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Sunny SS, Lachova J, Kasparek P, Palkova M, Spoutil F, Prochazka J, Sedlacek R, Liskova P, Kozmik Z. Ovol2 promoter mutations in mice and human illuminate species-specific phenotypic divergence. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:491-500. [PMID: 37971355 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in the highly conserved OVOL2 promoter region cause posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) 1 by inducing an ectopic expression of the endothelial OVOL2 mRNA. Here we produced an allelic series of Ovol2 promoter mutations in the mouse model including the heterozygous c.-307T>C variant (RefSeq NM_021220.4) causing PPCD1 in humans. Despite the high evolutionary conservation of the Ovol2 promoter, only some alterations of its sequence had phenotypic consequences in mice. Four independent sequence variants in the distal part of the Ovol2 promoter had no significant effect on endothelial Ovol2 mRNA level or caused any ocular phenotype. In contrast, the mutation c.-307T>C resulted in increased Ovol2 expression in the corneal endothelium. However, only a small fraction of adult mice c.-307T>C heterozygotes developed ocular phenotypes such as irido-corneal adhesions, and corneal opacity. Interestingly, phenotypic penetrance was increased at embryonic stages. Notably, c.-307T>C mutation is located next to the Ovol1/Ovol2 transcription factor binding site. Mice carrying an allele with a deletion encompassing the Ovol2 binding site c.-307_-320del showed significant Ovol2 gene upregulation in the cornea endothelium and exhibited phenotypes similar to the c.-307T>C mutation. In conclusion, although the mutations c.-307T>C and -307_-320del lead to a comparably strong increase in endothelial Ovol2 expression as seen in PPCD1 patients, endothelial dystrophy was not observed in the mouse model, implicating species-specific differences in endothelial cell biology. Nonetheless, the emergence of dominant ocular phenotypes associated with Ovol2 promoter variants in mice implies a potential role of this gene in eye development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweetu Susan Sunny
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Lachova
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kasparek
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, 513 Parnassus Avenue, CA 94158, San Francisco, United States
| | - Marcela Palkova
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics and Laboratory of Transgenic Models of Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, Prumyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Spoutil
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics and Laboratory of Transgenic Models of Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, Prumyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Prochazka
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics and Laboratory of Transgenic Models of Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, Prumyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Radislav Sedlacek
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics and Laboratory of Transgenic Models of Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, Prumyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Liskova
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Ke Karlovu 2, 121 08, Prague 2, Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, U Nemocnice 2, 128 08, Prague 2, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Prague, Czech Republic
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2
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Wang Y, Shi L, He Y, Gong W, Cui Y, Zuo R, Wang Y, Luo Y, Chen L, Liu Z, Chen P, Guo H. OVOL2 induces autophagy-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition by the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling in lung adenocarcinoma. iScience 2024; 27:108873. [PMID: 38318371 PMCID: PMC10838806 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in malignant tumor progression. Recently, accumulating evidence has shown that autophagy is involved in the regulation of EMT-induced migration. Therefore, the exploration of targets to inhibit EMT by targeting autophagy is important. In this study, we found that OVO-like zinc finger 2 (OVOL2) may be a key target for regulating autophagy-induced EMT. Firstly, we found that OVOL2 expression was dramatically downregulated in LUAD. Low expression of OVOL2 is an indicator of poor prognosis in LUAD. In vitro experiments have shown that downregulation of OVOL2 expression induces EMT, thereby promoting malignant biological behavior, such as proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD cells. Interestingly, autophagy is a key step in regulating OVOL2 and inducing EMT. Furthermore, OVOL2 regulates autophagy through the MAPK signaling pathway, ultimately inhibiting the malignant progression of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Wang
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia 024000, China
| | - Lin Shi
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Oncology, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People’s Hospital, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010000, China
| | - Yuchao He
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Wenchen Gong
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yanyan Cui
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia 024000, China
| | - Ran Zuo
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Liwei Chen
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Key Laboratory of Druggability Evaluation and Systematic Translational Medicine, Tianjin 300060, China
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3
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Golconda P, Andrade-Medina M, Oberstein A. Subconfluent ARPE-19 Cells Display Mesenchymal Cell-State Characteristics and Behave like Fibroblasts, Rather Than Epithelial Cells, in Experimental HCMV Infection Studies. Viruses 2023; 16:49. [PMID: 38257749 PMCID: PMC10821009 DOI: 10.3390/v16010049] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a broad cellular tropism and epithelial cells are important physiological targets during infection. The retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 has been used to model HCMV infection in epithelial cells for decades and remains a commonly used cell type for studying viral entry, replication, and the cellular response to infection. We previously found that ARPE-19 cells, despite being derived from an epithelial cell explant, express extremely low levels of canonical epithelial proteins, such as E-cadherin and EpCAM. Here, we perform comparative studies of ARPE-19 and additional epithelial cell lines with strong epithelial characteristics. We find that ARPE-19 cells cultured under subconfluent conditions resemble mesenchymal fibroblasts, rather than epithelial cells; this is consistent with previous studies showing that ARPE-19 cultures require extended periods of high confluency culture to maintain epithelial characteristics. By reanalyzing public gene expression data and using machine learning, we find evidence that ARPE-19 cultures maintained across many labs exhibit mesenchymal characteristics and that the majority of studies employing ARPE-19 use them in a mesenchymal state. Lastly, by performing experimental HCMV infections across mesenchymal and epithelial cell lines, we find that ARPE-19 cells behave like mesenchymal fibroblasts, producing logarithmic yields of cell-free infectious progeny, while cell lines with strong epithelial character exhibit an atypical infectious cycle and naturally restrict the production of cell-free progeny. Our work highlights important characteristics of the ARPE-19 cell line and suggests that subconfluent ARPE-19 cells may not be optimal for modeling epithelial infection with HCMV or other human viruses. It also suggests that HCMV biosynthesis and/or spread may occur quite differently in epithelial cells compared to mesenchymal cells. These differences could contribute to viral persistence or pathogenesis in epithelial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Oberstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott Ave., Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (P.G.); (M.A.-M.)
