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Sharma N, Au V, Martin K, Edgley ML, Moerman D, Mains PE, Gilleard JS. Multiple UDP glycosyltransferases modulate benzimidazole drug sensitivity in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in an additive manner. Int J Parasitol 2024:S0020-7519(24)00109-7. [PMID: 38806068 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.003] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Xenobiotic biotransformation is an important modulator of anthelmintic drug potency and a potential mechanism of anthelmintic resistance. Both the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the ruminant parasite Haemonchus contortus biotransform benzimidazole drugs by glucose conjugation, likely catalysed by UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes. To identify C. elegans genes involved in benzimidazole drug detoxification, we first used a comparative phylogenetic analysis of UGTs from humans, C. elegans and H. contortus, combined with available RNAseq datasets to identify which of the 63 C. elegans ugt genes are most likely to be involved in benzimidazole drug biotransformation. RNA interference knockdown of 15 prioritized C. elegans genes identified those that sensitized animals to the benzimidazole derivative albendazole (ABZ). Genetic mutations subsequently revealed that loss of ugt-9 and ugt-11 had the strongest effects. The "ugt-9 cluster" includes these genes, together with six other closely related ugts. A CRISPR-Cas-9 deletion that removed seven of the eight ugt-9 cluster genes had greater ABZ sensitivity than the single largest-effect mutation. Furthermore, a double mutant of ugt-22 (which is not a member of the ugt-9 cluster) with the ugt-9 cluster deletion further increased ABZ sensitivity. This additivity of mutant phenotypes suggest that ugt genes act in parallel, which could have several, not mutually exclusive, explanations. ugt mutations have different effects with different benzimidazole derivatives, suggesting that enzymes with different specificities could together more efficiently detoxify drugs. Expression patterns of ugt-9, ugt-11 and ugt-22 gfp reporters differ and so likely act in different tissues which may, at least in part, explain their additive effects on drug potency. Overexpression of ugt-9 alone was sufficient to confer partial ABZ resistance, indicating increasing total UGT activity protects animals. In summary, our results suggest that the multiple UGT enzymes have overlapping but not completely redundant functions in benzimidazole drug detoxification and may represent "druggable" targets to improve benzimidazole drug potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Sharma
- Host-Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vinci Au
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kiana Martin
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark L Edgley
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Don Moerman
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul E Mains
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - John S Gilleard
- Host-Parasite Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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2
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Zang X, Wang Q, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Wu Z, Chen D. Knockdown of neuronal DAF-15/Raptor promotes healthy aging in C. elegans. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:507-516. [PMID: 37951302 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
The highly conserved target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway plays an important role in aging across species. Previous studies have established that inhibition of the TOR complex 1 (TORC1) significantly extends lifespan in Caenorhabditiselegans. However, it has not been clear whether TORC1 perturbation affects aging in a spatiotemporal manner. Here, we apply the auxin-inducible degradation tool to knock down endogenous DAF-15, the C. elegans ortholog of regulatory associated protein of TOR (Raptor), to characterize its roles in aging. Global or tissue-specific inhibition of DAF-15 during development results in various growth defects, whereas neuron-specific knockdown of DAF-15 during adulthood significantly extends lifespan and healthspan. The neuronal DAF-15 deficiency-induced longevity requires the intestinal activities of DAF-16/FOXO and PHA-4/FOXA transcription factors, as well as the AAK-2/AMP-activated protein kinase α catalytic subunit. Transcriptome profiling reveals that the neuronal DAF-15 knockdown promotes the expression of genes involved in protection. These findings define the tissue-specific roles of TORC1 in healthy aging and highlight the importance of neuronal modulation of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zang
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
| | - Hanxin Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China
| | - Yiyan Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
| | - Zi Wang
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China
| | - Zixing Wu
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China
| | - Di Chen
- Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210061, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China; Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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3
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Kirchweger B, Zwirchmayr J, Grienke U, Rollinger JM. The role of Caenorhabditis elegans in the discovery of natural products for healthy aging. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1849-1873. [PMID: 37585263 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00021d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2012 to 2023The human population is aging. Thus, the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, is increasing worldwide. Age-related diseases do not typically occur in isolation, but as a result of multi-factorial causes, which in turn require holistic approaches to identify and decipher the mode of action of potential remedies. With the advent of C. elegans as the primary model organism for aging, researchers now have a powerful in vivo tool for identifying and studying agents that effect lifespan and health span. Natural products have been focal research subjects in this respect. This review article covers key developments of the last decade (2012-2023) that have led to the discovery of natural products with healthy aging properties in C. elegans. We (i) discuss the state of knowledge on the effects of natural products on worm aging including methods, assays and involved pathways; (ii) analyze the literature on natural compounds in terms of their molecular properties and the translatability of effects on mammals; (iii) examine the literature on multi-component mixtures with special attention to the studied organisms, extraction methods and efforts regarding the characterization of their chemical composition and their bioactive components. (iv) We further propose to combine small in vivo model organisms such as C. elegans and sophisticated analytical approaches ("wormomics") to guide the way to dissect complex natural products with anti-aging properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kirchweger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Zwirchmayr
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrike Grienke
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Judith M Rollinger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Liu J, Murray JI. Mechanisms of lineage specification in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad174. [PMID: 37847877 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad174] [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: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The studies of cell fate and lineage specification are fundamental to our understanding of the development of multicellular organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has been one of the premiere systems for studying cell fate specification mechanisms at single cell resolution, due to its transparent nature, the invariant cell lineage, and fixed number of somatic cells. We discuss the general themes and regulatory mechanisms that have emerged from these studies, with a focus on somatic lineages and cell fates. We next review the key factors and pathways that regulate the specification of discrete cells and lineages during embryogenesis and postembryonic development; we focus on transcription factors and include numerous lineage diagrams that depict the expression of key factors that specify embryonic founder cells and postembryonic blast cells, and the diverse somatic cell fates they generate. We end by discussing some future perspectives in cell and lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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5
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Liudkovska V, Krawczyk PS, Brouze A, Gumińska N, Wegierski T, Cysewski D, Mackiewicz Z, Ewbank JJ, Drabikowski K, Mroczek S, Dziembowski A. TENT5 cytoplasmic noncanonical poly(A) polymerases regulate the innate immune response in animals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd9468. [PMID: 36383655 PMCID: PMC9668313 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add9468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Innate immunity is the first line of host defense against pathogens. Here, through global transcriptome and proteome analyses, we uncover that newly described cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase TENT-5 (terminal nucleotidyltransferase 5) enhances the expression of secreted innate immunity effector proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. Direct RNA sequencing revealed that multiple mRNAs with signal peptide-encoding sequences have shorter poly(A) tails in tent-5-deficient worms. Those mRNAs are translated at the endoplasmic reticulum where a fraction of TENT-5 is present, implying that they represent its direct substrates. Loss of tent-5 makes worms more susceptible to bacterial infection. Notably, the role of TENT-5 in innate immunity is evolutionarily conserved. Its orthologs, TENT5A and TENT5C, are expressed in macrophages and induced during their activation. Analysis of macrophages devoid of TENT5A/C revealed their role in the regulation of secreted proteins involved in defense response. In summary, our study reveals cytoplasmic polyadenylation to be a previously unknown component of the posttranscriptional regulation of innate immunity in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladyslava Liudkovska
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł S Krawczyk
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Brouze
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Gumińska
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wegierski
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dominik Cysewski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Mackiewicz
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jonathan J Ewbank
- Aix Marseille University, INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Krzysztof Drabikowski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Seweryn Mroczek
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Dziembowski
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Zhu A, Zheng F, Zhang W, Li L, Li Y, Hu H, Wu Y, Bao W, Li G, Wang Q, Li H. Oxidation and Antioxidation of Natural Products in the Model Organism Caenorhabditiselegans. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11040705. [PMID: 35453390 PMCID: PMC9029379 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11040705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products are small molecules naturally produced by multiple sources such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and archaea. They exert both beneficial and detrimental effects by modulating biological targets and pathways involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant response. Natural products’ oxidative or antioxidative properties are usually investigated in preclinical experimental models, including virtual computing simulations, cell and tissue cultures, rodent and nonhuman primate animal models, and human studies. Due to the renewal of the concept of experimental animals, especially the popularization of alternative 3R methods for reduction, replacement and refinement, many assessment experiments have been carried out in new alternative models. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has been used for medical research since Sydney Brenner revealed its genetics in 1974 and has been introduced into pharmacology and toxicology in the past two decades. The data from C. elegans have been satisfactorily correlated with traditional experimental models. In this review, we summarize the advantages of C. elegans in assessing oxidative and antioxidative properties of natural products and introduce methods to construct an oxidative damage model in C. elegans. The biomarkers and signaling pathways involved in the oxidative stress of C. elegans are summarized, as well as the oxidation and antioxidation in target organs of the muscle, nervous, digestive and reproductive systems. This review provides an overview of the oxidative and antioxidative properties of natural products based on the model organism C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Fuli Zheng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China;
