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STEM CELL GENETICS AND GENOMICS |
a The Biomedical Research Centre and
b Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Key Words. Hematopoiesis • Adhesion • Differentiation • Stem cells • CD34 • Podocalyxin • Endoglycan • Sialomucin • Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 • Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-2
Correspondence: Kelly M. McNagny, Ph.D., The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada. Telephone: +1-604-822-7810; Fax: +1-604-822-7815; e-mail: kelly{at}brc.ubc.ca
Received on August 30, 2005;
accepted for publication on January 6, 2006.
| ABSTRACT |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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All three proteins are expressed on HSCs/progenitors, but their function on these cells has remained enigmatic [1, 4, 710]. It has been shown that when expressed by specialized endothelial cells in the lymph nodes, called high endothelial venules (HEVs) [1, 8, 11], CD34, podocalyxin, and endoglycan are modified with an unusual type of carbohydrate moiety that permits their recognition by a leukocyte-specific carbohydrate-binding receptor called L-selectin (reviewed by Rosen [12]). Leukocyte- or L-selectin is expressed by newly formed lymphocytes and is used by these cells to bind to the appropriately glycosylated CD34 family members expressed on HEVs. This initial binding is the first key step in a process that culminates in leukocyte migration into the peripheral lymph nodes [12]. Although this is a well-documented function for CD34-type proteins on HEVs, several observations suggest that this proadhesive function is an important exception rather than a general rule. Most notably, the binding of CD34-type proteins by L-selectin is highly dependent on the modification of these proteins with HEV-specific carbohydrate moieties. These modifications, however, have not been detected on virtually any other vascular endothelial cell type or on hematopoietic cells.
In contrast to their proadhesive function on HEVs, it has been demonstrated that ectopic expression of podocalyxin in Chinese hamster ovary or Madin-Darby canine kidney cells leads to a block in cell aggregation and in cell-cell junction formation, respectively [13]. Similarly, we have shown that podocalyxin expression is naturally up-regulated on a subset of invasive human breast carcinomas and that podocalyxin over-expression may play a role in disrupting epithelial architecture [14]. Finally, deletion of the podocalyxin-encoding gene in mice leads to increased adhesion between kidney podocytes, and this results in a lack of urine production, kidney failure, and peri-natal death [2].
On hematopoietic cells, too, there is recent evidence that these molecules may function as antiadhesins. We have shown that CD34 is a selective marker of murine mast cells [15] and that deletion of CD34 or the distantly related mucin, CD43, leads to enhanced aggregation of mast cells and impairment in mast cell homing due to enhanced adhesion [16]. This block in adhesion is reversible by the ectopic re-expression of CD34, and intriguingly, adhesion is blocked most effectively by the naturally occurring splice variant of CD34 that lacks most of the cytoplasmic domain [16] (although CD43 is a sialomucin, it lacks the genomic organization and additional motifs that would classify it as a CD34 family member). In support of this anti-adhesive role for CD34, cross-linking studies using antibodies directed against the mucin domain of CD34, but not the stalk/globular domain, enhance both homotypic [17] and heterotypic [18] cell adhesion. Subsequent studies reveal that this antibody cross-linking results in intracellular signaling that allows active relocalization of CD34 to a cap [19], a clearance that presumably allows cell-cell adhesion. Additionally, neuraminidase treatment causes similar cell-cell adhesion [17], suggesting that either cleavage or clearance of the negatively charged moieties enables increased adhesion. In summary, the data suggest that although CD34-type proteins can function as pro-adhesive molecules when appropriately glycosylated, under most conditions they function as molecular "Teflon" to block nonspecific adhesion and cell-cell junction formation. The data also suggest that the cytoplasmic domain may fine-tune this effect [16].
