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Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2002, p. 4750-4759, Vol. 22, No. 13
0270-7306/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.22.13.4750-4759.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Thoracic Diseases Research Unit and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
Received 2 October 2001/ Returned for modification 8 November 2001/ Accepted 18 March 2002
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Although the series of events leading to activation and inactivation of various components in TGF-ß receptor (TGF-ßR) signaling have been documented in detail, the endocytic aspect of this receptor system has been explored to a lesser degree. This is in contrast to other receptor systems, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor or G protein-coupled receptors, where specific mechanisms controlling receptor endocytosis and trafficking have been well defined (4, 5, 17, 22). The lack of endocytic studies on TGF-ßRs is in part due to the relatively low number of TGF-ßRs on the cell surface and a high degree of nonspecific binding. More importantly, both heteromeric (type I/type II) and homomeric (type I/type I or type II/type II) combinations of type I and type II receptors can occur on the cell surface capable of binding ligand (11), but only the heteromers are signaling competent (3, 9, 18, 23). As such, we designed chimeric receptors capable of addressing the specific contributions of various receptor combinations to the overall endocytic and signaling response. These receptors consist of the extracellular ligand binding domain of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)
or ß receptor fused to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of the type I or type II TGF-ßR. The addition of GM-CSF results in dimerization of the
and ß subunits and the formation of defined type I and/or type II TGF-ßR cytoplasmic domain interactions. The chimeric receptors have been shown to have the identical signaling activity as native TGF-ßRs in mesenchymal (AKR-2B) and epithelial (Mv1Lu) cells (3, 9).
Although ligand-mediated signaling can be regulated at many levels, endocytic and trafficking studies have led to the development of at least two general models describing the role of receptor endocytosis in signaling. The first suggests that endocytic activity is primarily a mechanism for dampening the signal; the signaling pathways initiated by these receptor systems are enhanced and/or unaffected by inhibiting endocytosis or retaining the receptors at the cell surface (5, 8, 15, 17, 34). An alternative model indicates that receptor endocytosis is needed to promote the association of activated receptors with various signaling intermediaries (5, 7, 8, 17, 41). In these receptor systems, inhibition of endocytosis prevents ligand-dependent signaling. Although aspects of both models have been reported for tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptors (17), it is currently unknown whether TGF-ßR signaling occurs at the plasma membrane and/or in an endosomal compartment. In that regard, a potential endocytic component to TGF-ß signaling was suggested in a recent study linking the FYVE-domain protein SARA (for Smad anchor for receptor activation) to activation of the TGF-ß/Smad pathway (31). SARA functions to recruit Smad2 or Smad3 to the activated type I receptor via membrane binding of PtdIns(3)P. Although FYVE-domain proteins have been implicated in various aspects of membrane trafficking (28), an endocytic role for SARA or the subcellular location of Smad2 phosphorylation has not been defined.
The objectives of the present study were to examine (i) the relationship between TGF-ßR endocytosis and the formation of the activated receptor complex and (ii) the endocytic locale(s) where TGF-ß signaling is initiated and/or extended. Our observations support the hypothesis that TGF-ß signaling, monitored by Smad2 and Smad3 activation and subsequently by 3TP-Lux activity, occurs in an intracellular compartment distal to the locale(s) for type I receptor phosphorylation and SARA association. As such, the formation of a receptor/Smad/SARA complex, in itself, is not sufficient for Smad signaling but requires the engagement of the endocytic machinery subsequent to coated vesicle formation.
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Smad2-P immunoblots. To detect phosphorylated Smad2 (Smad2-P) in vivo, cultures in 0.2% fetal bovine serum (FBS)-Dulbeccos modified Eagle medium (DME) were stimulated with either 10 ng of GM-CSF/ml to activate the chimeric receptors or 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml to activate the endogenous receptors. After ligand treatment, cellular lysates (50 mM Tris [pH 7.4], 1% NP-40, 0.25% sodium deoxycholate, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM EGTA, 1 mM Na3VO4, 1x Complete protease inhibitor [Boehringer]) were probed with a phospho-specific Smad2 antibody, stripped, and tested for total Smad2 (both from Upstate Biotechnology). Each experiment was done at least three times, and representative blots were chosen. To examine the levels of Smad2-P in the absence of endocytic activity, cells were treated with ligand at 4°C for 30 min and then transferred to the indicated treatment prior to lysis.
