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Peysson A, Zariohi N, Gendrel M, Chambert-Loir A, Frébault N, Cheynet E, Andrini O, Boulin T. Wnt-Ror-Dvl signalling and the dystrophin complex organize planar-polarized membrane compartments in C. elegans muscles. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4935. [PMID: 38858388 PMCID: PMC11164867 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49154-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity mechanisms allow the formation of specialized membrane domains with unique protein compositions, signalling properties, and functional characteristics. By analyzing the localization of potassium channels and proteins belonging to the dystrophin-associated protein complex, we reveal the existence of distinct planar-polarized membrane compartments at the surface of C. elegans muscle cells. We find that muscle polarity is controlled by a non-canonical Wnt signalling cascade involving the ligand EGL-20/Wnt, the receptor CAM-1/Ror, and the intracellular effector DSH-1/Dishevelled. Interestingly, classical planar cell polarity proteins are not required for this process. Using time-resolved protein degradation, we demonstrate that -while it is essentially in place by the end of embryogenesis- muscle polarity is a dynamic state, requiring continued presence of DSH-1 throughout post-embryonic life. Our results reveal the unsuspected complexity of the C. elegans muscle membrane and establish a genetically tractable model system to study cellular polarity and membrane compartmentalization in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Peysson
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noura Zariohi
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Marie Gendrel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Amandine Chambert-Loir
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noémie Frébault
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Elise Cheynet
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Olga Andrini
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Thomas Boulin
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France.
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2
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Hu Q, Xu Y, Song M, Dai Y, Antebi A, Shen Y. BLMP-1 is a critical temporal regulator of dietary-restriction-induced response in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113959. [PMID: 38483903 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The extrinsic diet and the intrinsic developmental programs are intertwined. Although extensive research has been conducted on how nutrition regulates development, whether and how developmental programs control the timing of nutritional responses remain barely known. Here, we report that a developmental timing regulator, BLMP-1/BLIMP1, governs the temporal response to dietary restriction (DR). At the end of larval development, BLMP-1 is induced and interacts with DR-activated PHA-4/FOXA, a key transcription factor responding to the reduced nutrition. By integrating temporal and nutritional signaling, the DR response regulates many development-related genes, including gska-3/GSK3β, through BLMP-1-PHA-4 at the onset of adulthood. Upon DR, a precocious activation of BLMP-1 in early larval stages impairs neuronal development through gska-3, whereas the increase of gska-3 by BLMP-1-PHA-4 at the last larval stage suppresses WNT signaling in adulthood for DR-induced longevity. Our findings reveal a temporal checkpoint of the DR response that protects larval development and promotes adult health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mengjiao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yumin Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Adam Antebi
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Yidong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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3
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Banerjee TD, Murugesan SN, Connahs H, Monteiro A. Spatial and temporal regulation of Wnt signaling pathway members in the development of butterfly wing patterns. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg3877. [PMID: 37494447 PMCID: PMC10371022 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signaling members are involved in the differentiation of cells associated with eyespot and band color patterns on the wings of butterflies, but the identity and spatio-temporal regulation of specific Wnt pathway members remains unclear. Here, we explore the localization and function of Armadillo/β-catenin dependent (canonical) and Armadillo/β-catenin independent (noncanonical) Wnt signaling in eyespot and band development in Bicyclus anynana by localizing Armadillo (Arm), the expression of all eight Wnt ligand and four frizzled receptor transcripts present in the genome of this species and testing the function of some of the ligands and receptors using CRISPR-Cas9. We show that distinct Wnt signaling pathways are essential for eyespot and band patterning in butterflies and are likely interacting to control their active domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tirtha Das Banerjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore - 117557
| | | | - Heidi Connahs
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore - 117557
| | - Antόnia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore - 117557
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore - 138527
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4
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Anand AS, Verma K, Amitabh, Prasad DN, Kohli E. The interplay of calponin, wnt signaling, and cytoskeleton protein governs transgenerational phenotypic abnormalities in drosophila exposed to zinc oxide nanoparticles. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 369:110284. [PMID: 36462549 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110284] [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: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used engineered nanomaterials. Due to induced genotoxicity, increased oxidative stress, and teratogenicity, these NPs have been reported to be toxic. In the present study, we emphasise the role of vital proteins in regulating ZnO NP-induced abnormal phenotypes, particularly the deformed thorax and single wing in the Drosophila melanogaster progeny fed on 0.1-10 mM ZnO NPs. To understand how protein expression regulates this particular phenotype on ZnO NPs exposure, toxicoproteomics profile of control and abnormal phenotype flies was generated using LC/MS/MS. Gene ontology enrichment studies of proteomics data were carried out using CLUEGO and STRAP software. The bioinformatics tool STRING was used to generate a protein-protein interaction map of key proteins of enrichment analysis. Following ZnO NP exposure, the differential expression of key proteins of the Wnt pathway was prominent. Altered expression of various proteins of the Wnt pathway (CaMKII), cytoskeleton (Actin), and calponin resulted in developmental defects in drosophila progeny. In addition, immunohistology studies showed a significant deviation in the expression of wingless protein of ZnO NPs treated larvae in comparison to control. According to these findings, the interaction of the wnt pathway and cytoskeletal proteins with ZnO NPs caused developmental abnormalities in the subsequent generation of drosophila, highlighting the transgenerational toxic effects of these nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avnika Singh Anand
- Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Kalyani Verma
- Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Amitabh
- Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Dipti N Prasad
- Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Ekta Kohli
- Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, India.
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5
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Montero-Herradón S, Zapata AG. Delayed maturation of thymic epithelium in mice with specific deletion of β-catenin gene in FoxN1 positive cells. Histochem Cell Biol 2021; 156:315-332. [PMID: 34254201 PMCID: PMC8550644 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-021-02012-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signalling pathways have been reported to be involved in thymus development but their precise role in the development of both thymic epithelium (TE) and thymocytes is controversial. Herein, we examined embryonic, postnatal and adult thymi of mice with a specific deletion of β-catenin gene in FoxN1+ thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Together with a high postnatal mouse mortality, the analysis showed severe thymic hypocellularity, largely due an important reduction in numbers of developing thymocytes, and delayed, partially blocked maturation of mutant TECs. Affected TECs included largely cortical (c) TEC subsets, such as immature MTS20+ TECs, Ly51+ cTECs and a remarkable, rare Ly51+MTS20+MHCIIhi cell subpopulation previously reported to contain thymic epithelial progenitor cells (TEPCs) (Ulyanchenko et al., Cell Rep 14:2819-2832, 2016). In addition, altered postnatal organization of mutant thymic medulla failed to organize a unique, central epithelial area. This delayed maturation of TE cell components correlated with low transcript production of some molecules reported to be masters for TEC maturation, such as EphB2, EphB3 and RANK. Changes in the thymic lymphoid component became particularly evident after birth, when molecules expressed by TECs and involved in early T-cell maturation, such as CCL25, CXCL12 and Dll4, exhibited minimal values. This represented a partial blockade of the progression of DN to DP cells and reduced proportions of this last thymocyte subset. At 1 month, in correlation with a significant increase in transcript production, the DP cell percentage increased in correlation with a significant fall in the number of mature TCRαβhi thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Health Research Institute, Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Health Research Institute, Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
