101
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Rolland SG, Schneid S, Schwarz M, Rackles E, Fischer C, Haeussler S, Regmi SG, Yeroslaviz A, Habermann B, Mokranjac D, Lambie E, Conradt B. Compromised Mitochondrial Protein Import Acts as a Signal for UPR mt. Cell Rep 2020; 28:1659-1669.e5. [PMID: 31412237 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The induction of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) results in increased transcription of the gene encoding the mitochondrial chaperone HSP70. We systematically screened the C. elegans genome and identified 171 genes that, when knocked down, induce the expression of an hsp-6 HSP70 reporter and encode mitochondrial proteins. These genes represent many, but not all, mitochondrial processes (e.g., mitochondrial calcium homeostasis and mitophagy are not represented). Knockdown of these genes leads to reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and, hence, decreased protein import into mitochondria. In addition, it induces UPRmt in a manner that is dependent on ATFS-1 but that is not antagonized by the kinase GCN-2. We propose that compromised mitochondrial protein import signals the induction of UPRmt and that the mitochondrial targeting sequence of ATFS-1 functions as a sensor for this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra Schneid
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Melanie Schwarz
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Christian Fischer
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Simon Haeussler
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Saroj G Regmi
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Assa Yeroslaviz
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Computational Systems Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bianca Habermann
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Computational Systems Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dejana Mokranjac
- Biomedical Center Munich - Physiological Chemistry, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Eric Lambie
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Barbara Conradt
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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102
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Viri V, Cornaglia M, Atakan HB, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. An in vivo microfluidic study of bacterial transit in C. elegans nematodes. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2696-2708. [PMID: 32633746 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00064g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) constitutes an important model organism for use in nutrition and aging studies. We report a novel method for studying the dynamics of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial transit through the worms' intestine. A microfluidic chip was designed for alternating C. elegans on-chip culture and immobilization, thereby enabling periodic high-resolution time-lapse imaging at single-worm resolution over several days. Immobilization was achieved in a reversible way using arrays of tapered channels suitable for assay parallelization. Dedicated C. elegans feeding protocols were applied. Two E. coli bacterial strains, HT115 and OP50, respectively labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP), were used as food source and imaged with fluorescence microscopy techniques to measure relevant parameters of the bacterial transit process. Feeding behavior and E. coli transit dynamics in the whole intestinal tract of the worms were characterized in an automated way over the first 3 days of adulthood, revealing both fast transit phenomena and variations in microbial accumulation. In particular, we studied the bacterial food transit periodicity in wild-type and eat-2 (ad465) mutant C. elegans strains in both trapped and free-swimming conditions. In order to further demonstrate the versatility of our microfluidic platform, we also studied drug-induced modifications of the bacterial transit by measuring the response of the worms' intestine to exposure to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Viri
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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103
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Lichtenberg SS, Laisney J, Elhaj Baddar Z, Tsyusko OV, Palli SR, Levard C, Masion A, Unrine JM. Comparison of Nanomaterials for Delivery of Double-Stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:7926-7934. [PMID: 32610013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference is a promising crop protection technology that has seen rapid development in the past several years. Here, we investigated polyamino acid biopolymers, inorganic nanomaterials, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials for delivery of dsRNA and efficacy of gene knockdown using the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Using an oral route of delivery, we are able to approximate how nanomaterials will be delivered in the environment. Of the materials investigated, only Mg-Al layered double-hydroxide nanoparticles were effective at gene knockdown in C. elegans, reducing marker gene expression to 66.8% of that of the control at the lowest tested concentration. In addition, we identified previously unreported injuries to the mouthparts of C. elegans associated with the use of a common cell-penetrating peptide, poly-l-arginine. Our results will allow the pursuit of further research into promising materials for dsRNA delivery and also allow for the exclusion of those with little efficacy or deleterious effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart S Lichtenberg
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
| | - Jerome Laisney
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
| | - Zeinah Elhaj Baddar
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
| | - Olga V Tsyusko
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
| | - Subba R Palli
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
| | - Clement Levard
- CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, Europole Arbois,check BP 80, Aix en Provence 13545, France
| | - Armand Masion
- CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, Europole Arbois,check BP 80, Aix en Provence 13545, France
| | - Jason M Unrine
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, United States
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104
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Dey DK, Park J, Kang SC. Genotypic, phenotypic, and pathogenic characterization of the soil isolated Acinetobacter courvalinii. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104287. [PMID: 32569787 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Most of the human gene homologs are found in Caenorhabditis elegans. As a wide variety of micro-organisms present in the environment is pathogens, so, C. elegans could be a useful model to track future infectious disease. With this knowledge, in this study, we isolated Acinetobacter courvalinii from the soil and characterized its pathogenicity for the first time. For the isolation, we used Glucose-Yeast extract-Ethanol-Calcium carbonate medium. To this aim, we evaluated the resistivity of bacteria against several stressful microenvironments. As we observed, A. courvalinii JP_A1001 shown highly tolerance against the acidic environment (pH 3-7), resistant against up to 0.2% of phenol content, and survived in the medium supplemented with 0.3% of bile salt. In addition, the bacteria were also resistant against several antibiotics showing the property of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Moreover, the isolated bacteria have shown the biofilm formation ability within 60 h. Further, we found that incubation of C. elegans with A. courvalinii JP_A1001 decreased the body movement and increased the free radical generation which remarkably influenced the life expectancy of C. elegans compared to E. coli OP50. Therefore, we concluded that A. courvalinii JP_A1001 found in the soil could be a future threat as a pathogen to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasish Kumar Dey
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea.
| | - Joonmo Park
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sun Chul Kang
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea.
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105
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Chen Y, Jang H, Spratt PWE, Kosar S, Taylor DE, Essner RA, Bai L, Leib DE, Kuo TW, Lin YC, Patel M, Subkhangulova A, Kato S, Feinberg EH, Bender KJ, Knight ZA, Garrison JL. Soma-Targeted Imaging of Neural Circuits by Ribosome Tethering. Neuron 2020; 107:454-469.e6. [PMID: 32574560 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience relies on techniques for imaging the structure and dynamics of neural circuits, but the cell bodies of individual neurons are often obscured by overlapping fluorescence from axons and dendrites in surrounding neuropil. Here, we describe two strategies for using the ribosome to restrict the expression of fluorescent proteins to the neuronal soma. We show first that a ribosome-tethered nanobody can be used to trap GFP in the cell body, thereby enabling direct visualization of previously undetectable GFP fluorescence. We then design a ribosome-tethered GCaMP for imaging calcium dynamics. We show that this reporter faithfully tracks somatic calcium dynamics in the mouse brain while eliminating cross-talk between neurons caused by contaminating neuropil. In worms, this reporter enables whole-brain imaging with faster kinetics and brighter fluorescence than commonly used nuclear GCaMPs. These two approaches provide a general way to enhance the specificity of imaging in neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Chen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Heeun Jang
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Perry W E Spratt
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Seher Kosar
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David E Taylor
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Rachel A Essner
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ling Bai
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David E Leib
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tzu-Wei Kuo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yen-Chu Lin
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mili Patel
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Saul Kato
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Evan H Feinberg
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kevin J Bender
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zachary A Knight
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Garrison
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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106
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State-of-the-Art Technology of Model Organisms for Current Human Medicine. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10060392. [PMID: 32532032 PMCID: PMC7345323 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10060392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the 1980s, molecular biology has been used to investigate medical field mechanisms that still require the use of crude biological materials in order to achieve their necessary goals. Transcription factor-induced pluripotent stem cells are used in regenerative medicine to screen drugs and to support lost tissues. However, these cells insufficiently reconstruct whole organs and require various intact cells, such as damaged livers and diabetic pancreases. For efficient gene transfer in medical use, virally mediated gene transfers are used, although immunogenic issues are investigated. To obtain efficient detective and diagnostic power in intractable diseases, biological tools such as roundworms and zebrafish have been found to be useful for high-throughput screening (HST) and diagnosis. Taken together, this biological approach will help to fill the gaps between medical needs and novel innovations in the field of medicine.
