Transmembrane protein TMEM230, regulator of metalloproteins and motor proteins in gliomas and gliosis

Glial cells provide physical and chemical support and protection for neurons and for the extracellular compartments of neural tissue through secretion of soluble factors, insoluble scaffolds, and vesicles. Additionally, glial cells have regenerative capacity by remodeling their physical microenvironment and changing physiological properties of diverse cell types in their proximity. Various types of aberrant glial and macrophage cells are associated with human diseases, disorders, and malignancy. We previously demonstrated that transmembrane protein, TMEM230 has tissue revascularization and regenerating capacity by its ability to secrete pro-angiogenic factors and metalloproteinases, inducing endothelial cell sprouting and channel formation. In healthy normal neural tissue, TMEM230 is predominantly expressed in glial and marcophate cells, suggesting a prominent role in neural tissue homeostasis. TMEM230 regulation of the endomembrane system was supported by co-expression with RNASET2 (lysosome, mitochondria, and vesicles) and STEAP family members (Golgi complex). Intracellular trafficking and extracellular secretion of glial cellular components are associated with endocytosis, exocytosis and phagocytosis mediated by motor proteins. Trafficked components include metalloproteins, metalloproteinases, glycans, and glycoconjugate processing and digesting enzymes that function in phagosomes and vesicles to regulate normal neural tissue microenvironment, homeostasis, stress response, and repair following neural tissue injury or degeneration. Aberrantly high sustained levels TMEM230 promotes metalloprotein expression, trafficking and secretion which contribute to tumor associated infiltration and hypervascularization of high tumor grade gliomas. Following injury of the central nervous or peripheral systems, transcient regulated upregulation of TMEM230 promotes tissue wound healing, remodeling and revascularization by activating glial and macrophage generated microchannels/microtubules (referred to as vascular mimicry) and blood vessel sprouting and branching. Our results support that TMEM230 may act as a master regulator of motor protein mediated trafficking and compartmentalization of a large class of metalloproteins in gliomas and gliosis.