Ephrinb3 Is an Anti-Apoptotic Ligand That Inhibits the Dependence Receptor Functions of Epha4 Receptors During Adult Neurogenesis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1793 (2009) 231–238 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Biochimica et Biophysica Acta journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/bbamcr EphrinB3 is an anti-apoptotic ligand that inhibits the dependence receptor functions of EphA4 receptors during adult neurogenesis Céline Furne a,1, Jerome Ricard b,1, Jorge Ruben Cabrera a, Laurent Pays a, John R. Bethea b, Patrick Mehlen a,⁎,2, Daniel J. Liebl b,⁎,2 a Laboratory Apoptosis Cancer and Development, CNRS UMR 5238, Center Léon Bérard, University of Lyon, Lyon, France b The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA article info abstract Article history: Eph receptors have been implicated in regulating a diverse array of cellular functions in the developing Received 18 December 2007 nervous system. Recently, Eph receptors have been shown to promote cell death in adult germinal zones; Received in revised form 2 September 2008 however, their mechanisms of action remain ill-defined. In this study, we demonstrate that EphA4 is a new Accepted 15 September 2008 member of the dependence receptors family, which can initiate cell death in the absence of its ligand Available online 7 October 2008 ephrinB3. Upon removal of its ligand, EphA4 triggers cell death that is dependent on caspase activation as caspase inhibitors prevent cell death. EphA4 itself is cleaved by caspase-3-like caspase in the intracellular Keywords: Ephrin domain at position D773/774, which is necessary for cell death initiation as mutation of the cleavage site Eph receptor abolishes apoptosis. In the adult subventricular zone, abolishing ephrinB3 results in increased cell death, Dependence receptor while the absence of EphA4 results in excessive numbers of neuroblasts. Furthermore, infusion of soluble Apoptosis ephrinB3 into the lateral ventricle reduced cell death, and together these results support a dependence role for EphA4 in adult neurogenesis. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Dependence receptors can transduce two different types of signals. When bound to their ligand, they transduce a positive signal that Eph receptors constitute the largest family of receptor tyrosine elicits a positive response such as survival, differentiation or kinases in mammalians and are subdivided into two A and B classes, and migration. However, when deprived of their ligand, they trigger bind either A-class or B-class ligands. Receptor–ligand interactions occur apoptosis. Dependence receptors include p75NTR, the netrin receptors upon cell–cell contact as both receptors and ligands are membrane- DCC and Unc5H1-3, Ret, the androgen receptor, Patched, the αVβ3 bound, and control various mechanisms such as axon pathfinding and integrin, APP [7], as well as Neogenin, Met, and TrkC [8–10]. branching, dendritic spine modeling, angiogenesis, cell migration and Dependence receptors are cleaved by specific caspases, leading to positioning [1]. Recently, they were shown to be expressed in the the release/exposure of an addiction/dependence domain (ADD), subventricular zone (SVZ), and control stem/progenitor cells prolifera- which can amplify caspase activity [11]. Mutation of the caspase tion and fate [2–5]. More surprisingly, some ephrins and Eph receptors cleavage site abolishes the pro-apoptotic activity of the receptors. were found to affect cell death in neurogenic regions. Stimulation of Furthermore, computational analyses unveiled a conserved motif in EphA7 through ectopic over-expression of ephrinA5 in the embryonic the transmembrane region of the known dependence receptors cortex induced a wave of neural progenitor apoptosis, thus influencing named the DART (Dependence-Associated Receptor Transmembrane) the development of the brain [6]. In contrast, we observed that the motif [12]. Here we show that EphA4 is a new dependence receptor, absence of ephrinB3 was associated with an increase in TUNEL-positive where it induces apoptotic cell death, is cleaved by caspase, and that cells in the SVZ of adult mice [4]. The fact that the lack of ephrinB3 may its pro-apoptotic effect can be blocked by ephrinB3. In the adult increase cell death led us to question whether its receptor(s) may germinal zone, ephrinB3 and EphA4 function to regulate cell numbers, function as a dependence receptor. where EphA4 functions as a dependence receptor in the absence of ephrinB3. ⁎ Corresponding authors. P. Mehlen is to be contacted at Laboratory Apoptosis Cancer and Development, CNRS UMR 5238, Center Léon Bérard, University of Lyon, Lyon, 2. Materials and methods France. D.J. Liebl, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, The University of Miami, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, R-48, School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Tel.: +1 305 243 7143, fax: 2.1. Plasmids +1 305 243 3914. E-mail address: [email protected] (D.J. Liebl). 