Search

T cell activation and function depend on Ca2+signals mediated by store-operated Ca2+entry (SOCE) through Ca2+release–activated Ca2+(CRAC) channels formed by ORAI1 proteins. We here investigated how SOCE controls T cell function in pulmonary inflammation during a T helper 1 (TH1) cell–mediated response to influenza A virus (IAV) infection and TH2 cell–mediated allergic airway inflammation. T cell–specific deletion ofOrai1did not exacerbate pulmonary inflammation and viral burdens following IAV infection but protected mice from house dust mite–induced allergic airway inflammation. ORAI1 controlled the expression of genes including p53 and E2F transcription factors that regulate the cell cycle in TH2 cells in response to allergen stimulation and the expression of transcription factors and cytokines that regulate TH2 cell function. Systemic application of a CRAC channel blocker suppressed allergic airway inflammation without compromising immunity to IAV infection, suggesting that inhibition of SOCE is a potential treatment for allergic airway disease.

International audience; In the fight against prostate cancer (PCa), TRPM8 is one of the most promising clinical targets. Indeed, several studies have highlighted that TRPM8 involvement is key in PCa progression because of its impact on cell proliferation, viability, and migration. However, data from the literature are somewhat contradictory regarding the precise role of TRPM8 in prostatic carcinogenesis and are mostly based on in vitro studies. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role played by TRPM8 in PCa progression. We used a prostate orthotopic xenograft mouse model to show that TRPM8 overexpression dramatically limited tumor growth and metastasis dissemination in vivo. Mechanistically, our in vitro data revealed that TRPM8 inhibited tumor growth by affecting the cell proliferation and clonogenic properties of PCa cells. Moreover, TRPM8 impacted metastatic dissemination mainly by impairing cytoskeleton dynamics and focal adhesion formation through the inhibition of the Cdc42, Rac1, ERK, and FAK pathways. Lastly, we proved the in vivo efficiency of a new tool based on lipid nanocapsules containing WS12 in limiting the TRPM8–positive cells’ dissemination at metastatic sites. Our work strongly supports the protective role of TRPM8 on PCa progression, providing new insights into the potential application of TRPM8 as a therapeutic target in PCa treatment.

The Orai1 channel is regulated by stromal interaction molecules STIM1 and STIM2 within endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) contact sites. Ca2+ signals generated by Orai1 activate Ca2+-dependent gene expression. When compared with STIM1, STIM2 is a weak activator of Orai1, but it has been suggested to have a unique role in nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFAT1) activation triggered by Orai1-mediated Ca2+ entry. In this study, we examined the contribution of STIM2 in NFAT1 activation. We report that STIM2 recruitment of Orai1/STIM1 to ER-PM junctions in response to depletion of ER-Ca2+ promotes assembly of the channel with AKAP79 to form a signaling complex that couples Orai1 channel function to the activation of NFAT1. Knockdown of STIM2 expression had relatively little effect on Orai1/STIM1 clustering or local and global [Ca2+]i increases but significantly attenuated NFAT1 activation and assembly of Orai1 with AKAP79. STIM1ΔK, which lacks the PIP2-binding polybasic domain, was recruited to ER-PM junctions following ER-Ca2+ depletion by binding to Orai1 and caused local and global [Ca2+]i increases comparable to those induced by STIM1 activation of Orai1. However, in contrast to STIM1, STIM1ΔK induced less NFAT1 activation and attenuated the association of Orai1 with STIM2 and AKAP79. Orai1-AKAP79 interaction and NFAT1 activation were recovered by coexpressing STIM2 with STIM1ΔK. Replacing the PIP2-binding domain of STIM1 with that of STIM2 eliminated the requirement of STIM2 for NFAT1 activation. Together, these data demonstrate an important role for STIM2 in coupling Orai1-mediated Ca2+ influx to NFAT1 activation.

Ca2+ signals regulate the function of many immune cells and promote immune responses to infection, cancer, and autoantigens. Ca2+ influx in immune cells is mediated by store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) that results from the opening of Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. The CRAC channel is formed by three plasma membrane proteins, ORAI1, ORAI2, and ORAI3. Of these, ORAI1 is the best studied and plays important roles in immune function. By contrast, the physiological role of ORAI3 in immune cells remains elusive. We show here that ORAI3 is expressed in many immune cells including macrophages, B cells, and T cells. To investigate ORAI3 function in immune cells, we generated Orai3−/− mice. The development of lymphoid and myeloid cells in the thymus and bone marrow was normal in Orai3−/− mice, as was the composition of immune cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Deletion of Orai3 did not affect SOCE in B cells and T cells but moderately enhanced SOCE in macrophages. Orai3-deficient macrophages, B cells, and T cells had normal effector functions in vitro. Immune responses in vivo, including humoral immunity (T cell dependent or independent) and antitumor immunity, were normal in Orai3−/− mice. Moreover, Orai3−/− mice showed no differences in susceptibility to septic shock, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, or collagen-induced arthritis. We conclude that despite its expression in myeloid and lymphoid cells, ORAI3 appears to be dispensable or redundant for physiological and pathological immune responses mediated by these cells.

