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Vitacolonna M, Bruch R, Agaçi A, Nürnberg E, Cesetti T, Keller F, Padovani F, Sauer S, Schmoller KM, Reischl M, Hafner M, Rudolf R. A multiparametric analysis including single-cell and subcellular feature assessment reveals differential behavior of spheroid cultures on distinct ultra-low attachment plate types. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1422235. [PMID: 39157442 PMCID: PMC11327450 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1422235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Spheroids have become principal three-dimensional models to study cancer, developmental processes, and drug efficacy. Single-cell analysis techniques have emerged as ideal tools to gauge the complexity of cellular responses in these models. However, the single-cell quantitative assessment based on 3D-microscopic data of the subcellular distribution of fluorescence markers, such as the nuclear/cytoplasm ratio of transcription factors, has largely remained elusive. For spheroid generation, ultra-low attachment plates are noteworthy due to their simplicity, compatibility with automation, and experimental and commercial accessibility. However, it is unknown whether and to what degree the plate type impacts spheroid formation and biology. This study developed a novel AI-based pipeline for the analysis of 3D-confocal data of optically cleared large spheroids at the wholemount, single-cell, and sub-cellular levels. To identify relevant samples for the pipeline, automated brightfield microscopy was employed to systematically compare the size and eccentricity of spheroids formed in six different plate types using four distinct human cell lines. This showed that all plate types exhibited similar spheroid-forming capabilities and the gross patterns of growth or shrinkage during 4 days after seeding were comparable. Yet, size and eccentricity varied systematically among specific cell lines and plate types. Based on this prescreen, spheroids of HaCaT keratinocytes and HT-29 cancer cells were further assessed. In HaCaT spheroids, the in-depth analysis revealed a correlation between spheroid size, cell proliferation, and the nuclear/cytoplasm ratio of the transcriptional coactivator, YAP1, as well as an inverse correlation with respect to cell differentiation. These findings, yielded with a spheroid model and at a single-cell level, corroborate earlier concepts of the role of YAP1 in cell proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes in human skin. Further, the results show that the plate type may influence the outcome of experimental campaigns and that it is advisable to scan different plate types for the optimal configuration during a specific investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Vitacolonna
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Roman Bruch
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ane Agaçi
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Elina Nürnberg
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tiziana Cesetti
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Florian Keller
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Francesco Padovani
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE), Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center (MTTC), Helmholtz Center München, München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Simeon Sauer
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kurt M. Schmoller
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE), Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center (MTTC), Helmholtz Center München, München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Markus Reischl
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Mathias Hafner
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Technology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Rudolf
- CeMOS, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Technology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
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Tong T, Huang M, Yan B, Lin B, Yu J, Teng Q, Li P, Pang J. Hippo signaling modulation and its biological implications in urological malignancies. Mol Aspects Med 2024; 98:101280. [PMID: 38870717 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2024.101280] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Although cancer diagnosis and treatment have rapidly advanced in recent decades, urological malignancies, which have high morbidity and mortality rates, are among the most difficult diseases to treat. The Hippo signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway in organ size control and tissue homeostasis maintenance. Its downstream effectors, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), are key modulators of numerous physiological and pathological processes. Recent work clearly indicates that Hippo signaling is frequently altered in human urological malignancies. In this review, we discuss the disparate viewpoints on the upstream regulators of YAP/TAZ and their downstream targets and systematically summarize the biological implications. More importantly, we highlight the molecular mechanisms involved in Hippo-YAP signaling to improve our understanding of its role in every stage of prostate cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer progression. A better understanding of the biological outcomes of YAP/TAZ modulation will contribute to the establishment of future therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongyu Tong
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China; Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Mengjun Huang
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China; Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Binyuan Yan
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Bingbiao Lin
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China; Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Jiaying Yu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Qiliang Teng
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China; Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Peng Li
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China.
| | - Jun Pang
- Department of Urology, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China.
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Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Kontodimas K, Tilston-Lunel A, Schmottlach J, Hong J, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Lung injury-induced activated endothelial cell states persist in aging-associated progressive fibrosis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5449. [PMID: 38937456 PMCID: PMC11211333 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49545-x] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Progressive lung fibrosis is associated with poorly understood aging-related endothelial cell dysfunction. To gain insight into endothelial cell alterations in lung fibrosis we performed single cell RNA-sequencing of bleomycin-injured lungs from young and aged mice. Analysis reveals activated cell states enriched for hypoxia, glycolysis and YAP/TAZ activity in ACKR1+ venous and TrkB+ capillary endothelial cells. Endothelial cell activation is prevalent in lungs of aged mice and can also be detected in human fibrotic lungs. Longitudinal single cell RNA-sequencing combined with lineage tracing demonstrate that endothelial activation resolves in young mouse lungs but persists in aged ones, indicating a failure of the aged vasculature to return to quiescence. Genes associated with activated lung endothelial cells states in vivo can be induced in vitro by activating YAP/TAZ. YAP/TAZ also cooperate with BDNF, a TrkB ligand that is reduced in fibrotic lungs, to promote capillary morphogenesis. These findings offer insights into aging-related lung endothelial cell dysfunction that may contribute to defective lung injury repair and persistent fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Raslan
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Tho X Pham
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jisu Lee
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Konstantinos Kontodimas
