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Li G, Zhu L, Guo M, Wang D, Meng M, Zhong Y, Zhang Z, Lin Y, Liu C, Wang J, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Cao Y, Xia Z, Qiu J, Li Y, Liu S, Chen H, Liu W, Han Y, Zheng M, Ma X, Xu L. Characterisation of forkhead box protein A3 as a key transcription factor for hepatocyte regeneration. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100906. [PMID: 38023606 PMCID: PMC10679869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Liver regeneration is vital for the recovery of liver function after injury, yet the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Forkhead box protein A3 (FOXA3), a member of the forkhead box family, plays important roles in endoplasmic reticulum stress sensing, and lipid and glucose homoeostasis, yet its functions in liver regeneration are unknown. Methods Here, we explored whether Foxa3 regulates liver regeneration via acute and chronic liver injury mice models. We further characterised the molecular mechanism by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and rescue experiments in vivo and in vitro. Then, we assessed the impact of Foxa3 pharmacological activation on progression and termination of liver regeneration. Finally, we confirmed the Foxa3-Cebpb axis in human liver samples. Results Foxa3 is dominantly expressed in hepatocytes and cholangiocytes and is induced upon partial hepatectomy (PH) or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration. Foxa3 deficiency in mice decreased cyclin gene levels and delayed liver regeneration after PH, or acute or chronic i.p. CCl4 injection. Conversely, hepatocyte-specific Foxa3 overexpression accelerated hepatocytes proliferation and attenuated liver damage in an CCl4-induced acute model. Mechanistically, Foxa3 directly regulates Cebpb transcription, which is involved in hepatocyte division and apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Of note, Cebpb overexpression in livers of Foxa3-deficient mice rescued their defects in cell proliferation and regeneration upon CCl4 treatment. In addition, pharmacological induction of Foxa3 via cardamonin speeded up hepatocyte proliferation after PH, without interfering with liver regeneration termination. Finally, Cebpb and Ki67 levels had a positive correlation with Foxa3 expression in human chronic disease livers. Conclusions These data characterise Foxa3 as a vital regulator of liver regeneration, which may represent an essential factor to maintain liver mass after liver injury by governing Cebpb transcription. Impact and Implications Liver regeneration is vital for the recovery of liver function after chemical insults or hepatectomy, yet the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Herein, via in vitro and in vivo models and analysis, we demonstrated that Forkhead box protein A3 (FOXA3), a Forkhead box family member, maintained normal liver regeneration progression by governing Cebpb transcription and proposed cardamonin as a lead compound to induce Foxa3 and accelerate liver repair, which signified that FOXA3 may be a potential therapeutic target for further preclinical study on treating liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingwei Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meiyao Meng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinzhao Zhong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijian Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Lin
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Caizhi Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiawen Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yahui Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yining Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiang Cao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhirui Xia
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Qiu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haibing Chen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyue Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Minghua Zheng
- MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment for the Development of Chronic Liver Disease in Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xinran Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingyan Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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2
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Wu C, Zhang W, Luo Y, Cheng C, Wang X, Jiang Y, Li S, Luo L, Yang Y. Zebrafish ppp1r21 mutant as a model for the study of primary biliary cholangitis. J Genet Genomics 2023; 50:1004-1013. [PMID: 37271428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune cholestatic liver disease that progresses to fibrosis and cirrhosis, resulting from the gradual destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts. Exploring genetic variants associated with PBC is essential to understand the pathogenesis of PBC. Here we identify a zebrafish balloon dog (blg) mutant with intrahepatic bile duct branching defects, exhibiting several key pathological PBC-like features, including immunodominant autoantigen PDC-E2 production, cholangiocyte apoptosis, immune cell infiltration, inflammatory activation, and liver fibrosis. blg encodes the protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 21 (Ppp1r21), which is enriched in the liver and its peripheral tissues and plays a vital role in the early intrahepatic bile duct formation stage. Further studies show an excessive activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in the hepatic tissues in the mutant, while treatment with the pathway inhibitor LY294002 and rapamycin partially rescues intrahepatic bile duct branching defects and alleviates the PBC-like symptoms. These findings implicate the potential role of the Ppp1r21-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in the pathophysiology of PBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoying Wu