| | - Ludi Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yingzi Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hong Hu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Yajiao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Wenqiang Bao
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China;
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Compatibility Toxicology, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
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7
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Lourenço AB, Rodríguez-Palero MJ, Doherty MK, Cabrerizo Granados D, Hernando-Rodríguez B, Salas JJ, Venegas-Calerón M, Whitfield PD, Artal-Sanz M. The Mitochondrial PHB Complex Determines Lipid Composition and Interacts With the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Regulate Ageing. Front Physiol 2021; 12:696275. [PMID: 34276415 PMCID: PMC8281979 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.696275] [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: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic disorders are frequently associated with physiological changes that occur during ageing. The mitochondrial prohibitin complex (PHB) is an evolutionary conserved context-dependent modulator of longevity, which has been linked to alterations in lipid metabolism but which biochemical function remains elusive. In this work we aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanism by which depletion of mitochondrial PHB shortens the lifespan of wild type animals while it extends that of insulin signaling receptor (daf-2) mutants. A liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry approach was used to characterize the worm lipidome of wild type and insulin deficient animals upon PHB depletion. Toward a mechanistic interpretation of the insights coming from this analysis, we used a combination of biochemical, microscopic, and lifespan analyses. We show that PHB depletion perturbed glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids pools differently in short- versus long-lived animals. Interestingly, PHB depletion in otherwise wild type animals induced the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR), which was mitigated in daf-2 mutants. Moreover, depletion of DNJ-21, which functionally interacts with PHB in mitochondria, mimicked the effect of PHB deficiency on the UPRER and on the lifespan of wild type and insulin signaling deficient mutants. Our work shows that PHB differentially modulates lipid metabolism depending on the worm’s metabolic status and provides evidences for a new link between PHB and ER homeostasis in ageing regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur B Lourenço
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - María Jesús Rodríguez-Palero
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Mary K Doherty
- Division of Biomedical Science, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - David Cabrerizo Granados
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Blanca Hernando-Rodríguez
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Joaquín J Salas
- Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Phillip D Whitfield
- Division of Biomedical Science, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Artal-Sanz
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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8
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Guo X, Sun XT, Liang L, Shi LK, Liu RJ, Chang M, Wang XG. Physical Stability, Oxidative Stability, and Bioactivity of Nanoemulsion Delivery Systems Incorporating Lipophilic Ingredients: Impact of Oil Saturation Degree. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:5405-5415. [PMID: 33882671 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There is great interest in the application of a lipid-based delivery system (like nanoemulsion) to improve the bioavailability of lipophilic components. Although emulsion characteristics are believed to be influenced by oil types, there is still a lack of systematic research concentrating on the effect of oil saturation degree on the nanoemulsion quality, especially for evaluation of the bioactivity. Here, we aimed to test the effect of oil saturation degree on the physical stability, oxidative stability, and bioactivity of the designed nanoemulision system. Our findings suggest that the oxidative stability and bioactivity of a nanoemulsion incorporating tocopherol and sesamol highly depend on the oil saturation. A nanoemulsion with an oil with a high degree of unsaturation was more susceptible to oxidation, and addition of tocopherol and sesamol could retard the lipid oxidation. Sesamol exhibited better bioactivity during the experiment compared with tocopherol in the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. The lipid-lowering effect of tocopherol and sesamol increased with lower saturation oil groups. The antioxidant activity of tocopherol and sesamol was higher in the high saturation oil groups. Overall, the obtained data is meaningful for applications using the designed systems to deliver lipophilic ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Guo
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiao-Tian Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Li Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, 225127 Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Long-Kai Shi
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Rui-Jie Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Ming Chang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xing-Guo Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Research Laboratory for Lipid Nutrition and Safety, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan, University, Wuxi 214122, China
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9
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Jankele R, Jelier R, Gönczy P. Physically asymmetric division of the C. elegans zygote ensures invariably successful embryogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:e61714. [PMID: 33620314 PMCID: PMC7972452 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric divisions that yield daughter cells of different sizes are frequent during early embryogenesis, but the importance of such a physical difference for successful development remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated this question using the first division of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, which yields a large AB cell and a small P1 cell. We equalized AB and P1 sizes using acute genetic inactivation or optogenetic manipulation of the spindle positioning protein LIN-5. We uncovered that only some embryos tolerated equalization, and that there was a size asymmetry threshold for viability. Cell lineage analysis of equalized embryos revealed an array of defects, including faster cell cycle progression in P1 descendants, as well as defects in cell positioning, division orientation, and cell fate. Moreover, equalized embryos were more susceptible to external compression. Overall, we conclude that unequal first cleavage is essential for invariably successful embryonic development of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Jankele
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Rob Jelier
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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10
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Hartman JH, Widmayer SJ, Bergemann CM, King DE, Morton KS, Romersi RF, Jameson LE, Leung MCK, Andersen EC, Taubert S, Meyer JN. Xenobiotic metabolism and transport in Caenorhabditis elegans. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2021; 24:51-94. [PMID: 33616007 PMCID: PMC7958427 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2021.1884921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a major model in biomedical and environmental toxicology. Numerous papers on toxicology and pharmacology in C. elegans have been published, and this species has now been adopted by investigators in academic toxicology, pharmacology, and drug discovery labs. C. elegans has also attracted the interest of governmental regulatory agencies charged with evaluating the safety of chemicals. However, a major, fundamental aspect of toxicological science remains underdeveloped in C. elegans: xenobiotic metabolism and transport processes that are critical to understanding toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, and extrapolation to other species. The aim of this review was to initially briefly describe the history and trajectory of the use of C. elegans in toxicological and pharmacological studies. Subsequently, physical barriers to chemical uptake and the role of the worm microbiome in xenobiotic transformation were described. Then a review of what is and is not known regarding the classic Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III processes was performed. In addition, the following were discussed (1) regulation of xenobiotic metabolism; (2) review of published toxicokinetics for specific chemicals; and (3) genetic diversity of these processes in C. elegans. Finally, worm xenobiotic transport and metabolism was placed in an evolutionary context; key areas for future research highlighted; and implications for extrapolating C. elegans toxicity results to other species discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Hartman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Samuel J Widmayer
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | | | - Dillon E King
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Katherine S Morton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Riccardo F Romersi
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Laura E Jameson
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University - West Campus, Glendale, Arizona, United States
| | - Maxwell C K Leung
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University - West Campus, Glendale, Arizona, United States
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | - Stefan Taubert
- Dept. Of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, the University of British Colombia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joel N Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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11
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Abstract
As multi-cellular organisms evolved from small clusters of cells to complex metazoans, biological tubes became essential for life. Tubes are typically thought of as mainly playing a role in transport, with the hollow space (lumen) acting as a conduit to distribute nutrients and waste, or for gas exchange. However, biological tubes also provide a platform for physiological, mechanical, and structural functions. Indeed, tubulogenesis is often a critical aspect of morphogenesis and organogenesis. C. elegans is made up of tubes that provide structural support and protection (the epidermis), perform the mechanical and enzymatic processes of digestion (the buccal cavity, pharynx, intestine, and rectum), transport fluids for osmoregulation (the excretory system), and execute the functions necessary for reproduction (the germline, spermatheca, uterus and vulva). Here we review our current understanding of the genetic regulation, molecular processes, and physical forces involved in tubulogenesis and morphogenesis of the epidermal, digestive and excretory systems in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Shaye
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Martha C Soto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States.
