The developmental biology of Dishevelled: an enigmatic protein governing cell fate and cell polarity

The crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway with DNA damage response and oxidative stress: Implications in cancer therapy

DNA repair is essential for maintaining genomic integrity in cells. The dependence of cancer cell survival on proper DNA repair provides an opportunity to treat defective tumors by DNA damaging agents. Not only Wnt signaling has important functions in controlling gene expression, as well as cell polarity, adhesion and behavior, it also highly interacts with DNA damage response (DDR) in different levels. Furthermore, oxidative stress, which is responsible for majority of DNA lesions, affects Wnt signaling in different ways. A better understanding of the cross-talk between these pathways and events could provide strategies for treatment of cancer cells with deficient DNA repair capacity. As such, we will give a brief overview of the importance of the DNA repair machinery, signaling mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and DDR. We will further review the interactions between Wnt signaling and DDR, and the impact of oxidative stress on Wnt signaling. Finally, Wnt signaling is discussed as a potential treatment strategy for cancer.

APC/CFzr/Cdh1-Dependent Regulation of Planar Cell Polarity Establishment via Nek2 Kinase Acting on Dishevelled

The Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, well known for its role in cell-cycle progression. However, it has been linked to additional functions, mainly in neuronal contexts, when using the co-activator Cdh1/Fzr. Here, our data indicate a post-mitotic requirement for the APC/C^Fzr/Cdh1 in epithelial cell patterning and planar cell polarity (PCP) in Drosophila. PCP signaling is critical for development by establishing cellular asymmetries and orientation within the plane of an epithelium, via differential localization of distinct complexes of core PCP factors. Loss of APC/C function leads to reduced levels of Dishevelled (Dsh), a core PCP factor. The effect of APC/C on Dsh is mediated by Nek2 kinase, which can phosphorylate Dsh and is a direct APC/C^Fzr/Cdh1 substrate. We have thus uncovered a pathway of regulation whereby APC/C^Fzr/Cdh1 negatively regulates Nek2, which negatively regulates Dsh, to ensure its proper stoichiometric requirement and localization during PCP establishment.

Crystal structure of the PDZ domain of mouse Dishevelled 1 and its interaction with CXXC5

Dishevelled (Dvl) plays a crucial role in Wnt signaling by interacting with membrane-bound receptors and downstream molecules through its PDZ domain. CXXC5 is one of the key molecules that interacts with Dvl and negatively regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in osteoblast differentiation. Recently, the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction has been identified as an excellent target for osteoporosis treatment. Therefore, it is desirable to have detailed structural information for the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction. Although solution structures of the Dvl1 PDZ domain have been reported, a high-resolution crystal structure would provide detailed sidechain information that is essential for drug development. Here, we determined the first crystal structure of the Dvl-1 PDZ domain at a resolution of 1.76 Å, and compared it with its previously reported solution structure. The Dvl1 PDZ domain crystal belonged to the space group H32 with unit-cell parameters a = b = 72.837, c = 120.616, α = β = 90.00, γ = 120.00. The crystal structure of Dvl1 PDZ shared its topology with the previously reported structure determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); however, the crystal structure was quite different from the solution structure in both the secondary structural region and the ligand-binding pocket. Molecular modeling based on NMR and X-ray crystallographic data yielded detailed information about the Dvl1/CXXC5 interaction, which will be useful for designing inhibitors.

MARK2/Par1b Insufficiency Attenuates DVL Gene Transcription via Histone Deacetylation in Lumbosacral Spina Bifida

Dishevelled (DVL/Dvl) genes play roles in canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling, both of which are essential in neural tube closing and are involved in balancing neural progenitor growth and differentiation, or neuroepithelial cell polarity, respectively. In mouse Dvl haploinsufficiency leads to neural tube defects (NTDs), which represent the second most common birth defects. However, DVL genes' genetic contributions in human NTDs are modest. We sought to explore the molecular impact on such genes in human NTDs in a Han Chinese cohort. In 47 cases with NTDs and 61 matched controls, in brain tissues, the DVL1/2 mRNA levels were correlated with the levels of a serine/threonine protein kinase MARK2, and in 20 cases with lumbosacral spina bifida, the mRNA levels of DVL1 and MARK2 were significantly decreased; by contrast, only an intronic rare variant was found. Moreover, in an extended population, we found merely three novel rare missense variants in 1 % of individuals with NTDs. In cell-based assays, Mark2 depletion indeed reduces Dvl gene expression and interrupts neural stem cell (NSCs) growth and differentiation, which are likely to be mediated through a decrease in class IIa HDAC phosphorylation and reduced H3K4ac and H3K27ac occupancies at the Dvl1/2 promoters. Finally, the detections of folate concentration in human brain tissue and NSCs and MEF cells indicates that folate deficiency contributes to the observed decreases in Mark2 and Dvl1 expression. Our present study raises a potential common pathogenicity mechanism in human lumbosacral spina bifida about DVL genes rather than their genetic pathogenic role.

TRPM channels and magnesium in early embryonic development

Magnesium (Mg(2+)) is the second most abundant cellular cation and is essential for all stages of life, from the early embryo to adult. Mg(2+) deficiency causes or contributes to many human diseases, including migraine headaches, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hypotension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiac arrhythmias. Although the concentration of Mg(2+) in the extracellular environment can vary significantly, the total intracellular Mg(2+) concentration is actively maintained within a relatively narrow range (14 - 20 mM) via tight, yet poorly understood, regulation of intracellular Mg(2+)by Mg(2+) transporters and Mg(2+)-permeant ion channels. Recent studies have continued to add to the growing number of Mg(2+) transporters and ion channels involved in Mg(2+) homeostasis, including TRPM6 and TRPM7, members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel family. Mutations in TRPM6, including amino acid substitutions that prevent its heterooligomerization with TRPM7, occur in the rare autosomal-recessive disease hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia (HSH). Genetic ablation of either gene in mice results in early embryonic lethality, raising the question of whether these channels' capacity to mediate Mg(2+) influx plays an important role in embryonic development. Here we review what is known of the function of Mg(2+) in early development and summarize recent findings regarding the function of the TRPM6 and TRPM7 ion channels during embryogenesis.

Role of Wnt and Notch signaling in regulating hair cell regeneration in the cochlea

Sensory hair cells in the inner ear are responsible for sound recognition. Damage to hair cells in adult mammals causes permanent hearing impairment because these cells cannot regenerate. By contrast, newborn mammals possess limited regenerative capacity because of the active participation of various signaling pathways, including Wnt and Notch signaling. The Wnt and Notch pathways are highly sophisticated and conserved signaling pathways that control multiple cellular events necessary for the formation of sensory hair cells. Both signaling pathways allow resident supporting cells to regenerate hair cells in the neonatal cochlea. In this regard, Wnt and Notch signaling has gained increased research attention in hair cell regeneration. This review presents the current understanding of the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways in the auditory portion of the inner ear and discusses the possibilities of controlling these pathways with the hair cell fate determiner Atoh1 to regulate hair cell regeneration in the mammalian cochlea.

Physical association between a novel plasma-membrane structure and centrosome orients cell division

In the last mitotic division of the epidermal lineage in the ascidian embryo, the cells divide stereotypically along the anterior-posterior axis. During interphase, we found that a unique membrane structure invaginates from the posterior to the centre of the cell, in a microtubule-dependent manner. The invagination projects toward centrioles on the apical side of the nucleus and associates with one of them. Further, a cilium forms on the posterior side of the cell and its basal body remains associated with the invagination. A laser ablation experiment suggests that the invagination is under tensile force and promotes the posterior positioning of the centrosome. Finally, we showed that the orientation of the invaginations is coupled with the polarized dynamics of centrosome movements and the orientation of cell division. Based on these findings, we propose a model whereby this novel membrane structure orchestrates centrosome positioning and thus the orientation of cell division axis.

