Spectrin Complex Research Articles

Lipid Raft-dependent Endocytosis of Close Homolog of Adhesion Molecule L1 (CHL1) Promotes Neuritogenesis

CHL1 plays a dual role by either promoting or inhibiting neuritogenesis. We report here that neuritogenesis-promoting ligand-dependent cell surface clustering of CHL1 induces palmitoylation and lipid raft-dependent endocytosis of CHL1. We identify βII spectrin as a binding partner of CHL1, and we show that partial disruption of the complex between CHL1 and βII spectrin accompanies CHL1 endocytosis. Inhibition of the association of CHL1 with lipid rafts by pharmacological disruption of lipid rafts or by mutation of cysteine 1102 within the intracellular domain of CHL1 reduces endocytosis of CHL1. Endocytosis of CHL1 is also reduced by nifedipine, an inhibitor of the L-type voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels. CHL1-dependent neurite outgrowth is reduced by inhibitors of lipid raft assembly, inhibitors of voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels, and overexpression of CHL1 with mutated cysteine Cys-1102. Our results suggest that ligand-induced and lipid raft-dependent regulation of CHL1 adhesion via Ca(2+)-dependent remodeling of the CHL1-βII spectrin complex and CHL1 endocytosis are required for CHL1-dependent neurite outgrowth.

The role of hydrophobic interactions in ankyrin–spectrin complex formation

Spectrin and ankyrin are the key components of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton. The recently published crystal structure of the spectrin–ankyrin complex has indicated that their binding involves complementary charge interactions as well as hydrophobic interactions. However, only the former is supported by biochemical evidence. We now show that nonpolar interactions are important for high affinity complex formation, excluding the possibility that the binding is exclusively mediated by association of distinctly charged surfaces. Along these lines we report that substitution of a single hydrophobic residue, F917S in ankyrin, disrupts the structure of the binding site and leads to complete loss of spectrin affinity. Finally, we present data showing that minimal ankyrin binding site in spectrin is formed by helix 14C together with the loop between helices 15 B/C.

The spectrin–ankyrin–4.1–adducin membrane skeleton: adapting eukaryotic cells to the demands of animal life

The cells in animals face unique demands beyond those encountered by their unicellular eukaryotic ancestors. For example, the forces engendered by the movement of animals places stresses on membranes of a different nature than those confronting free-living cells. The integration of cells into tissues, as well as the integration of tissue function into whole animal physiology, requires specialisation of membrane domains and the formation of signalling complexes. With the evolution of mammals, the specialisation of cell types has been taken to an extreme with the advent of the non-nucleated mammalian red blood cell. These and other adaptations to animal life seem to require four proteins--spectrin, ankyrin, 4.1 and adducin--which emerged during eumetazoan evolution. Spectrin, an actin cross-linking protein, was probably the earliest of these, with ankyrin, adducin and 4.1 only appearing as tissues evolved. The interaction of spectrin with ankyrin is probably a prerequisite for the formation of tissues; only with the advent of vertebrates did 4.1 acquires the ability to bind spectrin and actin. The latter activity seems to allow the spectrin complex to regulate the cell surface accumulation of a wide variety of proteins. Functionally, the spectrin-ankyrin-4.1-adducin complex is implicated in the formation of apical and basolateral domains, in aspects of membrane trafficking, in assembly of certain signalling and cell adhesion complexes and in providing stability to otherwise mechanically fragile cell membranes. Defects in this complex are manifest in a variety of hereditary diseases, including deafness, cardiac arrhythmia, spinocerebellar ataxia, as well as hereditary haemolytic anaemias. Some of these proteins also function as tumor suppressors. The spectrin-ankyrin-4.1-adducin complex represents a remarkable system that underpins animal life; it has been adapted to many different functions at different times during animal evolution.