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12
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Kumar A, Baruah A, Tomioka M, Iino Y, Kalita MC, Khan M. Caenorhabditis elegans: a model to understand host-microbe interactions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1229-1249. [PMID: 31584128 PMCID: PMC11104810 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03319-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Host-microbe interactions within the gut are fundamental to all higher organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has been in use as a surrogate model to understand the conserved mechanisms in host-microbe interactions. Morphological and functional similarities of C. elegans gut with the human have allowed the mechanistic investigation of gut microbes and their effects on metabolism, development, reproduction, behavior, pathogenesis, immune responses and lifespan. Recent reports suggest their suitability for functional investigations of human gut bacteria, such as gut microbiota of healthy and diseased individuals. Our knowledge on the gut microbial diversity of C. elegans in their natural environment and the effect of host genetics on their core gut microbiota is important. Caenorhabditis elegans, as a model, is continuously bridging the gap in our understanding the role of genetics, environment, and dietary factors on physiology of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar
- Molecular Biology and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Division of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
| | - Aiswarya Baruah
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, 785013, India
| | - Masahiro Tomioka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuichi Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- JST, CREST, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Mohan C Kalita
- Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, 781014, India
| | - Mojibur Khan
- Molecular Biology and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Division of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India.
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13
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Goldstein B, Nance J. Caenorhabditis elegans Gastrulation: A Model for Understanding How Cells Polarize, Change Shape, and Journey Toward the Center of an Embryo. Genetics 2020; 214:265-277. [PMID: 32029580 PMCID: PMC7017025 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.300240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation is fundamental to the development of multicellular animals. Along with neurulation, gastrulation is one of the major processes of morphogenesis in which cells or whole tissues move from the surface of an embryo to its interior. Cell internalization mechanisms that have been discovered to date in Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation bear some similarity to internalization mechanisms of other systems including Drosophila, Xenopus, and mouse, suggesting that ancient and conserved mechanisms internalize cells in diverse organisms. C. elegans gastrulation occurs at an early stage, beginning when the embryo is composed of just 26 cells, suggesting some promise for connecting the rich array of developmental mechanisms that establish polarity and pattern in embryos to the force-producing mechanisms that change cell shapes and move cells interiorly. Here, we review our current understanding of C. elegans gastrulation mechanisms. We address how cells determine which direction is the interior and polarize with respect to that direction, how cells change shape by apical constriction and internalize, and how the embryo specifies which cells will internalize and when. We summarize future prospects for using this system to discover some of the general principles by which animal cells change shape and internalize during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Goldstein
- Department of Biology and
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 and
| | - Jeremy Nance
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016
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14
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Annunziata R, Andrikou C, Perillo M, Cuomo C, Arnone MI. Development and evolution of gut structures: from molecules to function. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 377:445-458. [PMID: 31446445 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of a specialized system for food digestion and nutrient absorption was a crucial innovation for multicellular organisms. Digestive systems with different levels of complexity evolved in different animals, with the endoderm-derived one-way gut of most bilaterians to be the prevailing and more specialized form. While the molecular events regulating the early phases of embryonic tissue specification have been deeply investigated in animals occupying different phylogenetic positions, the mechanisms underlying gut patterning and gut-associated structures differentiation are still mostly obscure. In this review, we describe the main discoveries in gut and gut-associated structures development in echinoderm larvae (mainly for sea urchin and, when available, for sea star) and compare them with existing information in vertebrates. An impressive degree of conservation emerges when comparing the transcription factor toolkits recruited for gut cells and tissue differentiation in animals as diverse as echinoderms and vertebrates, thus suggesting that their function emerged in the deuterostome ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Annunziata
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmen Andrikou
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Margherita Perillo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Claudia Cuomo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria I Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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15
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Dejima K, Hori S, Iwata S, Suehiro Y, Yoshina S, Motohashi T, Mitani S. An Aneuploidy-Free and Structurally Defined Balancer Chromosome Toolkit for Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Rep 2019; 22:232-241. [PMID: 29298424 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Balancer chromosomes are critical tools for genetic research. In C. elegans, reciprocal translocations that lead to aneuploidy have been widely used to maintain lethal and sterile mutations in stable stocks. Here, we generated a set of aneuploidy-free and structurally defined crossover suppressors that contain two overlapping inversions using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The toolkit includes 13 crossover suppressors and covers approximately 63% of all C. elegans coding genes. Together with the classical intrachromosomal crossover suppressors, the system now covers 89% of the coding genes. We also labeled the created balancers with fluorescent and phenotypic markers. We show that the crossover suppressors are better for embryonic analysis compared with translocational balancers. Additionally, we demonstrate an efficient method to generate lethal alleles by targeting essential genes on a chromosome balanced with a crossover suppressor. The toolkit will allow more efficient experiments in which lethal and sterile mutants can be analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsufumi Dejima
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Hori
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Iwata
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Suehiro
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Yoshina
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Motohashi
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Tokyo Women's Medical University Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
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16
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Suggs BZ, Latham AL, Dawes AT, Chamberlin HM. FACT complex gene duplicates exhibit redundant and non-redundant functions in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2018; 444:71-82. [PMID: 30336114 PMCID: PMC6310015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription) is a histone chaperone complex important in genomic processes including transcription, DNA replication, and DNA repair. FACT is composed of two proteins, SSRP1 and SPT16, which are highly conserved across eukaryotes. While the mechanisms for FACT in nucleosome reorganization and its relationship to DNA processes is well established, how these roles impact coordination in multicellular animal development are less well understood. Here we characterize the genes encoding FACT complex proteins in the nematode C. elegans. We show that whereas C. elegans includes one SPT16 gene (spt-16), two genes (hmg-3 and hmg-4) encode SSRP1 proteins. Depletion of FACT complex genes interferes with embryonic cell division and cell cycle timing generally, with anterior pharynx development especially sensitive to these defects. hmg-3 and hmg-4 exhibit redundancy for these maternally-provided embryonic functions, but are each uniquely required zygotically for normal germline development. This work provides a framework to study FACT gene function in developmental processes, and identifies that distinct functional requirements for gene duplicates can be manifest within a single tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Z Suggs
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, United States
| | - Aislinn L Latham
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, United States
| | - Adriana T Dawes
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, United States; Department of Mathematics, Ohio State University, United States
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17