Formation of a "Pre-mouth Array" from the Extreme Anterior Domain Is Directed by Neural Crest and Wnt/PCP Signaling

The mouth arises from the extreme anterior domain (EAD), a region where the ectoderm and endoderm are directly juxtaposed. Here, we identify a "pre-mouth array" in Xenopus that forms soon after the cranial neural crest has migrated to lie on either side of the EAD. Initially, EAD ectoderm comprises a wide and short epithelial mass that becomes narrow and tall with cells and nuclei changing shape, a characteristic of convergent extension. The resulting two rows of cells-the pre-mouth array-later split down the midline to surround the mouth opening. Neural crest is essential for convergent extension and likely signals to the EAD through the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Fzl7 receptor is locally required in EAD ectoderm, while Wnt11 ligand is required more globally. Indeed, heterologous cells expressing Wnt11 can elicit EAD convergent extension. The study reveals a precise cellular mechanism that positions and contributes to the future mouth.

Frizzled-Induced Van Gogh Phosphorylation by CK1ε Promotes Asymmetric Localization of Core PCP Factors in Drosophila

Epithelial tissues are polarized along two axes. In addition to apical-basal polarity, they are often polarized within the plane of the epithelium, so-called Planar Cell Polarity (PCP). PCP depends upon Wnt/Frizzled (Fz) signaling factors, including Fz itself and Van Gogh (Vang/Vangl). We sought to understand how Vang interaction with other core PCP factors affects Vang function. We find that Fz induces Vang phosphorylation in a cell-autonomous manner. Vang phosphorylation occurs on conserved N-terminal serine/threonine residues, is mediated by CK1ε/Dco, and is critical for polarized membrane localization of Vang and other PCP proteins. This regulatory mechanism does not require Fz signaling through Dishevelled and thus represents a cell-autonomous upstream interaction between Fz and Vang. Furthermore, this signaling event appears to be related to Wnt5a-mediated Vangl2 phosphorylation during mouse limb patterning and may thus be a general mechanism underlying Wnt-regulated PCP establishment.

Icariin promotes cell proliferation and regulates gene expression in human neural stem cells in vitro

Icariin (ICA), which is an essential bioactive component extracted from the herb Epimedium, possesses neuroprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the regulatory roles of ICA in cell proliferation and gene expression in human neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. Single cells were isolated from the corpus striatum of 16‑20‑week human fetuses obtained following spontaneous abortion. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 complete medium and were characterized by immunostaining and cell differentiation assay. NSCs were treated with ICA, and cell proliferation was assessed using the Cell Counting kit‑8 cell proliferation assay kit. In addition, neurosphere formation was comparatively studied between the ICA‑treated and control cells. cDNA microarray analysis was performed to examine the effects of ICA on gene expression. Altered expression of genes important for regulating NSC proliferation was further analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results demonstrated that typical neurospheres appeared after 7‑10 days of culturing of individual cells isolated from the corpus striatum. These cells expressed nestin, an important NSC marker, and in the presence of differentiation medium they expressed β‑III‑tubulin, a specific neuronal marker, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, an astrocyte marker. Treatment with ICA enhanced NSC proliferation and the formation of neurospheres. Microarray data and pathway analysis revealed that the genes regulated by ICA were involved in several signaling pathways, including the Wnt and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) pathways, which are important for the regulation of NSC function. Upregulation of frizzled class receptor 7 and dishevelled segment polarity protein 3, which are key players in the Wnt pathway, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, which is the receptor for bFGF, and downregulation of glycogen synthase kinase‑3β, which is a Wnt pathway inhibitor, was further validated by qPCR. In conclusion, ICA promoted proliferation and regulated gene expression in human NSCs, thus suggesting that ICA may exert its neuroprotective effects by regulating NSC activity.

MicroRNA-24 Attenuates Neointimal Hyperplasia in the Diabetic Rat Carotid Artery Injury Model by Inhibiting Wnt4 Signaling Pathway

The long-term stimulation of hyperglycemia greatly increases the incidence of vascular restenosis (RS) after angioplasty. Neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury is the pathological cause of RS, but its mechanism has not been elucidated. MicroRNA-24 (miR-24) has low expression in the injured carotid arteries of diabetic rats. However, the role of miR-24 in the vascular system is unknown. In this study, we explore whether over-expression of miR-24 could attenuate neointimal formation in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Adenovirus (Ad-miR-24-GFP) was used to deliver the miR-24 gene to injured carotid arteries in diabetic rats. The level of neointimal hyperplasia was examined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation in the neointima was evaluated by immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The mRNA levels of miR-24, PCNA, wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 4 (Wnt4), disheveled-1 (Dvl-1), β-catenin and cell cycle-associated molecules (Cyclin D1, p21) were determined by Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). PCNA, Wnt4, Dvl-1, β-catenin, Cyclin D1 and p21 protein levels were measured by Western blotting analysis. STZ administration decreased plasma insulin and increased fasting blood glucose in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The expression of miR-24 was decreased in the carotid artery after a balloon injury in diabetic rats, and adenoviral transfection (Ad-miR-24-GFP) increased the expression of miR-24. Over-expression of miR-24 suppressed VSMC proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia in diabetic rats at 14 days. Furthermore, compared with Sham group, the mRNA and protein levels of PCNA, Wnt4, Dvl-1, β-catenin, and Cyclin D1 were strikingly up-regulated in the carotid arteries of diabetic rats after a balloon injury. Interestingly, up-regulation of miR-24 significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of these above molecules. In contrast, the change trend in p21 mRNA and protein levels was opposite after a balloon injury. However, over-expression of miR-24 after gene delivery increased the mRNA and protein levels of p21. We conclude that over-expression of miR-24 could attenuate VSMC proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injuries in diabetic rats. This result is possibly related to the regulation of the expression of Cyclin D1 and p21 through the Wnt4/Dvl-1/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Wnt Signaling in Cardiac Disease

Wnt signaling encompasses multiple and complex signaling cascades and is involved in many developmental processes such as tissue patterning, cell fate specification, and control of cell division. Consequently, accurate regulation of signaling activities is essential for proper embryonic development. Wnt signaling is mostly silent in the healthy adult organs but a reactivation of Wnt signaling is generally observed under pathological conditions. This has generated increasing interest in this pathway from a therapeutic point of view. In this review article, the involvement of Wnt signaling in cardiovascular development will be outlined, followed by its implication in myocardial infarct healing, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, arrhythmias, and atherosclerosis. The initial experiments not always offer consensus on the effects of activation or inactivation of the pathway, which may be attributed to (i) the type of cardiac disease, (ii) timing of the intervention, and (iii) type of cells that are targeted. Therefore, more research is needed to determine the exact implication of Wnt signaling in the conditions mentioned above to exploit it as a powerful therapeutic target.