NCAM promotes assembly and activity-dependent remodeling of the postsynaptic signaling complex

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) regulates synapse formation and synaptic strength via mechanisms that have remained unknown. We show that NCAM associates with the postsynaptic spectrin-based scaffold, cross-linking NCAM with the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α (CaMKIIα) in a manner not firmly or directly linked to PSD95 and α-actinin. Clustering of NCAM promotes formation of detergent-insoluble complexes enriched in postsynaptic proteins and resembling postsynaptic densities. Disruption of the NCAM–spectrin complex decreases the size of postsynaptic densities and reduces synaptic targeting of NCAM–spectrin–associated postsynaptic proteins, including spectrin, NMDA receptors, and CaMKIIα. Degeneration of the spectrin scaffold in NCAM-deficient neurons results in an inability to recruit CaMKIIα to synapses after NMDA receptor activation, which is a critical process in NMDA receptor–dependent long-term potentiation. The combined observations indicate that NCAM promotes assembly of the spectrin-based postsynaptic signaling complex, which is required for activity-associated, long-lasting changes in synaptic strength. Its abnormal function may contribute to the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders associated with mutations in or abnormal expression of NCAM.

Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) association with PKCbeta2 via betaI spectrin is implicated in NCAM-mediated neurite outgrowth.

In hippocampal neurons and transfected CHO cells, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) 120, NCAM140, and NCAM180 form Triton X-100–insoluble complexes with βI spectrin. Heteromeric spectrin (αIβI) binds to the intracellular domain of NCAM180, and isolated spectrin subunits bind to both NCAM180 and NCAM140, as does the βI spectrin fragment encompassing second and third spectrin repeats (βI2–3). In NCAM120-transfected cells, βI spectrin is detectable predominantly in lipid rafts. Treatment of cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin disrupts the NCAM120–spectrin complex, implicating lipid rafts as a platform linking NCAM120 and spectrin. NCAM140/NCAM180–βI spectrin complexes do not depend on raft integrity and are located both in rafts and raft-free membrane domains. PKCβ2 forms detergent-insoluble complexes with NCAM140/NCAM180 and spectrin. Activation of NCAM enhances the formation of NCAM140/NCAM180–spectrin–PKCβ2 complexes and results in their redistribution to lipid rafts. The complex is disrupted by the expression of dominant-negative βI2–3, which impairs binding of spectrin to NCAM, implicating spectrin as the bridge between PKCβ2 and NCAM140 or NCAM180. Redistribution of PKCβ2 to NCAM–spectrin complexes is also blocked by a specific fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor. Furthermore, transfection with βI2–3 inhibits NCAM-induced neurite outgrowth, showing that formation of the NCAM–spectrin–PKCβ2 complex is necessary for NCAM-mediated neurite outgrowth.

Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity, Erythrocyte Deformability and Alcohol Intake

The aim of the study was to determine if there is a relationship between low blood flow velocity in the cerebral arteries and erythrocyte deformability in heavy alcohol drinkers. The study comprised 47 heavy alcohol drinkers (mean age 47 years). All of them drank daily more than 84 g of alcohol (84–400 g). Blood flow velocity (V mean) in intracranial arteries was determined by transcranial Doppler. Erythrocyte membrane biophysical properties were estimated using the method of cation-osmotic haemolysis (COH). The present study revealed a significant decrease in V mean in all examined arteries, with p= <0.01 in the middle (MCA) and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries and p= <0.05 in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) when compared with age-matched controls. Cation-osmotic haemolysis in the low ionic strength of the incubating medium (15.4 mmol/l NaCl) as well as in the high ionic strength (123.2–154.0 mmol/l NaCl) was significantly decreased (p<0.001–0.01). This means that changes in both parts of the erythrocyte membrane (actin–spectrin complex and membrane lipid bilayer) are the cause of decreased erythrocyte deformability. We conclude that one of the factors which can cause low blood flow velocity (a possible risk factor for stroke) is decreased cation-osmotic haemolysis of erythrocytes.

Developmental expression of spectrins in rat skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle contains spectrin (or spectrin I) and fodrin (or spectrin II), members of the spectrin supergene family. We used isoform-specific antibodies and cDNA probes to investigate the molecular forms, developmental expression, and subcellular localization of the spectrins in skeletal muscle of the rat. We report that beta-spectrin (betaI) replaces beta-fodrin (betaII) at the sarcolemma as skeletal muscle fibers develop. As a result, adult muscle fibers contain only alpha-fodrin (alphaII) and the muscle isoform of beta-spectrin (betaISigma2). By contrast, other types of cells present in skeletal muscle tissue, including blood vessels and nerves, contain only alpha- and beta-fodrin. During late embryogenesis and early postnatal development, skeletal muscle fibers contain a previously unknown form of spectrin complex, consisting of alpha-fodrin, beta-fodrin, and the muscle isoform of beta-spectrin. These complexes associate with the sarcolemma to form linear membrane skeletal structures that otherwise resemble the structures found in the adult. Our results suggest that the spectrin-based membrane skeleton of muscle fibers can exist in three distinct states during development.

