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PubMed1994

Erythroid-specific processing of human beta spectrin I pre-mRNA.

Erythroid cells express a unique form of beta spectrin I as a result of tissue-specific alternative pre-mRNA processing. Nonerythroid cells that express the beta spectrin I gene include four additional exons at the 3' end of the mature transcript, leading to elongation of the carboxyl terminus of the protein. The nonerythroid beta spectrin I isoform is not present in the red blood cell membrane skeleton; the erythroid isoform is not detected in other cell types. Therefore, developing erythroid cells acquire this tissue-specific pre-mRNA processing activity during differentiation. In the present study, we investigated the developmental timing of erythroid-specific pre-mRNA processing in human erythroid precursors. Partially purified human peripheral blood burst forming uniterythroid (BFU-E) cells were grown in culture for 5 to 12 days. beta Spectrin I mRNA transcripts were analyzed at different time points by S1 nuclease mapping. The processing of beta spectrin I transcripts was found to be exclusively erythroid from day 5 onward, indicating that erythroid-specific processing is not linked temporally to assembly of the mature erythroid membrane skeleton. Human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells had both erythroid and nonerythroid transcripts, indicating that both processing patterns can coexist. Induction of erythroid differentiation in HEL cells using hemin resulted in a partial switch toward the erythroid processing pattern of beta spectrin I transcripts. Using a genomic S1 probe that spans the erythroid polyadenylation signal, we found that a substantial portion of the transcripts detected by the erythroid cDNA S1 probe (in both cultured BFU-E and HEL cells) is incompletely processed pre-mRNA precursors. Poly(A) RNA selection before S1 analysis showed that the unprocessed transcripts are not polyadenylated. We conclude that (1) erythroid-specific pre-mRNA processing activity is present early in erythroid differentiation; (2) beta spectrin I transcripts that are unprocessed at the 3' end accumulate, awaiting either erythroid or nonerythroid processing pathways, from which observation we infer that the regulated alternative pathways are both inefficient; and (3) HEL cells offer a human cell culture model in which to study the balance between the two pre-mRNA processing pathways. We speculate that erythroid cells evolved this tissue-specific pre-mRNA processing machinery for other erythroid genes in addition to beta spectrin I.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Dynamic aspects of cytoskeletal protein distribution in T lymphocytes: involvement of calcium in spectrin reorganization.

Our studies on the lymphocyte cytoskeleton have revealed a significant heterogeneity in the subcellular distribution of lymphocyte spectrin in vivo. Two model systems have been characterized in which this protein exhibits dynamic properties in response to activation signals. In this study, we have investigated the role of calcium in the activation-induced reorganization of spectrin in one of these systems, the DO-11.10 T cell hybridoma. DO-11.10 cells, as well as several other in vitro T cell models, can homogeneously and constitutively express a distinct cytoplasmic aggregate of spectrin that is rapidly fragmented upon activation. The reversible dissipation of the aggregate of spectrin is accompanied by an increase in the levels of spectrin diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane. Pretreatment of cells with calcium-free medium, or with medium containing ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether)N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) or verapamil, significantly blocked the reorganization of spectrin induced by Concanavalin A or the calcium ionophore A23187, and also prevented the release of IL-2 from these cells. Further, immunofluorescent and ultrastructural analyses revealed abnormalities in the organization of spectrin induced by these treatments. These findings are discussed in light of our other studies, indicating a role for spectrin in early events associated with activation of T lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Interferon-alpha alters spectrin organization in normal and leukemic human B lymphocytes.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) regulates the growth, differentiation, and recirculation of normal and malignant B lymphocytes. In this report we examine the effects of IFN-alpha on the distribution of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin in peripheral blood B lymphocytes from normal donors and patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Exposure of normal and leukemic B cells to IFN-alpha in vitro was shown by immunofluorescence microscopy to cause a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of cells containing discrete focal accumulations of spectrin, ie, a single large aggregate or cap-like structure near the plasma membrane. Although the magnitude of this effect was variable among individual patient samples, in some experiments IFN-alpha induced a fourfold increase in the percentage of leukemic B cells exhibiting focal accumulations of spectrin. Spectrin reorganization induced by IFN-alpha was abrogated by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. In addition, IFN-alpha increased the total cellular content of spectrin in B-CLL cells by approximately twofold to fourfold. Finally, a role for protein kinase C in mediating the effects of IFN-alpha on spectrin's organization is implicated by studies in which calphostin C inhibited the IFN-induced focal accumulation of spectrin. Taken together, these studies suggest that the immunomodulatory activities of IFN-alpha in normal and malignant B cells involve a change in the organization of the spectrin-based cytoskeleton.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2000

The lens membrane skeleton contains structures preferentially enriched in spectrin-actin or tropomodulin-actin complexes.