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Hu CK, Brunet A. The African turquoise killifish: A research organism to study vertebrate aging and diapause. Aging Cell 2018; 17:e12757. [PMID: 29573324 PMCID: PMC5946070 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish has recently gained significant traction as a new research organism in the aging field. Our understanding of aging has strongly benefited from canonical research organisms—yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice. Many characteristics that are essential to understand aging—for example, the adaptive immune system or the hypothalamo‐pituitary axis—are only present in vertebrates (zebrafish and mice). However, zebrafish and mice live more than 3 years and their relatively long lifespans are not compatible with high‐throughput studies. Therefore, the turquoise killifish, a vertebrate with a naturally compressed lifespan of only 4–6 months, fills an essential gap to understand aging. With a recently developed genomic and genetic toolkit, the turquoise killifish not only provides practical advantages for lifespan and longitudinal experiments, but also allows more systematic characterizations of the interplay between genetics and environment during vertebrate aging. Interestingly, the turquoise killifish can also enter a long‐term dormant state during development called diapause. Killifish embryos in diapause already have some organs and tissues, and they can last in this state for years, exhibiting exceptional resistance to stress and to damages due to the passage of time. Understanding the diapause state could give new insights into strategies to prevent the damage caused by aging and to better preserve organs, tissues, and cells. Thus, the African turquoise killifish brings two interesting aspects to the aging field—a compressed lifespan and a long‐term resistant diapause state, both of which should spark new discoveries in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Genetics; Stanford University; Stanford CA USA
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics; Stanford University; Stanford CA USA
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging; Stanford CA USA
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18
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A Strategy To Isolate Modifiers of Caenorhabditis elegans Lethal Mutations: Investigating the Endoderm Specifying Ability of the Intestinal Differentiation GATA Factor ELT-2. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:1425-1437. [PMID: 29593072 PMCID: PMC5940137 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ELT-2 GATA factor normally functions in differentiation of the C. elegans endoderm, downstream of endoderm specification. We have previously shown that, if ELT-2 is expressed sufficiently early, it is also able to specify the endoderm and to replace all other members of the core GATA-factor transcriptional cascade (END-1, END-3, ELT-7). However, such rescue requires multiple copies (and presumably overexpression) of the end-1p::elt-2 cDNA transgene; a single copy of the transgene does not rescue. We have made this observation the basis of a genetic screen to search for genetic modifiers that allow a single copy of the end-1p::elt-2 cDNA transgene to rescue the lethality of the end-1end-3 double mutant. We performed this screen on a strain that has a single copy insertion of the transgene in an end-1end-3 background. These animals are kept alive by virtue of an extrachromosomal array containing multiple copies of the rescuing transgene; the extrachromosomal array also contains a toxin under heat shock control to counterselect for mutagenized survivors that have been able to lose the rescuing array. A screen of ∼14,000 mutagenized haploid genomes produced 17 independent surviving strains. Whole genome sequencing was performed to identify genes that incurred independent mutations in more than one surviving strain. The C. elegans gene tasp-1 was mutated in four independent strains. tasp-1 encodes the C. elegans homolog of Taspase, a threonine-aspartic acid protease that has been found, in both mammals and insects, to cleave several proteins involved in transcription, in particular MLL1/trithorax and TFIIA. A second gene, pqn-82, was mutated in two independent strains and encodes a glutamine-asparagine rich protein. tasp-1 and pqn-82 were verified as loss-of-function modifiers of the end-1p::elt-2 transgene by RNAi and by CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations. In both cases, gene loss leads to modest increases in the level of ELT-2 protein in the early endoderm although ELT-2 levels do not strictly correlate with rescue. We suggest that tasp-1 and pqn-82 represent a class of genes acting in the early embryo to modulate levels of critical transcription factors or to modulate the responsiveness of critical target genes. The screen’s design, rescuing lethality with an extrachromosomal transgene followed by counterselection, has a background survival rate of <10−4 without mutagenesis and should be readily adapted to the general problem of identifying suppressors of C. elegans lethal mutations.
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19
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Dineen A, Osborne Nishimura E, Goszczynski B, Rothman JH, McGhee JD. Quantitating transcription factor redundancy: The relative roles of the ELT-2 and ELT-7 GATA factors in the C. elegans endoderm. Dev Biol 2018; 435:150-161. [PMID: 29360433 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The two GATA transcription factors ELT-2 and ELT-7 function in the differentiation of the C. elegans intestine. ELT-2 loss causes lethality. ELT-7 loss causes no obvious phenotype but enhances the elt-2(-) intestinal phenotype. Thus, ELT-2 and ELT-7 appear partially redundant, with ELT-2 being more influential. To investigate the different regulatory roles of ELT-2 and ELT-7, we compared the transcriptional profiles of pure populations of wild-type, elt-2(-), elt-7(-), and elt-7(-); elt-2(-) double mutant L1-stage larvae. Consistent with the mutant phenotypes, loss of ELT-2 had a>25 fold greater influence on the number of significantly altered transcripts compared to the loss of ELT-7; nonetheless, the levels of numerous transcripts changed upon loss of ELT-7 in the elt-2(-) background. The quantitative responses of individual genes revealed a more complicated behaviour than simple redundancy/partial redundancy. In particular, genes expressed only in the intestine showed three distinguishable classes of response in the different mutant backgrounds. One class of genes responded as if ELT-2 is the major transcriptional activator and ELT-7 provides variable compensatory input. For a second class, transcript levels increased upon loss of ELT-2 but decreased upon further loss of ELT-7, suggesting that ELT-7 actually overcompensates for the loss of ELT-2. For a third class, transcript levels also increased upon loss of ELT-2 but remained elevated upon further loss of ELT-7, suggesting overcompensation by some other intestinal transcription factor(s). In spite of its minor loss-of-function phenotype and its limited sequence similarity to ELT-2, ELT-7 expressed under control of the elt-2 promoter is able to rescue elt-2(-) lethality. Indeed, appropriately expressed ELT-7, like appropriately expressed ELT-2, is able to replace all other core GATA factors in the C. elegans endodermal pathway. Overall, this study focuses attention on the quantitative intricacies behind apparent redundancy or partial redundancy of two related transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Dineen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Erin Osborne Nishimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Barbara Goszczynski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Joel H Rothman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - James D McGhee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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20
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Morrison CA, Chen H, Cook T, Brown S, Treisman JE. Glass promotes the differentiation of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types in the Drosophila eye. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007173. [PMID: 29324767 PMCID: PMC5783423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulators can specify different cell types from a pool of equivalent progenitors by activating distinct developmental programs. The Glass transcription factor is expressed in all progenitors in the developing Drosophila eye, and is maintained in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. Glass is required for neuronal progenitors to differentiate as photoreceptors, but its role in non-neuronal cone and pigment cells is unknown. To determine whether Glass activity is limited to neuronal lineages, we compared the effects of misexpressing it in neuroblasts of the larval brain and in epithelial cells of the wing disc. Glass activated overlapping but distinct sets of genes in these neuronal and non-neuronal contexts, including markers of photoreceptors, cone cells and pigment cells. Coexpression of other transcription factors such as Pax2, Eyes absent, Lozenge and Escargot enabled Glass to induce additional genes characteristic of the non-neuronal cell types. Cell type-specific glass mutations generated in cone or pigment cells using somatic CRISPR revealed autonomous developmental defects, and expressing Glass specifically in these cells partially rescued glass mutant phenotypes. These results indicate that Glass is a determinant of organ identity that acts in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells to promote their differentiation into functional components of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A. Morrison
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Tiffany Cook
- Center of Molecular Medicine and Genomics and Department of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Stuart Brown
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jessica E. Treisman
