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Ray J, Banerjee D, Wang Q, Girirajan S. Flynotyper 2.0: An updated tool for rapid quantitative assessment of Drosophila eye phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.07.588481. [PMID: 39185196 PMCID: PMC11343096 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.07.588481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
About two-thirds of the genes in the Drosophila melanogaster genome are also involved in its eye development, making the Drosophila eye an ideal system for genetic studies. We previously developed Flynotyper, a software that uses image processing operations to identify and quantify the degree of roughness by measuring disorderliness of ommatidial arrangement in the fly eye. This software has enabled researchers to quantify morphological defects of thousands of eye images caused by genetic perturbations. Here, we present Flynotyper 2.0, a software that has an updated computer vision library, improved performance, and a streamlined pipeline for high-throughput analysis of multiple eye images. We also tested several batches of Drosophila eye images to ensure robustness and reproducibility of the updated Flynotyper 2.0 software. Availability and implementation The source code for Flynotyper 2.0 can be downloaded and installed from https://github.com/girirajanlab/flynotyper-desktop-application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan Ray
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Deepro Banerjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Qingyu Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Anthropology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
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2
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Zhang Y, Li X. Development of the Drosophila Optic Lobe. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:108156. [PMID: 37758285 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top108156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila visual system has been a great model to study fundamental questions in neurobiology, such as neural fate specification, axon guidance, circuit formation, and information processing. The Drosophila visual system is composed of the compound eye and the optic lobe. The optic lobe is divided into four neuropils-namely, the lamina, medulla, lobula, and lobula plate. There are around 200 types of optic lobe neurons, which wire together to form a complex neural structure to processes visual information. These neurons are derived from two neuroepithelial structures-namely, the outer proliferation center (OPC) and the inner proliferation center (IPC), in the larval brain. Recent work on the Drosophila optic lobe has revealed basic principles underlying the development of this complex neural structure, and immunostaining has been a key tool in these studies. Here, we provide a brief overview of the Drosophila optic lobe structure and development, as revealed by immunostaining. First, we introduce the structure of the adult optic lobe. Then, we summarize recent advances in the study of neural fate specification during development of different parts of the optic lobe. Last, we briefly summarize general aspects of axon guidance and neuropil assembly in the optic lobe. With this review, we aim to familiarize readers with this complex neural structure and highlight the power of this great model to study neural development to facilitate further developmental and functional studies using this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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3
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Ascencio G, de Cruz MA, Abuel J, Alvarado S, Arriaga Y, Conrad E, Castro A, Eichelberger K, Galvan L, Gundy G, Garcia JAI, Jimenez A, Lu NT, Lugar C, Marania R, Mendsaikhan T, Ortega J, Nand N, Rodrigues NS, Shabazz K, Tam C, Valenciano E, Hayzelden C, Eritano AS, Riggs B. A deficiency screen of the 3rd chromosome for dominant modifiers of the Drosophila ER integral membrane protein, Jagunal. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad059. [PMID: 36932646 PMCID: PMC10320142 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism surrounding chromosome inheritance during cell division has been well documented, however, organelle inheritance during mitosis is less understood. Recently, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been shown to reorganize during mitosis, dividing asymmetrically in proneuronal cells prior to cell fate selection, indicating a programmed mechanism of inheritance. ER asymmetric partitioning in proneural cells relies on the highly conserved ER integral membrane protein, Jagunal (Jagn). Knockdown of Jagn in the compound Drosophila eye displays a pleotropic rough eye phenotype in 48% of the progeny. To identify genes involved in Jagn dependent ER partitioning pathway, we performed a dominant modifier screen of the 3rd chromosome for enhancers and suppressors of this Jagn-RNAi-induced rough eye phenotype. We screened through 181 deficiency lines covering the 3L and 3R chromosomes and identified 12 suppressors and 10 enhancers of the Jagn-RNAi phenotype. Based on the functions of the genes covered by the deficiencies, we identified genes that displayed a suppression or enhancement of the Jagn-RNAi phenotype. These include Division Abnormally Delayed (Dally), a heparan sulfate proteoglycan, the γ-secretase subunit Presenilin, and the ER resident protein Sec63. Based on our understanding of the function of these targets, there is a connection between Jagn and the Notch signaling pathway. Further studies will elucidate the role of Jagn and identified interactors within the mechanisms of ER partitioning during mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerson Ascencio
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Matthew A de Cruz
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Judy Abuel
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Sydney Alvarado
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Yuma Arriaga
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Emily Conrad
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Alonso Castro
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Katharine Eichelberger
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Laura Galvan
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Grace Gundy
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | | | - Alyssa Jimenez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Nhien Tuyet Lu
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Catharine Lugar
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Ronald Marania
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Tserendavaa Mendsaikhan
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Jose Ortega
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Natasha Nand
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Nicole S Rodrigues
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Khayla Shabazz
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Cynnie Tam
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Emmanuel Valenciano
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Clive Hayzelden
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Anthony S Eritano
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
| | - Blake Riggs
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 4132, USA
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DeSantis DF, Neal SJ, Zhou Q, Pignoni F. Peripodial adherens junctions regulate Ajuba-Yorkie signaling to preserve fly eye morphology. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059579. [PMID: 36912729 PMCID: PMC10084860 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059579] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila eye develops from the larval eye disc, a flattened vesicle comprised of continuous retinal and peripodial epithelia (PE). The PE is an epithelium that plays a supporting role in retinal neurogenesis, but gives rise to cuticle in the adult. We report here that the PE is also necessary to preserve the morphology of the retinal epithelium. Depletion of the adherens junction (AJ) components β-Catenin (β-Cat), DE-Cadherin or α-Catenin from the PE leads to altered disc morphology, characterized by retinal displacement (RDis); so too does loss of the Ajuba protein Jub, an AJ-associated regulator of the transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki). Restoring AJs or overexpressing Yki in β-Cat deficient PE results in suppression of RDis. Additional suppressors of AJ-dependent RDis include knockdown of Rho kinase (Rok) and Dystrophin (Dys). Furthermore, knockdown of βPS integrin (Mys) from the PE results in RDis, while overexpression of Mys can suppress RDis induced by the loss of β-Cat. We thus propose that AJ-Jub-Yki signaling in PE cells regulates PE cell contractile properties and/or attachment to the extracellular matrix to promote normal eye disc morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana F. DeSantis