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Tilston-Lunel
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jillian Schmottlach
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeongmin Hong
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taha Dinc
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andreea M Bujor
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Aude Thiriot
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ulrich H von Andrian
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven K Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Roberto F Nicosia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xaralabos Varelas
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Kim J, Lee H, Lee G, Ryu D, Kim G. Fabrication of fully aligned self-assembled cell-laden collagen filaments for tissue engineering via a hybrid bioprinting process. Bioact Mater 2024; 36:14-29. [PMID: 38425743 PMCID: PMC10900255 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.02.020] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell-laden structures play a pivotal role in various tissue engineering applications, particularly in tissue restoration. Interactions between cells within bioprinted structures are crucial for successful tissue development and regulation of stem cell fate through intricate cell-to-cell signaling pathways. In this study, we developed a new technique that combines polyethylene glycol (PEG)-infused submerged bioprinting with a stretching procedure. This approach facilitated the generation of fully aligned collagen structures consisting of myoblasts and a low concentration (2 wt%) of collagen to efficiently encourage muscle tissue regeneration. By adjusting several processing parameters, we obtained biologically safe and mechanically stable cell-laden collagen filaments with uniaxial alignment. Notably, the cell filaments exhibited markedly elevated cellular activities compared to those exhibited by conventional bioprinted filaments, even at similar cell densities. Moreover, when we implanted structures containing adipose stem cells into mice, we observed a significantly increased level of myogenesis compared to that in normally bioprinted struts. Thus, this promising approach has the potential to revolutionize tissue engineering by fostering enhanced cellular interactions and promoting improved outcomes in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- JuYeon Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (SKKU-SOM), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongjin Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyudo Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongryeol Ryu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - GeunHyung Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (SKKU-SOM), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
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Zago Baltazar R, Claerhout S, Vander Borght S, Spans L, Sciot R, Schöffski P, Hompes D, Sinnaeve F, Wafa H, Renard M, van den Hout MFCM, Vernemmen A, Libbrecht L, De Roo A, Mazzeo F, van Marcke C, Deraedt K, Bourgain C, Vanden Bempt I. Recurrent and novel fusions detected by targeted RNA sequencing as part of the diagnostic workflow of soft tissue and bone tumours. J Pathol Clin Res 2024; 10:e12376. [PMID: 38738521 PMCID: PMC11089496 DOI: 10.1002/2056-4538.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
The identification of gene fusions has become an integral part of soft tissue and bone tumour diagnosis. We investigated the added value of targeted RNA-based sequencing (targeted RNA-seq, Archer FusionPlex) to our current molecular diagnostic workflow of these tumours, which is based on fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) for the detection of gene fusions using 25 probes. In a series of 131 diagnostic samples targeted RNA-seq identified a gene fusion, BCOR internal tandem duplication or ALK deletion in 47 cases (35.9%). For 74 cases, encompassing 137 FISH analyses, concordance between FISH and targeted RNA-seq was evaluated. A positive or negative FISH result was confirmed by targeted RNA-seq in 27 out of 49 (55.1%) and 81 out of 88 (92.0%) analyses, respectively. While negative concordance was high, targeted RNA-seq identified a canonical gene fusion in seven cases despite a negative FISH result. The 22 discordant FISH-positive analyses showed a lower percentage of rearrangement-positive nuclei (range 15-41%) compared to the concordant FISH-positive analyses (>41% of nuclei in 88.9% of cases). Six FISH analyses (in four cases) were finally considered false positive based on histological and targeted RNA-seq findings. For the EWSR1 FISH probe, we observed a gene-dependent disparity (p = 0.0020), with 8 out of 35 cases showing a discordance between FISH and targeted RNA-seq (22.9%). This study demonstrates an added value of targeted RNA-seq to our current diagnostic workflow of soft tissue and bone tumours in 19 out of 131 cases (14.5%), which we categorised as altered diagnosis (3 cases), added precision (6 cases), or augmented spectrum (10 cases). In the latter subgroup, four novel fusion transcripts were found for which the clinical relevance remains unclear: NAB2::NCOA2, YAP1::NUTM2B, HSPA8::BRAF, and PDE2A::PLAG1. Overall, targeted RNA-seq has proven extremely valuable in the diagnostic workflow of soft tissue and bone tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sofie Claerhout
- Department of Human GeneticsUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Sara Vander Borght
- Department of Human GeneticsUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of PathologyUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Lien Spans
- Department of Human GeneticsUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Raphael Sciot
- Department of PathologyUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Patrick Schöffski
- Department of General Medical OncologyUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Daphne Hompes
- Department of Surgical OncologyUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Friedl Sinnaeve
- Department of Orthopaedic SurgeryUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Hazem Wafa
- Department of Orthopaedic SurgeryUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Marleen Renard
- Department of Paediatric Hemato‐OncologyUniversity Hospitals KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Mari FCM van den Hout
- Department of PathologyMaastricht University Medical Center+MaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vernemmen
- Department of PathologyMaastricht University Medical Center+MaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Louis Libbrecht
- Department of PathologyCliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
- Department of PathologyAZ GroeningeKortrijkBelgium
| | - An‐Katrien De Roo
- Department of PathologyCliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical ResearchUCLouvainBrusselsBelgium
| | - Filomena Mazzeo
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical ResearchUCLouvainBrusselsBelgium
- Breast ClinicKing Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
- Department of Medical OncologyKing Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
| | - Cédric van Marcke
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical ResearchUCLouvainBrusselsBelgium
- Breast ClinicKing Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
- Department of Medical OncologyKing Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint‐LucBrusselsBelgium
| | - Karen Deraedt
- Department of PathologyZiekenhuis Oost‐LimburgGenkBelgium