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Zhang N, Khan LA, Membreno E, Jafari G, Yan S, Zhang H, Gobel V. The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analysis and Imaging. J Vis Exp 2017:56100. [PMID: 28994799 PMCID: PMC5628585 DOI: 10.3791/56100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Multicellular tubes, fundamental units of all internal organs, are composed of polarized epithelial or endothelial cells, with apical membranes lining the lumen and basolateral membranes contacting each other and/or the extracellular matrix. How this distinctive membrane asymmetry is established and maintained during organ morphogenesis is still an unresolved question of cell biology. This protocol describes the C. elegans intestine as a model for the analysis of polarized membrane biogenesis during tube morphogenesis, with emphasis on apical membrane and lumen biogenesis. The C. elegans twenty-cell single-layered intestinal epithelium is arranged into a simple bilaterally symmetrical tube, permitting analysis on a single-cell level. Membrane polarization occurs concomitantly with polarized cell division and migration during early embryogenesis, but de novo polarized membrane biogenesis continues throughout larval growth, when cells no longer proliferate and move. The latter setting allows one to separate subcellular changes that simultaneously mediate these different polarizing processes, difficult to distinguish in most polarity models. Apical-, basolateral membrane-, junctional-, cytoskeletal- and endomembrane components can be labeled and tracked throughout development by GFP fusion proteins, or assessed by in situ antibody staining. Together with the organism's genetic versatility, the C. elegans intestine thus provides a unique in vivo model for the visual, developmental, and molecular genetic analysis of polarized membrane and tube biogenesis. The specific methods (all standard) described here include how to: label intestinal subcellular components by antibody staining; analyze genes involved in polarized membrane biogenesis by loss-of-function studies adapted to the typically essential tubulogenesis genes; assess polarity defects during different developmental stages; interpret phenotypes by epifluorescence, differential interference contrast (DIC) and confocal microscopy; quantify visual defects. This protocol can be adapted to analyze any of the often highly conserved molecules involved in epithelial polarity, membrane biogenesis, tube and lumen morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; College of Life Sciences, Jilin University
| | - Liakot A Khan
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Edward Membreno
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Gholamali Jafari
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Siyang Yan
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau;
| | - Verena Gobel
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Developmental Biology and Genetics Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School;
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22
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The Oxidative Stress Response in Caenorhabditis elegans Requires the GATA Transcription Factor ELT-3 and SKN-1/Nrf2. Genetics 2017; 206:1909-1922. [PMID: 28600327 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.198788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species is believed to be a major contributor to age-associated diseases. Previously, we characterized the Caenorhabditis elegans Brap2 ortholog (BRAP-2) and found that it is required to prevent larval arrest in response to elevated levels of oxidative stress. Here, we report that C. elegans brap-2 mutants display increased expression of SKN-1-dependent, phase II detoxification enzymes that is dependent on PMK-1 (a p38 MAPK C. elegans ortholog). An RNA-interference screen was conducted using a transcription factor library to identify genes required for increased expression of the SKN-1 target gst-4 in brap-2 mutants. We identified ELT-3, a member of the GATA transcription factor family, as a positive regulator of gst-4p::gfp expression. We found that ELT-3 interacts with SKN-1 to activate gst-4 transcription in vitro and that elt-3 is required for enhanced gst-4 expression in the brap-2(ok1492) mutant in vivo Furthermore, nematodes overexpressing SKN-1 required ELT-3 for life-span extension. Taken together, these results suggest a model where BRAP-2 acts as negative regulator of SKN-1 through inhibition of p38 MAPK activity, and that the GATA transcription factor ELT-3 is required along with SKN-1 for the phase II detoxification response in C. elegans.
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Gonzalez-Moragas L, Berto P, Vilches C, Quidant R, Kolovou A, Santarella-Mellwig R, Schwab Y, Stürzenbaum S, Roig A, Laromaine A. In vivo testing of gold nanoparticles using the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism. Acta Biomater 2017; 53:598-609. [PMID: 28161575 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.01.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are present in many man-made products and cosmetics and are also used by the food and medical industries. Tight regulations regarding the use of mammalian animals for product testing can hamper the study of the specific interactions between engineered nanoparticles and biological systems. Invertebrate models, such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), can offer alternative approaches during the early phases of nanoparticle discovery. Here, we thoroughly evaluated the biodistribution of 11-nm and 150-nm citrate-capped AuNPs in the model organism C. elegans at multiple scales, moving from micrometric to nanometric resolution and from the organismal to cellular level. We confirmed that the nanoparticles were not able to cross the intestinal and dermal barriers. We investigated the effect of AuNPs on the survival and reproductive performance of C. elegans, and correlated these effects with the uptake of AuNPs in terms of their number, surface area, and metal mass. In general, exposure to 11-nm AuNPs resulted in a higher toxicity than the larger 150-nm AuNPs. NP aggregation inside C. elegans was determined using absorbance microspectroscopy, which allowed the plasmonic properties of AuNPs to be correlated with their confinement inside the intestinal lumen, where anatomical traits, acidic pH and the presence of biomolecules play an essential role on NP aggregation. Finally, quantitative PCR of selected molecular markers indicated that exposure to AuNPs did not significantly affect endocytosis and intestinal barrier integrity. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This work highlights how the simple, yet information-rich, animal model C. elegans is ideally suited for preliminary screening of nanoparticles or chemicals mitigating most of the difficulties associated with mammalian animal models, namely the ethical issues, the high cost, and time constraints. This is of particular relevance to the cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical industries, which all have to justify the use of animals, especially during the discovery, development and initial screening phases. This work provides a detailed and thorough analysis of 11-nm and 150-nm AuNPs at multiple levels of organization (the whole organism, organs, tissues, cells and molecules).
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Yu SM, Gonzalez-Moragas L, Milla M, Kolovou A, Santarella-Mellwig R, Schwab Y, Laromaine A, Roig A. Bio-identity and fate of albumin-coated SPIONs evaluated in cells and by the C. elegans model. Acta Biomater 2016; 43:348-357. [PMID: 27427227 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Nanoparticles which surface adsorb proteins in an uncontrolled and non-reproducible manner will have limited uses as nanomedicinal products. A promising approach to avoid nanoparticle non-specific interactions with proteins is to design bio-hybrids by purposely pre-forming a protein corona around the inorganic cores. Here, we investigate, in vitro and in vivo, the newly acquired bio-identity of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) upon their functionalization with a pre-formed and well-defined bovine serum albumin (BSA) corona. Cellular uptake, intracellular particle distribution and cytotoxicity were studied in two cell lines: adherent and non-adherent cells. BSA decreases nanoparticle internalization in both cell lines and protects the iron core once they have been internalized. The physiological response to the nanoparticles is then in vivo evaluated by oral administration to Caenorhabditis elegans, which was selected as a model of a functional intestinal barrier. Nanoparticle biodistribution, at single particle resolution, is studied by transmission electron microscopy. The analysis reveals that the acidic intestinal environment partially digests uncoated SPIONs but does not affect BSA-coated ones. It also discloses that some particles could enter the nematode's enterocytes, likely by endocytosis which is a different pathway than the one described for the worm nutrients. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Unravelling meaningful relationships between the physiological impact of engineered nanoparticles and their synthetic and biological identity is of vital importance when considering nanoparticles biomedical uses and when establishing their nanotoxicological profile. This study contributes to better comprehend the inorganic nanoparticles' behavior in real biological milieus. We synthesized a controlled pre-formed BSA protein corona on SPIONs to lower unspecific cell uptake and decrease nanoparticle fouling with other proteins. Such findings may be of relevance considering clinical translation and regulatory issues of inorganic nanoparticles. Moreover, we have advanced in the validation of C. elegans as a simple animal model for assessing biological responses of engineering nanomaterials. The physiological response of BSA coated SPIONs was evaluated in vivo after their oral administration to C. elegans. Analyzing ultra-thin cross-sections of the worms by TEM with single-particle precision, we could track NP biodistribution along the digestive tract and determine unambiguously their translocation through biological barriers and cell membranes.
