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Du Q, Zhang M, Gao A, He T, Guo M. Epigenetic silencing ZSCAN23 promotes pancreatic cancer growth by activating Wnt signaling. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2302924. [PMID: 38226836 PMCID: PMC10793710 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2302924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most malignant tumor. Zinc finger and SCAN domain-containing protein 23 (ZSCAN23) is a new member of the SCAN domain family. The expression regulation and biological function remain to be elucidated. In this study, we explored the epigenetic regulation and the function of ZSCAN23 in PDAC. ZSCAN23 was methylated in 60.21% (171/284) of PDAC and its expression was regulated by promoter region methylation. The expression of ZSCAN23 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis and G1/S phase arrest. ZSCAN23 suppressed Panc10.05 cell xenograft growth in mice. Mechanistically, ZSCAN23 inhibited Wnt signaling by interacting with myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in pancreatic cancer cells. ZSCAN23 is frequently methylated in PDAC and may serve as a detective marker. ZSCAN23 suppresses PDAC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Du
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Meiying Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Aiai Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Pathology, Characteristic Medical Center of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingzhou Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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2
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AlAbdi L, Rahbeeni Z, Maddirevula S, Helaby R, Abdulwahab F, Khan AO, Riley LG, Alhashem A, Chassaing N, Jamieson RV, Alkuraya FS. A founder variant expands the phenotype of WNT7B-related PDAC syndrome. Clin Genet 2024; 106:66-71. [PMID: 38417950 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary hypoplasia, Diaphragmatic anomalies, Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, and Cardiac defects (PDAC) syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous multiple congenital malformation syndrome. Although pathogenic variants in RARB and STRA6 are established causes of PDAC, many PDAC cases remain unsolved at the molecular level. Recently, we proposed biallelic WNT7B variants as a novel etiology based on several families with typical features of PDAC syndrome albeit with variable expressivity. Here, we report three patients from two families that share a novel founder variant in WNT7B (c.739C > T; Arg247Trp). The phenotypic expression of this variant ranges from typical PDAC features to isolated genitourinary anomalies. Similar to previously reported PDAC-associated WNT7B variants, this variant was found to significantly impair WNT7B signaling activity further corroborating its proposed pathogenicity. This report adds further evidence to WNT7B-related PDAC and expands its variable expressivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lama AlAbdi
- Department of Zoology, Collage of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zuhair Rahbeeni
- Department of Medical Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sateesh Maddirevula
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana Helaby
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Firdous Abdulwahab
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arif O Khan
- Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa G Riley
- Rare Diseases Functional Genomics, Kids Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and The Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Specialty of Child & Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amal Alhashem
- Division of Clinical Genetic and Metabolic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Genetic and Metabolic, Sehha Virtual Hospital, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nicolas Chassaing
- Centre de Référence des Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique CARGO, Site Constitutif, Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France
- Department of Medical Genetics, Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France
| | - Robyn V Jamieson
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney; The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network; and Save Sight Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Specialty of Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health and Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fowzan S Alkuraya
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Division of Clinical Genetic and Metabolic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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3
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Yu H, Kohno S, Voon DCC, Hussein NH, Zhang Y, Nakayama J, Takegami Y, Takahashi C. RECK/GPR124-driven WNT signaling in pancreatic and gastric cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2024. [PMID: 38923741 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
RECK has been described to modulate extracellular matrix components through negative regulation of MMP activities. Recently, RECK was demonstrated to bind to an orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR124 to mediate WNT7 signaling in nontumor contexts. Here, we attempted to clarify the role of RECK in driving WNT signaling in cancer cells. RECK and GPR124 formed a complex in 293T cells, and when both were expressed, WNT signaling was significantly enhanced in a WNT7-dependent manner. This cooperation was abolished when RECK mutants unable to bind to GPR124 were transduced. RECK stimulated the growth of KRAS-mutated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells with increased sensitivity to WNT inhibitor in a GPR124-dependent manner. A gastric cancer cell line SH10TC endogenously expresses both RECK and GPR124 under regular culture conditions. In this cell line, inhibited cell growth and WNT signaling as well as increased apoptosis in the GPR124 depletion was dominantly found over those in the RECK deletion. These findings suggest that RECK promotes tumor cell growth by positively modulating WNT signaling through GPR124. This study proposes that the RECK/GPR124 complex might be a good therapeutic target in PDAC and gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Yu
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Susumu Kohno
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | - Nada Hamdy Hussein
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Joji Nakayama
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yujiro Takegami
- DNAFORM Precision Gene Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chiaki Takahashi
- Division of Oncology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
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4
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Dao L, You Z, Lu L, Xu T, Sarkar AK, Zhu H, Liu M, Calandrelli R, Yoshida G, Lin P, Miao Y, Mierke S, Kalva S, Zhu H, Gu M, Vadivelu S, Zhong S, Huang LF, Guo Z. Modeling blood-brain barrier formation and cerebral cavernous malformations in human PSC-derived organoids. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:818-833.e11. [PMID: 38754427 PMCID: PMC11162335 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The human blood-brain barrier (hBBB) is a highly specialized structure that regulates passage across blood and central nervous system (CNS) compartments. Despite its critical physiological role, there are no reliable in vitro models that can mimic hBBB development and function. Here, we constructed hBBB assembloids from brain and blood vessel organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells. We validated the acquisition of blood-brain barrier (BBB)-specific molecular, cellular, transcriptomic, and functional characteristics and uncovered an extensive neuro-vascular crosstalk with a spatial pattern within hBBB assembloids. When we used patient-derived hBBB assembloids to model cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), we found that these assembloids recapitulated the cavernoma anatomy and BBB breakdown observed in patients. Upon comparison of phenotypes and transcriptome between patient-derived hBBB assembloids and primary human cavernoma tissues, we uncovered CCM-related molecular and cellular alterations. Taken together, we report hBBB assembloids that mimic the core properties of the hBBB and identify a potentially underlying cause of CCMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Dao
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Zhen You
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Lu Lu
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Tianyang Xu
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Avijite Kumer Sarkar
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Hui Zhu
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Miao Liu
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Riccardo Calandrelli
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - George Yoshida
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Pei Lin
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yifei Miao
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sarah Mierke
- Divisions of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Srijan Kalva
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Haining Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Mingxia Gu
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sudhakar Vadivelu
- Divisions of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sheng Zhong
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - L Frank Huang
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Ziyuan Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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5
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Yuki K, Vallon M, Ding J, Rada CC, Tang AT, Vilches-Moure JG, McCormick AK, Henao Echeverri MF, Alwahabi S, Braunger BM, Ergün S, Kahn ML, Kuo CJ. GPR124 regulates murine brain embryonic angiogenesis and BBB formation by an intracellular domain-independent mechanism. Development 2024; 151:dev202794. [PMID: 38682276 PMCID: PMC11213517 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The GPR124/RECK/WNT7 pathway is an essential regulator of CNS angiogenesis and blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. GPR124, a brain endothelial adhesion seven-pass transmembrane protein, associates with RECK, which binds and stabilizes newly synthesized WNT7 that is transferred to frizzled (FZD) to initiate canonical β-catenin signaling. GPR124 remains enigmatic: although its extracellular domain (ECD) is essential, the poorly conserved intracellular domain (ICD) appears to be variably required in mammals versus zebrafish, potentially via adaptor protein bridging of GPR124 and FZD ICDs. GPR124 ICD deletion impairs zebrafish angiogenesis, but paradoxically retains WNT7 signaling upon mammalian transfection. We thus investigated GPR124 ICD function using the mouse deletion mutant Gpr124ΔC. Despite inefficiently expressed GPR124ΔC protein, Gpr124ΔC/ΔC mice could be born with normal cerebral cortex angiogenesis, in comparison with Gpr124-/- embryonic lethality, forebrain avascularity and hemorrhage. Gpr124ΔC/ΔC vascular phenotypes were restricted to sporadic ganglionic eminence angiogenic defects, attributable to impaired GPR124ΔC protein expression. Furthermore, Gpr124ΔC and the recombinant GPR124 ECD rescued WNT7 signaling in culture upon brain endothelial Gpr124 knockdown. Thus, in mice, GPR124-regulated CNS forebrain angiogenesis and BBB function are exerted by ICD-independent functionality, extending the signaling mechanisms used by adhesion seven-pass transmembrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Yuki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mario Vallon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jie Ding
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cara C. Rada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alan T. Tang
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - José G. Vilches-Moure
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aaron K. McCormick
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maria F. Henao Echeverri
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Samira Alwahabi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Barbara M. Braunger
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Süleyman Ergün
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Mark L. Kahn
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Calvin J. Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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6
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Saikia L, Gogoi B, Sen S, Tonk RK, Kumar D, Dutta PP. The recent update and advancements of natural products in targeting the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway for cancer prevention and therapeutics. Med Oncol 2024; 41:164. [PMID: 38816663 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02387-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The Wnt/β-Catenin pathway (Wnt/β-CatP) is implicated in accelerating carcinogenesis and cancer progression, contributing to increased morbidity and treatment resistance. Even though it holds promise as a focus for cancer treatment, its intricate nature and diverse physiological effects pose significant challenges. Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in this domain, with numerous natural products demonstrating promising preclinical anti-tumor effects and identified as inhibitors of the Wnt/β-CatP through various upstream and downstream mechanisms. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of Wnt/β-Cat-targeted cancer therapy, examining the impact of natural products on Wnt/β-Cat signaling in both cancer prevention and therapeutic contexts. A comprehensive search was conducted on scientific databases like SciFinder, PubMed, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant literature on Wnt-signaling, natural products, β-Catenin (β-Cat), and cancer from 2020 to January 2024. As per the analysis of the relevant reference within the specified period, it has been noted that a total of 58 phytoconstituents, predominantly phenolics, followed by triterpenoids and several other classes, along with a limited number of plant extracts, have exhibited activity targeting the Wnt/β-CatP. Most β-Cat regulating modulators restrict cancer cell development by suppressing β-Cat expression, facilitating proteasomal degradation, and inhibiting nuclear translocation. Multiple approaches have been devised to block the activity of β-Cat in cancer therapy, a key factor in cancer progression, leading to the discovery of various Wnt/β-CatP regulators. However, their exploration remains limited, necessitating further research using clinical models for potential clinical use in cancer prevention and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lunasmrita Saikia
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Assam Down Town University, Guwahati, Assam, 781026, India
| | - Bhaskarjyoti Gogoi
- Department of Biotechnology, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
| | - Saikat Sen
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Assam Down Town University, Guwahati, Assam, 781026, India
| | - Rajiv K Tonk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, New Delhi, 110017, India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India.
| | - Partha Pratim Dutta
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Assam Down Town University, Guwahati, Assam, 781026, India.
