Abstract
Newly synthesized secretory proteins are folded and assembled in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where an efficient protein quality control system performs a critically important function. When unfolded or aggregated proteins accumulate in the ER, certain signaling pathways such as the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-overload response (EOR) are functionally active in maintaining cell homeostasis. Recently we prepared CHO cells expressing mutant antithrombin (AT)(C95R) under control of the Tet-On system and showed that AT(C95R) accumulated in Russell bodies (RB), large distinctive structures derived from the ER. To characterize whether ER stress takes place in CHO cells, we examined characteristic UPR and EOR in ER stress responses. We found that the induction of ER chaperones such as Grp97, Grp78 and PDI was limited to a maximum of approximately two-fold. The processing of X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) mRNA and the phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) subunit were not induced. Furthermore, the activation of NF-κB was not observed. In contrast, CHO cells displayed UPR and EOR when the cells were treated with thapsigargin and TNF-α, respectively. In addition, a portion of the mutant AT(C95R) was degraded through proteasomes and autophagy. CHO cells do respond to ER stress but the folding state of mutant AT(C95R) does not appear to activate the ER stress signal pathway.