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Ma X, Zhan G, Sleumer MC, Chen S, Liu W, Zhang MQ, Liu X. Analysis of C. elegans muscle transcriptome using trans-splicing-based RNA tagging (SRT). Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:e156. [PMID: 27557708 PMCID: PMC5137427 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Current approaches to profiling tissue-specific gene expression in C. elegans require delicate manipulation and are difficult under certain conditions, e.g. from dauer or aging worms. We have developed an easy and robust method for tissue-specific RNA-seq by taking advantage of the endogenous trans-splicing process. In this method, transgenic worms are generated in which a spliced leader (SL) RNA gene is fused with a sequence tag and driven by a tissue-specific promoter. Only in the tissue of interest, the tagged SL RNA gene is transcribed and then trans-spliced onto mRNAs. The tag allows enrichment and sequencing of mRNAs from that tissue only. As a proof of principle, we profiled the muscle transcriptome, which showed high coverage and efficient enrichment of muscle specific genes, with low background noise. To demonstrate the robustness of our method, we profiled muscle gene expression in dauer larvae and aging worms, revealing gene expression changes consistent with the physiology of these stages. The resulting muscle transcriptome also revealed 461 novel RNA transcripts, likely muscle-expressed long non-coding RNAs. In summary, the splicing-based RNA tagging (SRT) method provides a convenient and robust tool to profile trans-spliced genes and identify novel transcripts in a tissue-specific manner, with a low false positive rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,PTN (Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences) Joint Graduate Program, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ge Zhan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Monica C Sleumer
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Weihong Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Michael Q Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Departmental of Biological Sciences, Center for Systems Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX 75080, USA.,Division of Bioinformatics, TNLIST, School of Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Flores NM, Oviedo NJ, Sage J. Essential role for the planarian intestinal GATA transcription factor in stem cells and regeneration. Dev Biol 2016; 418:179-188. [PMID: 27542689 PMCID: PMC5055475 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The cellular turnover of adult tissues and injury-induced repair proceed through an exquisite integration of proliferation, differentiation, and survival signals that involve stem/progenitor cell populations, their progeny, and differentiated tissues. GATA factors are DNA binding proteins that control stem cells and the development of tissues by activating or repressing transcription. Here we examined the role of GATA transcription factors in Schmidtea mediterranea, a freshwater planarian that provides an excellent model to investigate gene function in adult stem cells, regeneration, and differentiation. Smed-gata4/5/6, the homolog of the three mammalian GATA-4,-5,-6 factors is expressed at high levels in differentiated gut cells but also at lower levels in neoblast populations, the planarian stem cells. Smed-gata4/5/6 knock-down results in broad differentiation defects, especially in response to injury. These defects are not restricted to the intestinal lineage. In particular, at late time points during the response to injury, loss of Smed-gata4/5/6 leads to decreased neoblast proliferation and to gene expression changes in several neoblast subpopulations. Thus, Smed-gata4/5/6 plays a key evolutionary conserved role in intestinal differentiation in planarians. These data further support a model in which defects in the intestinal lineage can indirectly affect other differentiation pathways in planarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha M Flores
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Néstor J Oviedo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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27
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GATA transcription factor as a likely key regulator of the Caenorhabditis elegans innate immune response against gut pathogens. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:244-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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28
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Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K. Investigating Connections between Metabolism, Longevity, and Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2016; 27:586-596. [PMID: 27289335 PMCID: PMC4958586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
An overview of Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental organism for studying energy balance is presented. Some of the unresolved questions that complicate the interpretation of lipid measurements from C. elegans are highlighted. We review studies that show that both lipid synthesis and lipid breakdown pathways are activated and needed for the longevity of hermaphrodites that lack their germlines. These findings illustrate the heterogeneity of triglyceride-rich lipid particles in C. elegans and reveal specific lipid signals that promote longevity. Finally, we provide a brief overview of feeding behavioral responses of C. elegans to varying nutritional conditions and highlight an unanticipated metabolic pathway that allows the incorporation of experience in feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaveh Ashrafi
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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29
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Hudson C, Sirour C, Yasuo H. Co-expression of Foxa.a, Foxd and Fgf9/16/20 defines a transient mesendoderm regulatory state in ascidian embryos. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27351101 PMCID: PMC4945153 DOI: 10.7554/elife.14692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many bilaterian embryos, nuclear β-catenin (nβ-catenin) promotes mesendoderm over ectoderm lineages. Although this is likely to represent an evolutionary ancient developmental process, the regulatory architecture of nβ-catenin-induced mesendoderm remains elusive in the majority of animals. Here, we show that, in ascidian embryos, three nβ-catenin transcriptional targets, Foxa.a, Foxd and Fgf9/16/20, are each required for the correct initiation of both the mesoderm and endoderm gene regulatory networks. Conversely, these three factors are sufficient, in combination, to produce a mesendoderm ground state that can be further programmed into mesoderm or endoderm lineages. Importantly, we show that the combinatorial activity of these three factors is sufficient to reprogramme developing ectoderm cells to mesendoderm. We conclude that in ascidian embryos, the transient mesendoderm regulatory state is defined by co-expression of Foxa.a, Foxd and Fgf9/16/20. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14692.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Hudson
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Observatoire Océanologique, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Cathy Sirour
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Observatoire Océanologique, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Hitoyoshi Yasuo
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Observatoire Océanologique, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
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30
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Wiesenfahrt T, Osborne Nishimura E, Berg JY, McGhee JD. Probing and rearranging the transcription factor network controlling the C. elegans endoderm. WORM 2016; 5:e1198869. [PMID: 27695655 DOI: 10.1080/21624054.2016.1198869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The ELT-2 GATA factor is the predominant transcription factor regulating gene expression in the C. elegans intestine, following endoderm specification. We comment on our previous study (Wiesenfahrt et al., 2016) that investigated how the elt-2 gene is controlled by END-1, END-3 and ELT-7, the 3 endoderm specific GATA factors that lie upstream in the regulatory hierarchy. We also discuss the unexpected result that ELT-2, if expressed sufficiently early and at sufficiently high levels, can specify the C. elegans endoderm, replacing the normal functions of END-1 and END-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wiesenfahrt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Erin Osborne Nishimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Janette Y Berg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - James D McGhee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary, AB, Canada
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31
