51
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Tsabar M, Lovitch SB, Jambhekar A, Lahav G. Connecting Timescales in Biology: Can Early Dynamical Measurements Predict Long-Term Outcomes? Trends Cancer 2021; 7:301-308. [PMID: 33451930 PMCID: PMC8796003 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prediction of long-term outcomes from short-term measurements remains a fundamental challenge. Quantitative assessment of signaling dynamics, and the resulting transcriptomic and proteomic responses, has yielded fundamental insights into cellular outcomes. However, the utility of these measurements is limited by their short timescale (hours to days), while the consequences of these events frequently unfold over longer timescales. Here, we discuss the predictive power of static and dynamic measurements, drawing examples from fields that have harnessed the predictive capabilities of such measurements. We then explore potential approaches to close this timescale gap using complementary measurements and computational approaches, focusing on the example of dynamic measurements of signaling factors and their impacts on cellular outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tsabar
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Scott B Lovitch
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ashwini Jambhekar
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Galit Lahav
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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52
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Chen MJ, Ramesha S, Weinstock LD, Gao T, Ping L, Xiao H, Dammer EB, Duong DD, Levey AI, Lah JJ, Seyfried NT, Wood LB, Rangaraju S. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase regulates microglial immune responses in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1704-1721. [PMID: 33729626 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The importance of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway signaling in regulating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. We examined the role of MAPK signaling in microglia using a preclinical model of AD pathology and quantitative proteomics studies of postmortem human brains. In multiplex immunoassay analyses of MAPK phosphoproteins in acutely isolated microglia and brain tissue from 5xFAD mice, we found phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was the most strongly upregulated phosphoprotein within the MAPK pathway in acutely isolated microglia, but not whole-brain tissue from 5xFAD mice. The importance of ERK signaling in primary microglia cultures was next investigated using transcriptomic profiling and functional assays of amyloid-β and neuronal phagocytosis, which confirmed that ERK is a critical regulator of IFNγ-mediated pro-inflammatory activation of microglia, although it was also partly important for constitutive microglial functions. Phospho-ERK was an upstream regulator of disease-associated microglial gene expression (Trem2, Tyrobp), as well as several human AD risk genes (Bin1, Cd33, Trem2, Cnn2), indicative of the importance of microglial ERK signaling in AD pathology. Quantitative proteomic analyses of postmortem human brain showed that ERK1 and ERK2 were the only MAPK proteins with increased protein expression and positive associations with neuropathological grade. In a human brain phosphoproteomic study, we found evidence for increased flux through the ERK signaling pathway in AD. Overall, our analyses strongly suggest that ERK phosphorylation, particularly in microglia in mouse models, is a regulator of pro-inflammatory immune responses in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Chen
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Laura D Weinstock
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tianwen Gao
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lingyan Ping
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hailian Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Duc D Duong
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Allan I Levey
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James J Lah
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Levi B Wood
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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53
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Gauthier KD, Rocheleau CE. Golgi localization of the LIN-2/7/10 complex points to a role in basolateral secretion of LET-23 EGFR in the Caenorhabditiselegans vulval precursor cells. Development 2021; 148:dev194167. [PMID: 33526581 PMCID: PMC10692275 DOI: 10.1242/dev.194167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved LIN-2 (CASK)/LIN-7 (Lin7A-C)/LIN-10 (APBA1) complex plays an important role in regulating spatial organization of membrane proteins and signaling components. In Caenorhabditiselegans, the complex is essential for the development of the vulva by promoting the localization of the sole Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ortholog LET-23 to the basolateral membrane of the vulva precursor cells where it can specify the vulval cell fate. To understand how the LIN-2/7/10 complex regulates receptor localization, we determined its expression and localization during vulva development. We found that LIN-7 colocalizes with LET-23 EGFR at the basolateral membrane, whereas the LIN-2/7/10 complex colocalizes with LET-23 EGFR at cytoplasmic punctae that mostly overlap with the Golgi. Furthermore, LIN-10 recruits LIN-2, which in turn recruits LIN-7. We demonstrate that the complex forms in vivo with a particularly strong interaction and colocalization between LIN-2 and LIN-7, consistent with them forming a subcomplex. Thus, the LIN-2/7/10 complex forms on the Golgi on which it likely targets LET-23 EGFR trafficking to the basolateral membrane rather than functioning as a tether.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley D Gauthier
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University; and the Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Christian E Rocheleau
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University; and the Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
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54
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The ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling network: the final frontier in RAS signal transduction. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:253-267. [PMID: 33544118 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The RAF-MEK-ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is aberrantly activated in a diverse set of human cancers and the RASopathy group of genetic developmental disorders. This protein kinase cascade is one of the most intensely studied cellular signaling networks and has been frequently targeted by the pharmaceutical industry, with more than 30 inhibitors either approved or under clinical evaluation. The ERK-MAPK cascade was originally depicted as a serial and linear, unidirectional pathway that relays extracellular signals, such as mitogenic stimuli, through the cytoplasm to the nucleus. However, we now appreciate that this three-tiered protein kinase cascade is a central core of a complex network with dynamic signaling inputs and outputs and autoregulatory loops. Despite our considerable advances in understanding the ERK-MAPK network, the ability of cancer cells to adapt to the inhibition of key nodes reveals a level of complexity that remains to be fully understood. In this review, we summarize important developments in our understanding of the ERK-MAPK network and identify unresolved issues for ongoing and future study.