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Scott J. Neal
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Qingxiang Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Francesca Pignoni
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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5
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Zhao H, Moberg KH, Veraksa A. Hippo pathway and Bonus control developmental cell fate decisions in the Drosophila eye. Dev Cell 2023; 58:416-434.e12. [PMID: 36868234 PMCID: PMC10023510 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.02.005] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
The canonical function of the Hippo signaling pathway is the regulation of organ growth. How this pathway controls cell-fate determination is less well understood. Here, we identify a function of the Hippo pathway in cell-fate decisions in the developing Drosophila eye, exerted through the interaction of Yorkie (Yki) with the transcriptional regulator Bonus (Bon), an ortholog of mammalian transcriptional intermediary factor 1/tripartite motif (TIF1/TRIM) family proteins. Instead of controlling tissue growth, Yki and Bon promote epidermal and antennal fates at the expense of the eye fate. Proteomic, transcriptomic, and genetic analyses reveal that Yki and Bon control these cell-fate decisions by recruiting transcriptional and post-transcriptional co-regulators and by repressing Notch target genes and activating epidermal differentiation genes. Our work expands the range of functions and regulatory mechanisms under Hippo pathway control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heya Zhao
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Alexey Veraksa
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
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6
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Sahu S, Karmakar P, Saha J, Bhattacharyya S, Mishra M. A Quick and Laidback Way to Detect the Internal Structure of the Drosophila Eye: An Alternative to Cryosectioning. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 117:108361. [PMID: 36907498 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108361] [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: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Immunofluorescence techniques have been a great tool to chase the structure, localization, and function of many proteins within a cell. Drosophila eye is widely used as a model to answer various questions. However, the complex sample preparation and visualization methods restrict its use only with an expert's hand. Thus, an easy and hassle-free method is in need to broaden the use of this model even with an amateur's hand. The current protocol describes an easy sample preparation method using DMSO to image the adult fly eye. The brief description of sample collection, preparation, dissection, staining, imaging, storage, and handling has been described over here. For readers, the possible problems that might arise during the execution of the experiment have been described with their possible reason and solutions. The overall protocol reduces the use of chemicals and shortens the sample preparation time to only 3hours, which is significantly less in comparison to other protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetapadma Sahu
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India, 769008
| | - Puja Karmakar
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India, 769008
| | - Jayasree Saha
- ImmunobiologyLab, Department of Zoology, SidhoKanhoBirsha University, Puruliya, India
| | - Sankar Bhattacharyya
- ImmunobiologyLab, Department of Zoology, SidhoKanhoBirsha University, Puruliya, India.
| | - Monalisa Mishra
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India, 769008.
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7
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Thole JF, Waudby CA, Pielak GJ. Disordered proteins mitigate the temperature dependence of site-specific binding free energies. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102984. [PMID: 36739945 PMCID: PMC10027511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biophysical characterization of protein-protein interactions involving disordered proteins is challenging. A common simplification is to measure the thermodynamics and kinetics of disordered site binding using peptides containing only the minimum residues necessary. We should not assume, however, that these few residues tell the whole story. Son of sevenless, a multidomain signaling protein from Drosophila melanogaster, is critical to the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, passing an external signal to Ras, which leads to cellular responses. The disordered 55 kDa C-terminal domain of Son of sevenless is an autoinhibitor that blocks guanidine exchange factor activity. Activation requires another protein, Downstream of receptor kinase (Drk), which contains two Src homology 3 domains. Here, we utilized NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry to quantify the thermodynamics and kinetics of the N-terminal Src homology 3 domain binding to the strongest sites incorporated into the flanking disordered sequences. Comparing these results to those for isolated peptides provides information about how the larger domain affects binding. The affinities of sites on the disordered domain are like those of the peptides at low temperatures but less sensitive to temperature. Our results, combined with observations showing that intrinsically disordered proteins become more compact with increasing temperature, suggest a mechanism for this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Thole
- Department of Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Cancer Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, UNC - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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8
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Tissue dissociation for single-cell and single-nuclei RNA sequencing for low amounts of input material. Front Zool 2022; 19:27. [DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Recent technological advances opened the opportunity to simultaneously study gene expression for thousands of individual cells on a genome-wide scale. The experimental accessibility of such single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) approaches allowed gaining insights into the cell type composition of heterogeneous tissue samples of animal model systems and emerging models alike. A major prerequisite for a successful application of the method is the dissociation of complex tissues into individual cells, which often requires large amounts of input material and harsh mechanical, chemical and temperature conditions. However, the availability of tissue material may be limited for small animals, specific organs, certain developmental stages or if samples need to be acquired from collected specimens. Therefore, we evaluated different dissociation protocols to obtain single cells from small tissue samples of Drosophila melanogaster eye-antennal imaginal discs.
Results
We show that a combination of mechanical and chemical dissociation resulted in sufficient high-quality cells. As an alternative, we tested protocols for the isolation of single nuclei, which turned out to be highly efficient for fresh and frozen tissue samples. Eventually, we performed scRNAseq and single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) to show that the best protocols for both methods successfully identified relevant cell types. At the same time, snRNAseq resulted in less artificial gene expression that is caused by rather harsh dissociation conditions needed to obtain single cells for scRNAseq. A direct comparison of scRNAseq and snRNAseq data revealed that both datasets share biologically relevant genes among the most variable genes, and we showed differences in the relative contribution of the two approaches to identified cell types.
Conclusion
We present two dissociation protocols that allow isolating single cells and single nuclei, respectively, from low input material. Both protocols resulted in extraction of high-quality RNA for subsequent scRNAseq or snRNAseq applications. If tissue availability is limited, we recommend the snRNAseq procedure of fresh or frozen tissue samples as it is perfectly suited to obtain thorough insights into cellular diversity of complex tissue.
