Signaling from the secretory granule to the nucleus: Uhmk1 and PAM

Mol Endocrinol. 2010 Aug;24(8):1543-58. doi: 10.1210/me.2009-0381. Epub 2010 Jun 23.

Abstract

Neurons and endocrine cells package peptides in secretory granules (large dense-core vesicles) for storage and stimulated release. Studies of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), an essential secretory granule membrane enzyme, revealed a pathway that can relay information from secretory granules to the nucleus, resulting in alterations in gene expression. The cytosolic domain (CD) of PAM, a type 1 membrane enzyme essential for the production of amidated peptides, is basally phosphorylated by U2AF homology motif kinase 1 (Uhmk1) and other Ser/Thr kinases. Proopiomelanocortin processing in AtT-20 corticotrope tumor cells was increased when Uhmk1 expression was reduced. Uhmk1 was concentrated in the nucleus, but cycled rapidly between nucleus and cytosol. Endoproteolytic cleavage of PAM releases a soluble CD fragment that localizes to the nucleus. Localization of PAM-CD to the nucleus was decreased when PAM-CD with phosphomimetic mutations was examined and when active Uhmk1 was simultaneously overexpressed. Membrane-tethering Uhmk1 did not eliminate its ability to exclude PAM-CD from the nucleus, suggesting that cytosolic Uhmk1 could cause this response. Microarray analysis demonstrated the ability of PAM to increase expression of a small subset of genes, including aquaporin 1 (Aqp1) in AtT-20 cells. Aqp1 mRNA levels were higher in wild-type mice than in mice heterozygous for PAM, indicating that a similar relationship occurs in vivo. Expression of PAM-CD also increased Aqp1 levels whereas expression of Uhmk1 diminished Aqp1 expression. The outlines of a pathway that ties secretory granule metabolism to the transcriptome are thus apparent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aquaporin 1 / genetics
  • Aquaporin 1 / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases / genetics
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases / metabolism*
  • Multienzyme Complexes / genetics
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor / genetics
  • Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor / metabolism
  • Secretory Vesicles / metabolism*

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor
  • Aquaporin 1
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases
  • peptidylglycine monooxygenase
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Uhmk1 protein, mouse