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6
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Kroll JR, Tsiaxiras J, van Zon JS. Variability in β-catenin pulse dynamics in a stochastic cell fate decision in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2020; 461:110-123. [PMID: 32032579 PMCID: PMC7203549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During development, cell fate decisions are often highly stochastic, but with the frequency of the different possible fates tightly controlled. To understand how signaling networks control the cell fate frequency of such random decisions, we studied the stochastic decision of the Caenorhabditis elegans P3.p cell to either fuse to the hypodermis or assume vulva precursor cell fate. Using time-lapse microscopy to measure the single-cell dynamics of two key inhibitors of cell fusion, the Hox gene LIN-39 and Wnt signaling through the β-catenin BAR-1, we uncovered significant variability in the dynamics of LIN-39 and BAR-1 levels. Most strikingly, we observed that BAR-1 accumulated in a single, 1–4 h pulse at the time of the P3.p cell fate decision, with strong variability both in pulse slope and time of pulse onset. We found that the time of BAR-1 pulse onset was delayed relative to the time of cell fusion in mutants with low cell fusion frequency, linking BAR-1 pulse timing to cell fate outcome. Overall, a model emerged where animal-to-animal variability in LIN-39 levels and BAR-1 pulse dynamics biases cell fate by modulating their absolute level at the time cell fusion is induced. Our results highlight that timing of cell signaling dynamics, rather than its average level or amplitude, could play an instructive role in determining cell fate. The fate of the C. elegans P3.p cell is stochastic. β-catenin (BAR-1) accumulated in P3.p at the time of the cell fate decision. There is variability in dynamics of Hox and β-catenin levels during the decision. BAR-1 accumulated with variable pulse slope and time of pulse onset. Pulse dynamics bias cell fate at the time of the cell fate decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Kroll
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasonas Tsiaxiras
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen S van Zon
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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7
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He CW, Liao CP, Chen CK, Teulière J, Chen CH, Pan CL. The polarity protein VANG-1 antagonizes Wnt signaling by facilitating Frizzled endocytosis. Development 2018; 145:dev.168666. [PMID: 30504124 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Signaling that instructs the migration of neurons needs to be tightly regulated to ensure precise positioning of neurons and subsequent wiring of the neuronal circuits. Wnt-Frizzled signaling controls neuronal migration in metazoans, in addition to many other aspects of neural development. We show that Caenorhabditis elegans VANG-1, a membrane protein that acts in the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, antagonizes Wnt signaling by facilitating endocytosis of the Frizzled receptors. Mutations of vang-1 suppress migration defects of multiple classes of neurons in the Frizzled mutants, and overexpression of vang-1 causes neuronal migration defects similar to those of the Frizzled mutants. Our genetic experiments suggest that VANG-1 facilitates Frizzled endocytosis through β-arrestin2. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Frizzled proteins and VANG-1 form a complex, and this physical interaction requires the Frizzled cysteine-rich domain. Our work reveals a novel mechanism mediated by the PCP protein VANG-1 that downregulates Wnt signaling through Frizzled endocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei He
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Po Liao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Kuan Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Jérôme Teulière
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3204, USA
| | - Chun-Hao Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Pan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
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8
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The planar cell polarity protein VANG-1/Vangl negatively regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling through a Dvl dependent mechanism. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007840. [PMID: 30532125 PMCID: PMC6307821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Van Gogh-like (Vangl) and Prickle (Pk) are core components of the non-canonical Wnt planar cell polarity pathway that controls epithelial polarity and cell migration. Studies in vertebrate model systems have suggested that Vangl and Pk may also inhibit signaling through the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, but the functional significance of this potential cross-talk is unclear. In the nematode C. elegans, the Q neuroblasts and their descendants migrate in opposite directions along the anteroposterior body axis. The direction of these migrations is specified by Wnt signaling, with activation of canonical Wnt signaling driving posterior migration, and non-canonical Wnt signaling anterior migration. Here, we show that the Vangl ortholog VANG-1 influences the Wnt signaling response of the Q neuroblasts by negatively regulating canonical Wnt signaling. This inhibitory activity depends on a carboxy-terminal PDZ binding motif in VANG-1 and the Dishevelled ortholog MIG-5, but is independent of the Pk ortholog PRKL-1. Moreover, using Vangl1 and Vangl2 double mutant cells, we show that a similar mechanism acts in mammalian cells. We conclude that cross-talk between VANG-1/Vangl and the canonical Wnt pathway is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that ensures robust specification of Wnt signaling responses. Wnt proteins are signaling molecules with a wide range of functions in embryonic development and the maintenance of adult tissues. Wnt proteins can trigger several different signaling pathways that are grouped in β-catenin dependent (canonical) and independent (non-canonical) signaling mechanisms. Here, we have investigated cross-talk between these different Wnt signaling pathways. We show that VANG-1/Vangl, a component of the non-canonical planar cell polarity pathway, negatively regulates canonical Wnt signaling. We propose that this cross-talk mechanism ensures that Wnt stimulated cells always activate the proper downstream signaling response.
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9
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G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:jdb6040028. [PMID: 30477278 PMCID: PMC6316442 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many vital processes during C. elegans development, especially the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in embryogenesis, are controlled by complex signaling pathways. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as the four Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are linchpins in regulating and orchestrating several of these mechanisms. However, despite being GPCRs, which usually couple to G proteins, these receptors do not seem to activate classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling cascades. The view on signaling during embryogenesis is further complicated by the fact that heterotrimeric G proteins do play essential roles in cell polarity during embryogenesis, but their activity is modulated in a predominantly GPCR-independent manner via G protein regulators such as GEFs GAPs and GDIs. Further, the triggered downstream effectors are not typical. Only very few GPCR-dependent and G protein-mediated signaling pathways have been unambiguously defined in this context. This unusual and highly intriguing concept of separating GPCR function and G-protein activity, which is not restricted to embryogenesis in C. elegans but can also be found in other organisms, allows for essential and multi-faceted ways of regulating cellular communication and response. Although its relevance cannot be debated, its impact is still poorly discussed, and C. elegans is an ideal model to understand the underlying principles.