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Jiang Y, Zhang Z. OVOL2: an epithelial lineage determiner with emerging roles in energy homeostasis. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:824-833. [PMID: 37336658 PMCID: PMC10524639 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.05.008] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Ovo like zinc finger 2 (OVOL2) is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of epithelial lineage determination and differentiation during embryogenesis. OVOL2 binds to DNA using zinc-finger domains to suppress epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is critical for tumor metastasis. However, recent studies have suggested some noncanonical roles of OVOL2 that do not rely on the DNA binding of zinc-finger domains or regulation of EMT. OVOL2 and EMT regulators have emerging roles in adipogenesis, thermogenesis, and lipid metabolism. Here, we review different roles of OVOL2 from embryo development to adult tissue homeostasis, and discuss how OVOL2 and other EMT regulators orchestrate a regulatory network to control energy homeostasis. Last, we propose potential applications of targeting OVOL2 to reduce human obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiao Jiang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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5
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Wu J, Luo D, Li S. Ovo Like Zinc Finger 2 (OVOL2) Suppresses Breast Cancer Stem Cell Traits and Correlates with Immune Cells Infiltration. BREAST CANCER: TARGETS AND THERAPY 2022; 14:211-227. [PMID: 35996562 PMCID: PMC9391936 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s363114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiafa Wu
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Jiafa Wu, School of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Kaiyuan Avenue 263, Luoyang, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Dongping Luo
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shengnan Li
- School of Medicine, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, People’s Republic of China
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6
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Wu RS, Lin J, Xing YM, Gao WL, Jiang YX, Chen LX, Zhang XP, Dai ZL. OVOL2 inhibits macrophage M2 polarization by regulating IL-10 transcription, and thus inhibits the tumor metastasis by modulating the tumor microenvironment. Immunol Lett 2021; 242:17-26. [PMID: 34033850 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells is an important cause of death in breast cancer patients. In the tumor microenvironment, M2 polarization of macrophages can promote the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. OVOL2 is an evolutionarily conserved transcription regulator, but its effect in macrophages has not been described previously. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OVOL2 on macrophage polarity and the role of these effects in the tumor metastasis. We found that overexpression of OVOL2 in macrophages significantly inhibited M2 polarization and thus inhibits breast cancer metastasis. We propose a novel mechanism in which OVOL2 inhibits M2 polarization of macrophages and thus reduces their ability to induce invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. By shedding new light on the regulation of metastasis in cancers, our study provides a new strategy for the targeted therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Si Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Juan Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Mei Xing
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen-Li Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan-Xu Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Li-Xin Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xue-Ping Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhong-Liang Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Center of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
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7
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Saxena K, Srikrishnan S, Celia-Terrassa T, Jolly MK. OVOL1/2: Drivers of Epithelial Differentiation in Development, Disease, and Reprogramming. Cells Tissues Organs 2020; 211:183-192. [PMID: 32932250 DOI: 10.1159/000511383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OVOL proteins (OVOL1 and OVOL2), vertebrate homologs of Drosophila OVO, are critical regulators of epithelial lineage determination and differentiation during embryonic development in tissues such as kidney, skin, mammary epithelia, and testis. OVOL can inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition and/or can promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition. Moreover, they can regulate the stemness of cancer cells, thus playing an important role during cancer cell metastasis. Due to their central role in differentiation and maintenance of epithelial lineage, OVOL overexpression has been shown to be capable of reprogramming fibroblasts to epithelial cells. Here, we review the roles of OVOL-mediated epithelial differentiation across multiple contexts, including embryonic development, cancer progression, and cellular reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Saxena
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Toni Celia-Terrassa
- Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India,
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8
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Jeyarajah MJ, Jaju Bhattad G, Hillier DM, Renaud SJ. The Transcription Factor OVOL2 Represses ID2 and Drives Differentiation of Trophoblast Stem Cells and Placental Development in Mice. Cells 2020; 9:E840. [PMID: 32244352 PMCID: PMC7226816 DOI: 10.3390/cells9040840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophoblasts are the first cell type to be specified during embryogenesis, and they are essential for placental morphogenesis and function. Trophoblast stem (TS) cells are the progenitor cells for all trophoblast lineages; control of TS cell differentiation into distinct trophoblast subtypes is not well understood. Mice lacking the transcription factor OVO-like 2 (OVOL2) fail to produce a functioning placenta, and die around embryonic day 10.5, suggesting that OVOL2 may be critical for trophoblast development. Therefore, our objective was to determine the role of OVOL2 in mouse TS cell fate. We found that OVOL2 was highly expressed in mouse placenta and differentiating TS cells. Placentas and TS cells lacking OVOL2 showed poor trophoblast differentiation potential, including increased expression of stem-state associated genes (Eomes, Esrrb, Id2) and decreased levels of differentiation-associated transcripts (Gcm1, Tpbpa, Prl3b1, Syna). Ectopic OVOL2 expression in TS cells elicited precocious differentiation. OVOL2 bound proximate to the gene encoding inhibitor of differentiation 2 (ID2), a dominant negative helix-loop-helix protein, and directly repressed its activity. Overexpression of ID2 was sufficient to reinforce the TS cell stem state. Our findings reveal a critical role of OVOL2 as a regulator of TS cell differentiation and placental development, in-part by coordinating repression of ID2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariyan J. Jeyarajah
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5C1, Canada; (M.J.J.)
| | - Gargi Jaju Bhattad
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5C1, Canada; (M.J.J.)
| | - Dendra M. Hillier
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5C1, Canada; (M.J.J.)
| | - Stephen J. Renaud
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5C1, Canada; (M.J.J.)
- Children’s Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C2V5, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C2R5, Canada
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9
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Cui L, Gu Y, Liu S, Li M, Ye J, Zhang F, Luo X, Chang WL, Gui Y. TBC1D20 Is Essential for Mouse Blood-Testis Barrier Integrity Through Maintaining the Epithelial Phenotype and Modulating the Maturation of Sertoli Cells. Reprod Sci 2020; 27:1443-1454. [PMID: 31994000 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-020-00156-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sertoli cells are important for spermatogenesis not only by directly interacting with germ line cells in the seminiferous epithelium but also by constituting the blood-testis barrier (BTB) structure to create a favorable environment for spermatogenesis. Blind sterile (bs) male mice are infertile, with excessive germ cell apoptosis and spermatogenesis arrest. TBC1D20 (TBC1 domain family member 20) deficiency has been identified as the causative mutation in bs mice. However, whether TBC1D20 loss of function also impairs BTB integrity, which further contributes to the failed spermatogenesis of bs male mice, remains unclear. In the present study, biotin tracer assay and transmission electron microscopy showed severely disrupted BTB integrity in bs testes. Compared to the wild-type Sertoli cells, BTB components of cultured bs Sertoli cells in vitro was perturbed with downregulation of E-cadherin, ZO-1, β-catenin, and Claudin 11. The obvious rearrangement of F-actin indicated disrupted epithelial-mesenchymal balance in TBC1D20-deficient Sertoli cells. The ability of bs Sertoli cells to maintain the clone formation of spermatogonia stem cells was also obviously limited. Furthermore, the decreasing of SOX9 (sex-determining region Y box 9) and WT1 (Wilms' tumor 1) and increasing of vimentin in bs Sertoli cells indicated that TBC1D20 loss of function attenuated the differentiation progression of bs Sertoli cells. In summary, TBC1D20 loss of function impedes the maturation of adult Sertoli cells and resulted in impaired BTB integrity, which is further implicated in the infertile phenotype of bs male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Cui
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Yanli Gu
- Department of Obstetrics, the People's Hospital of Longhua, Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Shuo Liu
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 10083, China
| | - Minghua Li
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Fanting Zhang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Xiaomin Luo
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Wen-Lin Chang
- Department of Obstetrics, the People's Hospital of Longhua, Shenzhen, 518109, China.
| | - Yaoting Gui
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China.
