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Lamson DR, Tarpley M, Addo K, Ji X, Abu Rabe D, Ehe B, Hughes M, Smith GR, Daye LR, Musso DL, Zheng W, Williams KP. Identification of small molecule antagonists of sonic hedgehog/heparin binding with activity in hedgehog functional assays. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2024; 1868:130692. [PMID: 39151833 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2024.130692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a morphogen with important roles in embryonic development and in the development of a number of cancers. Its activity is modulated by interactions with binding partners and co-receptors including heparin and heparin sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG). To identify antagonists of Shh/heparin binding, a diverse collection of 34,560 chemicals was screened in single point 384-well format. We identified and confirmed twenty six novel small molecule antagonists with diverse structures including four scaffolds that gave rise to multiple hits. Nineteen of the confirmed hits blocked binding of the N-terminal fragment of Shh (ShhN) to heparin with IC50 values < 50 μM. In the Shh-responsive C3H10T1/2 cell model, four of the compounds demonstrated the ability to block ShhN-induced alkaline phosphatase activity. To demonstrate a direct and selective effect on ShhN ligand mediated activity, two of the compounds were able to block induction of Gli1 mRNA, a primary downstream marker for Shh signaling activity, in Shh-mediated but not Smoothened agonist (SAG)-mediated C3H10T1/2 cells. Direct binding of the two compounds to ShhN was confirmed by thermal shift assay and molecular docking simulations, with both compounds docking with the N-terminal heparin binding domain of Shh. Overall, our findings indicate that small molecule compounds that block ShhN binding to heparin and act to inhibit Shh mediated activity in vitro can be identified. We propose that the interaction between Shh and HSPGs provides a novel target for identifying small molecules that bind Shh, potentially leading to novel tool compounds to probe Shh ligand function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Lamson
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Michael Tarpley
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Kezia Addo
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Xiaojia Ji
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Dina Abu Rabe
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA; INBS PhD Program, USA
| | - Ben Ehe
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Mark Hughes
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Ginger R Smith
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Laura R Daye
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - David L Musso
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA
| | - Weifan Zheng
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA.
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Le AD, Fu M, Kumar R, Zacharias G, Garcia ADR. Astrocyte modulation of synaptic plasticity mediated by activity-dependent Sonic hedgehog signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588352. [PMID: 38915525 PMCID: PMC11195099 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The influence of neural activity on astrocytes and their reciprocal interactions with neurons has emerged as an important modulator of synapse function. Astrocytes exhibit activity-dependent changes in gene expression, yet the molecular mechanisms by which they accomplish this have remained largely unknown. The molecular signaling pathway, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), mediates neuron-astrocyte communication and regulates the organization of cortical synapses. Here, we demonstrate that neural activity stimulates Shh signaling in cortical astrocytes and upregulates expression of Hevin and SPARC, astrocyte derived molecules that modify synapses. Whisker stimulation and chemogenetic activation both increase Shh activity in deep layers of the somatosensory cortex, where neuron-astrocyte Shh signaling is predominantly found. Experience-dependent Hevin and SPARC require intact Shh signaling and selective loss of pathway activity in astrocytes occludes experience-dependent structural plasticity. Taken together, these data identify Shh signaling as an activity-dependent, neuronal derived cue that stimulates astrocyte interactions with synapses and promotes synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Duc Le
- Department of Biology, Drexel University
| | - Marissa Fu
- Department of Biology, Drexel University
| | - Riya Kumar
- Department of Biology, Drexel University
| | | | - A Denise R Garcia
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine
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Douceau S, Deutsch Guerrero T, Ferent J. Establishing Hedgehog Gradients during Neural Development. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020225. [PMID: 36672161 PMCID: PMC9856818 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A morphogen is a signaling molecule that induces specific cellular responses depending on its local concentration. The concept of morphogenic gradients has been a central paradigm of developmental biology for decades. Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is one of the most important morphogens that displays pleiotropic functions during embryonic development, ranging from neuronal patterning to axon guidance. It is commonly accepted that Shh is distributed in a gradient in several tissues from different origins during development; however, how these gradients are formed and maintained at the cellular and molecular levels is still the center of a great deal of research. In this review, we first explored all of the different sources of Shh during the development of the nervous system. Then, we detailed how these sources can distribute Shh in the surrounding tissues via a variety of mechanisms. Finally, we addressed how disrupting Shh distribution and gradients can induce severe neurodevelopmental disorders and cancers. Although the concept of gradient has been central in the field of neurodevelopment since the fifties, we also describe how contemporary leading-edge techniques, such as organoids, can revisit this classical model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Douceau
- INSERM UMR-S 1270, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM, Sorbonne Univeristy, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Tanya Deutsch Guerrero
- INSERM UMR-S 1270, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM, Sorbonne Univeristy, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Julien Ferent