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7
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Cai H, Meng Z, Yu F. The involvement of ROS-regulated programmed cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 197:104361. [PMID: 38626849 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxidative species (ROS) is a crucial factor in the regulation of cellular biological activity and function, and aberrant levels of ROS can contribute to the development of a variety of diseases, particularly cancer. Numerous discoveries have affirmed that this process is strongly associated with "programmed cell death (PCD)," which refers to the suicide protection mechanism initiated by cells in response to external stimuli, such as apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, etc. Research has demonstrated that ROS-induced PCD is crucial for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These activities serve a dual function in both facilitating and inhibiting cancer, suggesting the existence of a delicate balance within healthy cells that can be disrupted by the abnormal generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby influencing the eventual advancement or regression of a tumor. In this review, we summarize how ROS regulates PCD to influence the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC. Studying how ROS-induced PCD affects the progression of HCC at a molecular level can help develop better prevention and treatment methods and facilitate the design of more effective preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanchen Cai
- The First Afliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China; The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ziqi Meng
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Fujun Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
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8
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Nguyen N, Carpenter KA, Ensing J, Gilliland C, Rudisel EJ, Mu EM, Thurlow KE, Triche TJ, Grainger S. EGFR-dependent endocytosis of Wnt9a and Fzd9b promotes β-catenin signaling during hematopoietic stem cell development in zebrafish. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadf4299. [PMID: 38626007 PMCID: PMC11103623 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adf4299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication through secreted Wnt ligands that bind to members of the Frizzled (Fzd) family of transmembrane receptors is critical for development and homeostasis. Wnt9a signals through Fzd9b, the co-receptor LRP5 or LRP6 (LRP5/6), and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to promote early proliferation of zebrafish and human hematopoietic stem cells during development. Here, we developed fluorescently labeled, biologically active Wnt9a and Fzd9b fusion proteins to demonstrate that EGFR-dependent endocytosis of the ligand-receptor complex was required for signaling. In human cells, the Wnt9a-Fzd9b complex was rapidly endocytosed and trafficked through early and late endosomes, lysosomes, and the endoplasmic reticulum. Using small-molecule inhibitors and genetic and knockdown approaches, we found that Wnt9a-Fzd9b endocytosis required EGFR-mediated phosphorylation of the Fzd9b tail, caveolin, and the scaffolding protein EGFR protein substrate 15 (EPS15). LRP5/6 and the downstream signaling component AXIN were required for Wnt9a-Fzd9b signaling but not for endocytosis. Knockdown or loss of EPS15 impaired hematopoietic stem cell development in zebrafish. Other Wnt ligands do not require endocytosis for signaling activity, implying that specific modes of endocytosis and trafficking may represent a method by which Wnt-Fzd specificity is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Nguyen
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Kelsey A. Carpenter
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Jessica Ensing
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Carla Gilliland
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Emma J. Rudisel
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Emily M. Mu
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
| | - Kate E. Thurlow
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
- Van Andel Institute Graduate School, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA
| | - Timothy J. Triche
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA
| | - Stephanie Grainger
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, USA RRID:SCR_021956
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9
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Schevenels G, Cabochette P, America M, Vandenborne A, De Grande L, Guenther S, He L, Dieu M, Christou B, Vermeersch M, Germano RFV, Perez-Morga D, Renard P, Martin M, Vanlandewijck M, Betsholtz C, Vanhollebeke B. A brain-specific angiogenic mechanism enabled by tip cell specialization. Nature 2024; 628:863-871. [PMID: 38570687 PMCID: PMC11041701 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07283-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Vertebrate organs require locally adapted blood vessels1,2. The gain of such organotypic vessel specializations is often deemed to be molecularly unrelated to the process of organ vascularization. Here, opposing this model, we reveal a molecular mechanism for brain-specific angiogenesis that operates under the control of Wnt7a/b ligands-well-known blood-brain barrier maturation signals3-5. The control mechanism relies on Wnt7a/b-dependent expression of Mmp25, which we find is enriched in brain endothelial cells. CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis in zebrafish reveals that this poorly characterized glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored matrix metalloproteinase is selectively required in endothelial tip cells to enable their initial migration across the pial basement membrane lining the brain surface. Mechanistically, Mmp25 confers brain invasive competence by cleaving meningeal fibroblast-derived collagen IV α5/6 chains within a short non-collagenous region of the central helical part of the heterotrimer. After genetic interference with the pial basement membrane composition, the Wnt-β-catenin-dependent organotypic control of brain angiogenesis is lost, resulting in properly patterned, yet blood-brain-barrier-defective cerebrovasculatures. We reveal an organ-specific angiogenesis mechanism, shed light on tip cell mechanistic angiodiversity and thereby illustrate how organs, by imposing local constraints on angiogenic tip cells, can select vessels matching their distinctive physiological requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giel Schevenels
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Pauline Cabochette
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Michelle America
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Vandenborne
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Line De Grande
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Stefan Guenther
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, ECCPS Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Liqun He
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marc Dieu
- Mass Spectrometry Facility (MaSUN), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Basile Christou
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Marjorie Vermeersch
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Raoul F V Germano
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - David Perez-Morga
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Patricia Renard
- Mass Spectrometry Facility (MaSUN), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Maud Martin
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Michael Vanlandewijck
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medicine (Huddinge), Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Christer Betsholtz
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medicine (Huddinge), Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Benoit Vanhollebeke
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.
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10
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Wu Z, Shen S, Mizikovsky D, Cao Y, Naval-Sanchez M, Tan SZ, Alvarez YD, Sun Y, Chen X, Zhao Q, Kim D, Yang P, Hill TA, Jones A, Fairlie DP, Pébay A, Hewitt AW, Tam PPL, White MD, Nefzger CM, Palpant NJ. Wnt dose escalation during the exit from pluripotency identifies tranilast as a regulator of cardiac mesoderm. Dev Cell 2024; 59:705-722.e8. [PMID: 38354738 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Wnt signaling is a critical determinant of cell lineage development. This study used Wnt dose-dependent induction programs to gain insights into molecular regulation of stem cell differentiation. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of hiPSCs responding to a dose escalation protocol with Wnt agonist CHIR-99021 during the exit from pluripotency to identify cell types and genetic activity driven by Wnt stimulation. Results of activated gene sets and cell types were used to build a multiple regression model that predicts the efficiency of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Cross-referencing Wnt-associated gene expression profiles to the Connectivity Map database, we identified the small-molecule drug, tranilast. We found that tranilast synergistically activates Wnt signaling to promote cardiac lineage differentiation, which we validate by in vitro analysis of hiPSC differentiation and in vivo analysis of developing quail embryos. Our study provides an integrated workflow that links experimental datasets, prediction models, and small-molecule databases to identify drug-like compounds that control cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixuan Wu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sophie Shen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Dalia Mizikovsky
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yuanzhao Cao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Marina Naval-Sanchez
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Siew Zhuan Tan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yanina D Alvarez
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yuliangzi Sun
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Xiaoli Chen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Qiongyi Zhao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel Kim
- Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Pengyi Yang
- Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Timothy A Hill
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alun Jones
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David P Fairlie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alice Pébay
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Alex W Hewitt
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Patrick P L Tam
- Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Melanie D White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christian M Nefzger
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Nathan J Palpant
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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11
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Furtado J, Eichmann A. Vascular development, remodeling and maturation. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:344-370. [PMID: 38729681 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of the vascular system is crucial in supporting the growth and health of all other organs in the body, and vascular system dysfunction is the major cause of human morbidity and mortality. This chapter discusses three successive processes that govern vascular system development, starting with the differentiation of the primitive vascular system in early embryonic development, followed by its remodeling into a functional circulatory system composed of arteries and veins, and its final maturation and acquisition of an organ specific semi-permeable barrier that controls nutrient uptake into tissues and hence controls organ physiology. Along these steps, endothelial cells forming the inner lining of all blood vessels acquire extensive heterogeneity in terms of gene expression patterns and function, that we are only beginning to understand. These advances contribute to overall knowledge of vascular biology and are predicted to unlock the unprecedented therapeutic potential of the endothelium as an avenue for treatment of diseases associated with dysfunctional vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Furtado
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Anne Eichmann
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Inserm U970, Université Paris, Paris, France.
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12
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Tran THN, Takada R, Krayukhina E, Maruno T, Mii Y, Uchiyama S, Takada S. Soluble Frizzled-related proteins promote exosome-mediated Wnt re-secretion. Commun Biol 2024; 7:254. [PMID: 38429359 PMCID: PMC10907715 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05881-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Wnt proteins are thought to be transported in several ways in the extracellular space. For instance, they are known to be carried by exosomes and by Wnt-carrier proteins, such as sFRP proteins. However, little is known about whether and/or how these two transport systems are related. Here, we show that adding sFRP1 or sFRP2, but not sFRP3 or sFRP4, to culture medium containing Wnt3a or Wnt5a increases re-secretion of exosome-loaded Wnt proteins from cells. This effect of sFRP2 is counteracted by heparinase, which removes sugar chains on heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), but is independent of LRP5/6, Wnt co-receptors essential for Wnt signaling. Wnt3a and Wnt5a specifically dimerize with sFRP2 in culture supernatant. Furthermore, a Wnt3a mutant defective in heterodimerization with sFRP2 impairs the ability to increase exosome-mediated Wnt3a re-secretion. Based on these results, we propose that Wnt heterodimerization with its carrier protein, sFRP2, enhances Wnt accumulation at sugar chains on HSPGs on the cell surface, leading to increased endocytosis and exosome-mediated Wnt re-secretion. Our results suggest that the range of action of Wnt ligands is controlled by coordination of different transport systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Hong Nguyen Tran
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
| | - Ritsuko Takada
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
| | - Elena Krayukhina
- U-Medico Inc., 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Analytical Development Department, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 5-5-1 Ukima, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 115-8543, Japan
| | - Takahiro Maruno
- U-Medico Inc., 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yusuke Mii
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- PREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Susumu Uchiyama
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- U-Medico Inc., 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shinji Takada
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.