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yiyu Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chaoqing Cheng
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinjuan Wang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yun Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
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3
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Tao Z, Yang D, Ni R. Tmed10 deficiency results in impaired exocrine pancreatic differentiation in zebrafish larvae. Dev Biol 2023; 503:43-52. [PMID: 37597605 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 10 (TMED10) is a conserved vesicle trafficking protein. It is dysregulated in Alzheimer disease and plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. In addition to the brain, TMED10 is highly expressed in the exocrine pancreas; however, its biological functions and underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We studied reduced Tmed10 in zebrafish embryos by morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown and CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis. Tmed10-deficient embryos showed extensive loss of acinar mass and impaired acinar differentiation. TMED10 has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on γ-secretase. As one of the substrates of γ-secretase, membrane-bound β-catenin was significantly reduced in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Increased γ-secretase activity in wild-type embryos resulted in a phenotype similar to that of tmed10 mutants. And the mutant phenotype could be rescued by treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor, N-[N-(3, 5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-s-phenylglycinet-butyl ester (DAPT). In addition, the reduced membrane-bound β-catenin was accompanied with up-regulated β-catenin target genes in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Overexpression of β-catenin signaling inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) could rescue the exocrine pancreas defects. Taken together, our study reveals that Tmed10 regulates exocrine pancreatic differentiation through γ-secretase. Reduced membrane-bound β-catenin, accompanied with hyperactivation of β-catenin signaling, is an important cause of exocrine pancreas defects in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Our study reaffirms the importance of appropriate β-catenin signaling in exocrine pancreas development. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for the development of treatment strategies for TMED10-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewen Tao
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China.
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4
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Song Y, Lu Z, Shu W, Xiang Z, Wang Z, Wei X, Xu X. Arouse potential stemness: Intrinsic and acquired stem cell therapeutic strategies for advanced liver diseases. CELL INSIGHT 2023; 2:100115. [PMID: 37719773 PMCID: PMC10502372 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellin.2023.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Liver diseases are a major health issue, and prolonged liver injury always progresses. Advanced liver disorders impair liver regeneration. Millions of patients die yearly worldwide, even with the available treatments of liver transplantation and artificial liver support system. With its abundant cell resources and significant differentiative potential, stem cell therapy is a viable treatment for various disorders and offers hope to patients waiting for orthotopic liver transplantation. Considering such plight, stem cell therapeutic strategies deliver hope to the patients. Moreover, we conclude intrinsic and acquired perspectives based on stem cell sources. The properties and therapeutic uses of these stem cells' specific types or sources were then reviewed. Owing to the recent investigations of the above cells, a safe and effective therapy will emerge for advanced liver diseases soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisu Song
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, China
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Zhengyang Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, PR China
| | - Wenzhi Shu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Ze Xiang
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhengxin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xuyong Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
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5
