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Ca2+ plays a crucial role in cell signaling, cytosolic Ca2+ can change up to 10,000-fold in concentration due to the action of Ca2+-ATPases, including PMCA, SERCA and SCR. The regulation and balance of these enzymes are essential to maintain cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis. Our laboratory has discovered a novel PMCA regulatory system, involving acetylated tubulin alone or in combination with membrane lipids. This regulation controls cytosolic Ca2+ levels and influences cellular properties such as erythrocyte rheology. This review summarizes the findings on the regulatory mechanism of PMCA activity by acetylated tubulin in combination with lipids. The combination of tubulin cytoskeleton and membrane lipids suggests a novel regulatory system for PMCA, which consequently affects cytosolic Ca2+ content, depending on cytoskeletal and plasma membrane dynamics. Understanding the interaction between acetylated tubulin, lipids and PMCA activity provides new insights into Ca2+ signaling and cell function. Further research may shed light on potential therapeutic targets for diseases related to Ca2+ dysregulation. This discovery contributes to a broader understanding of cellular processes and offers opportunities to develop innovative approaches to treat Ca2+-related disorders. By elucidating the complex regulatory mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis, we advance our understanding of cell biology and its implications for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new function for tubulin was described by our laboratory: acetylated tubulin forms a complex with Na+,K +‐ATPase (NKA) and inhibits its activity. This process was shown to be a regulatory factor of physiological importance in cultured cells, human erythrocytes, and several rat tissues. Formation of the acetylated tubulin–NKA complex is reversible. We demonstrated that in cultured cells, high concentrations of glucose induce translocation of acetylated tubulin from cytoplasm to plasma membrane with a consequent inhibition of NKA activity. This effect is reversed by adding glutamate, which is coctransported to the cell with Na +. Another posttranslational modification of tubulin, detyrosinated tubulin, is also involved in the regulation of NKA activity: it enhances the NKA inhibition induced by acetylated tubulin. Manipulation of the content of these modifications of tubulin could work as a new strategy to maintain homeostasis of Na + and K +, and to regulate a variety of functions in which NKA is involved, such as osmotic fragility and deformability of human erythrocytes. The results summarized in this review show that the interaction between tubulin and NKA plays an important role in cellular physiology, both in the regulation of Na +/K + homeostasis and in the rheological properties of the cells, which is mechanically different from other roles reported up to now. A new function for tubulin was described by our laboratory: acetylated tubulin forms a complex with Na+,K +‐ATPase (NKA) and inhibits its activity. Manipulation of the content of modifications of tubulin could work as a new strategy to maintain homeostasis of Na + and K +, and to regulate a variety of functions in which NKA is involved. The interaction between tubulin and NKA plays an important role in cellular physiology, both in the regulation of Na +/K + homeostasis and in the rheological properties of the cells, which is mechanically different from other roles reported up to now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a congenital developmental disorder characterized by distinctive craniofacial features, growth retardation, cognitive impairment, limb defects, hirsutism, and multisystem involvement. Mutations in five genes encoding structural components (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21) or functionally associated factors (NIPBL, HDAC8) of the cohesin complex have been found in patients with CdLS. In about 60% of the patients, mutations in NIPBL could be identified. Interestingly, 17% of them are predicted to change normal splicing, however, detailed molecular investigations are often missing. Here, we report the first systematic study of the physiological splicing of the NIPBL gene, that would reveal the identification of four new splicing isoforms ΔE10, ΔE12, ΔE33,34, and B'. Furthermore, we have investigated nine mutations affecting splice-sites in the NIPBL gene identified in twelve CdLS patients. All mutations have been examined on the DNA and RNA level, as well as by in silico analyses. Although patients with mutations affecting NIPBL splicing show a broad clinical variability, the more severe phenotypes seem to be associated with aberrant transcripts resulting in a shift of the reading frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) from liquid medium was tested. The experimental results indicated that (i) AFB1 binding to microorganisms was a rapid process (no more than 1 min); (ii) this binding involved the formation of a reversible complex between the toxin and microorganism surface, without chemical modification of the toxin; (iii) the amount of AFB1 removed was both toxin- and bacteria concentration-dependent; and (iv) quantitatively similar results were obtained with viable and nonviable (heat-treated) bacteria. According to these details, a physical adsorption model is proposed for the binding of AFB1 to LAB and S. cerevisiae, considering that the binding (adsorption) and release (desorption) of AFB1 to and from the site on the surface of the microorganism took place (AFB1 + S ↔ S - AFB1. The model permits the estimation of two parameters: the number of binding sites per microorganism (M) and the reaction equilibrium constant (Keq) involved, both of which are useful for estimating the adsorption efficiency (M X Keq) of a particular microorganism. Application of the model to experimental data suggests that different microorganisms have similar Keq values and that the differences in toxin removal efficiency are mainly due to differences in M values. The most important application of the proposed model is the capacity to select the most efficient microorganism to remove AFB1. Furthermore, it allows us to know if a modification of the adsorption efficiency obtained by physical, chemical, or genetic treatments on the microorganism is a consequence of changes in M, Keq, or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, plasma membrane H+-ATPase is activated by d-glucose. We found that in the absence of glucose, this enzyme forms a complex with acetylated tubulin. Acetylated tubulin usually displays hydrophilic properties, but behaves as a hydrophobic compound when complexed with H+-ATPase, and therefore partitions into a detergent phase. When cells were treated with glucose, the H+-ATPase–tubulin complex was disrupted, with two consequences, namely (a) the level of acetylated tubulin in the plasma membrane decreased as a function of glucose concentration and (b) the H+-ATPase activity increased as a function of glucose concentration, as measured by both ATP-hydrolyzing capacity and H+-pumping activity. The addition of 2-deoxy- d-glucose inhibited the above glucose-induced phenomena, suggesting the involvement of glucose transporters. Whereas total tubulin is distributed uniformly throughout the cell, acetylated tubulin is concentrated near the plasma membrane. Results from immunoprecipitation experiments using anti-(acetylated tubulin) and anti-(H+-ATPase) immunoglobulins indicated a physical interaction between H+-ATPase and acetylated tubulin in the membranes of glucose-starved cells. When cells were pretreated with 1 m m glucose, this interaction was disrupted. Double immunofluorescence, observed by confocal microscopy, indicated that H+-ATPase and acetylated tubulin partially colocalize at the periphery of glucose-starved cells, with predominance at the outer and inner sides of the membrane, respectively. Colocalization was not observed when cells were pretreated with 1 m m glucose, reinforcing the idea that glucose treatment produces dissociation of the H+-ATPase–tubulin complex. Biochemical experiments using isolated membranes from yeast and purified tubulin from rat brain demonstrated inhibition of H+-ATPase activity by acetylated tubulin and concomitant increase of the H+-ATP ase–tubulin complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]