Dkk3 prevents familial dilated cardiomyopathy development through Wnt pathway

To date, the role of Dickkopf 3 (Dkk3) on the pathogenesis of familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDCM), and whether and how Dkk3 interferes with Wnt signaling in heart tissues remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that strong Dkk3 expression was markedly downregulated in adult hearts from WT mice, and Dkk3 expression was upregulated suddenly in hearts from DCM mouse models. Using Dkk3 transgenic and knockout mice, as well as cTnT(R141W) transgenic mice, which manifests progressive chamber dilation and contractile dysfunction and has pathologic phenotypes similar to human DCM patients, we determined that transgenic expression of Dkk3 increased survival rate, improved cardiac morphology breakage and dysfunction, and ameliorated cardiac pathological changes in the cTnT(R141W) mice. In contrast, Dkk3 knockout reduced the survival rate and aggravated the pathological phenotypes of the cTnT(R141W) mice. The protective effects of Dkk3 appeared clearly at 3 months of age, peaked at 6 months of age, and decreased at 10 months of age in the cTnT(R141W) mice. Furthermore, we determined that Dkk3 upregulated Dvl1 (Dishevelled 1) and key proteins of the canonical Wnt pathway (cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin, c-Myc, and Axin2) and downregulated key proteins of the noncanonical Wnt pathway (c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKII), and histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4)). In contrast, Dkk3 knockout reversed these changes in the cTnT(R141W) mice. In summary, Dkk3 could prevent FDCM development in mice, especially in the compensatory stage, and probably through activation of the canonical and inhibition of the noncanonical Wnt pathway, which suggested that Dkk3 could serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

PLD1 regulates Xenopus convergent extension movements by mediating Frizzled7 endocytosis for Wnt/PCP signal activation

Phospholipase D (PLD) is involved in the regulation of receptor-associated signaling, cell movement, cell adhesion and endocytosis. However, its physiological role in vertebrate development remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that PLD1 is required for the convergent extension (CE) movements during Xenopus gastrulation by activating Wnt/PCP signaling. Xenopus PLD1 protein is specifically enriched in the dorsal region of Xenopus gastrula embryo and loss or gain-of-function of PLD1 induce defects in gastrulation and CE movements. These defective phenotypes are due to impaired regulation of Wnt/PCP signaling pathway. Biochemical and imaging analysis using Xenopus tissues reveal that PLD1 is required for Fz7 receptor endocytosis upon Wnt11 stimulation. Moreover, we show that Fz7 endocytosis depends on dynamin and regulation of GAP activity of dynamin by PLD1 via its PX domain is crucial for this process. Taken together, our results suggest that PLD1 acts as a new positive mediator of Wnt/PCP signaling by promoting Wnt11-induced Fz7 endocytosis for precise regulation of Xenopus CE movements.

The Dishevelled Protein Family: Still Rather a Mystery After Over 20 Years of Molecular Studies

Dishevelled (Dsh) is a key component of Wnt-signaling pathways and possibly also has other functional requirements. Dsh appears to be a key factor to interpret Wnt signals coming via the Wnt-receptor family, the Frizzled proteins, from the plasma membrane and route them into the correct intracellular pathways. However, how Dsh is regulated to relay signal flow to specific and distinct cellular responses upon interaction with the same Wnt-receptor family remains very poorly understood.

Phylogenetic and Evolutionary Analyses of the Frizzled Gene Family in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Provide Insights into Gene Expansion from Whole-Genome Duplications

In humans, the frizzled (FZD) gene family encodes 10 homologous proteins that commonly localize to the plasma membrane. Besides being associated with three main signaling pathways for cell development, most FZDs have different physiological effects and are major determinants in the development process of vertebrates and. Here, we identified and annotated the FZD genes in the whole-genome of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), a teleost fish, and determined their phylogenetic relationships to FZDs in other vertebrates. Our analyses revealed extensive gene duplications in the common carp that have led to the 26 FZD genes that we detected in the common carp genome. All 26 FZD genes were assigned orthology to the 10 FZD genes of on-land vertebrates, with none of genes being specific to the fish lineage. We postulated that the expansion of the FZD gene family in common carp was the result of an additional whole genome duplication event and that the FZD gene family in other teleosts has been lost in their evolution history with the reason that the functions of genes are redundant and conservation. Through the expression profiling of FZD genes in common carp, we speculate that the ancestral gene was likely capable of performing all functions and was expressed broadly, while some descendant duplicate genes only performed partial functions and were specifically expressed at certain stages of development.

WNT5a is required for normal ovarian follicle development and antagonizes gonadotropin responsiveness in granulosa cells by suppressing canonical WNT signaling

Whereas the roles of the canonical wingless-type MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus) integration site family (WNT) signaling pathway in the regulation of ovarian follicle growth and steroidogenesis are now established, noncanonical WNT signaling in the ovary has been largely overlooked. Noncanonical WNTs, including WNT5a and WNT11, are expressed in granulosa cells (GCs) and are differentially regulated throughout follicle development, but their physiologic roles remain unknown. Using conditional gene targeting, we found that GC-specific inactivation ofWnt5a(but notWnt11) results in the female subfertility associated with increased follicular atresia and decreased rates of ovulation. Microarray analyses have revealed that WNT5a acts to down-regulate the expression of FSH-responsive genesin vitro, and corresponding increases in the expression of these genes have been found in the GCs of conditional knockout mice. Unexpectedly, we found that WNT5a regulates its target genes not by signalingviathe WNT/Ca(2+)or planar cell polarity pathways, but rather by inhibiting the canonical pathway, causing both β-catenin (CTNNB1) and cAMP responsive element binding (CREB) protein levels to decreaseviaa glycogen synthase kinase-3β-dependent mechanism. We further found that WNT5a prevents follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing protein from up-regulating the CTNNB1 and CREB proteins and their target genes, indicating that WNT5a functions as a physiologic inhibitor of gonadotropin signaling. Together, these findings identify WNT5a as a key regulator of follicle development and gonadotropin responsiveness.-Abedini, A., Zamberlam, G., Lapointe, E., Tourigny, C., Boyer, A., Paquet, M., Hayashi, K., Honda, H., Kikuchi, A., Price, C., Boerboom, D. WNT5a is required for normal ovarian follicle development and antagonizes gonadotropin responsiveness in granulosa cells by suppressing canonical WNT signaling.

Assembly and positioning of actomyosin rings by contractility and planar cell polarity

The actomyosin cytoskeleton is a primary force-generating mechanism in morphogenesis, thus a robust spatial control of cytoskeletal positioning is essential. In this report, we demonstrate that actomyosin contractility and planar cell polarity (PCP) interact in post-mitotic Ciona notochord cells to self-assemble and reposition actomyosin rings, which play an essential role for cell elongation. Intriguingly, rings always form at the cells' anterior edge before migrating towards the center as contractility increases, reflecting a novel dynamical property of the cortex. Our drug and genetic manipulations uncover a tug-of-war between contractility, which localizes cortical flows toward the equator and PCP, which tries to reposition them. We develop a simple model of the physical forces underlying this tug-of-war, which quantitatively reproduces our results. We thus propose a quantitative framework for dissecting the relative contribution of contractility and PCP to the self-assembly and repositioning of cytoskeletal structures, which should be applicable to other morphogenetic events.

Conformational change of Dishevelled plays a key regulatory role in the Wnt signaling pathways

The intracellular signaling molecule Dishevelled (Dvl) mediates canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling via its PDZ domain. Different pathways diverge at this point by a mechanism that remains unclear. Here we show that the peptide-binding pocket of the Dvl PDZ domain can be occupied by Dvl's own highly conserved C-terminus, inducing a closed conformation. In Xenopus, Wnt-regulated convergent extension (CE) is readily affected by Dvl mutants unable to form the closed conformation than by wild-type Dvl. We also demonstrate that while Dvl cooperates with other Wnt pathway elements to activate canonical Wnt signaling, the open conformation of Dvl more effectively activates Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These results suggest that together with other players in the Wnt signaling pathway, the conformational change of Dvl regulates Wnt stimulated JNK activity in the non-canonical Wnt signaling.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08142.001

The development of an animal embryo depends on a number of signaling pathways that pass information from the outside of the cell to the inside. These pathways include Wnt signaling, which also regulates cell growth. The pathways must be precisely controlled; abnormal Wnt activity has been implicated in several human diseases, ranging from heart disease to cancer.

