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Genome-wide analysis links emerin to neuromuscular junction activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genome Biol 2014; 15:R21. [PMID: 24490688 PMCID: PMC4053756 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2014-15-2-r21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Laminopathies are diseases characterized by defects in nuclear envelope structure. A well-known example is Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, which is caused by mutations in the human lamin A/C and emerin genes. While most nuclear envelope proteins are ubiquitously expressed, laminopathies often affect only a subset of tissues. The molecular mechanisms underlying these tissue-specific manifestations remain elusive. We hypothesize that different functional subclasses of genes might be differentially affected by defects in specific nuclear envelope components. Results Here we determine genome-wide DNA association profiles of two nuclear envelope components, lamin/LMN-1 and emerin/EMR-1 in adult Caenorhabditis elegans. Although both proteins bind to transcriptionally inactive regions of the genome, EMR-1 is enriched at genes involved in muscle and neuronal function. Deletion of either EMR-1 or LEM-2, another integral envelope protein, causes local changes in nuclear architecture as evidenced by altered association between DNA and LMN-1. Transcriptome analyses reveal that EMR-1 and LEM-2 are associated with gene repression, particularly of genes implicated in muscle and nervous system function. We demonstrate that emr-1, but not lem-2, mutants are sensitive to the cholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, indicating altered activity at neuromuscular junctions. Conclusions We identify a class of elements that bind EMR-1 but do not associate with LMN-1, and these are enriched for muscle and neuronal genes. Our data support a redundant function of EMR-1 and LEM-2 in chromatin anchoring to the nuclear envelope and gene repression. We demonstrate a specific role of EMR-1 in neuromuscular junction activity that may contribute to Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy in humans.
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Grewal N, Gittenberger-de Groot AC, Poelmann RE, Klautz RJM, Lindeman JHN, Goumans MJ, Palmen M, Mohamed SA, Sievers HH, Bogers AJJC, DeRuiter MC. Ascending aorta dilation in association with bicuspid aortic valve: a maturation defect of the aortic wall. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014; 148:1583-90. [PMID: 24560417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2014.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with a bicuspid aortic valve have increased susceptibility to the development of ascending aortic dilation and dissection compared with persons with a tricuspid valve. To unravel a possible different mechanism underlying dilation in bicuspidy and tricuspidy, a comparison of the structure of the aortic wall was made. METHODS Ascending aortic wall biopsies were divided into 4 groups: bicuspid (n=36) and tricuspid (n=23) without and with dilation. The expression of vascular smooth muscle cell maturation markers including lamin A/C, which plays a pivotal role in smooth muscle cell differentiation, and its splicing variant progerin indicative of aging, were studied immunohistochemically. Attention was also paid to the inflammatory status. RESULTS There is a significant difference in the structure and maturation of the aortic wall in bicuspidy, persisting in the dilated aortic wall, presenting with a thinner intima, lower expression of α smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle 22α, calponin, and almost absent expression of smoothelin. We show for the first time significantly lowered lamin A/C expression in bicuspidy. Progerin was found to be significantly increased in the media of the dilated wall in tricuspidy, also showing increased periaortic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS The structure of the nondilated and dilated aortic wall in bicuspidy and tricuspidy are intrinsically different, with the latter having more aspects of aging. In bicuspidy there is a defective smooth muscle cell differentiation possibly linked to lowered lamin A/C expression. Based on this vessel wall immaturity and increased susceptibility to dilation, different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrat Grewal
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Adriana C Gittenberger-de Groot
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robert E Poelmann
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robert J M Klautz
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes H N Lindeman
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-José Goumans
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Meindert Palmen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Salah A Mohamed
- Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Hans-Hinrich Sievers
- Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ad J J C Bogers
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Heart Valve Bank, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco C DeRuiter
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Kaminski A, Fedorchak GR, Lammerding J. The cellular mastermind(?)-mechanotransduction and the nucleus. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 126:157-203. [PMID: 25081618 PMCID: PMC4591053 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394624-9.00007-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cells respond to mechanical stimulation by activation of specific signaling pathways and genes that allow the cell to adapt to its dynamic physical environment. How cells sense the various mechanical inputs and translate them into biochemical signals remains an area of active investigation. Recent reports suggest that the cell nucleus may be directly implicated in this cellular mechanotransduction process. Taken together, these findings paint a picture of the nucleus as a central hub in cellular mechanotransduction-both structurally and biochemically-with important implications in physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Kaminski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Gregory R Fedorchak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Department of Biomedical Engineering & Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Gesson K, Vidak S, Foisner R. Lamina-associated polypeptide (LAP)2α and nucleoplasmic lamins in adult stem cell regulation and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2013; 29:116-24. [PMID: 24374133 PMCID: PMC4053830 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A-type lamins are components of the lamina network at the nuclear envelope, which mediates nuclear stiffness and anchors chromatin to the nuclear periphery. However, A-type lamins are also found in the nuclear interior. Here we review the roles of the chromatin-associated, nucleoplasmic LEM protein, lamina-associated polypeptide 2α (LAP2α) in the regulation of A-type lamins in the nuclear interior. The lamin A/C-LAP2α complex may be involved in the regulation of the retinoblastoma protein-mediated pathway and other signaling pathways balancing proliferation and differentiation, and in the stabilization of higher-order chromatin organization throughout the nucleus. Loss of LAP2α in mice leads to selective depletion of the nucleoplasmic A-type lamin pool, promotes the proliferative stem cell phenotype of tissue progenitor cells, and delays stem cell differentiation. These findings support the hypothesis that LAP2α and nucleoplasmic lamins are regulators of adult stem cell function and tissue homeostasis. Finally, we discuss potential implications of this concept for defining the molecular disease mechanisms of lamin-linked diseases such as muscular dystrophy and premature aging syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Gesson