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Zhang L, Wang X, Xia G, Huang J, Wen Z, Liang C, Cao X, Zhou Y, Wu S. YAP maintains cartilage stem/progenitor cell homeostasis in osteoarthritis. J Orthop Translat 2024; 46:79-90. [PMID: 38817242 PMCID: PMC11137389 DOI: 10.1016/j.jot.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPC) play a critical role in maintaining cartilage homeostasis. However, the effects of phenotypic fluctuations of CSPC on cartilage degeneration and the role of CSPC in the pathogenesis of OA is largely unknown. Methods The cartilage samples of 3 non-OA and 10 OA patients were collected. Human CSPC (hCSPC) derived from these patients were isolated, identified, and evaluated for cellular functions. Additionally, chondrocytes derived from OA patients were isolated. The effect of Yes-associated protein (YAP) expression on hCSPC was investigated in vitro. The OA rat model was established by Hulth's method. Lentivirus-mediated YAP (Lv-YAP) or lentivirus-mediated YAP RNAi (Lv-YAP-RNAi) was injected intra-articularly to modulate YAP expression in rat joints. In addition, allogeneic rat CSPC (rCSPC) overexpressing or silencing YAP were transplanted by intra-articularly injection. We also evaluated the functions of rCSPC and the OA-related cartilage phenotype in the rat model. Finally, the transcriptome of OA rCSPC overexpressing YAP was examined to explore the potential downstream targets of YAP in rCSPC. Results hCSPC derived from OA patients exhibited differential chondrogenesis capacity. Among them, a subset of hCSPC showed pronounced dysfunction, including impaired chondrogenic differentiation, inhibition of proliferation and migration, and downregulation of lubricin. Additionally, YAP was lowly expressed in quiescent non-OA hCSPC, upregulated in activated OA hCSPC, but significantly downregulated in dysfunctional OA hCSPC. Notably, the overexpression of YAP in OA hCSPC improved the proliferation, lubricin production, cell migration, and senescence, while silencing YAP had the opposite effect. In vivo, upregulation of YAP in the joint delayed OA progression and improved the cartilage regeneration capacity of rCSPC. Using transcriptomic analysis, we found that YAP may regulate rCSPC function by upregulating Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 2 (BIRC2). Importantly, the knockdown of BIRC2 partly blocked the regulation of YAP on the CSPC function. Conclusion Dysfunction of CSPC compromises the intrinsic repair capacity of cartilage and impairs cartilage homeostasis in OA. Notably, the transcriptional co-activator YAP plays a critical role in maintaining CSPC function through potential target gene BIRC2. The Translational Potential of this Article In this study, we observed targeting the YAP-BIRC2 axis improved the CSPC function and restored the cartilage homeostasis in OA. This study provides a potential stem cell-modifying OA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410005, China
| | - Xinxing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Guang Xia
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Junjie Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Zi Wen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Chi Liang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Xu Cao
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
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Mills KR, Misra J, Torabifard H. Allosteric Modulation of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD Interaction by Palmitoylation and Small-Molecule Inhibitors. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3795-3806. [PMID: 38606592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling network that plays a central role in regulating cellular growth, proliferation, and organ size. This pathway consists of a kinase cascade that integrates various upstream signals to control the activation or inactivation of YAP/TAZ proteins. Phosphorylated YAP/TAZ is sequestered in the cytoplasm; however, when the Hippo pathway is deactivated, it translocates into the nucleus, where it associates with TEAD transcription factors. This partnership is instrumental in regulating the transcription of progrowth and antiapoptotic genes. Thus, in many cancers, aberrantly hyperactivated YAP/TAZ promotes oncogenesis by contributing to cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Because YAP and TAZ exert their oncogenic effects by binding with TEAD, it is critical to understand this key interaction to develop cancer therapeutics. Previous research has indicated that TEAD undergoes autopalmitoylation at a conserved cysteine, and small molecules that inhibit TEAD palmitoylation disrupt effective YAP/TAZ binding. However, how exactly palmitoylation contributes to YAP/TAZ-TEAD interactions and how the TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors disrupt this interaction remains unknown. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, our investigation not only provides detailed atomistic insight into the YAP/TAZ-TEAD dynamics but also unveils that the inhibitor studied influences the binding of YAP and TAZ to TEAD in distinct manners. This discovery has significant implications for the design and deployment of future molecular interventions targeting this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira R Mills
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Jyoti Misra
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Hedieh Torabifard
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
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8
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Lin G, Gao Z, Wu S, Zheng J, Guo X, Zheng X, Chen R. scRNA-seq revealed high stemness epithelial malignant cell clusters and prognostic models of lung adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3709. [PMID: 38355636 PMCID: PMC10867035 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54135-4] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the sole causes of death in lung cancer patients. This study combined with single-cell RNA-seq analysis to identify tumor stem-related prognostic models to predict the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma, chemotherapy agents, and immunotherapy efficacy. mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) was determined by One Class Linear Regression (OCLR). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected by limma package. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis in GSE123902 dataset was performed using Seurat package. Weighted Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was built by rms package. Cell differentiation ability was determined by CytoTRACE. Cell communication analysis was performed by CellCall and CellChat package. Prognosis model was constructed by 10 machine learning and 101 combinations. Drug predictive analysis was conducted by pRRophetic package. Immune microenvironment landscape was determined by ESTIMATE, MCP-Counter, ssGSEA analysis. Tumor samples have higher mRNAsi, and the high mRNAsi group presents a worse prognosis. Turquoise module was highly correlated with mRNAsi in TCGA-LUAD dataset. scRNA analysis showed that 22 epithelial cell clusters were obtained, and higher CSCs malignant epithelial cells have more complex cellular communication with other cells and presented dedifferentiation phenomenon. Cellular senescence and Hippo signaling pathway are the major difference pathways between high- and low CSCs malignant epithelial cells. The pseudo-temporal analysis shows that cluster1, 2, high CSC epithelial cells, are concentrated at the end of the differentiation trajectory. Finally, 13 genes were obtained by intersecting genes in turquoise module, Top200 genes in hdWGCNA, DEGs in high- and low- mRNAsi group as well as DEGs in tumor samples vs. normal group. Among 101 prognostic models, average c-index (0.71) was highest in CoxBoost + RSF model. The high-risk group samples had immunosuppressive status, higher tumor malignancy and low benefit from immunotherapy. This work found that malignant tumors and malignant epithelial cells have high CSC characteristics, and identified a model that could predict the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy of LUAD, based on CSC-related genes. These results provided reference value for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- GuoYong Lin
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - ZhiSen Gao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Shun Wu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - JianPing Zheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - XiangQiong Guo
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - XiaoHong Zheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China
| | - RunNan Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness Medicine, The First Hospital of Putian, Putian, 351100, China.