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10
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Chekulaeva M, Rajewsky N. Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs and Circular RNAs in Translation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:cshperspect.a032680. [PMID: 30082465 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Most of the eukaryotic genome is pervasively transcribed, yielding hundreds to thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), some of which are well conserved during evolution. Functions have been described for a few lncRNAs and circRNAs but remain elusive for most. Both classes of RNAs play regulatory roles in translation by interacting with messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), or mRNA-binding proteins (RBPs), thereby modulating translation in trans Moreover, although initially defined as noncoding, a number of lncRNAs and circRNAs have recently been reported to contain functional open reading frames (ORFs). Here, we review current understanding of the roles played by lncRNAs and circRNAs in protein synthesis and discuss challenges and open questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Chekulaeva
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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11
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Manzotti G, Torricelli F, Benedetta D, Lococo F, Sancisi V, Rossi G, Piana S, Ciarrocchi A. An Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transcriptional Switch Triggers Evolution of Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma (PSC) and Identifies Dasatinib as New Therapeutic Option. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 25:2348-2360. [PMID: 30587547 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-2364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare and aggressive form of NSCLC. Rarity and poor characterization have limited the development of PSC-tailored treatment protocols, leaving patients with inadequate therapeutic options. In this study, we investigated the gene expression profile of PSCs, with the aim to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for their evolution and to identify new drugs for their treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN A training set of 17 biphasic PSCs was selected and tested for the expression of a large panel of 770 genes related to cancer progression using NanoString technology. Computational analyses were used to characterize a PSCs-gene specific signature from which pathways and drivers of PSC evolution were identified and validated using functional assays in vitro. This signature was validated in a separate set of 15 PSCs and 8 differentiated NSCLC and used to interrogate the cMAP database searching for FDA-approved small molecules able to counteract PSC phenotype. RESULTS We demonstrated that the transcriptional activation of an epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) program drives PSC phylogeny in vivo. We showed that loss of the epithelial-associated transcription factor (TF) OVOL2 characterizes the transition to sarcomatoid phenotype triggering the expression of EMT promoting TFs, including TWIST and ZEB and the expression of the membrane kinase DDR2. Finally, using a drug repurposing approach, we identified dasatinib as potential inhibitor of the PSC-gene expression signature and we confirmed in vitro that this drug efficiently restrains proliferation and reverts the sarcomatoid-associated phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide new insights into PSC evolution and provide the rationale for further clinical studies with dasatinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Manzotti
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Federica Torricelli
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Donati Benedetta
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Filippo Lococo
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Valentina Sancisi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Giulio Rossi
- Operative Unit of Pathologic Anatomy, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale della Romagna, Hospital St. Maria delle Croci, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Simonetta Piana
- Pathology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Alessia Ciarrocchi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale- IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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12
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Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of OVOL2 regulates aneuploidy and cell death in cancer cells. Oncogene 2018; 38:2750-2766. [PMID: 30542118 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0615-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a post-translational modification by which poly ADP-ribose (PAR) polymers are covalently added to proteins through a PAR polymerase (PARP). Here, using proteomic approach, we identify the transcriptional regulator, OVOL2, is a novel substrate of PARP1 and can be PARylated at residues Lysine 145, Lysine 176, and Lysine 212 within its C2H2 zinc finger domains. Overexpression of PARylated OVOL2 alters cell morphology and induces lagging chromosomes and aneuploidy. To define the underlying molecular mechanism by which OVOL2 induces abnormal cell cycle and centrosome amplification, we uncover that the OVOL2 elevates the protein levels of Cyclin E by enhancing its stability. Furthermore, we identify Skp2, the E3 ubiquitin ligase of Cyclin E, as a direct target of PARylated OVOL2. Using ChIP assay, the OVOL2 binding site on the promoter region of Skp2 is mapped. To further explore the physiological effect, we show that PARylated OVOL2 can induce cell death. Furthermore, to investigate PARylated OVOL2 function in vivo, we further develop a null-mice xenograft model and generate MMTV-PyVT transgenic mice and monitor the effect of wild-type OVOL2 and non-PARylated OVOL2-3K/A mutants on tumor progression. Consistently, overexpression of wild-type OVOL2 in both null-mice xenograft and MMTV-PyVT transgenic mice displays significantly reduction of tumor progression, respectively, further indicating that the function of OVOL2 as a tumor suppressor in vivo is highly regulated by PARylation. Taken together, our study sheds new light on PARP1-induced PARylation as a critical event in the OVOL2-mediated regulation of chromosomal integrity and suppression of cancer cells growth.
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13
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Wu RS, Hong JJ, Wu JF, Yan S, Wu D, Liu N, Liu QF, Wu QW, Xie YY, Liu YJ, Zheng ZZ, Chan EC, Zhang ZM, Li BA. OVOL2 antagonizes TGF-β signaling to regulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition during mammary tumor metastasis. Oncotarget 2018; 8:39401-39416. [PMID: 28455959 PMCID: PMC5503621 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Great progress has been achieved in the study of the role of TGF-β signaling in triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a variety of cancers; however, the regulation of TGF-β signaling during EMT in mammary tumor metastasis has not been completely defined. In the present study, we demonstrated that OVOL2, a zinc finger transcription factor, inhibits TGF-β signaling-induced EMT in mouse and human mammary tumor cells, as well as in mouse tumor models. Data from the Oncomine databases indicated a strong negative relationship between OVOL2 expression and breast cancer progression. Moreover, our experiments revealed that OVOL2 inhibits TGF-β signaling at multiple levels, including inhibiting Smad4 mRNA expression and inducing Smad7 mRNA expression, blocking the binding between Smad4 and target DNA, and interfering with complex formation between Smad4 and Smad2/3. These findings reveal a novel mechanism that controls the TGF-β signaling output level in vitro and in vivo. The modulation of these molecular processes may represent a strategy for inhibiting breast cancer invasion by restoring OVOL2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Si Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jing-Jing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jia-Fa Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Shen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Di Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Na Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Qing-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Qiu-Wan Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yun-Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zhong-Zheng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Err-Cheng Chan
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Zhi-Ming Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Bo-An Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.,Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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14
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Qi XK, Han HQ, Zhang HJ, Xu M, Li L, Chen L, Xiang T, Feng QS, Kang T, Qian CN, Cai MY, Tao Q, Zeng YX, Feng L. OVOL2 links stemness and metastasis via fine-tuning epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:2202-2216. [PMID: 29721073 PMCID: PMC5928881 DOI: 10.7150/thno.24003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Metastasis is the leading cause of disease-related death among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Mounting evidence suggest that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial for cancer cells to acquire metastatic ability. In this study, we aim to clarify the extent to which EMT is involved in various cancer properties and identify novel markers for predicting the prognosis of NPC patients. Methods: Two cellular models derived from the same NPC cell line with distinct metastasis ability were used for microarray analysis to identify key transcriptional factors that drive metastasis. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing and Transwell analysis. Lung metatasis was determined by tail vein injection assay. Cancer stemness was analyzed using colony formation and xenograft assay. The EMT extent was evaluated using immunoblotting, RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence of EMT markers. The value of OVOL2 in prognosis was determined by immunohistochemistry in NPC biopsies. Results: OVOL2 was the most significantly down-regulated EMT transcription factor (EMT-TF) in cellular models of NPC metatasis. Low levels of OVOL2 were associated with poor overall survival of NPC patients and the reduced expression is partly due to promoter methylation and epithelial dedifferentiation. Knockout of OVOL2 in epithelial-like NPC cells partially activates EMT program and significantly promotes cancer stemness and metastatic phenotypes. Conversely, ectopically expression of OVOL2 in mesenchymal-like cells leads to a partial transition to an epithelial phenotype and reduced malignancy. Reversing EMT by depleting ZEB1, a major target of OVOL2, does not eliminate the stemness advantage of OVOL2-deficient cells but does reduce their invasion capacity. A comparison of subpopulations at different stages of EMT revealed that the extent of EMT is positively correlated with metastasis and drug resistance; however, only the intermediate EMT state is associated with cancer stemness. Conclusion: Distinct from other canonical EMT-TFs, OVOL2 only exhibits modest effect on EMT but has a strong impact on both metastasis and tumorigenesis. Therefore, OVOL2 could serve as a prognostic indicator for cancer patients.