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55
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Keyes J, Mehta S, Zhang J. Strategies for Multiplexed Biosensor Imaging to Study Intracellular Signaling Networks. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2350:1-20. [PMID: 34331275 PMCID: PMC8580745 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1593-5_1] [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: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Signal transduction processes are a necessary component of multicellular life, and their dysregulation is the basis for a host of syndromes and diseases. Thus, it is imperative that we discover the complex details of how signal transduction processes result in specific cellular outcomes. One of the primary mechanisms of regulation over signaling pathways is through spatiotemporal control. However, traditional methods are limited in their ability to reveal such details. To overcome these limitations, researchers have developed a variety of genetically encodable, fluorescent protein-based biosensors to study these dynamic processes in real time in living cells. Due to the complexities and interconnectedness of signaling pathways, it is thus desirable to use multiple biosensors in individual cells to better elucidate the relationships between signaling pathways. However, multiplexed imaging with such biosensors has been historically difficult. Nevertheless, recent developments in designs and multiplexing strategies have led to vast improvements in our capabilities. In this review, we provide perspectives on the recently developed biosensor designs and multiplexing strategies that are available for multiplexed imaging of signal transduction pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Keyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sohum Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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56
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de la Cova CC, Townley R, Greenwald I. Negative feedback by conserved kinases patterns the degradation of Caenorhabditis elegans Raf in vulval fate patterning. Development 2020; 147:226094. [PMID: 33144396 DOI: 10.1242/dev.195941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Activation of a canonical EGFR-Ras-Raf-ERK cascade initiates patterning of multipotent vulval precursor cells (VPCs) of Caenorhabditis elegans We have previously shown that this pathway includes a negative-feedback component in which MPK-1/ERK activity targets the upstream kinase LIN-45/Raf for degradation by the SEL-10/FBXW7 E3 ubiquitin ligase. This regulation requires a Cdc4 phosphodegron (CPD) in LIN-45 that is conserved in BRAF. Here, we identify and characterize the minimal degron that encompasses the CPD and is sufficient for SEL-10-mediated, MPK-1-dependent protein degradation. A targeted screen of conserved protein kinase-encoding genes yielded gsk-3 (an ortholog of human GSK3B) and cdk-2 (a CDK2-related kinase) as required for LIN-45 degron-mediated turnover. Genetic analysis revealed that LIN-45 degradation is blocked at the second larval stage due to cell cycle quiescence, and that relief of this block during the third larval stage relies on activation of CDKs. Additionally, activation of MPK-1 provides spatial pattern to LIN-45 degradation but does not bypass the requirement for gsk-3 and cdk-2 This analysis supports a model whereby MPK-1/ERK, GSK-3/GSK3 and CDK-2/CDK2, along with SEL-10/FBXW7, constitute a regulatory network that exerts spatial and temporal control of LIN-45/Raf degradation during VPC patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire C de la Cova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Robert Townley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Iva Greenwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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57
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Adikes RC, Kohrman AQ, Martinez MAQ, Palmisano NJ, Smith JJ, Medwig-Kinney TN, Min M, Sallee MD, Ahmed OB, Kim N, Liu S, Morabito RD, Weeks N, Zhao Q, Zhang W, Feldman JL, Barkoulas M, Pani AM, Spencer SL, Martin BL, Matus DQ. Visualizing the metazoan proliferation-quiescence decision in vivo. eLife 2020; 9:e63265. [PMID: 33350383 PMCID: PMC7880687 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell proliferation and quiescence are intimately coordinated during metazoan development. Here, we adapt a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) sensor to uncouple these key events of the cell cycle in Caenorhabditis elegans and zebrafish through live-cell imaging. The CDK sensor consists of a fluorescently tagged CDK substrate that steadily translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to increasing CDK activity and consequent sensor phosphorylation. We show that the CDK sensor can distinguish cycling cells in G1 from quiescent cells in G0, revealing a possible commitment point and a cryptic stochasticity in an otherwise invariant C. elegans cell lineage. Finally, we derive a predictive model of future proliferation behavior in C. elegans based on a snapshot of CDK activity in newly born cells. Thus, we introduce a live-cell imaging tool to facilitate in vivo studies of cell-cycle control in a wide-range of developmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Adikes
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Abraham Q Kohrman
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Michael A Q Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Nicholas J Palmisano
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Jayson J Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Taylor N Medwig-Kinney
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Mingwei Min
- Department of Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Maria D Sallee
- Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ononnah B Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Nuri Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Simeiyun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Robert D Morabito
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Nicholas Weeks
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Qinyun Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Wan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | | | | | - Ariel M Pani
- Department of Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
| | - Sabrina L Spencer
- Department of Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Benjamin L Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - David Q Matus
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
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58
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Simon CS, Rahman S, Raina D, Schröter C, Hadjantonakis AK. Live Visualization of ERK Activity in the Mouse Blastocyst Reveals Lineage-Specific Signaling Dynamics. Dev Cell 2020; 55:341-353.e5. [PMID: 33091370 PMCID: PMC7658048 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
FGF/ERK signaling is crucial for the patterning and proliferation of cell lineages that comprise the mouse blastocyst. However, ERK signaling dynamics have never been directly visualized in live embryos. To address whether differential signaling is associated with particular cell fates and states, we generated a targeted mouse line expressing an ERK-kinase translocation reporter (KTR) that enables live quantification of ERK activity at single-cell resolution. 3D time-lapse imaging of this biosensor in embryos revealed spatially graded ERK activity in the trophectoderm prior to overt polar versus mural differentiation. Within the inner cell mass (ICM), all cells relayed FGF/ERK signals with varying durations and magnitude. Primitive endoderm cells displayed higher overall levels of ERK activity, while pluripotent epiblast cells exhibited lower basal activity with sporadic pulses. These results constitute a direct visualization of signaling events during mammalian pre-implantation development and reveal the existence of spatial and temporal lineage-specific dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Simon
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shahadat Rahman
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dhruv Raina
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Schröter
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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59
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Shanja-Grabarz X, Coste A, Entenberg D, Di Cristofano A. Real-time, high-resolution imaging of tumor cells in genetically engineered and orthotopic models of thyroid cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2020; 27:529-539. [PMID: 32698130 PMCID: PMC7450603 DOI: 10.1530/erc-20-0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Genetically engineered and orthotopic xenograft mouse models have been instrumental for increasing our understanding of thyroid cancer progression and for the development of novel therapeutic approaches in a setting that is more physiologically relevant than the classical subcutaneous flank implants. However, the anatomical location of the thyroid gland precludes a non-invasive analysis at the cellular level of the interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment and does not allow a real-time evaluation of the response of tumor cells to drug treatments. As a consequence, such studies have generally only relied on endpoint approaches, limiting the amount and depth of the information that could be gathered. Here we describe the development of an innovative approach to imaging specific aspects of thyroid cancer biology, based on the implantation of a permanent, minimally invasive optical window that allows high-resolution, multi-day, intravital imaging of the behavior and cellular dynamics of thyroid tumors in the mouse. We show that this technology allows visualization of fluorescently tagged tumor cells both in immunocompetent, genetically engineered mouse models of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and in immunocompromised mice carrying orthotopic implanted human or mouse ATC cells. Furthermore, the use of recipient mice in which endothelial cells and macrophages are fluorescently labeled allows the detection of the spatial and functional relationship between tumor cells and their microenvironment. Finally, we show that ATC cells expressing a fluorescent biosensor for caspase 3 activity can be effectively utilized to evaluate, in real-time, the efficacy and kinetics of action of novel small molecule therapeutics. This novel approach to intravital imaging of thyroid cancer represents a platform that will allow, for the first time, the longitudinal, in situ analysis of tumor cell responses to therapy and of their interaction with the microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xhesika Shanja-Grabarz
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Anouchka Coste
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - David Entenberg
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Antonio Di Cristofano
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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60
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Schönholzer MT, Migliavacca J, Alvarez E, Santhana Kumar K, Neve A, Gries A, Ma M, Grotzer MA, Baumgartner M. Real-time sensing of MAPK signaling in medulloblastoma cells reveals cellular evasion mechanism counteracting dasatinib blockade of ERK activation during invasion. Neoplasia 2020; 22:470-483. [PMID: 32818841 PMCID: PMC7452206 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Aberrantly activated kinase signaling pathways drive invasion and dissemination in medulloblastoma (MB). A majority of tumor-promoting kinase signaling pathways feed into the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) extracellular regulated kinase (ERK1/2) pathway. The activation status of ERK1/2 during invasion of MB cells is not known and its implication in invasion control unclear. We established a synthetic kinase activation relocation sensor (SKARS) for the MAPK ERK1/2 pathway in MB cells for real-time measuring of drug response. We used 3D invasion assays and organotypic cerebellum slice culture to test drug effects in a physiologically relevant tissue environment. We found that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) caused rapid nuclear ERK1/2 activation in MB cells, which persisted for several hours. Concomitant treatment with the BCR/ABL kinase inhibitor dasatinib completely repressed nuclear ERK1/2 activity induced by HGF and EGF but not by bFGF. Increased nuclear ERK1/2 activity correlated positively with speed of invasion. Dasatinib blocked ERK-associated invasion in the majority of cells, but we also observed fast-invading cells with low ERK1/2 activity. These ERK1/2-low, fast-moving cells displayed a rounded morphology, while ERK-high fast-moving cells displayed a mesenchymal morphology. Dasatinib effectively blocked EGF-induced proliferation while it only moderately repressed tissue invasion, indicating that a subset of cells may evade invasion repression by dasatinib through non-mesenchymal motility. Thus, growth factor-induced nuclear activation of ERK1/2 is associated with mesenchymal motility and proliferation in MB cells and can be blocked with the BCR/ABL kinase inhibitor dasatinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Thomas Schönholzer
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Migliavacca
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Alvarez
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Karthiga Santhana Kumar
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Anuja Neve
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Gries
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Min Ma
- Quantitative Signaling Group, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael A Grotzer
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland; University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 ZÏrich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Baumgartner
- Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Group, University Children's Hospital ZÏrich, Children's Research Center, Balgrist Campus, Lengghalde 5, CH-8008 ZÏrich, Switzerland.