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Neal SJ, Zhou Q, Pignoni F. Protein Phosphatase 2A with B' specificity subunits regulates the Hippo-Yorkie signaling axis in the Drosophila eye disc. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:jcs259558. [PMID: 36205125 PMCID: PMC10614058 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259558] [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: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippo-Yorkie (Hpo-Yki) signaling is central to diverse developmental processes. Although its redeployment has been amply demonstrated, its context-specific regulation remains poorly understood. The Drosophila eye disc is a continuous epithelium folded into two layers, the peripodial epithelium (PE) and the retinal progenitor epithelium. Here, Yki acts in the PE, first to promote PE identity by suppressing retina fate, and subsequently to maintain proper disc morphology. In the latter process, loss of Yki results in the displacement of a portion of the differentiating retinal epithelium onto the PE side. We show that Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexes comprising different substrate-specificity B-type subunits govern the Hpo-Yki axis in this context. These include holoenzymes containing the B‴ subunit Cka and those containing the B' subunits Wdb or Wrd. Whereas PP2A(Cka), as part of the STRIPAK complex, is known to regulate Hpo directly, PP2A(Wdb) acts genetically upstream of the antagonistic activities of the Hpo regulators Sav and Rassf. These in vivo data provide the first evidence of PP2A(B') heterotrimer function in Hpo pathway regulation and reveal pathway diversification at distinct developmental times in the same tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J. Neal
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Qingxiang Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Francesca Pignoni
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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10
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Courcoubetis G, Xu C, Nuzhdin SV, Haas S. Avalanches during epithelial tissue growth; Uniform Growth and a drosophila eye disc model. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009952. [PMID: 35303738 PMCID: PMC8932575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues constitute an exotic type of active matter with non-linear properties reminiscent of amorphous materials. In the context of a proliferating epithelium, modeled by the quasistatic vertex model, we identify novel discrete tissue scale rearrangements, i.e. cellular rearrangement avalanches, which are a form of collective cell movement. During the avalanches, the vast majority of cells retain their neighbors, and the resulting cellular trajectories are radial in the periphery, a vortex in the core. After the onset of these avalanches, the epithelial area grows discontinuously. The avalanches are found to be stochastic, and their strength is correlated with the density of cells in the tissue. Overall, avalanches redistribute accumulated local spatial pressure along the tissue. Furthermore, the distribution of avalanche magnitudes is found to obey a power law, with an exponent consistent with sheer induced avalanches in amorphous materials. To understand the role of avalanches in organ development, we simulate epithelial growth of the Drosophila eye disc during the third instar using a computational model, which includes both chemical and mechanistic signaling. During the third instar, the morphogenetic furrow (MF), a ~10 cell wide wave of apical area constriction propagates through the epithelium. These simulations are used to understand the details of the growth process, the effect of the MF on the growth dynamics on the tissue scale, and to make predictions for experimental observations. The avalanches are found to depend on the strength of the apical constriction of cells in the MF, with a stronger apical constriction leading to less frequent and more pronounced avalanches. The results herein highlight the dependence of simulated tissue growth dynamics on relaxation timescales, and serve as a guide for in vitro experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Courcoubetis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Chi Xu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sergey V. Nuzhdin
- Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Stephan Haas
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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11
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Markey M, Vazquez M. Targeting collective behaviors of transplanted retinal cells as a strategy to improve cellular integration. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1271-1272. [PMID: 34782569 PMCID: PMC8643041 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.327345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Miles Markey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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12
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Mehta AS, Deshpande P, Chimata AV, Tsonis PA, Singh A. Newt regeneration genes regulate Wingless signaling to restore patterning in Drosophila eye. iScience 2021; 24:103166. [PMID: 34746690 PMCID: PMC8551474 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Newts utilize their unique genes to restore missing parts by strategic regulation of conserved signaling pathways. Lack of genetic tools poses challenges to determine the function of such genes. Therefore, we used the Drosophila eye model to demonstrate the potential of 5 unique newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) gene(s), viropana1-viropana5 (vna1-vna5), which were ectopically expressed in L 2 mutant and GMR-hid, GMR-GAL4 eye. L 2 exhibits the loss of ventral half of early eye and head involution defective (hid) triggers cell-death during later eye development. Surprisingly, newt genes significantly restore missing photoreceptor cells both in L 2 and GMR>hid background by upregulating cell-proliferation and blocking cell-death, regulating evolutionarily conserved Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signaling pathway and exhibit non-cell-autonomous rescues. Further, Wg/Wnt signaling acts downstream of newt genes. Our data highlights that unique newt proteins can regulate conserved pathways to trigger a robust restoration of missing photoreceptor cells in Drosophila eye model with weak restoration capability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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13
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Smylla TK, Wagner K, Huber A. Application of Fluorescent Proteins for Functional Dissection of the Drosophila Visual System. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8930. [PMID: 34445636 PMCID: PMC8396179 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila eye has been used extensively to study numerous aspects of biological systems, for example, spatio-temporal regulation of differentiation, visual signal transduction, protein trafficking and neurodegeneration. Right from the advent of fluorescent proteins (FPs) near the end of the millennium, heterologously expressed fusion proteins comprising FPs have been applied in Drosophila vision research not only for subcellular localization of proteins but also for genetic screens and analysis of photoreceptor function. Here, we summarize applications for FPs used in the Drosophila eye as part of genetic screens, to study rhodopsin expression patterns, subcellular protein localization, membrane protein transport or as genetically encoded biosensors for Ca2+ and phospholipids in vivo. We also discuss recently developed FPs that are suitable for super-resolution or correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) approaches. Illustrating the possibilities provided by using FPs in Drosophila photoreceptors may aid research in other sensory or neuronal systems that have not yet been studied as well as the Drosophila eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K. Smylla
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; (K.W.); (A.H.)