Wnt signaling is complex, and actually comprises two major pathways: the canonical pathway (which depends on a protein called β-catenin) and the PCP pathway (which doesn't depend on β-catenin). Both pathways are triggered when Wnt molecules bind to receptors on the outside of the cell. These receptors pass the signal into the cell and to a protein called ‘Dishevelled’ (or ‘Dvl’ for short). This protein then passes the signal on through either the canonical or PCP pathway. Nevertheless it is not clear how the Dishevelled protein can direct the signal specifically down either one of these pathways.

Lee et al. now show that the Dishevelled protein can take on at least two different shapes. When it is ‘closed’, one end of the protein is tucked inside a pocket elsewhere on the protein's surface. But when Dishevelled is ‘open’, this end of the protein moves out of this pocket. Further experiments using frogs (called Xenopus, which are commonly used in research) reveal that mutant versions of Dishevelled that were unable to take on the closed form strongly affected an aspect of the frog's development that involves the PCP pathway.

Lee et al. then demonstrate that while Dishevelled cooperates with several other Wnt pathway components to activate the canonical pathway, the open form of Dishevelled activates the PCP pathway. The next challenge following on from this work is to find out how Wnt molecules binding to the receptor trigger the shape change in Dishevelled.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08142.002

Xenopus Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 Are Two New Tyrosine Kinases Involved in the Regulation of JNK Dependent Wnt/PCP Signaling Pathway

Protein Kinase Domain Containing, Cytoplasmic (PKDCC) is a protein kinase which has been implicated in longitudinal bone growth through regulation of chondrocytes formation. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. Here, we identified two new members of the PKDCC family, Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 from Xenopus laevis. Interestingly, our knockdown experiments revealed that these two proteins are both involved on blastopore and neural tube closure during gastrula and neurula stages, respectively. In vertebrates, tissue polarity and cell movement observed during gastrulation and neural tube closure are controlled by Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) molecular pathway. Our results showed that Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 promote the recruitment of Dvl to the plasma membrane. But surprisingly, they revealed different roles in the induction of a luciferase reporter under the control of Atf2 promoter. While Pkdcc1 induces Atf2 expression, Pkdcc2 does not, and furthermore inhibits its normal induction by Wnt11 and Wnt5a. Altogether our data show, for the first time, that members of the PKDCC family are involved in the regulation of JNK dependent Wnt/PCP signaling pathway.

HC-HA/PTX3 Purified From Amniotic Membrane Promotes BMP Signaling in Limbal Niche Cells to Maintain Quiescence of Limbal Epithelial Progenitor/Stem Cells

To explore how limbal niche cells (LNCs) may control quiescence, self-renewal, and corneal epithelial lineage commitment/differentiation of limbal epithelial progenitor/stem cells (LEPCs), we have established an in vitro sphere assay by reunion between the two cell types in three-dimensional Matrigel. The resultant sphere exhibits inhibition of corneal epithelial lineage commitment/differentiation and marked clonal growth of LEPCs, of which the latter is correlated with activation of canonical Wnt signaling. Herein, we have created a similar reunion assay in immobilized heavy chain-hyaluronic acid/pentraxin 3 (HC-HA/PTX3), which is purified from amniotic membrane (AM) and consists of a complex formed by hyaluronic covalently linked to heavy chain 1 of inter-α-inhibitor and noncovalently linked to pentraxin 3. The resultant spheres exhibited similar suppression of corneal epithelial lineage commitment/differentiation but upregulation of quiescence markers including nuclear translocation of Bmi-1, and negligible clonal growth of LEPCs. This outcome was correlated with the suppression of canonical Wnt but activation of noncanonical (Planar cell polarity) Wnt signaling as well as BMP signaling in both LEPCs and LNCs. The activation of BMP signaling in LNCs was pivotal because nuclear translocation of pSmad1/5/8 was prohibited in hLEPCs when reunioned with mLNCs of conditionally deleted Bmpr1a;Acvr1(DCKO) mice. Furthermore, ablation of BMP signaling in LEPCs led to upregulation of cell cycle genes, downregulation of Bmi-1, nuclear exclusion of phosphorylated Bmi-1, and marked promotion of the clonal growth of LEPCs. Hence, HC-HA/PTX3 uniquely upregulates BMP signaling in LNCs which leads to BMP signaling in LEPCs to achieve quiescence, helping explain how AM transplantation is clinically useful to be used as a matrix for ex vivo expansion of LEPCs and to treat corneal blindness caused by limbal stem cells deficiency.

FOXKs promote Wnt/β-catenin signaling by translocating DVL into the nucleus

Dishevelled (DVL) proteins serve as crucial regulators that transduce canonical Wnt signals to the GSK3β-destruction complex, resulting in the stabilization of β-catenin. Emerging evidence underscores the nuclear functions of DVLs, which are critical for Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, the mechanism underlying DVL nuclear localization remains poorly understood. Here we discovered two Forkhead box (FOX) transcription factors, FOXK1 and FOXK2, as bona fide DVL-interacting proteins. FOXK1 and FOXK2 positively regulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling by translocating DVL into the nucleus. Moreover, FOXK1 and FOXK2 protein levels are elevated in human colorectal cancers and correlate with DVL nuclear localization. Conditional expression of Foxk2 in mice induced intestinal hyper-proliferation that featured enhanced DVL nuclear localization and upregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Together, our results not only reveal a mechanism by which DVL is translocated into the nucleus but also suggest unexpected roles of FOXK1 and FOXK2 in regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Canonical and noncanonical roles of Par-1/MARK kinases in cell migration

The partitioning defective gene 1 (Par-1)/microtubule affinity-regulating kinase (MARK) family of serine-threonine kinases have diverse cellular roles. Primary among these roles are the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity and the promotion of microtubule dynamics. Par-1/MARK kinases also regulate a growing number of cellular functions via noncanonical protein targets. Recent studies have demonstrated that Par-1/MARK proteins are required for the migration of multiple cell types. This review outlines the current evidence for regulation of cell migration by Par-1/MARK through both canonical and noncanonical roles. Par-1/MARK canonical control of microtubules during nonneuronal and neuronal migration is described. Next, regulation of cell polarity by Par-1/MARK and its dynamic effect on the movement of migrating cells are discussed. As examples of recent research that have expanded, the roles of the Par-1/MARK in cell migration, noncanonical functions of Par-1/MARK in Wnt signaling and actomyosin dynamics are described. This review also highlights questions and current challenges to further understanding how the versatile Par-1/MARK proteins function in cell migration during development, homeostatic processes, and cancer.

