PubMed HealthSearch

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Protein Disulfide-Isomerases”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Heavy chain binding protein (BiP/GRP78) and endoplasmin are exported from the endoplasmic reticulum in rat exocrine pancreatic cells, similar to protein disulfide-isomerase.

Previously we found that in rat exocrine pancreatic cells, protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI), one of the major resident proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of many cells, is localized not only in the ER but also in the Golgi apparatus, secretory granules, plasma membranes, and even in the glandular lumens, despite possessing the ER retention signal KDEL (Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu) at the carboxyl terminus. In this report, we examined whether other ER luminal proteins bearing the KDEL signal at their C-termini, such as BiP/GRP78 and endoplasmin/GRP94 are also exported from the ER. We prepared two kinds of affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies; one against a synthetic peptide with 12 amino acids which is identical to the carboxyl terminus of BiP and another against purified endoplasmin. Immunoblot analysis using these two antibodies showed that BiP and endoplasmin exist in both the plasma membrane and the microsomal fractions, similar to the intracellular distribution of PDI in rat exocrine pancreas. The ratios of the amount of the three proteins in the two fractions, however, were variable, suggesting that the KDEL-bearing proteins such as PDI, BiP, and endoplasmin are exported from the ER with different efficiencies. Postembedding protein A-immunogold electron microscopy revealed that endoplasmin was exported from the ER and secreted to the extracellular space. The secretion of PDI in rat pancreatic lobules was inhibited by Brefeldin A (BFA) and by guanidino acid esters (FOY-305), which are known to be the inhibitors of the intracellular transport. Taken together with the previous immunogold electron microscopic analyses by Akagi et al. (1988), it is strongly suggested that in rat exocrine pancreatic cells PDI and the other KDEL-bearing proteins found in the extracellular space were not artificially released by cell damage during incubation but were secreted via the normal secretory pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence

Characterization of the human prolyl 4-hydroxylase tetramer and its multifunctional protein disulfide-isomerase subunit synthesized in a baculovirus expression system.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.11.2), an alpha 2 beta 2 tetramer, catalyzes the posttranslational formation of 4-hydroxyproline in collagens. The enzyme can easily be dissociated into its subunits, but all attempts to associate a tetramer from the dissociated subunits in vitro have been unsuccessful. Molecular cloning of the catalytically important alpha subunit has identified two types of cDNA clone due to mutually exclusive alternative splicing. The beta subunit is a highly unusual multifunctional polypeptide, being identical to the enzyme protein disulfide-isomerase (EC 5.3.4.1). We report here on expression of the alpha and beta subunits of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and a fully active enzyme tetramer in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells by baculovirus vectors. When the beta subunit was expressed alone, the polypeptide produced was found in a 0.1% Triton X-100 extract of the cell homogenate and was a fully active protein disulfide-isomerase. When either form of the alpha subunit was expressed alone, only traces of the alpha subunit could be extracted from the cell homogenate with 0.1% Triton X-100, and 1% SDS was required to obtain efficient solubilization. These alpha subunits had no prolyl 4-hydroxylase activity. When the cells were coinfected with both alpha- and beta-subunit-producing viruses, an enzyme tetramer was formed, but significant amounts of alpha and beta subunits remained unassociated. The recombinant tetramer was indistinguishable from that isolated from vertebrate tissue in terms of its specific activity and kinetic constants for cosubstrates and the peptide substrate. The two alternatively spliced forms of the alpha subunit gave enzyme tetramers with identical catalytic properties. Baculovirus expression seems to be an excellent system for mass production of the enzyme tetramer and for detailed investigation of the mechanisms involved in the association of the monomers.

