribution profile of phospholipids remained unmodified after treatment with mβCD. The protein analysis showed the displacement of a few proteins to soluble fractions of the sucrose gradient, such as Pma1p and the (glyco)protein of 30 kDa. On the other hand, using an anti-α5-integrin antibody it was detected, even after the mβCD treatment, the presence of a 50 kDa protein in membrane microdomains, suggesting the existence of microdomains that do not depend on ergosterol for their integrity. These data strongly suggest the existence of two population of microdomains: i) dependent of ergosterol for integrity maintenance of microdomains and ii) microdomains non-dependent of ergosterol for the maintenance of their functional role. Furthermore, the biological importance of membrane microdomains was clearly demonstrated by a 53% reduction of infectivity of alveolar macrophage infectivity when yeast forms of H. capsulatum were treated with mβCD. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Le fer est essentiel à la croissance et au développement des plantes. Chez Arabidopsis thaliana, le transporteur IRT1 permet l’absorption du fer par les cellules épidermiques de la racine et est, par conséquent, un des acteurs majeurs de la nutrition en fer. IRT1 est cependant un transporteur peu spécifique qui transporte également des métaux non ferreux que sont le zinc (Zn), le manganèse (Mn) et le cobalt, qui constituent les substrats secondaires d’IRT1 et qui ont été récemment démontrés dans notre laboratoire comme régulant l’endocytose d’IRT1. Afin d’identifier des protéines potentiellement impliquées dans le trafic ou dans la régulation de l’activité d’IRT1, nous avons isolé des interactants de ce transporteur via des immunopurifications d’IRT1 combinées à des analyses de spectrométrie de masse. Cette approche nous a permis d’établir le premier intéractome d’IRT1. Parmi les protéines interagissant avec IRT1, nous avons isolé AHA2 et FRO2 qui participent toutes les deux au processus d’absorption du fer chez Arabidopsis, ainsi que la protéine à domaine SPFH appelée HIR2. HIR2 est localisée dans des microdomaines membranaires chez Arabidopsis mais sa fonction reste jusqu’à présent assez énigmatique. Cependant, chez les animaux, les protéines à domaine SPFH ont été proposées comme étant impliquées dans la formation des microdomaines membranaires; de plus certaines protéines à domaines SPFH appelées Flotillines interviennent dans des mécanismes d’endocytose chez les animaux et les plantes. Après avoir validé les interactions entre les protéines IRT1 et FRO2/AHA2/HIR2 par des approches complémentaires, nous avons analysé la dynamique intracellulaire de ces protéines par microscopie. Nos résultats suggèrent l’existence d’un complexe protéique regroupant les trois acteurs majeurs de l’homéostasie du fer chez Arabidopsis : IRT1, FRO2 et AHA2, dont la fonction pourrait être d’optimiser l’absorption du fer dans la racine. Contrairement à ce qui est observé pour IRT1, les protéines FRO2 et AHA2 ne sont pas massivement endocytées en réponse à un excès de métaux (Zn,Mn, Co) et ceci bien qu’elles puissent être présentes au sein d’un complexe contenant IRT1. Nous avons en outre montré que FRO2 et AHA2 étaient ubiquitinées, mais contrairement à IRT1, de façon indépendante de la concentration en métaux non ferreux. En utilisant des approches de génétique inverse, nous avons mis en évidence que HIR2 était impliquée dans le maintien de l’homéostasie du fer, les mutants hir2 étant extrêmement sensibles à la carence en fer. D’autre part nous avons montré que l’accumulation de la protéine IRT1 était dérégulée chez le mutant hir2 et ceci de façon post-transcriptionnelle. Nous cherchons actuellement à déterminer comment HIR2 régule la dynamique et/ou la stabilité d’IRT1 dans la cellule. HIR2 pourrait assurer le recrutement d’IRT1 et plus généralement du complexe d’acquisition du fer décrit ci-dessus dans des microdomaines membranaires spécifiques. D’autre part, nous avons également émis l’hypothèse que HIR2 pourrait être impliquée dans une voie d’endocytose d’IRT1 indépendante de la clathrine. / Iron is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the transporter IRT1, which allows iron absorption through the epidermic cells of the root, is a major actor in iron nutrition. Despite of it, IRT1 also transports the non-iron metals zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and cobalt (Co). These metals are considered as the secondary substrates of IRT1, and therefore this transporter is considered as poorly specific. Our laboratory has recently uncover that these secondary substrates regulate IRT1 endocytosis. In order to uncover the different proteins that can be implicated in the traffic or in the regulation of IRT1 activity, we have proceeded to perform IRT1 immnopurifications, followed by mass spectrometry analyses. This approach has allowed us to produce a first interactome list of IRT1. Among the proteins that interact with IRT1, we have isolated AHA2 and FRO2, both well known in the process of iron acquisition in Arabidopsis, and also a SPFH domain containing protein known as HIR2. Although it is known that HIR2 is contained in membrane microdomains in Arabidopsis, its function is still to be determined. Nevertheless, in the animal kingdom, SPFH domain containing proteins have been proposed as implicated in the formation of membrane microdomains. This is specially the case of the specific SPFH domain containing proteins known as Flotillins, which have the ability to mediate endocytosis in animals as in plants. After validation of the interaction between IRT1 and FRO2/AHA2/HIR2 by different complementary approaches, we have microscopically analyzed the intracellular dynamics of these proteins. Our results suggest the existence of a protein complex that reunites the three major actors of iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis: IRT1, FRO2 and AHA2. We suspect that the main function of this complex is to optimize the process of iron absorption in the root. In spite of what is known for IRT1 and despite being part of a same complex, FRO2 and AHA2 are not massively endocytosed in response to a non-iron metal excess (Zn, Mn, Co). Furthermore, we have shown that FRO2 and AHA2 are ubiquitinated, although their ubiquitination is also independent of the concentration of the non-iron metals, unlike the ubiquitination of IRT1. Finally, using reverse genetic approaches, we have been able to show that HIR2 is implicated in the maintenance of the iron homeostasis. Indeed, hir2 mutants are extremely sensitive to lack of Fe, even though they present posttranslational deregulations that result in the an overaccumulation of the protein IRT1. We are currently trying to determine how HIR2 regulates the dynamics and/or the stability of IRT1 inside the cell. HIR2 could be assuring the recruiting of IRT1 (or the recruitment of the whole iron acquisition complex) into specific membrane microdomains. On the other hand, HIR2 could be implicated in a new pathway of internalization of IRT1, independent of clathrin.