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Cai P, Ni R, Lv M, Liu H, Zhao J, He J, Luo L. VEGF signaling governs the initiation of biliary-mediated liver regeneration through the PI3K-mTORC1 axis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113028. [PMID: 37632748 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Biliary epithelial cells (BECs) are a potential source to repair the damaged liver when hepatocyte proliferation is compromised. Promotion of BEC-to-hepatocyte transdifferentiation could be beneficial to the clinical therapeutics of patients with end-stage liver diseases. However, mechanisms underlying the initiation of BEC transdifferentiation remain largely unknown. Here, we show that upon extreme hepatocyte injury, vegfaa and vegfr2/kdrl are notably induced in hepatic stellate cells and BECs, respectively. Pharmacological and genetic inactivation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling would disrupt BEC dedifferentiation and proliferation, thus restraining hepatocyte regeneration. Mechanically, VEGF signaling regulates the activation of the PI3K-mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) axis, which is essential for BEC-to-hepatocyte transdifferentiation. In mice, VEGF signaling exerts conserved roles in oval cell activation and BEC-to-hepatocyte differentiation. Taken together, this study shows VEGF signaling as an initiator of biliary-mediated liver regeneration through activating the PI3K-mTORC1 axis. Modulation of VEGF signaling in BECs could be a therapeutic approach for patients with end-stage liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Cai
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mengzhu Lv
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Huijuan Liu
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jieqiong Zhao
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
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6
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Ma J, Yang Z, Huang Z, Li L, Huang J, Chen J, Ni R, Luo L, He J. Rngtt governs biliary-derived liver regeneration initiation by transcriptional regulation of mTORC1 and Dnmt1 in zebrafish. Hepatology 2023; 78:167-178. [PMID: 36724876 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In cases of end-stage liver diseases, the proliferation of existing hepatocytes is compromised, a feature of human chronic liver disease, in which most hepatocytes are dysfunctional. So far, liver transplantation represents the only curative therapeutic solution for advanced liver diseases, and the shortage of donor organs leads to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The promising treatment is to prompt the biliary epithelial cells (BECs) transdifferentiation. However, the critical factors governing the initiation of BEC-derived liver regeneration are largely unknown. The zebrafish has advantages in large-scale genetic screens to identify the critical factors involved in liver regeneration. Here, we combined N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea screen, positional cloning, transgenic lines, antibody staining, and in situ hybridization methods and identified a liver regeneration defect mutant ( lrd ) using the zebrafish extensive liver injury model. Through positional cloning and genomic sequencing, we mapped the mutation site to rngtt . Loss of rngtt leads to the defects of BEC dedifferentiation, bipotential progenitor cell activation, and cell proliferation in the initiation stage of liver regeneration. The transdifferentiation from BECs to hepatocytes did not occur even at the late stage of liver regeneration. Mechanically, Rngtt transcriptionally regulates the attachment of mRNA cap to mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) components and dnmt1 to maintain the activation of mTORC1 and DNA methylation in BECs after severe liver injury and prompt BEC to hepatocyte conversion. Furthermore, rptor and dnmt1 mutants displayed the same liver regeneration defects as rngtt mutation. In conclusion, our results suggest Rngtt is a new factor that initiates BEC-derived liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlong Ma
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhuolin Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhuofu Huang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Linke Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingliang Huang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingying Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
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7
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Wei X, Tan X, Chen Q, Jiang Y, Wu G, Ma X, Fu J, Li Y, Gang K, Yang Q, Ni R, He J, Luo L. Extensive jejunal injury is repaired by migration and transdifferentiation of ileal enterocytes in zebrafish. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112660. [PMID: 37342912 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112660] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A major cause of intestinal failure (IF) is intestinal epithelium necrosis and massive loss of enterocytes, especially in the jejunum, the major intestinal segment in charge of nutrient absorption. However, mechanisms underlying jejunal epithelial regeneration after extensive loss of enterocytes remain elusive. Here, we apply a genetic ablation system to induce extensive damage to jejunal enterocytes in zebrafish, mimicking the jejunal epithelium necrosis that causes IF. In response to injury, proliferation and filopodia/lamellipodia drive anterior migration of the ileal enterocytes into the injured jejunum. The migrated fabp6+ ileal enterocytes transdifferentiate into fabp2+ jejunal enterocytes to fulfill the regeneration, consisting of dedifferentiation to precursor status followed by redifferentiation. The dedifferentiation is activated by the IL1β-NFκB axis, whose agonist promotes regeneration. Extensive jejunal epithelial damage is repaired by the migration and transdifferentiation of ileal enterocytes, revealing an intersegmental migration mechanism of intestinal regeneration and providing potential therapeutic targets for IF caused by jejunal epithelium necrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyong Wei