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15
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Bai R, Kusama K, Nakamura K, Sakurai T, Kimura K, Ideta A, Aoyagi Y, Imakawa K. Down-regulation of transcription factor OVOL2 contributes to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a noninvasive type of trophoblast implantation to the maternal endometrium. FASEB J 2018; 32:3371-3384. [PMID: 29394105 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701131rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Embryo implantation into the uterine endometrium is required for pregnancy establishment in most mammals. By using global expression analysis, we investigated the molecules that are related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in noninvasive bovine trophoblasts and found that the transcription factor, ovo-like zinc finger 2 ( OVOL2), which is essential for mesenchymal-epithelial transition in various cancers, was down-regulated after trophoblast attachment to the endometrial epithelium in utero. In cultured bovine trophoblast cells, OVOL2 down-regulation occurred only when cells were allowed to attach to bovine endometrial epithelial cells via the TEAD3/YAP signaling pathway. This resulted in the up-regulation of the EMT-associated transcription factors, ZEB1 and SNAI2, and the mesenchymal cell markers, N-cadherin ( CDH2) and vimentin ( VIM), whereas epithelial cell marker, E-cadherin ( CDH1), was down-regulated. In contrast, OVOL2 overexpression in bovine trophoblast cells exhibited a decrease in ZEB1 transcripts and an increase in E-cadherin. These observations revealed that ovo-like protein (OVOL)2 down-regulation occurred concurrently with conceptus implantation into the uterine endometrium via the YAP/TEAD3 signaling pathway, and suggest that the down-regulation of OVOL2 expression contributes to the up-regulation of EMT-related transcription factor expression, which enables EMT progression in the noninvasive bovine trophectoderm postimplantation.-Bai, R., Kusama, K., Nakamura, K., Sakurai, T., Kimura, K., Ideta, A., Aoyagi, Y., Imakawa, K. Down-regulation of transcription factor OVOL2 contributes to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a noninvasive type of trophoblast implantation to the maternal endometrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulan Bai
- Animal Resource Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kusama
- Animal Resource Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Japan
| | - Keigo Nakamura
- Animal Resource Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Sakurai
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Koji Kimura
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | | | | | - Kazuhiko Imakawa
- Animal Resource Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Japan
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16
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Ito T, Tsuji G, Ohno F, Nakahara T, Uchi H, Furue M. Potential role of the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis and c-Myc in the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Mod Pathol 2017; 30:919-927. [PMID: 28339425 DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2016.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OVOL1 and OVOL2 are ubiquitously conserved genes encoding C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors in mammals. They promote epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, coordinately mediated via the Wnt signaling pathway. We previously reported that human OVOL1 and OVOL2 were preferentially expressed in the normal epidermis and hair follicles as well as their tumors, and found that OVOL1 is upregulated in Bowen's disease and downregulated in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The aims of this study were to elucidate the potential role of the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis in Bowen's disease and squamous cell carcinoma, and to reveal the relationship between OVOL and c-Myc, a proto-oncogene that plays a pivotal role in the malignancy of epithelial tumors. We investigated 20 Bowen's disease and 20 squamous cell carcinoma clinical samples and a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line (A431) using immunohistochemical staining and molecular biological approaches. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that OVOL1 was upregulated in Bowen's disease and markedly downregulated in squamous cell carcinoma; conversely, c-Myc was downregulated in Bowen's disease and upregulated in squamous cell carcinoma. OVOL2 was markedly upregulated in the nucleus of Bowen's disease cells, but the distribution of OVOL2 expression in squamous cell carcinoma varied widely; OVOL2 was typically expressed in the cytoplasm, but only sporadically in the nucleus. Furthermore, knockdown of OVOL1 using a specific small interfering RNA increased the mRNA and protein levels of c-Myc and OVOL2. Knockdown of OVOL2 did not significantly affect the mRNA and protein levels of either c-Myc or OVOL1. These results suggest that OVOL1 is an upstream suppressor of c-Myc and OVOL2, and the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis is a modulator of c-Myc, coordinately regulating the invasiveness of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Taken together, this study suggests that the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis is a key modulator of c-Myc expression in the shift from in situ epidermal malignancy (Bowen's disease) to invasive squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamichi Ito
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Gaku Tsuji
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Research and Clinical Center for Yusho and Dioxin, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Ohno
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nakahara
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Division of Skin Surface Sensing, Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Uchi
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masutaka Furue
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Research and Clinical Center for Yusho and Dioxin, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Division of Skin Surface Sensing, Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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17
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Conserved role of Ovo in germline development in mouse and Drosophila. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40056. [PMID: 28059165 PMCID: PMC5216385 DOI: 10.1038/srep40056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovo, which encodes a transcription factor with Zn-finger domains, is evolutionarily conserved among animals. In Drosophila, in addition to its zygotic function for egg production, maternal ovo activity is required in primordial germ cells (PGCs) for expression of germline genes such as vasa and nanos. In this study, we found that maternal Ovo accumulates in PGC nuclei during embryogenesis. In these cells, ovo serves a dual function: activation of genes expressed predominantly in PGCs, and conversely suppression of somatic genes. Reduction of ovo activity in PGCs makes them unable to develop normally into germ cells of both sexes. In mice, knockout of the ovo ortholog, Ovol2, which is expressed in PGCs, decreases the number of PGCs during early embryogenesis. These data strongly suggest that ovo acts as part of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that regulates germline development in animals.
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18
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Ito T, Tsuji G, Ohno F, Uchi H, Nakahara T, Hashimoto-Hachiya A, Yoshida Y, Yamamoto O, Oda Y, Furue M. Activation of the OVOL1-OVOL2 Axis in the Hair Bulb and in Pilomatricoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:1036-43. [PMID: 26873447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OVOL1 and OVOL2, ubiquitously conserved genes encoding C2H2 zinc finger transcription factors in mammals, control epithelial cell proliferation, and differentiation, including those in skin. OVOL1 and OVOL2 expression is coordinately mediated via the Wnt signaling pathway, and OVOL1 negatively regulates OVOL2 expression in a transcriptional manner. Our previous study of OVOL1 expression in human skin revealed that OVOL1 is preferentially expressed in the inner root sheath of the hair follicle. Therefore, we hypothesized that the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis is involved in normal and neoplastic follicular differentiation. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that OVOL1 and OVOL2 were strongly expressed in a mutually exclusive manner in the cytoplasm of inner root sheath cells and matrix cells, respectively, in normal follicles. OVOL2 was also expressed in pilomatricoma, with only partial expression of OVOL1. Cultured human keratinocytes expressed OVOL1 and OVOL2 on both the mRNA and protein levels. The expression of OVOL2 was higher in keratinocytes transfected with siRNA of OVOL1. Ketoconazole, a hair growth stimulant, up-regulated the expression of OVOL1 but did not affect OVOL2 expression. These results indicated that the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis may actively contribute to cell differentiation and proliferation in the hair bulb, suggesting that the OVOL1 and OVOL2 may be therapeutic targets of hair disorders, including alopecia, and play important roles in the tumorigenesis of pilomatricoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamichi Ito
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Gaku Tsuji
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Ohno
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Uchi
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nakahara
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Division of Skin Surface Sensing, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akiko Hashimoto-Hachiya
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuichi Yoshida
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine of Sensory and Motor Organs, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Osamu Yamamoto
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine of Sensory and Motor Organs, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masutaka Furue
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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19
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Davidson A, Liskova P, Evans C, Dudakova L, Nosková L, Pontikos N, Hartmannová H, Hodaňová K, Stránecký V, Kozmík Z, Levis H, Idigo N, Sasai N, Maher G, Bellingham J, Veli N, Ebenezer N, Cheetham M, Daniels J, Thaung C, Jirsova K, Plagnol V, Filipec M, Kmoch S, Tuft S, Hardcastle A. Autosomal-Dominant Corneal Endothelial Dystrophies CHED1 and PPCD1 Are Allelic Disorders Caused by Non-coding Mutations in the Promoter of OVOL2. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 98:75-89. [PMID: 26749309 PMCID: PMC4716680 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy 1 (CHED1) and posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 1 (PPCD1) are autosomal-dominant corneal endothelial dystrophies that have been genetically mapped to overlapping loci on the short arm of chromosome 20. We combined genetic and genomic approaches to identify the cause of disease in extensive pedigrees comprising over 100 affected individuals. After exclusion of pathogenic coding, splice-site, and copy-number variations, a parallel approach using targeted and whole-genome sequencing facilitated the identification of pathogenic variants in a conserved region of the OVOL2 proximal promoter sequence in the index families (c.−339_361dup for CHED1 and c.−370T>C for PPCD1). Direct sequencing of the OVOL2 promoter in other unrelated affected individuals identified two additional mutations within the conserved proximal promoter sequence (c.−274T>G and c.−307T>C). OVOL2 encodes ovo-like zinc finger 2, a C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factor that regulates mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and acts as a direct transcriptional repressor of the established PPCD-associated gene ZEB1. Interestingly, we did not detect OVOL2 expression in the normal corneal endothelium. Our in vitro data demonstrate that all four mutated OVOL2 promoters exhibited more transcriptional activity than the corresponding wild-type promoter, and we postulate that the mutations identified create cryptic cis-acting regulatory sequence binding sites that drive aberrant OVOL2 expression during endothelial cell development. Our data establish CHED1 and PPCD1 as allelic conditions and show that CHED1 represents the extreme of what can be considered a disease spectrum. They also implicate transcriptional dysregulation of OVOL2 as a common cause of dominantly inherited corneal endothelial dystrophies.