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9
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Kim CL, Lim SB, Choi SH, Kim DH, Sim YE, Jo EH, Kim K, Lee K, Park HS, Lim SB, Kang LJ, Jeong HS, Lee Y, Hansen CG, Mo JS. The LKB1-TSSK1B axis controls YAP phosphorylation to regulate the Hippo-YAP pathway. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:76. [PMID: 38245531 PMCID: PMC10799855 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06465-4] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The Hippo pathway's main effector, Yes-associated protein (YAP), plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis as a transcriptional coactivator. YAP's phosphorylation by core upstream components of the Hippo pathway, such as mammalian Ste20 kinase 1/2 (MST1/2), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinases (MAP4Ks), and their substrate, large tumor suppressor 1/2 (LATS1/2), influences YAP's subcellular localization, stability, and transcriptional activity. However, recent research suggests the existence of alternative pathways that phosphorylate YAP, independent of these core upstream Hippo pathway components, raising questions about additional means to inactivate YAP. In this study, we present evidence demonstrating that TSSK1B, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAMK) superfamily member, is a negative regulator of YAP, suppressing cellular proliferation and oncogenic transformation. Mechanistically, TSSK1B inhibits YAP through two distinct pathways. Firstly, the LKB1-TSSK1B axis directly phosphorylates YAP at Ser94, inhibiting the YAP-TEAD complex's formation and suppressing its target genes' expression. Secondly, the TSSK1B-LATS1/2 axis inhibits YAP via phosphorylation at Ser127. Our findings reveal the involvement of TSSK1B-mediated molecular mechanisms in the Hippo-YAP pathway, emphasizing the importance of multilevel regulation in critical cellular decision-making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho-Long Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Su-Bin Lim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Sue-Hee Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Ye Eun Sim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Eun-Hye Jo
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Keeeun Kim
- Institute of Medical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Keesook Lee
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Hee-Sae Park
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Su Bin Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Li-Jung Kang
- Three-Dimensional Immune System Imaging Core Facility, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Han-Sol Jeong
- Division of Applied Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, South Korea
| | - Youngsoo Lee
- Institute of Medical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Carsten G Hansen
- The University of Edinburgh, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Centre for Inflammation Research, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jung-Soon Mo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea.
- Institute of Medical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea.
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10
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Jahin I, Phillips T, Marcotti S, Gorey MA, Cox S, Parsons M. Extracellular matrix stiffness activates mechanosensitive signals but limits breast cancer cell spheroid proliferation and invasion. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1292775. [PMID: 38125873 PMCID: PMC10731024 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1292775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is characterized by physical changes that occur in the tumor microenvironment throughout growth and metastasis of tumors. Extracellular matrix stiffness increases as tumors develop and spread, with stiffer environments thought to correlate with poorer disease prognosis. Changes in extracellular stiffness and other physical characteristics are sensed by integrins which integrate these extracellular cues to intracellular signaling, resulting in modulation of proliferation and invasion. However, the co-ordination of mechano-sensitive signaling with functional changes to groups of tumor cells within 3-dimensional environments remains poorly understood. Here we provide evidence that increasing the stiffness of collagen scaffolds results in increased activation of ERK1/2 and YAP in human breast cancer cell spheroids. We also show that ERK1/2 acts upstream of YAP activation in this context. We further demonstrate that YAP, matrix metalloproteinases and actomyosin contractility are required for collagen remodeling, proliferation and invasion in lower stiffness scaffolds. However, the increased activation of these proteins in higher stiffness 3-dimensional collagen gels is correlated with reduced proliferation and reduced invasion of cancer cell spheroids. Our data collectively provide evidence that higher stiffness 3-dimensional environments induce mechano-signaling but contrary to evidence from 2-dimensional studies, this is not sufficient to promote pro-tumorigenic effects in breast cancer cell spheroids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maddy Parsons
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Xu Z, Liu S, Xue X, Li W, Fu J, Deng CX. Rapid responses of human pluripotent stem cells to cyclic mechanical strains applied to integrin by acoustic tweezing cytometry. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18030. [PMID: 37865697 PMCID: PMC10590420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45397-5] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic tweezing cytometry (ATC) is an ultrasound-based biophysical technique that has shown the capability to promote differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). This study systematically examined how hPSCs respond to cyclic mechanical strains applied by ATC via displacement of integrin-bound microbubbles (averaged diameter of 4.3 µm) using ultrasound pulses (acoustic pressure 0.034 MPa, center frequency 1.24 MHz and pulse repetition frequency 1 Hz). Our data show downregulation of pluripotency marker Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) by at least 10% and increased nuclear localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP) by almost 100% in hPSCs immediately after ATC application for as short as 1 min and 5 min respectively. Analysis of the movements of integrin-anchored microbubbles under ATC stimulations reveals different stages of viscoelastic characteristic behavior and increasing deformation of the integrin-cytoskeleton (CSK) linkage. The peak displacement of integrin-bound microbubbles increased from 1.45 ± 0.16 to 4.74 ± 0.67 μm as the duty cycle of ultrasound pulses increased from 5% to 50% or the duration of each ultrasound pulse increased from 0.05 to 0.5 s. Real-time tracking of integrin-bound microbubbles during ATC application detects high correlation of microbubble displacements with OCT4 downregulation in hPSCs. Together, our data showing fast downregulation of OCT4 in hPSCs in respond to ATC stimulations highlight the unique mechanosensitivity of hPSCs to integrin-targeted cyclic force/strain dependent on the pulse duration or duty cycle of ultrasound pulses, providing insights into the mechanism of ATC-induced accelerated differentiation of hPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyi Xu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Shiying Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Weiping Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Cheri X Deng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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12