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10
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Favarolo MB, López SL. Notch signaling in the division of germ layers in bilaterian embryos. Mech Dev 2018; 154:122-144. [PMID: 29940277 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Bilaterian embryos are triploblastic organisms which develop three complete germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm). While the ectoderm develops mainly from the animal hemisphere, there is diversity in the location from where the endoderm and the mesoderm arise in relation to the animal-vegetal axis, ranging from endoderm being specified between the ectoderm and mesoderm in echinoderms, and the mesoderm being specified between the ectoderm and the endoderm in vertebrates. A common feature is that part of the mesoderm segregates from an ancient bipotential endomesodermal domain. The process of segregation is noisy during the initial steps but it is gradually refined. In this review, we discuss the role of the Notch pathway in the establishment and refinement of boundaries between germ layers in bilaterians, with special focus on its interaction with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Favarolo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis" (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina, Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular "Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvia L López
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis" (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina, Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular "Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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11
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Liu H, Du S, Lei T, Wang H, He X, Tong R, Wang Y. Multifaceted regulation and functions of YAP/TAZ in tumors (Review). Oncol Rep 2018; 40:16-28. [PMID: 29749524 PMCID: PMC6059739 DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway, initially identified through screenings for mutant tumor suppressors in Drosophila, is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that controls organ size by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Abnormal regulation of the Hippo pathway may lead to cancer in mammals. As the major downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, unphosphorylated Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its homolog transcriptional co-activator TAZ (also called WWTR1) (hereafter called YAP/TAZ) are translocated into the nucleus. In the nucleus, in order to induce target gene expression, YAP/TAZ bind to the TEA domain (TEAD) proteins, and this binding subsequently promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. In contrast, as key regulators of tumorigenesis and development, YAP/TAZ are phosphorylated and regulated by multiple molecules and pathways including Lats1/2 of Hippo, Wnt and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, with a regulatory role in cell physiology, tumor cell development and pathological abnormalities simultaneously. In particular, the crucial role of YAP/TAZ in tumors ensures their potential as targets in designing anticancer drugs. To date, mounting research has elucidated the suppression of YAP/TAZ via effective inhibitors, which significantly highlights their application in cancer treatment. In the present review, we focus on the functions of YAP/TAZ in cancer, discuss their potential as new therapeutic target for tumor treatment, and provide valuable suggestions for further study in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Liu
- Center of Organ Transplantation, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
| | - Suya Du
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, P.R. China
| | - Tiantian Lei
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, P.R. China
| | - Hailian Wang
- Center of Organ Transplantation, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
| | - Xia He
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
| | - Rongsheng Tong
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
| | - Yi Wang
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
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12
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Dokanehiifard S, Soltani BM. Hsa-miR-11181 regulates Wnt signaling pathway through targeting of APC2 transcripts in SW480 cell line. Gene 2018; 641:297-302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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13
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Gokce SK, Hegarty EM, Mondal S, Zhao P, Ghorashian N, Hilliard MA, Ben-Yakar A. A multi-trap microfluidic chip enabling longitudinal studies of nerve regeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9837. [PMID: 28852096 PMCID: PMC5575036 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10302-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Several sophisticated microfluidic devices have recently been proposed for femtosecond laser axotomy in the nematode C. elegans for immobilization of the animals for surgery to overcome time-consuming and labor-intensive manual processes. However, nerve regeneration studies require long-term recovery of the animals and multiple imaging sessions to observe the regeneration capabilities of their axons post-injury. Here we present a simple, multi-trap device, consisting of a single PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) layer, which can immobilize up to 20 animals at the favorable orientation for optical access needed for precise laser surgery and high-resolution imaging. The new device, named “worm hospital” allows us to perform the entire nerve regeneration studies, including on-chip axotomy, post-surgery housing for recovery, and post-recovery imaging all on one microfluidic chip. Utilizing the worm hospital and analysis of mutants, we observed that most but not all neurodevelopmental genes in the Wnt/Frizzled pathway are important for regeneration of the two touch receptor neurons ALM and PLM. Using our new chip, we observed that the cwn-2 and cfz-2 mutations significantly reduced the reconnection possibilities of both neurons without any significant reduction in the regrowth lengths of the severed axons. We observed a similar regeneration phenotype with cwn-1 mutation in ALM neurons only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sertan Kutal Gokce
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Evan Marley Hegarty
- Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sudip Mondal
- Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Peisen Zhao
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Navid Ghorashian
- Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Massimo A Hilliard
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Adela Ben-Yakar
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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14
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Wnt Signaling as Master Regulator of T-Lymphocyte Responses: Implications for Transplant Therapy. Transplantation 2017; 100:2584-2592. [PMID: 27861287 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
T cell-mediated immune responses to the grafted tissues are the major reason for failed organ transplantation. The regulation of T cell responses is complex and involves major histocompatibility complex molecules on transplanted organs, cytokines, regulatory cells, and antigen-presenting cells. The evolutionary conserved Wnt signal transduction pathway has long been known for its importance in development of stem cells and immature T cells in the thymus. Recent evidence indicates the Wnt pathway as a master regulator of T cell immune responses via governing the balance between T helper 17/regulatory T cells and by regulating the formation of effector and memory cytotoxic CD8 T cell responses. In doing so, Wnt signals influence the outcome of immune responses in transplantation settings.
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15
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Kay SK, Harrington HA, Shepherd S, Brennan K, Dale T, Osborne JM, Gavaghan DJ, Byrne HM. The role of the Hes1 crosstalk hub in Notch-Wnt interactions of the intestinal crypt. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005400. [PMID: 28245235 PMCID: PMC5363986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch pathway plays a vital role in determining whether cells in the intestinal epithelium adopt a secretory or an absorptive phenotype. Cell fate specification is coordinated via Notch's interaction with the canonical Wnt pathway. Here, we propose a new mathematical model of the Notch and Wnt pathways, in which the Hes1 promoter acts as a hub for pathway crosstalk. Computational simulations of the model can assist in understanding how healthy intestinal tissue is maintained, and predict the likely consequences of biochemical knockouts upon cell fate selection processes. Chemical reaction network theory (CRNT) is a powerful, generalised framework which assesses the capacity of our model for monostability or multistability, by analysing properties of the underlying network structure without recourse to specific parameter values or functional forms for reaction rates. CRNT highlights the role of β-catenin in stabilising the Notch pathway and damping oscillations, demonstrating that Wnt-mediated actions on the Hes1 promoter can induce dynamic transitions in the Notch system, from multistability to monostability. Time-dependent model simulations of cell pairs reveal the stabilising influence of Wnt upon the Notch pathway, in which β-catenin- and Dsh-mediated action on the Hes1 promoter are key in shaping the subcellular dynamics. Where Notch-mediated transcription of Hes1 dominates, there is Notch oscillation and maintenance of fate flexibility; Wnt-mediated transcription of Hes1 favours bistability akin to cell fate selection. Cells could therefore regulate the proportion of Wnt- and Notch-mediated control of the Hes1 promoter to coordinate the timing of cell fate selection as they migrate through the intestinal epithelium and are subject to reduced Wnt stimuli. Furthermore, mutant cells characterised by hyperstimulation of the Wnt pathway may, through coupling with Notch, invert cell fate in neighbouring healthy cells, enabling an aberrant cell to maintain its neighbours in mitotically active states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie K. Kay
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
| | | | - Sarah Shepherd
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K.
| | - Keith Brennan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.
| | - Trevor Dale
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, U.K.
| | - James M. Osborne
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Helen M. Byrne
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
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16
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Chatterjee N, Kim Y, Yang J, Roca CP, Joo SW, Choi J. A systems toxicology approach reveals the Wnt-MAPK crosstalk pathway mediated reproductive failure in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to graphene oxide (GO) but not to reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Nanotoxicology 2016; 11:76-86. [DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2016.1267273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Youngho Kim
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jisu Yang
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
| | - Carlos P. Roca
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Sang-Woo Joo
- Department of Information Communication, Materials, and Chemistry Convergence Technology, Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jinhee Choi
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
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17
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The Caenorhabditis elegans NF2/Merlin Molecule NFM-1 Nonautonomously Regulates Neuroblast Migration and Interacts Genetically with the Guidance Cue SLT-1/Slit. Genetics 2016; 205:737-748. [PMID: 27913619 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.191957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During nervous system development, neurons and their progenitors migrate to their final destinations. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the bilateral Q neuroblasts and their descendants migrate long distances in opposite directions, despite being born in the same posterior region. QR on the right migrates anteriorly and generates the AQR neuron positioned near the head, and QL on the left migrates posteriorly, giving rise to the PQR neuron positioned near the tail. In a screen for genes required for AQR and PQR migration, we identified an allele of nfm-1, which encodes a molecule similar to vertebrate NF2/Merlin, an important tumor suppressor in humans. Mutations in NF2 lead to neurofibromatosis type II, characterized by benign tumors of glial tissues. Here we demonstrate that in C. elegans, nfm-1 is required for the ability of Q cells and their descendants to extend protrusions and to migrate, but is not required for direction of migration. Using a combination of mosaic analysis and cell-specific expression, we show that NFM-1 is required nonautonomously, possibly in muscles, to promote Q lineage migrations. We also show a genetic interaction between nfm-1 and the C. elegans Slit homolog slt-1, which encodes a conserved secreted guidance cue. Our results suggest that NFM-1 might be involved in the generation of an extracellular cue that promotes Q neuroblast protrusion and migration that acts with or in parallel to SLT-1 In vertebrates, NF2 and Slit2 interact in axon pathfinding, suggesting a conserved interaction of NF2 and Slit2 in regulating migratory events.