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinmiao Tan
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Guozhen Wu
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xue Ma
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jialong Fu
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yongyu Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Kai Gang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qifen Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
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8
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Li Q, Zheng Y, Sun Y, Xu G. Resveratrol attenuated fatty acid synthesis through MAPK-PPAR pathway in red tilapia. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2023; 268:109598. [PMID: 36898469 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
High-fat (HF) diets have been shown to cause hepatic impairment in fish species, but the mode of action, especially the pathways involved, has not yet been determined. In this study, the effects of resveratrol (RES) supplementation on the hepatic structure and fat metabolism of red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were determined. Based on transcriptome and proteomics results, RES was found to promote fatty acid β-oxidation in the blood, liver, and liver cells associated with apoptosis and the MAPK/PPAR signaling pathway. RES supplementation was found to alter the expression of genes related to apoptosis and fatty acid pathways like blood itga6a and armc5 which were upregulated and downregulated respectively by high-fat feeding while ggh and ensonig00000008711 increased and decreased, respectively, with RES addition. Relative to the PPAR signaling pathway, fabp10a and acbd7 showed a reverse U-shaped tendency, both in different treatments and at different times. Proteomics results demonstrated that MAPK/PPAR, carbon/glyoxylate, dicarboxylate/glycine serine, and threonine/drug-other enzymes/beta-alanine metabolism pathways in the RES group were significantly affected, and Fasn and Acox1 decreased and increased, respectively, with RES addition. Seven subgroups were obtained using scRNA-seq, and enrichment analysis showed that the PPAR signaling pathway was upregulated with RES supplementation. RES significantly increased the expression of the marked genes (pck1) ensonig00000037711, fbp10a, granulin, hbe1, and zgc:136461, which are liver cell-specific genes. In conclusion, RES resulted in significantly enriched DGEs associated with fat metabolism and synthesis via the MAPK-PPAR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center (FFRC), Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS), Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, China
| | - Yao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center (FFRC), Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS), Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center (FFRC), Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS), Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, China
| | - Gangchun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center (FFRC), Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS), Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, China.
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9
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Song J, Ma J, Liu X, Huang Z, Li L, Li L, Luo L, Ni R, He J. The MRN complex maintains the biliary-derived hepatocytes in liver regeneration through ATR-Chk1 pathway. NPJ Regen Med 2023; 8:20. [PMID: 37024481 PMCID: PMC10079969 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-023-00294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
When the proliferation of residual hepatocytes is prohibited, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) transdifferentiate into nascent hepatocytes to accomplish liver regeneration. Despite significant interest in transdifferentiation, little is known about the maintenance of nascent hepatocytes in post-injured environments. Here, we perform an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) forward genetic screen and identify a mutant containing a nonsense mutation in the gene nibrin (nbn), which encodes a component of the Mre11-Rad50-Nbn (MRN) complex that activates DNA damage response (DDR). The regenerated hepatocytes cannot be maintained and exhibit apoptosis in the mutant. Mechanistically, the nbn mutation results in the abrogation of ATR-Chk1 signaling and accumulations of DNA damage in nascent hepatocytes, which eventually induces p53-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, loss of rad50 or mre11a shows similar phenotypes. This study reveals that the activation of DDR by the MRN complex is essential for the survival of BEC-derived hepatocytes, addressing how to maintain nascent hepatocytes in the post-injured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingmei Song
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianlong Ma
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhuofu Huang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Lianghui Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Linke Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China.
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China.