The observation that isoforms of CD34-type proteins lacking most of the cytoplasmic domain are more effective in blocking cell adhesion has led us to speculate that the members of this family can regulate their antiadhesive properties dynamically by association with cytoskeletal elements that enhance or inhibit their localization at the sites of cell-cell or cell-matrix attachment. A number of observations in the literature are consistent with this hypothesis. It has been demonstrated that activation of the PKC pathway in cells leads to a rapid phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic tail of CD34 [20, 21]. It has also been shown that activation of vascular endothelial cells leads to the relocalization of CD34 on these cells [22, 23]. Similarly, it has been shown that ectopic expression of podocalyxin in MDCK cells leads to apical localization of the molecule, activation of RhoA, and polymerization of actin at the sites of expression [24]. These effects are likely to be regulated by cytosolic binding proteins. To date, however, the only known ligands for members of this family are the cytoplasmic adaptor protein CrkL, which binds to the membrane proximal domain of CD34 [25], and the podocyte-specific PSD-95/Drosophila Discs large/ZO-1 (PDZ) and Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin (ERM) domain-containing protein, NHERF-2, which binds to the tail of podocalyxin [2628].
As a first step toward understanding the role of cytoplasmic binding proteins in the regulation of CD34-type protein function in hematopoietic cells, we have used genetic screens and biochemical approaches to identify hematopoietic ligands for the cytoplasmic tail of podocalyxin. Here we identify NHERF-1, a homologue of NHERF-2, as a binding protein for podocalyxin and endoglycan but not CD34. We show that podocalyxin and NHERF-1 are co-expressed in normal HSCs and that they colocalize upon podocalyxin clustering. Furthermore, this clustering is enhanced by cytokine treatment. Our results suggest that NHERF-1 is a ligand for a subset of CD34-type proteins and that it may play a role in regulating their antiadhesive properties in HSCs.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Antibodies
Rabbit anti-NHERF-1 antibody ab3452 (Abcam, Cambridge, U.K., http://www.abcam.com) was used for all fluorescent assays, and rabbit anti-NHERF-1 antibodies APZ-006 (Alomone Laboratories, Jerusalem, http://www.alomone.com) and ab3452 were used for immunoblot analyses. Rat anti-mouse podocalyxin antibody MAB1556 (R&D Systems Inc., Minneapolis, http://www.rndsystems.com) was used for all staining, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot studies. Secondary antibodies were goat anti-rabbit AlexaFluor 488 (Molecular Probes Inc., Burlington, ON, Canada, http://probes.invitrogen.com), goat anti-rat AlexaFluor 568 (Molecular Probes), goat anti-rat PE (BD Pharmingen, San Diego, http://www.bdbiosciences.com/pharmingen), goat anti-rabbit HRP (DAKO, Carpenteria, CA, http://www.dako.com), and goat anti-rat HRP (Jackson Immunoresearch Laboratories, West Grove, PA, http://www.jacksonimmuno.com). Isotype controls were rabbit IgG (H&L; Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA, http://www.vectorlabs.com) and rat IgG2a (Cedar Lane, Hornby, ON, Canada, http://www.cedar-lanelabs.com). Directly conjugated lineage-specific antibodies Ter119, CD3, Gr-1, Mac-1, and B220; Sca-1; and c-kit were purchased from R&D Systems. All antibodies were titrated to optimal concentrations prior to each type of assay.
Peptides
Peptides were as follows:
Phage Screens
Phage screens for podocalyxin-binding proteins were performed essentially as described previously [32]. Peptides Podo-173, Endo, and CD34 were used to probe an avian early hematopoietic progenitor library [7, 33, 34]. Briefly, phage-infected XL-1 Blue MRF Escherichia coli were plated on 30-mm Luria-Bertani 0.7% plates at a density of 20,000 plaques per plate. As visible plaques appeared, isopropyl ß-D-thiogalactopyranoside (Fermentas, ON, Canada, www.fermentas.com)-soaked nitro-cellulose membranes (Bio-Rad, ON, Canada, http://www.bio-rad.com) were overlaid and allowed to incubate for 812 hours. Filters were washed four times for 20 minutes each (0.1% Triton-X/PBS), and blocked overnight at 4°C (2% bovine serum albumin-PBS-0.02% sodium azide). Biotinylated peptides (25 pmol/ml in wash buffer) were complexed with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (SAP; 1 µg/ml) for 20 minutes prior to incubation with filters in blocking buffer. Biotin/SAP complexes (1 µg/µl) were added as a nonspecific blocking reagent. After overnight incubation at 4°C on an orbital shaker, the filters were washed four times for 15 minutes each prior to 5 minutes of incubation with SAP developing buffer (Roche Diagnostics, QC, Canada, http://www.roche-applied-science.com). Filters were dried on Whatman 3MM paper, positive plaque lifts were aligned, and phage plugs were removed and transferred to microcentrifuge tubes containing 500 µl of SM buffer and 4% chloroform. Each plug was subcloned and rescreened, and purified phagemids were excised in vivo using ExAssist protocols recommended by the manufacturer (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA, http://www.stratagene.com), prior to automated sequencing (Lone Star Labs, Houston, TX, http://www.lslabs.com).