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18
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Grants JM, Goh GYS, Taubert S. The Mediator complex of Caenorhabditis elegans: insights into the developmental and physiological roles of a conserved transcriptional coregulator. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:2442-53. [PMID: 25634893 PMCID: PMC4344494 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediator multiprotein complex (‘Mediator’) is an important transcriptional coregulator that is evolutionarily conserved throughout eukaryotes. Although some Mediator subunits are essential for the transcription of all protein-coding genes, others influence the expression of only subsets of genes and participate selectively in cellular signaling pathways. Here, we review the current knowledge of Mediator subunit function in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a metazoan in which established and emerging genetic technologies facilitate the study of developmental and physiological regulation in vivo. In this nematode, unbiased genetic screens have revealed critical roles for Mediator components in core developmental pathways such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. More recently, important roles for C. elegans Mediator subunits have emerged in the regulation of lipid metabolism and of systemic stress responses, engaging conserved transcription factors such as nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs). We emphasize instances where similar functions for individual Mediator subunits exist in mammals, highlighting parallels between Mediator subunit action in nematode development and in human cancer biology. We also discuss a parallel between the association of the Mediator subunit MED12 with several human disorders and the role of its C. elegans ortholog mdt-12 as a regulatory hub that interacts with numerous signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Grants
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Grace Y S Goh
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Stefan Taubert
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
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19
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LaBonty M, Szmygiel C, Byrnes LE, Hughes S, Woollard A, Cram EJ. CACN-1/Cactin plays a role in Wnt signaling in C. elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101945. [PMID: 24999833 PMCID: PMC4084952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling is tightly regulated during animal development and controls cell proliferation and differentiation. In C. elegans, activation of Wnt signaling alters the activity of the TCF/LEF transcription factor, POP-1, through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin or Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathways. In this study, we have identified CACN-1 as a potential regulator of POP-1 in C. elegans larval development. CACN-1/Cactin is a well-conserved protein of unknown molecular function previously implicated in the regulation of several developmental signaling pathways. Here we have used activation of POPTOP, a POP-1-responsive reporter construct, as a proxy for Wnt signaling. POPTOP requires POP-1 and SYS-1/β-catenin for activation in L4 uterine cells. RNAi depletion experiments show that CACN-1 is needed to prevent excessive activation of POPTOP and for proper levels and/or localization of POP-1. Surprisingly, high POPTOP expression correlates with increased levels of POP-1 in uterine nuclei, suggesting POPTOP may not mirror endogenous gene expression in all respects. Genetic interaction studies suggest that CACN-1 may act partially through LIT-1/NLK to alter POP-1 localization and POPTOP activation. Additionally, CACN-1 is required for proper proliferation of larval seam cells. Depletion of CACN-1 results in a loss of POP-1 asymmetry and reduction of terminal seam cell number, suggesting an adoption of the anterior, differentiated fate by the posterior daughter cells. These findings suggest CACN-1/Cactin modulates Wnt signaling during larval development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa LaBonty
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Cleo Szmygiel
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lauren E. Byrnes
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Samantha Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Woollard
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Aitlhadj L, Stürzenbaum SR. Caenorhabditis elegans in regenerative medicine: a simple model for a complex discipline. Drug Discov Today 2014; 19:730-4. [PMID: 24513577 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell research is a major focus of regenerative medicine, which amalgamates diverse disciplines ranging from developmental cell biology to chemical and genetic therapy. Although embryonic stem cells have provided the foundation of stem cell therapy, they offer an in vitro study system that might not provide the best insight into mechanisms and behaviour of cells within living organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans is a well defined model organism with highly conserved cell development and signalling processes that specify cell fate. Its genetic amenability coupled with its chemical screening applicability make the nematode well suited as an in vivo system in which regenerative therapy and stem cell processes can be explored. Here, we describe some of the major advances in stem cell research from the worm's perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Aitlhadj
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Sciences, Analytical and Environmental Sciences Division, London SE1 9NH, UK; Kinǵs College London, School of Biomedical Sciences, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Sciences, Analytical and Environmental Sciences Division, London SE1 9NH, UK; Kinǵs College London, School of Biomedical Sciences, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
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21
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Ji N, Middelkoop TC, Mentink RA, Betist MC, Tonegawa S, Mooijman D, Korswagen HC, van Oudenaarden A. Feedback control of gene expression variability in the Caenorhabditis elegans Wnt pathway. Cell 2014; 155:869-80. [PMID: 24209624 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.09.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Variability in gene expression contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity even in isogenic populations. Here, we used the stereotyped, Wnt signaling-dependent development of the Caenorhabditis elegans Q neuroblast to probe endogenous mechanisms that control gene expression variability. We found that the key Hox gene that orients Q neuroblast migration exhibits increased gene expression variability in mutants in which Wnt pathway activity has been perturbed. Distinct features of the gene expression distributions prompted us on a systematic search for regulatory interactions, revealing a network of interlocked positive and negative feedback loops. Interestingly, positive feedback appeared to cooperate with negative feedback to reduce variability while keeping the Hox gene expression at elevated levels. A minimal model correctly predicts the increased gene expression variability across mutants. Our results highlight the influence of gene network architecture on expression variability and implicate feedback regulation as an effective mechanism to ensure developmental robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Ji
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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22
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Robertson SM, Lin R. Our evolving view of Wnt signaling in C. elegans: If two's company and three's a crowd, is four really necessary? WORM 2013; 1:82-9. [PMID: 24058829 PMCID: PMC3670178 DOI: 10.4161/worm.19156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this commentary, we discuss how our recent paper by Yang et al. contributes a new wrinkle to the already somewhat curious Wnt signaling pathway in C. elegans. We begin with a historical perspective on the Wnt pathway in the worm, followed by a summary of the key salient point from Yang et al., 2011, namely demonstration of mutually inhibitory binding of a β-catenin SYS-1 to the N-terminus and another β-catenin WRM-1 to the C-terminus of the TCF protein POP-1, and a plausible structural explanation for these differential binding specificities. The mutually inhibitory binding creates one population of POP-1 that is bound by WRM-1, phosphorylated by the NLK kinase and exported from the nucleus, and another bound by coactivator SYS-1 that remains in the nucleus. We speculate on the evolutionary history of the four β-catenins in C. elegans and suggest a possible link between multiple β-catenin gene duplications and the requirement to reduce nuclear POP-1 levels to activate Wnt target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Robertson
- Department of Molecular Biology; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Dallas, TX USA
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23
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Gómez-Orte E, Sáenz-Narciso B, Moreno S, Cabello J. Multiple functions of the noncanonical Wnt pathway. Trends Genet 2013; 29:545-53. [PMID: 23846023 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Thirty years after the identification of WNTs, understanding of their signal transduction pathways continues to expand. Here, we review recent advances in characterizing the Wnt-dependent signaling pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans linking polar signals to rearrangements of the cytoskeleton in different developmental processes, such as proper mitotic spindle orientation, cell migration, and engulfment of apoptotic corpses. In addition to the well-described transcriptional outputs of the canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways, new branches regulating nontranscriptional outputs that control RAC (Ras related GTPase) activity are also discussed. These findings suggest that Wnt signaling is a master regulator not only of development, but also of cell polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Gómez-Orte
- Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), C/Piqueras 98, 26006 Logroño, Spain
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24
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Cruciat CM, Dolde C, de Groot REA, Ohkawara B, Reinhard C, Korswagen HC, Niehrs C. RNA helicase DDX3 is a regulatory subunit of casein kinase 1 in Wnt-β-catenin signaling. Science 2013; 339:1436-41. [PMID: 23413191 DOI: 10.1126/science.1231499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Casein kinase 1 (CK1) members play key roles in numerous biological processes. They are considered "rogue" kinases, because their enzymatic activity appears unregulated. Contrary to this notion, we have identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3 as a regulator of the Wnt-β-catenin network, where it acts as a regulatory subunit of CK1ε: In a Wnt-dependent manner, DDX3 binds CK1ε and directly stimulates its kinase activity, and promotes phosphorylation of the scaffold protein dishevelled. DDX3 is required for Wnt-β-catenin signaling in mammalian cells and during Xenopus and Caenorhabditis elegans development. The results also suggest that the kinase-stimulatory function extends to other DDX and CK1 members, opening fresh perspectives for one of the longest-studied protein kinase families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina-Maria Cruciat
- Division of Molecular Embryology, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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25
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C. elegans fmi-1/flamingo and Wnt pathway components interact genetically to control the anteroposterior neurite growth of the VD GABAergic neurons. Dev Biol 2013; 377:224-35. [PMID: 23376536 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 01/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Directed axonal growth is essential to establish neuronal networks. During the early development of the VD neurons, an anterior neurite that will become the VD axon extends along the anteroposterior (A/P) axis in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are important for correct neurite growth in the VNC. In fmi-1/flamingo mutant animals, we observed that some postembryonically born VD neurons had a posterior neurite instead of a normal anterior neurite, which caused aberrant VD commissure patterning along the A/P axis. In addition, VD anterior neurites had underextension defects in the VNC in fmi-1 animals, whereas VD commissure growth along the dorsoventral (D/V) axis occurred normally in these animals, suggesting that fmi-1 is important for neurite growth along the A/P axis but not the D/V axis. We also uncovered unknown details of the early development of the VD neurons, indicating that the neurite defects arose during their early development. Interestingly, though fmi-1 is present at this time in the VNC, we did not observe FMI-1 in the VD neurons themselves, suggesting that fmi-1 might be working in a cell non-autonomous fashion. Furthermore, fmi-1 appears to be working in a novel pathway, independently from the planar cell polarity pathway and in parallel to lin-17/frizzled and dsh-1/dishevelled, to determine the direction of neurite growth. Our findings indicate that redundant developmental pathways regulate neurite growth in the VNC in C. elegans.