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107
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Molinari E, Sayer JA. Disease Modeling To Understand the Pathomechanisms of Human Genetic Kidney Disorders. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2020; 15:855-872. [PMID: 32139361 PMCID: PMC7274277 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.08890719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The class of human genetic kidney diseases is extremely broad and heterogeneous. Accordingly, the range of associated disease phenotypes is highly variable. Many children and adults affected by inherited kidney disease will progress to ESKD at some point in life. Extensive research has been performed on various different disease models to investigate the underlying causes of genetic kidney disease and to identify disease mechanisms that are amenable to therapy. We review some of the research highlights that, by modeling inherited kidney disease, contributed to a better understanding of the underlying pathomechanisms, leading to the identification of novel genetic causes, new therapeutic targets, and to the development of new treatments. We also discuss how the implementation of more efficient genome-editing techniques and tissue-culture methods for kidney research is providing us with personalized models for a precision-medicine approach that takes into account the specificities of the patient and the underlying disease. We focus on the most common model systems used in kidney research and discuss how, according to their specific features, they can differentially contribute to biomedical research. Unfortunately, no definitive treatment exists for most inherited kidney disorders, warranting further exploitation of the existing disease models, as well as the implementation of novel, complex, human patient-specific models to deliver research breakthroughs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Molinari
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, International Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - John A. Sayer
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, International Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Renal Services, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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108
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Biophysical studies of protein misfolding and aggregation in in vivo models of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Q Rev Biophys 2020; 49:e22. [PMID: 32493529 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583520000025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's diseases (PD), are characterised by the formation of aberrant assemblies of misfolded proteins. The discovery of disease-modifying drugs for these disorders is challenging, in part because we still have a limited understanding of their molecular origins. In this review, we discuss how biophysical approaches can help explain the formation of the aberrant conformational states of proteins whose neurotoxic effects underlie these diseases. We discuss in particular models based on the transgenic expression of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau in AD, and α-synuclein in PD. Because biophysical methods have enabled an accurate quantification and a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein misfolding and aggregation in vitro, we expect that the further development of these methods to probe directly the corresponding mechanisms in vivo will open effective routes for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
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109
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Mao YQ, Han SF, Zhang SL, Zhang ZY, Kong CY, Chen HL, Li ZM, Cai PR, Han B, Wang LS. An approach using Caenorhabditis elegans screening novel targets to suppress tumour cell proliferation. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12832. [PMID: 32452127 PMCID: PMC7309951 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12832] [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: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tumour cell proliferation requires high metabolism to meet the bioenergetics and biosynthetic needs. Dauer in Caenorhabditis elegans is characterized by lower metabolism, and we established an approach with C elegans to find potential tumour therapy targets. MATERIALS AND METHODS RNAi screening was used to find dauer-related genes, and these genes were further analysed in glp-1(-) mutants for tumour-suppressing testing. The identified tumour-related genes were verified in clinical tumour tissues. RESULTS The lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants was found to be extended by classical dauer formation signalling. Then, 61 of 287 kinase-coding genes in Caenorhabditis elegans were identified as dauer-related genes, of which 27 were found to be homologous to human oncogenes. Furthermore, 12 dauer-related genes were randomly selected for tumour-suppressing test, and six genes significantly extended the lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants. Of these six genes, F47D12.9, W02B12.12 and gcy-21 were newly linked to dauer formation. These three new dauer-related genes significantly suppressed tumour cell proliferation and thus extended the lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants in a longevity- or dauer-independent manner. The mRNA expression profiles indicated that these dauer-related genes trigged similar low metabolism pattern in glp-1(-) mutants. Notably, the expression of homolog gene DCAF4L2/F47D12.9, TSSK6/W02B12.12 and NPR1/gcy-21 was found to be higher in glioma compared with adjacent normal tissue. In addition, the high expression of TSSK6/W02B12.12 and NPR1/gcy-21 correlated with a worse survival in glioma patients. CONCLUSIONS Dauer gene screening in combination with tumour-suppressing test in glp-1(-) mutants provided a useful approach to find potential targets for tumour therapy via suppressing tumour cell proliferation and rewiring tumour cell metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Qin Mao
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - San-Feng Han
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Long Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng-Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao-Yue Kong
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui-Ling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhan-Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei-Ran Cai
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Han
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Shun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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110
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A Caenorhabditis elegans Model for Integrating the Functions of Neuropsychiatric Risk Genes Identifies Components Required for Normal Dendritic Morphology. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:1617-1628. [PMID: 32132169 PMCID: PMC7202017 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Analysis of patient-derived DNA samples has identified hundreds of variants that are likely involved in neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). While these studies couple behavioral phenotypes to individual genotypes, the number and diversity of candidate genes implicated in these disorders highlights the fact that the mechanistic underpinnings of these disorders are largely unknown. Here, we describe a RNAi-based screening platform that uses C. elegans to screen candidate neuropsychiatric risk genes (NRGs) for roles in controlling dendritic arborization. To benchmark this approach, we queried published lists of NRGs whose variants in ASD and SCZ are predicted to result in complete or partial loss of gene function. We found that a significant fraction (>16%) of these candidate NRGs are essential for dendritic development. Furthermore, these gene sets are enriched for dendritic arbor phenotypes (>14 fold) when compared to control RNAi datasets of over 500 human orthologs. The diversity of PVD structural abnormalities observed in these assays suggests that the functions of diverse NRGs (encoding transcription factors, chromatin remodelers, molecular chaperones and cytoskeleton-related proteins) converge to regulate neuronal morphology and that individual NRGs may play distinct roles in dendritic branching. We also demonstrate that the experimental value of this platform by providing additional insights into the molecular frameworks of candidate NRGs. Specifically, we show that ANK2/UNC-44 function is directly integrated with known regulators of dendritic arborization and suggest that altering the dosage of ARID1B/LET-526 expression during development affects neuronal morphology without diminishing aspects of cell fate specification.
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111
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Krenger R, Burri JT, Lehnert T, Nelson BJ, Gijs MAM. Force microscopy of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic eggshell. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:29. [PMID: 32382445 PMCID: PMC7196560 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Assays focusing on emerging biological phenomena in an animal's life can be performed during embryogenesis. While the embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively studied, its biomechanical properties are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that cellular force microscopy (CFM), a recently developed technique that combines micro-indentation with high resolution force sensing approaching that of atomic force microscopy, can be successfully applied to C. elegans embryos. We performed, for the first time, a quantitative study of the mechanical properties of the eggshell of living C. elegans embryos and demonstrate the capability of the system to detect alterations of its mechanical parameters and shell defects upon chemical treatments. In addition to investigating natural eggshells, we applied different eggshell treatments, i.e., exposure to sodium hypochlorite and chitinase solutions, respectively, that selectively modified the multilayer eggshell structure, in order to evaluate the impact of the different layers on the mechanical integrity of the embryo. Finite element method simulations based on a simple embryo model were used to extract characteristic eggshell parameters from the experimental micro-indentation force-displacement curves. We found a strong correlation between the severity of the chemical treatment and the rigidity of the shell. Furthermore, our results showed, in contrast to previous assumptions, that short bleach treatments not only selectively remove the outermost vitelline layer of the eggshell, but also significantly degenerate the underlying chitin layer, which is primarily responsible for the mechanical stability of the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Krenger
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan T. Burri
- Multi-Scale Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zürich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bradley J. Nelson
- Multi-Scale Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zürich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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112
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Wong SQ, Kumar AV, Mills J, Lapierre LR. C. elegans to model autophagy-related human disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 172:325-373. [PMID: 32620247 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation process that clears damaged intracellular macromolecules and organelles in order to maintain cellular health. Dysfunctional autophagy is fundamentally linked to the development of various human disorders and pathologies. The use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system to study autophagy has improved our understanding of its regulation and function in organismal physiology. Here, we review the genetic, functional, and regulatory conservation of the autophagy pathway in C. elegans and we describe tools to quantify and study the autophagy process in this incredibly useful model organism. We further discuss how these nematodes have been modified to model autophagy-related human diseases and underscore the important insights obtained from such models. Altogether, we highlight the strengths of C. elegans as an exceptional tool to understand the genetic and molecular foundations underlying autophagy-related human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Quan Wong
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Anita V Kumar
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Joslyn Mills
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Louis R Lapierre
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
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113
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Tan K, Deng D, Ma X, Cui Y, Tian Z. Pediococcus acidilactici P25 Protected Caenorhabditis elegans against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 Infection and Transcriptomic Analysis of Its Potential Mechanisms. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:7340312. [PMID: 32337270 PMCID: PMC7150717 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7340312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 is a zoonotic pathogen. Previous studies have shown that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have great potential in promoting health and resisting pathogenic infections; however, relatively little research has been done on the Pediococcus genus of LAB. This study is aimed at exploring the mechanisms imparted by Pediococcus acidilactici P25 against ETEC K88 in Caenorhabditis elegans. The probiotic performance of P25 was investigated in vitro. Colonization of K88 in the intestinal tract of C. elegans and abundance of enterotoxin genes were measured. In addition, the transcriptome of C. elegans infected by K88 was analyzed. The result showed that P25 possessed the ability to produce acid, as well as high tolerances to acidic and high bile salt concentrations. Coculture revealed that the growth of ETEC K88 was significantly inhibited by the presence of P25. The median survival of C. elegans fed P25 was 2 days longer than the group infected with K88 alone (P < 0.01). At the same time, the number of colonizing K88 and the abundances of estB and elt were reduced by up to 71.70% and 2.17 times, respectively, by P25. Transcriptome data indicated that P25 affected expression of genes relative to innate immune response and upregulated the abundance of genes in multiple pathways of C. elegans, including peroxisome, longevity, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. These results demonstrated that in the presence of P25, K88 colonization and their expression of enterotoxin genes were reduced. This was accomplished through the alteration of environmental parameters (pH and bile salt) as well as through the promotion of the innate immune response processes, increased longevity, and increased antipathogenic bacteria-related pathways. This work highlights the potential application of P. acidilactici P25 as a probiotic resistant to ETEC K88.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keqin Tan
- Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (South China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, China 510640
| | - Dun Deng
- Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (South China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, China 510640
| | - Xianyong Ma
- Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (South China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, China 510640
| | - Yiyan Cui
- Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (South China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, China 510640
| | - Zhimei Tian
- Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (South China) of Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, China 510640
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114
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Arsenite-induced transgenerational glycometabolism is associated with up-regulation of H3K4me2 via inhibiting spr-5 in caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicol Lett 2020; 326:11-17. [PMID: 32142838 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a toxic element that is highly abundant in the environment. However, there has not been sufficient research into the mechanisms of arsenic-induced transgenerational effects. In biomedical and environmental toxicology research field, C. elegans are often used as the ideal model. In this study, F0 generation animals were cultured with arsenite, while subsequent generations animals (F1 - F6) were cultured in the absence of arsenic. Experiments were performed to examine the transgenerational glycometabolism and the associated mechanisms in all seven generations (F0 - F6) of C. elegans. Results show that arsenite exposure increased total glucose content but reduced glucose metabolites in F0 generation C. elegans. The total glucose content was also elevated in subsequent generations probably due to transgenerational downregulation of fgt-1. In addition, arsenite exposure induced transgenerational downregulation of histone demethyltransferase spr-5 and elevated histone dimethylation in F0 generation. This study highlights that single generation exposure to arsenite causes transgenerational changes in glycometabolism in C. elegans, which may be caused by downregulation of spr-5 and elevation of H3K4me2.