- INSERM UMR-S 1270, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM, Sorbonne Univeristy, F-75005 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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Chen J, Sun T, You Y, Wu B, Wang X, Wu J. Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans in Stem Cell Homeostasis and Bone Tissue Regeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:760532. [PMID: 34917612 PMCID: PMC8669051 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.760532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells maintain a subtle balance between self-renewal and differentiation under the regulatory network supported by both intracellular and extracellular components. Proteoglycans are large glycoproteins present abundantly on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix where they play pivotal roles in facilitating signaling transduction and maintaining stem cell homeostasis. In this review, we outline distinct proteoglycans profiles and their functions in the regulation of stem cell homeostasis, as well as recent progress and prospects of utilizing proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans as a novel glycomics carrier or bio-active molecules in bone regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Chen
- School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianyu Sun
- Department of Periodontology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan You
- School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Buling Wu
- School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Endodontics, Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX, United states
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Center of Oral Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Generation and Analysis of Mosaic Spinal Cord Organoids Derived from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2374:1-11. [PMID: 34562238 PMCID: PMC10114600 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1701-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Three central cell populations play roles in morphogen action, the cells that produce, the cells that distribute, and the cells that respond to the morphogen. Taking advantage of the properties of embryonic stem cell to aggregate and readily differentiate into neural progenitor tissue, we describe an approach using genetically modified murine stem cell lines to individually address the contribution of these cells in the establishment and response to a morphogenetic gradient in mosaic spinal cord organoids.
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Association of Sonic Hedgehog with the extracellular matrix requires its zinc-coordination center. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:22. [PMID: 33863273 PMCID: PMC8052667 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-021-00359-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) has a catalytic cleft characteristic for zinc metallopeptidases and has significant sequence similarities with some bacterial peptidoglycan metallopeptidases defining a subgroup within the M15A family that, besides having the characteristic zinc coordination motif, can bind two calcium ions. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components in animals include heparan-sulfate proteoglycans, which are analogs of bacterial peptidoglycan and are involved in the extracellular distribution of Shh. Results We found that the zinc-coordination center of Shh is required for its association to the ECM as well as for non-cell autonomous signaling. Association with the ECM requires the presence of at least 0.1 μM zinc and is prevented by mutations affecting critical conserved catalytical residues. Consistent with the presence of a conserved calcium binding domain, we find that extracellular calcium inhibits ECM association of Shh. Conclusions Our results indicate that the putative intrinsic peptidase activity of Shh is required for non-cell autonomous signaling, possibly by enzymatically altering ECM characteristics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12860-021-00359-5.
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Geyer N, Gerling M. Hedgehog Signaling in Colorectal Cancer: All in the Stroma? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031025. [PMID: 33498528 PMCID: PMC7864206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates intestinal development and homeostasis. The role of Hh signaling in cancer has been studied for many years; however, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. It has become increasingly clear that the “canonical” Hh pathway, in which ligand binding to the receptor PTCH1 initiates a signaling cascade that culminates in the activation of the GLI transcription factors, is mainly organized in a paracrine manner, both in the healthy colon and in CRC. Such canonical Hh signals largely act as tumor suppressors. In addition, stromal Hh signaling has complex immunomodulatory effects in the intestine with a potential impact on carcinogenesis. In contrast, non-canonical Hh activation may have tumor-promoting roles in a subset of CRC tumor cells. In this review, we attempt to summarize the current knowledge of the Hh pathway in CRC, with a focus on the tumor-suppressive role of canonical Hh signaling in the stroma. Despite discouraging results from clinical trials using Hh inhibitors in CRC and other solid cancers, we argue that a more granular understanding of Hh signaling might allow the exploitation of this key morphogenic pathway for cancer therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Geyer
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden;
| | - Marco Gerling
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden;
- Theme Cancer, Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176 Solna, Sweden
- Correspondence:
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Marshall JJ, Mason JO. Mouse vs man: Organoid models of brain development & disease. Brain Res 2019; 1724:146427. [PMID: 31473222 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Brain organoids have rapidly become established as promising tools for studying both the normal embryonic development of the brain and the mechanistic roots of neurodevelopmental disorders. Most recent studies are based on brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), as these are likely to be the best way to understand normal human development and disease. However, brain organoids grown from mouse cells still have a role to play. We discuss recent work showing how mice and mouse organoids can be employed to complement studies using human organoids. Mouse stem cell-derived organoids are useful for the development of improved protocols to generate organoids, including brain region-specific organoids. Importantly, the wealth of existing in vivo data on mouse brain development together with detailed descriptions of mutant phenotypes provide invaluable points of comparison to validate organoids as tools to study the genetics of brain development. Further, organoids have significant potential to replace or reduce the numbers of animals used in studies of normal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonothon J Marshall
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - John O Mason
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Simons Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
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