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26
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Huang Y, Ouyang H, Xie W, Chen X, Yao C, Han Y, Han X, Song Q, Pang D, Tang X. Moderate expression of Wnt signaling genes is essential for porcine parthenogenetic embryo development. Cell Signal 2013; 25:778-85. [PMID: 23333243 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Parthenogenetic embryos are invariably lost in mid-gestation, possibly due to the lack of the paternal genome and the consequent induction of aberrant gene expression. Wnt signaling is essential for embryonic development; however, the studies of this pathway in porcine parthenogenetic embryos have been limited. Here, the role of Wnt signaling in porcine parthenogenetic embryos was studied. In vivo embryos were used as controls. Single cell quantitative real-time PCR showed that Wnt signaling was down-regulated in porcine parthenogenetic embryos. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining and real-time PCR demonstrated that porcine parthenogenetic embryo development was largely unaffected by the inhibition of Wnt signaling with IWP-2, but blastocyst hatching and trophectoderm development was blocked. In addition, parthenogenetic blastocyst hatching was improved by the activation of Wnt signaling by BIO. However, the developmental competency of porcine embryos, including blastocyst hatching, was impaired and apoptosis was induced upon the excessive activation of Wnt signaling. These findings constitute novel evidence that Wnt signaling is important for porcine pre-implantation development and that its down-regulation may lead to the low hatching rate of porcine parthenogenetic blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongye Huang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Embryo Engineering, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
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27
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Cadherins and their partners in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2013; 116:239-62. [PMID: 23481198 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394311-8.00011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The extreme simplicity of Caenorhabditis elegans makes it an ideal system to study the basic principles of cadherin function at the level of single cells within the physiologically relevant context of a developing animal. The genetic tractability of C. elegans also means that components of cadherin complexes can be identified through genetic modifier screens, allowing a comprehensive in vivo characterization of the macromolecular assemblies involved in cadherin function during tissue formation and maintenance in C. elegans. This work shows that a single cadherin system, the classical cadherin-catenin complex, is essential for diverse morphogenetic events during embryogenesis through its interactions with a range of mostly conserved proteins that act to modulate its function. The role of other members of the cadherin family in C. elegans, including members of the Fat-like, Flamingo/CELSR and calsyntenin families is less well characterized, but they have clear roles in neuronal development and function.
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28
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Hulpiau P, Gul IS, van Roy F. New insights into the evolution of metazoan cadherins and catenins. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2013; 116:71-94. [PMID: 23481191 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394311-8.00004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
E-Cadherin and β-catenin are the best studied representatives of the superfamilies of transmembrane cadherins and intracellular armadillo catenins, respectively. However, in over 600 million years of multicellular animal evolution, these two superfamilies have diversified remarkably both structurally and functionally. Although their basic building blocks, respectively, the cadherin repeat domain and the armadillo repeat domain, predate metazoans, the specific and complex domain compositions of the different family members and their functional roles in cell adhesion and signaling appear to be key features for the emergence of multicellular animal life. Basal animals such as placozoans and sponges have a limited number of distinct cadherins and catenins. The origin of vertebrates, in particular, coincided with a large increase in the number of cadherins and armadillo proteins, including modern "classical" cadherins, protocadherins, and plakophilins. Also, α-catenins increased. This chapter introduces the many different family members and describes the putative evolutionary relationships between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paco Hulpiau
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
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29
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Roozen PPC, Brugman MH, Staal FJT. Differential requirements for Wnt and Notch signaling in hematopoietic versus thymic niches. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2012; 1266:78-93. [PMID: 22901260 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06626.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
All blood cells are derived from multipotent stem cells, the so-called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), that in adults reside in the bone marrow. Most types of blood cells also develop there, with the notable exception of T lymphocytes that develop in the thymus. For both HSCs and developing T cells, interactions with the surrounding microenvironment are critical in regulating maintenance, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. Such specialized regulatory microenvironments are referred to as niches and provide both soluble factors as well as cell-cell interactions between niche component cells and blood cells. Two pathways that are critical for early T cell development in the thymic niche are Wnt and Notch signaling. These signals also play important but controversial roles in the HSC niche. Here, we review the differences and similarities between the thymic and hematopoietic niches, with particular focus on Wnt and Notch signals, as well as the latest insights into regulation of these developmentally important pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul P C Roozen
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion (IHB), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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30
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McGhee JD. TheCaenorhabditis elegansintestine. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 2:347-67. [DOI: 10.1002/wdev.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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31
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Ann EJ, Kim HY, Seo MS, Mo JS, Kim MY, Yoon JH, Ahn JS, Park HS. Wnt5a controls Notch1 signaling through CaMKII-mediated degradation of the SMRT corepressor protein. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:36814-29. [PMID: 22888005 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.356048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine-threonine Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is the key component in noncanonical Wnt5a signaling and has been shown to regulate its signaling. In this study, we found that CaMKII induced by Wnt5a remarkably reduced the protein stability of the silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT), a co-repressor of Notch signaling, through proteasomal degradation. Wnt5a was found to enhance Notch1 intracellular domain (Notch1-IC) transcription activity, which could be inhibited by treatment with KN93, a CaMKII inhibitor. The kinase activity of CaMKII was essential for the activation of Notch signaling. We also determined that CaMKII could enhance the association between Notch1-IC and RBP-Jk. Furthermore, the physical association between RBP-Jk and SMRT was substantially suppressed by CaMKII. We demonstrated that CaMKII directly bound and phosphorylated SMRT at Ser-1407, thereby facilitating SMRT translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and proteasome-dependent degradation. These results suggest that CaMKII down-regulated the protein stability of SMRT through proteasomal degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Jung Ann
- Hormone Research Center, School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea
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Lee HK, Deneen B. Daam2 is required for dorsal patterning via modulation of canonical Wnt signaling in the developing spinal cord. Dev Cell 2012; 22:183-96. [PMID: 22227309 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2011.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The Daam family of proteins consists of Daam1 and Daam2. Although Daam1 participates in noncanonical Wnt signaling during gastrulation, Daam2 function remains completely uncharacterized. Here we describe the role of Daam2 in canonical Wnt signal transduction during spinal cord development. Loss-of-function studies revealed that Daam2 is required for dorsal progenitor identities and canonical Wnt signaling. These phenotypes are rescued by β-catenin, demonstrating that Daam2 functions in dorsal patterning through the canonical Wnt pathway. Complementary gain-of-function studies demonstrate that Daam2 amplifies Wnt signaling by potentiating ligand activation. Biochemical examination found that Daam2 association with Dvl3 is required for Wnt activity and dorsal patterning. Moreover, Daam2 stabilizes Dvl3/Axin2 binding, resulting in enhanced intracellular assembly of Dvl3/Axin2 complexes. These studies demonstrate that Daam2 modulates the formation of Wnt receptor complexes, revealing new insight into the functional diversity of Daam proteins and how canonical Wnt signaling contributes to pattern formation in the developing spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Kyoung Lee