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20
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Khan MI, Hamid A, Adhami VM, Lall RK, Mukhtar H. Role of epithelial mesenchymal transition in prostate tumorigenesis. Curr Pharm Des 2015; 21:1240-8. [PMID: 25506896 DOI: 10.2174/1381612821666141211120326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the cancer associated deaths are generally attributed to the spread of cancerous cells or their features to the nearby or distant secondary organs by a process known as metastasis. Among other factors, the metastatic dissemination of cancer cells is attributed to the reactivation of an evolutionary conserved developmental program known as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). During EMT, fully differentiated epithelial cells undergo a series of dramatic changes in their morphology, along with loss of cell to cell contact and matrix remodeling into less differentiated and invasive mesenchymal cells. Many studies provide evidence for the existence of EMT like states in prostate cancer (PCa) and suggest its possible involvement in PCa progression and metastasis. At the same time, the lack of conclusive evidence regarding the presence of full EMT in human PCa samples has somewhat dampened the interest in the field. However, ongoing EMT research provides new perspectives and unveils the enormous potential of this field in tailoring new therapeutic regimens for PCa management. This review summarizes the role of many transcription factors and other molecules that drive EMT during prostate tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hasan Mukhtar
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Medical Science Center, Rm B-25, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706.
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21
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Aue A, Hinze C, Walentin K, Ruffert J, Yurtdas Y, Werth M, Chen W, Rabien A, Kilic E, Schulzke JD, Schumann M, Schmidt-Ott KM. A Grainyhead-Like 2/Ovo-Like 2 Pathway Regulates Renal Epithelial Barrier Function and Lumen Expansion. J Am Soc Nephrol 2015; 26:2704-15. [PMID: 25788534 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2014080759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Grainyhead transcription factors control epithelial barriers, tissue morphogenesis, and differentiation, but their role in the kidney is poorly understood. Here, we report that nephric duct, ureteric bud, and collecting duct epithelia express high levels of grainyhead-like homolog 2 (Grhl2) and that nephric duct lumen expansion is defective in Grhl2-deficient mice. In collecting duct epithelial cells, Grhl2 inactivation impaired epithelial barrier formation and inhibited lumen expansion. Molecular analyses showed that GRHL2 acts as a transcriptional activator and strongly associates with histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation. Integrating genome-wide GRHL2 binding as well as H3 lysine 4 trimethylation chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and gene expression data allowed us to derive a high-confidence GRHL2 target set. GRHL2 transactivated a group of genes including Ovol2, encoding the ovo-like 2 zinc finger transcription factor, as well as E-cadherin, claudin 4 (Cldn4), and the small GTPase Rab25. Ovol2 induction alone was sufficient to bypass the requirement of Grhl2 for E-cadherin, Cldn4, and Rab25 expression. Re-expression of either Ovol2 or a combination of Cldn4 and Rab25 was sufficient to rescue lumen expansion and barrier formation in Grhl2-deficient collecting duct cells. Hence, we identified a Grhl2/Ovol2 network controlling Cldn4 and Rab25 expression that facilitates lumen expansion and barrier formation in subtypes of renal epithelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annekatrin Aue
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Experimental and Clinical Research Center, and
| | - Christian Hinze
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Departments of Nephrology
| | | | - Janett Ruffert
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yesim Yurtdas
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Urology, Berlin Institute of Urologic Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Werth
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wei Chen
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Rabien
- Urology, Berlin Institute of Urologic Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Michael Schumann
- Gastroenterology, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany; and
| | - Kai M Schmidt-Ott
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Experimental and Clinical Research Center, and Departments of Nephrology,
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22
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Watanabe K, Villarreal-Ponce A, Sun P, Salmans ML, Fallahi M, Andersen B, Dai X. Mammary morphogenesis and regeneration require the inhibition of EMT at terminal end buds by Ovol2 transcriptional repressor. Dev Cell 2014; 29:59-74. [PMID: 24735879 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cells possess remarkable plasticity, having the ability to become mesenchymal cells through alterations in adhesion and motility (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition [EMT]). However, how epithelial plasticity is kept in check in epithelial cells during tissue development and regeneration remains to be fully understood. Here we show that restricting the EMT of mammary epithelial cells by transcription factor Ovol2 is required for proper morphogenesis and regeneration. Deletion of Ovol2 blocks mammary ductal morphogenesis, depletes stem and progenitor cell reservoirs, and leads epithelial cells to undergo EMT in vivo to become nonepithelial cell types. Ovol2 directly represses myriad EMT inducers, and its absence switches response to TGF-β from growth arrest to EMT. Furthermore, forced expression of the repressor isoform of Ovol2 is able to reprogram metastatic breast cancer cells from a mesenchymal to an epithelial state. Our findings underscore the critical importance of exquisitely regulating epithelial plasticity in development and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Watanabe
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alvaro Villarreal-Ponce
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael L Salmans
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Magid Fallahi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Bogi Andersen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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23
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Lee B, Villarreal-Ponce A, Fallahi M, Ovadia J, Sun P, Yu QC, Ito S, Sinha S, Nie Q, Dai X. Transcriptional mechanisms link epithelial plasticity to adhesion and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells. Dev Cell 2014; 29:47-58. [PMID: 24735878 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During epithelial tissue morphogenesis, developmental progenitor cells undergo dynamic adhesive and cytoskeletal remodeling to trigger proliferation and migration. Transcriptional mechanisms that restrict such a mild form of epithelial plasticity to maintain lineage-restricted differentiation in committed epithelial tissues are poorly understood. Here, we report that simultaneous ablation of transcriptional repressor-encoding Ovol1 and Ovol2 results in expansion and blocked terminal differentiation of embryonic epidermal progenitor cells. Conversely, mice overexpressing Ovol2 in their skin epithelia exhibit precocious differentiation accompanied by smaller progenitor cell compartments. We show that Ovol1/Ovol2-deficient epidermal cells fail to undertake α-catenin-driven actin cytoskeletal reorganization and adhesive maturation and exhibit changes that resemble epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Remarkably, these alterations and defective terminal differentiation are reversed upon depletion of EMT-promoting transcriptional factor Zeb1. Collectively, our findings reveal Ovol-Zeb1-α-catenin sequential repression and highlight Ovol1 and Ovol2 as gatekeepers of epithelial adhesion and differentiation by inhibiting progenitor-like traits and epithelial plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lee
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Alvaro Villarreal-Ponce
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Magid Fallahi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Jeremy Ovadia
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Qian-Chun Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Seiji Ito
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi 570-8506, Japan
| | - Satrajit Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA.
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24
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Emerging evidence for functional peptides encoded by short open reading frames. Nat Rev Genet 2014; 15:193-204. [PMID: 24514441 DOI: 10.1038/nrg3520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 382] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Short open reading frames (sORFs) are a common feature of all genomes, but their coding potential has mostly been disregarded, partly because of the difficulty in determining whether these sequences are translated. Recent innovations in computing, proteomics and high-throughput analyses of translation start sites have begun to address this challenge and have identified hundreds of putative coding sORFs. The translation of some of these has been confirmed, although the contribution of their peptide products to cellular functions remains largely unknown. This Review examines this hitherto overlooked component of the proteome and considers potential roles for sORF-encoded peptides.