In vitro Smad phosphorylation.
The protocol of Wells et al. (35) was followed. Cos-7 cells were transiently cotransfected with hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged type I (wild type or K232R mutant) and type II TGF-ßRs. At 24 h posttransfection, the cells were left untreated or incubated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml in 0.2% FBS at 16°C for 1 h. Cells were lysed, normalized for transfection, incubated with 3 µg of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Smad2, and precipitated with 25 µl of glutathione-Sepharose 4B (Pharmacia) at 4°C. The resin was washed three times with lysis buffer, once with kinase buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl [pH 7.5], 50 mM NaCl, 12 mM MgCl2, 5 mM dithiothreitol), and then suspended in 40 µl of kinase buffer. The kinase reaction was initiated by addition of 50 µCi of [
-32P]ATP at the indicated temperatures for 30 min, followed by washing with ice-cold cell lysis buffer. Samples were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and autoradiography. A portion of the lysate was analyzed for receptor expression (data not shown).
In vivo type I receptor phosphorylation. Cos-7 cells were transiently cotransfected with HA-tagged type I and His-tagged type II TGF-ßRs and a plasmid expressing ß-galactosidase by using Fugene 6 (Boehringer). At 36 h posttransfection, cells were treated with phosphate-free medium for 2 h and then with fresh phosphate-free medium containing 0.5 mCi of 32P-labeled inorganic phosphate/ml for an additional 2 h. Ligand at 10 ng/ml was added to chilled cells for 30 min. The cells were either left at 4°C or transferred to the indicated temperatures for an additional 20 min. Normalized lysates were incubated at 4°C with His-Bind resin (Novagen) overnight, and the receptor complexes were eluted in buffer containing 350 mM imidazole (38). The HA-tagged type I receptor was isolated from the eluted complex by immunoprecipitation with the 12CA5 monoclonal antibody (Boehringer), and a nonradioactive aliquot was subjected to HA-Western analysis to establish equal receptor expression.
Experiments with dominant-negative dynamin 2ab were conducted in a similar manner with R1B cells (an Mv1Lu clone lacking the type I TGF-ßR) initially seeded at 1.8 x 106 cells/100-mm dish in 10% FBS-DME (see Fig. 5). After 24 h of incubation, 15 µg of HA-tagged type I TGF-ßR was transfected by using Fugene 6 with 45 µg of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged wild-type or K44A mutant dynamin 2ab. At 48 h posttransfection, cells were ligand treated and pulsed with radioactivity as described above. Cultures were lysed in radioimmunoprecipitation assay buffer (50 mM Tris, pH 8.0; 1% Triton X-100; 1% deoxycholate; 0.1% SDS; 1x phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]; 50 mM NaF; 0.1 mM sodium vanadate; 1.48 mg of iodoacetamide/ml; 1x Complete protease inhibitor), and the phosphorylated receptor was detected by SDS-PAGE after overnight incubation with anti-HA affinity matrix (Roche) and an extensive wash with radioimmunoprecipitation assay buffer. To document equal receptor and dynamin expression, parallel nonradioactive plates were subjected to type I receptor (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) and GFP-dynamin (Roche) Western analysis.
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FIG. 5. Dominant-negative dynamin 2ab functions downstream of type I TGF-ßR phosphorylation. R1B cells were transiently transfected with the native HA-tagged type I TGF-ßR (TGFß-RI) and either GFP-tagged wild-type (Dyn Wt) or dominant-negative (Dyn KA) dynamin 2ab isoforms. (Top) After in vivo labeling with 32P, cells were treated as indicated with 15 ng of TGF-ß/ml for 25 min. Normalized protein lysates were immunoprecipitated by using anti-HA affinity matrix and processed as described in Material and Methods. (Middle and bottom) Parallel plates were treated identically to those in the top panel but without orthophosphate labeling to verify transfected dynamin (middle panel) and type I receptor (bottom panel) expression. Equivalent protein lysates were processed for Western blotting with antisera to GFP (Dyn-GFP) or the type I TGF-ßR (TIR).
