New role for EMD (emerin), a key inner nuclear membrane protein, as an enhancer of autophagosome formation in the C16-ceramide autophagy pathway

  • Autophagy. 2014 Jul;10(7):1229-40. doi: 10.4161/auto.28777.
Céline Deroyer  1 ,  Anne-Françoise Rénert  1 ,  Marie-Paule Merville  2 ,  Marianne Fillet  3
Affiliations
  • 1. GIGA-R Proteomic Unit; University of Liège; Liège, Belgium.
  • 2. Department of Clinical Chemistry; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège; Liège, Belgium.
  • 3. GIGA-R Proteomic Unit; University of Liège; Liège, Belgium; Department of Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Department of Pharmacy; Centre Interfacultaire de Recherche du Médicament; University of Liège; Liège, Belgium.
PMID: 24819607 DOI: 10.4161/auto.28777
Abstract

To date, precise roles of EMD (emerin) remain poorly described. In this paper, we investigated the role of EMD in the C16-ceramide Autophagy pathway. Ceramides are bioactive signaling molecules acting notably in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, or cell death. However, the mechanisms by which they mediate these pathways are not fully understood. We found that C16-ceramide induces EMD phosphorylation on its LEM domain through PRKACA. Upon ceramide treatment, phosphorylated EMD binds MAP1LC3B leading to an increase of autophagosome formation. These data suggest a new role of EMD as an enhancer of autophagosome formation in the C16-ceramide Autophagy pathway in colon Cancer cells.

Keywords
EMD; LEM-domain; PRKACA; autophagy; ceramide; colon cancer cells; phosphorylation.
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