Demonstration of haemoglobin associated with isolated, purified spectrin from senescent human red cells.

Employing a direct and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) we have confirmed the presence of haemoglobin associated with isolated, purified spectrin from senescent red cells. Haemoglobin associated with spectrin occurs in the highest amount in cells with an MCHC greater than 36 g/dl and is approximately 3% of the total spectrin extract. Spectrin from the young cells had the least haemoglobin, while an intermediate amount was found in unfractionated, whole red cells. The RIA results were in close approximation with estimation of the haemoglobin-spectrin complex obtained by carefully integrating the Coomassie blue stain profiles from 4% SDS PAGE in densitometric scans from isolated spectrin.

Mercuric and cadmium ions stimulate phosphorylation of band 4.2 protein on human erythrocyte membranes.

In this study, we found that Hg2+ and Cd2+ enhanced the phosphorylation of human erythrocyte membranous proteins, especially band 4.2 protein, which was hardly phosphorylated in the absence of the metal ions. p-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate and p-chloromercuribenzoate had effects similar to those of Hg2+ and Cd2+ on band 4.2 protein phosphorylation, while other metal ions and sulfhydryl agents, such as N-ethylmaleimide, 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), or iodoacetate, did not. The Hg2+-stimulated phosphorylation of band 4.2 protein required a millimolar concentration of Mg2+, and it was inhibited by Ca2+ dose-dependently. Phosphoserine was identified from a hydrolysate of the phosphorylated band 4.2 protein by high-voltage electrophoresis. A specific protein inhibitor against cAMP-dependent protein kinase decreased the Hg2+-stimulated phosphorylation of band 4.2 protein. This protein had more binding sites for 203Hg2+ than any other membrane proteins. A spectrin complex from the Hg2+-treated membranes contained the band 4.2 protein, which was not detected in the complex from untreated membranes. Furthermore, protein kinase, which could phosphorylate the band 4.2 protein, was also contained in the cytoskeletal fraction from the Hg2+-treated membranes. These results suggest that Hg2+ may bind certain sulfhydryl groups of band 4.2 and other proteins to make band 4.2 protein susceptible to the endogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

The interaction of adenine nucleotides with the red cell membrane: A calorimetric study

The interaction of two adenine nucleotides with the red cell membrane was investigated using highly sensitive differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that ADP and AMP-PNP (an ATP analogue) preferentially modify the A transition, which has been shown to involve the unfolding of a portion of spectrin, an erythrocyte membrane protein complex. The interaction of ADP with spectrin was shown to be reversible and facilitated by the usual cofactor, Mg 2+. The ADP-induced modification, however, is only observed for membrane associated spectrin; ADP has no effect on extracted spectrin. The results presented are consistent with an ADP-induced conformational change in the spectrin complex which leads to a change in the spectrin-membrane interaction. ADP, but not AMP-PNP, is shown to modify an additional calorimetric transition (B 2) associated with a structural change in the transmembrane protein band 3. This behavior is characteristic of inhibitors of anion transport in the red cell. ADP is also found to be an inhibitor of anion transport in red cells.

Control of interaction of spectrin and actin by phosphorylation.

SPECTRIN is a high molecular weight protein located on the cytoplasmic surface of the mammalian erythrocyte membrane, from which it may be readily liberated by extraction with solutions of low ionic strength. It is thought to be a major structural element of the cell and to play a critical part in maintaining its discoid shape and characteristic viscoelastic properties. Birchmeier and Singer1 have shown that changes in the shape of red cell ghosts are associated with the phosphorylation of a single serine residue on one of the two spectrin subunits, and have suggested that this might provide a basis for the well-known control of red cell shape by ATP2. The erythrocyte membrane also contains actin, which is present in approximately equimolar proportions to the spectrin dimer (molecular weight 500,000 (ref. 3)). We have shown previously4 that there is a specific interaction between these two proteins, which reveals itself in the ability of spectrin to provoke the polymerisation of muscle actin in vitro. We show here that this effect depends on the phosphorylation of spectrin. Furthermore, in an undis-persed mixture of spectrin and its cognate actin such phosphorylation causes the formation of a gel. The striking parallel between these results and the previously demonstrated effects of phosphorylation in situ suggests that the shape of the cell is controlled primarily by the actin–spectrin complex.