- National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.
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13
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Bruguera ES, Mahoney JP, Weis WI. The co-receptor Tspan12 directly captures Norrin to promote ligand-specific β-catenin signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.03.578714. [PMID: 38352533 PMCID: PMC10862866 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.03.578714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling directs animal development and tissue renewal in a tightly controlled, cell- and tissue-specific manner. In the central nervous system, the atypical ligand Norrin controls angiogenesis and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier and blood-retina barrier through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Like Wnt, Norrin activates signaling by binding and heterodimerizing the receptors Frizzled (Fzd) and Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 or 6 (LRP5/6), leading to membrane recruitment of the intracellular transducer Dishevelled (Dvl); this ultimately results in the stabilization of the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin. Unlike Wnt, the cysteine-knot ligand Norrin only signals through Fzd4 and additionally requires the co-receptor Tspan12; however, the mechanism underlying Tspan12-mediated signal enhancement is unclear. It has been proposed that Tspan12 integrates into the Norrin-Fzd4 complex to enhance Norrin-Fzd4 affinity or otherwise allosterically modulate Fzd4 signaling. Here, we measure direct, high-affinity binding between purified Norrin and Tspan12 in a lipid environment and use AlphaFold models to interrogate this interaction interface. We find that Tspan12 and Fzd4 can simultaneously bind Norrin and that a pre-formed Tspan12/Fzd4 heterodimer, as well as cells co-expressing Tspan12 and Fzd4, more efficiently capture low concentrations of Norrin than Fzd4 alone. We also show that Tspan12 competes with both heparan sulfate proteoglycans and LRP6 for Norrin binding and that Tspan12 does not impact Fzd4-Dvl affinity in the presence or absence of Norrin. Our findings suggest that Tspan12 does not allosterically enhance Fzd4 binding to Norrin or Dvl, but instead functions to directly capture Norrin upstream of signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Bruguera
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jacob P Mahoney
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - William I Weis
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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14
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de Almeida Magalhaes T, Liu J, Chan C, Borges KS, Zhang J, Kane AJ, Wierbowski BM, Ge Y, Liu Z, Mannam P, Zeve D, Weiss R, Breault DT, Huang P, Salic A. Extracellular carriers control lipid-dependent secretion, delivery, and activity of WNT morphogens. Dev Cell 2024; 59:244-261.e6. [PMID: 38154460 PMCID: PMC10872876 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
WNT morphogens trigger signaling pathways fundamental for embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. WNTs are modified with palmitoleate, which is critical for binding Frizzled (FZD) receptors and activating signaling. However, it is unknown how WNTs are released and spread from cells, given their strong lipid-dependent membrane attachment. We demonstrate that secreted FZD-related proteins and WNT inhibitory factor 1 are WNT carriers, potently releasing lipidated WNTs and forming active soluble complexes. WNT release occurs by direct handoff from the membrane protein WNTLESS to the carriers. In turn, carriers donate WNTs to glypicans and FZDs involved in WNT reception and to the NOTUM hydrolase, which antagonizes WNTs by lipid moiety removal. WNT transfer from carriers to FZDs is greatly facilitated by glypicans that serve as essential co-receptors in Wnt signaling. Thus, an extracellular network of carriers dynamically controls secretion, posttranslational regulation, and delivery of WNT morphogens, with important practical implications for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Charlene Chan
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kleiton Silva Borges
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiuchun Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew J Kane
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bradley M Wierbowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yunhui Ge
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiwen Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Prabhath Mannam
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel Zeve
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ron Weiss
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Pengxiang Huang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Adrian Salic
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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15
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Granados AA, Kanrar N, Elowitz MB. Combinatorial expression motifs in signaling pathways. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100463. [PMID: 38216284 PMCID: PMC10794782 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
In animal cells, molecular pathways often comprise families of variant components, such as ligands or receptors. These pathway components are differentially expressed by different cell types, potentially tailoring pathway function to cell context. However, it has remained unclear how pathway expression profiles are distributed across cell types and whether similar profiles can occur in dissimilar cell types. Here, using single-cell gene expression datasets, we identified pathway expression motifs, defined as recurrent expression profiles that are broadly distributed across diverse cell types. Motifs appeared in core pathways, including TGF-β, Notch, Wnt, and the SRSF splice factors, and involved combinatorial co-expression of multiple components. Motif usage was weakly correlated between pathways in adult cell types and during dynamic developmental transitions. Together, these results suggest a mosaic view of cell type organization, in which different cell types operate many of the same pathways in distinct modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro A Granados
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Nivedita Kanrar
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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16
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Kulke M, Kurtz E, Boren DM, Olson DM, Koenig AM, Hoffmann-Benning S, Vermaas JV. PLAT domain protein 1 (PLAT1/PLAFP) binds to the Arabidopsis thaliana plasma membrane and inserts a lipid. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 338:111900. [PMID: 37863269 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Robust agricultural yields depend on the plant's ability to fix carbon amid variable environmental conditions. Over seasonal and diurnal cycles, the plant must constantly adjust its metabolism according to available resources or external stressors. The metabolic changes that a plant undergoes in response to stress are well understood, but the long-distance signaling mechanisms that facilitate communication throughout the plant are less studied. The phloem is considered the predominant conduit for the bidirectional transport of these signals in the form of metabolites, nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Lipid trafficking through the phloem in particular attracted our attention due to its reliance on soluble lipid-binding proteins (LBP) that generate and solubilize otherwise membrane-associated lipids. The Phloem Lipid-Associated Family Protein (PLAFP) from Arabidopsis thaliana is generated in response to abiotic stress as is its lipid-ligand phosphatidic acid (PA). PLAFP is proposed to transport PA through the phloem in response to drought stress. To understand the interactions between PLAFP and PA, nearly 100 independent systems comprised of the protein and one PA, or a plasma membrane containing varying amounts of PA, were simulated using atomistic classical molecular dynamics methods. In these simulations, PLAFP is found to bind to plant plasma membrane models independent of the PA concentration. When bound to the membrane, PLAFP adopts a binding pose where W41 and R82 penetrate the membrane surface and anchor PLAFP. This triggers a separation of the two loop regions containing W41 and R82. Subsequent simulations indicate that PA insert into the β-sandwich of PLAFP, driven by interactions with multiple amino acids besides the W41 and R82 identified during the insertion process. Fine-tuning the protein-membrane and protein-PA interface by mutating a selection of these amino acids may facilitate engineering plant signaling processes by modulating the binding response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kulke
- Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA
| | - Evan Kurtz
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA
| | - Duncan M Boren
- Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA; Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA
| | - Dayna M Olson
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA
| | - Amanda M Koenig
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA
| | - Susanne Hoffmann-Benning
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA.
| | - Josh V Vermaas
- Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA; Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, MI, USA.