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Kim WY, Snider WD. Functions of GSK-3 Signaling in Development of the Nervous System. Front Mol Neurosci 2011; 4:44. [PMID: 22125510 PMCID: PMC3221276 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2011.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is central to multiple intracellular pathways including those activated by Wnt/β-catenin, Sonic Hedgehog, Notch, growth factor/RTK, and G protein-coupled receptor signals. All of these signals importantly contribute to neural development. Early attention on GSK-3 signaling in neural development centered on the regulation of neuronal polarity using in vitro paradigms. However, recent creation of appropriate genetic models has demonstrated the importance of GSK-3 to multiple aspects of neural development including neural progenitor self-renewal, neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neural differentiation, and synaptic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo-Yang Kim
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE, USA
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Galli LM, Burrus LW. Differential palmit(e)oylation of Wnt1 on C93 and S224 residues has overlapping and distinct consequences. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26636. [PMID: 22046319 PMCID: PMC3202554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Though the mechanisms by which cytosolic/intracellular proteins are regulated by the post-translational addition of palmitate adducts is well understood, little is known about how this lipid modification affects secreted ligands, such as Wnts. Here we use mutational analysis to show that differential modification of the two known palmit(e)oylated residues of Wnt1, C93 and S224, has both overlapping and distinct consequences. Though the relative roles of each residue are similar with respect to stability and secretion, two distinct biological assays in L cells show that modification of C93 primarily modulates signaling via a ß-catenin independent pathway while S224 is crucial for ß-catenin dependent signaling. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of Porcupine (Porcn), an upstream regulator of Wnt, by IWP1, specifically inhibited ß-catenin dependent signaling. Consistent with these observations, mapping of amino acids in peptide domains containing C93 and S224 demonstrate that acylation of C93 is likely to be Porcn-independent while that of S224 is Porcn-dependent. Cumulatively, our data strongly suggest that C93 and S224 are modified by distinct enzymes and that the differential modification of these sites has the potential to influence Wnt signaling pathway choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Galli
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Laura W. Burrus
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Harterink M, Kim DH, Middelkoop TC, Doan TD, van Oudenaarden A, Korswagen HC. Neuroblast migration along the anteroposterior axis of C. elegans is controlled by opposing gradients of Wnts and a secreted Frizzled-related protein. Development 2011; 138:2915-24. [PMID: 21653614 PMCID: PMC3119304 DOI: 10.1242/dev.064733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The migration of neuroblasts along the anteroposterior body axis of C. elegans is controlled by multiple Wnts that act partially redundantly to guide cells to their precisely defined final destinations. How positional information is specified by this system is, however, still largely unknown. Here, we used a novel fluorescent in situ hybridization methods to generate a quantitative spatiotemporal expression map of the C. elegans Wnt genes. We found that the five Wnt genes are expressed in a series of partially overlapping domains along the anteroposterior axis, with a predominant expression in the posterior half of the body. Furthermore, we show that a secreted Frizzled-related protein is expressed at the anterior end of the body axis, where it inhibits Wnt signaling to control neuroblast migration. Our findings reveal that a system of regionalized Wnt gene expression and anterior Wnt inhibition guides the highly stereotypic migration of neuroblasts in C. elegans. Opposing expression of Wnts and Wnt inhibitors has been observed in basal metazoans and in the vertebrate neurectoderm. Our results in C. elegans support the notion that a system of posterior Wnt signaling and anterior Wnt inhibition is an evolutionarily conserved principle of primary body axis specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Harterink
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dong hyun Kim
- Department of Physics and department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Teije C. Middelkoop
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thang Dinh Doan
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics and department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hendrik C. Korswagen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Embryonic signaling pathways often lead to a switch from default repression to transcriptional activation of target genes. A major consequence of Wnt signaling is stabilization of β-catenin, which associates with T-cell factors (TCFs) and 'converts' them from repressors into transcriptional activators. The molecular mechanisms responsible for this conversion remain poorly understood. Several studies have reported on the regulation of TCF by phosphorylation, yet its physiological significance has been unclear: in some cases it appears to promote target gene activation, in others Wnt-dependent transcription is inhibited. This review focuses on recent progress in the understanding of context-dependent post-translational regulation of TCF function by Wnt signaling.
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Nagarajan R, Upreti M. Inferring functional relationships and causal network structure from gene expression profiles. Methods Enzymol 2011; 487:133-46. [PMID: 21187224 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-381270-4.00005-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Inferring functional relationships and network structure from the observed gene expression profiles can provide a novel insight into the working of the genes as a system or network as opposed to independent entities. Such networks may also represent possible causal relationships between a given set of genes, hence can prove to be a convenient abstraction of the underlying signaling mechanism. The discovery of functional relationships from the observed gene expression profiles does not rely on prior literature, hence useful in identifying undocumented relationships between a given set of genes. Several techniques have been proposed in the literature. The present study investigates the choice Granger causality (GC) and its extensions in modeling the network structure between a given pair of genes from their expression profiles. The impact of noise variance on GC relationships is investigated. VAR parameter estimation is proposed to obtain a finer insight into the functional relationships inferred using GC tests. The results are presented on synthetic networks generated from known vector-autoregressive (VAR) models and those from cell-cycle gene expression profiles that can be modeled as a first-order bivariate VAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhakrishnan Nagarajan
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
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Banerjee D, Chen X, Lin SY, Slack FJ. kin-19/casein kinase Iα has dual functions in regulating asymmetric division and terminal differentiation in C. elegans epidermal stem cells. Cell Cycle 2010; 9:4748-65. [PMID: 21127398 DOI: 10.4161/cc.9.23.14092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Casein Kinase I (CKI) is a conserved component of the Wnt signaling pathway, which regulates cell fate determination in metazoans. We show that post-embryonic asymmetric division and fate specification of C. elegans epidermal stem cells are controlled by a non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, involving the β-catenins WRM-1 and SYS-1, and that C. elegans kin-19/CKIα functions in this pathway. Furthermore, we find that kin-19 is the only member of the Wnt asymmetry pathway that functions with, or in parallel to, the heterochronic temporal patterning pathway to control withdrawal from self-renewal and subsequent terminal differentiation of epidermal stem cells. We show that, except in the case of kin-19, the Wnt asymmetry pathway and the heterochronic pathway function separately and in parallel to control different aspects of epidermal stem cell fate specification. However, given the function of kin-19/CKIα in both pathways, and that CKI, Wnt signaling pathway and heterochronic pathway genes are widely conserved in animals, our findings suggest that CKIα may function as a regulatory hub through which asymmetric division and terminal differentiation are coordinated in adult stem cells of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diya Banerjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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Regulation of TCF3 by Wnt-dependent phosphorylation during vertebrate axis specification. Dev Cell 2010; 19:521-32. [PMID: 20951344 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2010.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2009] [Revised: 07/23/2010] [Accepted: 09/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A commonly accepted model of Wnt/β-catenin signaling involves target gene activation by a complex of β-catenin with a T-cell factor (TCF) family member. TCF3 is a transcriptional repressor that has been implicated in Wnt signaling and plays key roles in embryonic axis specification and stem cell differentiation. Here we demonstrate that Wnt proteins stimulate TCF3 phosphorylation in gastrulating Xenopus embryos and mammalian cells. This phosphorylation event involves β-catenin-mediated recruitment of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) to TCF3 and culminates in the dissociation of TCF3 from a target gene promoter. Mutated TCF3 proteins resistant to Wnt-dependent phosphorylation function as constitutive inhibitors of Wnt-mediated activation of Vent2 and Cdx4 during anteroposterior axis specification. These findings reveal an alternative in vivo mechanism of Wnt signaling that involves TCF3 phosphorylation and subsequent derepression of target genes and link this molecular event to a specific developmental process.