Confocal Microscopy and Flow Cytometry
Immunofluorescent staining was performed as described previously [7]. For intracellular staining, cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde at room temperature for 15 minutes, washed four times (1% bovine serum albumin [BSA]-PBS), permeabilized with 0.1% Triton-PBS for 15 minutes, washed four times, and blocked (1% BSA-10% goat serum-PBS) for 30 minutes. These were then incubated with secondary antibody alone, isotype control, or primary antibody for 30 minutes, washed four times, incubated with FACS buffer or secondary antibody for 30 minutes, washed four times, and analyzed by flow cytometry (FACSCalibur, Beckton Dickinson). For confocal microscopy, cells were resuspended in Fluormount G (SouthernBiotech, Birmingham, AL, http://www.southernbiotech.com) prior to imaging on a confocal microscope (Bio-Rad Radiance 2000; Nikon Eclipse TE300 microscope with MaiTai Sapphire laser, x60 objective, x2.5 zoom, 166 lines/second; Bio-Rad Lasersharp 2000 software) or on an Olympus FluoView 1000 system (Olympus IX81 microscope, x60 objective, x1.7 zoom, 10 µs per pixel; FluoView 1000 software).
Cell Stimulation, Counting, and Analysis
FDC-P1 cells were interleukin-3 (IL-3)-starved for 2 hours before stimulation with IL-3 or 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 10, 20, 30, 60, or 120 minutes prior to staining. After staining, eight random fields were captured from each time point to assess podocalyxin distribution in the plasma membrane. Three cell phenotypes were present: punctate, capped, and global staining of podocalyxin. Three counts of 100250 cells each were made for every time point, and the average percentage of each cell phenotype was obtained.
Affinity Purification and Mass Spectrometry
All washes and buffers were at 4°C, and centrifuge steps were conducted at 2000 rpm for 30 seconds in a benchtop microcentrifuge (Hoeffer). Streptavidin-Sepharose resin (Amersham Biosciences, QC, http://www.amersham.com), 25-µl bed volume, was pre-equilibrated in TBS wash buffer (25 mM Tris, pH 7.9, 138 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl) plus 0.15% NP-40, 6% glycerol, 66 nM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 500 nM MgCl2, 1 mM PMSF, 1x protease inhibitors (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, http://www.sigmaaldrich.com). Twenty-five micrograms of each peptide were incubated with 25 µl of streptavidin-Sepharose (Amersham Biosciences) on a rotator for 30 minutes in 1.5 ml of this buffer. Whole cell extract (3.5 mg) (TBS, 0.5% NP-40, 20% glycerol, 200 nM EDTA, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 1 mM PMSF, 1x protease inhibitors) was diluted to the same concentration as wash buffer with TBS and precleared for 30 minutes against 25 µl of streptavidin-Sepharose. Unbound peptide was removed with 500-µl washes (three times) of wash buffer. Precleared lysate was added to peptide binding reactions and incubated for 120 minutes on a rotator. Nonspecific proteins were removed by washing the resin bed seven times with wash buffer. Bound material was eluted by boiling in SDS-loading buffer, and specific interactors were identified by Coomassie staining of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), in-gel tryptic digest, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
Immunoblotting, Affinity Purification, and Immunoprecipitation
Immunoblotting was conducted using standard protocols [15] with antibodies at 1 µg/ml in 1% BSA (ab3542) or 5% nonfat milk (MAB1556) in TBS-T overnight. Affinity purification was carried out essentially as above except that 5 µg of peptide was used for each purification along with 200 µg of whole cell extract. Immunoprecipitation was performed using standard techniques.
