We identified a novel cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-associating, PDZ domain-containing protein, CAL (CFTR associated ligand) containing two predicted coiled-coiled domains and one PDZ domain. The PDZ domain of CAL binds to the C terminus of CFTR. Although CAL does not have any predicted transmembrane domains, CAL is associated with membranes mediated by a region containing the coiled-coil domains. CAL is located primarily at the Golgi apparatus, co-localizing with trans-Golgi markers and is sensitive to Brefeldin A treatment. Immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that CAL exists as a multimer. Overexpression of CAL reduces CFTR chloride currents in mammalian cells and decreases expression, rate of insertion and half-life of CFTR in the plasma membrane. The Na ؉ /H ؉ exchanger regulatory factor, NHE-RF, a subplasma membrane PDZ domain protein, restores cell surface expression of CFTR and chloride currents. In addition, NHE-RF inhibits the binding of CAL to CFTR. CAL modulates the surface expression of CFTR. CAL favors retention of CFTR within the cell, whereas NHE-RF favors surface expression by competing with CAL for the binding of CFTR. Thus, the regulation of CFTR in the plasma membrane involves the dynamic interaction between at least two PDZ domain proteins.

We have previously identified the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR)-interacting protein CAL and demonstrated that CAL modulates CFTR plasma membrane expression by retaining CFTR within the cell. Here, we report that in addition to regulating membrane expression, CAL also regulates the expression of mature CFTR. The co-expression of hemagglutinintagged or Myc-tagged CAL with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CFTR in COS-7 cells causes a dose-dependent reduction in mature GFP-CFTR, independent of its tags. Bafilomycin A1, a lysosomal proton pump inhibitor, increases mature GFP-CFTR, confirming previous reports of lysosomal degradation of mature CFTR. Importantly, bafilomycin A1 reverses CAL-mediated CFTR degradation. The proteasome inhibitor, MG132, on the other hand, does not reverse the effect of CAL. CAL has no effect on CFTR maturation, suggesting that it exerts its effects on mature CFTR. Co-expression of CAL enhances the degradation of CFTR. We showed previously that CAL reduces the half-life of CFTR at the cell surface. Here we show that expression of dominant-negative dynamin 2 K44A, a large GTPase inhibitor that is known to inhibit clathrin-mediated endocytosis and vesicle formation in the Golgi, increases cell surface CFTR as measured by surface biotinylation. More importantly, dynamin 2 K44A also restores cell surface CFTR in CALoverexpressing cells and partially blocks the CAL-mediated degradation of mature CFTR. These data suggest a model in which CAL retains CFTR in the cell and targets CFTR for degradation.

Human pluripotent stem cells have the potential to promote biological studies and accelerate drug discovery efforts by making possible direct experimentation on a variety of human cell types of interest. However, stem cell cultures are generally heterogeneous and efficient differentiation and purification protocols are often lacking. Here, we describe the generation of clustered regularlyinterspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)-Cas9 engineered reporter knock-in embryonic stem cell lines in which tdTomato and a unique cell-surface protein, THY1.2, are expressed under the control of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC)-enriched gene BRN3B. Using these reporter cell lines, we greatly improved adherent stem cell differentiation to the RGC lineage by optimizing a novel combination of small molecules and established an anti-THY1.2-based protocol that allows for largescale RGC immunopurification. RNA-sequencing confirmed the similarity of the stem cell-derived RGCs to their endogenous human counterparts. Additionally, we developed an in vitro axonal injury model suitable for studying signaling pathways and mechanisms of human RGC cell death and for high-throughput screening for neuroprotective compounds. Using this system in combination with RNAi-based knockdown, we show that knockdown of dual leucine kinase (DLK) promotes survival of human RGCs, expanding to the human system prior reports that DLK inhibition is neuroprotective for murine RGCs. These improvements will facilitate the development and use of largescale experimental paradigms that require numbers of pure RGCs that were not previously obtainable. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2017;6:1972-1986 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTPluripotent stem cells provide access to a large variety of human cell types. However, stem cell culture is often heterogeneous and efficient differentiation and purification of stem cell-derived cells are limited to relatively few examples. Via genetic engineering, we have generated stem cell reporter lines that enable the detection and purification of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), an essential cell type for vision. Through modulation of known signaling pathways, we report an improved RGC differentiation protocol for high yields of purified RGCs. We also describe an siRNA protocol for exploration of signaling pathways in human RGCs.