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61
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Luo KL, Underwood RS, Greenwald I. Positive autoregulation of lag-1 in response to LIN-12 activation in cell fate decisions during C. elegans reproductive system development. Development 2020; 147:dev.193482. [PMID: 32839181 DOI: 10.1242/dev.193482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During animal development, ligand binding releases the intracellular domain of LIN-12/Notch by proteolytic cleavage to translocate to the nucleus, where it associates with the DNA-binding protein LAG-1/CSL to activate target gene transcription. We investigated the spatiotemporal regulation of LAG-1/CSL expression in Caenorhabditis elegans and observed that an increase in endogenous LAG-1 levels correlates with LIN-12/Notch activation in different cell contexts during reproductive system development. We show that this increase is via transcriptional upregulation by creating a synthetic endogenous operon, and identified an enhancer region that contains multiple LAG-1 binding sites (LBSs) embedded in a more extensively conserved high occupancy target (HOT) region. We show that these LBSs are necessary for upregulation in response to LIN-12/Notch activity, indicating that lag-1 engages in direct positive autoregulation. Deletion of the HOT region from endogenous lag-1 reduced LAG-1 levels and abrogated positive autoregulation, but did not cause hallmark cell fate transformations associated with loss of lin-12/Notch or lag-1 activity. Instead, later somatic reproductive system defects suggest that proper transcriptional regulation of lag-1 confers robustness to somatic reproductive system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Leisan Luo
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biophysical Studies, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ryan S Underwood
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Iva Greenwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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62
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Garcia-Gonzalez I, Mühleder S, Fernández-Chacón M, Benedito R. Genetic Tools to Study Cardiovascular Biology. Front Physiol 2020; 11:1084. [PMID: 33071802 PMCID: PMC7541935 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.01084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in biomedical science is tightly associated with the improvement of methods and genetic tools to manipulate and analyze gene function in mice, the most widely used model organism in biomedical research. The joint effort of numerous individual laboratories and consortiums has contributed to the creation of a large genetic resource that enables scientists to image cells, probe signaling pathways activities, or modify a gene function in any desired cell type or time point, à la carte. However, as these tools significantly increase in number and become more sophisticated, it is more difficult to keep track of each tool's possibilities and understand their advantages and disadvantages. Knowing the best currently available genetic technology to answer a particular biological question is key to reach a higher standard in biomedical research. In this review, we list and discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of available mammalian genetic technology to analyze cardiovascular cell biology at higher cellular and molecular resolution. We start with the most simple and classical genetic approaches and end with the most advanced technology available to fluorescently label cells, conditionally target their genes, image their clonal expansion, and decode their lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rui Benedito
- Molecular Genetics of Angiogenesis Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
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63
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Aikin TJ, Peterson AF, Pokrass MJ, Clark HR, Regot S. MAPK activity dynamics regulate non-cell autonomous effects of oncogene expression. eLife 2020; 9:e60541. [PMID: 32940599 PMCID: PMC7498266 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A large fraction of human cancers contain genetic alterations within the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling network that promote unpredictable phenotypes. Previous studies have shown that the temporal patterns of MAPK activity (i.e. signaling dynamics) differentially regulate cell behavior. However, the role of signaling dynamics in mediating the effects of cancer driving mutations has not been systematically explored. Here, we show that oncogene expression leads to either pulsatile or sustained ERK activity that correlate with opposing cellular behaviors (i.e. proliferation vs. cell cycle arrest, respectively). Moreover, sustained-but not pulsatile-ERK activity triggers ERK activity waves in unperturbed neighboring cells that depend on the membrane metalloprotease ADAM17 and EGFR activity. Interestingly, the ADAM17-EGFR signaling axis coordinates neighboring cell migration toward oncogenic cells and is required for oncogenic cell extrusion. Overall, our data suggests that the temporal patterns of MAPK activity differentially regulate cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous effects of oncogene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Aikin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Amy F Peterson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Michael J Pokrass
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Helen R Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sergi Regot
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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64
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Davies AE, Pargett M, Siebert S, Gillies TE, Choi Y, Tobin SJ, Ram AR, Murthy V, Juliano C, Quon G, Bissell MJ, Albeck JG. Systems-Level Properties of EGFR-RAS-ERK Signaling Amplify Local Signals to Generate Dynamic Gene Expression Heterogeneity. Cell Syst 2020; 11:161-175.e5. [PMID: 32726596 PMCID: PMC7856305 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is associated with aggressive tumor behavior, therapy resistance, and poor patient outcomes. Such heterogeneity is thought to be dynamic, shifting over periods of minutes to hours in response to signaling inputs from the tumor microenvironment. However, models of this process have been inferred from indirect or post-hoc measurements of cell state, leaving the temporal details of signaling-driven heterogeneity undefined. Here, we developed a live-cell model system in which microenvironment-driven signaling dynamics can be directly observed and linked to variation in gene expression. Our analysis reveals that paracrine signaling between two cell types is sufficient to drive continual diversification of gene expression programs. This diversification emerges from systems-level properties of the EGFR-RAS-ERK signaling cascade, including intracellular amplification of amphiregulin-mediated paracrine signals and differential kinetic filtering by target genes including Fra-1, c-Myc, and Egr1. Our data enable more precise modeling of paracrine-driven transcriptional variation as a generator of gene expression heterogeneity. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the Supplemental Information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Davies
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Michael Pargett
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stefan Siebert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Taryn E Gillies
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Yongin Choi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Savannah J Tobin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Abhineet R Ram
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Vaibhav Murthy
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Celina Juliano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gerald Quon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Mina J Bissell
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - John G Albeck
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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65
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Expanding the Toolkit of Fluorescent Biosensors for Studying Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155350. [PMID: 32731410 PMCID: PMC7432370 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators of numerous biological processes in plants. To better understand the mechanisms by which these kinases function, high resolution measurement of MAPK activation kinetics in different biological contexts would be beneficial. One method to measure MAPK activation in plants is via fluorescence-based genetically-encoded biosensors, which can provide real-time readouts of the temporal and spatial dynamics of kinase activation in living tissue. Although fluorescent biosensors have been widely used to study MAPK dynamics in animal cells, there is currently only one MAPK biosensor that has been described for use in plants. To facilitate creation of additional plant-specific MAPK fluorescent biosensors, we report the development of two new tools: an in vitro assay for efficiently characterizing MAPK docking domains and a translocation-based kinase biosensor for use in plants. The implementation of these two methods has allowed us to expand the available pool of plant MAPK biosensors, while also providing a means to generate more specific and selective MAPK biosensors in the future. Biosensors developed using these methods have the potential to enhance our understanding of the roles MAPKs play in diverse plant signaling networks affecting growth, development, and stress response.