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14
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DiFrisco J, Jaeger J. Genetic Causation in Complex Regulatory Systems: An Integrative Dynamic Perspective. Bioessays 2021; 42:e1900226. [PMID: 32449193 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The logic of genetic discovery has changed little over time, but the focus of biology is shifting from simple genotype-phenotype relationships to complex metabolic, physiological, developmental, and behavioral traits. In light of this, the traditional reductionist view of individual genes as privileged difference-making causes of phenotypes is re-examined. The scope and nature of genetic effects in complex regulatory systems, in which dynamics are driven by regulatory feedback and hierarchical interactions across levels of organization are considered. This review argues that it is appropriate to treat genes as specific actual difference-makers for the molecular regulation of gene expression. However, they are often neither stable, proportional, nor specific as causes of the overall dynamic behavior of regulatory networks. Dynamical models, properly formulated and validated, provide the tools to probe cause-and-effect relationships in complex biological systems, allowing to go beyond the limitations of genetic reductionism to gain an integrative understanding of the causal processes underlying complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Jaeger
- Complexity Science Hub (CSH) Vienna, Josefstädter Straße 39, Vienna, 1080, Austria.,Department of Molecular Evolution & Development, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
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15
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Interplay between sex determination cascade and major signaling pathways during Drosophila eye development: Perspectives for future research. Dev Biol 2021; 476:41-52. [PMID: 33745943 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding molecular mechanisms of sexually dimorphic organ growth is a fundamental problem of developmental biology. Recent quantitative studies showed that the Drosophila compound eye is a convenient model to study the determination of the final organ size. In Drosophila, females have larger eyes than males and this is evident even after correction for the larger body size. Moreover, female eyes include more ommatidia (photosensitive units) than male eyes and this difference is specified at the third larval instar in the eye primordia called eye imaginal discs. This may result in different visual capabilities between the two sexes and have behavioral consequences. Despite growing evidence on the genetic bases of eye size variation between different Drosophila species and strains, mechanisms responsible for within-species sexual dimorphism still remain elusive. Here, we discuss a presumptive crosstalk between the sex determination cascade and major signaling pathways during dimorphic eye development. Male- and female-specific isoforms of Doublesex (Dsx) protein are known to control sex-specific differentiation in the somatic tissues. However, no data on Dsx function during eye disc growth and patterning are currently available. Remarkably, Sex lethal (Sxl), the sex determination switch protein, was shown to directly affect Hedgehog (Hh) and Notch (N) signaling in the Drosophila wing disc. The similarity of signaling pathways involved in the wing and eye disc growth suggests that Sxl might be integrated into regulation of eye development. Dsx role in the eye disc requires further investigation. We discuss currently available data on sex-biased gene expression in the Drosophila eye and highlight perspectives for future studies.
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16
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Quiquand M, Rimesso G, Qiao N, Suo S, Zhao C, Slattery M, White KP, Han JJ, Baker NE. New regulators of Drosophila eye development identified from temporal transcriptome changes. Genetics 2021; 217:6117222. [PMID: 33681970 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last larval instar, uncommitted progenitor cells in the Drosophila eye primordium start to adopt individual retinal cell fates, arrest their growth and proliferation, and initiate terminal differentiation into photoreceptor neurons and other retinal cell types. To explore the regulation of these processes, we have performed mRNA-Seq studies of the larval eye and antennal primordial at multiple developmental stages. A total of 10,893 fly genes were expressed during these stages and could be adaptively clustered into gene groups, some of whose expression increases or decreases in parallel with the cessation of proliferation and onset of differentiation. Using in situ hybridization of a sample of 98 genes to verify spatial and temporal expression patterns, we estimate that 534 genes or more are transcriptionally upregulated during retinal differentiation, and 1367 or more downregulated as progenitor cells differentiate. Each group of co-expressed genes is enriched for regulatory motifs recognized by co-expressed transcription factors, suggesting that they represent coherent transcriptional regulatory programs. Using available mutant strains, we describe novel roles for the transcription factors SoxNeuro (SoxN), H6-like homeobox (Hmx), CG10253, without children (woc), Structure specific recognition protein (Ssrp), and multisex combs (mxc).
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Quiquand
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Gerard Rimesso
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Nan Qiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shengbao Suo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chunyu Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Matthew Slattery
- Institute for Genomics & Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kevin P White
- Institute for Genomics & Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jackie J Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Nicholas E Baker
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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17
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Bostock MP, Prasad AR, Chaouni R, Yuen AC, Sousa-Nunes R, Amoyel M, Fernandes VM. An Immobilization Technique for Long-Term Time-Lapse Imaging of Explanted Drosophila Tissues. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:590094. [PMID: 33117817 PMCID: PMC7576353 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.590094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-lapse imaging is an essential tool to study dynamic biological processes that cannot be discerned from fixed samples alone. However, imaging cell- and tissue-level processes in intact animals poses numerous challenges if the organism is opaque and/or motile. Explant cultures of intact tissues circumvent some of these challenges, but sample drift remains a considerable obstacle. We employed a simple yet effective technique to immobilize tissues in medium-bathed agarose. We applied this technique to study multiple Drosophila tissues from first-instar larvae to adult stages in various orientations and with no evidence of anisotropic pressure or stress damage. Using this method, we were able to image fine features for up to 18 h and make novel observations. Specifically, we report that fibers characteristic of quiescent neuroblasts are inherited by their basal daughters during reactivation; that the lamina in the developing visual system is assembled roughly 2-3 columns at a time; that lamina glia positions are dynamic during development; and that the nuclear envelopes of adult testis cyst stem cells do not break down completely during mitosis. In all, we demonstrate that our protocol is well-suited for tissue immobilization and long-term live imaging, enabling new insights into tissue and cell dynamics in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Bostock
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anadika R. Prasad
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Chaouni
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice C. Yuen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Sousa-Nunes
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Amoyel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vilaiwan M. Fernandes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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18
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Pradhan P, Majhi O, Biswas A, Joshi VK, Sinha D. Enhanced accumulation of reduced glutathione by Scopoletin improves survivability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's model. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:739. [PMID: 32913179 PMCID: PMC7484898 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02942-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neuromotor disorder, primarily manifested by motor anomalies due to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Although alterations in genetic factors have been linked with its etiology, exponential accumulation of environmental entities such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) initiate a cyclic chain reaction resulting in accumulation of cellular inclusions, dysfunctional mitochondria, and overwhelming of antioxidant machinery, thus accelerating disease pathogenesis. Involvement of oxidative stress in PD is further substantiated through ROS induced Parkinsonian models and elevated oxidative markers in clinical PD samples; thereby, making modulation of neuronal oxidative load as one of the major approaches in management of PD. Here we have found a potent antioxidant moiety Scopoletin (Sp), a common derivative in most of the nootropic herbs, with robust neuroprotective ability. Sp increased cellular resistance to ROS through efficient recycling of GSH to prevent oxidative damage. The Sp treated cells showed higher loads of reduced glutathione making them resistant to perturbation of antioxidant machinery or neurotoxin MPP+. Sp could restore the redox balance, mitochondrial function, and prevented oxidative damage, leading to recovery of dopaminergic neural networks and motion abilities in Drosophila genetic model of PD. Our data also suggest that Sp, in combination increases the therapeutic potency of L-DOPA by mitigating its chronic toxicity. Together, we highlight the possible ability of Sp in preventing oxidative stress mediated loss of dopaminergic neurons and at the same time enhance the efficacy of dopamine recharging regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyadarshika Pradhan