The spectrin-based membrane skeleton plays an important role in determining the distributions and densities of receptors, ion channels, and pumps, thus influencing cell shape and deformability, cell polarity, and adhesion. In the paradigmatic human erythrocyte, short tropomodulin-capped actin filaments are cross-linked by spectrin into a hexagonal network, yet the extent to which this type of actin filament organization is utilized in the membrane skeletons of nonerythroid cells is not known. Here, we show that associations of tropomodulin and spectrin with actin in bovine lens fiber cells are distinct from that of the erythrocyte and imply a very different molecular organization. Mechanical disruption of the lens fiber cell membrane skeleton releases tropomodulin and actin-containing oligomeric complexes that can be isolated by gel filtration column chromatography, sucrose gradient centrifugation and immunoadsorption. These tropomodulin-actin complexes do not contain spectrin. Instead, spectrin is associated with actin in different complexes that do not contain tropomodulin. Immunofluorescence staining of isolated fiber cells further demonstrates that tropomodulin does not precisely colocalize with spectrin along the lateral membranes of lens fiber cells. Taken together, our data suggest that tropomodulin-capped actin filaments and spectrin-cross-linked actin filaments are assembled in distinct structures in the lens fiber cell membrane skeleton, indicating that it is organized quite differently from that of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton.

Actins↗
PubMed1983

Binding of HeLa spectrin to a specific HeLa membrane fraction.

From 30-40 g of Hela-S3 cells grown in suspension, 0.25-0.50 mg of spectrin has been purified by conventional biochemical procedures starting from a low ionic strength extraction at alkaline pH of crude Hela membranes. Hela spectrin consists in its native form of a tetramer alpha 2 beta 2 of two high molecular weight polypeptides (240,000 and 230,000 daltons). Three different populations of Hela membranes depleted of both spectrin and actin have been prepared on discontinuous sucrose gradients. Surprisingly, spectrin will reassociate with only the heavier membrane fraction. This reassociation is specific for Hela spectrin, since three other purified Hela proteins as well as human erythrocyte spectrin do not reassociate under the same conditions. This binding is not due to the presence of traces of actin still present in the membrane fraction since two Hela actin-binding proteins (filamin I and II) do not show any significant binding to this fraction. The nature of the membrane-binding site for Hela spectrin is discussed.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1989

Functional diversity among spectrin isoforms.

The purpose of this review on spectrin is to examine the functional properties of this ubiquitous family of membrane skeletal proteins. Major topics include spectrin-membrane linkages, spectrin-filament linkages, the subcellular localization of spectrins in various cell types and a discussion of major functional differences between erythroid and nonerythroid spectrins. This includes a summary of studies from our own laboratories on the functional and structural comparison of avian spectrin isoforms which are comprised of a common alpha subunit and a tissue-specific beta subunit. Consequently, the observed differences among these spectrins can be assigned to differences in the properties of the beta subunits.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Human cardiac and skeletal muscle spectrins: differential expression and localization.

We describe multiple human cardiac and skeletal muscle spectrin isoforms. Cardiac muscle expresses five erythroid alpha,beta spectrin-reactive isoforms with estimated MR's of 280, 274, 270, 255, and 246 kD, respectively. At least one nonerythroid alpha-spectrin of MR 284 kD is expressed in heart. While skeletal muscle shares the 280, 270, and 246 kD erythroid spectrins, it expresses an immunologically distinct 284 kD nonerythroid alpha-spectrin isoform. The 255 kD erythroid beta-spectrin isoform is specific for cardiac tissue. By immunocytochemistry, both erythroid beta- and nonerythroid alpha-spectrins are localized to costameres, the plasma membrane, and the neuromuscular junctional region.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effects of denervation on spectrin concentration in avian skeletal muscle.

The effect of denervation on avian muscle alpha-spectrin was examined in fast and slow muscles. Using immunofluorescence, the surgically denervated fast-twitch posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD) exhibited a significant increase in spectrin antigen associated with the sarcolemma and within the sarcoplasm compared with the contralateral innervated control muscle. Using gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting, we found a two- to three-fold increase in the levels of spectrin in the denervated PLD over that found in the innervated PLD. These levels were comparable to those found previously in slow and dystrophic muscle. The intrafiber distribution of spectrin is similar between the denervated PLD and the slow-tonic anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD). When spectrin was examined in dystrophic PLD muscle, denervation was found to have no effect. These results support our hypothesis that the concentration of spectrin within muscle fibers reflects the physiological state of those fibers. Changes in spectrin concentration may be a useful probe to study the various alterations in physical parameters found among fast, slow, dystrophic, and denervated fibers.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Ischemic loss of sarcolemmal dystrophin and spectrin: correlation with myocardial injury.