| RESULTS |
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-phage [34] for binding partners to the cytoplasmic tail of podocalyxin. Briefly, a 73-aa peptide was synthesized with an N-terminal biotin affinity tag and incubated with immobilized proteins from
-ZAP phage plaques, and filter-bound peptides were detected using SAP and a chromogenic substrate as described previously [32] (Fig. 1
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CD34-Type Proteins Bind NHERF-1 from Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Extracts
As an independent approach to search for additional interactors that may not have been identified in the phage screen, we affinity-purified CD34-family binding proteins from progenitor cell extracts and identified them via mass spectrometry. As a source of binding proteins, we chose the IL-3-dependent hematopoietic murine progenitor cell line FDC-P1 since this line has been well studied [29] and expresses high endogenous levels of podocalyxin (unpublished results). Binding proteins from FDC-P1 lysates were affinity-purified using synthetic peptides corresponding to the cytoplasmic tails of CD34, podocalyxin, and endoglycan. Affinity-purified proteins were eluted and separated by SDS-PAGE, and resolved bands of interest were excised and subjected to ingel tryptic digestion followed by LC-MS/MS. Table 1
shows the resulting mass spectrometry analyses of two excised bands shown in Figure 2A
. Both bands (22 and 16 independent peptide analyses in two separate experiments; Fig. 2B
) correspond to murine NHERF-1, confirming that NHERF-1 interacts specifically with both podocalyxin and endoglycan but not CD34. Since NHERF-1 has been reported to undergo cell-cycle-dependent phosphorylation [36] and contains numerous potential phosphorylation sites, one possible difference between the higher and lower molecular weight isoforms that we detected is that they correspond to phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of the protein. This notion is supported by mass spectrometry data that reveals a mass sequence consistent with phosphorylation of Ser275 (Table 1
; Fig. 2B
), previously reported in human fibroblasts [37] but not previously reported in mouse. Phosphorylation of this residue was confirmed by tandem MS/MS sequencing (Fig. 2C
). Although this phosphorylation is naturally occurring, it is not required for the binding of NHERF-1 to podocalyxin and endoglycan peptides since these molecules bind NHERF-1 in phage plaques, which lack these modifications. In summary, both phage screens and biochemical analyses suggest that NHERF-1 is a bona fide hematopoietic ligand for a subset of CD34-type proteins.
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NHERF-1 Associates with Podocalyxin In Vivo
The interaction of NHERF-1 with podocalyxin was confirmed using two additional methods: colocalization via confocal microscopy and direct co-immunoprecipitation from cell lysates. FDC-P1 cells were surface-stained for podocalyxin and then cytoplasmically stained for NHERF-1. As shown in Figure 3
, although most FDC-P1 cells express both podocalyxin (panel I) and NHERF-1 (panel II), only a subset of these cells exhibited strong colocalization of these antigens (panel III). Interestingly, within the subset of these cells, the strongest colocalization correlated with polarized capping of podocalyxin on the cell membrane; cells uniformly expressing podocalyxin on their surface showed only weak colocalization, whereas cells displaying asymmetric localization of podocalyxin on their surface showed high overlap with NHERF-1. Since the survival and proliferation of FDC-P1 cells are cytokine-dependent, capping of podocalyxin on a subset of these cells may be a consequence of variable IL-3R signaling. To test this hypothesis, we performed confocal analyses of podocalyxin distribution in the plasma membrane of IL-3-starved or in IL-3-stimulated cells (Fig. 4
). The majority of IL-3-starved cells displayed a uniform "halo" distribution of podocalyxin, and only rarely could cells be found with podocalyxin capped on one pole (Fig. 4A
, 0 hours). Interestingly, within minutes of IL-3 stimulation, podocalyxin capping increased and this correlated with NHERF-1 co-localization and reached a steady-state maximum at 3060 minutes.