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Smad3 nuclear translocation. Nuclear protein fractions were extracted from control and internalization inhibited cells by using the NE-PER reagents (Pierce). Normalized samples were blotted on a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane and probed with a Smad3 (Zymed Laboratories) or Smad2-specific antibody (Upstate Biotechnology). To detect Smad3 by immunofluorescence, MB102-9 cells expressing native and chimeric TGF-ß receptors were seeded in six-well plates containing circular glass coverslips at 105 cells/well and incubated overnight. After treatment with or without potassium depletion and after a 20-min treatment at 37°C with or without ligand (10 ng of GM-CSF or TGF-ß/ml), cells were rinsed once in PBS and then fixed in 2.5% paraformaldehyde (PBS, pH 7.4) for 20 min at room temperature. Cells were permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 for 2 min at room temperature, washed four times in PBS for 3 min each time, and then blocked for 45 min at 37° in blocking buffer (5% FBS, 5% glycerol, PBS [pH 7.2]). Rabbit anti-Smad3 (Zymed) diluted to 2 µg/ml in blocking buffer was added for 45 min at 37°C, followed by three 10-min washes in PBS. Texas red-conjugated goat anti-rabbit (Molecular Probes) was diluted 1:400 in blocking buffer and incubated for 45 min at room temperature. After three 10-min PBS washes, coverslips were washed in water and mounted with Prolong (Molecular Probes). Images were acquired by using an Olympus AX-70 fluorescence microscope and analyzed by using Metamorph (Universal Imaging Corp., West Chester, Pa.).
Luciferase assays. R1B cells were plated in six-well dishes at 3 x 105/well prior to transfection. Then, 2 µg of 3TP-Lux, 0.5 µg of cytomegalovirus-ß-galactosidase, 2 µg of HA-tagged type I native receptor, and either 6 µg of pCMV5 vector DNA or GFP-tagged wild-type or dominant-negative K44A mutant dynamin 2ab isoforms were transfected/well with Fugene 6 (Boehringer). After transfection (6 h), cells were allowed to recover overnight in 10% FBS-DME and made quiescent by incubation in serum-free DME for 24 h. Cultures were left untreated or stimulated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml and then assayed for luciferase activity as described previously (3). Parallel lysates (100 µg) were immunoblotted with an anti-GFP antibody (Boehringer Mannheim) or HA-antibody (Boehringer Mannheim) to confirm transfected dynamin and type I receptor expression, respectively.
Receptor cross-linking and SARA association. Cos-7 cells were serum starved and transfected with HA-tagged type I and/or type II receptors, myc-tagged Smad2, and Flag-tagged SARA. At 12 h posttransfection, 200 pM 125I-labeled TGF-ß (NEN) was bound to control or treated cultures at 4°C for 30 min and then kept at the indicated temperatures for 30 min. To inhibit internalization via potassium depletion, cells were K+ depleted and then treated with 200 pM 125I-labeled TGF-ß. The ligand-receptor complexes were affinity cross-linked at 4°C with 1 mM DSS (Pierce), lysed (31), and coimmunoprecipitated either with SARA by using the anti-Flag M2 affinity gel (Sigma) or with Smad2 by using anti-myc antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology).
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FIG. 1. Effect of temperature on TGF-ßR internalization and Smad2 phosphorylation. (A) Internalization of 125I-labeled GM-CSF through chimeric TGF-ßRs was performed in MB102-9 cells (an Mv1Lu clone stably expressing chimeric and endogenous TGF-ßRs) at the indicated temperatures. The ratio of internalized to surface bound ligand was determined at 30 min as described previously (36). The results represent the mean ± the standard error of the mean (SEM) of three different experiments performed in duplicate. (B) Serum-starved MB102-9 cells were either left untreated (lanes O) or were treated with 10 ng of GM-CSF (lanes G; activates the chimeric receptors) or TGF-ß (lanes B; activates the native receptors)/ml for 30 min at the indicated temperatures. Lysates were prepared from parallel plates, and equivalent protein (100 µg) was immunoblotted with a phospho-specific Smad2 antibody. The blot was stripped and probed with an antibody to Smad2 (lower panel) to confirm equal loading. (C) Type I receptor kinase activity is functional at temperatures where in vivo Smad2 phosphorylation does not occur. In the upper panel, Cos-7 cells were transiently cotransfected with native HA-tagged type I (wild-type or K232R mutant) and type II TGF-ßRs. At 24 h posttransfection the cells were left untreated or incubated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml in 0.2% FBS at 16°C for 1 h. Cells were lysed, normalized for transfection, and incubated with 3 µg of GST-Smad2, and then Smad2 phosphorylation was determined in vitro as described in Materials and Methods. In the lower panel, the bands in the upper panel were quantified by NIH Image software, and the fold ligand induction for the indicated temperature was determined. (D) In vivo TGF-ßR phosphorylation occurs at lower temperatures. In the top panel, Cos-7 cells were transiently cotransfected with native HA-tagged type I and type II TGF-ßRs. Cells were either left untreated (lanes 0) or were stimulated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml (lanes B) for 20 min at the indicated temperatures to assay the in vivo phosphorylation state of the endogenous type I receptor (TIR-P). Lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation (after normalization for transfection) and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, followed by autoradiography. In the lower panel, the bands in panel A were quantified, and the fold ligand induction was determined. (E) Quantitation of the data shown in panels A to D. The responses observed at 37°C (in panels A, B, and D) or 30°C (in panel C) were considered as 100% and compared to that seen at lower temperatures.