Sarcolemmal blebbing and rupture are prominent features of irreversible ischemic myocardial injury. Dystrophin and spectrin are sarcolemmal structural proteins. Dystrophin links the transmembrane dystroglycan complex and extracellular laminin receptors to intracellular F-actin. Spectrin forms the backbone of the membrane skeleton conferring an elastic modulus to the sarcolemmal membrane. An ischemic loss of membrane dystrophin and spectrin, in ischemically pelleted rabbit cardiomyocytes or in vivo 30--45 min permanently ischemic, LAD-ligated hearts, was detected by immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies. Western blots of light and heavy microsomal vesicles and Triton-extracted membrane fractions from ischemic myocytes demonstrated a rapid loss of dystrophin coincident with sub-sarcolemmal bleb formation, subsequent to a hypotonic challenge. The loss of spectrin from purified sarcolemma of autolysed rabbit heart, and both isolated membrane vesicles and Triton solubilized membrane fractions of ischemic cardiomyocytes correlated linearly with the onset of osmotic fragility as assessed by membrane rupture, subsequent to a hypotonic challenge. In contrast to the ischemic loss of dystrophin and spectrin from the membrane, the dystrophin-associated proteins, alpha-sarcoglycan and beta-dystroglycan and the integral membrane protein, sodium-calcium exchanger, were maintained in the membrane fraction of ischemic cells as compared to oxygenated cells. Preconditioning protected cells, but did not significantly alter ischemic dystrophin or spectrin translocation. This previously unrecognized loss of sarcolemmal dystrophin and spectrin may be the molecular basis for sub-sarcolemmal bleb formation and membrane fragility during the transition from reversible to irreversible ischemic myocardial injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Covalent cross-linking of erythrocyte spectrin by carbon disulfide in vivo.

Covalent cross-linking of proteins by CS2 has been demonstrated in vitro and represents a potential mechanism for the toxicity of this compound. In the present investigation the ability of CS2 to cross-link proteins covalently in vivo is demonstrated using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Intraperitoneal injection of CS2 in rats at 2 or 5 mmol/kg for 21 or 42 days produced several high-molecular-weight (approximately 410 kDa) proteins eluted from erythrocyte membranes which were not present in control animals. Limited proteolysis of the high-molecular-weight protein bands, monomeric alpha spectrin, and monomeric beta spectrin using endoproteinase glu-C, followed by peptide mapping on denaturing polyacrylamide gels, showed the high-molecular-weight proteins to be alpha,beta heterodimers. The production of multiple heterodimers exhibiting different distances of migration was consistent with the existence of several preferred sites for cross-linking. Evidence for the presence of dithiocarbamate ester and thiourea cross-linking structures in spectrin dimers was obtained using selective base hydrolysis. No spectrin dimer was detected in control animals, and dimer formation demonstrated a cumulative dose response in CS2-treated rats. The longevity of red blood cells, the cumulative dose response, and the stability of the cross-linking structures endows spectrin cross-linking with the potential to serve as a biomarker of chronic low-level exposures to CS2 and may provide a means to correlate pathological changes with existing methods of CS2 exposure monitoring. The ability of CS2 to covalently cross-link erythrocyte spectrin suggests that CS2 may also cross-link other proteins in vivo and supports covalent cross-linking of proteins as a possible molecular mechanism through which CS2 manifests toxicity. If so, then spectrin cross-linking may parallel cross-linking reactions in the axon and provide a sensitive, preneurotoxic biomarker of this molecular event.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Comparisons of the nucleotide substitution process among repetitive segments of the alpha- and beta-spectrin genes.