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Vidak
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roland Foisner
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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Onodera O, Ishihara T, Shiga A, Ariizumi Y, Yokoseki A, Nishizawa M. Minor splicing pathway is not minor any more: implications for the pathogenesis of motor neuron diseases. Neuropathology 2013; 34:99-107. [PMID: 24112438 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
To explore the molecular pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the nuclear function of TAR-DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) must be elucidated. TDP-43 is a nuclear protein that colocalizes with Cajal body or Gem in cultured cells. Several recent studies have reported that the decreasing number of Gems accompanied the depletion of the causative genes for ALS, TDP-43 and FUS. Gems play an important role in the pathogenesis of spinal muscular atrophy. Gems are the sites of the maturation of spliceosomes, which are composed of uridylate-rich (U) snRNAs (small nuclear RNAs) and protein complex, small nuclear ribonuclearprotein (snRNP). Spliceosomes regulate the splicing of pre-mRNA and are classified into the major or minor classes, according to the consensus sequence of acceptor and donor sites of pre-mRNA splicing. Although the major class of spliceosomes regulates most pre-mRNA splicing, minor spliceosomes also play an important role in regulating the splicing or global speed of pre-mRNA processing. A mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy, in which the number of Gems is decreased, shows fewer subsets U snRNAs. Interestingly, in the central nervous system, U snRNAs belonging to the minor spliceosomes are markedly reduced. In ALS, the U12 snRNA is decreased only in the tissue affected by ALS and not in other tissues. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the decreased U12 snRNA resulting in cell dysfunction and cell death in motor neuron diseases remain unclear, these findings suggest that the disturbance of nuclear bodies and minor splicing may underlie the common molecular pathogenesis of motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Onodera
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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Kim Y, Zheng X, Zheng Y. Proliferation and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells lacking all lamins. Cell Res 2013; 23:1420-3. [PMID: 23979018 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2013.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Youngjo Kim
- Carnegie Institution for Science, 3520 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
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Politano L, Carboni N, Madej-Pilarczyk A, Marchel M, Nigro G, Fidziaóska A, Opolski G, Hausmanowa-Petrusewicz I. Advances in basic and clinical research in laminopathies. ACTA MYOLOGICA : MYOPATHIES AND CARDIOMYOPATHIES : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SOCIETY OF MYOLOGY 2013; 32:18-22. [PMID: 23853505 PMCID: PMC3665372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Lamins (LMNA) are the main proteins of the nuclear lamina considered to be the ancestors of all intermediate filament proteins. They form complex protein assemblies with integral proteins of the inner nuclear membrane, transcriptional regulators, histones and chromatin modifiers. During recent years, interest in lamins has greatly increased due to the identification of many distinct heritable human disorders associated with lamin mutations. These disorders, collectively termed laminopathies, range from muscular dystrophies to premature aging. They may affect muscle, fat, bone, nerve and skin tissues. The workshop was addressed to understand lamin organization and its roles in nuclear processes, mutations in lamins affecting cell and tissues functions, the biology of the nucleus and laminopathic disease mechanisms, all aspects important for designing future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Politano
- Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy;,Address for correspondence: Luisa Politano, Cardiomiologia e Genetica Medica, I Policlinico, piazza Miraglia, 80138 Napoli, Italy. E-mail:
| | - Nicola Carboni
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Cagliari University, Italy
| | | | - Michael Marchel
- Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gerardo Nigro
- Arrhythmologic Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Fidziaóska
- Neurorepair Department, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Opolski
- Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Ciska M, Moreno Díaz de la Espina S. NMCP/LINC proteins: putative lamin analogs in plants? PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2013; 8:e26669. [PMID: 24128696 PMCID: PMC4091594 DOI: 10.4161/psb.26669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Lamins are the main components of the metazoan lamina, and while the organization of the nuclear lamina of metazoans and plants is similar, there are apparently no genes encoding lamins or most lamin-binding proteins in plants. Thus, the plant lamina is not lamin-based and the proteins that form this structure are still to be characterized. Members of the plant NMCP/LINC/CRWN protein family share the typical tripartite structure of lamins, although the 2 exhibit no sequence similarity. However, given the many similarities between NMCP/LINC/CRWN proteins and lamins (structural organization, position of conserved regions, sub-nuclear distribution, solubility, and pattern of expression), these proteins are good candidates to carry out the functions of lamins in plants. Moreover, functional analysis of NMCP/LINC mutants has revealed their involvement in maintaining nuclear size and shape, another activity fulfilled by lamins. This review summarizes the current understanding of NMCP/LINC proteins and discusses future studies that will be required to demonstrate definitively that these proteins are plant analogs of lamins.
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