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Olivia Majhi
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Abhijit Biswas
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Vinod Kumar Joshi
- Department of Dravyaguna, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Devanjan Sinha
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
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19
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Maccallini P, Bavasso F, Scatolini L, Bucciarelli E, Noviello G, Lisi V, Palumbo V, D'Angeli S, Cacchione S, Cenci G, Ciapponi L, Wakefield JG, Gatti M, Raffa GD. Intimate functional interactions between TGS1 and the Smn complex revealed by an analysis of the Drosophila eye development. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008815. [PMID: 32453722 PMCID: PMC7289441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Trimethylguanosine synthase 1 (TGS1) is a conserved enzyme that mediates formation of the trimethylguanosine cap on several RNAs, including snRNAs and telomerase RNA. Previous studies have shown that TGS1 binds the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein, whose deficiency causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Here, we analyzed the roles of the Drosophila orthologs of the human TGS1 and SMN genes. We show that the Drosophila TGS1 protein (dTgs1) physically interacts with all subunits of the Drosophila Smn complex (Smn, Gem2, Gem3, Gem4 and Gem5), and that a human TGS1 transgene rescues the mutant phenotype caused by dTgs1 loss. We demonstrate that both dTgs1 and Smn are required for viability of retinal progenitor cells and that downregulation of these genes leads to a reduced eye size. Importantly, overexpression of dTgs1 partially rescues the eye defects caused by Smn depletion, and vice versa. These results suggest that the Drosophila eye model can be exploited for screens aimed at the identification of genes and drugs that modify the phenotypes elicited by Tgs1 and Smn deficiency. These modifiers could help to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying SMA pathogenesis and devise new therapies for this genetic disease. We explored the functional relationships between TGS1 and SMN using Drosophila as model organism. TGS1 is an enzyme that modifies the structure of the 5’-end of several RNAs, including telomerase RNA and the small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) that are required for messenger RNA maturation. The SMN protein regulates snRNAs biogenesis and mutations in human SMN cause Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a devastating disorder characterized by neurodegeneration, progressive paralysis and death. We show that mutations in the Drosophila TGS1 (dTgs1) gene cause lethality, which is rescued by a human TGS1 transgene. We also show that the dTgs1 protein physically interacts with all subunits of the Smn complex, and that downregulation of either dTgs1 or Smn leads to a reduced Drosophila eye size. Notably, overexpression of dTgs1 partially rescues the eye defects caused by Smn knockdown, and vice versa, indicating that these genes cooperate in eye development. These results suggest that the eye model can be exploited for screens aimed at detection of chemical and genetic modifiers of the eye mutant phenotype elicited by dTgs1 and Smn deficiency, providing new clues about SMA pathogenesis and potential therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Maccallini
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bavasso
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Scatolini
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Gemma Noviello
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Veronica Lisi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Palumbo
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone D'Angeli
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Cacchione
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cenci
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Istituto Pasteur, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Ciapponi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - James G. Wakefield
- Biosciences/Living Systems Institute, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Maurizio Gatti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari (IBPM) del CNR, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (MG); (GDR)
| | - Grazia Daniela Raffa
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (MG); (GDR)
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20
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Abstract
In this issue of Developmental Cell, Ramaekers et al. (2019) show that changes in eyeless/Pax6 expression cause differences in compound eye size within and between Drosophila species. These findings reveal how changes in the underlying gene regulatory network facilitate eye size evolution and provide insights into organ size regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Almudi
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera Km1, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK.
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21
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Zhang S, Markey M, Pena CD, Venkatesh T, Vazquez M. A Micro-Optic Stalk (μOS) System to Model the Collective Migration of Retinal Neuroblasts. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11040363. [PMID: 32244321 PMCID: PMC7230939 DOI: 10.3390/mi11040363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary regenerative therapies have introduced stem-like cells to replace damaged neurons in the visual system by recapitulating critical processes of eye development. The collective migration of neural stem cells is fundamental to retinogenesis and has been exceptionally well-studied using the fruit fly model of Drosophila Melanogaster. However, the migratory behavior of its retinal neuroblasts (RNBs) has been surprisingly understudied, despite being critical to retinal development in this invertebrate model. The current project developed a new microfluidic system to examine the collective migration of RNBs extracted from the developing visual system of Drosophila as a model for the collective motile processes of replacement neural stem cells. The system scales with the microstructure of the Drosophila optic stalk, which is a pre-cursor to the optic nerve, to produce signaling fields spatially comparable to in vivo RNB stimuli. Experiments used the micro-optic stalk system, or μOS, to demonstrate the preferred sizing and directional migration of collective, motile RNB groups in response to changes in exogenous concentrations of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), which is a key factor in development. Our data highlight the importance of cell-to-cell contacts in enabling cell cohesion during collective RNB migration and point to the unexplored synergy of invertebrate cell study and microfluidic platforms to advance regenerative strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, 4400 Vestal Pkwy E, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA;
| | - Miles Markey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, 599 Taylor Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Caroline D. Pena
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA;
| | - Tadmiri Venkatesh
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA;
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, 599 Taylor Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Correspondence:
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22
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Gogia N, Sarkar A, Mehta AS, Ramesh N, Deshpande P, Kango-Singh M, Pandey UB, Singh A. Inactivation of Hippo and cJun-N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling mitigate FUS mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 140:104837. [PMID: 32199908 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the central nervous system, has no known cure to-date. Disease causing mutations in human Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) leads to aggressive and juvenile onset of ALS. FUS is a well-conserved protein across different species, which plays a crucial role in regulating different aspects of RNA metabolism. Targeted misexpression of FUS in Drosophila model recapitulates several interesting phenotypes relevant to ALS including cytoplasmic mislocalization, defects at the neuromuscular junction and motor dysfunction. We screened for the genetic modifiers of human FUS-mediated neurodegenerative phenotype using molecularly defined deficiencies. We identified hippo (hpo), a component of the evolutionarily conserved Hippo growth regulatory pathway, as a genetic modifier of FUS mediated neurodegeneration. Gain-of-function of hpo triggers cell death whereas its loss-of-function promotes cell proliferation. Downregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway, using mutants of Hippo signaling, exhibit rescue of FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in the Drosophila eye, as evident from reduction in the number of TUNEL positive nuclei as well as rescue of axonal targeting from the retina to the brain. The Hippo pathway activates c-Jun amino-terminal (NH2) Kinase (JNK) mediated cell death. We found that downregulation of JNK signaling is sufficient to rescue FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in the Drosophila eye. Our study elucidates that Hippo signaling and JNK signaling are activated in response to FUS accumulation to induce neurodegeneration. These studies will shed light on the genetic mechanism involved in neurodegeneration observed in ALS and other associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | | | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA
| | | | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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23
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Characterization of the Genetic Architecture Underlying Eye Size Variation Within Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:1005-1018. [PMID: 31919111 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The compound eyes of insects exhibit striking variation in size, reflecting adaptation to different lifestyles and habitats. However, the genetic and developmental bases of variation in insect eye size is poorly understood, which limits our understanding of how these important morphological differences evolve. To address this, we further explored natural variation in eye size within and between four species of the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup. We found extensive variation in eye size among these species, and flies with larger eyes generally had a shorter inter-ocular distance and vice versa We then carried out quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of intra-specific variation in eye size and inter-ocular distance in both D. melanogaster and D. simulans This revealed that different genomic regions underlie variation in eye size and inter-ocular distance in both species, which we corroborated by introgression mapping in D. simulans This suggests that although there is a trade-off between eye size and inter-ocular distance, variation in these two traits is likely to be caused by different genes and so can be genetically decoupled. Finally, although we detected QTL for intra-specific variation in eye size at similar positions in D. melanogaster and D. simulans, we observed differences in eye fate commitment between strains of these two species. This indicates that different developmental mechanisms and therefore, most likely, different genes contribute to eye size variation in these species. Taken together with the results of previous studies, our findings suggest that the gene regulatory network that specifies eye size has evolved at multiple genetic nodes to give rise to natural variation in this trait within and among species.
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24
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Arimoto E, Kawashima Y, Choi T, Unagami M, Akiyama S, Tomizawa M, Yano H, Suzuki E, Sone M. Analysis of a cellular structure observed in the compound eyes of Drosophila white; yata mutants and white mutants. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio.047043. [PMID: 31862863 PMCID: PMC6994944 DOI: 10.1242/bio.047043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified the Drosophila yata mutant, which showed phenotypes including progressive vacuolization of the white-coloured compound eye, progressive shrinkage of the brain and a shortened lifespan. The yata gene was shown to be involved in controlling intracellular trafficking of the Amyloid precursor protein-like protein, which is an orthologue of Amyloid precursor protein, which is a causative molecule of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we examined the phenotype of the compound eye of the yata mutant using electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. We found that abnormal cellular structures that seemed to originate from bleb-like structures and contained vesicles and organelles, such as multivesicular bodies and autophagosomes, were observed in aged white; yata mutants and aged white mutants. These structures were not observed in newly eclosed flies and the presence of the structures was suppressed in flies grown under constant dark conditions after eclosion. The structures were not observed in newly eclosed red-eyed yata mutants or wild-type flies, but were observed in very aged red-eyed wild-type flies. Thus, our data suggest that the observed structures are formed as a result of changes associated with exposure to light after eclosion in white mutants, white; yata mutants and aged flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Arimoto
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Yutaro Kawashima
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Taein Choi
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Mami Unagami
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Shintaro Akiyama
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Mizuki Tomizawa
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yano
- Technical Section, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Emiko Suzuki
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan.,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Masaki Sone
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
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25
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Maier D, Nagel AC, Preiss A. Genetic interactions between Protein Kinase D and Lobe mutants during eye development of Drosophila melanogaster. Hereditas 2019; 156:37. [PMID: 31889943 PMCID: PMC6924039 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-019-0113-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Drosophila, the development of the fly eye involves the activity of several, interconnected pathways that first define the presumptive eye field within the eye anlagen, followed by establishment of the dorso-ventral boundary, and the regulation of growth and apoptosis. In Lobe (L) mutant flies, parts of the eye or even the complete eye are absent because the eye field has not been properly defined. Manifold genetic interactions indicate that L influences the activity of several signalling pathways, resulting in a conversion of eye tissue into epidermis, and in the induction of apoptosis. As information on the molecular nature of the L mutation is lacking, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still an enigma. Results We have identified Protein Kinase D (PKD) as a strong modifier of the L mutant phenotype. PKD belongs to the PKC/CAMK class of Ser/Thr kinases that have been involved in diverse cellular processes including stress resistance and growth. Despite the many roles of PKD, Drosophila PKD null mutants are without apparent phenotype apart from sensitivity to oxidative stress. Here we report an involvement of PKD in eye development in the sensitized genetic background of Lobe. Absence of PKD strongly enhanced the dominant eye defects of heterozygous L2 flies, and decreased their viability. Moreover, eye-specific overexpression of an activated isoform of PKD considerably ameliorated the dominant L2 phenotype. This genetic interaction was not allele specific but similarly seen with three additional, weaker L alleles (L1, L5, LG), demonstrating its specificity. Conclusions We propose that PKD-mediated phosphorylation is involved in underlying processes causing the L phenotype, i.e. in the regulation of growth, the epidermal transformation of eye tissue and apoptosis, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Maier
- Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Genetik (240A), Garbenstr. 30, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anja C Nagel
- Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Genetik (240A), Garbenstr. 30, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anette Preiss
- Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Genetik (240A), Garbenstr. 30, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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Collective behaviors of Drosophila-derived retinal progenitors in controlled microenvironments. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226250. [PMID: 31835272 PMCID: PMC6910854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective behaviors of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) are critical to the development of neural networks needed for vision. Signaling cues and pathways governing retinal cell fate, migration, and functional organization are remarkably conserved across species, and have been well-studied using Drosophila melanogaster. However, the collective migration of heterogeneous groups of RPCs in response to dynamic signaling fields of development remains incompletely understood. This is in large part because the genetic advances of seminal invertebrate models have been poorly complemented by in vitro cell study of its visual development. Tunable microfluidic assays able to replicate the miniature cellular microenvironments of the developing visual system provide newfound opportunities to probe and expand our knowledge of collective chemotactic responses essential to visual development. Our project used a controlled, microfluidic assay to produce dynamic signaling fields of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) that stimulated the chemotactic migration of primary RPCs extracted from Drosophila. Results illustrated collective RPC chemotaxis dependent on average size of clustered cells, in contrast to the non-directional movement of individually-motile RPCs. Quantitative study of these diverse collective responses will advance our understanding of retina developmental processes, and aid study/treatment of inherited eye disease. Lastly, our unique coupling of defined invertebrate models with tunable microfluidic assays provides advantages for future quantitative and mechanistic study of varied RPC migratory responses.
