Disruptions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that perturb protein folding cause ER stress and elicit an unfolded protein response (UPR) that involves translational and transcriptional changes in gene expression aimed at expanding the ER processing capacity and alleviating cellular injury. Three ER stress sensors PERK, ATF6, and IRE1 implement the UPR. PERK phosphorylation of eIF2 during ER stress represses protein synthesis, which prevents further influx of ER client proteins, along with preferential translation of ATF4, a transcription activator of the integrated stress response. In this study we show that the PERK/eIF2~P/ATF4 pathway is required not only for translational control, but also activation of ATF6 and its target genes. The PERK pathway facilitates both the synthesis of ATF6 and trafficking of ATF6 from the ER to the Golgi for intramembrane proteolysis and activation of ATF6. As a consequence, liver-specific depletion of PERK significantly reduces both the translational and transcriptional phases of the UPR, leading to reduced protein chaperone expression, disruptions of lipid metabolism, and enhanced apoptosis. These findings show that the regulatory networks of the UPR are fully integrated, and helps explain the diverse pathologies associated with loss of PERK.
The eIF2 kinase PERK and the integrated stress response facilitate activation of ATF6 during endoplasmic reticulum stress.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesDisruption of protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum triggers the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), a transcriptional and translational control network designed to restore protein homeostasis. Central to the UPR is PERK phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 (eIF2~P), which represses global translation coincident with preferential translation of mRNAs, such as ATF4 and CHOP, that serve to implement the UPR transcriptional regulation. In this study, we used sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and a genome-wide microarray approach to measure changes in mRNA translation during ER stress. Our analysis suggests that translational efficiencies vary across a broad range during ER stress, with the majority of transcripts being either repressed or resistant to eIF2~P, while a notable cohort of key regulators are subject to preferential translation. From this latter group, we identify IBTKa as being subject to both translation and transcriptional induction during eIF2~P in both cell lines and a mouse model of ER stress. Translational regulation of IBTKalpha mRNA involves the stress-induced relief of two inhibitory uORFs in the 5'-leader of the transcript. Depletion of IBTKalpha by shRNA reduced viability of cultured cells coincident with increased caspase 3/7 cleavage, suggesting that IBTKalpha is a key regulator in determining cell fate during the UPR.
Selective mRNA translation during eIF2 phosphorylation induces expression of IBTKα.
Specimen part
View SamplesChemokines and adhesion molecules upregulated in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) during tissue inflammation are believed to enhance dendritic cell (DC) migration to draining lymph nodes (dLNs), but the in vivo control of this process is not well understood. By performing transcriptional profiling of LECs isolated from murine skin, we found that inflammation induced by a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response upregulated the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and inflammatory chemokines in LECs. Furthermore, lymphatic lineage markers like Prox-1, VEGFR3 and LYVE-1 were significantly downregulated during CHS. By contrast, skin inflammation induced by Complete Freunds adjuvant (CFA) induced a different pattern of chemokine and lymphatic marker gene expression and almost no ICAM-1 up-regulation in LECs. In FITC painting experiments, DC migration to dLNs was more strongly increased in CFA- as compared to CHS-induced inflammation. Interestingly, DC migration did not correlate with the induction of CCL21 and ICAM-1 in LECs. However, the requirement for CCR7 signaling became further pronounced during inflammation, whereas CCR7-independent signals only had a minor role in enhancing DC migration. Collectively, these findings indicate that inflammation-induced DC migration is stimulus-dependent and only moderately enhanced by LEC-induced genes other than CCL21.
Tissue inflammation modulates gene expression of lymphatic endothelial cells and dendritic cell migration in a stimulus-dependent manner.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe HSA21-mES Cell Bank includes, in triplicate clones, thirty-two murine orthologs of HSA21 genes, which can be overexpressed in an inducible manner using the Tet-off system integrated in the Rosa26 locus.
A mouse embryonic stem cell bank for inducible overexpression of human chromosome 21 genes.
Specimen part
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