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66
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Guignard L, Fiúza UM, Leggio B, Laussu J, Faure E, Michelin G, Biasuz K, Hufnagel L, Malandain G, Godin C, Lemaire P. Contact area-dependent cell communication and the morphological invariance of ascidian embryogenesis. Science 2020; 369:369/6500/eaar5663. [PMID: 32646972 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar5663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Marine invertebrate ascidians display embryonic reproducibility: Their early embryonic cell lineages are considered invariant and are conserved between distantly related species, despite rapid genomic divergence. Here, we address the drivers of this reproducibility. We used light-sheet imaging and automated cell segmentation and tracking procedures to systematically quantify the behavior of individual cells every 2 minutes during Phallusia mammillata embryogenesis. Interindividual reproducibility was observed down to the area of individual cell contacts. We found tight links between the reproducibility of embryonic geometries and asymmetric cell divisions, controlled by differential sister cell inductions. We combined modeling and experimental manipulations to show that the area of contact between signaling and responding cells is a key determinant of cell communication. Our work establishes the geometric control of embryonic inductions as an alternative to classical morphogen gradients and suggests that the range of cell signaling sets the scale at which embryonic reproducibility is observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Guignard
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Virtual Plants, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Inria, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ulla-Maj Fiúza
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bruno Leggio
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Virtual Plants, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Inria, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Inria, 69342 Lyon, France
| | - Julien Laussu
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Faure
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Virtual Plants, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Inria, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT), Universités Toulouse I et III, CNRS, INPT, ENSEEIHT, 31071 Toulouse, France
| | - Gaël Michelin
- Morpheme, Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, CNRS, I3S, France
| | - Kilian Biasuz
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Lars Hufnagel
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | | | - Christophe Godin
- Virtual Plants, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Inria, 34095 Montpellier, France. .,Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Inria, 69342 Lyon, France
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.
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67
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Mereu L, Morf MK, Spiri S, Gutierrez P, Escobar-Restrepo JM, Daube M, Walser M, Hajnal A. Polarized epidermal growth factor secretion ensures robust vulval cell fate specification in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 2020; 147:dev175760. [PMID: 32439759 PMCID: PMC7286359 DOI: 10.1242/dev.175760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The anchor cell (AC) in C. elegans secretes an epidermal growth factor (EGF) homolog that induces adjacent vulval precursor cells (VPCs) to differentiate. The EGF receptor in the nearest VPC sequesters the limiting EGF amounts released by the AC to prevent EGF from spreading to distal VPCs. Here, we show that not only EGFR localization in the VPCs but also EGF polarity in the AC is necessary for robust fate specification. The AC secretes EGF in a directional manner towards the nearest VPC. Loss of AC polarity causes signal spreading and, when combined with MAPK pathway hyperactivation, the ectopic induction of distal VPCs. In a screen for genes preventing distal VPC induction, we identified sra-9 and nlp-26 as genes specifically required for polarized EGF secretion. sra-9(lf) and nlp-26(lf) mutants exhibit errors in vulval fate specification, reduced precision in VPC to AC alignment and increased variability in MAPK activation. sra-9 encodes a seven-pass transmembrane receptor acting in the AC and nlp-26 a neuropeptide-like protein expressed in the VPCs. SRA-9 and NLP-26 may transduce a feedback signal to channel EGF secretion towards the nearest VPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa Mereu
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias K Morf
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Silvan Spiri
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Gutierrez
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Juan M Escobar-Restrepo
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Daube
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Walser
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Hajnal
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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68
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Ghilardi SJ, O'Reilly BM, Sgro AE. Intracellular signaling dynamics and their role in coordinating tissue repair. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2020; 12:e1479. [PMID: 32035001 PMCID: PMC7187325 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tissue repair is a complex process that requires effective communication and coordination between cells across multiple tissues and organ systems. Two of the initial intracellular signals that encode injury signals and initiate tissue repair responses are calcium and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). However, calcium and ERK signaling control a variety of cellular behaviors important for injury repair including cellular motility, contractility, and proliferation, as well as the activity of several different transcription factors, making it challenging to relate specific injury signals to their respective repair programs. This knowledge gap ultimately hinders the development of new wound healing therapies that could take advantage of native cellular signaling programs to more effectively repair tissue damage. The objective of this review is to highlight the roles of calcium and ERK signaling dynamics as mechanisms that link specific injury signals to specific cellular repair programs during epithelial and stromal injury repair. We detail how the signaling networks controlling calcium and ERK can now also be dissected using classical signal processing techniques with the advent of new biosensors and optogenetic signal controllers. Finally, we advocate the importance of recognizing calcium and ERK dynamics as key links between injury detection and injury repair programs that both organize and execute a coordinated tissue repair response between cells across different tissues and organs. This article is categorized under: Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Imaging Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Organ, Tissue, and Physiological Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. Ghilardi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design CenterBoston UniversityBostonMassachusetts
| | - Breanna M. O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design CenterBoston UniversityBostonMassachusetts
| | - Allyson E. Sgro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design CenterBoston UniversityBostonMassachusetts
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69
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Phosphoprotein Biosensors for Monitoring Pathological Protein Structural Changes. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:519-531. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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70
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Goglia AG, Wilson MZ, Jena SG, Silbert J, Basta LP, Devenport D, Toettcher JE. A Live-Cell Screen for Altered Erk Dynamics Reveals Principles of Proliferative Control. Cell Syst 2020; 10:240-253.e6. [PMID: 32191874 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Complex, time-varying responses have been observed widely in cell signaling, but how specific dynamics are generated or regulated is largely unknown. One major obstacle has been that high-throughput screens are typically incompatible with the live-cell assays used to monitor dynamics. Here, we address this challenge by screening a library of 429 kinase inhibitors and monitoring extracellular-regulated kinase (Erk) activity over 5 h in more than 80,000 single primary mouse keratinocytes. Our screen reveals both known and uncharacterized modulators of Erk dynamics, including inhibitors of non-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that increase Erk pulse frequency and overall activity. Using drug treatment and direct optogenetic control, we demonstrate that drug-induced changes to Erk dynamics alter the conditions under which cells proliferate. Our work opens the door to high-throughput screens using live-cell biosensors and reveals that cell proliferation integrates information from Erk dynamics as well as additional permissive cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Goglia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Maxwell Z Wilson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Siddhartha G Jena
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Jillian Silbert
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Lena P Basta
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Danelle Devenport
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
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71
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Bertolin G, Tramier M. Insights into the non-mitotic functions of Aurora kinase A: more than just cell division. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1031-1047. [PMID: 31562563 PMCID: PMC11104877 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03310-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
AURKA is a serine/threonine kinase overexpressed in several cancers. Originally identified as a protein with multifaceted roles during mitosis, improvements in quantitative microscopy uncovered several non-mitotic roles as well. In physiological conditions, AURKA regulates cilia disassembly, neurite extension, cell motility, DNA replication and senescence programs. In cancer-like contexts, AURKA actively promotes DNA repair, it acts as a transcription factor, promotes cell migration and invasion, and it localises at mitochondria to regulate mitochondrial dynamics and ATP production. Here we review the non-mitotic roles of AURKA, and its partners outside of cell division. In addition, we give an insight into how structural data and quantitative fluorescence microscopy allowed to understand AURKA activation and its interaction with new substrates, highlighting future developments in fluorescence microscopy needed to better understand AURKA functions in vivo. Last, we will recapitulate the most significant AURKA inhibitors currently in clinical trials, and we will explore how the non-mitotic roles of the kinase may provide new insights to ameliorate current pharmacological strategies against AURKA overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Bertolin
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Genetics and Development Institute of Rennes), UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Marc Tramier
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Genetics and Development Institute of Rennes), UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France.