Rab8a vesicles regulate Wnt ligand delivery and Paneth cell maturation at the intestinal stem cell niche

Communication between stem and niche supporting cells maintains the homeostasis of adult tissues. Wnt signaling is a crucial regulator of the stem cell niche, but the mechanism that governs Wnt ligand delivery in this compartment has not been fully investigated. We identified that Wnt secretion is partly dependent on Rab8a-mediated anterograde transport of Gpr177 (wntless), a Wnt-specific transmembrane transporter. Gpr177 binds to Rab8a, depletion of which compromises Gpr177 traffic, thereby weakening the secretion of multiple Wnts. Analyses of generic Wnt/β-catenin targets in Rab8a knockout mouse intestinal crypts indicate reduced signaling activities; maturation of Paneth cells – a Wnt-dependent cell type – is severely affected. Rab8a knockout crypts show an expansion of Lgr5⁺ and Hopx⁺ cells in vivo. However, in vitro, the knockout enteroids exhibit significantly weakened growth that can be partly restored by exogenous Wnts or Gsk3β inhibitors. Immunogold labeling and surface protein isolation identified decreased plasma membrane localization of Gpr177 in Rab8a knockout Paneth cells and fibroblasts. Upon stimulation by exogenous Wnts, Rab8a-deficient cells show ligand-induced Lrp6 phosphorylation and transcriptional reporter activation. Rab8a thus controls Wnt delivery in producing cells and is crucial for Paneth cell maturation. Our data highlight the profound tissue plasticity that occurs in response to stress induced by depletion of a stem cell niche signal.

Summary: In maturing mouse Paneth cells, Wnt secretion is partly dependent on a Rab8a-mediated anterograde transport of Gpr177. Rab8a is required for Paneth cell maturation.

Keeping Wnt signalosome in check by vesicular traffic

Wg/Wnts are paracrine and autocrine ligands that activate distinct signaling pathways while being internalized through surface receptors. Converging and contrasting views are shaping our understanding of whether, where, and how endocytosis may modulate Wnt signaling. We gather considerable amount of evidences to elaborate the point that signal-receiving cells utilize distinct, flexible, and sophisticated vesicular trafficking mechanisms to keep Wnt signaling activity in check. Same molecules in a highly context-dependent fashion serve as regulatory hub for various signaling purposes: amplification, maintenance, inhibition, and termination. Updates are provided for the regulatory mechanisms related to the three critical cell surface complexes, Wnt-Fzd-LRP6, Dkk1-Kremen-LRP6, and R-spondin-LGR5-RNF43, which potently influence Wnt signaling. We pay particular attentions to how cells achieve sustained and delicate control of Wnt signaling strength by employing comprehensive aspects of vesicular trafficking.

Dishevelled-2 regulates cocaine-induced structural plasticity and Rac1 activity in the nucleus accumbens

Chronic cocaine exposure increases the density of dendritic spines on medium spiny neurons (MSNs), the predominant neuronal cell type of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region. We recently showed that suppression of Rac1, a small GTPase, is a critical mediator of this structural plasticity, but the upstream determinants of Rac1 activity in this context remain to be elucidated. In this study we examined whether isoforms of Dishevelled, a key hub protein of multiple branches of Wnt signaling, including Rac1, are regulated in the NAc by chronic cocaine, and whether these Dishevelled isoforms control Rac1 activity in this brain region in vivo. We found that chronic cocaine administration decreased expression of Dishevelled-2, and several other Wnt signaling components, in the NAc, and that overexpression of Dishevelled-2, but not Dishevelled-1, conversely upregulated Rac1 activity and prevented the cocaine induction of dendritic spines on NAc MSNs. We posit that the cocaine-induced downregulation of Dishevelled-2 in the NAc is an upstream regulator of Rac1 activity and plays an important role in the dynamic structural plasticity of NAc MSNs seen in response to chronic cocaine exposure.

Dishevelled promotes Wnt receptor degradation through recruitment of ZNRF3/RNF43 E3 ubiquitin ligases

Tumor suppressors ZNRF3 and RNF43 inhibit Wnt signaling through promoting degradation of Wnt coreceptors Frizzled (FZD) and LRP6, and this activity is counteracted by stem cell growth factor R-spondin. The mechanism by which ZNRF3 and RNF43 recognize Wnt receptors remains unclear. Here we uncover an unexpected role of Dishevelled (DVL), a positive Wnt regulator, in promoting Wnt receptor degradation. DVL knockout cells have significantly increased cell surface levels of FZD and LRP6. DVL is required for ZNRF3/RNF43-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of FZD. Physical interaction with DVL is essential for the Wnt inhibitory activity of ZNRF3/RNF43. Binding of FZD through the DEP domain of DVL is required for DVL-mediated downregulation of FZD. Fusion of the DEP domain to ZNRF3/RNF43 overcomes their DVL dependency to downregulate FZD. Our study reveals DVL as a dual function adaptor to recruit negative regulators ZNRF3/RNF43 to Wnt receptors to ensure proper control of pathway activity.

The cellular story of dishevelleds

Dishevelled (DVL) proteins, three of which have been identified in humans, are highly conserved components of canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways. These multifunctional proteins, originally discovered in the fruit fly, through their different domains mediate complex signal transduction: DIX (dishevelled, axin) and PDZ (postsynaptic density 95, discs large, zonula occludens-1) domains serve for canonical beta-catenin signaling, while PDZ and DEP (dishevelled, Egl-10, pleckstrin) domains serve for non-canonical signaling. In canonical or beta-catenin signaling, DVL forms large molecular supercomplexes at the plasma membrane consisting of Wnt-Fz-LRP5/6-DVL-AXIN. This promotes the disassembly of the beta-catenin destruction machinery, beta-catenin accumulation, and consequent activation of Wnt signaling. Therefore, DVLs are considered to be key regulators that rescue cytoplasmic beta-catenin from degradation. The potential medical importance of DVLs is in both human degenerative disease and cancer. The overexpression of DVL has been shown to potentiate the activation of Wnt signaling and it is now apparent that up-regulation of DVLs is involved in several types of cancer.

Celsr3 and Fzd3 in axon guidance

The assembly of functional neuronal circuits depends on the correct wiring of axons and dendrites. To reach their targets, axons are guided by a variety of extracellular guidance cues, including Netrins, Ephrins, Semaphorins and Slits. Corresponding receptors in the growth cone, the dynamic structure at the tip of the growing axon, sense and integrate these positional signals, and activate downstream effectors to regulate cytoskeletal organization. In addition to the four canonical families of axon guidance cues mentioned above, some proteins that regulate planar cell polarity were recently found to be critical for axon guidance. The seven-transmembrane domain receptors Celsr3 and Fzd3, in particular, control the development of most longitudinal tracts in the central nervous system, and axon navigation in the peripheral, sympathetic and enteric nervous systems. Despite their unequivocally important role, however, underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. We do not know which extracellular ligands they recognize, whether they have co-receptors in the growth cone, and what their downstream effectors are. Here, we review some recent advances and discuss future trends in this emerging field.

Non-canonical WNT5A is a potential regulator of granulosa cell function in cattle

The WNT family has been implicated in follicular development in rodents, however, the role of WNTs in the follicle of monovulatory species is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the potential roles of WNTs in bovine granulosa cell function. Cells cultured in serum-free medium expressed mRNA encoding WNT2B, WNT5B and WNT5A. Levels of WNT5A, but not of WNT2B or WNT5B mRNA, were down-regulated by FSH. Addition of WNT5A to cultured cells suppressed FSH-stimulated estradiol and progesterone secretion, and levels of mRNA encoding the steroidogenic enzymes CYP19A1, CYP11A1 and the FSH receptor, but had no effect on cell proliferation or apoptosis. Immunoblot experiments showed that WNT5A reduced activation of CTNNB1 and stimulated phosphorylation of MAPK8 and JUN proteins. We conclude that WNT5A is a negative regulator of FSH-stimulated granulosa cell steroidogenesis, and that it acts by suppressing canonical WNT signaling activity and inducing the non-canonical MAPK8/JUN pathway.

