Project description:Lysosomes are central platforms for not only the degradation of macromolecules but also the integration of multiple signaling pathways. However, whether and how lysosomes mediate the mitochondrial stress response (MSR) remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that lysosomal acidification via the vacuolar H+-ATPase (v-ATPase) is essential for the transcriptional activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Mitochondrial stress stimulates v-ATPase-mediated lysosomal activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which then directly phosphorylates the MSR transcription factor, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Disruption of mTORC1-dependent ATF4 phosphorylation blocks the UPRmt, but not other similar stress responses, such as the UPRER. Finally, ATF4 phosphorylation downstream of the v-ATPase/mTORC1 signaling is indispensable for sustaining mitochondrial redox homeostasis and protecting cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS)-associated cell death upon mitochondrial stress. Thus, v-ATPase/mTORC1-mediated ATF4 phosphorylation via lysosomes links mitochondrial stress to UPRmt activation and mitochondrial function resilience.
Project description:Lysosomes are central platforms for not only the degradation of macromolecules but also the integration of multiple signaling pathways. However, whether and how lysosomes mediate the mitochondrial stress response (MSR) remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that lysosomal acidification via the vacuolar H+-ATPase (v-ATPase) is essential for the transcriptional activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Mitochondrial stress stimulates v-ATPase-mediated lysosomal activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which then directly phosphorylates the MSR transcription factor, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Disruption of mTORC1-dependent ATF4 phosphorylation blocks the UPRmt, but not other similar stress responses, such as the UPRER. Finally, ATF4 phosphorylation downstream of the v-ATPase/mTORC1 signaling is indispensable for sustaining mitochondrial redox homeostasis and protecting cells from ROS-associated cell death upon mitochondrial stress. Thus, v-ATPase/mTORC1-mediated ATF4 phosphorylation via lysosomes links mitochondrial stress to UPRmt activation and mitochondrial function resilience.
Project description:In response to a variety of upstream growth and oncogenic signals, the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) promotes anabolic metabolism, in part, through activation of downstream transcription factors. The transcription factor activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) has been previously shown to function downstream of mTORC1 signaling to promote de novo purine synthesis and this activation of ATF4 can occur independently of the canonical activation of ATF4 through the integrated stress response (ISR). Here, we show that ATF4 activation through mTORC1 signaling drives a specific transcriptional program through ATF4 which is comprised of only a subset of genes involved in the broader cellular stress response. We find genes involved in amino acid uptake, biosynthesis, and charging by tRNA synthetases display transcriptional changes downstream of both mTORC1 and ATF4. We discovered that ATF4 activation contributes to the mTORC1-stimulated increase in protein synthesis, highlighting the importance of these transcriptional changes. Additionally, we observe regulation of the cystine transporter SLC7A11 by ATF4. We show that SLC7A11 is important for cell survival and is one mechanism by which cells with active mTORC1 signaling produce glutathione. Thus, ATF4 downstream of mTORC1 signaling regulates protein and glutathione synthesis.
Project description:The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a master regulator of cell growth that is commonly deregulated in human diseases. Here we find that mTORC1 controls a transcriptional program encoding amino acid transporters and metabolic enzymes through a mechanism also used to regulate protein synthesis. Bioinformatic analysis of mTORC1-responsive mRNAs identified a promoter element recognized by activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), a key effector of the integrated stress response. ATF4 translation is normally induced by phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) through a mechanism that requires upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in the ATF4 5' UTR. mTORC1 also controls ATF4 translation through uORFs, but independent of changes in eIF2α phosphorylation. mTORC1 instead employs the 4E-binding protein (4E-BP) family of translation repressors. These results link mTORC1-regulated demand for protein synthesis with an ATF4-regulated transcriptional program that controls the supply of amino acids to the translation machinery.
