Syndecan-4 Interactions with Syndesmos
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Journal of Cell Science 113, 315-324 (2000) 315 Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 2000 JCS0961 Syndesmos, a protein that interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4, mediates cell spreading and actin cytoskeletal organization P. C. Baciu*, S. Saoncella, S. H. Lee, F. Denhez, D. Leuthardt and P. F. Goetinck‡ Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA *Present address: Allergan Inc., 2525 Dupont Drive, Irvine CA 92612, USA ‡Author for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected]) Accepted 4 November 1999; published on WWW 13 January 2000 SUMMARY Syndecan-4 is a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan family members. The interaction involves both which, in cooperation with integrins, transduces signals for the membrane proximal and variable central regions of the the assembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers in cytoplasmic domain. We have named this cDNA and cells plated on fibronectin. The regulation of these cellular encoded protein syndesmos. Syndesmos is ubiquitously events is proposed to occur, in part, through the interaction expressed and can be myristylated. Consistent with its of the cytoplasmic domains of these transmembrane myristylation and syndecan-4 association, syndesmos receptors with intracellular proteins. To identify potential colocalizes with syndecan-4 in the ventral plasma intracellular proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic membranes of cells plated on fibronectin. When domain of syndecan-4, we carried out a yeast two-hybrid overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells, syndesmos enhances cell screen in which the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 was spreading, actin stress fiber and focal contact formation in used as bait. As a result of this screen, we have identified a a serum-independent manner. novel cellular protein that interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 but not with those of the other three Key words: Syndecan-4, Signaling, Cytoskeleton, Focal adhesion INTRODUCTION and morphology (Bernfield et al., 1992; Carey, 1997; Liu et al., 1998; Woods and Couchman, 1998; Zimmermann and David, Cell morphology, migration, growth, survival and 1999). Recent evidence indicates that the assembly of focal differentiation result from both adhesion dependent and growth adhesions and actin stress fibers in cells plated on fibronectin factor receptor mediated signaling events (Adams and Watt, depends on Rho-dependent cooperative signaling between 1993; Ashkenas et al., 1996; Gumbiner, 1996; Giancotti, 1997; syndecan-4 signals and integrins (Saoncella et al., 1999). Howe et al., 1998). Adhesion dependent signaling events link Syndecan-4 cDNA constructs can also generate the necessary the extracellular matrix with the intracellular cytoskeleton, signaling for the restoration of the assembly of focal adhesions both structurally and biochemically, through the formation of and actin stress fibers in cells that do so poorly (Echtermeyer focal adhesions. The latter are macromolecular complexes et al., 1999; Longley et al., 1999) and unglycanated syndecan- that are made up of transmembrane adhesion receptors, 4 core proteins are sufficient for the generation of these intracellular cytoplasmic structural proteins and signal signals. The syndecan-4 signals result, in part, from the direct transduction molecules (Burridge and Chrzanowska- association of the variable central region of its cytoplasmic Wodnicka, 1996). The structural transmembrane molecules of domain with PKCα and phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-biphosphate focal adhesions are integrins (Clark and Brugge, 1995) and (PIP2) (Oh et al., 1997a,b, 1998), and these interactions syndecan-4 (Woods and Couchman, 1994; Baciu and Goetinck, provide one potential mechanism for the regulation of the 1995). Cytoskeletal proteins that provide structural and/or assembly of these adhesion dependent macromolecular adapter functions include actin, alpha-actinin, paxillin, talin, complexes by syndecan-4. tensin and vinculin. Associated signaling proteins include The cytoplasmic domains of the four syndecan family tyrosine kinases (focal adhesion kinase, src, csk and fyn), the members have a high degree of sequence conservation which, serine-threonine kinase families of PKC and MAPK and based on homology, can be divided into conserved membrane members of the RAS family of small GTP-binding proteins proximal (C1), variable central (V) and conserved C-terminal (Clark and Brugge, 1995; Burridge and Chrzanowska- (C2) subdomains (Woods and Couchman, 1998; Zimmermann Wodnicka, 1996). and David, 1999). The existense of both conserved and variable The syndecan family of cell surface heparan sulfate subdomains in the cytoplasmic