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40
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Repression of Wnt signaling by a Fer-type nonreceptor tyrosine kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:16154-9. [PMID: 20805471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1006600107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway must be properly modulated to ensure an appropriate output: pathological conditions result from either insufficient or excessive levels of Wnt signal. For example, hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway is associated with various cancers and subnormal Wnt signaling can lead to increased invasiveness of tumor cells. We found that the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the Fer nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, FRK-1, limits Wnt signaling by preventing the adhesion complex-associated β-catenin, HMP-2, from participating in Wnt-dependent specification of the endoderm during embryogenesis. Removal of FRK-1 function results in relocalization of HMP-2 to the nucleus of epidermal cells, and allows it to substitute for WRM-1, the nuclear β-catenin that normally transduces the Wnt signal during endoderm development. APR-1, the C. elegans APC ortholog, is similarly required to prevent HMP-2 relocalization and keeps it from participating in Wnt signal transduction; this finding partially explains the paradoxical observation that APR-1 acts either negatively or positively in Wnt signaling, depending on context. The apparent hyperactivation of the Wnt response in the absence of FRK-1 leads to hyperproliferation in the endoderm, as is also seen when WRM-1 is overexpressed in wild-type embryos. The specification and proliferation activities of Wnt signaling are separable: although the Tcf/Lef factor POP-1 acts in Wnt-dependent endoderm specification, it is not apparently required for hyperproliferation resulting from excessive Wnt signaling. These findings highlight a role for a Fer-type kinase in setting the proper levels of Wnt signaling and demonstrate the importance of this modulation in ensuring appropriate cell division.
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Ren H, Zhang H. Wnt signaling controls temporal identities of seam cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Biol 2010; 345:144-55. [PMID: 20624379 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2010] [Revised: 06/04/2010] [Accepted: 07/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway regulates multiple aspects of the development of stem cell-like epithelial seam cells in Caenorhabditis elegans, including cell fate specification and symmetric/asymmetric division. In this study, we demonstrate that lit-1, encoding the Nemo-like kinase in the Wnt/beta-catenin asymmetry pathway, plays a role in specifying temporal identities of seam cells. Loss of function of lit-1 suppresses defects in retarded heterochronic mutants and enhances defects in precocious heterochronic mutants. Overexpressing lit-1 causes heterochronic defects opposite to those in lit-1(lf) mutants. LIT-1 exhibits a periodic expression pattern in seam cells within each larval stage. The kinase activity of LIT-1 is essential for its role in the heterochronic pathway. lit-1 specifies the temporal fate of seam cells likely by modulating miRNA-mediated silencing of target heterochronic genes. We further show that loss of function of other components of Wnt signaling, including mom-4, wrm-1, apr-1, and pop-1, also causes heterochronic defects in sensitized genetic backgrounds. Our study reveals a novel function of Wnt signaling in controlling the timing of seam cell development in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Ren
- Graduate Program in Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, PR China
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Abstract
Although now dogma, the idea that nonvertebrate organisms such as yeast, worms, and flies could inform, and in some cases even revolutionize, our understanding of oncogenesis in humans was not immediately obvious. Aided by the conservative nature of evolution and the persistence of a cohort of devoted researchers, the role of model organisms as a key tool in solving the cancer problem has, however, become widely accepted. In this review, we focus on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its diverse and sometimes surprising contributions to our understanding of the tumorigenic process. Specifically, we discuss findings in the worm that address a well-defined set of processes known to be deregulated in cancer cells including cell cycle progression, growth factor signaling, terminal differentiation, apoptosis, the maintenance of genome stability, and developmental mechanisms relevant to invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V. Kirienko
- University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Department of Molecular Biology, Dept 3944, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071
| | - Kumaran Mani
- University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Department of Molecular Biology, Dept 3944, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071
| | - David S. Fay
- University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Department of Molecular Biology, Dept 3944, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071
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Pasco MY, Catoire H, Parker JA, Brais B, Rouleau GA, Néri C. Cross-talk between canonical Wnt signaling and the sirtuin-FoxO longevity pathway to protect against muscular pathology induced by mutant PABPN1 expression in C. elegans. Neurobiol Dis 2010; 38:425-33. [PMID: 20227501 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2009] [Revised: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 03/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental pathways may be play a role in adult cell survival. However, whether they interact with longevity/cell survival pathways to confer protection against disease-associated proteotoxicity remains largely unknown. We previously reported that the inhibition of key longevity modulators such as the deacetylase sir-2.1/SIRT1 (Sir2) and its target daf-16/FoxO protects transgenics nematodes from muscle cell decline and abnormal motility produced by the expression of mutant (polyalanine-expanded) PABPN1, the oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) protein. Here, we report that canonical Wnt signaling (i) modulates muscular pathology in mutant PABPN1 nematodes, and (ii) cooperates with the Sir2-FoxO longevity pathway to confer protection against mutant PABPN1 toxicity at the cellular and behavioral levels. Mutant PABPN1 toxicity was modified by genes along the canonical Wnt pathway, several of which depend on daf-16 for activity. ss-catenin and pop-1/TCF RNAi suppressed the protection from mutant PABPN1 confered by loss-of-function mutations in sir-2.1 and daf-16. Moreover, the aggravation of muscle cell pathology by increased sir-2.1 dosage was reversed by ss-catenin and pop-1 RNAi. The chemical inhibition of GSK-3ss, a repressor of ss-catenin activity, protected against mutant PABPN1 toxicity in a daf-16-dependent manner, which is consistent with a cross-talk between ss-catenin signaling and Sir2-FoxO signaling in protecting from mutant PABPN1 toxicity. Our data reveal that canonical Wnt signaling and Sir2-FoxO signaling interact to modulate diseased muscle survival, and indicate that GSK-3ss inhibitors and sirtuin inhibitors both have therapeutic potential for muscle protection in OPMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Y Pasco
- Inserm, Unit 894, Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology and Pathology, 75014 Paris, France
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44
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Hoffmann M, Segbert C, Helbig G, Bossinger O. Intestinal tube formation in Caenorhabditis elegans requires vang-1 and egl-15 signaling. Dev Biol 2010; 339:268-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2009] [Revised: 11/26/2009] [Accepted: 12/01/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Cabello J, Neukomm LJ, Günesdogan U, Burkart K, Charette SJ, Lochnit G, Hengartner MO, Schnabel R. The Wnt pathway controls cell death engulfment, spindle orientation, and migration through CED-10/Rac. PLoS Biol 2010; 8:e1000297. [PMID: 20126385 PMCID: PMC2814829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2009] [Accepted: 12/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Specificity in Wnt-mediated developmental processes, such as directional cell cleavage, migration, and engulfment of dead cells in C. elegans, arises from the use of distinct Wnt pathway signalling modules. Wnt signalling pathways have extremely diverse functions in animals, including induction of cell fates or tumours, guidance of cell movements during gastrulation, and the induction of cell polarity. Wnt can induce polar changes in cellular morphology by a remodelling of the cytoskeleton. However, how activation of the Frizzled receptor induces cytoskeleton rearrangement is not well understood. We show, by an in depth 4-D microscopy analysis, that the Caenorhabditis elegans Wnt pathway signals to CED-10/Rac via two separate branches to regulate modulation of the cytoskeleton in different cellular situations. Apoptotic cell clearance and migration of the distal tip cell require the MOM-5/Fz receptor, GSK-3 kinase, and APC/APR-1, which activate the CED-2/5/12 branch of the engulfment machinery. MOM-5 (Frizzled) thus can function as an engulfment receptor in C. elegans. Our epistatic analyses also suggest that the two partially redundant signalling pathways defined