Amino Acid Sequence

A cellular model of TDP-43 induces phosphorylated TDP-43 aggregation with distinct changes in solubility and autophagy dysregulation.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control, and eventually leads to death. Phosphorylated transactive response DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is the major pathological protein in both sporadic and familial ALS, forming cytoplasmic aggregates in over 95% of cases. Of the 10-15% of ALS cases that are familial, mutations in TDP-43 represent about 5% of those with a family history. We have developed an in vitro overexpression model by introducing three familial ALS mutations (A315T, M337V, and S379P) in the TDP-43 (TARDBP) gene which we define as 3X-TDP-43. This overexpression model TDP-43 shows deficits in autophagy flux and colocalization of TDP-43 with stress granules. We also observe a progressive shift of TDP-43 to the cytoplasm in this model. This overexpression model shows a reduction in solubility of phosphorylated TDP-43 from RIPA to urea soluble. Four glycolytic enzymes, phosphoglycerate kinase one (PGK1), aldolase A (ALDOA), enolase 1 (ENO1), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) show significant time-dependent decreases in 3X-TDP-43 expressing cells. Shotgun proteomic analysis shows global changes in the importin subunit alpha-1 (KPNA2), heat shock 70 kDa protein 1A (HSPA1A), and protein disulfide-isomerase A3 (PDIA3) expression levels and coimmunoprecipitation reveals that these proteins complex with TDP-43. Overall, these results suggest that the 3X-TDP-43 model may provide new insights into pathophysiology and an avenue for drug screening in vitro for those suffering from ALS and related TDP-43 proteinopathies.

Autophagy

Protein degradation by the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-alpha family from rat liver endoplasmic reticulum.

A 60-kDa protein homologous to phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-alpha was purified to apparent homogeneity on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis from the rough endoplasmic reticulum of rat liver through three sequential chromatographies on DEAE Toyopearl 650, AF-heparin Toyopearl 650M, and TSK gel G3000SW. The purified protein was monomeric, with an M(r) of 60,000. Eight types of protein were further separated from the 60-kDa protein and named ER60A-ER60H according to the order of their elution from a TSK gel DEAE-5PW column. They were essentially identical in terms of immunochemical properties and the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence. The partial amino acid sequence of ER60F showed homology to that of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-alpha. ER60A-ER60H showed no phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity. However, ER60A-ER60H catalyzed cleavage of themselves and the endoplasmic reticulum proteins protein disulfide-isomerase and calreticulin. Proteolytic degradation was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate. These results indicate that ER60A-ER60H comprise a group of endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins and show thiol group-related proteolytic activity.

Amino Acid Sequence

Purification and refolding of recombinant human IGF II from silkworms infected with recombinant Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

We have reported that insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) was produced as a fusion protein in Bombyx mori (silkworm) larval bodies infected with recombinant B. mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus [J. Gen. Virol., 68, 2599-2606 (1987)]. In this study, the purification of IGF II from the infected silkworms is reported. The fusion protein was extracted with 6.0 M guanidine-HCl from the infected larval bodies homogenized in water. The use of organic solvents to remove the impurities, such as lipid derived from the larval bodies, was a very effective method of purification. IGF II was released from the partially purified fusion protein by treatment with CNBr, purified by HPLC, and refolded by air-oxidization. Refolded IGF II had an identical primary structure including disulfide bonds and showed identical thymidine uptake stimulation activity with human IGF II. Furthermore, protein disulfide-isomerase was shown to be able to refold scrambled IGF II rapidly.

Amino Acid Sequence

Biomarker identification through spatial proteomics for the characterization of indeterminate thyroid nodules.

PURPOSE: The identification of novel molecular biomarkers may assist in the characterization of indeterminate thyroid nodules, which pose significant diagnostic challenges. Here, we aimed to explore the potential of proteomic analyses to support biomarker discovery in challenging thyroid lesions. METHODS: Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was applied to Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) data from 44 thyroid neoplasms to select the most impactful molecular features for the classification of different tumor histologies, as well as for the distinction between NRAS-mutant (mNRAS) and NRAS-wild-type (wtNRAS) tumors. Relevant peaks were subsequently identified through nanoscale liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS). RESULTS: The LDA selected nine relevant molecular markers distinguishing noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTPs) from other tumor histologies (balanced accuracy = 73%), as well as 19 relevant markers able to identify mNRAS cases (balanced accuracy = 84%). Nine differentially expressed proteins were putatively identified: among them, ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX42 showed a similar distribution between NIFTPs and papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) / follicular variant PTCs (FVPTCs), while the distribution of the Histone H4 signal was similar between NIFTPs and follicular adenomas (FAs). In addition, Protein disulfide-isomerase A1 and Complement C4-B were overexpressed in wtNRAS compared to mNRAS cases, regardless of histology. CONCLUSION: The LDA-selected features enable to distinguish NIFTPs from morphologically similar lesions and to discriminate between mNRAS and wtNRAS cases. The identified markers might complement genetic analyses and provide insights into the distinct pathogenic drivers behind the development of mNRAS compared to wtNRAS lesions.

