Biomedical subjects

Roberto J Botelho

Publications and source records attributed to Roberto J Botelho.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Accumulation of diacylglycerol in the Chlamydia inclusion vacuole: possible role in the inhibition of host cell apoptosis.

Intracellular pathogens have developed strategies to survive for extended periods inside their host cells. These include avoidance of host microbicidal effectors, often by sequestration in a protected subcompartment of the host cell. In some cases, the parasites exert also an antiapoptotic effect that prolongs the life of the infected host cell. Chlamydia utilizes both strategies, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Comparatively, little is known regarding the effects that Chlamydia exerts on the metabolism and distribution of the host cell lipids. The expression of fluorescently tagged C1 domains revealed that diacylglycerol is greatly accumulated in the immediate vicinity of Chlamydia inclusion vacuoles. The concentrated diacylglycerol recruits protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta), a proapoptotic effector, to the immediate vicinity of the vacuole. PKCdelta normally exerts its pro-apoptotic effects at the mitochondria and in the nucleus. We speculate that Chlamydia antagonizes the pro-apoptotic effect of PKCdelta by sequestering the enzyme on the inclusion vacuole away from its conventional target sites. Accordingly, we found that the ectopic expression of a catalytic fragment of PKCdelta that cannot be recruited by the vacuole, because it lacks a functional C1 domain, overcame the anti-apoptotic effect of the bacteria. The scavenging of pro-apoptotic factors may provide a novel mechanism whereby pathogens promote their own survival by extending the life of the host cells they infect.

Acetophenones↗

PubMed2005

Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis directs actin remodeling during phagocytosis.

The Rho GTPases play a critical role in initiating actin polymerization during phagocytosis. In contrast, the factors directing the disassembly of F-actin required for fission of the phagocytic vacuole are ill defined. We used fluorescent chimeric proteins to monitor the dynamics of association of actin and active Cdc42 and Rac1 with the forming phagosome. Although actin was found to disappear from the base of the forming phagosome before sealing was complete, Rac1/Cdc42 activity persisted, suggesting that termination of GTPase activity is not the main determinant of actin disassembly. Furthermore, fully internalized phagosomes engineered to associate constitutively with active Rac1 showed little associated F-actin. The disappearance of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P(2)) from the phagosomal membrane closely paralleled the course of actin disassembly. Furthermore, inhibition of PI(4,5)P(2) hydrolysis or increased PI(4,5)P(2) generation by overexpression of phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase I prevented the actin disassembly necessary for the completion of phagocytosis. These observations suggest that hydrolysis of PI(4,5)P(2) dictates the remodeling of actin necessary for completion of phagocytosis.

Actins↗

PubMed2005

The Fab1 phosphatidylinositol kinase pathway in the regulation of vacuole morphology.

Yeast vacuoles are very dynamic structures that must respond to changes in extracellular osmolarity by rapidly altering their size, thereby releasing or taking up water and ions. Further, the need to accommodate a constant biosynthetic influx of membrane and to partition vacuoles during cell division necessitates precise regulation of the size and shape of the vacuole. While it is has been shown that the lipid kinase Fab1p and its product phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate, and not the mitogen-activated protein kinase Hog1p, are central to this regulatory pathway, key effectors still await identification. Atg18p is the most recently identified candidate for a Fab1p effector mediating the largely uncharacterized processes of vesicle fission and membrane recycling at the vacuole.

Intracellular Membranes↗

PubMed2003

Critical role for scaffolding adapter Gab2 in Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis.

Grb2-associated binder 2 (Gab2), a member of the Dos/Gab subfamily scaffolding molecules, plays important roles in regulating the growth, differentiation, and function of many hematopoietic cell types. In this paper, we reveal a novel function of Gab2 in Fcgamma receptor (FcgammaR)-initiated phagocytosis in macrophages. Upon FcgammaR activation, Gab2 becomes tyrosyl phosphorylated and associated with p85, the regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and the protein-tyrosine phosphatidylinositol Shp-2. FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis is severely impaired in bone marrow-derived macrophages from Gab2-/- mice. The defect in phagocytosis correlates with decreased FcgammaR-evoked activation of Akt, a downstream target of PI3K. Using confocal fluorescence microscopy, we find that Gab2 is recruited to the nascent phagosome, where de novo PI3K lipid production occurs. Gab2 recruitment requires the pleckstrin homology domain of Gab2 and is sensitive to treatment with the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. The Grb2 binding site on Gab2 also plays an auxiliary role in recruitment to the phagosome. Because PI3K activity is required for FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis, our results indicate that Gab2 acts as a key component of FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis, most likely by amplifying PI3K signaling in the nascent phagosome.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2002

Felic (CIP4b), a novel binding partner with the Src kinase Lyn and Cdc42, localizes to the phagocytic cup.