The Orai1 channel is regulated by stromal interaction molecules STIM1 and STIM2 within endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) contact sites. Ca(2+) signals generated by Orai1 activate Ca(2+)-dependent gene expression. When compared with STIM1, STIM2 is a weak activator of Orai1, but it has been suggested to have a unique role in nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFAT1) activation triggered by Orai1-mediated Ca(2+) entry. In this study, we examined the contribution of STIM2 in NFAT1 activation. We report that STIM2 recruitment of Orai1/STIM1 to ER-PM junctions in response to depletion of ER-Ca(2+) promotes assembly of the channel with AKAP79 to form a signaling complex that couples Orai1 channel function to the activation of NFAT1. Knockdown of STIM2 expression had relatively little effect on Orai1/STIM1 clustering or local and global [Ca(2+)](i) increases but significantly attenuated NFAT1 activation and assembly of Orai1 with AKAP79. STIM1ΔK, which lacks the PIP(2)-binding polybasic domain, was recruited to ER-PM junctions following ER-Ca(2+) depletion by binding to Orai1 and caused local and global [Ca(2+)](i) increases comparable to those induced by STIM1 activation of Orai1. However, in contrast to STIM1, STIM1ΔK induced less NFAT1 activation and attenuated the association of Orai1 with STIM2 and AKAP79. Orai1-AKAP79 interaction and NFAT1 activation were recovered by coexpressing STIM2 with STIM1ΔK. Replacing the PIP(2)-binding domain of STIM1 with that of STIM2 eliminated the requirement of STIM2 for NFAT1 activation. Together, these data demonstrate an important role for STIM2 in coupling Orai1-mediated Ca(2+) influx to NFAT1 activation.

While originally cloned from the prostate in 2001, transient receptor potential, melastatin member 8 (TRPM8) has since been identified as the cold/menthol receptor in the peripheral nervous system. This discovery has led to hundreds of studies regarding the role of this channel in pain and thermosensation phenomena, while relegating TRPM8 involvement in cancer to a secondary role. Despite these findings, there is growing evidence that TRPM8 should be carefully studied within the frame of carcinogenesis, especially in the prostate, where it is highly expressed and where many teams have confirmed variations in its expression during cancer progression. Its regulation by physiological factors, such as PSA and androgens, has proved that TRPM8 can exhibit an activity beyond that of a cold receptor, thus explaining how the channel can be activated in organs not exposed to temperature variations. With this review, we aim to provide a brief overview of the current knowledge regarding the complex roles of TRPM8 in prostate carcinogenesis and to show that this research path still represents a "hot" topic with potential clinical applications in the short term.

Previous studies showed the effects of resveratrol (RES) on several cancer cells, including prostate cancer (PCa) cell apoptosis without taking into consideration the impact of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is composed of cancer cells, endothelial cells, blood cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), the main source of growth factors. The latter cells might modify in the TME the impact of RES on tumor cells via secreted factors. Recent data clearly show the impact of CAF on cancer cells apoptosis resistance via secreted factors. However, the effects of RES on PCa CAF have not been studied so far. We have investigated here for the first time the effects of RES on the physiology of PCa CAF in the context of TME. Using a prostate cancer CAF cell line and primary cultures of CAF from prostate cancers, we show that RES activates the N-terminal mutated Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel leading to an increase in intracellular calcium concentration and the expression and secretion of growth factors (HGF and VEGF) without inducing apoptosis in these cells. Interestingly, in the present work, we also show that when the prostate cancer cells were co-cultured with CAF, the RES-induced cancer cell apoptosis was reduced by 40%, an apoptosis reduction canceled in the presence of the TRPA1 channel inhibitors. The present work highlights CAF TRPA1 ion channels as a target for RES and the importance of the channel in the epithelial-stromal crosstalk in the TME leading to resistance to the RES-induced apoptosis.