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Type I receptor phosphorylation occurs independent of internalization. The type II receptor, a constitutively active kinase, phosphorylates the type I receptor in the juxtamembrane GS domain (6, 37, 38). Since type I receptor phosphorylation is one of the most proximal events known to regulate receptor signaling, we sought to determine the endocytic requirement(s) for type I receptor activation. To accomplish this, Cos-7 cells were transiently transfected with native type I and type II TGF-ß receptors, and the phosphorylation state of the type I receptor in vivo was determined at 37°C and at temperatures previously established to inhibit receptor internalization (16 and 21°C) (Fig. 1A). A twofold ligand-dependent increase in type I receptor phosphorylation was observed at all temperatures irrespective of whether internalization occurred (Fig. 1A and D). A comparison of the temperature requirement for in vitro Smad2 phosphorylation with that required for in vivo Smad2 and type I receptor phosphorylation is shown in Fig. 1E. Although in vitro Smad2 phosphorylation and in vivo type I receptor phosphorylation are relatively constant at the different temperatures, indicating functional type I and type II TGF-ßR kinase activity independent of receptor internalization, Smad2 phosphorylation in vivo is essentially absent at temperatures where receptor internalization is impaired.
Clathrin-coated pit formation is required for Smad2 phosphorylation. Previous work from our laboratory has established that TGF-ßRs are endocytosed primarily via a clathrin-dependent pathway(s) (1). Since potassium depletion combined with hypotonic shock has been shown to specifically inhibit clathrin-coated pit uptake of various receptor systems (14, 16, 24, 26), we examined the effect of inhibiting clathrin-mediated endocytosis via potassium depletion on TGF-ßR signaling. As shown in Fig. 2A, potassium depletion, which prevents clathrin lattice formation (16, 27), inhibits the internalization of chimeric TGF-ßRs expressed on Mv1Lu cells (clone MB102-9). Parallel plates were treated in an identical manner (-K and +K) and analyzed for Smad2 phosphorylation. As shown in Fig. 2B and C, Smad2 phosphorylation by chimeric and native TGF-ßRs, respectively, mimicked the observed internalization pattern and was significantly reduced in -K cells versus +K cells. Quantification after normalization for total Smad2 (Fig. 2B and C, lower panel) showed an approximate 75 to 80% inhibition of Smad2-P in the absence of potassium. This observation demonstrates that when clathrin-dependent internalization is prevented, there is a coincident loss in the ability of native or chimeric TGF-ßRs to activate Smad2.
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FIG. 2. Effect of potassium depletion on TGF-ßR internalization and/or Smad2 phosphorylation. (A) Internalization of 125I-labeled GM-CSF through the chimeric TGF-ßRs was performed in MB102-9 cells in the absence ( ) or presence ( ) of potassium. At the indicated times, the ratio of internalized to surface bound ligand was determined. The results represent the mean ± the SEM of three experiments done in duplicate. (B and C) At the top, serum-starved MB102-9 cells were left untreated (lanes 0) or were treated with 10 ng of GM-CSF/ml (B) (to activate chimeric TGF-ßRs) or 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml (C) (to activate endogenous TGF-ßRs) for the indicated times. Immunoblotting with a phospho-specific Smad2 antibody was performed with equivalent protein lysates (100 µg) prepared from parallel plates treated with (+K) or without (-K) potassium as in panel A. The blot was stripped and probed with Smad2 antibody to confirm equal loading (lower half). In the bottom portions of panels B and C, the amount of Smad2-P relative to total Smad2 observed at the indicated time of ligand stimulation was quantified. The ratio obtained for the -K treatment was given the relative value of 1.0.
