Although phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate (PtdIns5P) is present in many cell types and its biogenesis is increased by diverse stimuli, its precise cellular function remains elusive. Here we show that PtdIns5P levels increase when cells are stimulated to move and we find PtdIns5P to promote cell migration in tissue culture and in a Drosophila in vivo model. First, class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, which produces PtdIns3P, was shown to be involved in migration of fibroblasts. In a cell migration screen for proteins containing PtdIns3P-binding motifs, we identified the phosphoinositide 5-kinase PIKfyve and the phosphoinositide 3-phosphatase MTMR3, which together constitute a phosphoinositide loop that produces PtdIns5P via PtdIns(3,5)P 2 . The ability of PtdIns5P to stimulate cell migration was demonstrated directly with exogenous PtdIns5P and a PtdIns5P-producing bacterial enzyme. Thus, the identified phosphoinositide loop defines a new role for PtdIns5P in cell migration.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that controls cell proliferation, growth, survival, metabolism, and migration by activating the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-AKT and ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase)-RSK (ribosomal S6 kinase) pathways. EGFR signaling to these pathways is temporally and spatially regulated. Endocytic trafficking controls the access of EGFR to these downstream effectors and also its degradation, which terminates EGFR signaling. Here, we showed that AKT facilitated the endocytic trafficking of EGFR to promote its degradation. Interfering with AKT signaling reduced both EGFR recycling and the rate of EGFR degradation. In AKT-impaired cells EGFRs were unable to reach the cell surface or the lysosomal compartment and accumulated in the early endosomes, resulting in prolonged signaling and increased activation of ERK and RSK. Upon EGF stimulation, AKT phosphorylated and activated the kinase PIKfyve, which promotes vesicle trafficking to lysosomes. PIKfyve activation promoted EGFR degradation. Similar regulation occurred with platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), suggesting that AKT phosphorylation and activation of PIKfyve is likely to be a common feedback mechanism for terminating receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and reducing receptor abundance.

Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in processes involving cellular damage and subsequent cell death, especially in organs such as the eye that are constantly exposed to excitatory signals. However, recent studies have shown that oxidant species can also act as intracellular signalling molecules promoting cell survival, but little is known about this mechanism in the retina. The present study demonstrates for the first time that hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is generated rapidly and acts as a prosurvival signal in response to a variety of apoptotic stimuli in retina-derived 661W cells and in the retinal ganglion cell line RGC-5. Focussing on 661Ws and serum deprivation, we systematically investigated pro-survival and pro-death pathways and discovered that the rapid and transient burst of H 2 O 2 activates the AKT survival pathway. Activation of the apoptotic machinery takes place following the decline of H 2 O 2 to basal levels. To substantiate this proposed pro-survival role of H 2 O 2 , we inhibited the oxidant burst, which exacerbated cell death. Conversely, maintenance of the oxidant signal using exogenous H 2 O 2 enhanced cell survival. Overall, the results presented in this study provide evidence for a novel role of H 2 O 2 in mediating survival of retinal cells in response to apoptotic stimuli.

Phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate 4-kinases (PIP4ks) are a family of lipid kinases that specifically use phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate (PI-5-P) as a substrate to synthesize phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2). Suppression of PIP4k function in Drosophila results in smaller cells and reduced target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) signaling. Here we showed that the γ isoform of PIP4k stimulated signaling through mammalian TORC1 (mTORC1). Knockdown of PIP4kγ reduced cell mass in cells in which mTORC1 is constitutively activated by Tsc2 deficiency. In Tsc2 null cells mTORC1 activation was partially independent of amino acids or glucose and glutamine. PIP4kγ knockdown inhibited the nutrient-independent activation of mTORC1 in Tsc2 knockdown cells and reduced basal mTORC1 signaling in wild-type cells. PIP4kγ was phosphorylated by mTORC1 and associated with the complex. Phosphorylated PIP4kγ was enriched in light microsomal vesicles, whereas the unphosphorylated form was enriched in heavy microsomal vesicles associated with the Golgi. Furthermore, basal mTORC1 signaling was enhanced by overexpression of unphosphorylated wild-type PIP4kγ or a phosphorylation-defective mutant and decreased by overexpression of a phosphorylation mimetic mutant. Together these results demonstrate that PIP4kγ and mTORC1 interact in a self-regulated feedback loop to maintain low and tightly regulated mTORC1 activation during starvation.