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10
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Kim M, Rizvi F, Shin D, Gouon-Evans V. Update on Hepatobiliary Plasticity. Semin Liver Dis 2023; 43:13-23. [PMID: 36764306 PMCID: PMC10005859 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The liver field has been debating for decades the contribution of the plasticity of the two epithelial compartments in the liver, hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells (BECs), to derive each other as a repair mechanism. The hepatobiliary plasticity has been first observed in diseased human livers by the presence of biphenotypic cells expressing hepatocyte and BEC markers within bile ducts and regenerative nodules or budding from strings of proliferative BECs in septa. These observations are not surprising as hepatocytes and BECs derive from a common fetal progenitor, the hepatoblast, and, as such, they are expected to compensate for each other's loss in adults. To investigate the cell origin of regenerated cell compartments and associated molecular mechanisms, numerous murine and zebrafish models with ability to trace cell fates have been extensively developed. This short review summarizes the clinical and preclinical studies illustrating the hepatobiliary plasticity and its potential therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minwook Kim
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Fatima Rizvi
- Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology Section, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Donghun Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Valerie Gouon-Evans
- Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology Section, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
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11
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Ma J, Gu Y, Liu J, Song J, Zhou T, Jiang M, Wen Y, Guo X, Zhou Z, Sha J, He J, Hu Z, Luo L, Liu M. Functional screening of congenital heart disease risk loci identifies 5 genes essential for heart development in zebrafish. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 80:19. [PMID: 36574072 PMCID: PMC11073085 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04669-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect worldwide and a main cause of perinatal and infant mortality. Our previous genome-wide association study identified 53 SNPs that associated with CHD in the Han Chinese population. Here, we performed functional screening of 27 orthologous genes in zebrafish using injection of antisense morpholino oligos. From this screen, 5 genes were identified as essential for heart development, including iqgap2, ptprt, ptpn22, tbck and maml3. Presumptive roles of the novel CHD-related genes include heart chamber formation (iqgap2 and ptprt) and atrioventricular canal formation (ptpn22 and tbck). While deficiency of maml3 led to defective cardiac trabeculation and consequent heart failure in zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, we found that maml3 mutants showed decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation which caused a reduction in cardiac trabeculae due to inhibition of Notch signaling. Together, our study identifies 5 novel CHD-related genes that are essential for heart development in zebrafish and first demonstrates that maml3 is required for Notch signaling in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlong Ma
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yayun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Juanjuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Jingmei Song
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Yang Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Xuejiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Zuomin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Jiahao Sha
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
- Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Mingxi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China.
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12
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Confirmation of high-throughput screening data and novel mechanistic insights into FXR-xenobiotic interactions by orthogonal assays. Curr Res Toxicol 2022; 3:100092. [PMID: 36353521 PMCID: PMC9637864 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2022.100092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) is a federal collaboration employing a high-throughput robotic screening system to test 10,000 environmental chemicals. One of the primary goals of the program is prioritizing toxicity evaluations through in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) assays for large numbers of chemicals already in commercial use for which little or no toxicity data is available. Within the Tox21 screening program, disruption in nuclear receptor (NR) signaling represents a particular area of interest. Given the role of NR's in modulating a wide range of biological processes, alterations of their activity can have profound biological impacts. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that has demonstrated importance in bile acid homeostasis, glucose metabolism, lipid homeostasis and hepatic regeneration. In this study, we re-evaluated 24 FXR agonists and antagonists identified through Tox21 using select orthogonal assays. In transient transactivation assays, 7/8 putative agonists and 4/4 putative inactive compounds were confirmed. Likewise, we confirmed 9/12 antagonists tested. Using a mammalian two hybrid approach we demonstrate that both FXR agonists and antagonists facilitate FXRα-coregulator interactions suggesting that differential coregulator recruitment may mediate activation/repression of FXRα mediated transcription. Additionally, we tested the ability of select FXR agonists and antagonists to facilitate hepatic transcription of FXR gene targets Shp and Bsep in a teleost (Medaka) model. Through application of in vitro cell-based assays, in silico modeling and in vivo gene expressions, we demonstrated the molecular complexity of FXR:ligand interactions and confirmed the ability of diverse ligands to modulate FXRα, facilitate differential coregulator recruitment and activate/repress receptor-mediated transcription. Overall, we suggest a multiplicative approach to assessment of nuclear receptor function may facilitate a greater understanding of the biological and mechanistic complexities of nuclear receptor activities and further our ability to interpret broad HTS outcomes.