domains of the syndecans proteoglycans has been implicated in affecting cell adhesion suggest that interactions may occur with cytoplasmic proteins 316 P. C. Baciu and others that are either restricted to specific members or common to all In vitro transcription-translation assay members of the family. Such interactions would provide either In vitro transcription-translation was carried out using the TNT in common or unique functions for the cytoplasmic domains of the vitro transcription-translation kit from In Vitrogen Inc. (San Diego, syndecan family members. Indeed, in addition to the specific CA, USA). Reactions were carried out as described by the interactions of the V subdomain of syndecan-4 with PKCα and manufacturer. For initial analysis, syndesmos cDNA was subcloned PIP2 (Oh et al., 1997a,b, 1998) several cellular components into pcDNA 3.0 (In Vitrogen, San Diego, CA, USA) and the T7 which associate, either directly or indirectly, with the conserved promoter used for RNA synthesis. Control reactions were carried out subdomains of the cytoplasmic domain of syndecans have been in the presence and absence of vector without insert. Specificity of product was verified by western analysis of in vitro transcription- identified. These include: the PDZ-containing proteins syntenin translation products. For analysis of methionine start sites, individual (Grootjans et al., 1997) and CASK/LIN-2 (Cohen et al., 1998; PCR products were generated using 5′ primers containing T7 Hsueh et al., 1998), which interact with the cytoplasmic promoter sequence and nucleotides 1-30 of syndesmos. To examine domains of all syndecan family members through the highly individual initiation methionines, nucleotides corresponding to the conserved C-terminal EFYA sequence, and a Src-cortactin individual methionine residues were mutated to GTG. 3′ primers complex, which associates with the membrane proximal corresponded to nucleotides 1079-1099 of syndesmos. PCR products domain of syndecan-3 (Kinnunen et al., 1998). were generated using the Extend PCR Polymerase mix (Boehringer, To identify cytoplasmic proteins that may be involved in Mannheim). The resulting PCR products were purified and used in adhesion events unique to syndecan-4, we used the cytoplasmic the in vitro translation-transcription reaction. Control reations were domain of this proteoglycan as bait in a yeast two-hybrid done using no PCR product, or PCR product in which the T7 promoter was linked with a primer corresponding to nucleotides 3′ to the screen. As a result of this screen we identified a novel initiation codons (nucleotides 31-51). cytoplasmic protein, syndesmos. Syndesmos interacts directly and specifically with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 in Analysis of syndesmos expression in vitro assays. The interaction of syndesmos involves both the Western analysis C1 and the V subdomains of the cytoplasmic domain of Tissues from 8-day chicken embryos were solubilized in 4× SDS-PAGE syndecan-4. Syndesmos and syndecan-4 colocalize to adhesion sample buffer at a concentration of 20 mg wet tissue/50 µl of buffer, complexes in the ventral plasma membranes of cells plated on boiled and frozen. Before use they were thawed and homogenized using fibronectin. When overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells, syndesmos a 21-gauge needle. 5 µl samples were loaded on a 10% SDS- results in increased cell spreading and actin cytoskeletal polyacrylamide gel, electrophoresed and blotted onto an Immobilon-P organization. membrane. Protein was visualized using affinity-purified anti- syndesmos polyclonal antibodies (see Immunocytochemistry, below) followed by anti-rabbit HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies (Biorad, MATERIALS AND METHODS Hercules, CA, USA) and ECL substrate (NEN Life Science Products, Boston, MA, USA). Identification of a syndecan-4 cytoplasmic domain Northern analysis interactor RNA was isolated from chicken embryonic tissues using the To identify and characterize proteins that might interact with the isothiocyanate method (Sambrook et al., 1989). 10 µg of total RNA cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 we used the yeast interactive trap from each tissue were separated on a 1.5% agarose formamide gel and system (Finley and Brent, 1994; Zervos et al., 1994), in which the blotted onto an Immobilon-N membrane (Millipore, Bedford, MA, cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 was used as bait. The yeast strain USA). The resulting blot was blocked for 4 hours at 62°C in 6× SSC, EGY48 MATa trp1 ura3 LEU2:pLexAop6-LEU2 was used as host. 5× Denhardt’s solution containing 0.5% SDS and 100 µg/ml sheared The reporter plasmid pSH18-34 was used for the β-D-galactoside (X- salmon sperm DNA. 50 ng of purified insert from clone LMH4A was gal) assay. The bait plasmid was constructed by fusing the nucleotide randomly labeled with [γ-32P]dCTP