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115
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Alexander-Floyd J, Haroon S, Ying M, Entezari AA, Jaeger C, Vermulst M, Gidalevitz T. Unexpected cell type-dependent effects of autophagy on polyglutamine aggregation revealed by natural genetic variation in C. elegans. BMC Biol 2020; 18:18. [PMID: 32093691 PMCID: PMC7038566 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-0750-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monogenic protein aggregation diseases, in addition to cell selectivity, exhibit clinical variation in the age of onset and progression, driven in part by inter-individual genetic variation. While natural genetic variants may pinpoint plastic networks amenable to intervention, the mechanisms by which they impact individual susceptibility to proteotoxicity are still largely unknown. RESULTS We have previously shown that natural variation modifies polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregation phenotypes in C. elegans muscle cells. Here, we find that a genomic locus from C. elegans wild isolate DR1350 causes two genetically separable aggregation phenotypes, without changing the basal activity of muscle proteostasis pathways known to affect polyQ aggregation. We find that the increased aggregation phenotype was due to regulatory variants in the gene encoding a conserved autophagy protein ATG-5. The atg-5 gene itself conferred dosage-dependent enhancement of aggregation, with the DR1350-derived allele behaving as hypermorph. Surprisingly, increased aggregation in animals carrying the modifier locus was accompanied by enhanced autophagy activation in response to activating treatment. Because autophagy is expected to clear, not increase, protein aggregates, we activated autophagy in three different polyQ models and found a striking tissue-dependent effect: activation of autophagy decreased polyQ aggregation in neurons and intestine, but increased it in the muscle cells. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that cryptic natural variants in genes encoding proteostasis components, although not causing detectable phenotypes in wild-type individuals, can have profound effects on aggregation-prone proteins. Clinical applications of autophagy activators for aggregation diseases may need to consider the unexpected divergent effects of autophagy in different cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexander-Floyd
- Biology Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Present Address: Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - S Haroon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - M Ying
- Biology Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - A A Entezari
- Biology Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Current Address: Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - C Jaeger
- Biology Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Current Address: Department of Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - M Vermulst
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Current Address: Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - T Gidalevitz
- Biology Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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116
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Glover N, Dessimoz C, Ebersberger I, Forslund SK, Gabaldón T, Huerta-Cepas J, Martin MJ, Muffato M, Patricio M, Pereira C, da Silva AS, Wang Y, Sonnhammer E, Thomas PD. Advances and Applications in the Quest for Orthologs. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:2157-2164. [PMID: 31241141 PMCID: PMC6759064 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene families evolve by the processes of speciation (creating orthologs), gene duplication (paralogs), and horizontal gene transfer (xenologs), in addition to sequence divergence and gene loss. Orthologs in particular play an essential role in comparative genomics and phylogenomic analyses. With the continued sequencing of organisms across the tree of life, the data are available to reconstruct the unique evolutionary histories of tens of thousands of gene families. Accurate reconstruction of these histories, however, is a challenging computational problem, and the focus of the Quest for Orthologs Consortium. We review the recent advances and outstanding challenges in this field, as revealed at a symposium and meeting held at the University of Southern California in 2017. Key advances have been made both at the level of orthology algorithm development and with respect to coordination across the community of algorithm developers and orthology end-users. Applications spanned a broad range, including gene function prediction, phylostratigraphy, genome evolution, and phylogenomics. The meetings highlighted the increasing use of meta-analyses integrating results from multiple different algorithms, and discussed ongoing challenges in orthology inference as well as the next steps toward improvement and integration of orthology resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Glover
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Dessimoz
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BIK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sofia K Forslund
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Cooperation of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.,Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität u Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany.,Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Huerta-Cepas
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.,Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria-Jesus Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthieu Muffato
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mateus Patricio
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Pereira
- Eura Nova, Marseille, France.,Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Alan Sousa da Silva
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Erik Sonnhammer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Paul D Thomas
- Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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117
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Nazri MUIA, Idris I, Ross O, Ismail WIW. Neurological Disorder Brain Model: A Lesson from Marine Worms (Annelida: Polychaeta). Malays J Med Sci 2019; 26:5-18. [PMID: 31908583 PMCID: PMC6939724 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.6.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is directly proportional to age. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases, for example, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is expected to rise in the coming years. Understanding the etiopathology of these diseases is a crucial step that needs to be taken to develop drugs for their treatment. Animal models are being increasingly used to expand the knowledge and understanding on neurodegenerative diseases. Marine worms, known as polychaetes (phylum Annelida), which are abundantly and frequently found in benthic environments, possess a simple yet complete nervous system (including a true brain that is centralised and specialised) compared to other annelids. Hence, polychaetes can potentially be the next candidate for a nerve disease model. The ability to activate the entire nervous system regeneration (NSR) is among the remarkable features of many polychaetes species. However, the information on NSR in polychaetes and how it can potentially model neurodegenerative diseases in humans is still lacking. By exploring such studies, we may eventually be able to circumvent the developmental constraints that limit NSR in the human nervous system. This article is intended to briefly review responsible mechanisms and signalling pathways of NSR in marine polychaetes and to make a comparison with other established models of neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Izwandy Idris
- Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Othman Ross
- Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Wan Iryani Wan Ismail
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
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118
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Deng Y, Luo KL, Shaye DD, Greenwald I. A Screen of the Conserved Kinome for Negative Regulators of LIN-12 Negative Regulatory Region ("NRR")-Missense Activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:3567-3574. [PMID: 31519743 PMCID: PMC6829150 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic analysis of LIN-12/Notch signaling in C. elegans has provided many insights into human biology. Activating missense mutations in the Negative Regulatory Region (NRR) of the ectodomain of LIN-12/Notch were first described in C. elegans, and similar mutations in human Notch were later found to cause T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The ubiquitin ligase sel-10/Fbw7 is the prototype of a conserved negative regulator of lin-12/Notch that was first defined by loss-of-function mutations that enhance lin-12 NRR-missense activity in C. elegans, and then demonstrated to regulate Notch activity in mammalian cells and to be a bona fide tumor suppressor in T-ALL. Here, we report the results of an RNAi screen of 248 C. elegans protein kinase-encoding genes with human orthologs for enhancement of a weakly activating NRR-missense mutation of lin-12 in the Vulval Precursor Cells. We identified, and validated, thirteen kinase genes whose loss led to increase lin-12 activity; eleven of these genes have never been implicated previously in regulating Notch activity in any system. Depleting the activity of five kinase genes (cdk-8, wnk-1, kin-3, hpo-11, and mig-15) also significantly enhanced the activity of a transgene in which heterologous sequences drive expression of the untethered intracellular domain of LIN-12, suggesting that they increase the activity or stability of the signal-transducing form of LIN-12/Notch. Precedents set by other regulators of lin-12/Notch defined through genetic interactions in C. elegans suggest that this new set of genes may include negative regulators that are functionally relevant to mammalian development and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine Leisan Luo
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biophysical Studies, Columbia University, NY 10027
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119
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Abstract
Using neXtProt release 2019-01-11, we manually curated a list of 1837 functionally uncharacterized human proteins. Using OrthoList 2, we found that 270 of them have homologues in Caenorhabditis elegans, including 60 with a one-to-one orthology relationship. According to annotations extracted from WormBase, the vast majority of these 60 worm genes have RNAi experimental data or mutant alleles, but manual inspection shows that only 15% have phenotypes that could be interpreted in terms of a specific function. One third of the worm orthologs have protein-protein interaction data, and two of these interactions are conserved in humans. The combination of phenotypic, protein-protein interaction, and gene expression data provides functional hypotheses for 8 uncharacterized human proteins. Experimental validation in human or orthologs is necessary before they can be considered for annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Duek
- CALIPHO Group , SIB-Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CMU , Michel-Servet 1 , 1211 Geneva 4 , Switzerland
| | - Lydie Lane
- CALIPHO Group , SIB-Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CMU , Michel-Servet 1 , 1211 Geneva 4 , Switzerland.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , University of Geneva, CMU , Michel-Servet 1 , 1211 Geneva 4 , Switzerland
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120
