Biology subjects

Tang, V. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Tang, V. T..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Functional overlap between the mammalian SAR1A and SAR1B paralogs in vivo

Proteins carrying a signal peptide and/or a transmembrane domain enter the intracellular secretory pathway at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are transported to the Golgi apparatus via COPII vesicles or tubules. SAR1 initiates COPII coat assembly by recruiting other coat proteins to the ER membrane. Mammalian genomes encode two SAR1 paralogs, SAR1A and SAR1B. While these paralogs exhibit [~]90% amino acid sequence identity, it is unknown whether they perform distinct or overlapping functions in vivo. We now report that genetic inactivation of Sar1a in mice results in lethality during mid-embryogenesis. We also confirm previous reports that complete deficiency of murine Sar1b results in perinatal lethality. In contrast, we demonstrate that deletion of Sar1b restricted to hepatocytes is compatible with survival, though resulting in hypocholesterolemia that can be rescued by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of either SAR1A or SAR1B. To further examine the in vivo function of these 2 paralogs, we genetically engineered mice with the Sar1a coding sequence replacing that of Sar1b at the endogenous Sar1b locus. Mice homozygous for this allele survive to adulthood and are phenotypically normal, demonstrating complete or near-complete overlap in function between the two SAR1 protein paralogs in mice. These data also suggest upregulation of SAR1A gene expression as a potential approach for the treatment of SAR1B deficiency (chylomicron retention disease) in humans.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2023

Identification of LMAN1 and SURF4 dependent secretory cargoes

Most proteins secreted into the extracellular space are first recruited from the endoplasmic reticulum into coat protein complex II (COPII)-coated vesicles or tubules that facilitate their transport to the Golgi apparatus. Although several secreted proteins have been shown to be actively recruited into COPII vesicles/tubules by the cargo receptors LMAN1 and SURF4, the full cargo repertoire of these receptors is unknown. We now report mass spectrometry analysis of conditioned media and cell lysates from HuH7 cells CRISPR targeted to inactivate the LMAN1 or SURF4 gene. We found that LMAN1 has limited clients in HuH7 cells whereas SURF4 traffics a broad range of cargoes. Analysis of putative SURF4 cargoes suggests that cargo recognition is governed by complex mechanisms rather than interaction with a universal binding motif.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Regulation of cellular LDL uptake by PROX1 and CHD7

An elevated level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the bloodstream is a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is a critical regulator of circulating LDL, and increasing LDLR activity is an effective therapeutic approach to reduce circulating LDL cholesterol levels. In this study, we characterize PROX1 and CHD7, two genes we previously identified in a genome-scale CRISPR screen as positive regulators of LDL uptake in HuH7 cells. We found that although disruption of either PROX1 or CHD7 significantly reduced LDL uptake, only PROX1 disruption significantly reduced the cellular levels of LDLR mRNA and surface-displayed LDLR protein. Consistent with a direct role for PROX1 in LDLR gene regulation, we also observed in publicly available data sets the presence of two liver-specific PROX1 binding sites near the LDLR locus, one of which colocalized with biochemical hallmarks of enhancer activity in hepatic tissue. Both PROX1 LDLR binding sites contained predicted PROX1 transcription factor binding motifs and colocalized with binding sites for HNF4, a known interactor for PROX1 and regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and LDL uptake. In contrast to PROX1, no CHD7 binding sites were detected near the LDLR locus. Together, our results support a model in which both PROX1 and CHD7 promote cellular LDL uptake through distinct mechanisms, with PROX1 directly promoting LDLR gene expression and CHD7 functioning through an LDLR-independent pathway.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Hepatic inactivation of murine Surf4 results in marked reduction in plasma cholesterol

PCSK9 negatively regulates low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) abundance on the cell surface, leading to decreased hepatic clearance of LDL particles and increased levels of plasma cholesterol. We previously identified SURF4 as a cargo receptor that facilitates PCSK9 secretion in HEK293T cells (Emmer et al., 2018). Here, we generated hepatic SURF4-deficient mice (Surf4fl/fl Alb-Cre+) to investigate the physiologic role of SURF4 in vivo. Surf4fl/fl Alb-Cre+ mice exhibited normal viability, gross development, and fertility. Plasma PCSK9 levels were reduced by {bsim}60% in Surf4fl/fl Alb-Cre+ mice, with a corresponding {bsim}50% increase in steady state LDLR protein abundance in the liver, consistent with SURF4 functioning as a cargo receptor for PCSK9. Surprisingly, these mice exhibited a marked reduction in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels out of proportion to the partial increase in hepatic LDLR abundance. Detailed characterization of lipoprotein metabolism in these mice instead revealed a severe defect in hepatic lipoprotein secretion, consistent with prior reports of SURF4 also promoting the secretion of apolipoprotein B. Despite a small increase in liver mass and lipid content, histologic evaluation revealed no evidence of steatohepatitis or fibrosis in Surf4fl/fl Alb-Cre+ mice. Acute depletion of hepatic SURF4 by CRISPR/Cas9 or liver-targeted siRNA in adult mice confirms these findings. Together, these data support the physiologic significance of SURF4 in the hepatic secretion of PCSK9 and APOB-containing lipoproteins and its potential as a therapeutic target in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Identification of secreted proteins by comparison of protein abundance in conditioned media and cell lysates.