Protein expression profiling in head fragments during planarian regeneration after amputation

Following amputation, a planarian tail fragment can regrow into a complete organism including a well-organized brain within about 2-3 weeks, thus restoring the structure and function to presurgical levels. Despite the enormous potential of these animals for regenerative medicine, our understanding of the exact mechanism of planarian regeneration is incomplete. To better understand the molecular nature of planarian head regeneration, we applied two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)/matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF)/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) technique to analyze the dynamic proteomic expression profiles over the course of 6 to 168 h post-decapitation. This approach identified a total of 141 differentially expressed proteins, 47 of which exhibited exceptionally high fold changes (≥3-fold change). Of these, Rx protein, an important regulator of head and brain development, was considered to be closely related to planarian head regeneration because of its exceptional high expression almost throughout the time course of regeneration process. Functional annotation analysis classified the 141 proteins into eight categories: (1) signaling, (2) Ca(2+) binding and translocation, (3) transcription and translation, (4) cytoskeleton, (5) metabolism, (6) cell protection, (7) tissue differentiation, and (8) cell cycle. Signaling pathway analysis indicated that Wnt1/Ca(2+) signaling pathway was activated during head regeneration. Integrating the analyses of proteome expression profiling, functional annotation, and signaling pathway, amputation-induced head reformation requires some mechanisms to promote cell proliferation and differentiation, including differential regulation of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins, and the regulation of proliferation and differentiation-related proteins. Importantly, Wnt1/Ca(2+) signaling pathway upregulates Rx expression, finally facilitating the differentiation of neoblasts into various cell types. Taken together, our study demonstrated that proteomic analysis approach used by us is a powerful tool in understanding molecular process related to head regeneration of planarian.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway in human fibrotic-like diseases and its eligibility as a therapeutic target

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is involved in a variety of biological processes like cell proliferation, cell polarity, and cell fate determination. This pathway has been extensively investigated as its deregulation is linked to different diseases, including various types of cancer, skeletal defects, birth defect disorders (including neural tube defects), metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and several fibrotic diseases like desmoid tumors. In the "on state", beta-catenin, the key effector of Wnt signaling, enters the nucleus where it binds to the members of the TCF-LEF family of transcription factors and exerts its effect on gene transcription. Disease development can be caused by direct or indirect alterations of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

In the first case germline or somatic mutations of the Wnt components are associated to several diseases such as the familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) - caused by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC) - and the desmoid-like fibromatosis, a sporadic tumor associated with somatic mutations of the β-catenin gene (CTNNB1).

In the second case, epigenetic modifications and microenvironmental factors have been demonstrated to play a key role in Wnt pathway activation. The natural autocrine Wnt signaling acts through agonists and antagonists competing for the Wnt receptors. Anomalies in this regulation, whichever is their etiology, are an important part in the pathogenesis of Wnt pathway linked diseases. An example is promoter hypermethylation of Wnt antagonists, such as SFRPs, that causes gene silencing preventing their function and consequently leading to the activation of the Wnt pathway. Microenvironmental factors, such as the extracellular matrix, growth factors and inflammatory mediators, represent another type of indirect mechanism that influence Wnt pathway activation. A favorable microenvironment can lead to aberrant fibroblasts activation and accumulation of ECM proteins with subsequent tissue fibrosis that can evolve in fibrotic disease or tumor.

Since the development and progression of several diseases is the outcome of the Wnt pathway cross-talk with other signaling pathways and inflammatory factors, it is important to consider not only direct inhibitors of the Wnt signaling pathway but also inhibitors of microenvironmental factors as promising therapeutic approaches for several tumors of fibrotic origin.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway in human fibrotic-like diseases and its eligibility as a therapeutic target

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is involved in a variety of biological processes like cell proliferation, cell polarity, and cell fate determination. This pathway has been extensively investigated as its deregulation is linked to different diseases, including various types of cancer, skeletal defects, birth defect disorders (including neural tube defects), metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and several fibrotic diseases like desmoid tumors. In the "on state", beta-catenin, the key effector of Wnt signaling, enters the nucleus where it binds to the members of the TCF-LEF family of transcription factors and exerts its effect on gene transcription. Disease development can be caused by direct or indirect alterations of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In the first case germline or somatic mutations of the Wnt components are associated to several diseases such as the familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) - caused by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC) - and the desmoid-like fibromatosis, a sporadic tumor associated with somatic mutations of the β-catenin gene (CTNNB1). In the second case, epigenetic modifications and microenvironmental factors have been demonstrated to play a key role in Wnt pathway activation. The natural autocrine Wnt signaling acts through agonists and antagonists competing for the Wnt receptors. Anomalies in this regulation, whichever is their etiology, are an important part in the pathogenesis of Wnt pathway linked diseases. An example is promoter hypermethylation of Wnt antagonists, such as SFRPs, that causes gene silencing preventing their function and consequently leading to the activation of the Wnt pathway. Microenvironmental factors, such as the extracellular matrix, growth factors and inflammatory mediators, represent another type of indirect mechanism that influence Wnt pathway activation. A favorable microenvironment can lead to aberrant fibroblasts activation and accumulation of ECM proteins with subsequent tissue fibrosis that can evolve in fibrotic disease or tumor. Since the development and progression of several diseases is the outcome of the Wnt pathway cross-talk with other signaling pathways and inflammatory factors, it is important to consider not only direct inhibitors of the Wnt signaling pathway but also inhibitors of microenvironmental factors as promising therapeutic approaches for several tumors of fibrotic origin.

Asymmetry of VANGL2 in migrating lymphocytes as a tool to monitor activity of the mammalian WNT/planar cell polarity pathway

Background

The WNT/planar-cell-polarity (PCP) pathway is a key regulator of cell polarity and directional cell movements. Core PCP proteins such as Van Gogh-like2 (VANGL2) are evolutionarily highly conserved; however, the mammalian PCP machinery is still poorly understood mainly due to lack of suitable models and quantitative methodology. WNT/PCP has been implicated in many human diseases with the most distinguished positive role in the metastatic process, which accounts for more than 90% of cancer related deaths, and presents therefore an attractive target for pharmacological interventions. However, cellular assays for the assessment of PCP signaling, which would allow a more detailed mechanistic analysis of PCP function and possibly also high throughput screening for chemical compounds targeting mammalian PCP signaling, are still missing.

Results

Here we describe a mammalian cell culture model, which correlates B lymphocyte migration of patient-derived MEC1 cells and asymmetric localization of fluorescently-tagged VANGL2. We show by live cell imaging that PCP proteins are polarized in MEC1 cells and that VANGL2 polarization is controlled by the same mechanism as in tissues i.e. it is dependent on casein kinase 1 activity. In addition, destruction of the actin cytoskeleton leads to migratory arrest and cell rounding while VANGL2-EGFP remains polarized suggesting that active PCP signaling visualized by polarized distribution of VANGL2 is a cause for and not a consequence of the asymmetric shape of a migrating cell.