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Shanmuganathan B, Sathya S, Balasubramaniam B, Balamurugan K, Devi KP. Amyloid-β induced neuropathological actions are suppressed by Padina gymnospora (Phaeophyceae) and its active constituent α-bisabolol in Neuro2a cells and transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans Alzheimer's model. Nitric Oxide 2019; 91:52-66. [PMID: 31362072 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The inhibition of Aβ peptide development and aggregation is a hopeful curative approach for the discovery of disease modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. Recent research mainly focuses on the discovery of drugs from marine setting due to their immense therapeutic potential. The present study aims to evaluate the brown macroalga Padina gymnospora and its active constituent α-bisabolol against Aβ25-35 induced neurotoxicity in Neuro2a cells and transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (CL2006 and CL4176). The results of the in vitro study revealed that the acetone extract of P. gymnospora (ACTPG) and its active constituent α-bisabolol restores the Aβ25-35 induced alteration in the oxidation of intracellular protein and lipids. In addition, ACTPG and α-bisabolol inhibited cholinesterase and β-secretase activity in Neuro2a cells. Moreover, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production was reduced by ACTPG and α-bisabolol in Neuro2a cells. The decrease in the expression level of apoptotic proteins such as Bax and caspase-3 in ACTPG and α-bisabolol treated group indicates that the seaweed and its bioactive compound have anti-apoptotic property. Further, the in vivo study revealed that the ACTPG and α-bisabolol exerts neuroprotective effect against Aβ induced proteotoxicity in transgenic C. elegans strains of AD. Moreover it altered the Aβ mediated pathways, lifespan, macromolecular damage and down regulated the AD related gene expression of ace-1, hsp-4 and Aβ, thereby preventing Aβ synthesis. Overall, the outcome of the study signifies the neuroprotective effect of ACTPG and α-bisabolol against Aβ mediated AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sethuraman Sathya
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | - Kasi Pandima Devi
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, 630003, Tamil Nadu, India.
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121
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Blackwell TK, Sewell AK, Wu Z, Han M. TOR Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Development, Metabolism, and Aging. Genetics 2019; 213:329-360. [PMID: 31594908 PMCID: PMC6781902 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Target of Rapamycin (TOR or mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, development, and behaviors by modulating protein synthesis, autophagy, and multiple other cellular processes in response to changes in nutrients and other cues. Over recent years, TOR has been studied intensively in mammalian cell culture and genetic systems because of its importance in growth, metabolism, cancer, and aging. Through its advantages for unbiased, and high-throughput, genetic and in vivo studies, Caenorhabditis elegans has made major contributions to our understanding of TOR biology. Genetic analyses in the worm have revealed unexpected aspects of TOR functions and regulation, and have the potential to further expand our understanding of how growth and metabolic regulation influence development. In the aging field, C. elegans has played a leading role in revealing the promise of TOR inhibition as a strategy for extending life span, and identifying mechanisms that function upstream and downstream of TOR to influence aging. Here, we review the state of the TOR field in C. elegans, and focus on what we have learned about its functions in development, metabolism, and aging. We discuss knowledge gaps, including the potential pitfalls in translating findings back and forth across organisms, but also describe how TOR is important for C. elegans biology, and how C. elegans work has developed paradigms of great importance for the broader TOR field.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Keith Blackwell
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Aileen K Sewell
- Department of MCDB, University of Colorado at Boulder, and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Ziyun Wu
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Min Han
- Department of MCDB, University of Colorado at Boulder, and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, Colorado
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122
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Bito T, Okamoto N, Otsuka K, Yabuta Y, Arima J, Kawano T, Watanabe F. Involvement of Spermidine in the Reduced Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans During Vitamin B 12 Deficiency. Metabolites 2019; 9:metabo9090192. [PMID: 31546940 PMCID: PMC6780408 DOI: 10.3390/metabo9090192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to various symptoms such as neuropathy, growth retardation, and infertility. Vitamin B12 functions as a coenzyme for two enzymes involved in amino acid metabolisms. However, there is limited information available on whether amino acid disorders caused by vitamin B12 deficiency induce such symptoms. First, free amino acid levels were determined in vitamin B12-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans to clarify the mechanisms underlying the symptoms caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Various amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, and cystathionine, among others) metabolized by vitamin B12-dependent enzymes were found to be significantly changed during conditions of B12 deficiency, which indirectly affected certain amino acids metabolized by vitamin B12-independent enzymes. For example, ornithine was significantly increased during vitamin B12 deficiency, which also significantly increased arginase activity. The accumulation of ornithine during vitamin B12 deficiency constitutes the first report. In addition, the biosynthesis of spermidine from ornithine was significantly decreased during vitamin B12 deficiency, likely due to the reduction of S-adenosylmethionine as a substrate for S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, which catalyzes the formation of spermidine. Moreover, vitamin B12 deficiency also demonstrated a significant reduction in worm lifespan, which was partially recovered by the addition of spermidine. Collectively, our findings suggest that decreased spermidine is one factor responsible for reduced lifespan in vitamin B12-deficient worms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Bito
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Naho Okamoto
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Kenji Otsuka
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Yukinori Yabuta
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Jiro Arima
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Tsuyoshi Kawano
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
| | - Fumio Watanabe
- Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
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123
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Laine RF, Sinnige T, Ma KY, Haack AJ, Poudel C, Gaida P, Curry N, Perni M, Nollen EA, Dobson CM, Vendruscolo M, Kaminski Schierle GS, Kaminski CF. Fast Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Reveals the Aggregation Processes of α-Synuclein and Polyglutamine in Aging Caenorhabditis elegans. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:1628-1636. [PMID: 31246415 PMCID: PMC7612977 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as an important model organism in the study of the molecular mechanisms of protein misfolding diseases associated with amyloid formation because of its small size, ease of genetic manipulation, and optical transparency. Obtaining a reliable and quantitative read-out of protein aggregation in this system, however, remains a challenge. To address this problem, we here present a fast time-gated fluorescence lifetime imaging (TG-FLIM) method and show that it provides functional insights into the process of protein aggregation in living animals by enabling the rapid characterization of different types of aggregates. Specifically, in longitudinal studies of C. elegans models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, we observed marked differences in the aggregation kinetics and the nature of the protein inclusions formed by α-synuclein and polyglutamine. In particular, we found that α-synuclein inclusions do not display amyloid-like features until late in the life of the worms, whereas polyglutamine forms amyloid characteristics rapidly in early adulthood. Furthermore, we show that the TG-FLIM method is capable of imaging live and non-anaesthetized worms moving in specially designed agarose microchambers. Taken together, our results show that the TG-FLIM method enables high-throughput functional imaging of living C. elegans that can be used to study in vivo mechanisms of protein aggregation and that has the potential to aid the search for therapeutic modifiers of protein aggregation and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain F. Laine
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Tessa Sinnige
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Kai Yu Ma
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda J. Haack
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Chetan Poudel
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Gaida
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Curry
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Perni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen A.A. Nollen
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele S. Kaminski Schierle
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens F. Kaminski
- Laser Analytics Group, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
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124
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Brown DG, Wobst HJ. Opportunities and Challenges in Phenotypic Screening for Neurodegenerative Disease Research. J Med Chem 2019; 63:1823-1840. [PMID: 31268707 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Toxic misfolded proteins potentially underly many neurodegenerative diseases, but individual targets which regulate these proteins and their downstream detrimental effects are often unknown. Phenotypic screening is an unbiased method to screen for novel targets and therapeutic molecules and span the range from primitive model organisms such as Sacchaomyces cerevisiae, which allow for high-throughput screening to patient-derived cell-lines that have a close connection to the disease biology but are limited in screening capacity. This perspective will review current phenotypic models, as well as the chemical screening strategies most often employed. Advances in in 3D cell cultures, high-content screens, robotic microscopy, CRISPR screening, and use of machine learning methods to process the enormous amount of data generated by these screens are certain to change the paradigm for phenotypic screening and will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean G Brown
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Heike J Wobst
- Neuroscience, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
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125
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Kumar H, Pushpa K, Kumari A, Verma K, Pergu R, Mylavarapu SVS. The exocyst complex and Rab5 are required for abscission by localizing ESCRT III subunits to the cytokinetic bridge. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs226001. [PMID: 31221728 PMCID: PMC6679584 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.226001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division following chromosome segregation that generates two daughter cells. The conserved exocyst complex is required for scission of the intercellular cytokinetic bridge, although the molecular mechanisms it employs in this process are unclear. We identify and validate the early endocytic GTPase Rab5 as interacting with the exocyst complex in mammalian cells. Rab5 localizes in the cytokinetic bridge and on the midbody ring in a manner similar to the exocyst complex. Depletion of Rab5 led to delayed abscission. Caenorhabditis elegans orthologs of both exocyst complex subunits and Rab5 localize along the cleavage furrow and are required for cytokinesis in early embryos. Cytokinetic cells depleted of either Rab5 or the exocyst subunits Exoc3 and Exoc4 showed impaired deposition of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) III subunits CHMP2B and/or CHMP4B near the midbody ring. The study reveals an evolutionarily conserved role for the early endocytic marker Rab5 in cytokinetic abscission. In addition, it uncovers a key requirement of the exocyst and Rab5 for the delivery of components of the membrane-severing ESCRT III machinery to complete cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsh Kumar