earlier for engulfment may act in a single pathway in early embryos. By contrast, rearrangement of mitotic spindles requires the MOM-5/Fz receptor, GSK-3 kinase, and β-catenins, but not the downstream factors LIT-1/NLK or POP-1/Tcf. Taken together, our results indicate that in multiple developmental processes, CED-10/Rac can link polar signals mediated by the Wnt pathway to rearrangements of the cytoskeleton. During development, processes such as cell division, fate determination, migration, and removal of dead cells occur in a directional (i.e., polar) manner. For example, cell divisions in the early embryo often occur in a directional manner to maintain specific cell–cell interactions. Later, during organ formation, tissues may be shaped through polar cell migration. During apoptosis, a neighbouring cell engulfing a cell corpse utilizes polar positional information to deform its cytoskeleton and migrate around the corpse. Wnt pathway signalling is a common mechanism by which cells establish polarity during development, but how a single Wnt signal is translated into different outcomes in different cellular or developmental contexts is not clear. Our data on C. elegans suggest that during diverse directional events—cell engulfment, mitotic spindle movement, and cell migration—different Wnt ligands or a specific signal from a cell corpse signals to the Wnt receptor Frizzled (MOM-5 in C. elegans) and on to the downstream factors CED-10/Rac. But specificity of the Wnt signal is mediated by the use of distinct intermediate signal transduction pathways. Our discovery that this pathway is also used for engulfment of cell corpses led us to propose that the two parallel pathways, originally described for engulfment of corpses, are indeed parts of one pathway involving Wnt pathway components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Cabello
- Technische Universität Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Institut für Genetik, Braunschweig, Germany
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC, Campus Universitario Miguel de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Lukas J. Neukomm
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ufuk Günesdogan
- Technische Universität Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Institut für Genetik, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Katharina Burkart
- Technische Universität Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Institut für Genetik, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Steve J. Charette
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Biochemisches Institut, Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | | | - Ralf Schnabel
- Technische Universität Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Institut für Genetik, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Ng SS, Mahmoudi T, Danenberg E, Bejaoui I, de Lau W, Korswagen HC, Schutte M, Clevers H. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling does not activate the wnt cascade. J Biol Chem 2010; 284:35308-13. [PMID: 19850932 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.078261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutational activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway occurs in a wide variety of tumors, whereas activating Wnt pathway mutants are predominantly found in colon cancer. Because GSK3 is a key component of both pathways, it is widely assumed that active PI3K signaling feeds positively into the Wnt pathway by protein kinase B (PKB)-mediatefd inhibition of GSK3. In addition, PKB has been proposed to modulate the canonical Wnt signaling through direct stabilization and nuclear localization of beta-catenin. Here, we show that compartmentalization by Axin of GSK3 prohibits cross-talk between the PI3K and Wnt pathways and that Wnt-mediated transcriptional activity is not modulated by activation of the PI3K/PKB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ser Sue Ng
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT Utrecht
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Segref A, Cabello J, Clucas C, Schnabel R, Johnstone IL. Fate specification and tissue-specific cell cycle control of the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine. Mol Biol Cell 2010; 21:725-38. [PMID: 20053685 PMCID: PMC2828960 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e09-04-0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans β-TrCP orthologue LIN-23 of maternal origin regulates a progressive decline of CDC-25.1 abundance over several embryonic cell-cycles and specifies cell number of one tissue, the embryonic intestine. Coordination between cell fate specification and cell cycle control in multicellular organisms is essential to regulate cell numbers in tissues and organs during development, and its failure may lead to oncogenesis. In mammalian cells, as part of a general cell cycle checkpoint mechanism, the F-box protein β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP) and the Skp1/Cul1/F-box complex control the periodic cell cycle fluctuations in abundance of the CDC25A and B phosphatases. Here, we find that the Caenorhabditis elegans β-TrCP orthologue LIN-23 regulates a progressive decline of CDC-25.1 abundance over several embryonic cell cycles and specifies cell number of one tissue, the embryonic intestine. The negative regulation of CDC-25.1 abundance by LIN-23 may be developmentally controlled because CDC-25.1 accumulates over time within the developing germline, where LIN-23 is also present. Concurrent with the destabilization of CDC-25.1, LIN-23 displays a spatially dynamic behavior in the embryo, periodically entering a nuclear compartment where CDC-25.1 is abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Segref
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Phillips BT, Kimble J. A new look at TCF and beta-catenin through the lens of a divergent C. elegans Wnt pathway. Dev Cell 2009; 17:27-34. [PMID: 19619489 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2009.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is extensively characterized, broadly conserved, and clinically important. In this review, we describe the C. elegans Wnt/beta-catenin asymmetry pathway and suggest that some of its unusual features may have important implications for the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan T Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1544, USA.
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Huang X, Tian E, Xu Y, Zhang H. The C. elegans engrailed homolog ceh-16 regulates the self-renewal expansion division of stem cell-like seam cells. Dev Biol 2009; 333:337-47. [PMID: 19607822 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2009] [Revised: 06/01/2009] [Accepted: 07/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stem cells undergo symmetric and asymmetric division to maintain the dynamic equilibrium of the stem cell pool and also to generate a variety of differentiated cells. The homeostatic mechanism controlling the choice between self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells is poorly understood. We show here that ceh-16, encoding the C. elegans ortholog of the transcription factor Engrailed, controls symmetric and asymmetric division of stem cell-like seam cells. Loss of function of ceh-16 causes certain seam cells, which normally undergo symmetric self-renewal expansion division with both daughters adopting the seam cell fate, to divide asymmetrically with only one daughter retaining the seam cell fate. The human engrailed homolog En2 functionally substitutes the role of ceh-16 in promoting self-renewal expansion division of seam cells. Loss of function of apr-1, encoding the C. elegans homolog of the Wnt signaling component APC, results in transformation of self-renewal maintenance seam cell division to self-renewal expansion division, leading to seam cell hyperplasia. The apr-1 mutation suppresses the seam cell division defect in ceh-16 mutants. Our study reveals that ceh-16 interacts with the Wnt signaling pathway to control the choice between self-renewal expansion and maintenance division and also demonstrates an evolutionarily conserved function of engrailed in promoting cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
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A beta-catenin-dependent Wnt pathway mediates anteroposterior axon guidance in C. elegans motor neurons. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4690. [PMID: 19259273 PMCID: PMC2649571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2008] [Accepted: 01/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wnts are secreted glycoproteins that regulate diverse aspects of development, including cell proliferation, cell fate specification and differentiation. More recently, Wnts have been shown to direct axon guidance in vertebrates, flies and worms. However, little is known about the intracellular signaling pathways downstream of Wnts in axon guidance. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we show that the posterior C. elegans Wnt protein LIN-44 repels the axons of the adjacent D-type motor neurons by activating its receptor LIN-17/Frizzled on the neurons. Moreover, mutations in mig-5/Disheveled, gsk-3, pry-1/Axin, bar-1/β-catenin and pop-1/TCF, also cause disrupted D-type axon pathfinding. Reduced BAR-1/β-catenin activity in D-type axons leads to undergrowth of axons, while stabilization of BAR-1/β-catenin in a lin-23/SCFβ-TrCP mutant results in an overextension phenotype. Conclusions/Significance Together, our data provide evidence that Wnt-mediated axon guidance can be transduced through a β-catenin-dependent pathway.
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