Through its Src homology 3 (SH3) and SH2 domains, the Src kinase Lyn interacts with a small number of phosphoproteins, such as Shc, Cbl, and Vav, which regulate cell cycle and the cytoskeleton. Using Lyn's Unique, SH3, and SH2 domains as bait in a yeast 2-hybrid screen, we isolated a novel gene product with features of a scaffolding protein. We named it Felic because it contains a domain homologous to the tyrosine kinase Fes and the cytoskeletal protein ezrin and forms a Lyn interaction with the GTPase Cdc42 (Felic). Felic was expressed in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic tissues. Because it represents an alternative splice product related to the Cdc42-interacting protein 4, CIP4, we also refer to Felic as CIP4b. Felic contains an SH3 recognition site RXPXXP and multiple tyrosine residues. In insulin or serum-stimulated HEK293 cells, Felic became tyrosine phosphorylated. Like CIP4, Felic associated with Cdc42 in its activated form only. Unlike CIP4, Felic does not possess a C-terminal SH3 domain. Coprecipitation studies show that Felic bound to Lyn or activated forms of Cdc42. Overexpression of Felic or CIP4 inhibited NIH 3T3 cell invasiveness in a Matrigel assay. Because Lyn and Cdc42 are involved in phagocytosis, we examined the distribution of Felic in RAW macrophages during particle ingestion. Felic was recruited more efficiently than CIP4 to the phagocytic cups. Altogether, these data suggest that CIP4/Felic constitute a novel family of cytoskeletal scaffolding proteins, integrating Src and Cdc42 pathways. The absence of an SH3 domain in Felic provides a structural basis for functional differences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis stimulates localized pinocytosis in human neutrophils.

Engulfment of IgG-coated particles by neutrophils and macrophages is an essential component of the innate immune response. This process, known as phagocytosis, is triggered by clustering of FcgammaR at sites where leukocytes make contact with the opsonized particles. We found that phagocytosis is accompanied by a burst of fluid phase pinocytosis, which is largely restricted to the immediate vicinity of the phagosomal cup. FcgammaR-induced pinocytosis preceded and appeared to be independent of phagosomal sealing. Accordingly, fluid phase uptake was accentuated by actin depolymerization, which precludes phagocytosis. Stimulation of pinocytosis required phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and was eliminated when changes in the cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration were prevented. Because stimulation of FcgammaR also induces secretion, which is similarly calcium and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase dependent, we studied the possible relationship between these events. Neutrophil fragments devoid of secretory granules (cytoplasts) were prepared by sedimentation through Ficoll gradients. Cytoplasts could perform FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis, which was not accompanied by activation of pinocytosis. This observation suggests that granule exocytosis is required for stimulation of pinocytosis. Analysis of the cytosolic Ca(2+) dependence of secretion and pinocytosis suggests that primary (lysosomal) granule exocytosis is the main determinant of pinocytosis during FcgammaR stimulation. Importantly, primary granules are secreted in a polarized fashion near forming phagosomes. Focal pinocytosis during particle engulfment may contribute to Ag processing and presentation and/or to retrieval of components of the secretory machinery. Alternatively, it may represent an early event in the remodeling of the phagosomal membrane, leading to phagosomal maturation.

Calcium↗

PubMed2002

Phagosome maturation: aging gracefully.

Foreign particles and apoptotic bodies are eliminated from the body by phagocytic leucocytes. The initial stage of the elimination process is the internalization of the particles into a plasma membrane-derived vacuole known as the phagosome. Such nascent phagosomes, however, lack the ability to kill pathogens or to degrade the ingested targets. These properties are acquired during the course of phagosomal maturation, a complex sequence of reactions that result in drastic remodelling of the phagosomal membrane and contents. The determinants and consequences of the fusion and fission reactions that underlie phagosomal maturation are the topic of this review.

Aging↗