1 There authors contributed equally to this work. EphA4 was subcloned into pcDNA 3.1 His-V5 (InVitrogen). EphA4 2 There authors contributed equally to this work and are co-corresponding authors. intracellular domain was subcloned into pcDNA3.1 (InVitrogen) by 0167-4889/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2008.09.009 232 C. Furne et al. / Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1793 (2009) 231–238 PCR using the following primers: 5′-caccatgggcgatggagcca-3′ and 5′- (Promega). They were counted using a FACS Calibur (Becton tcagacaggaaccatcctgc-3′. The construct for the kinase dead mutant Dickinson) and cellQuest analysis software (excitation and emission: pcDNA3-EphA4-K653M was obtained from Dr Joachim Egea (Mar- 488 nm and 525–550 nm). Apoptosis was also quantified with the tinsried, Germany). EphA4 mutants were obtained by Quick change Caspase-3 Fluorometric Assay Kit (Gentaur). Caspase inhibitors z- site directed mutagenesis (Stratagene) using the following primers: VAD-fmk and z-DEVD-fmk were used at 10 μM. EphA4-D773/774N: ggtgctggagaataaccccgaagc and gcttcggggttattctc- cagcacc; EphA4-D806N: ctcagccagtaatgtctggag and ctccagacat- 2.3. Caspase cleavage reactions tactggctgag; EphA4-Y596/602F: agttctaacaccttgattcaaatgtttctc and caaggtgttagaacttttgtggatccc, tgtaaagggatccacataagttctaacacc and Purified caspases were a generous gift from Guy Salvesen (The gtggatccctttacattcgaagaccccaac. Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA). The intracellular domain of EphA4 (amino acids 571–987) was cloned into pcDNA3.1 (InVitrogen) and 2.2. Cell culture and death analysis was transcribed and translated in vitro using the TNT system (Promega). To analyze receptor cleavage in 293T cells, cells were Cell death was analyzed as described previously [13]. Briefly, washed once in PBS and lysed in 20 mM Hepes–KOH, 10 mM KCl, 1.5 M 100,000 HEK 293T cells were transfected with 1.5 μg DNA using MgCl2, 1 mM sodium EDTA, 1 mM sodium EGTA, 0.1 mM PMSF buffer Lipofectamine (InVitrogen) for 6 h. The medium was replaced with containing DTT, pepstatin, leupeptin and aprotinin. The lysates were DMEM without serum and cell death was analyzed 48 h later using then incubated for 30 min at 37 °C. Immunoblots were then performed Trypan blue exclusion. Pre-clustered ephrinB3-Fc (R & D Systems) was using an anti-V5 antibody (InVitrogen). In vitro transcription/transla- added at the time of medium change and again 24 h later at a final tion and incubation with caspase 3 or 8 were performed as described concentration of 1 μg/ml. Clustering was performed with goat anti- previously [13]. human Fc antibodies (1:10 anti-Fc:ligand) for 1 h at 37 °C. Apoptosis was quantified by TUNEL assay (In Situ Cell Death kit, Roche) following 2.4. Protein analysis the manufacturer's instructions. Apoptosis was also analyzed using the caspase substrate caspACE FITC-VAD-fmk (Promega). Briefly, 48 h Expressed proteins were immunoprecipitated with an anti-V5 after transfection, the cells were washed and resuspended in PBS and (Invitrogen) or anti-EphA4 antibody (Santa Cruz) (in the case of incubated 20 min at 37 °C with 10 μM caspACE-FITC-VAD-fmk EphA4-K653M) using a ratio of 1 μg Ab/100 μg protein extract Fig. 1. EphA4 enhances apoptotic cell death that is blocked in a dose-dependent manner by ephrinB3. (a) HEK 293T cell cultures over-expressing EphA4 showed a higher number of dead cells as measured by Trypan blue exclusion. Addition of pre-clustered soluble ephrinB3 in the medium was able to reduce the amount of cells stained by Trypan blue. (b) EphA4 over-expression leads to an increase in TUNEL-positive cells 48 h after transfection. The number of TUNEL-positive cells is reduced upon addition of soluble ephrinB3 in the medium. (c) Representative pictures of TUNEL staining (quantification shown in (b)). The TUNEL-positive cells appear dark (a few are seen in the middle panel). (d) EphrinB3 blocked EphA4 induce cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The experiments were performed at least three times and the bars on the graphs represent the means of three separate wells (one representative experiment shown). ⁎pb0.05; ⁎⁎pb0.01; ⁎⁎⁎pb0.001. C. Furne et al. / Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1793 (2009) 231–238 233 overnight at 4 °C. 25 μl of protein G-agarose beads (Calbiochem) were added for 30 min. Washes were performed in 10 mM Tris–HCl, pH 7.0, 1 mM EDTA, 0.5% Triton X-100 with decreasing salt concentrations (1 M NaCl, then 0.2 M NaCl, then no NaCl). Immunoprecipitates were boiled and run on SDS-PAGE gels, transferred and the membranes were probed with either anti-V5 or anti-EphA4 antibodies, and anti- phosphotyrosine antibodies (BD Pharmingen). 2.5. Animals and tissue analysis Two-month old male CD1 mice were used following the University of Miami Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee guidelines. Animals were perfused intracardially with 4% paraformaldehyde and the brains were harvested, frozen in OCT (Tissue-Tek) and sectioned using a cryostat.