A Conditional Mutation inSCD1Reveals Linkage Between PIN Protein Trafficking, Auxin Transport, Gravitropism, and Lateral Root Initiation
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
Authors: Gibson, Carole L.; Isley, Jonathan W.; Falbel, Tanya G.; Mattox, Cassie T.; Lewis, Daniel R.; Metcalf, Kasee E.; Muday, Gloria K.
Abstract
Auxin is transported in plants with distinct polarity, defined by transport proteins of the PIN-formed (PIN) family. Components of the complex trafficking machinery responsible for polar PIN protein localization have been identified by genetic approaches, but severe developmental phenotypes of trafficking mutants complicate dissection of this pathway. We utilized a temperature sensitive allele ofArabidopsis thaliana SCD1(stomatal cytokinesis defective1) that encodes a RAB-guanine nucleotide exchange factor. Auxin transport, lateral root initiation, asymmetric auxin-induced gene expression after gravitropic reorientation, and differential gravitropic growth were reduced in the roots of thescd1-1mutant relative to wild type at the restrictive temperature of 25 degrees C, but not at the permissive temperature of 18 degrees C. Inscd1-1at 25 degrees C, PIN1- and PIN2-GFP accumulated in endomembrane bodies. Transition of seedlings from 18 to 25 degrees C for as little as 20 min resulted in the accumulation of PIN2-GFP in endomembranes, while gravitropism and root developmental defects were not detected until hours after transition to the non-permissive temperature. The endomembrane compartments that accumulated PIN2-GFP inscd1-1exhibited FM4-64 signal colocalized with ARA7 and ARA6 fluorescent marker proteins, consistent with PIN2 accumulation in the late or multivesicular endosome. These experiments illustrate the power of using a temperature sensitive mutation in the gene encoding SCD1 to study the trafficking of PIN2 between the endosome and the plasma membrane. Using the conditional feature of this mutation, we show that altered trafficking of PIN2 precedes altered auxin transport and defects in gravitropism and lateral root development in this mutant upon transition to the restrictive temperature.
Amsacrine-induced apoptosis of human leukemia U937 cells is mediated by the inhibition of AKT- and ERK-induced stabilization of MCL1
APOPTOSIS
Authors: Lee, Yuan-Chin; Chen, Ying-Jung; Huang, Chia-Hui; Chang, Long-Sen
Abstract
Previous studies have attributed the anticancer activity of amsacrine to its inhibitory effect on topoisomerase II. However, 9-aminoacridine derivatives, which have the same structural scaffold as amsacrine, induce cancer cell apoptosis by altering the expression of BCL2 family proteins. Therefore, in the present study, we assessed whether BCL2 family proteins mediated the cytotoxic effects of amsacrine on human leukemia U937 cells. Amsacrine-induced apoptosis of U937 cells was characterized by caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, mitochondrial depolarization, and MCL1 down-regulation. Amsacrine induced MCL1 down-regulation by decreasing its stability. Further, amsacrine-treated U937 cells showed AKT degradation and Ca2+-mediated ERK inactivation. Blockade of ERK-mediated phosphorylation of MCL1 inhibited the effect of Pin1 on the stabilization of MCL1, and AKT degradation promoted GSK3 beta-mediated degradation of MCL1. Restoration of ERK phosphorylation and AKT expression abrogated amsacrine-induced MCL1 down-regulation. Moreover, MCL1 over-expression inhibited amsacrine-induced depolarization of mitochondria membrane and increased the viability of amsacrine-treated cells. Taken together, our data indicate that amsacrine abolishes ERK- and Pin1-mediated stabilization of MCL1 and promotes GSK3 beta-mediated degradation of MCL1, leading to activate mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway in U937 cells.