Biology subjects

Yemelyanov, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Yemelyanov, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

α-catenin mechanosensitivity as a route to cytokinesis failure through sequestration of LZTS2

Epithelial cells can become polyploid upon tissue injury, but mechanosensitive cues that trigger this state are poorly understood. Using -catenin (-cat) knock-out Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells reconstituted with wild-type and mutant forms of -cat as a model system, we find that an established -cat actin-binding domain unfolding mutant designed to reduce force-sensitive binding to F-actin (-cat-H0-FABD+) can promote cytokinesis failure, particularly along epithelial wound-fronts. Enhanced -cat coupling to cortical actin is neither sufficient nor mitotic cell-autonomous for cytokinesis failure, but critically requires the mechanosensitive Middle-domain (M1-M2-M3) and neighboring cells. Disease relevant -cat M-domain missense mutations known to cause a form of retinal pattern dystrophy (-cat E307K or L436P) are associated with elevated binucleation rates via cytokinesis failure. Similar binucleation rates are seen in cells expressing an -cat salt-bridge destabilizing mutant (R551A) designed to promote M2-M3 domain unfurling at lower force thresholds. Since binucleation is strongly enhanced by removal of the M1 as opposed to M2-M3 domains, cytokinetic fidelity is most sensitive to -cat M2-M3 domain opening. To identify -cat conformation-dependent proximity partners that contribute to cytokinesis, we used a biotin-ligase approach to distinguished proximity partners that show enhanced recruitment upon -cat M-domain unfurling (R551A). We identified Leucine Zipper Tumor Suppressor 2 (LZTS2), an abscission factor previously implicated in cytokinesis. We confirm that LZTS2 enriches at the midbody, but discover it also localizes to tight and tricellular junctions. LZTS2 knock-down promotes binucleation in both MDCK and Retinal Pigmented Epithelial (RPE) cells. -cat mutants with persistent M2-M3 domain opening showed elevated junctional enrichment of LZTS2 from the cytosol compared -cat wild-type cells. These data implicate LZTS2 as a mechanosensitive effector of -cat that is critical for cytokinetic fidelity. This model rationalizes how persistent mechano-activation of -cat may drive tension-induced polyploidization of epithelia post-injury and suggests an underlying mechanism for how pathogenic -cat mutations drive macular dystrophy.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

An alpha-catenin actin-binding domain unfolding mutant designed to lower force-dependent actin-binding promotes epithelial strengthbut interferes with cell-cell coordination

-catenin (-cat) displays force-dependent unfolding and binding to actin filaments through direct and indirect means, but features of adherens junction structure and function most vulnerable to loss of these allosteric mechanisms have not been directly compared. By reconstituting an -cat F-actin-binding domain unfolding mutant known to exhibit enhanced binding to actin (-cat-H0-FABD+) into -cat knock-out Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells, we show that partial loss of the -cat catch bond mechanism (via an altered H0 -helix) leads to stronger epithelial sheet integrity with greater co-localization between the -cat-H0-FABD+ mutant and actin. -cat-H0-FABD+-expressing cells are less efficient at closing scratch-wounds, suggesting reduced capacity for more dynamic cell-cell coordination. Evidence that -cat-H0-FABD+ is equally accessible to the conformationally sensitive 18 antibody epitope as WT -cat and shows similar vinculin recruitment suggests this mutant engages lower tension cortical actin networks, as its M-domain is not persistently open. Conversely, -cat-M-domain salt-bridge mutants with persistent recruitment of vinculin and phosphorylated myosin light chain show only intermediate monolayer adhesive strengths, but display less directionally coordinated and thereby slower migration speeds during wound-repair. These data show -cat M- and FABD-unfolding mutants differentially impact cell-cell cohesion and migration properties, and suggest signals favoring -cat-cortical actin interaction without persistent M-domain opening may improve epithelial monolayer strength through enhanced coupling to lower tension actin networks.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Hypercapnia Suppresses Macrophage Antiviral Activity and Increases Mortality of Influenza A 1 Infection via Akt1

Hypercapnia, elevation of the partial pressure of CO2 in blood and tissues, is a risk factor for mortality in patients with severe acute and chronic lung diseases. We previously showed that hypercapnia inhibits multiple macrophage and neutrophil antimicrobial functions, and that it increases the mortality of bacterial pneumonia in mice. Here, we show that normoxic hypercapnia increases viral replication, lung injury and mortality in mice infected with influenza A virus (IAV). Elevated CO2 increased IAV replication and inhibited antiviral gene and protein expression in macrophages in vivo and in vitro. Hypercapnia potentiated IAV-induced activation of Akt, while specific pharmacologic inhibition or shRNA knockdown of Akt1 in alveolar macrophages blocked hypercapnias effects on IAV growth and the macrophage antiviral response. Our findings suggest that targeting Akt1 or downstream pathways through which elevated CO2 signals could enhance macrophage antiviral host defense and improve clinical outcomes in hypercapnic patients with advanced lung disease.

immunology↗