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FIG. 3. Smad2 and Smad3 nuclear translocation requires receptor internalization. (A) MB102-9 cells were left untreated (lanes 0) or were treated with 10 ng of GM-CSF/ml (lanes G) or 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml (lanes B) with (+K) or without (-K) potassium at 37°C to activate chimeric or endogenous TGF-ßRs, respectively. Nuclear fractions were analyzed by immunoblotting with a Smad2 (top) and Smad3 (bottom) antibody. (B) Cells with (i, iii, and v) or without (ii, iv, and vi) potassium were left untreated (i and ii), treated with 10 ng of GM-CSF/ml (iii and iv) to examine the response to chimeric TGF-ßR activation, or treated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml (v and vi) to examine the response to endogenous TGF-ßR activation for 20 min at 37°C. Smad3 was visualized by immunofluorescence as described in Materials and Methods.
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FIG. 4. Dominant-negative dynamin 2ab inhibits Smad2 phosphorylation and TGF-ß transcriptional activity. (A) Effect of dominant-negative dynamin 2ab on TGF-ß-stimulated Smad2 phosphorylation. R1B cells (an Mv1Lu clone lacking the type I TGF-ßR) were transiently transfected with the type I TGF-ßR and GFP-tagged wild type or mutant (K44A) dynamin 2ab. Cultures were left untreated (lanes 0) or stimulated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml for 1 h at 37°C. After normalization for transfection efficiency, equivalent protein (500 µg) was probed with a phospho-specific Smad2 antibody (Smad2P), Smad2 antibody (Smad2), or GFP antibody (GFP-Dynamin). (B) Dynamin regulates TGF-ß-stimulated 3TP-Lux transcription. R1B cells were cotransfected with HA-tagged native type I receptor, 3TP-Lux, cytomegalovirus-ß-galactosidase, and either pCMV5 vector (mock) DNA or GFP-tagged wild-type (WT) or dominant-negative K44A mutant dynamin 2ab isoforms. Cells were left untreated or were stimulated with 10 ng of TGF-ß/ml for 24 h. The fold ligand induction in vector (mock)-transfected cells was assigned a value of 100%, and the effect of wild-type or K44A dynamin 2ab transfection is shown as the percentage of mock induction and represents the mean ± the SEM of two separate experiments performed in duplicate. In the lower panel, parallel lysates were immunoblotted with a GFP antibody to confirm the expression of transfected GFP-tagged wild type (WT) or dominant-negative dynamin 2ab (K44A) in untreated (lanes O) or TGF-ß-stimulated (lanes B) cultures.
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Dynamin 2ab functions downstream of type I receptor activation. We previously showed that, while internalization and in vivo Smad2 phosphorylation are inhibited by incubation at 16 or 21°C, type I receptor phosphorylation occurs similarly as at 37°C (Fig. 1A, B, and D). Although these results indicate that receptor phosphorylation does not depend upon endocytic activity, we wanted to determine whether the inhibitory effect on Smad signaling by dominant-negative dynamin 2ab (Fig. 4) would function through an analogous mechanism. R1B cells were transfected with the type I TGF-ßR and either wild-type or dominant-negative dynamin 2ab, and the effect of TGF-ß on type I receptor phosphorylation was determined. Ligand-dependent type I receptor phosphorylation was similar in cells transfected with either dynamin isoform (Fig. 5). Thus, the formation and activation of the TGF-ßR complex is not sufficient for Smad signaling; an activity(s) downstream of dynamin 2ab function is also required.