Analysis of the full spectrum of secreted proteins in cell culture is complicated by leakage of intracellular proteins from damaged cells. To address this issue, we compared the abundance of individual proteins between the cell lysate and the conditioned medium, reasoning that secreted proteins should be relatively more abundant in the conditioned medium. Marked enrichment for signal-peptide-bearing proteins with increasing conditioned media to cell lysate ratio, as well loss of this signal following brefeldin A treatment, confirmed the sensitivity and specificity of this approach. The subset of proteins demonstrating increased conditioned media to cell lysate ratio in the presence of Brefeldin A identified candidates for unconventional secretion via a pathway independent of ER to Golgi trafficking.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

Identification of ACE2 modifiers by CRISPR screening

SARS-CoV-2 infection is initiated by binding of the viral spike protein to its receptor, ACE2, on the surface of host cells. ACE2 expression is heterogeneous both in vivo and in immortalized cell lines, but the molecular pathways that govern ACE2 expression remain unclear. We now report high-throughput CRISPR screens for functional modifiers of ACE2 surface abundance. We identified 35 genes whose disruption was associated with a change in the surface abundance of ACE2 in HuH7 cells. Enriched among these ACE2 regulators were established transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, and functional networks. We further characterized individual cell lines with disruption of SMAD4, EP300, PIAS1, or BAMBI and found these genes to regulate ACE2 at the mRNA level and to influence cellular susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Collectively, our findings clarify the host factors involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry and suggest potential targets for therapeutic development.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

Myofibrillar Structural Variability Underlies Contractile Function in Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Disease modeling and pharmaceutical testing using cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC-CMs) requires accurate assessment of contractile function. Micropatterning iPSC-CMs on elastic substrates controls cell shape and alignment to enable contractile studies, but determinants of intrinsic variability in this system have been incompletely characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of myofibrillar structure on contractile function in iPSC-CMs. Automated analysis of micropatterned iPSC-CMs labeled with a cell permeant F-actin dye revealed that myofibrillar abundance is widely variable among iPSC-CMs and strongly correlates with contractile function. This variability is not reduced by subcloning from single iPSCs and is independent of iPSC-CM purification method. Controlling for myofibrillar structure reduces false positive findings related to batch effect and improves sensitivity for pharmacologic testing and disease modeling. This analysis provides compelling evidence that myofibrillar structure should be assessed concurrently in studies investigating contractile function in iPSC-CMs.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2018

The cargo receptor SURF4 promotes the efficient cellular secretion of PCSK9

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a secreted protein that plays an important role in regulating plasma cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. PCSK9 secretion uniquely depends on the cytoplasmic COPII protein SEC24A, suggesting the presence of a transmembrane ER cargo receptor mediating this interaction. Here, we report a novel approach that combines proximity-dependent biotinylation and proteomics together with genome-scale CRISPR screening to identify proteins that facilitate the efficient secretion of PCSK9 heterologously expressed in HEK293T cells. We first identified 35 candidate proteins that were labeled by BirA* fusions to PCSK9 and either COPII component SAR1A or SAR1B. We then performed genome-scale pooled CRISPR mutagenesis to identify genes whose perturbation resulted in intracellular accumulation of PCSK9-eGFP but not the control A1AT-mCherry. The 4 most enriched sgRNAs in this screen all targeted SURF4, a homologue of the yeast endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cargo receptor Erv29p and the only candidate also identified by proximity-dependent biotinylation. The functional contribution of SURF4 to PCSK9 secretion was confirmed with multiple independent SURF4-targeting sgRNAs, clonal SURF4-deficient cell lines, and functional rescue with SURF4 cDNA. Compatible with a function of SURF4 as a cargo receptor for PCSK9, fluorescence microscopy localized SURF4 to the early secretory pathway, coimmunoprecipitation revealed a physical interaction between SURF4 and PCSK9, and SURF4 deletion resulted in decreased extracellular secretion of PCSK9 and PCSK9 accumulation in the ER. Taken together, these findings support a model in which SURF4 functions as an ER cargo receptor for the efficient cellular secretion of PCSK9.

cell biology↗