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17
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Qin K, Yu M, Fan J, Wang H, Zhao P, Zhao G, Zeng W, Chen C, Wang Y, Wang A, Schwartz Z, Hong J, Song L, Wagstaff W, Haydon RC, Luu HH, Ho SH, Strelzow J, Reid RR, He TC, Shi LL. Canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling: Multilayered mediators, signaling mechanisms and major signaling crosstalk. Genes Dis 2024; 11:103-134. [PMID: 37588235 PMCID: PMC10425814 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling plays a major role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. The Wnt ligands are a family of 19 secreted glycoproteins that mediate their signaling effects via binding to Frizzled receptors and LRP5/6 coreceptors and transducing the signal either through β-catenin in the canonical pathway or through a series of other proteins in the noncanonical pathway. Many of the individual components of both canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling have additional functions throughout the body, establishing the complex interplay between Wnt signaling and other signaling pathways. This crosstalk between Wnt signaling and other pathways gives Wnt signaling a vital role in many cellular and organ processes. Dysregulation of this system has been implicated in many diseases affecting a wide array of organ systems, including cancer and embryological defects, and can even cause embryonic lethality. The complexity of this system and its interacting proteins have made Wnt signaling a target for many therapeutic treatments. However, both stimulatory and inhibitory treatments come with potential risks that need to be addressed. This review synthesized much of the current knowledge on the Wnt signaling pathway, beginning with the history of Wnt signaling. It thoroughly described the different variants of Wnt signaling, including canonical, noncanonical Wnt/PCP, and the noncanonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway. Further description involved each of its components and their involvement in other cellular processes. Finally, this review explained the various other pathways and processes that crosstalk with Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Qin
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael Yu
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jiaming Fan
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, and Department of Clinical Biochemistry, The School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Hongwei Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Piao Zhao
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Guozhi Zhao
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Wei Zeng
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Interventional Neurology, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523475, China
| | - Connie Chen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Annie Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Laboratory of Craniofacial Biology and Development, Department of Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zander Schwartz
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hong
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Lily Song
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - William Wagstaff
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rex C. Haydon
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hue H. Luu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sherwin H. Ho
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jason Strelzow
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Russell R. Reid
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Laboratory of Craniofacial Biology and Development, Department of Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tong-Chuan He
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Laboratory of Craniofacial Biology and Development, Department of Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Lewis L. Shi
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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18
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Adediwura VA, Miao Y. Mechanistic Insights into Peptide Binding and Deactivation of an Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor. Molecules 2023; 29:164. [PMID: 38202747 PMCID: PMC10780249 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29010164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (ADGRGs) play critical roles in the reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. In particular, ADGRG2 plays a significant role in Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation, parathyroid cell function, and male fertility. In 2022, a cryo-EM structure was reported for the active ADGRG2 bound by an optimized peptide agonist IP15 and the Gs protein. The IP15 peptide agonist was also modified to antagonists 4PH-E and 4PH-D with mutations of the 4PH residue to Glu and Asp, respectively. However, experimental structures of inactive antagonist-bound ADGRs remain to be resolved, and the activation mechanism of ADGRs such as ADGRG2 is poorly understood. Here, we applied Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to probe conformational dynamics of the agonist- and antagonist-bound ADGRG2. By performing GaMD simulations, we were able to identify important low-energy conformations of ADGRG2 in the active, intermediate, and inactive states, as well as explore the binding conformations of each peptide. Moreover, our simulations revealed critical peptide-receptor residue interactions during the deactivation of ADGRG2. In conclusion, through GaMD simulations, we uncovered mechanistic insights into peptide (agonist and antagonist) binding and deactivation of the ADGRG2. These findings will potentially facilitate rational design of new peptide modulators of ADGRG2 and other ADGRs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Department of Pharmacology and Computational Medicine Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
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19
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Liu W, Hu B, Wang X, Huang E, Chen X, Chen L. GRIK1-AS1 deficiency accelerates endometriosis progression by boosting DNMT1-dependent SFRP1 promoter methylation in endometrial stromal cells. J Gene Med 2023; 25:e3557. [PMID: 37392032 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometriosis, a gynecological disease that affects up to 10% of women, is a major cause of pain and infertility. Deregulation of the epigenome is accountable for the onset and progression of endometriosis, although its exact mechanism is unknown. The purpose of the current study is to examine the role of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) GRIK1-AS1 in the epigenetic regulation of endometrial stromal cell proliferation and the development of endometriosis. METHODS Endometriosis datasets were screened to identify GRIKI-AS1 as dramatically declining in endometriosis. Gain or loss of function endometrial stromal cell (ESC) models were established. The anti-proliferation phenotype was investigated using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Epigenetic regulatory network analyses were conducted to suggest the intrinsic molecular mechanism. RESULTS With bioinformatic and clinical data, we observed that GRIK1-AS1 and SFRP1 were expressed at low levels in endometriosis. Overexpressed GRIK1-AS1 inhibited ESC proliferation, while SFRP1 knockdown rescued the antiproliferative ability of GRIK1-AS1. Specifically, methylation-dependent expression inhibition of SFRP1 was revealed in ESCs. Mechanistically, GRIK1-AS1 hampers the occupancy of DNMT1 in SRFP1 promoter, leading to hypomethylation of SFRP1 and upregulated SFRP1 expression, thereby potentially suppressing Wnt signaling and its adverse proliferative effect. Therapeutically, lentivirus-mediated upregulation of GRIK1-AS1 inhibited endometriosis disease progression in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our study is a proof-of-concept demonstration for GRIKI-AS1-associated endometriosis pathogenesis and highlights a potential intervention target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Application, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Erqing Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuexing Chen
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lijuan Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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20
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Donnenfield JI, Fleming BC, Proffen BL, Podury A, Murray MM. Microscopic and transcriptomic changes in porcine synovium one year following disruption of the anterior cruciate ligament. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2023; 31:1554-1566. [PMID: 37742942 PMCID: PMC10841386 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is no disease-modifying treatment for posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). This may be partly due to an incomplete understanding of synovitis, which has been causally linked to PTOA progression. The microscopic and transcriptomic changes in synovium seen in early- to mid-stage PTOA were evaluated to better characterize this knowledge gap. METHODS Seventy-two Yucatan minipigs underwent transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Subjects were randomized to no further intervention, ligament reconstruction, or ligament repair, followed by microscopic synovium evaluation and RNA-sequencing at 1, 4, and 52 weeks. Six additional subjects received no ligament transection and served as 1- and 4-week controls and 12 contralateral knees served as 52-week controls. RESULTS Synovial lining thickness, stromal cellularity, and overall microscopic synovitis reached their highest levels in the first few weeks following injury. Inflammatory infiltration continued to increase over the course of a year. Leaving the ACL transected, reconstructing the ligament, or repairing the ligament did not modulate synovitis development at 1, 4, or 52 weeks. Differential gene expression analysis of PTOA-affected synovium compared to control synovium revealed increased cell proliferation, angiogenesis, collagen breakdown, and diminished lipid metabolism at 1 and 4 weeks, and increased axonogenesis and focal adhesion with reduced immune activation at 52 weeks. CONCLUSIONS Synovitis was present one year after ACL injury and was not alleviated by surgical intervention. Gene expression in early synovitis was characterized by cell proliferation, angiogenesis, proteolysis, and reduced lipolysis, which was followed by nerve growth and cellular adhesion with less immune activation at 52 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonah I Donnenfield
- Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Braden C Fleming
- Department of Orthopaedics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Benedikt L Proffen
- Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Archana Podury
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Martha M Murray
- Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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21
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Qi X, Hu Q, Elghobashi-Meinhardt N, Long T, Chen H, Li X. Molecular basis of Wnt biogenesis, secretion, and Wnt7-specific signaling. Cell 2023; 186:5028-5040.e14. [PMID: 37852257 PMCID: PMC10841698 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Wnt proteins are enzymatically lipidated by Porcupine (PORCN) in the ER and bind to Wntless (WLS) for intracellular transport and secretion. Mechanisms governing the transfer of these low-solubility Wnts from the ER to the extracellular space remain unclear. Through structural and functional analyses of Wnt7a, a crucial Wnt involved in central nervous system angiogenesis and blood-brain barrier maintenance, we have elucidated the principles of Wnt biogenesis and Wnt7-specific signaling. The Wnt7a-WLS complex binds to calreticulin (CALR), revealing that CALR functions as a chaperone to facilitate Wnt transfer from PORCN to WLS during Wnt biogenesis. Our structures, functional analyses, and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that a phospholipid in the core of Wnt-bound WLS regulates the association and dissociation between Wnt and WLS, suggesting a lipid-mediated Wnt secretion mechanism. Finally, the structure of Wnt7a bound to RECK, a cell-surface Wnt7 co-receptor, reveals how RECKCC4 engages the N-terminal domain of Wnt7a to activate Wnt7-specific signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Qi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Qinli Hu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | - Tao Long
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hongwen Chen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xiaochun Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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22
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Riquelme R, Li L, Gambrill A, Barria A. ROR2 homodimerization is sufficient to activate a neuronal Wnt/calcium signaling pathway. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105350. [PMID: 37832874 PMCID: PMC10654037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling plays a key role in the mature CNS by regulating trafficking of NMDA-type glutamate receptors and intrinsic properties of neurons. The Wnt receptor ROR2 has been identified as a necessary component of the neuronal Wnt5a/Ca2+ signaling pathway that regulates synaptic and neuronal function. Since ROR2 is considered a pseudokinase, its mechanism for downstream signaling upon ligand binding has been controversial. It has been suggested that its role is to function as a coreceptor of a G-protein-coupled Wnt receptor of the Frizzled family. We show that chemically induced homodimerization of ROR2 is sufficient to recapitulate key signaling events downstream of receptor activation in neurons, including PKC and JNK kinases activation, elevation of somatic and dendritic Ca2+ levels, and increased trafficking of NMDARs to synapses. In addition, we show that homodimerization of ROR2 induces phosphorylation of the receptor on Tyr residues. Point mutations in the conserved but presumed nonfunctional ATP-binding site of the receptor prevent its phosphorylation, as well as downstream signaling. This suggests an active kinase domain. Our results indicate that ROR2 can signal independently of Frizzled receptors to regulate the trafficking of a key synaptic component. Additionally, they suggest that homodimerization can overcome structural conformations that render the tyrosine kinase inactive. A better understanding of ROR2 signaling is crucial for comprehending the regulation of synaptic and neuronal function in normal brain processes in mature animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Riquelme
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Laura Li
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Abigail Gambrill
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Andres Barria
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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23
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Teo S, Bossio A, Stamatakou E, Pascual-Vargas P, Jones ME, Schuhmacher LN, Salinas PC. S-acylation of the Wnt receptor Frizzled-5 by zDHHC5 controls its cellular localization and synaptogenic activity in the rodent hippocampus. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2063-2079.e9. [PMID: 37557176 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Proper localization of receptors for synaptic organizing factors is crucial for synapse formation. Wnt proteins promote synapse assembly through Frizzled (Fz) receptors. In hippocampal neurons, the surface and synaptic localization of Fz5 is regulated by neuronal activity, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here, we report that all Fz receptors can be post-translationally modified by S-acylation and that Fz5 is S-acylated on three C-terminal cysteines by zDHHC5. S-acylation is essential for Fz5 localization to the cell surface, axons, and presynaptic sites. Notably, S-acylation-deficient Fz5 is internalized faster, affecting its association with signalosome components at the cell surface. S-acylation-deficient Fz5 also fails to activate canonical and divergent canonical Wnt pathways. Fz5 S-acylation levels are regulated by the pattern of neuronal activity. In vivo studies demonstrate that S-acylation-deficient Fz5 expression fails to induce presynaptic assembly. Our studies show that S-acylation of Frizzled receptors is a mechanism controlling their localization and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Teo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Alessandro Bossio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Eleanna Stamatakou