Project description:Cancer cells exploit many of the cellular adaptive responses to support their survival needs. One such critical pathway in eukaryotic cells is the unfolded protein response (UPR) that is important in normal physiology as well as disease states, including cancer. Since UPR can serve as a lever between survival and death, regulated control of its activity is critical for tumor formation and growth although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we show that one of the main transcriptional effectors of UPR, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), is essential for prostate cancer (PCa) growth and survival. To identify ATF4 target genes that mediate the ISR outcome and to get insight into its mechanism of action in PCa, we performed global proteomic expression profiling in parallel with transcriptomic expression profiling. These data show that ATF4 regulates important metabolic pathways in PCa cells.
Project description:ABSTRACT: Furin is a proprotein convertase (PC) responsible for proteolytic activation of a wide array of precursor proteins within the secretory pathway. It maps to the PRC1 locus, a type 2 diabetes susceptibility locus, yet its specific role in pancreatic β cells is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of furin in glucose homeostasis. We show that furin is highly expressed in human islets, while PCs that potentially could provide redundancy are expressed at considerably lower levels. β cell-specific furin knockout (βfurKO) mice are glucose intolerant, due to smaller islets with lower insulin content and abnormal dense core secretory granule morphology. RNA expression analysis and differential proteomics on βfurKO islets revealed activation of Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4), which was mediated by mammalian target of rapamycin C1 (mTORC1). βfurKO cells show impaired cleavage of the accessory V-ATPase subunit Ac45, and by blocking this pump in β cells the mTORC1 pathway is activated. Furthermore, βfurKO cells show lack of insulin receptor cleavage and impaired response to insulin. Taken together, these results suggest a model of mTORC1-ATF4 hyperactivation in β cells lacking furin, which causes β cell dysfunction. METHOD: Data obtained for the β cell specific knockout (RIP-Cre+/- furin flox/flox) and control (furin flox/flox) samples were compared to investigate the effect of furin loss on the mRNA profile of islets. Although this method does not directly provide furin targets, the notion of differential gene expression might elucidate affected cellular processes, potentially leading to upstream furin substrates.
Project description:The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a set of important pathways important for maintaining endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that the UPR plays an important role in chemo-resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We previously found that the PERK pathway, one of three branches of the UPR pathway, is crucial for the resistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to 5-fluorouracil. In this study, we demonstrated that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), the key downstream factor of the PERK pathway, is overexpressed in human CRCs and associated with a poor prognosis. Loss of ATF4 sensitized CRC cells to multiple chemotherapy drugs. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the TNF-α signaling pathway was significantly induced upon chemotherapy drug treatment while repressed by ATF4-knockdown. Addition of TNF-α can further potentiate the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs to ATF4-knockdown cells, highlighting a potential role of the TNF-α signaling pathway in regulating the ATF4-mediated drug sensitivity modulation. In summary, our findings provide a promising approach to overcoming chemotherapy resistance in colon cancer.
Project description:Differentiation is critical for epithelial cell fate decisions, but the signals involved remain unclear. The kidney proximal tubule (PT) cells reabsorb disulphide-rich proteins through endocytosis, generating cystine via lysosomal proteolysis. Here we report that defective cystine mobilization from lysosomes through cystinosin (CTNS), which is mutated in cystinosis, diverts PT cells towards growth and proliferation, disrupting their functions. Mechanistically, lysosomal cystine storage stimulates Ragulator-Rag GTPase-dependent recruitment of mechanistic target of Rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and its constitutive activation. Re-introduction of CTNS restores nutrient-dependent regulation of mTORC1 in knockout cells, whereas cell-permeant analogues of L-cystine, accumulating within lysosomes, render wild-type cells resistant to nutrient withdrawal. Therapeutic mTORC1 inhibition corrects lysosome and differentiation downstream of cystine storage, and phenotypes in a zebrafish model of cystinosis. Thus, cystine serves as a lysosomal signal that tailors mTORC1 signaling and metabolism to direct epithelial cell fate decisions. These results identify mechanisms and therapeutic targets for dysregulated homeostasis in cystinosis.