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72
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Kroll JR, Tsiaxiras J, van Zon JS. Variability in β-catenin pulse dynamics in a stochastic cell fate decision in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2020; 461:110-123. [PMID: 32032579 PMCID: PMC7203549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During development, cell fate decisions are often highly stochastic, but with the frequency of the different possible fates tightly controlled. To understand how signaling networks control the cell fate frequency of such random decisions, we studied the stochastic decision of the Caenorhabditis elegans P3.p cell to either fuse to the hypodermis or assume vulva precursor cell fate. Using time-lapse microscopy to measure the single-cell dynamics of two key inhibitors of cell fusion, the Hox gene LIN-39 and Wnt signaling through the β-catenin BAR-1, we uncovered significant variability in the dynamics of LIN-39 and BAR-1 levels. Most strikingly, we observed that BAR-1 accumulated in a single, 1–4 h pulse at the time of the P3.p cell fate decision, with strong variability both in pulse slope and time of pulse onset. We found that the time of BAR-1 pulse onset was delayed relative to the time of cell fusion in mutants with low cell fusion frequency, linking BAR-1 pulse timing to cell fate outcome. Overall, a model emerged where animal-to-animal variability in LIN-39 levels and BAR-1 pulse dynamics biases cell fate by modulating their absolute level at the time cell fusion is induced. Our results highlight that timing of cell signaling dynamics, rather than its average level or amplitude, could play an instructive role in determining cell fate. The fate of the C. elegans P3.p cell is stochastic. β-catenin (BAR-1) accumulated in P3.p at the time of the cell fate decision. There is variability in dynamics of Hox and β-catenin levels during the decision. BAR-1 accumulated with variable pulse slope and time of pulse onset. Pulse dynamics bias cell fate at the time of the cell fate decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Kroll
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasonas Tsiaxiras
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen S van Zon
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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73
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Abstract
Specificity in signal transduction is determined by the ability of cells to "encode" and subsequently "decode" different environmental signals. Akin to computer software, this "signaling code" governs context-dependent execution of cellular programs through modulation of signaling dynamics and can be corrupted by disease-causing mutations. Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is critical for normal growth and development and is dysregulated in human disorders such as benign overgrowth syndromes, cancer, primary immune deficiency, and metabolic syndrome. Despite decades of PI3K research, understanding of context-dependent regulation of the PI3K pathway and of the underlying signaling code remains rudimentary. Here, we review current knowledge on context-specific PI3K signaling and how technological advances now make it possible to move from a qualitative to quantitative understanding of this pathway. Insight into how cellular PI3K signaling is encoded or decoded may open new avenues for rational pharmacological targeting of PI3K-associated diseases. The principles of PI3K context-dependent signal encoding and decoding described here are likely applicable to most, if not all, major cell signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralitsa R Madsen
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK.
| | - Bart Vanhaesebroeck
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK.
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74
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Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Development: Insights from Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:ijms21010188. [PMID: 31888080 PMCID: PMC6982143 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication mediates a plethora of cellular decisions and behaviors that are crucial for the correct and robust development of multicellular organisms. Many of these signals are encoded in secreted hormones or growth factors that bind to and activate cell surface receptors, to transmit the cue intracellularly. One of the major superfamilies of cell surface receptors are the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). For nearly half a century RTKs have been the focus of intensive study due to their ability to alter fundamental aspects of cell biology, such as cell proliferation, growth, and shape, and because of their central importance in diseases such as cancer. Studies in model organisms such a Drosophila melanogaster have proved invaluable for identifying new conserved RTK pathway components, delineating their contributions, and for the discovery of conserved mechanisms that control RTK-signaling events. Here we provide a brief overview of the RTK superfamily and the general mechanisms used in their regulation. We further highlight the functions of several RTKs that govern distinct cell-fate decisions in Drosophila and explore how their activities are developmentally controlled.