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25
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Ng JH, Kumar V, Muratani M, Kraus P, Yeo JC, Yaw LP, Xue K, Lufkin T, Prabhakar S, Ng HH. In vivo epigenomic profiling of germ cells reveals germ cell molecular signatures. Dev Cell 2013; 24:324-33. [PMID: 23352811 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Revised: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The limited number of in vivo germ cells poses an impediment to genome-wide studies. Here, we applied a small-scale chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) method on purified mouse fetal germ cells to generate genome-wide maps of four histone modifications (H3K4me3, H3K27me3, H3K27ac, and H2BK20ac). Comparison of active chromatin state between somatic, embryonic stem, and germ cells revealed promoters and enhancers needed for stem cell maintenance and germ cell development. We found the nuclear receptor Nr5a2 motif to be enriched at a subset of germ cell cis-regulatory regions, and our results implicate Nr5a2 in germ cell biology. Interestingly, in germ cells, the H3K27me3 histone modification occurs more frequently at regions that are enriched for retrotransposons and MHC genes, indicating that these loci are specifically silenced in germ cells. Together, our study provides genome-wide histone modification maps of in vivo germ cells and reveals the molecular chromatin signatures of germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Ng
- Gene Regulation Laboratory, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672
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26
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Zhang T, Zhu Q, Xie Z, Chen Y, Qiao Y, Li L, Jing N. The zinc finger transcription factor Ovol2 acts downstream of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway to regulate the cell fate decision between neuroectoderm and mesendoderm. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:6166-77. [PMID: 23319585 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.418376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
During early embryonic development, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is essential for neural/non-neural cell fate decisions. BMP signaling inhibits precocious neural differentiation and allows for proper differentiation of mesoderm, endoderm, and epidermis. However, the mechanisms underlying the BMP pathway-mediated cell fate decision remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the expression of Ovol2, which encodes an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factor, is down-regulated during neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Knockdown of Ovol2 in embryonic stem cells facilitates neural conversion and inhibits mesendodermal differentiation, whereas Ovol2 overexpression gives rise to the opposite phenotype. Moreover, Ovol2 knockdown partially rescues the neural inhibition and mesendodermal induction by BMP4. Mechanistic studies further show that BMP4 directly regulates Ovol2 expression through the binding of Smad1/5/8 to the second intron of the Ovol2 gene. In the chick embryo, cOvol2 expression is specifically excluded from neural territory and is up-regulated by BMP4. In addition, ectopic expression of cOvol2 in the prospective neural plate represses the expression of the definitive neural plate marker cSox2. Taken together, these results indicate that Ovol2 acts downstream of the BMP pathway in the cell fate decision between neuroectoderm and mesendoderm to ensure proper germ layer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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27
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Lee B, Dai X. Transcriptional control of epidermal stem cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 786:157-73. [PMID: 23696356 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-6621-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is fundamentally important for the progression of tissue stem cells through different stages of development and differentiation. Mammalian skin epidermis is an excellent model system to study such regulatory mechanisms due to its easy accessibility, stereotypic spatial arrangement, and availability of well-established cell type/lineage differentiation markers. Moreover, epidermis is one of the few mammalian tissues the stem cells of which can be maintained and propagated in culture to generate mature cell types and a functional tissue (reviewed in [1]), offering in vitro and ex vivo platforms to probe deep into the underlying cell and molecular mechanisms of biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lee
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, D250 Med Sci I, Irvine 92697-1700, CA, USA
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28
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Lapan SW, Reddien PW. Transcriptome analysis of the planarian eye identifies ovo as a specific regulator of eye regeneration. Cell Rep 2012; 2:294-307. [PMID: 22884275 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 05/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the millions of invertebrate species with visual systems, the genetic basis of eye development and function is well understood only in Drosophila melanogaster. We describe an eye transcriptome for the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Planarian photoreceptors expressed orthologs of genes required for phototransduction and microvillus structure in Drosophila and vertebrates, and optic pigment cells expressed solute transporters and melanin synthesis enzymes similar to those active in the vertebrate retinal pigment epithelium. Orthologs of several planarian eye genes, such as bestrophin-1 and Usher syndrome genes, cause eye defects in mammals when perturbed and were not previously described to have roles in invertebrate eyes. Five previously undescribed planarian eye transcription factors were required for normal eye formation during head regeneration. In particular, a conserved, transcription-factor-encoding ovo gene was expressed from the earliest stages of eye regeneration and was required for regeneration of all cell types of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain W Lapan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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29
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Kumar A, Bhandari A, Sinha R, Sardar P, Sushma M, Goyal P, Goswami C, Grapputo A. Molecular phylogeny of OVOL genes illustrates a conserved C2H2 zinc finger domain coupled by hypervariable unstructured regions. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39399. [PMID: 22737237 PMCID: PMC3380836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OVO-like proteins (OVOL) are members of the zinc finger protein family and serve as transcription factors to regulate gene expression in various differentiation processes. Recent studies have shown that OVOL genes are involved in epithelial development and differentiation in a wide variety of organisms; yet there is a lack of comprehensive studies that describe OVOL proteins from an evolutionary perspective. Using comparative genomic analysis, we traced three different OVOL genes (OVOL1-3) in vertebrates. One gene, OVOL3, was duplicated during a whole-genome-duplication event in fish, but only the copy (OVOL3b) was retained. From early-branching metazoa to humans, we found that a core domain, comprising a tetrad of C2H2 zinc fingers, is conserved. By domain comparison of the OVOL proteins, we found that they evolved in different metazoan lineages by attaching intrinsically-disordered (ID) segments of N/C-terminal extensions of 100 to 1000 amino acids to this conserved core. These ID regions originated independently across different animal lineages giving rise to different types of OVOL genes over the course of metazoan evolution. We illustrated the molecular evolution of metazoan OVOL genes over a period of 700 million years (MY). This study both extends our current understanding of the structure/function relationship of metazoan OVOL genes, and assembles a good platform for further characterization of OVOL genes from diverged organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Kumar
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
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30
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Pueyo JI, Couso JP. Tarsal-less peptides control Notch signalling through the Shavenbaby transcription factor. Dev Biol 2011; 355:183-93. [PMID: 21527259 PMCID: PMC3940869 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2011] [Revised: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The formation of signalling boundaries is one of the strategies employed by the Notch (N) pathway to give rise to two distinct signalling populations of cells. Unravelling the mechanisms involved in the regulation of these signalling boundaries is essential to understanding the role of N during development and diseases. The function of N in the segmentation of the Drosophila leg provides a good system to pursue these mechanisms at the molecular level. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the N ligands, Serrate (Ser) and Delta (Dl) generates a signalling boundary that allows the directional activation of N in the distalmost part of the segment, the presumptive joint. A negative feedback loop between odd-skipped-related genes and the N pathway maintains this signalling boundary throughout development in the true joints. However, the mechanisms controlling N signalling boundaries in the tarsal joints are unknown. Here we show that the non-canonical tarsal-less (tal) gene (also known as pri), which encodes for four small related peptides, is expressed in the N-activated region and required for joint development in the tarsi during pupal development. This function of tal is both temporally and functionally separate from the tal-mediated tarsal intercalation during mid-third instar that we reported previously. In the pupal function described here, N signalling activates tal expression and reciprocally Tal peptides feedback on N by repressing the transcription of Dl in the tarsal joints. This Tal-induced repression of Dl is mediated by the post-transcriptional activation of the Shavenbaby transcription factor, in a similar manner as it has been recently described in the embryo. Thus, a negative feedback loop involving Tal regulates the formation and maintenance of a Dl+/Dl- boundary in the tarsal segments highlighting an ancient mechanism for the regulation of N signalling based on the action of small cell signalling peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Pablo Couso
- Corresponding author: School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom, BN1 9QG.