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Zhu P, Liu B, Fan Z. Noncoding RNAs in tumorigenesis and tumor therapy. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 3:692-706. [PMID: 38933287 PMCID: PMC11197782 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis is a complicated process in which numerous modulators are involved in different ways. Previous studies have focused primarily on tumor-associated protein-coding genes such as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, as well as their associated oncogenic pathways. However, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), rising stars in diverse physiological and pathological processes, have recently emerged as additional modulators in tumorigenesis. In this review, we focus on two typical kinds of ncRNAs: long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). We describe the molecular patterns of ncRNAs and focus on the roles of ncRNAs in cancer stem cells (CSCs), tumor cells, and tumor environmental cells. CSCs are a small subset of tumor cells and are generally considered to be cells that initiate tumorigenesis, and dozens of ncRNAs have been defined as critical modulators in CSC maintenance and oncogenesis. Moreover, ncRNAs are widely involved in oncogenetic processes, including sustaining proliferation, resisting cell death, genome instability, metabolic disorders, immune escape and metastasis. We also discuss the potential applications of ncRNAs in tumor diagnosis and therapy. The progress in ncRNA research greatly improves our understanding of ncRNAs in oncogenesis and provides new potential targets for future tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Benyu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zusen Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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13
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Steinberg T, Dieterle MP, Ramminger I, Klein C, Brossette J, Husari A, Tomakidi P. On the Value of In Vitro Cell Systems for Mechanobiology from the Perspective of Yes-Associated Protein/Transcriptional Co-Activator with a PDZ-Binding Motif and Focal Adhesion Kinase and Their Involvement in Wound Healing, Cancer, Aging, and Senescence. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12677. [PMID: 37628858 PMCID: PMC10454169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612677] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanobiology comprises how cells perceive different mechanical stimuli and integrate them into a process called mechanotransduction; therefore, the related mechanosignaling cascades are generally important for biomedical research. The ongoing discovery of key molecules and the subsequent elucidation of their roles in mechanobiology are fundamental to understanding cell responses and tissue conditions, such as homeostasis, aging, senescence, wound healing, and cancer. Regarding the available literature on these topics, it becomes abundantly clear that in vitro cell systems from different species and tissues have been and are extremely valuable tools for enabling the discovery and functional elucidation of key mechanobiological players. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the significant contributions of in vitro cell systems to the identification and characterization of three such key players using the selected examples of yes-associated protein (YAP), its paralog transcriptional co-activator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and their involvement in wound healing, cancer, aging, and senescence. In addition, the reader is given suggestions as to which future prospects emerge from the in vitro studies discussed herein and which research questions still remain open.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Steinberg
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Philipp Dieterle
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Imke Ramminger
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Klein
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julie Brossette
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ayman Husari
- Center for Dental Medicine, Department of Orthodontics, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Tomakidi
- Center for Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Biotechnology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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14
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Safaei S, Sajed R, Shariftabrizi A, Dorafshan S, Saeednejad Zanjani L, Dehghan Manshadi M, Madjd Z, Ghods R. Tumor matrix stiffness provides fertile soil for cancer stem cells. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:143. [PMID: 37468874 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02992-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Matrix stiffness is a mechanical characteristic of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that increases from the tumor core to the tumor periphery in a gradient pattern in a variety of solid tumors and can promote proliferation, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a rare subpopulation of tumor cells with self-renewal, asymmetric cell division, and differentiation capabilities. CSCs are thought to be responsible for metastasis, tumor recurrence, chemotherapy resistance, and consequently poor clinical outcomes. Evidence suggests that matrix stiffness can activate receptors and mechanosensor/mechanoregulator proteins such as integrin, FAK, and YAP, modulating the characteristics of tumor cells as well as CSCs through different molecular signaling pathways. A deeper understanding of the effect of matrix stiffness on CSCs characteristics could lead to development of innovative cancer therapies. In this review, we discuss how the stiffness of the ECM is sensed by the cells and how the cells respond to this environmental change as well as the effect of matrix stiffness on CSCs characteristics and also the key malignant processes such as proliferation and EMT. Then, we specifically focus on how increased matrix stiffness affects CSCs in breast, lung, liver, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. We also discuss how the molecules responsible for increased matrix stiffness and the signaling pathways activated by the enhanced stiffness can be manipulated as a therapeutic strategy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Safaei
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Roya Sajed
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Ahmad Shariftabrizi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Shima Dorafshan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Leili Saeednejad Zanjani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Masoumeh Dehghan Manshadi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
| | - Roya Ghods
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
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15
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Luo Q, Liu P, Yu P, Qin T. Cancer Stem Cells are Actually Stem Cells with Disordered Differentiation: the Monophyletic Origin of Cancer. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:827-838. [PMID: 36648606 PMCID: PMC10185654 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10508-2] [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] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in cancer development. Based on advancements in CSC research, we propose a monophyletic model of cancer. This model is based on the idea that CSCs are stem cells with disordered differentiation whose original purpose was to repair damaged tissues. Inflammatory responses and damage repair signals are crucial for the creation and maintenance of CSCs. Normal quiescent stem cells are activated by environmental stimulation, such as an inflammatory response, and undergo cell division and differentiation. In the initial stage of cancer development, stem cell differentiation leads to heteromorphism due to the accumulation of gene mutations, resulting in the development of metaplasia or precancerosis. In the second stage, accumulated mutations induce poor differentiation and lead to cancer development. The monophyletic model illustrates the evolution, biological behavior, and hallmarks of CSCs, proposes a concise understanding of the origin of cancer, and may encourage a novel therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiankun Luo
- Department of Hepatobilliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital, Jinshui District, No. 7, Weiwu Rd., Zhengzhou, 450003, Henan, China
| | - Pan Liu
- Department of Hepatobilliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital, Jinshui District, No. 7, Weiwu Rd., Zhengzhou, 450003, Henan, China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- Department of Hepatobilliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital, Jinshui District, No. 7, Weiwu Rd., Zhengzhou, 450003, Henan, China
| | - Tao Qin
- Department of Hepatobilliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital, Jinshui District, No. 7, Weiwu Rd., Zhengzhou, 450003, Henan, China.