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Key Words
- Bsep, bile salt export pump
- CDCA, chenodeoxycholic acid
- DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide
- EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- FXR, Farnesoid X receptor
- Farnesoid X receptor
- High-throughput screening
- M2H, mammalian two-hybrid
- Medaka
- RXR, retinoid X receptor
- Shp, small heterodimer partner
- Teleost models
- Tox21, Toxicology in the 21st Century
- ToxCast
- qHTS, quantitative high-throughput screening
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13
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Gao Y, Jin Q, Gao C, Chen Y, Sun Z, Guo G, Peng J. Unraveling Differential Transcriptomes and Cell Types in Zebrafish Larvae Intestine and Liver. Cells 2022; 11:3290. [PMID: 36291156 PMCID: PMC9600436 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish intestine and liver, as in other vertebrates, are derived from the endoderm. Great effort has been devoted to deciphering the molecular mechanisms controlling the specification and development of the zebrafish intestine and liver; however, genome-wide comparison of the transcriptomes between these two organs at the larval stage remains unexplored. There is a lack of extensive identification of feature genes marking specific cell types in the zebrafish intestine and liver at 5 days post-fertilization, when the larval fish starts food intake. In this report, through RNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing of intestines and livers separately dissected from wild-type zebrafish larvae at 5 days post-fertilization, together with the experimental validation of 47 genes through RNA whole-mount in situ hybridization, we identified not only distinctive transcriptomes for the larval intestine and liver, but also a considerable number of feature genes for marking the intestinal bulb, mid-intestine and hindgut, and for marking hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Meanwhile, we identified 135 intestine- and 97 liver-enriched transcription factor genes in zebrafish larvae at 5 days post-fertilization. Our findings provide rich molecular and cellular resources for studying cell patterning and specification during the early development of the zebrafish intestine and liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qingxia Jin
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ce Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yayue Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhaoxiang Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guoji Guo
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jinrong Peng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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14
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Chen J, He J, Luo L. Brain vascular damage-induced lymphatic ingrowth is directed by Cxcl12b/Cxcr4a. Development 2022; 149:275687. [PMID: 35694896 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
After ischemic stroke, promotion of vascular regeneration without causing uncontrolled vessel growth appears to be the major challenge for pro-angiogenic therapies. The molecular mechanisms underlying how nascent blood vessels (BVs) are correctly guided into the post-ischemic infarction area remain unknown. Here, using a zebrafish cerebrovascular injury model, we show that chemokine signaling provides crucial guidance cues to determine the growing direction of ingrown lymphatic vessels (iLVs) and, in turn, that of nascent BVs. The chemokine receptor Cxcr4a is transcriptionally activated in the iLVs after injury, whereas its ligand Cxcl12b is expressed in the residual central BVs, the destinations of iLV ingrowth. Mutant and mosaic studies indicate that Cxcl12b/Cxcr4a-mediated chemotaxis is necessary and sufficient to determine the growing direction of iLVs and nascent BVs. This study provides a molecular basis for how the vessel directionality of cerebrovascular regeneration is properly determined, suggesting potential application of Cxcl12b/Cxcr4a in the development of post-ischemic pro-angiogenic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei, 400714 Chongqing, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei, 400714 Chongqing, China
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15
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Sun J, Chen Q, Ma J. Notch–Sox9 Axis Mediates Hepatocyte Dedifferentiation in KrasG12V-Induced Zebrafish Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094705. [PMID: 35563098 PMCID: PMC9103821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in humans. Hepatocytes normally undergo dedifferentiation after the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma, which in turn facilitates the progression of cancer. Although the process of hepatocellular carcinoma dedifferentiation is of significant research and clinical value, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying it are still not fully characterized. We constructed a zebrafish liver cancer model based on overexpression of the oncogene krasG12V to investigate the hepatocyte dedifferentiation in hepatocellular carcinoma. We found that, after hepatocarcinogenesis, hepatocytes dedifferentiated and the Notch signaling pathway was upregulated in this progress. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway or deficiency of sox9b both prevented hepatocyte dedifferentiation following hepatocellular carcinoma induction, reducing cancer metastasis and improving survival. In conclusion, we found that hepatocytes undergo dedifferentiation after hepatocarcinogenesis, a process that requires Notch signaling and likewise the activation of Sox9.