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Kumari Pushpa
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Amrita Kumari
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Kuldeep Verma
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Rajaiah Pergu
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Sivaram V S Mylavarapu
- Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
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126
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Patel DS, Xu N, Lu H. Digging deeper: methodologies for high-content phenotyping in Caenorhabditis elegans. Lab Anim (NY) 2019; 48:207-216. [PMID: 31217565 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-019-0326-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Deep phenotyping is an emerging conceptual paradigm and experimental approach aimed at measuring and linking many aspects of a phenotype to understand its underlying biology. To date, deep phenotyping has been applied mostly in cultured cells and used less in multicellular organisms. However, in the past decade, it has increasingly been recognized that deep phenotyping could lead to a better understanding of how genetics, environment and stochasticity affect the development, physiology and behavior of an organism. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an invaluable model system for studying how genes affect a phenotypic trait, and new technologies have taken advantage of the worm's physical attributes to increase the throughput and informational content of experiments. Coupling of these technical advancements with computational and analytical tools has enabled a boom in deep-phenotyping studies of C. elegans. In this Review, we highlight how these new technologies and tools are digging into the biological origins of complex, multidimensional phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhaval S Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nan Xu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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127
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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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128
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Butcher RA. Natural products as chemical tools to dissect complex biology in C. elegans. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2019; 50:138-144. [PMID: 31102973 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The search for novel pheromones, hormones, and other types of natural products in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has accelerated over the last 10-15 years. Many of these natural products perturb fundamental processes such as developmental progression, metabolism, reproductive and somatic aging, and various behaviors and have thus become essential tools for probing these processes, which are difficult to study in higher organisms. Furthermore, given the similarity between C. elegans and parasitic nematodes, these natural products could potentially be used to manipulate the development and behavior of parasitic nematodes and target the infections caused by them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Butcher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
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129
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Tarkhov AE, Alla R, Ayyadevara S, Pyatnitskiy M, Menshikov LI, Shmookler Reis RJ, Fedichev PO. A universal transcriptomic signature of age reveals the temporal scaling of Caenorhabditis elegans aging trajectories. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7368. [PMID: 31089188 PMCID: PMC6517414 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43075-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We collected 60 age-dependent transcriptomes for C. elegans strains including four exceptionally long-lived mutants (mean adult lifespan extended 2.2- to 9.4-fold) and three examples of lifespan-increasing RNAi treatments. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals aging as a transcriptomic drift along a single direction, consistent across the vastly diverse biological conditions and coinciding with the first principal component, a hallmark of the criticality of the underlying gene regulatory network. We therefore expected that the organism's aging state could be characterized by a single number closely related to vitality deficit or biological age. The "aging trajectory", i.e. the dependence of the biological age on chronological age, is then a universal stochastic function modulated by the network stiffness; a macroscopic parameter reflecting the network topology and associated with the rate of aging. To corroborate this view, we used publicly available datasets to define a transcriptomic biomarker of age and observed that the rescaling of age by lifespan simultaneously brings together aging trajectories of transcription and survival curves. In accordance with the theoretical prediction, the limiting mortality value at the plateau agrees closely with the mortality rate doubling exponent estimated at the cross-over age near the average lifespan. Finally, we used the transcriptomic signature of age to identify possible life-extending drug compounds and successfully tested a handful of the top-ranking molecules in C. elegans survival assays and achieved up to a +30% extension of mean lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei E Tarkhov
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia.
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, Bolshoy Boulevard 30, bld. 1, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
| | - Ramani Alla
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Srinivas Ayyadevara
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Mikhail Pyatnitskiy
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 119121, Moscow, Russia
| | - Leonid I Menshikov
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 1, Akademika Kurchatova pl., Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Robert J Shmookler Reis
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Peter O Fedichev
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia.
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Institutskii per. 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia.
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130
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Chen M, Wang F, Cao JJ, Han X, Lu WW, Ji X, Chen WH, Lu WQ, Liu AL. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates the toxicity of methylmercury in Caenorhabditis elegans by activating SKN-1. Chem Biol Interact 2019; 307:125-135. [PMID: 31047916 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in tea is a natural activator of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a primary regulator of the cellular defense system. The adverse health effects resulting from methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in humans are of worldwide concern. We hypothesized that EGCG could induce a Nrf2-mediated protective response to antagonize MeHg toxicity. Using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematode model, we observed that EGCG activated SKN-1 (the functional ortholog of Nrf2 in C. elegans), as shown by the increased skn-1 mRNA level, induction of the gene gst-4, and enhanced SKN-1-mediated oxidative stress resistance that were indicated by elevation of total antioxidant ability and reductions in reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. Following exposure to MeHg, EGCG-treated C. elegans displayed increased survival rates, improved locomotion behaviors, decreased numbers of damaged neurons, and reduced oxidative damage compared to the controls. Moreover, the protective effects of EGCG against MeHg toxicity were counteracted by RNA-mediated interference of skn-1. These results demonstrated that EGCG could alleviate MeHg toxicity by upregulating the SKN-1-regulated protective response in C. elegans. Our study suggests a potentially beneficial effect of targeting Nrf2 by dietary EGCG in protecting humans against MeHg toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Fan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jing-Jing Cao
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Xue Han
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Wei-Wei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Xin Ji
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Wei-Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Wen-Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Ai-Lin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China.
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131
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Memar N, Schiemann S, Hennig C, Findeis D, Conradt B, Schnabel R. Twenty million years of evolution: The embryogenesis of four Caenorhabditis species are indistinguishable despite extensive genome divergence. Dev Biol 2019; 447:182-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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132
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The polygenic nature of telomere length and the anti-ageing properties of lithium. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:757-765. [PMID: 30559463 PMCID: PMC6372618 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0289-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length is a promising biomarker for age-related disease and a potential anti-ageing drug target. Here, we study the genetic architecture of telomere length and the repositioning potential of lithium as an anti-ageing medication. LD score regression applied to the largest telomere length genome-wide association study to-date, revealed SNP-chip heritability estimates of 7.29%, with polygenic risk scoring capturing 4.4% of the variance in telomere length in an independent cohort (p = 6.17 × 10-5). Gene-enrichment analysis identified 13 genes associated with telomere length, with the most significant being the leucine rich repeat gene, LRRC34 (p = 3.69 × 10-18). In the context of lithium, we confirm that chronic use in a sample of 384 bipolar disorder patients is associated with longer telomeres (p = 0.03). As complementary evidence, we studied three orthologs of telomere length regulators in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of lithium-induced extended longevity and found all transcripts to be affected post-treatment (p < 0.05). Lithium may therefore confer its anti-ageing effects by moderating the expression of genes responsible for normal telomere length regulation. This is supported by our bipolar disorder sample, which shows that polygenic risk scores explain a higher proportion of the variance in telomere length amongst chronic lifetime lithium users (variance explained = 8.9%, p = 0.01), compared to non-users (p > 0.05). Consequently, this suggests that lithium may be catalysing the activity of endogenous mechanisms that promote telomere lengthening, whereby its efficacy eventually becomes limited by each individual's inherent telomere maintenance capabilities. Our work indicates a potential use of polygenic risk scoring for the prediction of adult telomere length and consequently lithium's anti-ageing efficacy.