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31
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Tiwari AK, Pragya P, Ravi Ram K, Chowdhuri DK. Environmental chemical mediated male reproductive toxicity: Drosophila melanogaster as an alternate animal model. Theriogenology 2011; 76:197-216. [PMID: 21356551 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Revised: 12/28/2010] [Accepted: 12/31/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Industrialization and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals have increased the human health risk. Recent epidemiological studies raised a concern for male reproduction given their observations of reduced sperm counts and altered semen quality. Interestingly, environmental factors that include various metals, pesticides and their metabolites have been causally linked to such adversities by their presence in the semen at levels that correlate to infertility. The epidemiological observations were further supported by studies in animal models involving various chemicals. Therefore, in this review, we focused on male reproductive toxicity and the adverse effects of different environmental chemicals on male reproduction. However, it is beyond the scope of this review to provide a detailed appraisal of all of the environmental chemicals that have been associated with reproductive toxicity in animals. Here, we provided the evidence for reproductive adversities of some commonly encountered chemicals (pesticides/metals) in the environment. In view of the recent thrust for an alternate to animal models in research, we subsequently discussed the contributions of Drosophila melanogaster as an alternate animal model for quick screening of toxicants for their reproductive toxicity potential. Finally, we emphasized the genetic and molecular tools offered by Drosophila for understanding the mechanisms underlying the male reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Tiwari
- Embryotoxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, M.G. Marg, Lucknow-226001, India
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32
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Wells J, Lee B, Cai AQ, Karapetyan A, Lee WJ, Rugg E, Sinha S, Nie Q, Dai X. Ovol2 suppresses cell cycling and terminal differentiation of keratinocytes by directly repressing c-Myc and Notch1. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:29125-35. [PMID: 19700410 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.008847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovol2 belongs to the Ovo family of evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factors that act downstream of key developmental signaling pathways including Wg/Wnt and BMP/TGF-beta. We previously reported Ovol2 expression in the basal layer of epidermis, where epidermal stem/progenitor cells reside. In this work, we use HaCaT human keratinocytes to investigate the cellular and molecular functions of Ovol2. We show that depletion of Ovol2 leads to transient cell expansion but a loss of cells with long term proliferation potential. Mathematical modeling and experimental findings suggest that both faster cycling and precocious withdrawal from the cell cycle underlie this phenotype. Ovol2 depletion also accelerates extracellular signal-induced terminal differentiation in two- and three-dimensional culture models. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter, and functional rescue assays, we demonstrate that Ovol2 directly represses two critical downstream targets, c-Myc and Notch1, thereby suppressing keratinocyte transient proliferation and terminal differentiation, respectively. These findings shed light on how an epidermal cell maintains a proliferation-competent and differentiation-resistant state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Wells
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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33
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C2H2 zinc finger genes of the Gli, Zic, KLF, SP, Wilms' tumour, Huckebein, Snail, Ovo, Spalt, Odd, Blimp-1, Fez and related gene families from Branchiostoma floridae. Dev Genes Evol 2008; 218:639-49. [PMID: 18795322 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-008-0248-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2008] [Accepted: 08/29/2008] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The C2H2 zinc finger is one of the most common domains encoded by animal genomes and has been implicated in DNA binding as well as protein-protein interactions and RNA binding. Genes encoding C2H2 zinc finger domains include not only well-studied conserved transcription factors such as Gli and Snail but also include a large diversity of more rapidly evolving genes. Here, I focus on the description of amphioxus members of families and super-families of C2H2 zinc finger genes that have been the subject of functional studies in other species, specifically the Gli, Zic, Glis, Snail, Scratch, Krox, Wilms' tumour, Huckebein, SP, KLF, Ovo, Spalt, Blimp-1, Odd and Fez genes. Surveys of the Branchiostoma floridae genome reveal members of all of these groups of genes. Genes are named according to molecular phylogenetic analyses, such that the nomenclature reflects pre-existing gene names in the context of gene families that have descended from a single common ancestral gene in the common ancestor of chordates and insects. In total, this comprises 28 B. floridae C2H2 zinc finger genes, representing at least 15 gene families. For 17 of these genes, expressed sequence tag clusters and associated clone identification codes relating to the B. floridae gene collection are given.
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34
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Lenartowicz M, Brzek B, Polański Z, Sierpniowska A, Galas J, Bilińska B. Changes in germ cells population and in vitro oocyte maturation in female mice with imperforated vagina. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 309:269-77. [PMID: 18412125 DOI: 10.1002/jez.457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study characterized female mice with a congenital defect in their reproductive tract. In females derived from an outbred colony maintained in the Department of Genetics and Evolution, the frequency of the imperforated vaginae was approximately 2%. A consequence of this defect is infertility. Affected animals developed hydrometrocolpos (the uterus and vagina were greatly distended by fluid). Morphology of the ovary and oviduct was normal and similar to that of control mice. In the females with an imperforated vagina numerous corpora lutea were observed. Accordingly, we have found that both spontaneous as well as exogenous gonadotrophin-induced ovulation occurs in such females. Nevertheless, oocytes derived from ovaries of occluded females exhibited a partial block during in vitro maturation. Histological analysis of ovarian tissue revealed an increase in the number of primary follicles (type I follicles) and a decrease in the number of secondary and antral follicles (type IV and type VI follicles) when compared with control mice. The concentration of androgens in the ovarian tissue was higher in the affected females. Our data show that females with an imperforated vagina can be a useful model for studying the mechanism of genetic control of the development of the urogenital tract in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Lenartowicz
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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35
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Unezaki S, Horai R, Sudo K, Iwakura Y, Ito S. Ovol2/Movo, a homologue of Drosophila ovo, is required for angiogenesis, heart formation and placental development in mice. Genes Cells 2007; 12:773-85. [PMID: 17573777 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2007.01084.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The zinc-finger transcription factor Ovol2 (Movo, Movo2) is a mouse homologue of Drosophila ovo, which is essential for the survival and differentiation of female germ line cells. To elucidate OVOL2 function in mammals, we generated Ovol2-deficient mice by gene targeting. The Ovol2 mutants died at embryonic days 9.5-10.5 (E9.5-E10.5), as a result of defects in extraembryonic and embryonic vascularization, and in heart formation. Although the Ovol2 expression was weak, severe defects were detected in extraembryonic and embryonic vascularization, and in heart formation at E8.5-E9.5. In Ovol2(-/-) placentas, allantoic blood vessel expansion and development of the labyrinthine layer were impaired at E10.5. In an endothelial cell line, siRNAs for Ovol2 reduced the expression of Ovol2 and inhibited the capillary-like network formation on Matrigel in vitro. These results demonstrate that Ovol2 may play a critical role in vascular angiogenesis during early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawako Unezaki
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, 570-8506, Japan
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36
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Nair M, Bilanchone V, Ortt K, Sinha S, Dai X. Ovol1 represses its own transcription by competing with transcription activator c-Myb and by recruiting histone deacetylase activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2007; 35:1687-97. [PMID: 17311813 PMCID: PMC1865076 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkl1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovol1 belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved zinc finger proteins that act downstream of key developmental signaling pathways such as Wnt and TGF-β/BMP. It plays important roles in epithelial and germ cell development, particularly by repressing c-Myc and Id2 genes and modulating the balance between proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells. In this study, we show that Ovol1 negatively regulates its own expression by binding to and repressing the activity of its promoter. We further demonstrate that Ovol1 uses both passive and active repression mechanisms to auto-repress: (1) it antagonizes transcriptional activation of c-Myb, a known positive regulator of proliferation, by competing for DNA binding; (2) it recruits histone deacetylase activity to the promoter via an N-terminal SNAG repressor domain. At Ovol1 cognate sites in the endogenous Ovol1 promoter, c-Myb binding correlates with increased histone acetylation, whereas the expression of Ovol1 correlates with a displacement of c-Myb from the DNA and decreased histone acetylation. Collectively, our data suggest that Ovol1 restricts its own expression by counteracting c-Myb activation and histone acetylation of the Ovol1 promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahalakshmi Nair
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA and Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Virginia Bilanchone
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA and Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kori Ortt
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA and Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Satrajit Sinha
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA and Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA and Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed. +1 949 824 3101+1 949 824 2688
