Biology subjects

Wong-Dilworth, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Wong-Dilworth, L..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Lipid-induced Caveolin1-Lipid droplet trafficking is associated with lipid droplet growth

Caveolae are 50-100 nm sized plasma membrane invaginations involved in cellular lipid uptake and lipid accumulation. Several caveolin1 and cavin1 mutations are associated to human lipodystrophy. Interestingly, previous research identified caveolae proteins at lipid droplets although their specific cellular function at lipid droplets and in lipid trafficking is not understood. Here, we show that extracellular dietary lipids like oleic acid and cholesterol shift caveolae at the plasma membrane to highly spherical invaginations. Within 3 hours of lipid treatment caveolin1 accumulates specifically to lipid droplets. Correlative fluorescence FIB-SEM and split-APEX proteomics revealed no caveolar vesicles at the lipid droplet but caveolin1 alone. Mechanistically, caveolin1-lipid droplet trafficking is regulated by EHD2 at the plasma membrane level, followed by caveolin1 localization to EEA1- and Rab5-positive endosomes within 1 hour of oleic acid treatment, and subsequently lipid droplet accumulation. Caveolin1-lipid droplet trafficking does not depend on lysosomal activity. Surprisingly, the deletion of the central caveolin1 {beta}-barrel (Cav1-F160X), a mutation found in lipodystrophy patients, abolished caveolin1-lipid droplet trafficking and lipid droplet growth. Taken together, our results show that dietary lipids induce caveolae uptake, caveolin1 accumulation to lipid droplets and a caveolin1-dependent lipid droplet growth.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Induced degradation of SNAP-fusion proteins

Self-labeling protein tags are an efficient means to visualize, manipulate, and isolate engineered fusion proteins with suitable chemical probes. The SNAP-tag, which covalently conjugates to benzyl-guanine and -chloropyrimidine derivatives is used extensively in fluorescence microscopy, given the availability of suitable SNAP-ligand-based probes. Here, we extend the applicability of the SNAP-tag to targeted protein degradation. We developed a set of SNAP PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (SNAP-PROTACs), which recruit the VHL or CRBN-ubiquitin E3 ligases to induce the degradation of SNAP-fusion proteins. Endogenous tagging enabled the visualization and the selective depletion of a SNAP-clathrin light chain fusion protein using SNAP-PROTACs. The addition of PROTACs to the SNAP-tag reagent toolbox facilitates the comprehensive analysis of protein function with a single gene tagging event.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Nanoscale imaging reveals the mechanisms of ER-to-Golgi transport via a dynamic tubular-vesicular network

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus are the first sorting stations along the secretory pathway of mammalian cells and have a crucial role in protein quality control and cellular homeostasis. While machinery components mediating ER-to-Golgi transport have been mapped, it is unclear how exchange between the two closely juxtaposed organelles is coordinated in living cells. Here, using gene editing to tag machinery components, live-cell confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution microscopy, we show that ER-to-Golgi transport occurs via a dynamic network of tubules positive for the small GTPase ARF4. swCOPI machinery is tightly associated to this network and moves with tubular-vesicular structures. Strikingly, the ARF4 network appears to be continuous with the ER and ARF4 tubules remodel around static ER exit sites (ERES) defined by COPII machinery. We were further able to dissect the steps of ER-to-Golgi transport with functional trafficking assays. A wave of cargo released from the ER percolates through peripheral and Golgi-tethered ARF4 structures before filling the cis-Golgi. Perturbation via acute degradation of ARF4 shows an active regulatory role for the GTPase and COPI in anterograde transport. Our data supports a model in which anterograde ER-to-Golgi transport occurs via an ARF4 tubular-vesicular network directly connecting the ER and Golgi-associated pre-cisternae.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Gene editing and super-resolution microscopy reveal multiple distinct roles for ARF GTPases in cellular membrane organization

ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) GTPases are major regulators of cellular membrane homeostasis. High sequence similarity and multiple, possible redundant functions of the five human ARFs make investigating their function a challenging task. To shed light on the roles of the different Golgi-localized ARF members in membrane trafficking, we generated CRISPR-Cas9 knock ins (KIs) of type I (ARF1 and ARF3) and type II ARFs (ARF4 and ARF5) and mapped their nanoscale localization with stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution microscopy. We find ARF1, ARF4 and ARF5 on segregated nano-domains on the cis-Golgi and ER-Golgi intermediate compartments (ERGIC), revealing distinct roles in COPI recruitment on early secretory membranes. Interestingly, ARF4 and ARF5 define Golgi-tethered ERGIC elements decorated by COPI and devoid of ARF1. Differential localization of ARF1 and ARF4 on distal ERGICs suggests the presence of functionally different classes of intermediate compartments that could regulate bi-directional transport between the ER and the Golgi. Furthermore, ARF1 and ARF3 localize to segregated nano-domains on the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and TGN-derived post-Golgi tubules, strengthening the idea of distinct roles in post-Golgi sorting. This work provides the first map of the nanoscale organization of human ARF GTPases on cellular membranes and sets the stage to dissect their numerous cellular roles.

cell biology↗