No description available.

Morphine is an opioid agonist, which can exert cardioprotective effects under certain conditions. Lipid rafts are considered important platforms for membrane organization of signaling proteins and, therefore, these structures could play a role in the effects of morphine, which acts through the opioid receptors. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the distribution of the main components of the opioid receptor and Gi/o-mediated signaling pathway in lipid rafts isolated from rat myocardium, which was affected by various doses of morphine. Because we used different isolation techniques with different solubilization agents (Triton X-100, CHAPS, cholate and sodium carbonate) for preparation of lipid rafts, it was of interest to characterize more closely these preparations. Another aim of this study was to investigate how different methods of isolating these structures affect activity of the key target enzyme of the opioid signaling pathway, i.e. adenylyl cyclase. The presence of signaling molecules of the Gi/o/AC pathway of the opioid system in membrane rafts was confirmed and the distribution of selected proteins was dependent on the type of extractant. We also observed the effect of morphine on the localization of proteins in lipid rafts. Different extractants provided different degree of...

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2004. / Vita. Bibliography: 150-177.

This work is a collection of three research articles and one review article focused on flotillins (FLOTs) and hypersensitive induced reaction proteins (HIRs) in Arabidopsis thaliana. FLOTs and HIRs are closely related membrane-associated proteins forming two subfamilies both belonging to SPFH domain superfamily. While FLOTs are present in organisms of all evolutionary lineages HIRs are plant specific proteins. The review article sums up the knowledge gained on FLOTs and HIRs from different organisms in terms of cellular localization, interaction with cellular membranes and with other proteins, and physiological functions. The research articles were targeted at three aspects of AtFLOTs and AtHIRs: involvement in response to exogenous stimuli; determination of protein interactors; and subcellular localization and dynamics. The first aspect was approached by transcription measurement of AtFLOTs and phenotypic screen of single loss-of-function mutants of AtFLOTs upon various treatments covering biotic and abiotic stress and phytohormone application. Although we observed changes in transcription none of the treatments provoked a phenotype manifestation in any of AtFLOT mutants. In the second article we focused on interactome of AtFLOT2 and performed co- immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry...