Conclusions

The presented imaging-based methodology allows overcoming limitations of earlier approaches to study the mammalian WNT/PCP pathway, which required in vivo models and analysis of complex tissues. Our system investigating PCP-like signaling on a single-cell level thus opens new possibilities for screening of compounds, which control asymmetric distribution of proteins in the PCP pathway.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12964-014-0079-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Shroom3 functions downstream of planar cell polarity to regulate myosin II distribution and cellular organization during neural tube closure

Neural tube closure is a critical developmental event that relies on actomyosin contractility to facilitate specific processes such as apical constriction, tissue bending, and directional cell rearrangements. These complicated processes require the coordinated activities of Rho-Kinase (Rock), to regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and actomyosin contractility, and the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway, to direct the polarized cellular behaviors that drive convergent extension (CE) movements. Here we investigate the role of Shroom3 as a direct linker between PCP and actomyosin contractility during mouse neural tube morphogenesis. In embryos, simultaneous depletion of Shroom3 and the PCP components Vangl2 or Wnt5a results in an increased liability to NTDs and CE failure. We further show that these pathways intersect at Dishevelled, as Shroom3 and Dishevelled 2 co-distribute and form a physical complex in cells. We observed that multiple components of the Shroom3 pathway are planar polarized along mediolateral cell junctions in the neural plate of E8.5 embryos in a Shroom3 and PCP-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that Shroom3 mutant embryos exhibit defects in planar cell arrangement during neural tube closure, suggesting a role for Shroom3 activity in CE. These findings support a model in which the Shroom3 and PCP pathways interact to control CE and polarized bending of the neural plate and provide a clear illustration of the complex genetic basis of NTDs.

Dishevelled binds the Discs large 'Hook' domain to activate GukHolder-dependent spindle positioning in Drosophila

Communication between cortical cell polarity cues and the mitotic spindle ensures proper orientation of cell divisions within complex tissues. Defects in mitotic spindle positioning have been linked to various developmental disorders and have recently emerged as a potential contributor to tumorigenesis. Despite the importance of this process to human health, the molecular mechanisms that regulate spindle orientation are not fully understood. Moreover, it remains unclear how diverse cortical polarity complexes might cooperate to influence spindle positioning. We and others have demonstrated spindle orientation roles for Dishevelled (Dsh), a key regulator of planar cell polarity, and Discs large (Dlg), a conserved apico-basal cell polarity regulator, effects which were previously thought to operate within distinct molecular pathways. Here we identify a novel direct interaction between the Dsh-PDZ domain and the alternatively spliced “I3-insert” of the Dlg-Hook domain, thus establishing a potential convergent Dsh/Dlg pathway. Furthermore, we identify a Dlg sequence motif necessary for the Dsh interaction that shares homology to the site of Dsh binding in the Frizzled receptor. Expression of Dsh enhanced Dlg-mediated spindle positioning similar to deletion of the Hook domain. This Dsh-mediated activation was dependent on the Dlg-binding partner, GukHolder (GukH). These results suggest that Dsh binding may regulate core interdomain conformational dynamics previously described for Dlg. Together, our results identify Dlg as an effector of Dsh signaling and demonstrate a Dsh-mediated mechanism for the activation of Dlg/GukH-dependent spindle positioning. Cooperation between these two evolutionarily-conserved cell polarity pathways could have important implications to both the development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis in animals.

Custos controls β-catenin to regulate head development during vertebrate embryogenesis

Precise control of the canonical Wnt pathway is crucial in embryogenesis and all stages of life, and dysregulation of this pathway is implicated in many human diseases including cancers and birth defect disorders. A key aspect of canonical Wnt signaling is the cytoplasmic to nuclear translocation of β-catenin, a process that remains incompletely understood. Here we report the identification of a previously undescribed component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway termed Custos, originally isolated as a Dishevelled-interacting protein. Custos contains casein kinase phosphorylation sites and nuclear localization sequences. In Xenopus, custos mRNA is expressed maternally and then widely throughout embryogenesis. Depletion or overexpression of Custos produced defective anterior head structures by inhibiting the formation of the Spemann-Mangold organizer. In addition, Custos expression blocked secondary axis induction by positive signaling components of the canonical Wnt pathway and inhibited β-catenin/TCF-dependent transcription. Custos binds to β-catenin in a Wnt responsive manner without affecting its stability, but rather modulates the cytoplasmic to nuclear translocation of β-catenin. This effect on nuclear import appears to be the mechanism by which Custos inhibits canonical Wnt signaling. The function of Custos is conserved as loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies in zebrafish also demonstrate a role for Custos in anterior head development. Our studies suggest a role for Custos in fine-tuning canonical Wnt signal transduction during embryogenesis, adding an additional layer of regulatory control in the Wnt-β-catenin signal transduction cascade.

Cholesterol selectively activates canonical Wnt signalling over non-canonical Wnt signalling

Wnt proteins control diverse biological processes through β-catenin-dependent canonical signalling and β-catenin-independent non-canonical signalling. The mechanisms by which these signalling pathways are differentially triggered and controlled are not fully understood. Dishevelled (Dvl) is a scaffold protein that serves as the branch point of these pathways. Here, we show that cholesterol selectively activates canonical Wnt signalling over non-canonical signalling under physiological conditions by specifically facilitating the membrane recruitment of the PDZ domain of Dvl and its interaction with other proteins. Single-molecule imaging analysis shows that cholesterol is enriched around the Wnt-activated Frizzled and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 receptors and plays an essential role for Dvl-mediated formation and maintenance of the canonical Wnt signalling complex. Collectively, our results suggest a new regulatory role of cholesterol in Wnt signalling and a potential link between cellular cholesterol levels and the balance between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling activities.

Wnt5a uses CD146 as a receptor to regulate cell motility and convergent extension

Dysregulation of Wnt signalling leads to developmental defects and diseases. Non-canonical Wnt signalling via planar cell polarity proteins regulates cell migration and convergent extension; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we report that Wnt5a uses CD146 as a receptor to regulate cell migration and zebrafish embryonic convergent extension. CD146 binds to Wnt5a with the high affinity required for Wnt5a-induced activation of Dishevelled (Dvl) and c-jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK). The interaction between CD146 and Dvl2 is enhanced on Wnt5a treatment. Mutation of the Dvl2-binding region impairs its ability to activate JNK, promote cell migration and facilitate the formation of cell protrusions. Knockdown of Dvls impairs CD146-induced cell migration. Interestingly, CD146 inhibits canonical Wnt signalling by promoting β-catenin degradation. Our results suggest a model in which CD146 acts as a functional Wnt5a receptor in regulating cell migration and convergent extension, turning off the canonical Wnt signalling branch.

The expression and significance of dishevelled in human glioma

BACKGROUND

The proto-oncogene dishevelled (Dvl) is a critical component of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and its elevated expression in various tumor types is associated with malignancy. However, a role for Dvl in glioma has not been explored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To determine whether Dvl expression is elevated in human glioma, we examined the protein levels in 67 human glioma samples and 3 normal brain specimens by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. To investigate a possible association of Dvl with the malignant phenotype in glioma, the correlation of the Dvl immunoreactivity score (IRS) with β-catenin IRS, the tumor proliferation index (PI), and tumor invasion index (II) were determined for each sample.

RESULTS

The Dvl IRS, β-catenin IRS, PI, and II increased significantly with the pathologic grade of glioma (P <0.001) with average scores of 3.46 ± 3.45, 3.92 ± 3.28, 30.93 ± 17.92, and 20.43 ± 11.79, respectively. Furthermore, the PI and II were significantly higher for the Dvl-positive group than the Dvl-negative group (P <0.001). Correlation analysis demonstrated that β-catenin IRS, PI, and II were positively correlated with Dvl IRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Dvl overexpression may contribute to the malignant proliferation and invasion of human glioma.