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133
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The in-silico characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans matrisome and proposal of a novel collagen classification. Matrix Biol Plus 2019; 1:100001. [PMID: 33543001 PMCID: PMC7852208 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins are the building blocks of life. While proteins and their localization within cells and sub-cellular compartments are well defined, the proteins predicted to be secreted to form the extracellular matrix - or matrisome - remain elusive in the model organism C. elegans. Here, we used a bioinformatic approach combining gene orthology and protein structure analysis and an extensive curation of the literature to define the C. elegans matrisome. Similar to the human genome, we found that 719 out of ~20,000 genes (~4%) of the C. elegans genome encodes matrisome proteins, including 181 collagens, 35 glycoproteins, 10 proteoglycans, and 493 matrisome-associated proteins. We report that 173 out of the 181 collagen genes are unique to nematodes and are predicted to encode cuticular collagens, which we are proposing to group into five clusters. To facilitate the use of our lists and classification by the scientific community, we developed an automated annotation tool to identify ECM components in large datasets. We also established a novel database of all C. elegans collagens (CeColDB). Last, we provide examples of how the newly defined C. elegans matrisome can be used for annotations and gene ontology analyses of transcriptomic, proteomic, and RNAi screening data. Because C. elegans is a widely used model organism for high throughput genetic and drug screens, and to study biological and pathological processes, the conserved matrisome genes may aid in identifying potential drug targets. In addition, the nematode-specific matrisome may be exploited for targeting parasitic infection of man and crops. Pipeline combining gene- and protein-sequence analysis to predict the C. elegans matrisome The in-silicoC. elegans matrisome comprises 719 genes. The 185 C. elegans collagen-domain-containing proteins are classified into 4 groups. The 173 cuticular collagens are further classified into 5 clusters based on their domain organization. The C. elegans Matrisome Annotator is an online tool to identify matrisome genes and proteins in large datasets.
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134
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Guerrero-Rubio MA, Hernández-García S, García-Carmona F, Gandía-Herrero F. Extension of life-span using a RNAi model and in vivo antioxidant effect of Opuntia fruit extracts and pure betalains in Caenorhabditis elegans. Food Chem 2019; 274:840-847. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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135
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Porter DF, Prasad A, Carrick BH, Kroll-Connor P, Wickens M, Kimble J. Toward Identifying Subnetworks from FBF Binding Landscapes in Caenorhabditis Spermatogenic or Oogenic Germlines. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:153-165. [PMID: 30459181 PMCID: PMC6325917 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Metazoan PUF (Pumilio and FBF) RNA-binding proteins regulate various biological processes, but a common theme across phylogeny is stem cell regulation. In Caenorhabditis elegans, FBF (fem-3 Binding Factor) maintains germline stem cells regardless of which gamete is made, but FBF also functions in the process of spermatogenesis. We have begun to "disentangle" these biological roles by asking which FBF targets are gamete-independent, as expected for stem cells, and which are gamete-specific. Specifically, we compared FBF iCLIP binding profiles in adults making sperm to those making oocytes. Normally, XX adults make oocytes. To generate XX adults making sperm, we used a fem-3(gf) mutant requiring growth at 25°; for comparison, wild-type oogenic hermaphrodites were also raised at 25°. Our FBF iCLIP data revealed FBF binding sites in 1522 RNAs from oogenic adults and 1704 RNAs from spermatogenic adults. More than half of these FBF targets were independent of germline gender. We next clustered RNAs by FBF-RNA complex frequencies and found four distinct blocks. Block I RNAs were enriched in spermatogenic germlines, and included validated target fog-3, while Block II and III RNAs were common to both genders, and Block IV RNAs were enriched in oogenic germlines. Block II (510 RNAs) included almost all validated FBF targets and was enriched for cell cycle regulators. Block III (21 RNAs) was enriched for RNA-binding proteins, including previously validated FBF targets gld-1 and htp-1 We suggest that Block I RNAs belong to the FBF network for spermatogenesis, and that Blocks II and III are associated with stem cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas F Porter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Aman Prasad
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Brian H Carrick
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Peggy Kroll-Connor
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Marvin Wickens
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Judith Kimble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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136
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Do SH, Lee SY, Na HS. The effect of repeated isoflurane exposure on serine synthesis pathway during the developmental period in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurotoxicology 2019; 71:132-137. [PMID: 30639121 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.01.001] [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] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serine synthetic pathway plays an essential role in the development and function of the nervous system. This study investigated whether the serine synthetic pathway was affected by repeated volatile anesthetic exposure using C. elegans and its relationship with anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity. METHODS Synchronized worms were divided into two groups: the control and isoflurane groups. Worms in the isoflurane group were exposed to isoflurane for 1 h at each larval stage. The chemotaxis index was evaluated when they reached the young adult-stage in both groups. Also, RNA was extracted from the young adult-worms, and the expressions of C31C9.2, F26H9.5, and Y62E10 A.13 were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction in both groups. At the same time, the l-serine level was measured. After phosphoserine phosphatase inhibitor - glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) - and l-serine were treated, the change of chemotaxis index was determined. RESULTS In young adult worms exposed to isoflurane, the genetic expressions of C31C9.2, F26H9.5, and Y62E10 A.13 were decreased, and a significant decrease was shown in Y62E10 A.13. The serine level in worms was also lower in the isoflurane group than in the control group (5.13 ± 1.44 vs. 7.65 ± 0.81 pM, n = 5 in each group, p = 0.009). Exposure to GPC reduced the chemotaxis index to a similar degree as repeated isoflurane exposure (52.9% in GPC group vs 58.7% in the isoflurane group). The chemotaxis index (61.1%) was not decreased by repeated isoflurane anesthesia in GPC-treated worms. In this condition, the l-serine level was low similarly in both groups (5.22 ± 1.19 vs. 4.90 ± 1.36 pM, n = 5 in each group, p = 0.702). When l-serine was supplied to C. elegans, the deteriorated chemotaxis index by isoflurane exposure recovered (78.1% in the control group vs. 75.5% in the isoflurane group, p = 0.465). CONCLUSION Serine synthetic pathway was negatively affected in C. elegans by repeated isoflurane exposure. Y62E10 A.13, which corresponds to phosphoserine phosphatase, was mostly influenced, followed by low l-serine level. Supplementation with l-serine could restore the chemotaxis index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hwan Do
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Sue-Young Lee
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Seok Na
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
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137
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Koopman M, Seinstra RI, Nollen EAA. C. elegans as a Model for Synucleinopathies and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases: Tools and Techniques. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1948:93-112. [PMID: 30771173 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9124-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is widely used to investigate biological processes related to health and disease. Multiple C. elegans models for human neurodegenerative diseases do exist, including those expressing human α-synuclein. Even though these models do not feature all pathological and molecular hallmarks of the disease they mimic, they allow for the identification and dissection of molecular pathways that are involved. In line with this, genetic screens have yielded multiple modifiers of proteotoxicity in C. elegans models for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we describe a set of common screening approaches and tools that can be used to study synucleinopathies and other neurodegenerative diseases in C. elegans. RNA interference and mutagenesis screens can be used to find genes that affect proteotoxicity, while relatively simple molecular, cellular (fractionation studies), metabolic (respiration studies), and behavioral (thrashing and crawling) readouts can be used to study the effects of disease proteins and modifiers more closely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Koopman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renée I Seinstra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen A A Nollen
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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138
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Ben-Yakar A. High-Content and High-Throughput In Vivo Drug Screening Platforms Using Microfluidics. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2019; 17:8-13. [DOI: 10.1089/adt.2018.908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adela Ben-Yakar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
- Adela Ben-Yakar from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin was awarded The President's Innovation award at the annual Society of Biomolecular Imaging and Informatics (SBI2) meeting held in Boston, September 2018
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139
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Hajduskova M, Baytek G, Kolundzic E, Gosdschan A, Kazmierczak M, Ofenbauer A, Beato Del Rosal ML, Herzog S, Ul Fatima N, Mertins P, Seelk-Müthel S, Tursun B. MRG-1/MRG15 Is a Barrier for Germ Cell to Neuron Reprogramming in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 211:121-139. [PMID: 30425042 PMCID: PMC6325694 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin regulators play important roles in the safeguarding of cell identities by opposing the induction of ectopic cell fates and, thereby, preventing forced conversion of cell identities by reprogramming approaches. Our knowledge of chromatin regulators acting as reprogramming barriers in living organisms needs improvement as most studies use tissue culture. We used Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo gene discovery model and automated solid-phase RNA interference screening, by which we identified 10 chromatin-regulating factors that protect cells against ectopic fate induction. Specifically, the chromodomain protein MRG-1 safeguards germ cells against conversion into neurons. MRG-1 is the ortholog of mammalian MRG15 (MORF-related gene on chromosome 15) and is required during germline development in C. elegans However, MRG-1's function as a barrier for germ cell reprogramming has not been revealed previously. Here, we further provide protein-protein and genome interactions of MRG-1 to characterize its molecular functions. Conserved chromatin regulators may have similar functions in higher organisms, and therefore, understanding cell fate protection in C. elegans may also help to facilitate reprogramming of human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Hajduskova
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gülkiz Baytek
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ena Kolundzic
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Gosdschan
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlon Kazmierczak
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Ofenbauer