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Gao X, Tyagi R, Magrini V, Ly A, Jasmer DP, Mitreva M. Compartmentalization of functions and predicted miRNA regulation among contiguous regions of the nematode intestine. RNA Biol 2016; 14:1335-1352. [PMID: 27002534 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1166333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestine of parasitic nematodes has proven an important target for therapies aimed at prevention and treatment of diseases caused by these pathogens in humans, animals and plants. We have developed a unique research model with the intestine of Ascaris suum, the large round worm of swine and humans, that will enhance biological research on this tissue. To expand utility of this model, we quantitatively compared expression of 15,382 coding RNAs and 277 noncoding, micro RNAs (miRNAs) among 3 contiguous regions of the adult A. suum intestine. Differentially expressed transcripts were identified among regions, with the largest number expressed at significantly higher levels in the anterior region, identifying this region as the most functionally unique compared to middle and posterior regions. We further identified 64 exon splice variants (from 47 genes) that are differentially expressed among these regions. A total of 2,063 intestinal mRNA transcripts were predicted to be targeted by intestinal miRNA, and negative correlation coefficients for miRNA:mRNA abundances predicted 22 likely influential miRNAs and 503 likely associated miRNA:mRNA pairs. A. suum intestinal miRNAs were identified that are conserved with intestinal miRNAs from C. elegans (10 mature sequences and 13 seed sequences conserved), and prospective intestinal miRNAs from the murine gastrointestinal nematode, Heligmosomoides polygyrus (5 mature and 11 seeds). Most of the conserved intestinal miRNAs were also high abundance miRNAs. The data provide the most comprehensive compilation of constitutively and differentially expressed genes along the length of the intestine for any nematode species. The information will guide prospective development of many hypotheses on nematode intestinal functions encoded by mRNAs, miRNAs and interactions between these RNA populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- a McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA
| | - Rahul Tyagi
- a McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA
| | - Vincent Magrini
- a McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA
| | - Amy Ly
- a McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA
| | - Douglas P Jasmer
- b Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology , Washington State University , Pullman , WA , USA
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- a McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA.,c Department of Internal Medicine , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , MO , USA
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Goszczynski B, Captan VV, Danielson AM, Lancaster BR, McGhee JD. A 44 bp intestine-specific hermaphrodite-specific enhancer from the C. elegans vit-2 vitellogenin gene is directly regulated by ELT-2, MAB-3, FKH-9 and DAF-16 and indirectly regulated by the germline, by daf-2/insulin signaling and by the TGF-β/Sma/Mab pathway. Dev Biol 2016; 413:112-27. [PMID: 26963674 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans vitellogenin genes are transcribed in the intestine of adult hermaphrodites but not of males. A 44-bp region from the vit-2 gene promoter is able largely to reconstitute this tissue-, stage- and sex-specific-expression. This "enhancer" contains a binding site for the DM-domain factor MAB-3, the male-specific repressor of vitellogenesis, as well as an activator site that we show is the direct target of the intestinal GATA factor ELT-2. We further show that the enhancer is directly activated by the winged-helix/forkhead-factor FKH-9, (whose gene has been shown by others to be a direct target of DAF-16), by an unknown activator binding to the MAB-3 site, and by the full C. elegans TGF-β/Sma/Mab pathway acting within the intestine. The vit-2 gene has been shown by others to be repressed by the daf-2/daf-16 insulin signaling pathway, which so strongly influences aging and longevity in C. elegans. We show that the activity of the 44 bp vit-2 enhancer is abolished by loss of daf-2 but is restored by simultaneous loss of daf-16. DAF-2 acts from outside of the intestine but DAF-16 acts both from outside of the intestine and from within the intestine where it binds directly to the same non-canonical target site that interacts with FKH-9. Activity of the 44 bp vit-2 enhancer is also inhibited by loss of the germline, in a manner that is only weakly influenced by DAF-16 but that is strongly influenced by KRI-1, a key downstream effector in the pathway by which germline loss increases C. elegans lifespan. The complex behavior of this enhancer presumably allows vitellogenin gene transcription to adjust to demands of body size, germline proliferation and nutritional state but we suggest that the apparent involvement of this enhancer in aging and longevity "pathways" could be incidental.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Goszczynski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vasile V Captan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alicia M Danielson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brett R Lancaster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - James D McGhee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Colmenares D, Sun Q, Shen P, Yue Y, McClements DJ, Park Y. Delivery of dietary triglycerides to Caenorhabditis elegans using lipid nanoparticles: Nanoemulsion-based delivery systems. Food Chem 2016; 202:451-7. [PMID: 26920318 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful tool for studying food bioactives on specific biochemical pathways. However, many food bioactives are highly hydrophobic with extremely low water-solubilities, thereby making them difficult to study using C. elegans. The purpose of this study was to develop nanoemulsion-based systems to deliver hydrophobic molecules in a form that could be ingested by C. elegans. Optical microscopy showed that oil-in-water nanoemulsions with a range of particle diameters (40-500nm) could be ingested by C. elegans. The amount of lipid ingested depended on the size and concentration of the nanoparticles. Fatty acid analysis showed incorporation of conjugated linoleic acid and there was a significant reduction in the fat levels of C. elegans when they were incubated with nanoemulsions containing conjugated linoleic acid, which suggested that this hydrophobic lipid was successfully delivered to the nematodes. The incorporation of hydrophobic molecules into nanoemulsion based-delivery systems may therefore enable their activities to be studied using C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Colmenares
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Quancai Sun
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Peiyi Shen
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yiren Yue
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - D Julian McClements
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yeonhwa Park
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Wiesenfahrt T, Berg JY, Osborne Nishimura E, Robinson AG, Goszczynski B, Lieb JD, McGhee JD. The function and regulation of the GATA factor ELT-2 in the C. elegans endoderm. Development 2015; 143:483-91. [PMID: 26700680 DOI: 10.1242/dev.130914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ELT-2 is the major regulator of genes involved in differentiation, maintenance and function of C. elegans intestine from the early embryo to mature adult. elt-2 responds to overexpression of the GATA transcription factors END-1 and END-3, which specify the intestine, as well as to overexpression of the two GATA factors that are normally involved in intestinal differentiation, ELT-7 and ELT-2 itself. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, how ELT-2 levels are maintained throughout development or how such systems respond to developmental perturbations. Here, we analyse elt-2 gene regulation through transgenic reporter assays, ELT-2 ChIP and characterisation of in vitro DNA-protein interactions. Our results indicate that elt-2 is controlled by three discrete regulatory regions conserved between C. elegans and C. briggsae that span >4 kb of 5' flanking sequence. These regions are superficially interchangeable but have quantitatively different enhancer properties, and their combined activities indicate inter-region synergies. Their regulatory activity is mediated by a small number of conserved TGATAA sites that are largely interchangeable and interact with different endodermal GATA factors with only modest differences in affinity. The redundant molecular mechanism that forms the elt-2 regulatory network is robust and flexible, as loss of end-3 halves ELT-2 levels in the early embryo but levels fully recover by the time of hatching. When ELT-2 is expressed under the control of end-1 regulatory elements, in addition to its own endogenous promoter, it can replace the complete set of endoderm-specific GATA factors: END-1, END-3, ELT-7 and (the probably non-functional) ELT-4. Thus, in addition to controlling gene expression during differentiation, ELT-2 is capable of specifying the entire C. elegans endoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wiesenfahrt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Janette Y Berg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Erin Osborne Nishimura
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Adam G Robinson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Barbara Goszczynski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Jason D Lieb
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - James D McGhee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