The actin-cross-linking protein spectrin is a prominent component of the membrane cytoskeleton. Spectrin is a tetramer of two antiparallel alphabeta-dimers which share a unique and ancient gene structure. The alpha-spectrin and beta-spectrin genes are composed primarily of tandemly repeated 106-amino-acid segments, each of which forms a triple alpha-helical coiled coil. Both the genes and the repeats themselves are homologous. The two genes are thought to be the result of a gene duplication event, and each gene is the product of duplications of the 106-amino-acid repeats. In this work we compare the process of molecular evolution across the repeated segments of the alpha- and beta-spectrin genes. We find that the alpha-spectrin segments have, for the most part, evolved in a homogeneous fashion, while considerable heterogeneity is found among beta-spectrin segments. Several segments with unique known functions are found to have evolved differently than the others. On the basis of heterogeneity of the evolutionary process, we suggest that at least one repeat has a unique function that has yet to be documented. We also present new statistical methods for comparing the evolutionary process between different regions of DNA sequences.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Spectrin breakdown products in the cerebrospinal fluid in severe head injury--preliminary observations.

BACKGROUND: Calcium-induced proteolytic processes are considered key players in the progressive pathobiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Activation of calpain and caspases after TBI leads to the cleavage of cytoskeletal proteins such as non-erythroid alpha II-spectrin. Recent reports demonstrate that the levels of spectrin and spectrin breakdown products (SBDPs) are elevated in vitro after mechanical injury, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue following experimental TBI, and in human brain tissue after TBI. METHODS: This study was initiated to detect spectrin and SBDP accumulation in the ventricular CSF of 12 severe TBI-patients with raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Nine patients with non-traumatically elevated ICP and 5 undergoing diagnostic lumbar puncture (LP) served as controls. Intact spectrin and calpain and caspase specific SBDPs in CSF collected once a day over a several day period were assessed via Western blot analysis. Parameters of severity and outcome such as ICP, Glasgow Coma Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale were also monitored in order to reveal a potential correlation between these CSF markers and clinical parameters. RESULTS: In control patients undergone LP no immunoreactivity was detected. Non-erythroid alpha-II-spectrin and SBDP occurred more frequently and their level was significantly higher in the CSF of TBI patients than in other pathological conditions associated with raised ICP. Those TBI patients followed for several days post-injury revealed a consistent temporal pattern for protein accumulation with the highest level achieved on the 2(nd) -3(rd) days after TBI. CONCLUSION: Elevation of calpain and caspase specific SBDPs is a significant finding in TBI patients indicating that intact brain spectrin- and SBDP-levels are closely associated with the specific neurochemical processes evoked by TBI. The results strongly support the potential utility of these surrogate markers in the clinical monitoring of patients with severe TBI and provide further evidence of the role of calcium-induced, calpain- and caspase-mediated structural proteolysis in TBI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Spectrin organization and dynamics: new insights.

Spectrin is the major constituent protein of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton which forms a filamentous network on the cytoplasmic face of the membrane by providing a scaffold for a variety of proteins. In this review, several aspects of spectrin organization are highlighted, particularly with respect to its ability to bind hydrophobic ligands and its interaction with membrane surfaces. The characteristic binding of the fluorescent hydrophobic probes Prodan and pyrene to spectrin, which allows an estimation of the polarity of the hydrophobic probe binding site, is illustrated. In addition, the contribution of uniquely localized and conserved tryptophan residues in the 'spectrin repeats' in these processes is discussed. A functional implication of the presence of hydrophobic binding sites in spectrin is its recently discovered chaperone-like activity. Interestingly, spectrin exhibits residual structural integrity even after denaturation which could be considered as a hallmark of cytoskeletal proteins. Future research could provide useful information about the possible role played by spectrin in cellular physiology in healthy and diseased states.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1979

The interaction of spectrin-actin and synthetic phospholipids. II. The interaction with phosphatidylserine.

Sonicated vesicles of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine mixtures were recombined with spectrin-actin from human erythrocyte ghosts. Morphological properties and physicochemical characteristics of the recombinates were studied with freeze etch electron microscopy, 31P NMR and differential scanning calorimetry. Sonicated dimyristoyl phosphatidylserine vesicles show a decrease in enthalpy change of the lipid phase transition upon addition of spectrin-actin. These vesicles collapse and fuse, into multilamellar structures in the presence of spectrin-actin, as demonstrated by freeze fracturing and NMR. Spectrin-actin cannot prevent the salt formation between phosphatidylserine and Ca2+, all phosphatidylserine is withdrawn from the lipid phase transition. In contrast a protection against the action of Mg2+ could be observed. Mixed bilayers of dimyristoyl phosphatidylserine/dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine show phase separations at molar ratios above 1/1 (van Dijck, P.W.M., de Kruijff, B., Verkleij, A.J., van Deenen, L.L.M. and de Gier, J. (1978) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 512, 84--96). These phase spearations can be prevented by spectrin-actin. Ca2+-induced lateral phase separations in cocrystallizing phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine mixtures, can be reduced by spectrin-actin. Formation of the Ca2+-phosphatidylserine salt, occurring in addition to lateral phase separation when mixtures contain more than 30 mol % phosphatidylserine, cannot be prevented by spectrin-actin.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

Increased immunoreactivity of brain spectrin in Alzheimer disease: a marker for synapse loss?

Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized, among other pathological alterations, by an extensive synapse loss. Brain spectrin is a membrane skeleton protein found in synapses, and its immunoreactivity has been shown to increase in the rat model of denervation. In order to test the hypothesis that there is an increase in brain spectrin immunoreactivity in relation to the synapse pathology in AD, we studied brain sections and homogenates from AD and control cases and found increased anti-brain spectrin immunostaining of neurons, fibers, and plaques, with a relative decrease in the granular pattern of neuropil immunoreactivity. Western blot analysis showed a 25% increase in the 150 kDa bands (degradation products) in the cytosolic fraction and a decrease in the 240 kDa band (intact brain spectrin) in the particulate fraction. Altered immunostaining of brain sections and Western blot was not observed with an antibody against red blood cell spectrin demonstrating the specific change of brain spectrin. These results support the contention that increased brain spectrin immunoreactivity is a marker of synapse or neuronal loss and further supports the concept of synapse pathology in AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1980

Altered erythrocyte spectrin extractability in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Spectrin extractability was measured in the erythrocyte membranes obtained from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and normal matched controls. After the extraction of spectrin by adding deionized water, an aliquot of the pellet was applied to 6% SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Spectrin-Band 3 ratio on the gels was used as an indicator of spectrin extractability. Our data disclosed that spectrin extractability is significantly reduced in DMD patients when compared with that of controls and these results suggest that spectrin from DMD patients is more tightly bound to the membranes. Our data may also be applicable to the discussion of the relationship of spectrin to other membrane properties as well as to previously described membrane abnormalities in DMD erythrocytes.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1989

The cortical actin-membrane cytoskeleton of unfertilized sea urchin eggs: analysis of the spatial organization and relationship of filamentous actin, nonfilamentous actin, and egg spectrin.

Whole mounts, cryosections, and isolated cortices of unfertilized sea urchin eggs were probed with fluorescent phalloidin, anti-actin and anti-egg spectrin antibodies to investigate the organizational state of the cortically associated actin-membrane cytoskeleton. Filamentous actin and egg spectrin were localized to the plasma membrane, within microvillar and nonmicrovillar domains. The nonmicrovillar filamentous actin was located immediately subjacent to the microvilli forming an extensive interconnecting network along the inner surface of the plasma membrane. The organization of this filamentous actin network precisely correlated with the positioning of the underlying cortical granules. The cortical cytoplasm did not contain any detectable filamentous actin, but instead contained a sequestered domain of nonfilamentous actin. Spectrin was localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane with concentrated foci co-localized with the filamentous actin present in microvilli. Spectrin was also observed to coat the surfaces of cortical granules as well as other populations of intracellular vesicles. On the basis of light microscopic morphology, intracellular distribution, and co-isolation with the egg cortex, some of these spectrin-coated organelles represent acidic vesicles. Identification of an elaborate organization of inter-related domains of actin (filamentous and nonfilamentous) and spectrin forming the cortical membrane cytoskeleton provides insight into the fundamental mechanisms for early membrane restructuring during embryogenesis. Additionally, the localization of spectrin to the surface of intracellular vesicles is indicative of its newly identified functional roles in membrane trafficking, membrane biogenesis and cellular differentiation.

Actins↗
PubMed1980

Spectrin-actin associations studied by electron microscopy of shadowed preparations.

By shadowing specimens dried onto mice sheets we have obtained clear images of actin crosslinked by spectrin, an actin-binding protein found in erythrocytes. We conclude that spectrin dimers possess a single binding site for F actin. Tetramers formed by head-to-head association of two dimers possess two actin binding sites, one at each tail. Polymerizing G actin in the presence of spectrin tetramers or mixing preformed F actin with spectrin tetramer plus bad 4.1 results in an extensively crosslinked network of actin filaments. When G actin is polymerized in the presence of spectrin at spectrin:actin mole ratios close to that present on the erythrocyte membrane, large amorphous protein networks are formed. These networks are clusters of spectrin around 25 nm diameter structures which may be actin protofilaments. These networks are similar to the cytoskeletal network seen after erythrocyte membranes are extracted with detergent, and may represent the first in vitro assembly of a cytoskeletal complex resembling that of the native cell both biochemically and structurally.

Actins↗