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16
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Chen X, Zhang P, Zhang Y, Fan S, Wei Y, Yang Z, Wang F, Peng X. Potential Effect of Glutamine in the Improvement of Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation and the Alleviation of Burn-Induced Intestinal Injury via Activating YAP: A Preliminary Study. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071766. [PMID: 37049605 PMCID: PMC10097377 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Burn injury is a common form of traumatic injury that leads to high mortality worldwide. A severe burn injury usually induces gut barrier dysfunction, partially resulting from the impairment in the proliferation and self-renewal of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) post burns. As a main energy substance of small intestinal enterocytes, glutamine (Gln) is important for intestinal cell viability and growth, while its roles in ISCs-induced regeneration after burns are still unclear. To demonstrate the potential effects of Gln in improving ISCs proliferation and alleviating burn-induced intestinal injury, in this study, we verified that Gln significantly alleviated small intestine injury in burned mice model. It showed that Gln could significantly decrease the ferroptosis of crypt cells in the ileum, promote the proliferation of ISCs, and repair the crypt. These effects of Gln were also confirmed in the mouse small intestine organoids model. Further research found that Yes-associated protein (YAP) is suppressed after burn injury, and Gln could improve cell proliferation and accelerate the renewal of the damaged intestinal mucosal barrier after burns by activating YAP. YAP is closely associated with the changes in intestinal stem cell proliferation after burn injury and could be served as a potential target for severe burns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Chen
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Panyang Zhang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yajuan Zhang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Shijun Fan
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yan Wei
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Zhifan Yang
- Institute of Combined Injury, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Fengchao Wang
- Institute of Combined Injury, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xi Peng
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
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17
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Nattasit P, Niibe K, Yamada M, Ohori-Morita Y, Limraksasin P, Tiskratok W, Yamamoto M, Egusa H. Stiffness-Tunable Hydrogel-Sandwich Culture Modulates the YAP-Mediated Mechanoresponse in Induced-Pluripotent Stem Cell Embryoid Bodies and Augments Cardiomyocyte Differentiation. Macromol Biosci 2023:e2300021. [PMID: 36871184 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Microenvironmental factors, including substrate stiffness, regulate stem cell behavior and differentiation. However, the effects of substrate stiffness on the behavior of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)- derived embryoid bodies (EB) remain unclear. To investigate the effects of mechanical cues on iPSC-EB differentiation, a 3D hydrogel-sandwich culture (HGSC) system is developed that controls the microenvironment surrounding iPSC-EBs using a stiffness-tunable polyacrylamide hydrogel assembly. Mouse iPSC-EBs are seeded between upper and lower polyacrylamide hydrogels of differing stiffness (Young's modulus [E'] = 54.3 ± 7.1 kPa [hard], 28.1 ± 2.3 kPa [moderate], and 5.1 ± 0.1 kPa [soft]) and cultured for 2 days. HGSC induces stiffness-dependent activation of the yes-associated protein (YAP) mechanotransducer and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in the iPSC-EBs. Moreover, moderate-stiffness HGSC specifically upregulates the mRNA and protein expression of ectoderm and mesoderm lineage differentiation markers in iPSC-EBs via YAP-mediated mechanotransduction. Pretreatment of mouse iPSC-EBs with moderate-stiffness HGSC promotes cardiomyocyte (CM) differentiation and structural maturation of myofibrils. The proposed HGSC system provides a viable platform for investigating the role of mechanical cues on the pluripotency and differentiation of iPSCs that can be beneficial for research into tissue regeneration and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praphawi Nattasit
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kunimichi Niibe
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamada
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yumi Ohori-Morita
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Phoonsuk Limraksasin
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
- Dental Stem Cell Biology Research Unit, Center of Excellence for Regenerative Dentistry, and Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Watcharaphol Tiskratok
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
- Institute of Dentistry, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30000, Thailand
| | - Masaya Yamamoto
- Department of Material Processing, Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Egusa
- Division of Molecular and Regenerative Prosthodontics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
- Center for Advanced Stem Cell and Regenerative Research, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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18
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Wang C, Ramahdita G, Genin G, Huebsch N, Ma Z. Dynamic mechanobiology of cardiac cells and tissues: Current status and future perspective. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:011314. [PMID: 37008887 PMCID: PMC10062054 DOI: 10.1063/5.0141269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical forces impact cardiac cells and tissues over their entire lifespan, from development to growth and eventually to pathophysiology. However, the mechanobiological pathways that drive cell and tissue responses to mechanical forces are only now beginning to be understood, due in part to the challenges in replicating the evolving dynamic microenvironments of cardiac cells and tissues in a laboratory setting. Although many in vitro cardiac models have been established to provide specific stiffness, topography, or viscoelasticity to cardiac cells and tissues via biomaterial scaffolds or external stimuli, technologies for presenting time-evolving mechanical microenvironments have only recently been developed. In this review, we summarize the range of in vitro platforms that have been used for cardiac mechanobiological studies. We provide a comprehensive review on phenotypic and molecular changes of cardiomyocytes in response to these environments, with a focus on how dynamic mechanical cues are transduced and deciphered. We conclude with our vision of how these findings will help to define the baseline of heart pathology and of how these in vitro systems will potentially serve to improve the development of therapies for heart diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghiska Ramahdita
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
| | | | | | - Zhen Ma
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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19
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Molecular insights of Hippo signaling in the chick developing lung. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194904. [PMID: 36572276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hippo signaling pathway and its effector YAP have been recognized as an essential growth regulator during embryonic development. Hippo has been studied in different contexts; nevertheless, its role during chick lung branching morphogenesis remains unknown. Therefore, this work aims to determine Hippo role during early pulmonary organogenesis in the avian animal model. The current study describes the spatial distribution of Hippo signaling members in the embryonic chick lung by in situ hybridization. Overall, their expression is comparable to their mammalian counterparts. Moreover, the expression levels of phosphorylated-YAP (pYAP) and total YAP revealed that Hippo signaling is active in the embryonic chick lung. Furthermore, the presence of pYAP in the cytoplasm demonstrated that the Hippo machinery distribution is maintained in this tissue. In vitro studies were performed to assess the role of the Hippo signaling pathway in lung branching. Lung explants treated with a YAP/TEAD complex inhibitor (verteporfin) displayed a significant reduction in lung size and branching and decreased expression of ctgf (Hippo target gene) compared to the control. This approach also revealed that Hippo seems to modulate the expression of key molecular players involved in lung branching morphogenesis (sox2, sox9, axin2, and gli1). Conversely, when treated with dobutamine, an upstream regulator that promotes YAP phosphorylation, explant morphology was not severely affected. Overall, our data indicate that Hippo machinery is present and active in the early stages of avian pulmonary branching and that YAP is likely involved in the regulation of lung growth.