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Patricia Pascual-Vargas
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Megan E Jones
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Laura-Nadine Schuhmacher
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Patricia C Salinas
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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24
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Lin HH. Functional partnerships between GPI-anchored proteins and adhesion GPCRs. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300115. [PMID: 37526334 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Specific extracellular interaction between glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins and adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) plays an important role in unique biological functions. GPI-anchored proteins are derived from a novel post-translational modification of single-span membrane molecules, while aGPCRs are bona fide seven-span transmembrane proteins with a long extracellular domain. Although various members of the two structurally-distinct protein families are known to be involved in a wide range of biological processes, many remain as orphans. Interestingly, accumulating evidence has pointed to a complex interaction and functional synergy between these two protein families. I discuss herein current understanding of specific functional partnerships between GPI-anchored proteins and aGPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsi-Hsien Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan
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25
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Shen X, Gao C, Li H, Liu C, Wang L, Li Y, Liu R, Sun C, Zhuang J. Natural compounds: Wnt pathway inhibitors with therapeutic potential in lung cancer. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1250893. [PMID: 37841927 PMCID: PMC10568034 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1250893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is abnormally activated in most lung cancer tissues and considered to be an accelerator of carcinogenesis and lung cancer progression, which is closely related to increased morbidity rates, malignant progression, and treatment resistance. Although targeting the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway shows significant potential for lung cancer therapy, it still faces challenges owing to its complexity, tumor heterogeneity and wide physiological activity. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the role of the abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in lung cancer progression. Moreover, Wnt inhibitors used in lung cancer clinical trials are expected to break existing therapeutic patterns, although their adverse effects limit the treatment window. This is the first study to summarize the research progress on various compounds, including natural products and derivatives, that target the canonical Wnt pathway in lung cancer to develop safer and more targeted drugs or alternatives. Various natural products have been found to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin in various ways, such as through upstream and downstream intervention pathways, and have shown encouraging preclinical anti-tumor efficacy. Their diversity and low toxicity make them a popular research topic, laying the foundation for further combination therapies and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuetong Shen
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Chundi Gao
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Huayao Li
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Longyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China
| | - Ye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China
| | - Ruijuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
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26
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Bian EJ, Chen CW, Cheng CM, Kuan CY, Sun YY. Impaired post-stroke collateral circulation in sickle cell anemia mice. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1215876. [PMID: 37822524 PMCID: PMC10562566 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1215876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) have a high incidence of ischemic stroke, but are usually excluded from thrombolytic therapy due to concerns for cerebral hemorrhage. Maladaptation to cerebral ischemia may also contribute to the stroke propensity in SCA. Here we compared post-stroke cortical collateral circulation in transgenic sickle (SS) mice, bone marrow grafting-derived SS-chimera, and wildtype (AA) controls, because collateral circulation is a critical factor for cell survival within the ischemic penumbra. Further, it has been shown that SS mice develop poorer neo-collateral perfusion after limb ischemia. We used the middle cerebral artery (MCA)-targeted photothrombosis model in this study, since it is better tolerated by SS mice and creates a clear infarct core versus peri-infarct area. Compared to AA mice, SS mice showed enlarged infarction and lesser endothelial proliferation after photothrombosis. SS-chimera showed anemia, hypoxia-induced erythrocyte sickling, and attenuated recovery of blood flow in the ipsilateral cortex after photothrombosis. In AA chimera, cerebral blood flow in the border area between MCA and the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) trees improved from 44% of contralateral level after stroke to 78% at 7 d recovery. In contrast, blood flow in the MCA-ACA and MCA-PCA border areas only increased from 35 to 43% at 7 d post-stroke in SS chimera. These findings suggest deficits of post-stroke collateral circulation in SCA. Better understanding of the underpinnings may suggest novel stroke therapies for SCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Bian
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ching-Wen Chen
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Chih-Mei Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Kuan
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Yu-Yo Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
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27
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Huang Q, Liu L, Xiao D, Huang Z, Wang W, Zhai K, Fang X, Kim J, Liu J, Liang W, He J, Bao S. CD44 + lung cancer stem cell-derived pericyte-like cells cause brain metastases through GPR124-enhanced trans-endothelial migration. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:1621-1636.e8. [PMID: 37595587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Brain metastasis of lung cancer causes high mortality, but the exact mechanisms underlying the metastasis remain unclear. Here we report that vascular pericytes derived from CD44+ lung cancer stem cells (CSCs) in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) potently cause brain metastases through the G-protein-coupled receptor 124 (GPR124)-enhanced trans-endothelial migration (TEM). CD44+ CSCs in perivascular niches generate the majority of vascular pericytes in lung ADC. CSC-derived pericyte-like cells (Cd-pericytes) exhibit remarkable TEM capacity to effectively intravasate into the vessel lumina, survive in the circulation, extravasate into the brain parenchyma, and then de-differentiate into tumorigenic CSCs to form metastases. Cd-pericytes uniquely express GPR124 that activates Wnt7-β-catenin signaling to enhance TEM capacity of Cd-pericytes for intravasation and extravasation, two critical steps during tumor metastasis. Furthermore, selective disruption of Cd-pericytes, GPR124, or the Wnt7-β-catenin signaling markedly reduces brain and liver metastases of lung ADC. Our findings uncover an unappreciated cellular and molecular paradigm driving tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Liping Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Dakai Xiao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Wenjun Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Kui Zhai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Fang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Jongmyung Kim
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - James Liu
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Wenhua Liang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jianxing He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou 510120, China.
| | - Shideng Bao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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28
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Zhang L, Abedin M, Jo HN, Levey J, Dinh QC, Chen Z, Angers S, Junge HJ. A Frizzled4-LRP5 agonist promotes blood-retina barrier function by inducing a Norrin-like transcriptional response. iScience 2023; 26:107415. [PMID: 37559903 PMCID: PMC10407957 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Norrin (NDP) and WNT7A/B induce and maintain the blood-brain and blood-retina barrier (BBB, BRB) by stimulating the Frizzled4-LDL receptor related protein 5/6 (FZD4-LRP5/6) complex to induce beta-catenin-dependent signaling in endothelial cells (ECs). Recently developed agonists for the FZD4-LRP5 complex have therapeutic potential in retinal and neurological diseases. Here, we use the tetravalent antibody modality F4L5.13 to identify agonist activities in Tspan12-/- mice, which display a complex retinal pathology due to impaired NDP-signaling. F4L5.13 administration during development alleviates BRB defects, retinal hypovascularization, and restores neural function. In mature Tspan12-/- mice F4L5.13 partially induces a BRB de novo without inducing angiogenesis. In a genetic model of impaired BRB maintenance, administration of F4L5.13 rapidly and substantially restores the BRB. scRNA-seq reveals perturbations of key mediators of barrier functions in juvenile Tspan12-/- mice, which are in large parts restored after F4L5.13 administration. This study identifies transcriptional and functional activities of FZD4-LRP5 agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Md. Abedin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ha-Neul Jo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jacklyn Levey
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Quynh Chau Dinh
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zhe Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Stephane Angers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harald J. Junge
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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29
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Grätz L, Kowalski-Jahn M, Scharf MM, Kozielewicz P, Jahn M, Bous J, Lambert NA, Gloriam DE, Schulte G. Pathway selectivity in Frizzleds is achieved by conserved micro-switches defining pathway-determining, active conformations. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4573. [PMID: 37516754 PMCID: PMC10387068 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40213-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The class Frizzled of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), consisting of ten Frizzled (FZD1-10) paralogs and Smoothened, remains one of the most enigmatic GPCR families. This class mediates signaling predominantly through Disheveled (DVL) or heterotrimeric G proteins. However, the mechanisms underlying pathway selection are elusive. Here we employ a structure-driven mutagenesis approach in combination with an extensive panel of functional signaling readouts to investigate the importance of conserved state-stabilizing residues in FZD5 for signal specification. Similar data were obtained for FZD4 and FZD10 suggesting that our findings can be extrapolated to other members of the FZD family. Comparative molecular dynamics simulations of wild type and selected FZD5 mutants further support the concept that distinct conformational changes in FZDs specify the signal outcome. In conclusion, we find that FZD5 and FZDs in general prefer coupling to DVL rather than heterotrimeric G proteins and that distinct active state micro-switches in the receptor are essential for pathway selection arguing for conformational changes in the receptor protein defining transducer selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Grätz
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magdalena M Scharf
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Jahn
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, S-17121, Solna, Sweden
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Bioinformatics platform, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julien Bous
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nevin A Lambert
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - David E Gloriam
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden.
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30
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Jiang J. Composition, Diversity and Sex-Related Differences in Intestinal Microbiota in Captive African Penguins ( Spheniscus demersus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2106. [PMID: 37443905 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the microbial communities in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) could provide valuable information for saving this endangered species. The objective of this study was to investigate the composition, diversity and sex-related differences in the intestinal microbiota of captive African penguins. Fecal samples were collected from 21 captive adult African penguins reared in the same conditions at Shanghai Zoo. The results show that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the predominant bacteria in the intestinal microbiota of the captive African penguins. No difference was found in microbial diversity between female and male African penguins, as shown by their similar alpha and beta diversities. However, a notable sex-related difference was found between their microbial compositions. Female African penguins have a higher abundance of Pseudomonas and a lower abundance of Kocuria than males. A functional prediction indicates that the "mRNA surveillance pathway", "Polyketide sugar unit biosynthesis", "Wnt signaling pathway", "Lysosome" and "Cell cycle" pathways were significantly enriched in the microbiota of female African penguins. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the compositions and predicted functions of the intestinal microbiota are significantly different between the sexes. Our data suggest that the intestinal microbiota of female African penguins are more unstable than the intestinal microbiota of males in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingle Jiang
- Shanghai Endangered Species Conservation and Research Centre, Shanghai Zoo, Shanghai 200335, China
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31
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Klumpe HE, Garcia-Ojalvo J, Elowitz MB, Antebi YE. The computational capabilities of many-to-many protein interaction networks. Cell Syst 2023; 14:430-446. [PMID: 37348461 PMCID: PMC10318606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Many biological circuits comprise sets of protein variants that interact with one another in a many-to-many, or promiscuous, fashion. These architectures can provide powerful computational capabilities that are especially critical in multicellular organisms. Understanding the principles of biochemical computations in these circuits could allow more precise control of cellular behaviors. However, these systems are inherently difficult to analyze, due to their large number of interacting molecular components, partial redundancies, and cell context dependence. Here, we discuss recent experimental and theoretical advances that are beginning to reveal how promiscuous circuits compute, what roles those computations play in natural biological contexts, and how promiscuous architectures can be applied for the design of synthetic multicellular behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi E Klumpe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| | - Yaron E Antebi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science 76100, Rehovot, Israel.