On the mechanism of ATP-induced shape changes in human erythrocyte membranes. I. The role of the spectrin complex.

Human erythrocyte ghosts have been shown, by scanning electron microscopy, to undergo ATP-dependent shape changes. Under appropriate conditions the ghosts prepared from normal disk-shaped intact cells adopt a highly crenated shape, which in the presence of Mg-ATP at 37 degrees C is slowly converted to the disk shape and eventually to the cup shape. These changes are not observed with other nucleotides or with 5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate. Anti-spectrin antibodies, incorporated along with the Mg-ATP into the ghosts in amounts less than equivalent to the spectrin, markedly accelerate the shape changes observed with the Mg-ATP alone. The Fab fragments of these antibodies, however, have no effect. The conclusion is that the structural effect produced by the ATP is promoted by the cross-linking of spectrin by its antibodies, and may therefore itself be some kind of polymerization or network formation involving the spectrin complex on the cytoplasmic face of the membrane. The factors that contribute to the shape of the ghost and of the intact erythrocyte are discussed in the light of these findings.

On the mechanism of ATP-induced shape changes in the human erythrocyte membranes: the role of ATP

In the preceding paper (Sheetz, M. and S.J. Singer. 1977. J Cell Biol. 73:638-646) it was shown that erythrocyte ghosts undergo pronounced shape changes in the presence of mg-ATP. The biochemical effects of the action of ATP are herein examined. The biochemical effects of the action of ATP are herein examined. Phosphorylation by ATP of spectrin component 2 of the erythrocyte membrane is known to occur. We have shown that it is only membrane protein that is significantly phosphorylated under the conditions where the shape changes are produced. The extent of this phosphorylation rises with increasing ATP concentration, reaching nearly 1 mol phosphoryle group per mole of component 2 at 8mM ATP. Most of this phosphorylation appears to occur at a single site on the protein molecule, according to cyanogen bromide peptide cleavage experiments. The degree of phosphorylation of component 2 is apparently also regulated by a membrane-bound protein phosphatase. This activity can be demonstrated in erythrocyte ghosts prepared from intact cells prelabeled with [(32)P]phosphate. In addition to the phosphorylation of component 2, some phosphorylation of lipids, mainly of phosphatidylinositol, is also known to occur. The ghost shape changes are, however, shown to be correlated with the degree of phosphorylation of component 2. In such experiment, the incorporation of exogenous phosphatases into ghosts reversed the shape changes produced by ATP, or by the membrane-intercalating drug chlorpromazine. The results obtained in this and the preceding paper are consistent with the proposal that the erythrocyte membrane possesses kinase and phosphates activities which produce phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a specific site on spectrin component 2 molecules; the steady-state level of this phosphorylation regulates the structural state of the spectrin complex on the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane, which in turn exerts an important control on the shape of the cell.

Recovery of membrane micro-vesicles from human erythrocytes stored for transfusion: a mechanism for the erythrocyte discocyte-to-spherocyte shape transformation.