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20
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Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Hong J, Schmottlach J, Nicolas K, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Single Cell Transcriptomics of Fibrotic Lungs Unveils Aging-associated Alterations in Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Regeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.17.523179. [PMID: 36712020 PMCID: PMC9882122 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.523179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Lung regeneration deteriorates with aging leading to increased susceptibility to pathologic conditions, including fibrosis. Here, we investigated bleomycin-induced lung injury responses in young and aged mice at single-cell resolution to gain insights into the cellular and molecular contributions of aging to fibrosis. Analysis of 52,542 cells in young (8 weeks) and aged (72 weeks) mice identified 15 cellular clusters, many of which exhibited distinct injury responses that associated with age. We identified Pdgfra + alveolar fibroblasts as a major source of collagen expression following bleomycin challenge, with those from aged lungs exhibiting a more persistent activation compared to young ones. We also observed age-associated transcriptional abnormalities affecting lung progenitor cells, including ATII pneumocytes and general capillary (gCap) endothelial cells (ECs). Transcriptional analysis combined with lineage tracing identified a sub-population of gCap ECs marked by the expression of Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) that appeared in bleomycin-injured lungs and accumulated with aging. This newly emerged TrkB + EC population expressed common gCap EC markers but also exhibited a distinct gene expression signature associated with aberrant YAP/TAZ signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypoxia. Finally, we defined ACKR1 + venous ECs that exclusively emerged in injured lungs of aged animals and were closely associated with areas of collagen deposition and inflammation. Immunostaining and FACS analysis of human IPF lungs demonstrated that ACKR1 + venous ECs were dominant cells within the fibrotic regions and accumulated in areas of myofibroblast aggregation. Together, these data provide high-resolution insights into the impact of aging on lung cell adaptability to injury responses.
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21
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Montané-Romero ME, Martínez-Silva AV, Poot-Hernández AC, Escalante-Alcalde D. Plpp3, a novel regulator of pluripotency exit and endodermal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Biol Open 2023; 12:285908. [PMID: 36504260 PMCID: PMC9867895 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, study of the actions of bioactive lipids such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has increased since they are involved in regulating many processes, including self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, embryo development and cancer. Phospholipid phosphatase type 3 (PLPP3) has been shown to be a key player in regulating the balance of these lipids and, in consequence, their signaling. Different lines of evidence suggest that PLPP3 could play a role in endoderm development. To approach this hypothesis, we used mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) as a model to study Plpp3 function in self-renewal and the transition towards differentiation. We found that lack of PLPP3 mainly affects endoderm formation during differentiation of suspension-formed embryoid bodies. PLPP3-deficient ESC strongly decrease the amount of FOXA2-expressing cells and fail to properly downregulate the expression of pluripotency factors when subjected to an endoderm-directed differentiation protocol. Impaired endoderm differentiation correlated with a transient reduction in nuclear localization of YAP1. These phenotypes were rescued by transiently restoring the expression of catalytically active hPLPP3. In conclusion, PLPP3 plays a role in downregulating pluripotency-associated factors and in endodermal differentiation. PLPP3 regulates proper lipid/YAP1 signaling required for endodermal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha E. Montané-Romero
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México C.P. 04510, México
| | - Ana V. Martínez-Silva
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México C.P. 04510, México
| | - Augusto C. Poot-Hernández
- Unidad de Bioinformática y Manejo de la Información, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México C.P. 04510, México
| | - Diana Escalante-Alcalde
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México C.P. 04510, México,Author for correspondence ()
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22
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Brauer BL, Wiredu K, Gerber SA, Kettenbach AN. Evaluation of Quantification and Normalization Strategies for Phosphoprotein Phosphatase Affinity Proteomics: Application to Breast Cancer Signaling. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:47-61. [PMID: 36448918 PMCID: PMC10625046 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00465] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Accurate quantification of proteomics data is essential for revealing and understanding biological signaling processes. We have recently developed a chemical proteomic strategy termed phosphatase inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry (PIB-MS) to investigate endogenous phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPP) dephosphorylation signaling. Here, we compare the robustness and reproducibility of status quo quantification methods for optimal performance and ease of implementation. We then apply PIB-MS to an array of breast cancer cell lines to determine differences in PPP signaling between subtypes. Breast cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in women, consists of three main subtypes: estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor two positive (HER2+), and triple-negative (TNBC). Although there are effective treatment strategies for ER+ and HER2+ subtypes, tumors become resistant and progress. Furthermore, TNBC has few targeted therapies. Therefore, there is a need to identify new approaches for treating breast cancers. Using PIB-MS, we distinguished TNBC from non-TNBC based on subtype-specific PPP holoenzyme composition. In addition, we identified an increase in PPP interactions with Hippo pathway proteins in TNBC. These interactions suggest that phosphatases in TNBC play an inhibitory role on the Hippo pathway and correlate with increased expression of YAP/TAZ target genes both in TNBC cell lines and in TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L. Brauer
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
| | - Kwame Wiredu
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
| | - Scott A. Gerber
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Arminja N. Kettenbach
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
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23