Association of SARA, Smad2, and the TGF-ßR complex is not sufficient for receptor signaling. SARA is a FYVE-finger protein that interacts with and presents Smad2 to the TGF-ßR complex (31). Immunofluorescence profiles have demonstrated SARA and the receptors colocalize at the plasma membrane and to punctate subcellular domains (presumably endosomes) (28, 31). A possible explanation for our data (i.e., requirement for receptor endocytosis in Smad activation) might be that internalization facilitates the interaction between TGF-ßRs and the SARA/Smad complex. Since kinase-impaired type I receptors have been reported to show enhanced SARA binding (31), Cos-7 cells were cotransfected with HA-tagged type II and the kinase-deficient type I receptors (K232R), Flag-SARA, and myc-Smad2. The receptors expressed on the cell surface were bound to 125I-labeled TGF-ß at 4°C, internalized at 37°C (or retained at the surface by inhibiting endocytosis), and cross-linked to the radioactive ligand by using the cell-permeable cross-linker disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS). If internalization was an obligate prerequisite for receptors to associate with the Smad/SARA complex, then it should not be possible to immunoprecipitate TGF-ßRs with SARA or Smad2 in the absence of endocytosis. However, as shown in Fig. 6, TGF-ßRs coimmunoprecipitate with SARA under conditions in which internalization is inhibited by either decreased temperature (4 and 16°C; Fig. 6A), potassium depletion (Fig. 6B), or use of a kinase-inactive type II receptor at 16°C (Fig. 6C, lane 3). In order to determine whether Smad2 is also associated with the receptor complex in the absence of internalization, TGF-ßRs were coimmunoprecipitated with Smad2 after 16°C incubation. As shown in Fig. 6C (lane 4), Smad2 is similarly associated with the receptor complex.
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FIG. 6. Interaction of SARA with receptor complexes in the absence of receptor internalization. (A) Cos-7 cells were transiently cotransfected with native kinase-impaired (K232R) type I and wild-type type II receptors, Flag-tagged SARA, and myc-tagged Smad2. Chilled cells were treated with 125I-labeled TGF-ß for 30 min at 4°C, transferred to the indicated temperatures for 30 min, and cross-linked (at 4°C) as described in Materials and Methods. Lysates were immunoprecipitated with anti-Flag affinity matrix, and coprecipitating receptor-ligand complexes were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. (B) Cos-7 cells were transiently transfected as described for panel A. Cells with (+K) and without (-K) potassium were treated with 125I-labeled TGF-ß at 37°C for 30 min. After cross-linking and anti-Flag immunoprecipitation, the complexes were visualized as described for panel A. (C) Cos-7 cells were transiently transfected with Flag-tagged SARA, myc-tagged Smad2, and various native TGF-ßR combinations as follows: lane 1, wild-type type I and type II receptors; lanes 2 and 4, kinase-impaired (K232R) type I and wild-type type II receptors; lane 3, kinase-impaired (K277R) type II receptor alone. Serum-starved cells were treated with 125I-labeled TGF-ß at 16°C, and the receptors were affinity labeled as described for panel A. Lysates were immunoprecipitated with either anti-Flag affinity resin (lanes 1 to 3) or anti-myc (lane 4) to visualize the receptor complex coprecipitating with SARA or Smad2, respectively. (D) For lane 1, equivalent lysates from Cos-7 cells transfected with native type I and type II receptors (cross-linked to 125I-labeled TGF-ß as described for panel A) or Flag-SARA and myc-Smad2 were mixed in vitro and subjected to immunoprecipitation with anti-Flag affinity matrix. For lane 2, cells were treated and receptors were coimmunoprecipitated exactly as described for panel A. For lane 3, Cos-7 cells were transfected with type I and II receptors, myc-Smad2, and cross-linked with 125I-labeled TGF-ß as described for panel A. Lysates were prepared and immunoprecipitated with anti-Flag resin. For lane 4, Cos-7 cells were transfected as for panel A and subjected to immunoprecipitation with control beads alone.
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Endocytic requirement for TGF-ß activation of the Smad pathway. Based on our observations, we propose a model depicting defined events in TGF-ßR activation of the Smad pathway (Fig. 7). Ligand binding induces the association of phosphorylated type I and type II TGF-ßRs with SARA and Smad2 (or presumably Smad3) at the plasma membrane in the absence of internalization (steps 1 to 3). A coated pit is then formed with the associated receptor complex (step 4). Phosphorylation (step 5) and separation-nuclear translocation (step 6) of Smad2 or Smad3 do not occur until dynamin has excised the budded vesicle from the plasma membrane. Although ligand is shown bound to the TGF-ßR complex throughout, our current observations do not address the status of ligand association or dissociation after internalization.
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FIG. 7. Endocytic requirement for TGF-ß activation of the Smad pathway. A model depicting defined events in TGF-ßR activation and Smad2 phosphorylation is shown. Steps 1 to 3 reflect ligand binding inducing the association of phosphorylated type I and type II TGF-ßRs with SARA and Smad2 at the plasma membrane (i.e., occurs in the absence of internalization). Step 4 depicts the formation of a coated pit with the associated receptor complex. Phosphorylation (step 5) and separation and/or nuclear translocation (step 6) of Smad2 (or Smad3) does not occur until dynamin has excised the budded vesicle from the plasma membrane. Although ligand is shown bound to the TGF-ßR complex throughout, our data do not address the relationship of ligand dissociation and/or degradation to Smad activation.