It has been shown for fresh human erythrocytes that when intracellular concentrations of calcium are elevated a form of echinocytosis is induced (Allan & Michell, 1975; White, 1974). The resulting echinocytes then lose cytosol-filled vesicles to the medium (Allan et al., 1976). It therefore seemed possible that the more slowly developing echinocytosis which occurs in human erythrocytes during storage for transfusion at 4°C (Rumsby er al., 1974) might also be followed by the loss of membrane microvesicles into the surrounding plasma and that this process might provide the mechanism by which lipid is lost from aging erythrocytes undergoing the disc-to-sphere shape change, in which some 20% or more of the erythrocyte total phospholipid is lost (Fig. 1). This would also explain the irreversible nature of the disc-to-sphere transformation shown by aged cells. Therefore a search was made for membrane micro-vesicles in human blood aged in vitro in citric acid/sodium citrate/dextrose at 4°C. Donations of blood (Group 0 and A, Rhesus positive) in acid/citrate/dextrose were stored under Blood Transfusion Service conditions at 4°C for up to 8 weeks. Periodically, samples of blood were taken and tested for bacterial contamination (none found throughout the study) before the erythrocytes and leucocytes were sedimented by centrifugation at l000g for l0min. The plasma was withdrawn and centrifuged at 7000g for 15min to ensure the removal of leucocyte fragments and platelets. Subsequently the 7000g supernatant was centrifuged at 20000g for 30min and the supernatant from this step was then centrifuged at l00000g for 30min. Membrane microvesicles would be expected to sediment under these conditions (Allan et al., 1976). The pellets obtained by this procedure were washed by resuspension in 0 . 1 5 ~ NaCl at 4°C and recovered by re-centrifugation. With this procedure no pellets were obtained with either freshly drawn blood or with blood stored for 1 week. However, from week 2 to week 8 increasing amounts of a red pellet were obtained at 20000g and at 100000g, with about twice as much material in the lower-speed pellet. Electron microscopy of both pellets showed that they consisted of membrane-bounded micro-vesicles. These were approx. 100 nm in diameter, had electrondense interiors and appeared essentially identical with the cytosol-aled membrane micro-vesicles which are released from echinocytes induced by high intracellular calcium concentrations (Allan ef al., 1976). During the aging of human erythrocytes in vitro the molar cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of the membrane decreases slightly from the normal value of about 0.8 to around 0.65 (M. G. Rumsby, unpublished work). Analysis of the lOOOOOg micro-vesicles from blood aged in uitro showed that these had a molar cholesterol/phospholipid ratio similar to that of the parent erythrocytes. The phospholipid composition of the microvesicles was similar to that of the erythrocytes, except that they were slightly enriched in sphingomyelin. The micro-vesicles were enriched in 1 ,2-diacylglycerol, a lipid which also accumulates to a marked extent in the microvesicles released by erythrocytes having an elevated intracellular calcium content (Allan et al., 1976). Diacylglycerol concentrations were about four times as high in the micro-vesicles as in theerythrocytes from which they were derived. Analyses of erythrocyte ‘ghosts’ and of the micro-vesicle fractions from whole blood by gel electrophoresis show (Fig. 2) that the polypeptides of the spectrin complex (bands 1 and 2) are almost absent from the micro-vesicle membranes, as they were from micro-vesicles formed from erythrocytes with high internal calcium concentrations.

Relationships of the spectrin complex of human erythrocyte membranes to the actomyosins of muscle cells.

Important similarities are reported between human smooth muscle actomyosin and the human erythrocyte spectrin complex, primarily components 1, 2, and 5 (Fairbanks G., Steck, T.L., and Wallach, D.F.H. (1971), Biochemistry 10, 2606). The actin-like protein, component 5, is identical with human uterine actin in its ability to form 50-70-A filaments to stimulate myosin ATPase activity, and to bind rabbit heavy meromyoson specit heavy meromyosin specifically. Antibodies to human smooth muscle myosin(uterine) were prepared which were monospecific. A weak but specific cross-reaction of these antisera with components 1 and/or 2 (spectrin) was characterized and at least 25% of the antimyosin antibodies showed a low affinity reaction iwth spectrin. Antibodies generated against a soluble complex of spectrin components 1 and 2 reacted only with component 1 and did not cross-react with myosin. In addition to these structural similarities between smooth muscle actomyosin and the spectrin complex, we have found that spectrin is involved in ATP-dependent erythrocyte shape changes (Sheetz, M.P., Painter, R.G., AND Singer, S.J. (1976B), Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Cell Motility (in press) and, therefore, the spectrin complex is also a mechanochemical protein system.

Detection and ultrastructural localization of human smooth muscle myosin-like molecules in human non-muscle cells by specific antibodies.

Spectrin, a protein complex which is peripherally attached to the cytoplasmic surface of the human erythrocyte membrane, cannot be detected (by complement fixation with anti-spectrin antibodies) in homogenates of several different human non-muscle cells studied. On the other hand, a protein antigenically identical or similar to human smooth muscle myosin was detected (by complement fixation with antibodies to uterine smooth muscle myosin) in these cells. In the case of human fibroblast line WI38, this smooth muscle myosin like component was shown (by ferritin-antibody experiments in electron microscopy) to be at least partly associated with cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane of the cell. It is proposed that the spectrin complex of the erythrocyte membrane and the smooth muscle myosin-like component of the fibroblast membrane play similar roles in regulating the translational mobilities of integral proteins in their respective membranes.