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Cytokine stimulation leads to a very distinctive capping of podocalyxin on the surface of cells, and this correlates with the formation of a complex with NHERF-1; activation of the PKC pathway alone results in only minimal capping of podocalyxin and a correspondingly lower association with NHERF-1.
NHERF-1 Is Expressed by Mature Hematopoietic Cells and by Cells with an HSC Phenotype
Although the expression of NHERF-1 by kidney cells and epithelial cells has been described previously [39], its hematopoietic distribution has never been examined. We therefore performed a detailed flow cytometric survey of hematopoietic tissues for NHERF-1 expression by staining permeabilized cells (Fig. 5
). The MDA-231 cell line, which lacks significant levels of NHERF-1 [39, 40], served as a negative control (not shown). NHERF-1 was broadly expressed by essentially all cells in hematopoietic tissues (bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and peripheral lymph nodes), and the highest levels were observed in T cell precursors in the thymus (Fig. 5A
). Two peaks of expression were found in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes, one bright and corresponding to the frequency of T cells in these tissues (30% and 50%, respectively) and one with lower intensity corresponding to the frequency of B lineage cells. Consistent with the flow cytometric analyses, immunoblotting revealed NHERF-1 expression by all hematopoietic tissues and the highest levels in thymocyte lysates (Fig. 5B
). Bone marrow, which showed the lowest levels of NHERF-1 expression by flow cytometry, was also found to have the lowest expression levels by immunoblot; to obtain near-equivalent detection of NHERF-1, approximately 13-fold more bone marrow protein extracts had to be loaded per lane (Fig. 5B
). Again, specificity of the antibody reactivity for NHERF-1 was confirmed by blotting extracts from kidney and MDA-231 breast cancer cells, which express or lack NHERF-1, respectively [39, 40].
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Previously, it has been reported that podocalyxin is expressed by human cells with an HSC phenotype [9], and we have shown that murine podocalyxin is expressed by the c-kit+/lineage marker /Sca-1+ (KLS) fraction of cells in bone marrow and that these cells can reconstitute all hematopoietic lineage cells in lethally irradiated recipients. To confirm that NHERF-1 is co-expressed by HSCs, we performed multicolor flow cytometric analyses to identify this rare KLS population and look for co-expression of NHERF-1. NHERF-1 was expressed by all cells bearing Sca-1 and c-kit on their surface and lacking expression of lineage-restricted markers (Fig. 6
). Since these cells have previously been shown to contain all HSC activity [41] and to express podocalyxin, we conclude that NHERF-1 is a bone fide ligand for podocalyxin in HSCs.
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| DISCUSSION |
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Function of CD34-Type Molecules
Despite the widespread use of CD34 over the past 20 years as a clinical marker of human HSCs, its functional role on hematopoietic lineage cells has remained enigmatic. Although there has been speculation that this antigen may play a role in blocking hematopoietic cell maturation or enhancing proliferation or act as a homing receptor, there are only minor defects in mice lacking this protein [42, 43]. The recent discovery of two additional CD34-related proteins (podocalyxin and endoglycan) suggests that the lack of defects in these mice may be due, in part, to functional redundancy with these new family members [1, 2, 7, 8]. A corollary to this hypothesis is that the most profound defects in mice lacking these molecules would be in tissues where they are expressed singly and lack the capacity for functional compensation. With this concept in mind, we (and others) have characterized defects in cell types where these molecules are aberrantly expressed or in mice where the encoding genes have been disrupted. Consistently, we have found that these molecules play an important role in blocking cell adhesion and cell-cell contact. For example, we have shown that mast cells lacking CD34 show an increased propensity to aggregate and adhere in vitro and that they exhibit impaired homing and migration in vivo [16]. This enhanced adhesion is reversible by the ectopic re-expression of CD34 and, intriguingly, is more potently reversed by the expression of the naturally occurring short form of CD34 lacking most of the cytoplasmic domain. Likewise, we have found that in mice lacking podocalyxin on their kidney podocytes (where it is normally abundantly expressed), there is a striking increase in cell-cell adherens and tight junctions, which leads to a block in urine production and perinatal death [2]. Finally, it has been shown that ectopic expression of podocalyxin in epithelial cells leads to decreased cell-cell adhesion and that up-regulation in tumors correlates with metastatic behavior [13, 14, 44]. In summary, these data suggest that the principle function of CD34-type molecules is to block cell adhesion and increase invasiveness.