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The relationship between receptor endocytic activity and the subsequent signaling response is a concept requiring greater investigation (5, 8, 17). In the TGF-ßR system, it is currently unknown whether TGF-ß signaling occurs entirely at the plasma membrane, in an early and/or late endosomal compartment, or all three, depending upon the particular signaling pathway or cell type being examined. Moreover, since the signaling response actually represents a number of discrete events, the possibility that distinct activities occur at defined locales within a particular pathway would also have to be considered. To this end, we directly addressed the question of endosomal signaling and examined whether ligand-induced receptor internalization would influence the most proximal events necessary for generating an active TGF-ßR complex. Successive steps required for optimal internalization were blocked by using inhibitors that function through various mechanisms, and the effect on TGF-ß signaling was determined. Our results demonstrated internalization-dependent and -independent components to TGF-ßR signaling. For instance, while type I receptor phosphorylation by the type II receptor and association of the ligand-activated TGF-ßR complex with Smad2 and SARA did not require receptor endocytosis (Fig. 1D, 5, and 6), Smad2 phosphorylation and Smad3 nuclear translocation were inhibited by lower temperatures and potassium depletion (Fig. 1B, 2, and 3). Although these studies illustrate a requirement for clathrin lattice formation, they do not differentiate whether Smad phosphorylation only requires the formation of a coated pit or whether an endocytic vesicle (i.e., excised from the plasma membrane) is needed. For this reason, we examined Smad2 phosphorylation in cells expressing dominant-negative dynamin 2ab since dynamin has been shown to be necessary for vesicle scission (29). As shown in Fig. 4 and 5, dominant-negative dynamin 2ab prevented Smad phosphorylation and TGF-ß-stimulated 3TP-Lux activity but had no effect on type I receptor phosphorylation. Thus, while type I receptor recruitment and activation occurs proximal to clathrin lattice formation, our data are consistent with a model wherein Smad phosphorylation occurs predominantly in a compartment formed after scission of clathrin-coated pits.
SARA has been shown to recruit Smad2 or Smad3 to activated TGF-ß receptors (31). Since our findings demonstrated an obligate endocytic requirement for optimal TGF-ß signaling (Fig. 1 to 4), we sought to determine whether this might be due to the absence of a SARA/Smad/receptor complex forming when internalization was inhibited. Surprisingly, our data show that SARA and Smad2 associate with the receptors independent of receptor internalization (Fig. 6). As such, assembly of the complex at the plasma membrane, in itself, is not sufficient for Smad activation. One scenario to explain this observation may be that the SARA/Smad/receptor complex undergoes some conformational change in the more acidic endosomal environment (after internalization) which facilitates Smad phosphorylation. Alternatively, there may be additional proteins or factors that associate with the complex in an internalization-dependent manner required for Smad activation. A model is presented in Fig. 7 that depicts the interrelationship between the cellular endocytic and signaling machinery for TGF-ß activation of the Smad pathway.
It has been suggested that distinct signaling responses can occur at various steps in the internalization process. For example, tumor necrosis factor generates ceramide in the plasma membrane to activate serine/threonine protein kinases and phospholipase A2; however, ceramide generated in the endosome directs the activation of NF-
B (33). In a complex system such as TGF-ß it is reasonable to speculate that some signaling pathways are entirely initiated at the plasma membrane and have no endosomal component to them, whereas others require some form of vesicular trafficking. It is also possible that components of both plasma membrane and endosomes (early, late, or recycling) contribute to signal diversity depending on the pathway and/or the cell type. We provide evidence here for both plasma membrane and endosomal components controlling defined events in TGF-ß signal transduction. Defining this relationship may be crucial for understanding the biological actions of TGF-ß in various cell types since previous studies from our laboratory indicated that endocytic responses in epithelial (growth inhibited by TGF-ß) and mesenchymal (growth stimulated by TGF-ß) cells were differentially regulated (1, 9).
This work was supported by Public Health Service grants GM54200 and GM55816 from the National Institute of General Medical Science and the Mayo Foundation. S.G.P. was partially supported by National Cancer Institute postdoctoral training grant CA09441.
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