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16
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Tel2 regulates redifferentiation of bipotential progenitor cells via Hhex during zebrafish liver regeneration. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110596. [PMID: 35385752 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Upon extensive hepatocyte loss or impaired hepatocyte proliferation, liver regeneration occurs via biliary epithelial cell (BEC) transdifferentiation, which includes dedifferentiation of BECs into bipotential progenitor cells (BP-PCs) and then redifferentiation of BP-PCs to nascent hepatocytes and BECs. This BEC-driven liver regeneration involves reactivation of hepatoblast markers, but the underpinning mechanisms and their effects on liver regeneration remain largely unknown. Using a zebrafish extensive hepatocyte ablation model, we perform an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) forward genetic screen and identify a liver regeneration mutant, liver logan (lvl), in which the telomere maintenance 2 (tel2) gene is mutated. During liver regeneration, the tel2 mutation specifically inhibits transcriptional activation of a hepatoblast marker, hematopoietically expressed homeobox (hhex), in BEC-derived cells, which blocks BP-PC redifferentiation. Mechanistic studies show that Tel2 associates with the hhex promoter region and promotes hhex transcription. Our results reveal roles of Tel2 in the BP-PC redifferentiation process of liver regeneration by activating hhex.
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17
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DNA methylation maintenance at the p53 locus initiates biliary-mediated liver regeneration. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:21. [PMID: 35351894 PMCID: PMC8964678 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00217-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In cases of extensive liver injury, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) dedifferentiate into bipotential progenitor cells (BPPCs), then redifferentiate into hepatocytes and BECs to accomplish liver regeneration. Whether epigenetic regulations, particularly DNA methylation maintenance enzymes, play a role in this biliary-mediated liver regeneration remains unknown. Here we show that in response to extensive hepatocyte damages, expression of dnmt1 is upregulated in BECs to methylate DNA at the p53 locus, which represses p53 transcription, and in turn, derepresses mTORC1 signaling to activate BEC dedifferentiation. After BEC dedifferentiation and BPPC formation, DNA methylation at the p53 locus maintains in BPPCs to continue blocking p53 transcription, which derepresses Bmp signaling to induce BPPC redifferentiation. Thus, this study reveals promotive roles and mechanisms of DNA methylation at the p53 locus in both dedifferentiation and redifferentiation stages of biliary-mediated liver regeneration, implicating DNA methylation and p53 as potential targets to stimulate regeneration after extensive liver injury.
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18
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Chen J, Li X, Ni R, Chen Q, Yang Q, He J, Luo L. Acute brain vascular regeneration occurs via lymphatic transdifferentiation. Dev Cell 2021; 56:3115-3127.e6. [PMID: 34562378 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Acute ischemic stroke damages the regional brain blood vessel (BV) network. Acute recovery of basic blood flows, which is carried out by the earliest regenerated BVs, are critical to improve clinical outcomes and minimize lethality. Although the late-regenerated BVs form via growing along the meninge-derived ingrown lymphatic vessels (iLVs), mechanisms underlying the early, acute BV regeneration remain elusive. Using zebrafish cerebrovascular injury models, we show that the earliest regenerated BVs come from lymphatic transdifferentiation, a hitherto unappreciated process in vertebrates. Mechanistically, the LV-to-BV transdifferentiation occurs exclusively in the stand-alone iLVs through Notch activation. In the track iLVs adhered by late-regenerated BVs, transdifferentiation never occurs because the BV-expressing EphrinB2a paracellularly activates the iLV-expressing EphB4a to inhibit Notch activation. Suppression of LV-to-BV transdifferentiation blocks acute BV regeneration and becomes lethal. These results demonstrate that acute BV regeneration occurs via lymphatic transdifferentiation, suggesting this process and key regulatory molecules EphrinB2a/EphB4a/Notch as new postischemic therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei 400714, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiuhua Li
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Qifen Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei 400715, Chongqing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei 400714, Chongqing, China.
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