One important caveat to this antiadhesive hypothesis is that under many circumstances, the cells that normally express this family of molecules are able to adhere to basement membranes and substrates. In this regard, it is noteworthy that all of the models showing antiadhesive roles for these molecules involve either the deletion of the encoding genes (complete loss of function) or high-level ectopic overexpression of these molecules (potent gain of function). Thus, the ability of normal cells to overcome the antiadhesive properties of CD34-type proteins may reflect a tight control over the levels of expression of these antiadhesins or the ability to tightly regulate their subcellular localization in an activation-dependent manner. The latter model correlates well with our observation that a naturally occurring splice variant encoding a cytoplasmically truncated form of the CD34 (which, presumably, has lost the ability to be actively redistributed in the plasma membrane) is a dominant blocker of adhesion [16, 45].
CD34-Family Ligands
As a first step toward revealing the mechanisms underlying this latter hypothesis, several groups have pursued intracellular ligands for this family of molecules. For example, the adapter molecule CrkL was recently identified as a cytoplasmic ligand for CD34 [25]. Although its role in CD34 function has not been resolved, CrkL has been implicated in linking a number of extracellular signaling pathways to cytoskeletal rearrangements, cell migration, and differentiation. Thus, it is one likely candidate for regulating the localization of CD34 during adhesion. Similarly, two groups have identified the PDZ and ERM domain-containing protein, NHERF-2, as a cytoplasmic ligand for podocalyxin in kidney podocytes [28, 32] (reviewed in Weinman [46]). Moreover, it has been shown that NHERF-2 and podocalyxin colocalize with ezrin and actin in an apical domain of kidney podocytes and that loss of this complex correlates with the pathological loss of foot processes in disease models [47]. It is unlikely, however, that NHERF-2 is a hematopoietic ligand of CD34-type proteins in HSCs and vascular endothelia since its expression is relatively restricted to podocytes and other rare cell types in nonhematopoietic tissues [39]. Correspondingly, we have failed to detect NHERF-2 as a ligand in hematopoietic tissues and cells by either mass spectrometry or functional screens (data not shown).
Instead, we have identified a close relative of NHERF-2, NHERF-1, as a hematopoietic ligand for these proteins and shown that NHERF-1 has specificity for podocalyxin and endoglycan but not CD34. Although NHERF-1 has been postulated to be a ligand for podocalyxin, based on its similarity to NHERF-2, to our knowledge, our results are the first to demonstrate a naturally occurring interaction between podocalyxin and NHERF-1 [32, 47]. In addition, there is reason to believe that there may be differences in the function of NHERF-1 and NHERF-2. Although they share an overall sequence identity of 50% (supplemental online Fig. 1C
), there are a number of significant differences between these proteins, including a much greater number of potential phosphorylation sites in NHERF-1. It has also been noted that in proximal tubules in the kidney (one of the few cell types in which these molecules are co-expressed) these molecules display differences in their subcellular localization, with NHERF-1 residing in the apical regions of microvilli and NHERF-2 more closely associated with the vesicle-rich domain at the base of microvilli [39]. Thus, there may be functional heterogeneity within the NHERF family.
It is intriguing that NHERF-1 has strong affinity for podocalyxin and endoglycan but not CD34. The cytoplasmic domains of podocalyxin and endoglycan show a much higher degree of sequence similarity to each other than to CD34, and this includes an amino acid substitution in the C-terminal PDZ domain-docking site from DTHL (podocalyxin and endoglycan) to DTEL (CD34). This is the first clear demonstration of functional heterogeneity in this family of sialomucins and may indicate the existence of an independent PDZ domain-docking protein for CD34.