Humans

The gene for a novel protein, a member of the protein disulphide isomerase/form I phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C family, is amplified in hydroxyurea-resistant cells.

Cell lines selected in multiple steps for increasing resistance to hydroxyurea have been shown to have corresponding increases in ribonucleotide reductase activity. We have isolated a number of cDNA clones from a cDNA library constructed from a highly hydroxyurea-resistant hamster cell line, 600H, in which the activity of ribonucleotide reductase is elevated more than 80-fold. These clones correspond to genomic DNA sequences amplified in the 600H cell line compared with the V79 parental line. One of these cDNA clones, termed P5, codes for a 50 kDa protein detected by in vitro translation of poly(A)+ RNA isolated by hybridization/selection. The cDNA sequence contains a single open reading frame of 1317 nucleotides which encodes a polypeptide of 439 amino acids. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA insert contains two copies of the 11-amino-acid sequence Val-Glu-Phe-Tyr-Ala-Pro-Trp-Cys-Gly-His-Cys. Duplicate copies of this sequence also occur in the active site of rat and human protein disulphide isomerase (also known as the beta-subunit of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase, tri-iodothyronine-binding protein) and in Form I phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C, indicating that P5 falls into this newly defined superfamily of proteins. Genomic sequences similar to the cDNA clone are amplified 10-20-fold in hamster cells selected for resistance to increasing concentrations of hydroxyurea, a phenomenon observed earlier with cDNA clones for the M2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase and ornithine decarboxylase. RNA blots probed with P5 cDNA show two poly(A)+ RNA species which are elevated in hydroxyurea-resistant cells.

Amino Acid Sequence

Defective folding and stable association with protein disulfide isomerase/prolyl hydroxylase of type I procollagen with a deletion in the pro alpha 2(I) chain that preserves the Gly-X-Y repeat pattern.

We have studied the folding, processing, and association with two endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident proteins of the abnormal type I procollagen molecules produced by a strain of fibroblasts harboring a 4.5 kilobase deletion in an allele of COL1A2 (Willing, M. C., Cohn, D.H., Starman, B. Holbrook, K.A., Greenberg, C.R., and Byers, P.H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8398-8404). By sequencing cDNA, we found that the mutant allele encodes pro alpha 2(I) chains that are shortened by 180 amino acids but retain the Gly-X-Y repeat pattern crucial for collagen triple helix formation. The type I procollagen molecules that incorporated the shortened chain were retained intracellularly and were stable. The triple helical domain in these molecules did not attain a normal conformation and remained accessible to posttranslational modifying enzymes amino-terminal to the deletion site for a prolonged period. The abnormal molecules folded into a triple helical conformation more slowly than the normal molecules, and the amino-terminal ends of the pro alpha 1(I) chains failed to become protease-resistant. While the abnormal procollagen molecules were not bound by the ER-resident protein BiP, they stably associated with protein disulfide isomerase, the beta-subunit of prolyl-4-hydroxylase. These results indicate that some mutations in type I collagen genes both transiently delay folding and permanently disrupt the structure of the triple helix and suggest that binding to prolyl-4-hydroxylase helps to retain certain abnormal procollagen molecules within the ER.

Adult

Site-directed mutagenesis of human protein disulphide isomerase: effect on the assembly, activity and endoplasmic reticulum retention of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells.

Protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) is a highly unusual multifunctional polypeptide, identical to the beta-subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase. It has two -Cys-Gly-His-Cys- sequences which represent two independently acting catalytic sites of PDI activity. We report here on the expression in baculovirus vectors of various mutant PDI/beta-subunits together with a wild-type alpha-subunit of the human prolyl 4-hydroxylase alpha 2 beta 2 tetramer in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells. When either one or both of the -Cys-Gly-His-Cys- sequences was converted to -Ser-Gly-His-Cys-, a tetramer was formed as with wild-type PDI/beta-subunit. This tetramer was fully active prolyl 4-hydroxylase. The data demonstrate that PDI activity of the PDI/beta-subunit is not required for tetramer assembly or for the prolyl 4-hydroxylase activity of the tetramer, and thus other sequences of the PDI/beta-subunit may be critical for keeping the alpha-subunits in a catalytically active, non-aggregated conformation. Measurements of the PDI activities of tetramers containing the various mutant PDI/beta-subunits demonstrated that the activity of the wild-type tetramer is almost exclusively due to the C-terminal PDI catalytic sites, which explains the finding that the PDI activity of the PDI/beta-subunit present in the tetramer is about half that in the free polypeptide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

A homologue of the Escherichia coli DsbA protein involved in disulphide bond formation is required for enterotoxin biogenesis in Vibrio cholerae.

A strain of Vibrio cholerae, which had been engineered to express high levels of the non-toxic B subunit (EtxB) of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin, was subjected to transposon (TnphoA) mutagenesis. Two chromosomal TnphoA insertion mutations of the strain were isolated that showed a severe defect in the amount of EtxB produced. The loci disrupted by TnphoA in the two mutant derivatives were cloned and sequenced, and this revealed that the transposon had inserted at different sites in the same gene. The open reading frame of the gene predicts a 200-amino-acid exported protein, with a Cys-X-X-Cys motif characteristic of thioredoxin, protein disulphide isomerase, and DsbA (a periplasmic protein required for disulphide bond formation in E. coli). The V. cholerae protein exhibited 40% identity with the DsbA protein of E. coli, including 90% identity in the region of the active-site motif. Introduction of a plasmid encoding E. coli DsbA into the V. cholerae TnphoA derivatives was found to restore enterotoxin formation, whilst expression of Etx or EtxB in a dsbA mutant of E. coli confirmed that DsbA is required for enterotoxin formation in E. coli. These results suggest that, since each EtxB subunit contains a single intramolecular disulphide bond, a transient intermolecular interaction with DsbA occurs during toxin subunit folding which catalyses formation of the disulphide in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence

Inhibition by acidic phospholipids of protein degradation by ER-60 protease, a novel cysteine protease, of endoplasmic reticulum.

A protein (ER60) with sequence similarity to phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-alpha purified from rat liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) degraded ER resident proteins and is really a protease [(1992) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 15152-15159]. Therefore, ER60 is called ER-60 protease. We now show that negatively charged phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylserine inhibit ER protein degradation by ER-60 protease. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine show no effect on the activity of ER-60 protease. With the use of protease inhibitors, ER-60 protease is shown to be a novel cysteine protease distinct from those of the cytosol and lysosomes.

Amino Acid Sequence

The combined effect of the gene copy number and chaperone overexpression on the recombinant bovine chymosin production in Pichia pastoris, with mutant ADH2 promoter.

Chymosin is an enzyme used to coagulate milk, in the cheese industry. This study aimed to increase recombinant production of the chymosin in Pichia pastoris by determining the optimum copy number and overproduction of a Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PpPDI) chaperon protein. Bos taurus chymosin was expressed under the control of a mutant ADH2 promoter. The clones containing 1-4 gene copy numbers of the chymosin were constructed using the in vitro cloning method, and the effect of chaperone protein on chymosin secretion was investigated. The enzyme production levels are 4, 6.3, 4.5, and 3 IMCU/mL for 1, 2, 3, and 4-copy clones. The secreted chymosin levels increased up to two copies, and increasing the number of copies decreased the secretion level. Therefore, PpPDI was over-expressed in the clones regulated with the ADH2 promoter. The over-expression of PDI gene increased chymosin secretion in clones compared to the counterpart host. However, the highest chymosin level was obtained with C2 (2-copy chymosin containing clone; 6.3 IMCU/mL) and C2P2 (2-copy chymosin/2-copy PDI containing clone; 8.2 IMCU/mL). The maximum production was 39 IMCU/mL with the clone C2P2 in the fermenter scale production. The enzyme activity increased approximately 2-fold by adding two copies of the chaperone protein. The combined effect of gene copy number and chaperone overexpression on chymosin production was investigated. Two copies of the chymosin and PpPDI genes were the optimum among the tested clones.