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Teng A, Wells MN, Segre JA, Dai X. Strain-dependent perinatal lethality of Ovol1-deficient mice and identification of Ovol2 as a downstream target of Ovol1 in skin epidermis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2006; 1772:89-95. [PMID: 17049212 PMCID: PMC1773004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2006.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2006] [Accepted: 08/15/2006] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Ovol1 encodes a zinc finger transcriptional repressor that is downstream of the LEF1/beta-catenin complex, nuclear effectors of canonical Wnt signaling. Previous gene knockout studies performed in a 129SvxC57BL/6 mixed genetic background revealed that Ovol1-deficient mice survive to adulthood but display multiple tissue defects. In this study, we describe a C57BL/6 strain-specific reduction in perinatal survival of Ovol1 mutant mice. The perinatal lethality is accompanied by kidney epithelial cysts of embryonic onset and delayed skin barrier acquisition. Genetic analysis suggests a partial functional compensation by Ovol2 for the loss of Ovol1. The expression of Ovol2 was up-regulated in Ovol1-deficient epidermis, and Ovol1 represses the activity of Ovol2 promoter in a DNA binding-dependent manner. Collectively, these studies uncover novel functions of Ovol1 in mouse development and identify Ovol2 as a downstream target of Ovol1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julia A. Segre
- National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, 49 Convent
Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry
- Developmental Biology Center University of California, Irvine,
CA 92697
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed:
Department of Biological Chemistry College of Medicine D250 Med Sci I University
of California Irvine, CA 92697-1700 Tel: 949-824-3101 Fax: 949-824-2688 E-mail:
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Mackay DR, Hu M, Li B, Rhéaume C, Dai X. The mouse Ovol2 gene is required for cranial neural tube development. Dev Biol 2006; 291:38-52. [PMID: 16423343 PMCID: PMC2891516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2005] [Revised: 11/23/2005] [Accepted: 12/01/2005] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The Ovo gene family encodes a group of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors and includes members that reside downstream of key developmental signaling pathways such as Wg/Wnt and BMP/TGF-beta. In the current study, we explore the function of Ovol2, one of three Ovo paralogues in mice. We report that Ovol2 is expressed during early-mid embryogenesis, particularly in the inner cell mass at E3.5, in epiblast at E6.5, and at later stages in ectodermally derived tissues such as the rostral surface (epidermal) ectoderm. Embryos in which Ovol2 is ablated exhibit lethality by E10.5, prior to which they display severe defects including an open cranial neural tube. The neural defects are associated with improper Shh expression in the underlying rostral axial mesoderm and localized changes of neural marker expression along the dorsoventral axis, as well as with expanded cranial neural tissue and reduced cranial surface ectoderm culminating in a lateral shift of the neuroectoderm/surface ectoderm border. We propose that these defects reflect the involvement of Ovol2 in independent processes such as regionalized gene expression and neural/non-neural ectodermal patterning. Additionally, we present evidence that Ovol2 is required for efficient migration and survival of neural crest cells that arise at the neuroectoderm/surface ectoderm border, but not for their initial formation. Collectively, our studies indicate that Ovol2 is a key regulator of neural development and reveal a previously unexplored role for Ovo genes in mammalian embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R. Mackay
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Ming Hu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Baoan Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Catherine Rhéaume
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
- Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Medicine, D250 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA. Fax: +1 949 824 2688. (X. Dai)
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Li B, Nair M, Mackay DR, Bilanchone V, Hu M, Fallahi M, Song H, Dai Q, Cohen PE, Dai X. Ovol1 regulates meiotic pachytene progression during spermatogenesis by repressing Id2 expression. Development 2005; 132:1463-73. [PMID: 15716349 PMCID: PMC2898142 DOI: 10.1242/dev.01658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that a targeted deletion of Ovol1 (previously known as movo1), encoding a member of the Ovo family of zinc-finger transcription factors, leads to germ cell degeneration and defective sperm production in adult mice. To explore the cellular and molecular mechanism of Ovol1 function, we have examined the mutant testis phenotype during the first wave of spermatogenesis in juvenile mice. Consistent with the detection of Ovol1 transcripts in pachytene spermatocytes of the meiotic prophase, Ovol1-deficient germ cells were defective in progressing through the pachytene stage. The pachytene arrest was accompanied by an inefficient exit from proliferation, increased apoptosis and an abnormal nuclear localization of the G2-M cell cycle regulator cyclin B1, but was not associated with apparent chromosomal or recombination defects. Transcriptional profiling and northern blot analysis revealed reduced expression of pachytene markers in the mutant, providing molecular evidence that pachytene differentiation was defective. In addition, the expression of Id2 (inhibitor of differentiation 2), a known regulator of spermatogenesis, was upregulated in Ovol1-deficient pachytene spermatocytes and repressed by Ovol1 in reporter assays. Taken together, our studies demonstrate a role for Ovol1 in regulating pachytene progression of male germ cells, and identify Id2 as a Ovol1 target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoan Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Mahalakshmi Nair
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Douglas R. Mackay
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Virginia Bilanchone
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ming Hu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Magid Fallahi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Hanqiu Song
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Qian Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Paula E. Cohen
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14852, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Author for correspondence ()
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Delon
- Centre de Biologie du Développement, UMR 5547, CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier, Bâtiment 4R3, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 04, France
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Unezaki S, Nishizawa M, Okuda-Ashitaka E, Masu Y, Mukai M, Kobayashi S, Sawamoto K, Okano H, Ito S. Characterization of the isoforms of MOVO zinc finger protein, a mouse homologue of Drosophila Ovo, as transcription factors. Gene 2004; 336:47-58. [PMID: 15225875 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2004.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2003] [Revised: 02/19/2004] [Accepted: 03/09/2004] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We previously described two isoforms (MOVO-A and -B) of a novel zinc finger protein MOVO, a mouse homologue of Drosophila Ovo protein. Here, we isolated cDNA encoding the third isoform MOVO-C, which had a transactivation domain and zinc finger domain, but lacked an N-terminal potential repression domain that was present in MOVO-A. Three isoform mRNAs were expressed highly in mouse testis and also in the ovary at lower levels. The structural analyses of the isolated Movo gene and mRNAs demonstrated that three different Movo transcripts were differentially processed to generate three isoforms. Major mRNA species encoded MOVO-B with a zinc finger domain alone, and minor mRNA species encoded MOVO-A (potential repressor) and MOVO-C (potential activator). To assign MOVO to a transcriptional factor, we characterized DNA-binding and transactivation properties. Random oligonucleotide selection, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and footprinting indicated that MOVO bound to the sequence, 5'-G(G/C/T)GGGGG-3'. These motifs were found in the 5'-flanking regions of Movo and other testis-specific genes. Nuclear proteins binding to this motif were detected in mouse testis, and the expression of MOVO mRNA was restricted in spermatocytes. The luciferase assay demonstrated that MOVO-C activated Movo promoter and MOVO-A repressed it, but MOVO-B had no effects. Mutated MOVO-binding motifs in the Movo promoter reduced the luciferase activity. All the isoforms had no effects on SV40 promoter without MOVO-binding motifs. MOVO-A partially rescued oogenesis of a Drosophila ovo mutant. These results suggest that MOVO isoforms are transcription factors to regulate genes carrying the MOVO-binding motifs in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawako Unezaki
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8506 Japan
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Khila A, El Haidani A, Vincent A, Payre F, Souda SI. The dual function of ovo/shavenbaby in germline and epidermis differentiation is conserved between Drosophila melanogaster and the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2003; 33:691-699. [PMID: 12826096 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(03)00063-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (B. oleae) is a major olive damaging pest in the Mediterranean area. As a first molecular analysis of a developmental gene in this insect, we characterised the ovo/shavenbaby (ovo/svb) gene. In Drosophila, ovo/svb encodes a family of transcription regulators with two distinct functions: ovo is required for female germline differentiation and svb controls morphogenesis of epidermal cells. Here, we report the cloning and characterisation of ovo/svb in B. oleae, showing that the ovo genomic organisation and complex pattern of germline transcription have been conserved between distantly related Dipterae. We further show that B. oleae svb embryonic expression precisely prefigures the pattern of larval trichomes, supporting the conclusion that regulatory changes in svb transcription underlie evolutionary diversification of trichome patterns seen among Dipterae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abderrahman Khila
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale et Agro-Alimentaire, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Fès-Saïss, Université Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, route de Imouzer, BP2202 Fès, Morocco
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Delon I, Chanut-Delalande H, Payre F. The Ovo/Shavenbaby transcription factor specifies actin remodelling during epidermal differentiation in Drosophila. Mech Dev 2003; 120:747-58. [PMID: 12915226 DOI: 10.1016/s0925-4773(03)00081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In Drosophila, differentiation of the epidermis results in a stereotyped array of cells with F-actin-based extensions at their apical face. We identified Ovo/Shavenbaby (Svb) as a transcription factor that governs changes in epidermal cell shape. Svb is required for the formation of apical extensions and cells deficient in svb differentiate a smooth surface. In both the embryo and the adult, we show that Svb is necessary and sufficient for the cells to grow extensions and that the tight regulation of ovo/svb activity is critical for morphogenesis to occur correctly. We establish that Svb triggers early F-actin redistribution and is able to initiate the entire process of cytoskeletal remodelling, thereby defining it as a major regulator of epidermal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Delon
- Centre de Biologie du Développement, Bat 4R3, 118 Rte de Narbonne, 31062 cedex 4, Toulouse, France
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