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32
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Zhang N, Shen H, Chen B, Hu H, Liu C, Chen Y, Cong W. The recent progress of peptide regulators for the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1164656. [PMID: 37396899 PMCID: PMC10311566 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1164656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling plays an important role in many biological processes such as stem cell self-renewal, cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. The β-catenin-dependent signaling pathway mainly regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. In the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the Wnt family ligands transduce signals through LRP5/6 and Frizzled receptors to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascades. Wnt-targeted therapy has garnered extensive attention. The most commonly used approach in targeted therapy is small-molecule regulators. However, it is difficult for small-molecule regulators to make great progress due to their inherent defects. Therapeutic peptide regulators targeting the Wnt signaling pathway have become an alternative therapy, promising to fill the gaps in the clinical application of small-molecule regulators. In this review, we describe recent advances in peptide regulators for Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huaxing Shen
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baobao Chen
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Liu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Medical Supplies Center of People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Cong
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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33
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Ding J, Lee SJ, Vlahos L, Yuki K, Rada CC, van Unen V, Vuppalapaty M, Chen H, Sura A, McCormick AK, Tomaske M, Alwahabi S, Nguyen H, Nowatzke W, Kim L, Kelly L, Vollrath D, Califano A, Yeh WC, Li Y, Kuo CJ. Therapeutic blood-brain barrier modulation and stroke treatment by a bioengineered FZD 4-selective WNT surrogate in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2947. [PMID: 37268690 PMCID: PMC10238527 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37689-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Derangements of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or blood-retinal barrier (BRB) occur in disorders ranging from stroke, cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. The Norrin/FZD4/TSPAN12 pathway activates WNT/β-catenin signaling, which is essential for BBB and BRB function. However, systemic pharmacologic FZD4 stimulation is hindered by obligate palmitoylation and insolubility of native WNTs and suboptimal properties of the FZD4-selective ligand Norrin. Here, we develop L6-F4-2, a non-lipidated, FZD4-specific surrogate which significantly improves subpicomolar affinity versus native Norrin. In Norrin knockout (NdpKO) mice, L6-F4-2 not only potently reverses neonatal retinal angiogenesis deficits, but also restores BRB and BBB function. In adult C57Bl/6J mice, post-stroke systemic delivery of L6-F4-2 strongly reduces BBB permeability, infarction, and edema, while improving neurologic score and capillary pericyte coverage. Our findings reveal systemic efficacy of a bioengineered FZD4-selective WNT surrogate during ischemic BBB dysfunction, with potential applicability to adult CNS disorders characterized by an aberrant blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ding
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sung-Jin Lee
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Lukas Vlahos
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, Columbia, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kanako Yuki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cara C Rada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Vincent van Unen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Hui Chen
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Asmiti Sura
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Aaron K McCormick
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Madeline Tomaske
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Samira Alwahabi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Huy Nguyen
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - William Nowatzke
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Lily Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lisa Kelly
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Douglas Vollrath
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, Columbia, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Wen-Chen Yeh
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Surrozen, Inc. South San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Calvin J Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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34
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Jang W, Lu S, Xu X, Wu G, Lambert NA. The role of G protein conformation in receptor-G protein selectivity. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:687-694. [PMID: 36646958 PMCID: PMC10238660 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) selectively activate at least one of the four families of heterotrimeric G proteins, but the mechanism of coupling selectivity remains unclear. Structural studies emphasize structural complementarity of GPCRs and nucleotide-free G proteins, but selectivity is likely to be determined by transient intermediate-state complexes that exist before nucleotide release. Here we study coupling to nucleotide-decoupled G protein variants that can adopt conformations similar to receptor-bound G proteins without releasing nucleotide, and are therefore able to bypass intermediate-state complexes. We find that selectivity is degraded when nucleotide release is not required for GPCR-G protein complex formation, to the extent that most GPCRs interact with most nucleotide-decoupled G proteins. These findings demonstrate the absence of absolute structural incompatibility between noncognate receptor-G protein pairs, and are consistent with the hypothesis that transient intermediate states are partly responsible for coupling selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonjo Jang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
| | - Sumin Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Guangyu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Nevin A Lambert
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
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35
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Li Z, Yang Z, Liu W, Zhu W, Yin L, Han Z, Xian Y, Wen J, Tang H, Lin X, Yang Y, Wang J, Zhang K. Disheveled3 enhanced EMT and cancer stem-like cells properties via Wnt/β-catenin/c-Myc/SOX2 pathway in colorectal cancer. J Transl Med 2023; 21:302. [PMID: 37147666 PMCID: PMC10161491 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04120-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) play crucial role in tumor metastasis and drug-resistance. Disheveled3 (DVL3) is involved in malignant behaviors of cancer. However, the role and potential mechanism of DVL3 remain elusive in EMT and CSLCs of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS UALCAN and PrognoScan databases were employed to evaluate DVL3 expression in CRC tissues and its correlation with CRC prognosis, respectively. Transwell, sphere formation and CCK8 assay were used to assess metastasis, stemness and drug sensitivity of CRC cells, respectively. Western blotting and dual luciferase assay were performed to analyze the protein expression and Wnt/β-catenin activation, respectively. Lentiviral transfection was used to construct the stable cell lines. Animal studies were performed to analyze the effect of silencing DVL3 on tumorigenicity and metastasis of CRC cells in vivo. RESULTS DVL3 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and several CRC cell lines. DVL3 expression was also higher in CRC tissues with lymph node metastasis than tumor tissues without metastasis, and correlated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. DVL3 positively regulated the abilities of migration, invasion and EMT-like molecular changes in CRC cells. Moreover, DVL3 promoted CSLCs properties and multidrug resistance. We further identified that Wnt/β-catenin was crucial for DVL3-mediated EMT, stemness and SOX2 expression, while silencing SOX2 inhibited DVL3-mediated EMT and stemness. Furthermore, c-Myc, a direct target gene of Wnt/β-catenin, was required for SOX2 expression and strengthened EMT and stemness via SOX2 in CRC cells. Finally, knockdown of DVL3 suppressed tumorigenicity and lung metastasis of CRC cells in nude mice. CONCLUSION DVL3 promoted EMT and CSLCs properties of CRC via Wnt/β-catenin/c-Myc/SOX2 axis, providing a new strategy for successful CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengguang Li
- Oncology Department of Chengdu Seventh People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China.
| | - Zhirong Yang
- Pathology Department of Deyang People's Hospital, Deyang, 618000, China
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Wei Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, 61051, China
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Wanglong Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Lan Yin
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Zhenyu Han
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Yu Xian
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Jie Wen
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Hualong Tang
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Xinyue Lin
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Yuhan Yang
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, 61051, China.
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China.
| | - Kun Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, 61051, China.
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, China.
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36
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Bowin CF, Kozielewicz P, Grätz L, Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Schulte G. WNT stimulation induces dynamic conformational changes in the Frizzled-Dishevelled interaction. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eabo4974. [PMID: 37014927 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abo4974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Frizzleds (FZDs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind to WNT family ligands. FZDs signal through multiple effector proteins, including Dishevelled (DVL), which acts as a hub for several downstream signaling pathways. To understand how WNT binding to FZD stimulates intracellular signaling and influences downstream pathway selectivity, we investigated the dynamic changes in the FZD5-DVL2 interaction elicited by WNT-3A and WNT-5A. Ligand-induced changes in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between FZD5 and DVL2 or the isolated FZD-binding DEP domain of DVL2 revealed a composite response consisting of both DVL2 recruitment and conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex. The combination of different BRET paradigms enabled us to identify ligand-dependent conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex and distinguish them from ligand-induced recruitment of DVL2 or DEP to FZD5. The observed agonist-induced conformational changes at the receptor-transducer interface suggest that extracellular agonist and intracellular transducers cooperate through transmembrane allosteric interaction with FZDs in a ternary complex reminiscent of that of classical GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl-Fredrik Bowin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lukas Grätz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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37
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He Y, Dai X, Li S, Zhang X, Gong K, Song K, Shi J. Doublecortin-like kinase 2 promotes breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:1102-1113. [PMID: 36477947 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-03018-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Doublecortin-like kinase 2 (DCLK2) is a microtubule-associated protein kinase that participates in neural development and maturation; however, whether it is involved in tumour progression remains unclear. METHODS DCLK2 overexpression and knockdown clones were established by lentivirus transfection. Western blot, PCR assays and bioinformatics analyses were conducted to observe the expression of DCLK2. CCK8, colony formation, scratch migration and Transwell assays were used to detect cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Tumour metastasis was evaluated in vivo using a tail vein metastasis model. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to analyse the expression correlation between DCLK2 and TCF4, or EMT markers in breast cancer. RESULTS Our data indicate that DCLK2 is highly expressed in breast cancer cells and is associated with poor prognosis. Silencing DCLK2 does not affect the proliferation rate of tumour cells, but significantly suppresses migration and invasion as well as lung metastasis processes. Overexpression of DCLK2 can enhance the migratory and invasive abilities of normal breast epithelial cells. Moreover, TCF4/β-catenin inhibitor LF3 downregulates the expression of DCLK2 and inhibits the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that the downregulation of DCLK2 blocks the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that DCLK2 plays an important role in EMT, cell invasion and metastasis, suggesting that DCLK2 is a potential target for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling He
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqin Dai
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shengnan Li
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou F.Q. PATHOTECH Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinyuan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kunxiang Gong
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Song
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Shi
