Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 2 (CPEB2) is required for tight-junction assembly for establishment of porcine trophectoderm epithelium (vol 31, pg 412, 2019)
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Kwon, Jeongwoo; Park, Shuha; Seong, Min-Jung; Choi, Inchul; Kim, Nam-Hyung
Abstract
Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein (CPEB) is an RNA-binding protein that promotes elongation of poly(A) tails and regulates mRNA translation. CPEB depletion in mammary epithelium is known to disrupt tight-junction (TJ) assembly via mislocalisation of tight junction protein 1 (TJP1), but the role of CPEB in the biological functions associated with TJs has not yet been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the roles of CPEB2 during porcine parthenote development. CPEB2 was detected in both the nuclei and apical cytoplasm at the 4- and 8-cell stages and was localised to cell-cell contact after the initiation of the morula stage. Its depletion led to retarded blastocyst formation caused by impaired TJ assembly. Moreover, transcription of TJ-associated genes, including TJP1, Coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CXADR) and occludin (OCLN), was not affected, but the corresponding proteins were not properly localised at the apical cell membrane in morulae, suggesting that CPEB2 confers mRNA stability or determines subcellular localisation for translation. Remarkably reduced relative levels of TJP1 transcripts bearing the 3-untranslated region were noted, indicating that CPEB2 mediates TJP1 mRNA stability. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that because of its regulation of TJP1, CPEB2 is required for TJ assembly during porcine blastocyst development.
Protein painting, an optimized MS-based technique, reveals functionally relevant interfaces of the PD-1/PD-L1 complex and the YAP2/ZO-1 complex
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
Authors: Haymond, Amanda; Dey, Douglass; Carter, Rachel; Dailing, Angela; Nara, Vaishnavi; Nara, Pranavi; Venkatayogi, Sravani; Paige, Mikell; Liotta, Lance; Luchini, Alessandra
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions lie at the heart of many biological processes and therefore represent promising drug targets. Despite this opportunity, identification of protein-protein interfaces remains challenging. We have previously developed a method that relies on coating protein surfaces with small-molecule dyes to discriminate between solvent-accessible protein surfaces and hidden interface regions. Dye-bound, solvent-accessible protein regions resist trypsin digestion, whereas hidden interface regions are revealed by denaturation and sequenced by MS. The small-molecule dyes bind promiscuously and with high affinity, but their binding mechanism is unknown. Here, we report on the optimization of a novel dye probe used in protein painting, Fast Blue B + naphthionic acid, and show that its affinity for proteins strongly depends on hydrophobic moieties that we call here hydrophobic clamps. We demonstrate the utility of this probe by sequencing the protein-protein interaction regions between the Hippo pathway protein Yes-associated protein 2 (YAP2) and tight junction protein 1 (TJP1 or ZO-1), uncovering interactions via the known binding domain as well as ZO-1's MAGUK domain and YAP's N-terminal proline-rich domain. Additionally, we demonstrate how residues predicted by protein painting are present exclusively in the complex interface and how these residues may guide the development of peptide inhibitors using a case study of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1). Inhibitors designed around the PD-1/PD-L1 interface regions identified via protein painting effectively disrupted complex formation, with the most potent inhibitor having an IC50 of 5 mu m.