Planar cell polarity gene mutations contribute to the etiology of human neural tube defects in our population

Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations that involve failure of the neural tube closure during the early phases of development at any level of the rostro-caudal axis. The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is a highly conserved, noncanonical Wnt-Frizzled-Dishevelled signaling cascade, that was first identified in the fruit fly Drosophila. We are here reviewing the role of the PCP pathway genes in the etiology of human NTDs, updating the list of the rare and deleterious mutations identified so far. We report 50 rare nonsynonymous mutations of PCP genes in 54 patients having a pathogenic effect on the protein function. Thirteen mutations that have previously been reported as novel are now reported in public databases, although at very low frequencies. The mutations were private, mostly missense, and transmitted by a healthy parent. To date, no clear genotype-phenotype correlation has been possible to create. Even if PCP pathway genes are involved in the pathogenesis of neural tube defects, future studies will be necessary to better dissect the genetic causes underlying these complex malformations.

NEDD4L regulates convergent extension movements in Xenopus embryos via Disheveled-mediated non-canonical Wnt signaling

During the early vertebrate body plan formation, convergent extension (CE) of dorsal mesoderm and neurectoderm is coordinated by the evolutionarily conserved non-canonical Wnt/PCP signaling. Disheveled (Dvl), a key mediator of Wnt/PCP signaling, is essential for the medial-lateral polarity formation in the cells undergoing convergent extension movements. NEDD4L, a highly conserved HECT type E3 ligase, has been reported to regulate the stability of multiple substrates including Dvl2. Here we demonstrate that NEDD4L is required for the cellular polarity formation and convergent extension in the early Xenopus embryos. Depletion of NEDD4L in early Xenopus embryos results in the loss of mediolateral polarity of the convergent-extending mesoderm cells and the shortened body axis, resembling those defects caused by the disruption of non-canonical Wnt signaling. Depletion of xNEDD4L also blocks the elongation of the animal explants in response to endogenous mesoderm inducing signals and partially compromises the expression of Brachyury. Importantly, reducing Dvl2 expression can largely rescue the cellular polarity and convergent extension defects in NEDD4L-depleted embryos and explants. Together with the data that NEDD4L reduces Dvl2 protein expression in the frog embryos, our findings suggest that regulation of Dvl protein levels by NEDD4L is essential for convergent extension during early Xenopus embryogenesis.

The E3 ligase RNF185 negatively regulates osteogenic differentiation by targeting Dvl2 for degradation

Osteoblast plays a pivotal role in bone metabolism and bone remodeling by mediating bone formation and regulating the activity of osteoclast. Clarifying the regulators and regulation mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and pre-osteoblasts will provide tremendous promise for bone repair and bone regeneration. RNF185 was identified as a candidate of endogenous suppressors of osteogenic specification in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Here we show that RNF185 down regulates osteogenic differentiation of mouse calvaria-derived MC3T3-E1 cells, confirmed by quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Further we confirm that RNF185 interacts with dishevelled2 (Dvl2), a key mediator of Wnt signaling pathway. Overexpression of RNF185 decreases the exogenous and endogenous level of Dvl2, promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of Dvl2 and inhibits Wnt signaling, which is evident from the down-regulation of β-catenin mediated transcriptional activity. And Dvl2 reverses the effect of RNF185 on osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Taken together, our results indicate that RNF185 negatively regulates osteogenesis through the degradation of Dvl2 and down-regulation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway and suggest a possible therapeutic target in osteoporosis.

Novel therapeutic targets in depression and anxiety: antioxidants as a candidate treatment

There is growing evidence that the imbalance between oxidative stress and the antioxidant defense system may be associated with the development neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Major depression and anxiety are presently correlated with a lowered total antioxidant state and by an activated oxidative stress (OS) pathway. The classical antidepressants may produce therapeutic effects other than regulation of monoamines by increasing the antioxidant levels and normalizing the damage caused by OS processes. This chapter provides an overview of recent work on oxidative stress markers in the animal models of depression and anxiety, as well as patients with the aforementioned mood disorders. It is well documented that antioxidants can remove the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) through scavenging radicals and suppressing the OS pathway, which further protect against neuronal damage caused oxidative or nitrosative stress sources in the brain, hopefully resulting in remission of depression or anxiety symptoms. The functional understanding of the relationship between oxidative stress and depression and anxiety may pave the way for discovery of novel targets for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Biophysical and molecular-dynamics studies of phosphatidic acid binding by the Dvl-2 DEP domain

The Wnt-dependent, β-catenin-independent pathway modulates cell movement and behavior. A downstream regulator of this signaling pathway is Dishevelled (Dvl), which, among other multiple interactions, binds to the Frizzled receptor and the plasma membrane via phosphatidic acid (PA) in a mechanism proposed to be pH-dependent. While the Dvl DEP domain is central to the β-catenin-independent Wnt signaling function, the mechanism underlying its physical interaction with the membrane remains elusive. In this report, we elucidate the structural and functional basis of PA association to the Dvl2 DEP domain. Nuclear magnetic resonance, molecular-dynamics simulations, and mutagenesis data indicated that the domain interacted with the phospholipid through the basic helix 3 and a contiguous loop with moderate affinity. The association suggested that PA binding promoted local conformational changes in helix 2 and β-strand 4, both of which are compromised to maintain a stable hydrophobic core in the DEP domain. We also show that the Dvl2 DEP domain bound PA in a pH-dependent manner in a mechanism that resembles deprotonation of PA. Collectively, our results structurally define the PA-binding properties of the Dvl2 DEP domain, which can be exploited for the investigation of binding mechanisms of other DEP domain-interacting proteins.

Planar cell polarity signaling: coordination of cellular orientation across tissues

Establishment of Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) in epithelia, in the plane of an epithelium, is an important feature of the development and homeostasis of most organs. Studies in different model organisms have contributed a wealth of information regarding the mechanisms that govern PCP regulation. Genetic studies in Drosophila have identified two signaling systems, the Fz/PCP and Fat/Dachsous system, which are both required for PCP establishment in many different tissues in a largely non-redundant manner. Recent advances in vertebrate PCP studies have added novel factors of PCP regulation and also new cellular features requiring PCP-signaling input, including the positioning and orientation of the primary cilium of many epithelial cells. This review focuses mostly on several recent advances made in the Drosophila and vertebrate PCP field and integrates these within the existing PCP-signaling framework.

Magnesium and embryonic development

Important for energy metabolism, neurotransmission, bone stability, and other cellular functions, Mg(2+) has well-established and undisputedly critical roles in adult tissues. Its contributions to early embryonic development are less clearly understood. For decades it has been known that gestational Mg(2+) deficiency in rodents produces teratogenic effects. More recent studies have linked deficiency in this vital cation to birth defects in humans, including spina bifida, a neural fold closure defect in humans that occurs at an average rate of 1 per 1000 pregnancies. The first suggestion that Mg(2+) may be playing a more specific role in early development arose from studies of the TRPM7 and TRPM6 ion channels. TRPM7 and TRPM6 are divalent-selective ion channels in possession of their own kinase domains that have been implicated in the control of Mg(2+) homeostasis in vertebrates. Disruption of the functions of these ion channels in mice as well as in frogs interferes with gastrulation, a pivotal process during early embryonic development that executes the emergence of the body plan and closure of the neural tube. Surprisingly, gastrulation defects produced by depletion of TRPM7 can be prevented by Mg(2+) supplementation, indicating an essential role for Mg(2+) in gastrulation and neural fold closure. The aim of this review is to summarize the data emerging from molecular genetic, biochemical and electrophysiological studies of TRPM6 and TRPM7 and provide a model of how Mg(2+), through these unique channel-kinases, may be impacting early embryonic development.