Metabolic pathways are reprogrammed in cancer to support cell survival. Here, we report that T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells are characterized by increased oxidative phosphorylation and robust ATP production. We demonstrate that ORP4L is expressed in T-ALL but not normal T-cells and its abundance is proportional to cellular ATP. ORP4L acts as an adaptor/scaffold assembling CD3ɛ, Gαq/11 and PLCβ3 into a complex that activates PLCβ3. PLCβ3 catalyzes IP3 production in T-ALL as opposed to PLCγ1 in normal T-cells. Up-regulation of ORP4L thus results in a switch in the enzyme responsible for IP3-induced endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and oxidative phosphorylation. ORP4L knockdown results in suboptimal bioenergetics, cell death and abrogation of T-ALL engraftment in vivo. In summary, we uncovered a signalling pathway operating specifically in T-ALL cells in which ORP4L mediates G protein-coupled ligand-induced PLCβ3 activation, resulting in an increase of mitochondrial respiration for cell survival. Targeting ORP4L might represent a promising approach for T-ALL treatment.

ORP8 is a previously unexplored member of the family of oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins (ORP). We now report the expression pattern, the subcellular distribution, and data on the ligand binding properties and the physiological function of ORP8. ORP8 is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via its C-terminal transmembrane span and binds 25-hydroxycholesterol, identifying it as a new ER oxysterolbinding protein. ORP8 is expressed at highest levels in macrophages, liver, spleen, kidney, and brain. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed ORP8 in the shoulder regions of human coronary atherosclerotic lesions, where it is present in CD68(؉) macrophages. In advanced lesions the ORP8 mRNA was up-regulated 2.7-fold as compared with healthy coronary artery wall. Silencing of ORP8 by RNA interference in THP-1 macrophages increased the expression of ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and concomitantly cholesterol efflux to lipidfree apolipoprotein A-I but had no significant effect on ABCG1 expression or cholesterol efflux to spherical high density lipoprotein HDL 2 . Experiments employing an ABCA1 promoter-luciferase reporter confirmed that ORP8 silencing enhances ABCA1 transcription. The silencing effect was partially attenuated by mutation of the DR4 element in the ABCA1 promoter and synergized with that of the liver X receptor agonist T0901317. Furthermore, inactivation of the E-box in the promoter synergized with ORP8 silencing, suggesting that the suppressive effect of ORP8 involves both the liver X receptor and the E-box functions. Our data identify ORP8 as a negative regulator of ABCA1 expression and macrophage cholesterol efflux. ORP8 may, thus, modulate the development of atherosclerosis.

Highlights d ORP4L is highly expressed in LSCs and essential for LSC survival d ORP4L extracts and presents PIP 2 from the plasma membrane for PLCb3 catalysis in LSCs d LYZ-81 is identified as a specific inhibitor of ORP4L

Background-Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) has previously been implicated as a sterol sensor that regulates sphingomyelin synthesis and the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). Methods and Results-We determined the effects of adenovirus-mediated hepatic overexpression of OSBP and its homologues ORP1L and ORP3 on mouse serum lipids. Whereas ORP1L and ORP3 had no effect on serum lipids, OSBP induced a marked increase of VLDL triglycerides (TG). Also, the liver tissue TG were elevated in the AdOSBP-injected mice, and their TG secretion rate was increased by 70%. The messenger RNAs for enzymes of fatty acid synthesis and their transcriptional regulator, SREBP-1c, as well as the Insig-1 mRNA, were upregulated two-fold in the OSBPexpressing livers. No change occurred in the messages of liver X receptor target genes ABCA1, ABCG5, and CYP7A1, and the Insig-2a mRNA was reduced. The phosphorylation of ERK was decreased in AdOSBP-infected liver and cultured hepatocytes. Importantly, silencing of OSBP in hepatocytes suppressed the induction of SREBP1-c by insulin and resulted in a reduction of TG synthesis. T he liver plays a central role in triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol homeostasis. Complex regulatory circuits within hepatocytes maintain the body lipid homeostasis under varying environmental conditions. Hepatic lipid syntheses and fluxes are controlled by transcription factors that respond to signals from a variety of lipidous ligands. The synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids as well as the uptake of cholesterol and hepatic glucose use are controlled by sterol regulatory element binding proteins, SREBP. 1,2 A two-step proteolytic cleavage of SREBP precursors occurs within the Golgi complex and releases a basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-LZ) transcription factor denoted nuclear SREBP (nSREBP). The cleavage is controlled by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cholesterol content, which is sensed by SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP). SCAP, together with Insig proteins, retains SREBP within the ER when cholesterol is abundant but escorts it to the Golgi complex on cholesterol depletion. In addition to cholesterol, exogenously added oxysterol 25-hydroxycholesterol (25OH) is a potent inducer of SREBP activation, suggesting that also endogenous cellular oxysterols regulate the SREBP machinery. 2 Of the 3 SREBPs, SREBP-1c is particularly abundant in the liver where its expression is regulated by insulin and glucagon, and it plays a major role in controlling hepatic lipogenesis and glucose use. 1,3 SREBP-2, also expressed at relatively high levels in the liver, is responsible for control of cholesterol metabolism. The third family member, SREBP-1a, functions in both cholesterol and TG metabolism. In cultured cells, SREBP-1a is expressed at much higher levels than SREBP1c. 4 The cleavage of SREBP-1a and -2 precursors is regulated by cholesterol status, whereas the expression and maturation of SREBP-1c are primarily regulated by nutritional factors. SREBP-1c expression in liver, white adipos...

We earlier identified OSBP-related protein 8 (ORP8) as an endoplasmic reticulum oxysterol-binding protein implicated in cellular lipid homeostasis. We now investigated its action in hepatic cells in vivo and in vitro. Adenoviral overexpression of ORP8 in mouse liver induced a decrease of cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides in serum (−34%, −26%, −37%, respectively) and liver tissue (−40%, −12%, −24%), coinciding with reduction of nuclear (n)SREBP-1 and -2 and mRNA levels of their target genes. Consistently, excess ORP8 reduced nSREBPs in HuH7 cells, and ORP8 overexpression or silencing by RNA interference moderately suppressed or induced the expression of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 target genes, respectively. In accordance, cholesterol biosynthesis was reduced by ORP8 overexpression and enhanced by ORP8 silencing in [3H]acetate pulse-labeling experiments. ORP8, previously shown to bind 25-hydroxycholesterol, was now shown to bind also cholesterol in vitro. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed the nuclear pore component Nup62 as an interaction partner of ORP8. Co-localization of ORP8 and Nup62 at the nuclear envelope was demonstrated by BiFC and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the impact of overexpressed ORP8 on nSREBPs and their target mRNAs was inhibited in cells depleted of Nup62. Our results reveal that ORP8 has the capacity to modulate lipid homeostasis and SREBP activity, probably through an indirect mechanism, and provide clues of an entirely new mode of ORP action.