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Pena CD, Zhang S, Majeska R, Venkatesh T, Vazquez M. Invertebrate Retinal Progenitors as Regenerative Models in a Microfluidic System. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101301. [PMID: 31652654 PMCID: PMC6829900 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Regenerative retinal therapies have introduced progenitor cells to replace dysfunctional or injured neurons and regain visual function. While contemporary cell replacement therapies have delivered retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) within customized biomaterials to promote viability and enable transplantation, outcomes have been severely limited by the misdirected and/or insufficient migration of transplanted cells. RPCs must achieve appropriate spatial and functional positioning in host retina, collectively, to restore vision, whereas movement of clustered cells differs substantially from the single cell migration studied in classical chemotaxis models. Defining how RPCs interact with each other, neighboring cell types and surrounding extracellular matrixes are critical to our understanding of retinogenesis and the development of effective, cell-based approaches to retinal replacement. The current article describes a new bio-engineering approach to investigate the migratory responses of innate collections of RPCs upon extracellular substrates by combining microfluidics with the well-established invertebrate model of Drosophila melanogaster. Experiments utilized microfluidics to investigate how the composition, size, and adhesion of RPC clusters on defined extracellular substrates affected migration to exogenous chemotactic signaling. Results demonstrated that retinal cluster size and composition influenced RPC clustering upon extracellular substrates of concanavalin (Con-A), Laminin (LM), and poly-L-lysine (PLL), and that RPC cluster size greatly altered collective migratory responses to signaling from Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), a primary chemotactic agent in Drosophila. These results highlight the significance of examining collective cell-biomaterial interactions on bio-substrates of emerging biomaterials to aid directional migration of transplanted cells. Our approach further introduces the benefits of pairing genetically controlled models with experimentally controlled microenvironments to advance cell replacement therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline D Pena
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA.
| | - Stephanie Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The State University of New York at Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Robert Majeska
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA.
| | - Tadmiri Venkatesh
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA.
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA.
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Pletcher RC, Hardman SL, Intagliata SF, Lawson RL, Page A, Tennessen JM. A Genetic Screen Using the Drosophila melanogaster TRiP RNAi Collection To Identify Metabolic Enzymes Required for Eye Development. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:2061-2070. [PMID: 31036678 PMCID: PMC6643872 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The metabolic enzymes that compose glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and other pathways within central carbon metabolism have emerged as key regulators of animal development. These enzymes not only generate the energy and biosynthetic precursors required to support cell proliferation and differentiation, but also moonlight as regulators of transcription, translation, and signal transduction. Many of the genes associated with animal metabolism, however, have never been analyzed in a developmental context, thus highlighting how little is known about the intersection of metabolism and development. Here we address this deficiency by using the Drosophila TRiP RNAi collection to disrupt the expression of over 1,100 metabolism-associated genes within cells of the eye imaginal disc. Our screen not only confirmed previous observations that oxidative phosphorylation serves a critical role in the developing eye, but also implicated a host of other metabolic enzymes in the growth and differentiation of this organ. Notably, our analysis revealed a requirement for glutamine and glutamate metabolic processes in eye development, thereby revealing a role of these amino acids in promoting Drosophila tissue growth. Overall, our analysis highlights how the Drosophila eye can serve as a powerful tool for dissecting the relationship between development and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose C Pletcher
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Sara L Hardman
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Sydney F Intagliata
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Rachael L Lawson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Aumunique Page
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Jason M Tennessen
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
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29
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Singh A, Gogia N, Chang CY, Sun YH. Proximal fate marker homothorax marks the lateral extension of stalk-eyed fly Cyrtodopsis whitei. Genesis 2019; 57:e23309. [PMID: 31162816 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The placement of eyes on insect head is an important evolutionary trait. The stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodopsis whitei, exhibits a hypercephaly phenotype where compound eyes are located on lateral extension from the head while the antennal segments are placed inwardly on this stalk. This stalk-eyed phenotype is characteristic of the family Diopsidae in the Diptera order and dramatically deviates from other dipterans, such as Drosophila. Like other insects, the adult eye and antenna of stalk-eyed fly develop from a complex eye-antennal imaginal disc. We analyzed the markers involved in proximo-distal (PD) axis of the developing eye imaginal disc of the stalk-eyed flies. We used homothorax (hth) and distalless (dll), two highly conserved genes as the marker for proximal and distal fate, respectively. We found that lateral extensions between eye and antennal field of the stalk-eyed fly's eye-antennal imaginal disc exhibit robust Hth expression. Hth marks the head specific fate in the eye- and proximal fate in the antenna-disc. Thus, the proximal fate marker Hth expression evolves in the stalk-eyed flies to generate lateral extensions for the placement of the eye on the head. Moreover, during pupal eye metamorphosis, the lateral extension folds back on itself to place the antenna inside and the adult compound eye on the distal tip. Interestingly, the compound eye in other insects does not have a prominent PD axis as observed in the stalk-eyed fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
| | - Chia-Yu Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi Henry Sun
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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30
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Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) drives EMT in patients with COPD: implications for disease pathogenesis and novel therapies. J Transl Med 2019; 99:150-157. [PMID: 30451982 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-018-0146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and devastating chronic lung condition that has a significant global burden, both medically and financially. Currently there are no medications that can alter the course of disease. At best, the drugs in clinical practice provide symptomatic relief to suffering patients by alleviating acute exacerbations. Most of current clinical research activities are in late severe disease with lesser attention given to early disease manifestations. There is as yet, a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease progression and the molecular switches that are involved in their manifestation. Small airway fibrosis and obliteration are known to cause fixed airflow obstruction in COPD, and the consequential damage to the lung has an early onset. So far, there is little evidence of the mechanisms that underlie this aspect of pathology. However, emerging research confirms that airway epithelial reprogramming or epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key mechanism that drives fibrotic remodelling changes in smokers and patients with COPD. A recent study by Lai et al. further highlights the importance of EMT in smoking-related COPD pathology. The authors identify HB-EGF, an EGFR ligand, as a key driver of EMT and a potential new therapeutic target for the amelioration of EMT and airway remodelling. There are also wider implications in lung cancer prophylaxis, which is another major comorbidity associated with COPD. We consider that improved molecular understanding of the intricate pathways associated with epithelial cell plasticity in smokers and patients with COPD will have major therapeutic implications.