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Rada CC, Yuki K, Ding J, Kuo CJ. Regulation of the Blood-Brain Barrier in Health and Disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2023; 13:a041191. [PMID: 36987582 PMCID: PMC10691497 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The neurovascular unit is a dynamic microenvironment with tightly controlled signaling and transport coordinated by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). A properly functioning BBB allows sufficient movement of ions and macromolecules to meet the high metabolic demand of the central nervous system (CNS), while protecting the brain from pathogenic and noxious insults. This review describes the main cell types comprising the BBB and unique molecular signatures of these cells. Additionally, major signaling pathways for BBB development and maintenance are highlighted. Finally, we describe the pathophysiology of BBB diseases, their relationship to barrier dysfunction, and identify avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara C Rada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Kanako Yuki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Jie Ding
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Calvin J Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Thakur AK, Miller SE, Liau NPD, Hwang S, Hansen S, de Sousa E Melo F, Sudhamsu J, Hannoush RN. Synthetic Multivalent Disulfide-Constrained Peptide Agonists Potentiate Wnt1/β-Catenin Signaling via LRP6 Coreceptor Clustering. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:772-784. [PMID: 36893429 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Wnt ligands are critical for tissue homeostasis and form a complex with LRP6 and frizzled coreceptors to initiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Yet, how different Wnts achieve various levels of signaling activation through distinct domains on LRP6 remains elusive. Developing tool ligands that target individual LRP6 domains could help elucidate the mechanism of Wnt signaling regulation and uncover pharmacological approaches for pathway modulation. We employed directed evolution of a disulfide constrained peptide (DCP) to identify molecules that bind to the third β-propeller domain of LRP6. The DCPs antagonize Wnt3a while sparing Wnt1 signaling. Using PEG linkers with different geometries, we converted the Wnt3a antagonist DCPs to multivalent molecules that potentiated Wnt1 signaling by clustering the LRP6 coreceptor. The mechanism of potentiation is unique as it occurred only in the presence of extracellular secreted Wnt1 ligand. While all DCPs recognized a similar binding interface on LRP6, they displayed different spatial orientations that influenced their cellular activities. Moreover, structural analyses revealed that the DCPs exhibited new folds that were distinct from the parent DCP framework they were evolved from. The multivalent ligand design principles highlighted in this study provide a path for developing peptide agonists that modulate different branches of cellular Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash K Thakur
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Stephen E Miller
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas P D Liau
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sunhee Hwang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Simon Hansen
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Felipe de Sousa E Melo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jawahar Sudhamsu
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Rami N Hannoush
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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40
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Liegel RP, Michalski MN, Vaidya S, Bittermann E, Finnerty E, Menke CA, Diegel CR, Zhong ZA, Williams BO, Stottmann RW. Successful therapeutic intervention in new mouse models of frizzled 2-associated congenital malformations. Development 2023; 150:dev201038. [PMID: 36789910 PMCID: PMC10112907 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Frizzled 2 (FZD2) is a transmembrane Wnt receptor. We previously identified a pathogenic human FZD2 variant in individuals with FZD2-associated autosomal dominant Robinow syndrome. The variant encoded a protein with a premature stop and loss of 17 amino acids, including a region of the consensus dishevelled-binding sequence. To model this variant, we used zygote microinjection and i-GONAD-based CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to generate a mouse allelic series. Embryos mosaic for humanized Fzd2W553* knock-in exhibited cleft palate and shortened limbs, consistent with patient phenotypes. We also generated two germline mouse alleles with small deletions: Fzd2D3 and Fzd2D4. Homozygotes for each allele exhibit a highly penetrant cleft palate phenotype, shortened limbs compared with wild type and perinatal lethality. Fzd2D4 craniofacial tissues indicated decreased canonical Wnt signaling. In utero treatment with IIIC3a (a DKK inhibitor) normalized the limb lengths in Fzd2D4 homozygotes. The in vivo replication represents an approach for further investigating the mechanism of FZD2 phenotypes and demonstrates the utility of CRISPR knock-in mice as a tool for investigating the pathogenicity of human genetic variants. We also present evidence for a potential therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Liegel
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
| | - Megan N. Michalski
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Sanika Vaidya
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bittermann
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
| | - Erin Finnerty
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
| | - Chelsea A. Menke
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
| | - Cassandra R. Diegel
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Zhendong A. Zhong
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Bart O. Williams
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Rolf W. Stottmann
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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41
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Stoletov K, Sanchez S, Gorroño I, Rabano M, Vivanco MDM, Kypta R, Lewis JD. Intravital imaging of Wnt/β-catenin and ATF2-dependent signalling pathways during tumour cell invasion and metastasis. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:286293. [PMID: 36621522 PMCID: PMC10022745 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signalling has been implicated as a driver of tumour cell metastasis, but less is known about which branches of Wnt signalling are involved and when they act in the metastatic cascade. Here, using a unique intravital imaging platform and fluorescent reporters, we visualised β-catenin/TCF-dependent and ATF2-dependent signalling activities during human cancer cell invasion, intravasation and metastatic lesion formation in the chick embryo host. We found that cancer cells readily shifted between states of low and high canonical Wnt activity. Cancer cells that displayed low Wnt canonical activity showed higher invasion and intravasation potential in primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. In contrast, cancer cells showing low ATF2-dependent activity were significantly less invasive both at the front of primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. Simultaneous visualisation of both these reporters using a double-reporter cell line confirmed their complementary activities in primary tumours and metastatic lesions. These findings might inform the development of therapies that target different branches of Wnt signalling at specific stages of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Stoletov
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Saray Sanchez
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Irantzu Gorroño
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Miriam Rabano
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Maria D M Vivanco
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Robert Kypta
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - John D Lewis
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
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Furtado J, Geraldo LH, Leser FS, Poulet M, Park H, Pibouin-Fragner L, Eichmann A, Boyé K. Netrin-1 binding to Unc5B regulates Blood-Retina Barrier integrity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.21.525006. [PMID: 36711611 PMCID: PMC9882365 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.21.525006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Background The blood brain barrier (BBB) preserves neuronal function in the central nervous system (CNS) by tightly controlling metabolite exchanges with the blood. In the eye, the retina is likewise protected by the blood-retina barrier (BRB) to maintain phototransduction. We showed that the secreted guidance cue Netrin-1 regulated BBB integrity, by binding to endothelial Unc5B and regulating canonical β-catenin dependent expression of BBB gene expression. Objective Here, we investigated if Netrin-1-binding to endothelial Unc5B also controlled BRB integrity, and if this process involved Norrin/β-catenin signaling, which is the major known driver of BRB development and maintenance. Methods We analyzed Tamoxifen-inducible loss- and gain- of-function alleles of Unc5B, Ntn1 and Ctnnb1 in conjunction with tracer injections and biochemical signaling studies. Results Inducible endothelial Unc5B deletion, and inducible global Ntn1 deletion in postnatal mice reduced phosphorylation of the Norrin receptor LRP5, leading to reduced β-catenin and LEF1 expression, conversion of retina endothelial cells from a barrier-competent Claudin-5+/PLVAP- state to a Claudin-5-/PLVAP+ leaky phenotype, and extravasation of injected low molecular weight tracers. Inducible Ctnnb1 gain of function rescued vascular leak in Unc5B mutants, and Ntn1 overexpression induced BRB tightening. Unc5B expression in pericytes contributed to BRB permeability, via regulation of endothelial Unc5B. Mechanistically, Netrin-1-Unc5B signaling promoted β-catenin dependent BRB signaling by enhancing phosphorylation of the Norrin receptor LRP5 via the Discs large homologue 1 (Dlg1) intracellular scaffolding protein. Conclusions The data identify Netrin1-Unc5B as novel regulators of BRB integrity, with implications for diseases associated with BRB disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Furtado
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Luiz Henrique Geraldo
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | | | - Mathilde Poulet
- Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Inserm U970, Université Paris, France
| | - Hyojin Park
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | | | - Anne Eichmann
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Inserm U970, Université Paris, France
| | - Kevin Boyé
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Inserm U970, Université Paris, France
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43
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Ravaei A, Emanuele M, Nazzaro G, Fadiga L, Rubini M. Placental DNA methylation profile as predicting marker for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mol Med 2023; 29:8. [PMID: 36647002 PMCID: PMC9843962 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-022-00593-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs normal brain development and socio-cognitive abilities. The pathogenesis of this condition points out the involvement of genetic and environmental factors during in-utero life. Placenta, as an interface tissue between mother and fetus, provides developing fetus requirements and exposes it to maternal environment as well. Therefore, the alteration of DNA methylation as epigenetic consequence of gene-environmental interaction in the placenta could shed light on ASD pathogenesis. In this study, we reviewed the current findings on placental methylation status and its association with ASD. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in ASD-developing placenta were found to be mainly enriched in ASD gene loci affecting synaptogenesis, microtubule dynamics, neurogenesis and neuritogenesis. In addition, non-genic DMRs in ASD-placenta proposes an alternative contributing mechanism for ASD development. Our study highlights the importance of placental DNA methylation signature as a biomarker for ASD prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Ravaei
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Emanuele
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy ,grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nazzaro
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy ,grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy ,grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Rubini
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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44
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Carpenter KA, Thurlow KE, Craig SEL, Grainger S. Wnt regulation of hematopoietic stem cell development and disease. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 153:255-279. [PMID: 36967197 PMCID: PMC11104846 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are multipotent stem cells that give rise to all cells of the blood and most immune cells. Due to their capacity for unlimited self-renewal, long-term HSCs replenish the blood and immune cells of an organism throughout its life. HSC development, maintenance, and differentiation are all tightly regulated by cell signaling pathways, including the Wnt pathway. Wnt signaling is initiated extracellularly by secreted ligands which bind to cell surface receptors and give rise to several different downstream signaling cascades. These are classically categorized either β-catenin dependent (BCD) or β-catenin independent (BCI) signaling, depending on their reliance on the β-catenin transcriptional activator. HSC development, homeostasis, and differentiation is influenced by both BCD and BCI, with a high degree of sensitivity to the timing and dosage of Wnt signaling. Importantly, dysregulated Wnt signals can result in hematological malignancies such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Here, we review how Wnt signaling impacts HSCs during development and in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A Carpenter
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Kate E Thurlow
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States; Van Andel Institute Graduate School, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Sonya E L Craig
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Stephanie Grainger
- Department of Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States.