Abstract The function of skeletal muscle is to generate force and produce movement. These tasks are carried out by long multinucleated cells, the skeletal myofibres. The membrane system and the cytoskeleton of these cells are uniquely organized to respond rapidly to neuronal stimuli and to achieve efficient contraction. In the present study the organization and distribution of selected protein/lipid based microdomains that reside in the plasma membrane and sarcoplasmic reticulum of isolated rat skeletal myofibres, were investigated. Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channels are arranged as higher order oligomers of several sizes in the sarcolemma and in the T tubules. These oligomers, however, were absent from many specialized micro- and- macrodomains. The distribution of AQP4 coincided with that of a highly organized protein assembly, the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC), in the sarcolemma. A chimaeric venus-AQP4 was equally mobile in the T tubules and sarcolemma, but the anchoring mechanisms of the protein appeared to be different. In contrast to AQP4, the proteins resident in cholesterol and sphingolipid-based microdomains, known as rafts, also occupied DGC deficient areas, which surround the T tubule openings. Indeed, flotillin-1 rafts were located in the neck portions of the T tubules. The rafts defined by the influenza haemagglutinin (HA) also resided in DGC deficient areas, but at the borders of the DGC area. Importantly, of the raft proteins, only the localization of caveolin 3 (CAV3) was dependent on the cholesterol enriched lipid environment, as evidenced by cholesterol depletion experiments and localization studies on a non-raft associated variant of HA. The organization and distribution of membrane associated rough ER (RER) proteins were also analysed. Biochemical detergent extraction analyses and immunofluorescence staining indicated that the ER proteins were assembled as microdomains within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The microdomains were distributed throughout the SR network and they were capable of protein translocation. Taken together, skeletal myofibres comprise visually distinct microdomains both in the plasma membrane and in the SR. In the plasma membrane, different types of microdomains are not homogenously distributed and function in diverse locations. This may have important physiological implications concerning, among other things, local regulation of ion concentrations and cell signalling cascades. Different constraints ranging from protein-protein interactions to the surrounding lipid environment are important for dictating the observed distribution patterns. / Tiivistelmä Luustolihaksen toimintojen perustana ovat supistumiskykyiset lihassolut, joiden kalvorakenne on järjestynyt erityisellä tavalla ohjaamaan supistusta. Tässä tutkimuksessa analysoitiin proteiini- ja lipidiperustaisten mikroalueiden järjestäytymistä ja tähän vaikuttavia tekijöitä luustolihassolun solukalvolla sekä lihassolun sisäisessä kalvojärjestelmässä, sarkoplasmisessa verkossa (SR). Ensin analysoitiin vesikanavatyyppiä 4 (AQP4), joka oligomerisoituessaan muodostaa erikokoisia mikroalueita. Havaittiin, että AQP4-mikroalueita esiintyy kaikkialla solukalvolla lukuun ottamatta eräitä erilaistuneita mikro- ja makroalueita. AQP4-oligomeerien jakauma solukalvon lateraalisessa osassa, sarkolemmalla, noudatti dystrofiini-glykoproteiinikompleksin jakaumaa. Fluoresoivan venus-AQP4-proteiinin avulla osoitettiin, että proteiinin liikkuvuus oli samanlainen solun sisään ulottuvissa poikkiputkistoissa ja sarkolemmalla, mutta liikkuvuutta rajoittavat tekijät olivat erilaisia näissä solukalvon osissa. Toiseksi analysoitiin kolesteroli- ja sfingolipidipitoisia mikroalueita, kalvolauttoja. Flotilliini-1- ja influenssaviruksen hemagglutiniini (HA) -proteiinia sisältäviä lauttoja esiintyi vain poikkiputkien suuaukkojen alueella, mutta lauttojen jakauma oli erilainen. Lauttojen lipidiympäristöllä ei ollut vaikutusta proteiinien sijaintiin. Tämä osoitettiin kolesterolin poistokokeilla sekä kokeilla, joissa käytettiin mutatoitua HA-proteiinia, joka ei hakeudu kolesteroliympäristöön. Kaveoliini-3-proteiinin sijainti poikkeaa edellä mainituista, ja kolesterolin poisto vaikutti merkittävästi sijainnin määräytymiseen. Kolmanneksi analysoitiin, miten karkean endoplasmakalvoston proteiinit ovat järjestäytyneet SR:ssä. Havaittiin, että endoplasmiset kalvoproteiinit eivät ole homogeenisesti levittäytyneet SR-kalvostoon vaan muodostavat pieniä mikroalueita. Detergenttiuuttoanalyysit osoittivat lisäksi, että näissä mikroalueissa on erilainen lipidikoostumus kuin SR:ssä yleensä. Huomattavaa oli myös, että mikroalueet olivat toiminnallisia kaikkialla SR-kalvostossa. Tulosten perusteella luustolihassolujen kalvojärjestelmä sisältää mikroalueita, joiden jakautuminen vaikuttaa hyvin organisoituneelta. Erityisesti solukalvon mikroalueet esiintyvät tietyillä spesifeillä alueilla, joissa niiden voidaan olettaa toimivan mm. erilaisissa solusignalointitapahtumissa ja paikallisessa ionipitoisuuksien säätelyssä. Eräissä tapauksissa lipidiympäristöllä on merkitystä mikroalueiden sijainnin määräytymisessä, mutta proteiinien sitoutuminen solukalvo- tai solukalvon alaisiin rakenteisiin saattaa myös olla määräävä tekijä.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) belongs to the Paramyxoviridae, a family of enveloped RNA viruses that includes many important human and animal pathogens. Although many aspects of the paramyxovirus life cycle are known in detail, our understanding of the mechanisms regulating paramyxovirus assembly and release are poorly understood. For many enveloped RNA viruses, it has recently become apparent that both viral and host cellular determinants coordinate the proper and efficient assembly of infectious progeny virions. Utilizing NDV as a model system to explore viral and cellular determinants of paramyxovirus assembly, we have shown that host cell membrane lipid raft domains serve as platforms of NDV assembly and release. This conclusion was supported by several key experimental results, including the exclusive incorporation of host cell membrane raftassociated molecules into virions, the association of structural components of the NDV particle with membrane lipid raft domains in infected cells and the strong correlation between the kinetics of viral protein dissociation from membrane lipid raft domains and incorporation into virions. Moreover, perturbation of infected cell membrane raft domains during virus assembly resulted in the disordered assembly of abnormal virions with reduced infectivity. These results further established membrane raft domains as sites of virus assembly and showed the integrity of these domains to be critical for the proper assembly of infectious virions. Although specific viral protein-protein interactions are thought to occur during paramyxovirus assembly, our understanding of how these interactions are coordinated is incomplete. While exploring the mechanisms underlying the disordered assembly of non-infectious virions in membrane raft-perturbed cells, we determined that the integrity of membrane raft domains was critical in the formation and virion incorporation of a complex consisting of the NDV attachment (HN) and fusion (F) proteins. The reduced virus-to-cell membrane fusion capacity of particles released from membrane raft-perturbed cells was attributed to an absence of the HN – F glycoprotein-containing complex within the virion envelope. This result also correlated with a reduction of these glycoprotein complexes in membrane lipid raft fractions of membrane raft-perturbed cells. Specifically, it was determined that the formation of newly synthesized HN and F polypeptides into the glycoprotein complex destined for virion incorporation was dependent on membrane lipid raft integrity. Finally, a novel virion complex between the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) structure and the HN attachment protein was identified and characterized. Unlike the glycoprotein complex, the detection of the RNP – HN protein-containing complex was not affected by membrane raft perturbation during virus assembly in the cell. The biological importance of this novel complex for the proper assembly of an infectious progeny virion is currently under investigation. The results presented in this thesis outline the role of host cell membrane lipid raft domains in the assembly and release processes of a model paramyxovirus. Furthermore, the present work extends our understanding of how these particular host cell domains mechanistically facilitate the ordered assembly and release of an enveloped RNA virus.

Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains, which play an essential role in membrane trafficking and signal transduction, recognize phosphoinositides with a diverse range of affinities and specificities. The PH domains of the Grp1 family of Arf GTPase exchange factors recognize a select group of phosphoinositides with dramatic differences in specificity, despite 90% sequence identity. The work described in this thesis has focused on the structural basis for these differences. The structure of the Grp1 PH domain revealed structural determinants for phosphoinositide recognition. Through a wide range of crystallographic and biochemical means, the structural basis that accounts for the differential binding affinities amongst the Grp1 family PH domains has also been determined. Furthermore, examination of the structural details of these PH domains bound to different inositol phosphate groups have aided in understanding the structural mechanisms by which all PH domains recognize phosphoinositides.

Recently published research indicates that soluble oligomers of beta-amyloid (Abeta) may be the key neurotoxic species associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and that the process of Abeta aggregation may drive this event. Furthermore, soluble oligomers of Abeta and tau accumulate in the lipid rafts of brains from AD patients through an as yet unknown mechanism. Using cell culture models we report a novel action of Abeta on neuronal plasma membranes where exogenously applied Abeta in the form of ADDLs can be trafficked on the neuronal membrane and accumulate in lipid rafts. ADDL-induced dynamic alterations in lipid raft protein composition were found to facilitate this movement. We show clear associations between Abeta accumulation and redistribution on the neuronal membrane and alterations in the protein composition of lipid rafts. In addition, our data from fyn(-/-) transgenic mice show that accumulation of Abeta on the neuronal surface was not sufficient to cause cell death but that fyn is required for both the redistribution of Abeta and subsequent cell death. These results identify fyn-dependent Abeta redistribution and accumulation in lipid rafts as being key to ADDL-induced cell death and defines a mechanism by which oligomers of Abeta and tau accumulate in lipid rafts.