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Lena Beato Del Rosal
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sergej Herzog
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nida Ul Fatima
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Mertins
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Seelk-Müthel
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Baris Tursun
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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140
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Sousa DM, Cunha NMFD, Silva DRD, Aragão PDTTDD, Aguiar MVDA, Lobo MDP, Moreira ACDOM, Cunha RMSD, Miranda RRCD, Bevilaqua CML. Differences in protein expression associated with ivermectin resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2019; 28:105-112. [PMID: 30916256 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612019013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The indiscriminate administration of synthetic anthelmintics such as ivermectin contributes to the selection of subpopulations capable of resisting the drugs' effects. To understand the mechanisms of ivermectin resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans, this study attempted to identify molecular targets. C. elegans lineages that were sensitive and resistant to ivermectin were used. Collected nematodes were added to an extraction buffer and macerated in liquid nitrogen for protein extraction. The extracted proteins were separated according to molecular weight by SDS-PAGE to verify their integrity. Subsequently, proteins from both lineages were separated using two-dimensional electrophoresis. The gels were analyzed and the relevant spots were excised and identified by mass spectrometry (NanoESI-Q-TOF and MASCOT®) and subsequently assessed by GO enrichment and STRING® analyses. The increased expression of proteins associated with high metabolic activity, such as ATP-2 and ENOL-1, which are responsible for ATP synthesis, was observed. Furthermore, proteins with involvement in mediating muscular function (MLC-1, ACT-1, and PDI-2), signaling (FAR-1 and FAR-2), and embryo development (VHA-2) were identified. Protein interaction analysis indicated that the majority of the identified proteins in the resistant lineages participated in the same reaction triggered by ivermectin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dauana Mesquita Sousa
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará - UECE, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil
| | - Nivea Maria Ferreira da Cunha
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Núcleo de Biotecnologia de Sobral, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA, Sobral, CE, Brasil
| | - Deisianne Rodrigues da Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Núcleo de Biotecnologia de Sobral, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA, Sobral, CE, Brasil
| | - Paulo de Tarso Teles Dourado de Aragão
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Núcleo de Biotecnologia de Sobral, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará - UFC, Sobral, CE, Brasil
| | - Mônica Valéria de Almeida Aguiar
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Núcleo de Biotecnologia de Sobral, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA, Sobral, CE, Brasil
| | | | | | - Rodrigo Maranguape Silva da Cunha
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Núcleo de Biotecnologia de Sobral, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA, Sobral, CE, Brasil
| | | | - Claudia Maria Leal Bevilaqua
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará - UECE, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil
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141
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Kasap M, Rajani V, Rajani J, Dwyer DS. Surprising conservation of schizophrenia risk genes in lower organisms reflects their essential function and the evolution of genetic liability. Schizophr Res 2018; 202:120-128. [PMID: 30017463 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric illness that affects approximately 1% of the population. Genetic variation in multiple genes causes elevated risk for the disorder, but the molecular basis is inadequately understood and it is not clear how risk genes have evolved and persisted in the genome. To address these issues, we have identified orthologs/homologs of 344 schizophrenia risk genes (from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium dataset) in lower organisms, including C. elegans, Drosophila and zebrafish, along with phenotypes produced by genetic disruption in C. elegans. Schizophrenia risk genes were evolutionarily conserved at significantly higher rates in C. elegans (81%) and zebrafish (88%) than genes in general for these two species (40-70%). The risk-gene equivalents were highly (~3-fold) enriched for essential genes consistent with polygenic mutation threshold models, which propose that genetic susceptibility results from the inevitable expression of harmful combinations of risk variants in the population. Most notably, numerous examples of cross-species synteny revealed how blocks of risk genes geared toward a shared biological purpose coalesced into proximity during evolution. We obtained initial evidence that schizophrenia risk genes affected different stages of development, potentially allowing differential modulation by the environment. Taken together, studies of the conservation of schizophrenia risk genes in simple model organisms provided novel insights into the molecular basis for genetic susceptibility to a complex human psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kasap
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, USA
| | - Vivek Rajani
- Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA
| | - Jackie Rajani
- Department of Psychiatry, Rosalind Franklin University, Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Donard S Dwyer
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, USA; Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA.
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142
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McDiarmid TA, Au V, Loewen AD, Liang J, Mizumoto K, Moerman DG, Rankin CH. CRISPR-Cas9 human gene replacement and phenomic characterization in Caenorhabditis elegans to understand the functional conservation of human genes and decipher variants of uncertain significance. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.036517. [PMID: 30361258 PMCID: PMC6307914 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.036517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to sequence genomes has vastly surpassed our ability to interpret the genetic variation we discover. This presents a major challenge in the clinical setting, where the recent application of whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing has uncovered thousands of genetic variants of uncertain significance. Here, we present a strategy for targeted human gene replacement and phenomic characterization, based on CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, that will facilitate assessment of the functional conservation of human genes and structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants with unprecedented precision. We validate our strategy by demonstrating that direct single-copy replacement of the C. elegans ortholog (daf-18) with the critical human disease-associated gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is sufficient to rescue multiple phenotypic abnormalities caused by complete deletion of daf-18, including complex chemosensory and mechanosensory impairments. In addition, we used our strategy to generate animals harboring a single copy of the known pathogenic lipid phosphatase inactive PTEN variant (PTEN-G129E), and showed that our automated in vivo phenotypic assays could accurately and efficiently classify this missense variant as loss of function. The integrated nature of the human transgenes allows for analysis of both homozygous and heterozygous variants and greatly facilitates high-throughput precision medicine drug screens. By combining genome engineering with rapid and automated phenotypic characterization, our strategy streamlines the identification of novel conserved gene functions in complex sensory and learning phenotypes that can be used as in vivo functional assays to decipher variants of uncertain significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A McDiarmid
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Vinci Au
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Aaron D Loewen
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Joseph Liang
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Kota Mizumoto
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Donald G Moerman
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Catharine H Rankin
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada .,Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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143
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Kim KW, Tang NH, Piggott CA, Andrusiak MG, Park S, Zhu M, Kurup N, Cherra SJ, Wu Z, Chisholm AD, Jin Y. Expanded genetic screening in Caenorhabditis elegans identifies new regulators and an inhibitory role for NAD + in axon regeneration. eLife 2018; 7:39756. [PMID: 30461420 PMCID: PMC6281318 DOI: 10.7554/elife.39756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying axon regeneration in mature neurons are relevant to the understanding of normal nervous system maintenance and for developing therapeutic strategies for injury. Here, we report novel pathways in axon regeneration, identified by extending our previous function-based screen using the C. elegans mechanosensory neuron axotomy model. We identify an unexpected role of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesizing enzyme, NMAT-2/NMNAT, in axon regeneration. NMAT-2 inhibits axon regrowth via cell-autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms. NMAT-2 enzymatic activity is required to repress regrowth. Further, we find differential requirements for proteins in membrane contact site, components and regulators of the extracellular matrix, membrane trafficking, microtubule and actin cytoskeleton, the conserved Kelch-domain protein IVNS-1, and the orphan transporter MFSD-6 in axon regrowth. Identification of these new pathways expands our understanding of the molecular basis of axonal injury response and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Won Kim
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Ngang Heok Tang
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Christopher A Piggott
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Matthew G Andrusiak
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Seungmee Park
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Ming Zhu
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Naina Kurup
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Salvatore J Cherra
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Zilu Wu
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Andrew D Chisholm
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Yishi Jin
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, United States
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144
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Kim Y, Park Y, Hwang J, Kwack K. Comparative genomic analysis of the human and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans uncovers potential reproductive genes and disease associations in humans. Physiol Genomics 2018; 50:1002-1014. [DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00063.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is an important biological process. However, studies of human reproduction at the molecular level are limited due to the difficulty of performing in vivo studies. Hence, a mechanistic understanding of human reproduction remains still poor. Thus, it is important to use an alternative model organism for mechanistic studies of human reproduction. In this study, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for studying human reproduction and identified 61 human and 535 worm reproductive genes through a combination of comparative genomic and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses. Interestingly, in terms of sex specificity, the number of male-specific genes was greater than the number of female-specific genes. Gene enrichment analysis identified biologically significant processes such as protein localization to cajal bodies/telomeres/nuclear bodies/chromosomes, helicase activity, pyrimidine biosynthesis, and determination of adult lifespan. Regarding the analysis of human reproductive diseases among the identified genes, 10 and 12 genes were identified in the human- and C. elegans-based analyses, respectively. In addition, RNA interference knockdown of a newly identified F52H2.6/DHCR24 gene increased brood size and ovulation/egg-laying rate in C. elegans. Therefore, gene identification, disease associations, and a proof-of-concept experiment using C. elegans will not only provide insights into mechanistic study of human reproduction, but also demonstrate the utility in studying human reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsoon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - YoungJoon Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - JoonYeon Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - KyuBum Kwack