Animals

Renaturation of a single-chain immunotoxin facilitated by chaperones and protein disulfide isomerase.

B3(Fv)-PE38KDEL, a recombinant immunotoxin, forms inclusion bodies when produced in Escherichia coli. In renaturation experiments, nonspecific aggregation of non-native polypeptide chains, and the formation of incorrect disulfide linkages lead to inactive molecules. To prevent these side reactions, we added molecular chaperones and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) to the refolding buffer. Both DnaK and GroEL/S influenced the reactivation process. GroEL alone inhibited reactivation, but in the presence of ATP, GroEL and GroES significantly increased the yield of active protein. DnaK also increased the yield of properly folded protein and the stimulating effect of DnaK was also observed using immobilized DnaK, which can be used repeatedly without significant loss of activity. PDI, which catalyzes disulfide bridging of proteins, also stimulated reactivation of the immunotoxin. Under optimum conditions, reactivation yields in the presence of PDI were about twice that obtained with nonenzymatic disulfide bond formation. Furthermore, DnaK and PDI were additive when renaturation was performed in the presence of both proteins.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Proinsulin regulators identified with CRISPR screen and in vivo mouse QTL mapping.

Altered proinsulin levels in β-cells and bloodstream are hallmarks of diabetes and other diseases, but our knowledge about the proinsulin regulators remains limited. Here we perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify 84 proinsulin regulators that alter intracellular proinsulin/insulin ratio in a mouse β-cell line. The proinsulin regulators are distinct from the insulin regulators from a previous orthogonal CRISPR screen. Functional annotation of the proinsulin regulators highlights Golgi as the primary organelle for proinsulin storage and regulation. Trafficking towards the Golgi increases the intra-cellular proinsulin/insulin ratio, while trafficking away from the Golgi, including exocytosis and Golgi-to-ER retrograde transport, decreases the intracellular proinsulin levels. We also map mouse quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with plasma proinsulin levels and use the CRISPR screen results to pinpoint the causal genes within the QTL loci. Interestingly, protein disulfide isomerase Pdia6 is the strongest hit from both CRISPR screen and the in vivo QTL mapping. Knocking down Pdia6 significantly reduce proinsulin accumulation in Golgi and secretory granules. Intriguingly, Pdia6-depletion in both human and mouse β-cells does not affect the folding status of proinsulin but causes significantly impaired proinsulin production through a UPR-independent mechanism. Taken together, our genetic profiles provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of proinsulin/insulin homeostasis.

Animals

Quantitative interactome mapping of skeletal muscle insulin resistance.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are dynamic and critical to adaptive homeostasis. While there have been massive efforts to catalogue proteome-wide PPIs, global quantification of changes remains a challenge. Here, we integrate dynamic protein correlation profiling - mass spectrometry (PCP-MS) and quantitative cross linking-mass spectrometry (qXL-MS) using multiplexed stable isotope labelling to characterise global PPI remodelling following the development of chronic skeletal muscle insulin resistance (IR) with or without acute insulin stimulation. We quantify >7,000 unique PPIs amongst 5,346 proteins and show changes in the interactome network dominate the proteome response. Our data show the dysregulation of protein processing in the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum involving changes in PPIs with protein chaperones and disulfide isomerases is a major hallmark of skeletal muscle IR. Mechanistically, we show the dysregulation of PPIs with Protein-Disulfide Isomerase 6 (PDIA6) regulates cysteine oxidation and insulin sensitivity. Taken together, we show in vivo quantitative interactome mapping is a powerful approach to understand disease mechanisms and provide new insights into protein network re-organisations with IR.