The characterization of calcium channel interactome in the last decades opened a new way of perceiving ion channel function and regulation. Partner proteins of ion channels can now be considered as major components of the calcium homeostatic mechanisms, while the reinforcement or disruption of their interaction with the channel units now represents an attractive target in research and therapeutics. In this review we will focus on the targeting of calcium channel partner proteins in order to act on the channel activity, and on its consequences for cell and organism physiology. Given the recent advances in the partner proteins’ identification, characterization, as well as in the resolution of their interaction domain structures, we will develop the latest findings on the interacting proteins of the following channels: voltage-dependent calcium channels, transient receptor potential and ORAI channels, and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

Immunity to fungal infections is mediated by cells of the innate and adaptive immune system including Th17 cells. Ca2+ influx in immune cells is regulated by stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and its activation of the Ca2+ channel ORAI1. We here identify patients with a novel mutation in STIM1 (p.L374P) that abolished Ca2+ influx and resulted in increased susceptibility to fungal and other infections. In mice, deletion of STIM1 in all immune cells enhanced susceptibility to mucosal C. albicans infection, whereas T cell‐specific deletion of STIM1 impaired immunity to systemic C. albicans infection. STIM1 deletion impaired the production of Th17 cytokines essential for antifungal immunity and compromised the expression of genes in several metabolic pathways including Foxo and HIF1α signaling that regulate glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Our study further revealed distinct roles of STIM1 in regulating transcription and metabolic programs in non‐pathogenic Th17 cells compared to pathogenic, proinflammatory Th17 cells, a finding that may potentially be exploited for the treatment of Th17 cell‐mediated inflammatory diseases., Pathogenic Th17 cells have been implicated in autoimmune diseases, while non‐pathogenic Th17 cells provide immunity to fungal pathogens. Patients with mutations in ORAI1 or STIM1 have impaired Ca2+ signaling in immune cells and are more susceptible to infections with fungal pathogens.

Cellular senescence is implicated in a great number of diseases including cancer. Although alterations in mitochondrial metabolism were reported as senescence drivers, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We report the mechanism altering mitochondrial function and OXPHOS in stress-induced senescent fibroblasts. We demonstrate that TRPC3 protein, acting as a controller of mitochondrial Ca

The goal of the project was to integrate “omics” data, including genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiles, to identify a specific signature of tumor dormancy. Materials and Methods: Two murine models of tumor dormancy, B16F1 malignant melanoma and DA1-3b myeloid leukemia, were generated and exome sequencing of dormant cells and parental cells was performed.Mutations were identified. Epigenetic alterations were detected by ChIP sequencing. Briefly, repressed and activated genes were identified by sequencing DNA fragments obtained after immunoprecipitation with antibodies against H3K9 and H3K27 and against histone H3K4me3, respectively. DNA Methylation analysis was assessed by Methylation Specific PCR (MSP). Transcriptomic analysis was conducted using Agilent arrays. Proteomes were compared by mass spectrometry. For the calcium homeostasis analysis, time courses of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration were measured using the ratiometric dye Fura-2. Results: Exome analysis identified a specific gene signature of tumor dormancy in each model. Previously characterized mutations in human melanoma and myeloid leukemia were found in the murine models of B16F1 melanoma (e.g., Pten, Brca2, and CKit) and myeloid leukemia (e.g., Flt3 and Dnmt3b), thus reinforcing the relevance of these models for translational research on human pathology. ChIP sequencing revealed a specific epigenetic signature of dormant cells compared to parental cells. Global proteomic analysis showed a deregulation of proteins involved in many metabolic pathways in both models. Despite the absence of common gene mutations in the two models tested, several genes involved in calcium homeostasis were found to be mutated (Transient Receptor Potential, Store Operated calcium channels ). Regarding their epigenetic regulation assessed by MSP, no difference was observed in methylation level. Nevertheless, functional assays showed profound alterations in calcium homeostasis in the two dormant cell lines compared to the parental cell lines, suggesting a functional role of one or several receptors or ion channels in calcium signaling in tumor dormancy. Conclusions: Taken together, “omics” analyses indicate that the regulation of tumor cell dormancy is extremely complex. Therefore, an integrated approach is crucial to fully understand tumor dormancy. Bioinformatics and integrative analyses will provide a better understanding of mechanisms controlling dormancy. Finally, functional analysis of calcium homeostasis revealed a common calcium signature in dormant tumor cells compared to parental cells. The genes involved in this altered intracellular calcium flux are currently being elucidated. Citation Format: Yasmine Touil, Loïc Lemonnier, Pascaline Segard, Martin Figeac, Frédéric Leprêtre, Audrey Vincent, Lucile Noyer, Maxence Wisztorski, Jean-Pascal Gimeno, Jean-Pascal Meneboo, Guillemette Marot, Isabelle Fournier, Thierry Idziorek, Bruno Quesnel. Omics unveils a specific signature of tumor dormancy in two murine models of leukemia and melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2671.