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75
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Guo L, Li H, Wang Y, Li Z, Albeck J, Zhao M, Qing Q. Controlling ERK Activation Dynamics in Mammary Epithelial Cells with Alternating Electric Fields through Microelectrodes. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:7526-7533. [PMID: 31487192 PMCID: PMC6786939 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Amplitude, duration, and frequency of activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway code distinct information to instruct cells to migrate, proliferate, or differentiate. Synchronized frequency control of ERK activation would provide a powerful approach to regulate cell behaviors. Here we demonstrated modulation of ERK activities using alternative current (AC) electric fields (EFs) applied through high-k dielectric passivated microelectrodes. Both the amplitude and frequency of ERK activation can be precisely synchronized and modulated. ERK activation in our system is independent of Faradaic currents and electroporation, thus excluding mechanisms of changes in pH, reactive oxygen species, and other electrochemical reaction. Further experiments pinpointed a mechanism of phosphorylation site of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor to activate the EGFR-ERK pathway, and independent of EGF. AC EFs thus provide a powerful platform for practical and precise control of EGFR-ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhuo Li
- Key Laboratory of Radar Imaging and Microwave Photonics, Ministry of Education, College of Electronic and Information Engineering , Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Nanjing 211106 , People's Republic of China
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76
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Sonnen KF, Merten CA. Microfluidics as an Emerging Precision Tool in Developmental Biology. Dev Cell 2019; 48:293-311. [PMID: 30753835 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics has become a precision tool in modern biology. It enables omics data to be obtained from individual cells, as compared to averaged signals from cell populations, and it allows manipulation of biological specimens in entirely new ways. Cells and organisms can be perturbed at extraordinary spatiotemporal resolution, revealing mechanistic insights that would otherwise remain hidden. In this perspective article, we discuss the current and future impact of microfluidic technology in the field of developmental biology. In addition, we provide detailed information on how to start using this technology even without prior experience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph A Merten
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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77
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Abstract
How a small number of signaling pathways can be re-used in distinct embryonic contexts to control different fates remains unclear. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Johnson and Toettcher (2019) use optogenetic approaches to explore how different dynamic ERK signaling states control specific developmental fates in the Drosophila embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Pertz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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78
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Shin S, Choe J, Park Y, Jeong D, Song H, You Y, Seo D, Cho J. Artificial Control of Cell Signaling Using a Photocleavable Cobalt(III)–Nitrosyl Complex. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:10126-10131. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201903106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sangwon Shin
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Jisu Choe
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Youngchan Park
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- Department of ChemistryKAIST Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyun Jeong
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjoon Song
- Department of ChemistryKAIST Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Youngmin You
- Division of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceEwha Womans University Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Daeha Seo
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeheung Cho
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
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79
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Shin S, Choe J, Park Y, Jeong D, Song H, You Y, Seo D, Cho J. Artificial Control of Cell Signaling Using a Photocleavable Cobalt(III)–Nitrosyl Complex. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201903106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sangwon Shin
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Jisu Choe
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Youngchan Park
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- Department of ChemistryKAIST Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyun Jeong
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjoon Song
- Department of ChemistryKAIST Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Youngmin You
- Division of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceEwha Womans University Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Daeha Seo
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeheung Cho
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGIST Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
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80
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Abstract
A handful of core intercellular signaling pathways play pivotal roles in a broad variety of developmental processes. It has remained puzzling how so few pathways can provide the precision and specificity of cell-cell communication required for multicellular development. Solving this requires us to quantitatively understand how developmentally relevant signaling information is actively sensed, transformed and spatially distributed by signaling pathways. Recently, single cell analysis and cell-based reconstitution, among other approaches, have begun to reveal the 'communication codes' through which information is represented in the identities, concentrations, combinations and dynamics of extracellular ligands. They have also revealed how signaling pathways decipher these features and control the spatial distribution of signaling in multicellular contexts. Here, we review recent work reporting the discovery and analysis of communication codes and discuss their implications for diverse developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pulin Li
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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81
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Maxeiner S, Grolleman J, Schmid T, Kammenga J, Hajnal A. The hypoxia-response pathway modulates RAS/MAPK-mediated cell fate decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:e201800255. [PMID: 31126994 PMCID: PMC6536719 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201800255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals need to adjust many cellular functions to oxygen availability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. We have used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to investigate how variations in oxygen concentrations affect cell fate specification during development. Here, we show that several processes controlled by the conserved RTK/RAS/MAPK pathway are sensitive to changes in the atmospheric oxygen concentration. In the vulval precursor cells (VPCs), the hypoxia-inducible factor HIF-1 activates the expression of the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-57 to counteract RAS/MAPK-induced differentiation. Furthermore, cross-talk between the NOTCH and hypoxia-response pathways modulates the capability of the VPCs to respond to RAS/MAPK signaling. Lateral NOTCH signaling positively regulates the prolyl hydroxylase EGL-9, which promotes HIF-1 degradation in uncommitted VPCs and permits RAS/MAPK-induced differentiation. By inducing DELTA family NOTCH ligands, RAS/MAPK signaling creates a positive feedback loop that represses HIF-1 and NHR-57 expression in the proximal VPCs and keeps them capable of differentiating. This regulatory network formed by the NOTCH, hypoxia, and RAS/MAPK pathways may allow the animals to adapt developmental processes to variations in oxygen concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Maxeiner
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- PhD Program in Molecular Life Sciences, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Judith Grolleman
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Schmid
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Kammenga
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Hajnal
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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82
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Kanai AJ, Konieczko EM, Bennett RG, Samuel CS, Royce SG. Relaxin and fibrosis: Emerging targets, challenges, and future directions. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 487:66-74. [PMID: 30772373 PMCID: PMC6475456 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The peptide hormone relaxin is well-known for its anti-fibrotic actions in several organs, particularly from numerous studies conducted in animals. Acting through its cognate G protein-coupled receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1), serelaxin (recombinant human relaxin) has been shown to consistently inhibit the excessive extracellular matrix production (fibrosis) that results from the aberrant wound-healing response to tissue injury and/or chronic inflammation, and at multiple levels. Furthermore, it can reduce established scarring by promoting the degradation of aberrant extracellular matrix components. Following on from the review that describes the mechanisms and signaling pathways associated with the extracellular matrix remodeling effects of serelaxin (Ng et al., 2019), this review focuses on newly identified tissue targets of serelaxin therapy in fibrosis, and the limitations associated with (se)relaxin research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Kanai
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Elisa M Konieczko
- Biology Department, Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, Gannon University, Erie, PA, USA.
| | - Robert G Bennett
- Research Service, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Research Service, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
| | - Chrishan S Samuel
- Cardiovascular Disease Theme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Simon G Royce
- Cardiovascular Disease Theme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Central Clinical School, Monash University, Prahran, VIC, Australia.
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83
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Divergent Dynamics and Functions of ERK MAP Kinase Signaling in Development, Homeostasis and Cancer: Lessons from Fluorescent Bioimaging. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11040513. [PMID: 30974867 PMCID: PMC6520755 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11040513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway regulates a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Since ERK activation promotes proliferation of many types of cells, its deregulated/constitutive activation is among general mechanisms for cancer. Recent advances in bioimaging techniques have enabled to visualize ERK activity in real-time at the single-cell level. Emerging evidence from such approaches suggests unexpectedly complex spatiotemporal dynamics of ERK activity in living cells and animals and their crucial roles in determining cellular responses. In this review, we discuss how ERK activity dynamics are regulated and how they affect biological processes including cell fate decisions, cell migration, embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and tumorigenesis.
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84
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Cell Non-autonomous Function of daf-18/PTEN in the Somatic Gonad Coordinates Somatic Gonad and Germline Development in C. elegans Dauer Larvae. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1064-1072.e8. [PMID: 30827916 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans larvae integrate environmental information and developmental decisions [1-3]. In favorable conditions, worms develop rapidly and continuously through four larval stages into reproductive adulthood. However, if conditions are unfavorable through the second larval stage, worms enter dauer diapause, a state of global and reversible developmental arrest in which precursor cells remain quiescent and preserve developmental potential, anticipating developmental progression if conditions improve. Signaling from neurons, hypodermis, and intestine regulate the appearance and behavior of dauer larvae and many aspects of developmental arrest of the non-gonadal soma [1, 4, 5]. Here, we show that the decision of somatic gonad blast cells (SGBs) and germline stem cells (GSCs) to be quiescent or progress developmentally is regulated differently from the non-gonadal soma: daf-18/PTEN acts non-autonomously within the somatic gonad to maintain developmental quiescence of both SGBs and GSCs. Our analysis suggests that daf-18 acts in somatic gonad cells to produce a "pro-quiescence" signal (or signals) that acts inter se and between the somatic gonad and the germline. The inferred signal does not require DAF-2/insulin receptor or maintain quiescence of the nearby sex myoblasts, and developmental progression in daf-18(0) does not require dafachronic acids. Abrogating quiescence in dauer results in post-dauer sterility. Our results implicate the somatic gonad as an endocrine organ to synchronize somatic gonad and germline development during dauer diapause and recovery, and our finding that PTEN acts non-autonomously to control blast cell quiescence may be relevant to its function as a tumor suppressor in mammals and to combating parasitic nematodes.