Insulin Resistance

Molecular characterization and expression of an alfalfa protein with sequence similarity to mammalian ERp72, a glucose-regulated endoplasmic reticulum protein containing active site sequences of protein disulphide isomerase.

A complementary DNA clone (G1) containing sequence similarity to the mammalian lumenal endoplasmic reticulum protein ERp72 was isolated from an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cDNA library by screening with a cDNA encoding human protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), which contains two thioredoxin-like active site regions which are highly conserved in ERp72. The polypeptide encoded by G1 consists of 364 amino acids, possesses a putative N-terminal secretory signal sequence and two regions, 113 amino acids apart, identical to the active sites of PDI and ERp72. G1 appears to be encoded by a small gene family in alfalfa, whose transcripts are constitutively expressed in all major organs of the plant. In alfalfa cell suspension cultures, G1 transcripts were markedly induced by treatment with tunicamycin, but not in response to calcium ionophore, heat shock or fungal elicitor. A similar expression pattern was observed for transcripts encoded by B2, a recently cloned alfalfa cDNA with strong sequence similarity to PDI. We discuss potential roles of plant proteins resembling vertebrate PDI and ERp72.

Amino Acid Sequence

Early disulfide bond formation prevents heterotypic aggregation of membrane proteins in a cell-free translation system.

We previously demonstrated that a heterotypic complex of the two rat asialoglycoprotein receptor subunits was assembled during cell-free translation (Sawyer, J. T., and D. Doyle. 1990. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 87:4854-4858). We have characterized this system further by analyzing polypeptide interactions under both reducing and oxidizing translation conditions. This report shows that the complex represents a heterogeneous interaction between reduced membrane proteins rather than a specific oligomeric structure. In the reduced state membrane proteins interact in this system to form aggregates of diverse size and composition. The aggregated nascent polypeptides interact with the immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein but this protein is not an integral component of the aggregate. Aggregation occurs via the exoplasmic domain, rather than the transmembrane domain, and the folding of this domain by the formation of intramolecular disulfides, prevents the interaction from occurring. Additionally, the folded molecules containing intramolecular disulfides lack high affinity binding activity and thus appear to resemble the earliest folding intermediates seen in vivo (Olson, J. T., and M. D. Lane. 198. FASEB (Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.) J. 3:1618-1624). These results lead us to suggest that the formation of intramolecular disulfides during early biogenesis serves to prevent nonspecific associations between nascent polypeptides.

Animals

ERP44 Is Associated With Poor Prognosis and Promotes Proliferation and Temozolomide Resistance in Lower-grade Glioma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 44 (ERP44), a protein disulfide isomerase family member, has been implicated in tumor biology, but its role in lower-grade glioma (LGG) remains unclear. This study investigated the prognostic significance and biological function of ERP44 in LGG, focusing on proliferation and temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ERP44 expression, clinicopathological associations, and prognostic value were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) datasets. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Cox regression, and a prognostic nomogram were constructed. Differential expression, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, immune infiltration, and drug sensitivity analyses were performed. Functional validation was conducted in SW1088 and SW1783 cells using shRNA-mediated ERP44 knockdown, followed by RT-qPCR, western blotting, CCK-8, colony formation, and TMZ IC50 assays. Subcutaneous xenograft models with or without TMZ treatment were used for in vivo validation. RESULTS: ERP44 was markedly upregulated in LGG and associated with higher WHO grade, IDH wildtype status, 1p/19q non-codeletion, and poor survival in TCGA and CGGA cohorts. ERP44 showed strong prognostic performance and improved risk stratification in a multivariable nomogram. Enrichment analyses linked high ERP44 expression to immune/inflammatory pathways and reduced neuronal functional signatures. ERP44 positively correlated with immune infiltration, proliferation/stemness markers, and predicted TMZ resistance, while its knockdown inhibited proliferation and colony formation, reduced TMZ IC50, suppressed xenograft growth, enhanced TMZ efficacy, and decreased Ki67 positivity. CONCLUSION: ERP44 is a prognostic biomarker that promotes LGG proliferation and TMZ resistance, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.

Humans