Functional Significance of CD34 Family Proteins and NHERF-1
Although NHERF-1 was first described as a specific regulator of transmembrane Na+/H+ exchangers, it is thought to act as a broad-based scaffolding protein for linking membrane proximal proteins with the actin cytoskeleton, thereby regulating their subcellular localization and, potentially, their stability and internalization [48]. NHERF-1 has been shown to bind to the C-terminus of a large number of cytosolic proteins and trans-membrane receptors via its two tandem PDZ domains, including ß2-adrenergic receptors (ß2-AR), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R), purinergic receptor (P2Y), transient receptor potential-4 and -5 (Trp4, Trp5), and phospholipase-C-ß isoforms. These are then linked to the cytoskeleton by virtue of the ability of NHERF-1 to oligomerize and to bind members of the ezrin/radixin/moesin family of cytoskeletal proteins [48]. With regard to the CD34 family, we speculate that their ability to block hematopoietic adhesion may be intimately associated with their degree of clustering in the plasma membrane by NHERF-like proteins. Previously, we noted that podocalyxin is selectively upregulated in a subset of human breast carcinomas and that its expression strongly correlates with poor patient outcome in vivo and with a loss of tumor cell polarity in vitro [14]. Strikingly, the cells with the greatest loss of polarity and highest metastatic behavior also show a loss of NHERF-1 expression [40, 49] (C. D. Roskelley, D. G. Huntsman, K. M. McNagny, unpublished results). Taken together, these data would suggest that upregulation of podocalyxin and loss of NHERF-1 are required for a dominant loss of cell contact/adhesion and that the ability to interact with NHERF-1 affords cells the ability to clear these antiadhesins from pro-adhesive molecules and establish apical and basolateral domains. This is further supported by a recent report showing that podocalyxin is involved in establishing the apical (nonadhesive) domain on epithelial cells and that this is critically dependent on the C-terminal PDZ-docking site and correlates with a co-localization of NHERF-2 [50]. The fact that this domain is established prior to cell adhesion is consistent with a model in which podocalyxin clustering permits establishment of a podocalyxin-free and adhesion-molecule-rich basolateral domain.
Previously, we have shown that podocalyxin and CD34 play a role in blocking hematopoietic cell adhesion in vivo and in vitro and that truncation of the cytoplasmic domain increases the effectiveness of this block [16, 45]. By analogy with their documented role in epithelial cell polarization [50], we propose that in hematopoietic cells, NHERF-1 serves as a potent regulator of this phenomenon by actively redistributing with podocalyxin to nonadhesive domains, thereby permitting cell adhesion. This is consistent with our observation that in a subset of FDC-P1 cells, podocalyxin and NHERF-1 show the most dramatic colocalization on cells exhibiting a polarized cap of podocalyxin and that this colocalization is enhanced with IL-3 stimulation. This active redistribution would permit rapid changes in the adhesive properties of cells in the absence of a need for de novo protein synthesis. In this light, it is noteworthy that in a recent survey of gene allelic variants that most closely correlated with HSC turnover, the IL-3R locus was found to be one of the four most tightly linked quantitative trait loci associated with this behavior [51]. IL-3R-mediated signaling through various pathways (e.g., PI3K/Akt, Jak/STAT, Ras/MAPK, PKC) (reviewed by Rane et al. [52] and Brose et al. [53]) plays a role in survival of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and stimulates their proliferation and differentiation [54] (reviewed by Ivanovic [55]). It has also been shown that IL-3 signaling enhances adhesive interactions between HPCs and bone marrow stromal cells [56]. On the other hand, PMA stimulation is generally (but not completely) restricted to PKC signaling pathways. On its own, PMA is not able to maintain cell proliferation of FDC-P1 cells and therefore only activates a small fraction of the pathways stimulated by IL-3 [57]. An interesting possibility is that podocalyxin, as a downstream modulator of adhesion, may be a mediator of IL-3R-dependent HSC mobilization or turnover. Clarification of this model will be facilitated by the expression of dominant-negative forms of NHERF-1 in HSCs and the generation of null backgrounds for assessing their function.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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DISCLOSURES
The authors indicate no potential conflicts of interest.
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J. S. Nielsen and K. M. McNagny Novel functions of the CD34 family J. Cell Sci., November 15, 2008; 121(22): 3683 - 3692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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