Characterization of tight junction spikes and their role in regulating alveolar barrier function Pubblico

Lynn, Kelly Sabrina (Spring 2021)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/zw12z657b?locale=it
Published

Abstract

Regulation of paracellular permeability within tissues is necessary for maintaining proper fluid balance and tissue function. This is especially important in the alveoli of the lungs, where careful tailoring of fluid helps to maintain open airspaces for gas exchange. Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked with leaky lung barrier function, priming it for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a serious condition characterized by airspace flooding and widespread inflammation. Cells primarily modulate paracellular permeability through tight junction proteins, particularly transmembrane proteins called claudins. Here, we demonstrate in a rat model that chronic alcohol leads to an increase in claudin-5, which is necessary and sufficient for decreasing barrier function in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). We further show that claudin-5 disrupts claudin-18 interactions with scaffolding protein ZO-1, suggesting a possible mechanism for alcohol-induced barrier dysfunction. Increased claudin-5 with alcohol was also associated with a rearrangement of tight junctions into spike-like structures perpendicular to cell junction interfaces. These “tight junction spikes” (TJ spikes) appear to be active areas of junction remodeling driven by increased endocytosis of tight junction proteins and form away from pools of β-catenin associated with actin filaments. This suggests a role for adherens junctions in determining the directionality of TJ spike formation. Treatment with the endocytosis inhibitor Dynasore, which targets the actin-binding protein dynamin, significantly reduces the number of TJ spikes and was associated with actin rearrangement into cortical actin. Dynamin-2 was found to colocalize with claudin-18 and ZO-1 at linear junctions but did not appear to localize with β-catenin and TJ spikes. We then used an in situ method of determining barrier function to show that TJ spikes were not sites of increased leak. To begin elucidating possible functions for TJ spikes, we investigated the local claudin-18 proteome using BioID, which showed association with multiple junction proteins including focal adhesion proteins. Of particular note, several proteins involved in signal transduction were biotin-labeled, setting the stage for future work defining potential roles for TJ spikes as signaling platforms.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Lung anatomy           1

Alveolar epithelium   1

Tight junctions           3

Claudin classification 4

Protein interactions within tight junctions    6

Tight junction recruitment and recycling      8

Claudins in the alveolar epithelium   9

Alcohol and acute respiratory distress syndrome   11

Oxidative Stress Due to Alcohol Exposure    12

Transcription factors associated with lung injury     14

Barrier dysfunction    15

Cytoskeletal interactions and tight junction morphological changes           17

Scope of dissertation 19

Literature cited          23

CHAPTER 2: RUFFLES AND SPIKES: CONTROL OF TIGHT JUNCTION MORPHOLOGY AND PERMEABILITY BY CLAUDINS

Abstract         43

Introduction  44

Ruffled Junctions       46

Roles for claudin/ZO-1 interactions in tight junction ruffling           47

Hypoxia-induced tight junction ruffles          50

Integrin-stimulation by nanostructured surfaces     52

Ruffles formed by mechanical stimulation    53

Tight junction spikes and discontinuities     54

Tight junction spikes as organizers of vesicular traffic          55

Spikes formed in response to chronic alcohol exposure are due to impaired claudin/ZO-1 interactions   57

Roles for claudins in regulating tight junction ultrastructure           58

Summary and future directions       60

Acknowledgements  62

Author contributions 62

Abbreviations            62

Figure 2.1       64

Figure 2.2       65

Figure 2.3       66

Figure 2.4       67

Figure 2.5       68

Figure 2.6       69

Table 2.1        70

Literature cited          71

CHAPTER 3: REGULATION OF CLAUDIN/ZONULA OCCLUDENS-1 COMPLEXES BY HETERO-CLAUDIN INTERACTIONS

Abstract         88

Introduction  88

Results            90

Chronic alcohol alters lung tight-junction permeability.      90

Increased claudin-5 causes increased paracellular leak.      91

Tight junction spikes are associated with barrier disruption.           92

Claudin-5 alters interactions between claudin-18 and ZO-1.            94

A claudin-5 peptide improves alveolar barrier function.      97

Discussion      98

Methods        102

Acknowledgements  113

Author contributions 114

Figure 3.1       115

Figure 3.2       117

Figure 3.3       119

Figure 3.4       121

Figure 3.5       123

Figure 3.6       125

Figure 3.7       127

Literature cited         129

CHAPTER 4: ASYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF DYNAMIN-2 AND β-CATENIN RELATIVE TO TIGHT JUNCTION SPIKES IN ALVEOLAR EPITHELIAL CELLS

Abstract         135

Introduction  136

Materials and Methods        137

Results           144

Morphological classification of tight junction spikes 144

Tight junction spikes are not sites of increased paracellular leak    146

Adherens junctions are asymmetrically opposed to tight junction spikes   147

Dynamin-2 regulates tight junction morphology and function        148

Discussion      150

Acknowledgements  154

Figure 4.1       155

Figure 4.2       157

Figure 4.3       159

Figure 4.4       161

Figure 4.5       163

Figure 4.6       165

Figure 4.7       167

Figure 4.8       169

Figure 4.9       171

Supplemental Figure 4.1        173

Supplemental Figure 4.2        174

Literature Cited         175

CHAPTER 5: IDENTIFICATION OF THE CLAUDIN-18 PROXIMAL PROTEOME USING AN N-TERMINAL BIOTIN LIGASE

Introduction  182

Materials and Methods        183

Results            190

BirA-claudin-18 localizes to cell junctions     190

Evaluation of streptavidin bead elution methods     191

Proteins biotinylated by BirA-claudin-18      192

Discussion      195

Figure 5.1       199

Figure 5.2       200

Figure 5.3       201

Figure 5.4       202

Figure 5.5       203

Table 5.1: Enriched proteins tagged by biotin ligase fused to claudin-18.   204

Table 5.2: Tight junction, adherens junction, and focal adhesion proteins tagged by biotin ligase fused to claudin-18.   209

Table 5.3: Selected signal transduction proteins tagged by biotin ligase fused to claudin-18.        211

Table 5.4: Proteosome and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum proteins tagged by biotin ligase fused to claudin-18. 215

Table 5.5: Endocytosis and phagocytosis proteins tagged by biotin ligase fused to claudin-18.     217

Literature Cited          219

CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION – CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS         229

Alcohol-induced changes in tight junction protein interactions       230

Tight junction spikes as separate sites of activity     232

Dynamin-2-actin bundling and tight junction spike formation         233

Asymmetrical formation of tight junction spikes and β-catenin      234

Tight junction spikes and localized permeability      236

New technologies for tight junction research           236

Therapeutic outlook  237

Summary        238

Literature Cited         240

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