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31
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Lehmann M, Knust E, Hebbar S. Drosophila melanogaster: A Valuable Genetic Model Organism to Elucidate the Biology of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1834:221-249. [PMID: 30324448 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8669-9_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a complex inherited disease. It is associated with mutations in a wide variety of genes with many different functions. These mutations impact the integrity of rod photoreceptors and ultimately result in the progressive degeneration of rods and cone photoreceptors in the retina, leading to complete blindness. A hallmark of this disease is the variable degree to which symptoms are manifest in patients. This is indicative of the influence of the environment, and/or of the distinct genetic makeup of the individual.The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has effectively proven to be a great model system to better understand interconnected genetic networks. Unraveling genetic interactions and thereby different cellular processes is relatively easy because more than a century of research on flies has enabled the creation of sophisticated genetic tools to perturb gene function. A remarkable conservation of disease genes across evolution and the similarity of the general organization of the fly and vertebrate photoreceptor cell had prompted research on fly retinal degeneration. To date six fly models for RP, including RP4, RP11, RP12, RP14, RP25, and RP26, have been established, and have provided useful information on RP disease biology. In this chapter, an outline of approaches and experimental specifications are described to enable utilizing or developing new fly models of RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Lehmann
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Knust
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Sarita Hebbar
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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32
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Gaspar P, Almudi I, Nunes MDS, McGregor AP. Human eye conditions: insights from the fly eye. Hum Genet 2018; 138:973-991. [PMID: 30386938 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1948-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has served as an excellent model to study and understand the genetics of many human diseases from cancer to neurodegeneration. Studying the regulation of growth, determination and differentiation of the compound eyes of this fly, in particular, have provided key insights into a wide range of diseases. Here we review the regulation of the development of fly eyes in light of shared aspects with human eye development. We also show how understanding conserved regulatory pathways in eye development together with the application of tools for genetic screening and functional analyses makes Drosophila a powerful model to diagnose and characterize the genetics underlying many human eye conditions, such as aniridia and retinitis pigmentosa. This further emphasizes the importance and vast potential of basic research to underpin applied research including identifying and treating the genetic basis of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Gaspar
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Isabel Almudi
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/ Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera Km1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Maria D S Nunes
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
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Sarkar A, Gogia N, Glenn N, Singh A, Jones G, Powers N, Srivastava A, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. A soy protein Lunasin can ameliorate amyloid-beta 42 mediated neurodegeneration in Drosophila eye. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13545. [PMID: 30202077 PMCID: PMC6131139 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31787-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder, also results from accumulation of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) plaques. These Aβ42 plaques trigger oxidative stress, abnormal signaling, which results in neuronal death by unknown mechanism(s). We misexpress high levels of human Aβ42 in the differentiating retinal neurons of the Drosophila eye, which results in the Alzheimer's like neuropathology. Using our transgenic model, we tested a soy-derived protein Lunasin (Lun) for a possible role in rescuing neurodegeneration in retinal neurons. Lunasin is known to have anti-cancer effect and reduces stress and inflammation. We show that misexpression of Lunasin by transgenic approach can rescue Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration by blocking cell death in retinal neurons, and results in restoration of axonal targeting from retina to brain. Misexpression of Lunasin downregulates the highly conserved cJun-N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Activation of JNK signaling can prevent neuroprotective role of Lunasin in Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. This neuroprotective function of Lunasin is not dependent on retinal determination gene cascade in the Drosophila eye, and is independent of Wingless (Wg) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling pathways. Furthermore, Lunasin can significantly reduce mortality rate caused by misexpression of human Aβ42 in flies. Our studies identified the novel neuroprotective role of Lunasin peptide, a potential therapeutic agent that can ameliorate Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration by downregulating JNK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Neil Glenn
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Aditi Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Gillian Jones
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Nathan Powers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Ajay Srivastava
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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34
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Machado MCR, Valer FB, Couto-Lima CA, Ramos RGP. Transcriptional cross-regulation of Irre Cell Recognition Module (IRM) members in the Drosophila pupal retina. Mech Dev 2018; 154:193-202. [PMID: 30030087 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cell adhesion molecules play a central role in morphogenesis, as they mediate the complex range of interactions between different cell types that result in their arrangement in multicellular organs and tissues. How their coordinated dynamic expression in space and time - an essential requirement for their function - is regulated at the genomic and transcriptional levels constitutes an important, albeit still little understood question. The Irre Cell Recognition Module (IRM) is a highly conserved phylogenetically group of structurally related single pass transmembrane glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily that in Drosophila melanogaster are encoded by the genes roughest (rst), kin-of-irre (kirre), sticks-and-stones (sns) and hibris (hbs). Their cooperative and often partly redundant action are crucial to major developmental processes such axonal pathfinding, myoblast fusion and patterning of the pupal retina. In this latter system rst and kirre display a tightly regulated complementary transcriptional pattern so that lowering rst mRNA levels leads to a concomitant increase in kirre mRNA concentration. Here we investigated whether other IRM components are similarly co-regulated and the extent changes in their mRNA levels affect each other as well as their collective function in retinal patterning. Our results demonstrate that silencing any of the four IRM genes in 24% APF retinae changes the levels all other group members although only kirre and hbs mRNA levels are increased. Furthermore, expression, in a rst null background, of truncated versions of rst cDNA in which the portion encoding the intracellular domain has been partially or completely removed not only can still induce changes in mRNA levels of other IRM members but also result in Kirre mislocalization. Taken together, our data point to the presence of a highly precise and fine-tuned control mechanism coordinating IRM expression that may be crucial to the functional redundancy shown by its components during the patterning of the pupal retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiaro Cabral Rosa Machado
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Felipe Berti Valer
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Carlos Antonio Couto-Lima
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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