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45
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Reiss Y, Bauer S, David B, Devraj K, Fidan E, Hattingen E, Liebner S, Melzer N, Meuth SG, Rosenow F, Rüber T, Willems LM, Plate KH. The neurovasculature as a target in temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain Pathol 2023; 33:e13147. [PMID: 36599709 PMCID: PMC10041171 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physiological barrier maintaining a specialized brain micromilieu that is necessary for proper neuronal function. Endothelial tight junctions and specific transcellular/efflux transport systems provide a protective barrier against toxins, pathogens, and immune cells. The barrier function is critically supported by other cell types of the neurovascular unit, including pericytes, astrocytes, microglia, and interneurons. The dysfunctionality of the BBB is a hallmark of neurological diseases, such as ischemia, brain tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, infections, and autoimmune neuroinflammatory disorders. Moreover, BBB dysfunction is critically involved in epilepsy, a brain disorder characterized by spontaneously occurring seizures because of abnormally synchronized neuronal activity. While resistance to antiseizure drugs that aim to reduce neuronal hyperexcitability remains a clinical challenge, drugs targeting the neurovasculature in epilepsy patients have not been explored. The use of novel imaging techniques permits early detection of BBB leakage in epilepsy; however, the detailed mechanistic understanding of causes and consequences of BBB compromise remains unknown. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of BBB involvement in temporal lobe epilepsy with the emphasis on the neurovasculature as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Reiss
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bauer
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bastian David
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kavi Devraj
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Elif Fidan
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Elke Hattingen
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute of Neuroradiology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Liebner
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nico Melzer
- Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven G Meuth
- Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Rosenow
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Theodor Rüber
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laurent M Willems
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Karl H Plate
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Wang J, Ding Y, Li D, Zhu N, Nishiyama A, Yuan Y. (Pro)renin receptor promotes colorectal cancer progression through inhibiting the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 ubiquitination and modulating gut microbiota. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:2. [PMID: 36597142 PMCID: PMC9809055 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-01015-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We previously found that (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) augments Wnt3 protein without affecting Wnt3 gene transcription in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, thus contributes to CRC initiation. The present study aims to investigate whether (P)RR further promotes CRC progression following oncogenesis and the related mechanisms. Notably, we deeply elaborate how (P)RR affects Wnt3 protein level and the key enzyme that mediates this process. METHODS Immunohistochemistry, western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to detect protein expression status. A kind of gastrointestinal epithelium-specific ATP6AP2 ((P)RR encoding gene) knock-in mice were generated using Crispr/Cas9 system. RESULTS We found that increased (P)RR expression in primary CRC lesions is positively associated with higher Wnt3 protein level and disease progression. Progressive CRC presents less colocalization of Wnt3 and an E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4L in primary lesions than non-progressive CRC. In colon cancer cells, (P)RR dramatically inhibits the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 protein ubiquitination. ATP6AP2 knock-in mice show more diminished Wnt3-NEDD4L colocalization in their gut epithelium in comparison to wildtype mice. They also have abnormal gut bacterial flora distribution. Especially, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136 and Bacteroides genus, which are generally protective against CRC, are suppressed in guts of ATP6AP2 knock-in mice. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, (P)RR promotes CRC progression through inhibiting the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 ubiquitination and modulating gut microbiota. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- grid.412465.0Department of Medical Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences of Zhejiang Province), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang China
| | - Yuwei Ding
- grid.412465.0Department of Medical Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences of Zhejiang Province), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang China
| | - Dan Li
- grid.412465.0Department of Medical Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences of Zhejiang Province), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang China
| | - Ning Zhu
- grid.412465.0Department of Medical Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences of Zhejiang Province), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang China
| | - Akira Nishiyama
- grid.258331.e0000 0000 8662 309XDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0793 Japan
| | - Ying Yuan
- grid.412465.0Department of Medical Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences of Zhejiang Province), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, 310009 Zhejiang China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang China
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FGF9 Promotes Expression of HAS2 in Palatal Elevation via the Wnt/β-Catenin/TCF7L2 Pathway. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12111639. [PMID: 36358989 PMCID: PMC9687196 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Fgf9 mutation was found in cleft palate patients. Our previous study indicated that Fgf9 promotes timely elevation of palate by regulating hyaluronic acid (HA) accumulation at embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5). HA is synthesized by hyaluronic acid synthases (HAS) isoforms 1, 2, or 3. However, how FGF9 regulates HA in palatogenesis is still unclear. Methods: Using Ddx4-Cre mice, we generated the Fgf9−/− mouse model (with exon 2 deletion). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the location and expression of HAS2 in WT and the Fgf9−/− palate at E13.5. We also predicted the association between Fgf9 and Has2 within the developing palate by performing a bioinformatics analysis. The expression of β-catenin, HAS2, and TCF7L2 were verified by Western blotting after knockout of Fgf9. Rescue experiments were performed by ELISA in vitro. Results: Fgf9−/− mice exhibited 100% penetrance of the cleft palate. A knockout of Fgf9 confirmed that HAS2 and TCF7L2 expression was positively correlated with FGF9. TCF7L2 binds to the Has2 promoter, exhibiting the high specificity predicted by JASPAR. Additionally, increased HA expression by BML-284, TCF-dependent agonist, was blocked in Fgf9−/− palate because of the significant decline in TCF7L2 expression. Conclusions: FGF9 promotes HAS2 expression via Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7L2 pathway with TCF7L2 activating transcription of Has2 in the palate.
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48
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Schmidt M, Poser C, Janster C, von Maltzahn J. The hairpin region of WNT7A is sufficient for binding to the Frizzled7 receptor and to elicit signaling in myogenic cells. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6348-6359. [PMID: 36420144 PMCID: PMC9678774 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling is essential for embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. So far, little is known about the importance and functional relevance of the different regions in WNT proteins including regions in their C-terminus identified as hairpin and linker. However, it was shown that the C-terminus of WNT7A comprising the linker and the hairpin region is sufficient to elicit signaling. Here, we demonstrate that actually the hairpin region of WNT7A in its C-terminus is fully sufficient to induce non-canonical signaling in myogenic cells while the linker region alone did not show biological activity. Of note, all known non-canonical signaling branches of WNT7A signaling in skeletal muscle were activated by the hairpin region of WNT7A thereby inducing hypertrophy in myotubes, symmetric expansion of satellite stem cells and migration of myoblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the linker region in the C-terminus of WNT7A binds to the FZD7 receptor while it does not activate non-canonical Wnt signaling. However, the hairpin and the linker region of WNT7A can activate canonical Wnt signaling independent of each other suggesting that specificity of downstream signaling might be depending on those specific regions in the C-terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Schmidt
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Christine Poser
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Christina Janster
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Julia von Maltzahn
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg University of Technoogy Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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49
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Goncalves A, Antonetti DA. Transgenic animal models to explore and modulate the blood brain and blood retinal barriers of the CNS. Fluids Barriers CNS 2022; 19:86. [PMID: 36320068 PMCID: PMC9628113 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-022-00386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique environment of the brain and retina is tightly regulated by blood-brain barrier and the blood-retinal barrier, respectively, to ensure proper neuronal function. Endothelial cells within these tissues possess distinct properties that allow for controlled passage of solutes and fluids. Pericytes, glia cells and neurons signal to endothelial cells (ECs) to form and maintain the barriers and control blood flow, helping to create the neurovascular unit. This barrier is lost in a wide range of diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and retina such as brain tumors, stroke, dementia, and in the eye, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and age-related macular degeneration to name prominent examples. Recent studies directly link barrier changes to promotion of disease pathology and degradation of neuronal function. Understanding how these barriers form and how to restore these barriers in disease provides an important point for therapeutic intervention. This review aims to describe the fundamentals of the blood-tissue barriers of the CNS and how the use of transgenic animal models led to our current understanding of the molecular framework of these barriers. The review also highlights examples of targeting barrier properties to protect neuronal function in disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Goncalves
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, 1000 Wall St Rm, Ann Arbor, MI, 7317, USA
| | - David A Antonetti
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, 1000 Wall St Rm, Ann Arbor, MI, 7317, USA.
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50
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Chu TY, Zheng-Gérard C, Huang KY, Chang YC, Chen YW, I KY, Lo YL, Chiang NY, Chen HY, Stacey M, Gordon S, Tseng WY, Sun CY, Wu YM, Pan YS, Huang CH, Lin CY, Chen TC, El Omari K, Antonelou M, Henderson SR, Salama A, Seiradake E, Lin HH. GPR97 triggers inflammatory processes in human neutrophils via a macromolecular complex upstream of PAR2 activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6385. [PMID: 36302784 PMCID: PMC9613636 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34083-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils play essential anti-microbial and inflammatory roles in host defense, however, their activities require tight regulation as dysfunction often leads to detrimental inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Here we show that the adhesion molecule GPR97 allosterically activates CD177-associated membrane proteinase 3 (mPR3), and in conjugation with several protein interaction partners leads to neutrophil activation in humans. Crystallographic and deletion analysis of the GPR97 extracellular region identified two independent mPR3-binding domains. Mechanistically, the efficient binding and activation of mPR3 by GPR97 requires the macromolecular CD177/GPR97/PAR2/CD16b complex and induces the activation of PAR2, a G protein-coupled receptor known for its function in inflammation. Triggering PAR2 by the upstream complex leads to strong inflammatory activation, prompting anti-microbial activities and endothelial dysfunction. The role of the complex in pathologic inflammation is underscored by the finding that both GPR97 and mPR3 are upregulated on the surface of disease-associated neutrophils. In summary, we identify a PAR2 activation mechanism that directs neutrophil activation, and thus inflammation. The PR3/CD177/GPR97/PAR2/CD16b protein complex, therefore, represents a potential therapeutic target for neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Ying Chu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Kuan-Yeh Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chi Chang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Wen Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Yu I
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Lo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Nien-Yi Chiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yi Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Martin Stacey
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Siamon Gordon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wen-Yi Tseng
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Yin Sun
- Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Mu Wu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shin Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hao Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yen Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tse-Ching Chen
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kamel El Omari
- Diamond Light Source Limited, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | | | | | - Alan Salama
- Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Free Campus, UCL, London, UK
| | - Elena Seiradake
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hsi-Hsien Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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