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85
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Roux-Osovitz MM, Foltz KR, Oulhen N, Wessel G. Trapping, tagging and tracking: Tools for the study of proteins during early development of the sea urchin. Methods Cell Biol 2019; 151:283-304. [PMID: 30948012 PMCID: PMC7549693 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.11.003] [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: 03/30/2024]
Abstract
The exquisite synchronicity of sea urchin development provides a reliable model for studying maternal proteins in the haploid egg as well as those involved in egg activation, fertilization and early development. Sea urchin eggs are released by the millions, enabling the quantitative evaluation of maternally stored and newly synthesized proteins over a range of time (seconds to hours post fertilization). During this window of development exist many hallmark and unique biochemical interactions that can be investigated for the purpose of characterizing profiles of kinases and other signaling proteins, manipulated using pharmacology to test sufficiency and necessity, for identification of post translational modifications, and for capturing protein-protein interactions. Coupled with the fact that sea urchin eggs and embryos are transparent, this synchronicity also results in large populations of cells that can be evaluated for newly synthesized protein localization and identification through use of the Click-iT technology. We provide basic protocols for these approaches and direct readers to the appropriate literature for variations and examples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathy R Foltz
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Marine Science Institute, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Gary Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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86
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Acosta-Ruiz A, Broichhagen J, Levitz J. Optical Regulation of Class C GPCRs by Photoswitchable Orthogonal Remotely Tethered Ligands. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1947:103-136. [PMID: 30969413 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9121-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to a wide range of extracellular cues to initiate complex downstream signaling cascades that control myriad aspects of cell function. Despite a long-standing appreciation of their importance to both basic physiology and disease treatment, it remains a major challenge to understand the dynamic activation patterns of GPCRs and the mechanisms by which they modulate biological processes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Unfortunately, classical methods of pharmacology and genetic knockout are often unable to provide the requisite precision needed to probe such questions. This is an especially pressing challenge for the class C GPCR family which includes receptors for the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, which signal in a rapid, spatially-delimited manner and contain many different subtypes whose roles are difficult to disentangle. The desire to manipulate class C GPCRs with spatiotemporal precision, genetic targeting, and subtype specificity has led to the development of a variety of photopharmacological tools. Of particular promise are the photoswitchable orthogonal remotely tethered ligands ("PORTLs") which attach to self-labeling tags that are genetically encoded into full length, wild-type metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and allow the receptor to be liganded and un-liganded in response to different wavelengths of illumination. While powerful for studying class C GPCRs, a number of detailed considerations must be made when working with these tools. The protocol included here should provide a basis for the development, characterization, optimization, and application of PORTLs for a wide range of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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87
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Dinsmore CJ, Soriano P. MAPK and PI3K signaling: At the crossroads of neural crest development. Dev Biol 2018; 444 Suppl 1:S79-S97. [PMID: 29453943 PMCID: PMC6092260 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated growth factor signaling is essential for proper formation and development of the neural crest. The many ligands and receptors implicated in these processes signal through relatively few downstream pathways, frequently converging on the MAPK and PI3K pathways. Despite decades of study, there is still considerable uncertainty about where and when these signaling pathways are required and how they elicit particular responses. This review summarizes our current understanding of growth factor-induced MAPK and PI3K signaling in the neural crest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Dinsmore
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Philippe Soriano
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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88
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Mayr V, Sturtzel C, Stadler M, Grissenberger S, Distel M. Fast Dynamic in vivo Monitoring of Erk Activity at Single Cell Resolution in DREKA Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:111. [PMID: 30320107 PMCID: PMC6170801 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise regulation of signaling pathways in single cells underlies tissue development, maintenance and repair in multicellular organisms, but our ability to monitor signaling dynamics in living vertebrates is currently limited. We implemented kinase translocation reporter (KTR) technology to create DREKA ("dynamic reporter of Erk activity") zebrafish, which allow one to observe Erk activity in vivo at single cell level with high temporal resolution. DREKA zebrafish faithfully reported Erk activity after muscle cell wounding and revealed the kinetics of small compound uptake. Our results promise that kinase translocation reporters can be adapted for further applications in developmental biology, disease modeling, and in vivo pharmacology in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Mayr
- Innovative Cancer Models, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Caterina Sturtzel
- Innovative Cancer Models, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Stadler
- Innovative Cancer Models, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Grissenberger
- Innovative Cancer Models, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Distel
- Innovative Cancer Models, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
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89
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Shin H, Kaplan REW, Duong T, Fakieh R, Reiner DJ. Ral Signals through a MAP4 Kinase-p38 MAP Kinase Cascade in C. elegans Cell Fate Patterning. Cell Rep 2018; 24:2669-2681.e5. [PMID: 30184501 PMCID: PMC6484852 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
C. elegans vulval precursor cell (VPC) fates are patterned by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) gradient. High-dose EGF induces 1° VPC fate, and lower dose EGF contributes to 2° fate in support of LIN-12/Notch. We previously showed that the EGF 2°-promoting signal is mediated by LET-60/Ras switching effectors, from the canonical Raf-MEK-ERK mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade that promotes 1° fate to the non-canonical RalGEF-Ral that promotes 2° fate. Of oncogenic Ras effectors, RalGEF-Ral is by far the least well understood. We use genetic analysis to identify an effector cascade downstream of C. elegans RAL-1/Ral, starting with an established Ral binding partner, Exo84 of the exocyst complex. Additionally, RAL-1 signals through GCK-2, a citron-N-terminal-homology-domain-containing MAP4 kinase, and PMK-1/p38 MAP kinase cascade to promote 2° fate. Our study delineates a Ral-dependent developmental signaling cascade in vivo, thus providing the mechanism by which lower EGF dose is transduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Shin
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rebecca E W Kaplan
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Tam Duong
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Razan Fakieh
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David J Reiner
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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90
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Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway leads to activation of the effector molecule ERK, which controls downstream responses by phosphorylating a variety of substrates, including transcription factors. Crucial insights into the regulation and function of this pathway came from studying embryos in which specific phenotypes arise from aberrant ERK activation. Despite decades of research, several important questions remain to be addressed for deeper understanding of this highly conserved signaling system and its function. Answering these questions will require quantifying the first steps of pathway activation, elucidating the mechanisms of transcriptional interpretation and measuring the quantitative limits of ERK signaling within which the system must operate to avoid developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleena L Patel
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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91
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Abstract
A gradient of EGFR-ERK signaling has been classically implicated in various developmental processes. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Ogura et al. (2018) show that in the Drosophila tracheal placode, EGFR-ERK signaling propagates via a cell-by-cell relay mechanism rather than a gradient, and this sequential ERK activation controls proper placode invagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udi Binshtok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David Sprinzak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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92
