Amplification of the Melanocortin-1 Receptor in Nephrotic Syndrome Identifies a Target for Podocyte Cytoskeleton Stabilization.

The melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in podocytes has been suggested as the mediator of the ACTH renoprotective effect in patients with nephrotic syndrome with the mechanism of action beeing stabilization of the podocyte actin cytoskeleton. To understand how melanocortin receptors are regulated in nephrotic syndrome and how they are involved in restoration of filtration barrier function, melanocortin receptor expression was evaluated in patients and a rat model of nephrotic syndrome in combination with cell culture analysis. Phosphoproteomics was applied and identified MC1R pathways confirmed using biochemical analysis. We found that glomerular MC1R expression was increased in nephrotic syndrome, both in humans and in a rat model. A MC1R agonist protected podocytes from protamine sulfate induced stress fiber loss with the top ranked phoshoproteomic MC1R activated pathway beeing actin cytoskeleton signaling. Actin stabilization through the MC1R consisted of ERK1/2 dependent phosphorylation and inactivation of EGFR signaling with stabilization of synaptopodin and stressfibers in podocytes. These results further explain how patients with nephrotic syndrome show responsiveness to MC1R receptor activation by decreasing EGFR signaling and as a consequence restore filtration barrier function by stabilizing the podocyte actin cytoskeleton.

Orellanine specifically targets renal clear cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), arising from the proximal tubule in the kidney, accounts for approximately 85% of kidney cancers and causes over 140,000 annual deaths worldwide. In the last decade, several new therapies have been identified for treatment of metastatic RCC. Although these therapies increase survival time compared to standard care, none of them has curative properties. The nephrotoxin orellanine specifically targets proximal tubular epithelial cells, leaving other organs unaffected. We therefore hypothesized that the selective toxicity of orellanine extends to clear cell RCC (ccRCC) cells since they emanate from proximal tubular cells. Orellanine would thus target both primary and metastatic ccRCC in vitro and in vivo. We found that orellanine induces dose-dependent cell death in proximal tubular cells and in all ccRCC cells tested, both primary and cell lines, with no toxicity detected in control cells. The toxic action of orellanine involve decreased protein synthesis, disrupted cell metabolism and induction of apoptosis. In nude rats carrying human ccRCC xenografts, brief orellanine treatment eliminated more than 90% of viable tumor mass compared to control rats. This identifies orellanine as a potential treatment concept for ccRCC patients on dialysis, due to its unique selective toxicity towards ccRCC.

Synaptopodin Is a Coincidence Detector of Tyrosine versus Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation for the Modulation of Rho Protein Crosstalk in Podocytes.

Tyrosine and serine/threonine signal-transduction pathways influence many aspects of cell behavior, including the spatial and temporal regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. However, little is known about how input from diverse tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases is integrated to control Rho protein crosstalk and actin remodeling, which are critically important in podocyte health and disease. Here we unveil the proteolytically-regulated, actin organizing protein synaptopodin as a coincidence detector of tyrosine versus serine/threonine phosphorylation. We show that serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases duel for synaptopodin stability versus degradation. EGFR/Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of synaptopodin in podocytes promotes binding to the serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin. This leads to the loss of 14-3-3 binding, resulting in synaptopodin degradation, Vav2 activation, enhanced Rac1 signaling, and ultimate loss of stress fibers. Our studies reveal how synaptopodin, a single proteolytically-controlled protein, integrates antagonistic tyrosine versus serine/threonine phosphorylation events for the dynamic control of the actin cytoskeleton in podocytes.

Inhibition of the TRPC5 ion channel protects the kidney filter.

An intact kidney filter is vital to retention of essential proteins in the blood and removal of waste from the body. Damage to the filtration barrier results in albumin loss in the urine, a hallmark of cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. Here we found that the ion channel TRPC5 mediates filtration barrier injury. Using Trpc5-KO mice, a small-molecule inhibitor of TRPC5, Ca2+ imaging in isolated kidney glomeruli, and live imagining of podocyte actin dynamics, we determined that loss of TRPC5 or its inhibition abrogates podocyte cytoskeletal remodeling. Inhibition or loss of TRPC5 prevented activation of the small GTP-binding protein Rac1 and stabilized synaptopodin. Importantly, genetic deletion or pharmacologic inhibition of TRPC5 protected mice from albuminuria. These data reveal that the Ca2+-permeable channel TRPC5 is an important determinant of albuminuria and identify TRPC5 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for the prevention or treatment of proteinuric kidney disease.

Proteasomal degradation of Nck1 but not Nck2 regulates RhoA activation and actin dynamics.

The ubiquitously expressed adapter proteins Nck1/2 interact with a multitude of effector molecules to regulate diverse cellular functions including cytoskeletal dynamics. Here we show that Nck1, but not Nck2, is a substrate of c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitination. We uncover lysine 178 in Nck1 as the evolutionarily conserved ubiquitin acceptor site. We previously reported that synaptopodin, a proline-rich actin-binding protein, induces stress fibres by blocking the Smurf1-mediated ubiquitination of RhoA. We now find that synaptopodin competes with c-Cbl for binding to Nck1, which prevents the ubiquitination of Nck1 by c-Cbl. Gene silencing of c-Cbl restores Nck1 protein abundance and stress fibres in synaptopodin knockdown cells. Similarly, expression of c-Cbl-resistant Nck1(K178R) or Nck2 containing the SH3 domain 2 of Nck1 restores stress fibres in synaptopodin-depleted podocytes through activation of RhoA signalling. These findings reveal proteasomal regulation as a key factor in the distinct and non-redundant effects of Nck on RhoA-mediated actin dynamics.