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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145
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Migliozzi D, Cornaglia M, Mouchiroud L, Uhlmann V, Unser MA, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Multimodal imaging and high-throughput image-processing for drug screening on living organisms on-chip. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2018; 24:1-9. [PMID: 30484295 PMCID: PMC6987638 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.24.2.021205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A major step for the validation of medical drugs is the screening on whole organisms, which gives the systemic information that is missing when using cellular models. Caenorhabditis elegans is a soil worm that catches the interest of researchers who study systemic physiopathology (e.g., metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases) because: (1) its large genetic homology with humans supports translational analysis; (2) worms are much easier to handle and grow in large amounts compared with rodents, for which (3) the costs and (4) the ethical concerns are substantial. Here, we demonstrate how multimodal optical imaging on such an organism can provide high-content information relevant to the drug development pipeline (e.g., mode-of-action identification, dose-response analysis), especially when combined with on-chip multiplexing capability. After designing a microfluidic array to select small separated populations of C. elegans, we combine fluorescence and bright-field imaging along with high-throughput feature recognition and signal detection to enable the identification of the mode-of-action of an antibiotic. For this purpose, we use a genetically encoded fluorescence reporter of mitochondrial stress, which we studied in living specimens during their entire development. Furthermore, we demonstrate real-time, very large field-of-view capability on multiplexed motility assays for the assessment of the dose-response relation of an anesthetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Migliozzi
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Uhlmann
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael A. Unser
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
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146
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Decoding the intensity of sensory input by two glutamate receptors in one C. elegans interneuron. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4311. [PMID: 30333484 PMCID: PMC6193023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06819-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How neurons are capable of decoding stimulus intensity and translate this information into complex behavioral outputs is poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the C. elegans interneuron AIB regulates two types of behaviors: reversal initiation and feeding suppression in response to different concentrations of quinine. Low concentrations of quinine are decoded in AIB by a low-threshold, fast-inactivation glutamate receptor GLR-1 and translated into reversal initiation. In contrast, high concentrations of quinine are decoded by a high-threshold, slow-inactivation glutamate receptor GLR-5 in AIB. After activation, GLR-5 evokes sustained Ca2+ release from the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ stores and triggers neuropeptide secretion, which in turn activates the downstream neuron RIM and inhibits feeding. Our results reveal that distinct signal patterns in a single interneuron AIB can encode differential behavioral outputs depending on the stimulus intensity, thus highlighting the importance of functional mapping of information propagation at the single-neuron level during connectome construction.
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147
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Scorzoni L, de Lucas MP, Singulani JDL, de Oliveira HC, Assato PA, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Evaluation of Caenorhabditis elegans as a host model for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii. Pathog Dis 2018; 76:4816731. [PMID: 29361158 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/fty004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection affecting mainly Latin American countries that is caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii. During the study of fungal pathogenesis, in vivo studies are crucial to understand the overall mechanisms involving the infection as well as to search for new therapeutic treatments and diagnosis. Caenorhabditis elegans is described as an infection model for different fungi species and a well-characterized organism to study the innate immune response. This study evaluates C. elegans as an infection model for Paracoccidioides spp. It was observed that both species do not cause infection in C. elegans, as occurs with Candida albicans, and one possible explanation is that the irregular size and shape of Paracoccidioides spp. difficult the ingestion of these fungi by the nematode. Besides this difficulty in the infection, we could observe that the simple exposition of C. elegans to Paracoccidioides species was able to trigger a distinct pattern of expression of antimicrobial peptide genes. The expression of cnc-4, nlpl-27 and nlp-31 was superior after the exposure to P. brasiliensis in comparison to P. lutzii (P < 0.05), and these findings demonstrate important differences regarding innate immune response activation caused by the two species of the Paracoccidioides genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Scorzoni
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Maria Pilar de Lucas
- Unidad de Biología Celular, Unidad Funcional de Investigación de Enfermedades Crónicas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Junya de Lacorte Singulani
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Patricia Akemi Assato
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes-Giannini
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara, Brazil
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148
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OrthoList 2: A New Comparative Genomic Analysis of Human and Caenorhabditis elegans Genes. Genetics 2018; 210:445-461. [PMID: 30120140 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OrthoList, a compendium of Caenorhabditis elegans genes with human orthologs compiled in 2011 by a meta-analysis of four orthology-prediction methods, has been a popular tool for identifying conserved genes for research into biological and disease mechanisms. However, the efficacy of orthology prediction depends on the accuracy of gene-model predictions, an ongoing process, and orthology-prediction algorithms have also been updated over time. Here we present OrthoList 2 (OL2), a new comparative genomic analysis between C. elegans and humans, and the first assessment of how changes over time affect the landscape of predicted orthologs between two species. Although we find that updates to the orthology-prediction methods significantly changed the landscape of C. elegans-human orthologs predicted by individual programs and-unexpectedly-reduced agreement among them, we also show that our meta-analysis approach "buffered" against changes in gene content. We show that adding results from more programs did not lead to many additions to the list and discuss reasons to avoid assigning "scores" based on support by individual orthology-prediction programs; the treatment of "legacy" genes no longer predicted by these programs; and the practical difficulties of updating due to encountering deprecated, changed, or retired gene identifiers. In addition, we consider what other criteria may support claims of orthology and alternative approaches to find potential orthologs that elude identification by these programs. Finally, we created a new web-based tool that allows for rapid searches of OL2 by gene identifiers, protein domains [InterPro and SMART (Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool], or human disease associations ([OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritence in Man], and also includes available RNA-interference resources to facilitate potential translational cross-species studies.
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149
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Litke R, Boulanger É, Fradin C. Caenorhabditis elegans, un modèle d’étude du vieillissement. Med Sci (Paris) 2018; 34:571-579. [DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20183406017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Le vieillissement est un processus physiologique complexe qui accompagne l’avancée en âge de tout organisme vivant. L’utilisation d’organismes modèles considérés comme simples a été fondamentale pour la compréhension des mécanismes impliqués dans ce processus. Caenorhabditis elegans, nématode utilisé initialement pour établir les bases génétiques et moléculaires du développement, est devenu un des modèles d’étude du vieillissement. L’utilisation de cet invertébré a permis de détecter un lien direct entre l’activation de voies de signalisation cellulaire et la longévité. Si C. elegans ne permet pas d’analyser le processus complet du vieillissement humain, il reste un modèle de choix pour étudier des mécanismes et phénotypes particuliers du vieillissement.
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150
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Arantes LP, Machado ML, Zamberlan DC, da Silveira TL, da Silva TC, da Cruz IBM, Ribeiro EE, Aschner M, Soares FAA. Mechanisms involved in anti-aging effects of guarana (Paullinia cupana) in Caenorhabditis elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 51:e7552. [PMID: 29972429 PMCID: PMC6040867 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20187552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is habitually ingested by people in
the Amazon region and is a key ingredient in various energy drinks consumed
worldwide. Extension in longevity and low prevalence of chronic age-related
diseases have been associated to habitual intake of guarana. Anti-aging
potential of guarana was also demonstrated in Caenorhabditis
elegans; however, the mechanisms involved in its effects are not
clear. Herein, we investigated the putative pathways that regulate the effects
of guarana ethanolic extract (GEE) on lifespan using C.
elegans. The major known longevity pathways were analyzed through
mutant worms and RT-qPCR assay (DAF-2, DAF-16, SKN-1, SIR-2.1, HSF-1). The
possible involvement of purinergic signaling was also investigated. This study
demonstrated that GEE acts through antioxidant activity, DAF-16, HSF-1, and
SKN-1 pathways, and human adenosine receptor ortholog (ADOR-1) to extend
lifespan. GEE also downregulated skn-1,
daf-16, sir-2.1 and hsp-16.2
in 9-day-old C. elegans, which might reflect less need to
activate these protective genes due to direct antioxidant effects. Our results
contribute to the comprehension of guarana effects in vivo,
which might be helpful to prevent or treat aging-associated disorders, and also
suggest purinergic signaling as a plausible therapeutic target for longevity
studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L P Arantes
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - M L Machado
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - D C Zamberlan
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - T L da Silveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - T C da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - I B M da Cruz
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - E E Ribeiro
- Universidade Aberta da Terceira Idade, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - M Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - F A A Soares
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
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