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Ogura Y, Wen FL, Sami MM, Shibata T, Hayashi S. A Switch-like Activation Relay of EGFR-ERK Signaling Regulates a Wave of Cellular Contractility for Epithelial Invagination. Dev Cell 2018; 46:162-172.e5. [PMID: 29983336 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling underlies its versatile functions in cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cell motility. Classical studies in Drosophila established that a gradient of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-ERK signaling is essential for these cellular responses. However, we challenge this view by the real-time monitoring of ERK activation; we show that a switch-like ERK activation is essential for the invagination movement of the Drosophila tracheal placode. This switch-like ERK activation stems from the positive feedback regulation of the EGFR-ERK signaling and a resultant relay of EGFR-ERK signaling among tracheal cells. A key transcription factor Trachealess (Trh) permissively regulates the iteration of the relay, and the ERK activation becomes graded in trh mutant. A mathematical model based on these observations and a molecular link between ERK activation dynamics and myosin shows that the relay mechanism efficiently promotes epithelial invagination while the gradient mechanism does not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Ogura
- Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Fu-Lai Wen
- Laboratory for Physical Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Mustafa M Sami
- Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Shibata
- Laboratory for Physical Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigeo Hayashi
- Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
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93
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Simon CS, Hadjantonakis AK, Schröter C. Making lineage decisions with biological noise: Lessons from the early mouse embryo. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e319. [PMID: 29709110 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how individual cells make fate decisions that lead to the faithful formation and homeostatic maintenance of tissues is a fundamental goal of contemporary developmental and stem cell biology. Seemingly uniform populations of stem cells and multipotent progenitors display a surprising degree of heterogeneity, primarily originating from the inherent stochastic nature of molecular processes underlying gene expression. Despite this heterogeneity, lineage decisions result in tissues of a defined size and with consistent proportions of differentiated cell types. Using the early mouse embryo as a model we review recent developments that have allowed the quantification of molecular intercellular heterogeneity during cell differentiation. We first discuss the relationship between these heterogeneities and developmental cellular potential. We then review recent theoretical approaches that formalize the mechanisms underlying fate decisions in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst stage embryo. These models build on our extensive knowledge of the genetic control of fate decisions in this system and will become essential tools for a rigorous understanding of the connection between noisy molecular processes and reproducible outcomes at the multicellular level. We conclude by suggesting that cell-to-cell communication provides a mechanism to exploit and buffer intercellular variability in a self-organized process that culminates in the reproducible formation of the mature mammalian blastocyst stage embryo that is ready for implantation into the maternal uterus. This article is categorized under: Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation Establishment of Spatial and Temporal Patterns > Regulation of Size, Proportion, and Timing Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Quantitative Methods and Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Simon
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Christian Schröter
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
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94
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Leopold AV, Chernov KG, Verkhusha VV. Optogenetically controlled protein kinases for regulation of cellular signaling. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:2454-2484. [PMID: 29498733 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00404d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases are involved in the regulation of many cellular processes including cell differentiation, survival, migration, axon guidance and neuronal plasticity. A growing set of optogenetic tools, termed opto-kinases, allows activation and inhibition of different protein kinases with light. The optogenetic regulation enables fast, reversible and non-invasive manipulation of protein kinase activities, complementing traditional methods, such as treatment with growth factors, protein kinase inhibitors or chemical dimerizers. In this review, we summarize the properties of the existing optogenetic tools for controlling tyrosine kinases and serine-threonine kinases. We discuss how the opto-kinases can be applied for studies of spatial and temporal aspects of protein kinase signaling in cells and organisms. We compare approaches for chemical and optogenetic regulation of protein kinase activity and present guidelines for selection of opto-kinases and equipment to control them with light. We also describe strategies to engineer novel opto-kinases on the basis of various photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Leopold
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
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Krysan PJ, Colcombet J. Cellular Complexity in MAPK Signaling in Plants: Questions and Emerging Tools to Answer Them. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1674. [PMID: 30538711 PMCID: PMC6277691 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play an important role in many aspects of plant growth, development, and environmental response. Because of their central role in many important processes, MAPKs have been extensively studied using biochemical and genetic approaches. This work has allowed for the identification of the MAPK genes and proteins involved in a number of different signaling pathways. Less well developed, however, is our understanding of how MAPK cascades and their corresponding signaling pathways are organized at subcellular levels. In this review, we will provide an overview of plant MAPK signaling, including a discussion of what is known about cellular mechanisms for achieving signaling specificity. Then we will explore what is currently known about the subcellular localization of MAPK proteins in resting conditions and after pathway activation. Finally, we will discuss a number of new experimental methods that have not been widely deployed in plants that have the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of MAPK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Krysan
- Horticulture Department, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jean Colcombet
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRA, Université Paris-Sud, Université d’Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRA, Université Paris-Sud, Université d’Evry, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- *Correspondence: Jean Colcombet,
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96
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Integration of EGFR and LIN-12/Notch Signaling by LIN-1/Elk1, the Cdk8 Kinase Module, and SUR-2/Med23 in Vulval Precursor Cell Fate Patterning in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2017; 207:1473-1488. [PMID: 28954762 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Six initially equivalent, multipotential Vulval Precursor Cells (VPCs) in Caenorhabditis elegans adopt distinct cell fates in a precise spatial pattern, with each fate associated with transcription of different target genes. The pattern is centered on a cell that adopts the "1°" fate through Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) activity, and produces a lateral signal composed of ligands that activate LIN-12/Notch in the two flanking VPCs to cause them to adopt "2°" fate. Here, we investigate orthologs of a transcription complex that acts in mammalian EGFR signaling-lin-1/Elk1, sur-2/Med23, and the Cdk8 Kinase module (CKM)-previously implicated in aspects of 1° fate in C. elegans and show they act in different combinations for different processes for 2° fate. When EGFR is inactive, the CKM, but not SUR-2, helps to set a threshold for LIN-12/Notch activity in all VPCs. When EGFR is active, all three factors act to resist LIN-12/Notch, as revealed by the reduced ability of ectopically-activated LIN-12/Notch to activate target gene reporters. We show that overcoming this resistance in the 1° VPC leads to repression of lateral signal gene reporters, suggesting that resistance to LIN-12/Notch helps ensure that P6.p becomes a robust source of the lateral signal. In addition, we show that sur-2/Med23 and lin-1/Elk1, and not the CKM, are required to promote endocytic downregulation of LIN-12-GFP in the 1° VPC. Finally, our analysis using cell fate reporters reveals that both EGFR and LIN-12/Notch signal transduction pathways are active in all VPCs in lin-1/Elk1 mutants, and that lin-1/Elk1 is important for integrating EGFR and lin-12/Notch signaling inputs in the VPCs so that the proper gene complement is transcribed.
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97
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Dessauges C, Pertz O. Developmental ERK Signaling Goes Digital. Dev Cell 2017; 42:443-444. [PMID: 28898676 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reporting in Developmental Cell, de la Cova et al. (2017) present a biosensor to measure ERK activity dynamics in C. elegans larvae. They find that fate decision signaling involves frequency-modulated, digital ERK activity pulses. These findings may explain how graded morphogen signals are converted into precise and robust cell fate patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Dessauges
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Pertz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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