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Jahnel O, Hoffmann B, Merkel R, Bossinger O, Leube RE. Mechanical Probing of the Intermediate Filament-Rich Caenorhabditis Elegans Intestine. Methods Enzymol 2015; 568:681-706. [PMID: 26795489 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is commonly accepted that intermediate filaments have an important mechanical function. This function relies not only on intrinsic material properties but is also determined by dynamic interactions with other cytoskeletal filament systems, distinct cell adhesion sites, and cellular organelles which are fine-tuned by multiple signaling pathways. While aspects of these properties and processes can be studied in vitro, their full complexity can only be understood in a viable tissue context. Yet, suitable and easily accessible model systems for monitoring tissue mechanics at high precision are rare. We show that the dissected intestine of the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans fulfills this requirement. The 20 intestinal cells, which are arranged in an invariant fashion, are characterized by a dense subapical mesh of intermediate filaments that are attached to the C. elegans apical junction. We present procedures to visualize details of the characteristic intermediate filament-junctional complex arrangement in living animals. We then report on methods to prepare intestines with a fully intact intermediate filament cytoskeleton and detail procedures to assess their viability. A dual micropipette assay is described to measure mechanical properties of the dissected intestine while monitoring the spatial arrangement of the intermediate filament system. Advantages of this approach are (i) the high reproducibility of measurements because of the uniform architecture of the intestine and (ii) the high degree of accessibility allowing not only mechanical manipulation of an intact tissue but also control of culture medium composition and addition of drugs as well as visualization of cell structures. With this method, examination of worms carrying mutations in the intermediate filament system, its interacting partners and its regulators will become feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Bernd Hoffmann
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-7: Biomechanics, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rudolf Merkel
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-7: Biomechanics, Jülich, Germany
| | - Olaf Bossinger
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rudolf E Leube
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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Gordon KL, Arthur RK, Ruvinsky I. Phylum-Level Conservation of Regulatory Information in Nematodes despite Extensive Non-coding Sequence Divergence. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005268. [PMID: 26020930 PMCID: PMC4447282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory information guides development and shapes the course of evolution. To test conservation of gene regulation within the phylum Nematoda, we compared the functions of putative cis-regulatory sequences of four sets of orthologs (unc-47, unc-25, mec-3 and elt-2) from distantly-related nematode species. These species, Caenorhabditis elegans, its congeneric C. briggsae, and three parasitic species Meloidogyne hapla, Brugia malayi, and Trichinella spiralis, represent four of the five major clades in the phylum Nematoda. Despite the great phylogenetic distances sampled and the extensive sequence divergence of nematode genomes, all but one of the regulatory elements we tested are able to drive at least a subset of the expected gene expression patterns. We show that functionally conserved cis-regulatory elements have no more extended sequence similarity to their C. elegans orthologs than would be expected by chance, but they do harbor motifs that are important for proper expression of the C. elegans genes. These motifs are too short to be distinguished from the background level of sequence similarity, and while identical in sequence they are not conserved in orientation or position. Functional tests reveal that some of these motifs contribute to proper expression. Our results suggest that conserved regulatory circuitry can persist despite considerable turnover within cis elements. To explore the phylogenetic limits of conservation of cis-regulatory elements, we used transgenesis to test the functions of enhancers of four genes from several species spanning the phylum Nematoda. While we found a striking degree of functional conservation among the examined cis elements, their DNA sequences lacked apparent conservation with the C. elegans orthologs. In fact, sequence similarity between C. elegans and the distantly related nematodes was no greater than would be expected by chance. Short motifs, similar to known regulatory sequences in C. elegans, can be detected in most of the cis elements. When tested, some of these sites appear to mediate regulatory function. However, they seem to have originated through motif turnover, rather than to have been preserved from a common ancestor. Our results suggest that gene regulatory networks are broadly conserved in the phylum Nematoda, but this conservation persists despite substantial reorganization of regulatory elements and could not be detected using naïve comparisons of sequence similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacy L. Gordon
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KLG); (IR)
| | - Robert K. Arthur
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KLG); (IR)
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Head B, Aballay A. Recovery from an acute infection in C. elegans requires the GATA transcription factor ELT-2. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004609. [PMID: 25340560 PMCID: PMC4207467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms involved in the recognition of microbial pathogens and activation of the immune system have been extensively studied. However, the mechanisms involved in the recovery phase of an infection are incompletely characterized at both the cellular and physiological levels. Here, we establish a Caenorhabditis elegans-Salmonella enterica model of acute infection and antibiotic treatment for studying biological changes during the resolution phase of an infection. Using whole genome expression profiles of acutely infected animals, we found that genes that are markers of innate immunity are down-regulated upon recovery, while genes involved in xenobiotic detoxification, redox regulation, and cellular homeostasis are up-regulated. In silico analyses demonstrated that genes altered during recovery from infection were transcriptionally regulated by conserved transcription factors, including GATA/ELT-2, FOXO/DAF-16, and Nrf/SKN-1. Finally, we found that recovery from an acute bacterial infection is dependent on ELT-2 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Head
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Robertson SM, Medina J, Lin R. Uncoupling different characteristics of the C. elegans E lineage from differentiation of intestinal markers. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106309. [PMID: 25181289 PMCID: PMC4152275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 4-cell C. elegans embryo, a signal from P2 to its anterior sister, EMS, specifies the posterior daughter of EMS, E, as the sole founder cell for intestine. The P2-to-EMS signal restricts high level zygotic expression of the redundant GATA transcription factors, END-1 and END-3, to only the E lineage. Expression of END-1 or END-3 in early blastomeres is sufficient to drive intestinal differentiation. We show here that a number of E lineage characteristics, which are also regulated through P2-EMS signaling, can be uncoupled from intestine development, and each with a different sensitivity to specific perturbations of the P2-EMS signal. For example, we show that the extended cell cycle in Ea and Ep depends on the P2-induced high level expression of the cell cycle regulator, WEE-1.1, in E. A mutation in wee-1.1 results in shortened Ea and Ep cell cycles, but has no effect upon intestinal differentiation or embryogenesis. Furthermore, it has been shown previously that the total number of E lineage cell divisions is regulated by a mechanism dependent upon E being specified as the intestinal founder cell. We now show, however, that cell division counting can be uncoupled from intestine differentiation in the E lineage. Many mutations in P2-EMS signal genes exhibit nonfully-penetrant defects in intestinal differentiation. When embryos with those mutations generate intestinal cells, they often make too many intestinal cells. In addition, at the level of individual embryos, expression of end-1 and end-3, and another very early E-specific zygotic gene, sdz-23, exhibit stochastic and discordant defects in P2-EMS signaling mutants. We show here that sdz-23 is expressed close to wildtype levels in embryos deleted of both end-1 and end-3. sdz-23 does not appear to function in intestine development, raising the intriguing possibility that the P2-EMS interaction has downstream molecular consequences within the E lineage independent of end-1/3 and intestinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M. Robertson
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jessica Medina
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rueyling Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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Anderson CP, Leibold EA. Mechanisms of iron metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:113. [PMID: 24904417 PMCID: PMC4033076 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron is involved in many biological processes essential for sustaining life. In excess, iron is toxic due to its ability to catalyze the formation of free radicals that damage macromolecules. Organisms have developed specialized mechanisms to tightly regulate iron uptake, storage and efflux. Over the past decades, vertebrate model organisms have led to the identification of key genes and pathways that regulate systemic and cellular iron metabolism. This review provides an overview of iron metabolism in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and highlights recent studies on the role of hypoxia and insulin signaling in the regulation of iron metabolism. Given that iron, hypoxia and insulin signaling pathways are evolutionarily conserved, C. elegans provides a genetic model organism that promises to provide new insights into mechanisms regulating mammalian iron metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole P Anderson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies and Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Leibold
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies and Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT, USA
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