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Testa C, Oliveto S, Jacchetti E, Donnaloja F, Martinelli C, Pinoli P, Osellame R, Cerullo G, Ceri S, Biffo S, Raimondi MT. Whole transcriptomic analysis of mesenchymal stem cells cultured in Nichoid micro-scaffolds. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 10:945474. [PMID: 36686258 PMCID: PMC9852851 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.945474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to be ideal candidates for clinical applications where not only regenerative potential but also immunomodulation ability is fundamental. Over the last years, increasing efforts have been put into the design and fabrication of 3D synthetic niches, conceived to emulate the native tissue microenvironment and aiming at efficiently controlling the MSC phenotype in vitro. In this panorama, our group patented an engineered microstructured scaffold, called Nichoid. It is fabricated through two-photon polymerization, a technique enabling the creation of 3D structures with control of scaffold geometry at the cell level and spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit, down to 100 nm. The Nichoid's capacity to maintain higher levels of stemness as compared to 2D substrates, with no need for adding exogenous soluble factors, has already been demonstrated in MSCs, neural precursors, and murine embryonic stem cells. In this work, we evaluated how three-dimensionality can influence the whole gene expression profile in rat MSCs. Our results show that at only 4 days from cell seeding, gene activation is affected in a significant way, since 654 genes appear to be differentially expressed (392 upregulated and 262 downregulated) between cells cultured in 3D Nichoids and in 2D controls. The functional enrichment analysis shows that differentially expressed genes are mainly enriched in pathways related to the actin cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix (ECM), and, in particular, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), thus confirming the important role of cell morphology and adhesions in determining the MSC phenotype. In conclusion, our results suggest that the Nichoid, thanks to its exclusive architecture and 3D cell adhesion properties, is not only a useful tool for governing cell stemness but could also be a means for controlling immune-related MSC features specifically involved in cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Testa
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy,Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy,*Correspondence: Carolina Testa, ; Manuela T. Raimondi,
| | - Stefania Oliveto
- Department of Bioscience (DBS), University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuela Jacchetti
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Donnaloja
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Chiara Martinelli
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Pietro Pinoli
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Osellame
- Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology (IFN)-CNR and Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology (IFN)-CNR and Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Ceri
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Biffo
- Department of Bioscience (DBS), University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Manuela T. Raimondi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy,*Correspondence: Carolina Testa, ; Manuela T. Raimondi,
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Tyrosine kinase SRC-induced YAP1-KLF5 module regulates cancer stemness and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:41. [PMID: 36633714 PMCID: PMC9837006 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04688-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
SRC is the first identified oncogene, and its aberrant activation has been implicated as a driving event in tumor initiation and progression. However, its role in cancer stemness regulation and the underlying regulatory mechanism are still elusive. Here, we identified a YAP1 tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent YAP1-KLF5 oncogenic module, as the key downstream mediator of SRC kinase regulating cancer stemness and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). SRC was overexpressed in TNBC patient tissues and its expression level was highly correlated with the tumor malignancy. SRC activation induced, while inhibition of SRC kinase reduced the cancer stemness, tumor cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed that SRC-mediated YAP1 tyrosine phosphorylation induced its interaction with Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) to form a YAP1/TEAD-KLF5 complex in TNBC cells. YAP1-KLF5 association further promoted TEAD-mediated transcriptional program independently of canonical Hippo kinases, which eventually gave rise to the enhanced cancer stemness and metastasis. Disruption of YAP1-KLF5 module in TNBC cells dramatically attenuated the SRC-induced cancer stemness and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, co-upregulations of SRC and YAP1-KLF5 module in TNBC tissues were significantly positively correlated with the tumor malignance. Altogether, our work presents a novel tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent YAP1-KLF5 oncogenic module governing SRC-induced cancer stemness and metastasis in TNBC. Therefore, targeting YAP1/KLF5-mediated transcription may provide a promising strategy for TNBC treatment with SRC aberrantly activation.
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25
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Yan S, Wang P, Wei H, Jia R, Zhen M, Li Q, Xue C, Li J. Treatment of ulcerative colitis with Wu-Mei-Wan by inhibiting intestinal inflammatory response and repairing damaged intestinal mucosa. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 105:154362. [PMID: 35947900 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wu-Mei-Wan (WMW), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases with long-term diarrhea and mucopurulent bloody stool as the main symptoms since ancient times. Studies have shown that WMW inhibits intestinal inflammation, repairs damaged intestinal mucosa, resists colon necrosis, and resists intestinal fibrosis. However, the specific mechanism of action is not yet clear. OBJECTIVE Ulcerative colitis (UC), an intestinal disease with intestinal inflammation and injury as the main pathological manifestations, is one of the high-risk factors for colon cancer. Inhibiting the inflammatory response and promoting colonic epithelial repair are critical to the treatment of UC. However, there is still a lack of remedies with satisfactory curative effects. In this study, the role of WMW in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and its related mechanisms are discussed from two aspects: intestinal inflammation and tissue repair. METHODS DSS was used to induce colitis in mice and the therapeutic effect of WMW was analyzed by disease activity score, histopathological score, colon length measurement, serum cytokine detection, and flow cytometry. Macrophage activation and colonic stem cell proliferation were observed by immunohistochemistry. The expression of critical molecules in macrophage activation and colonic stem cell proliferation signaling pathways in colon tissue was detected with immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. RESULTS WMW could significantly alleviate DSS-induced colitis. We showed that WMW could reduce disease activity, reduce pathological scores, limit weight loss, inhibit colon shortening, inhibit inflammatory factor secretion, attenuate inflammatory response, and promote the repair of damaged colonic epithelium. WMW inhibited the activation of colonic macrophages, and its mechanism might be inhibiting the Notch/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway; WMW promoted the proliferation of colonic stem cells, and its mechanism was associated with the regulation of the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggested that WMW could treat UC via a mechanism that inhibited the intestinal inflammatory response and repaired damaged intestinal mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuguang Yan
- College of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China; Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases and Prescriptions in Shaanxi Province, Xianyang 712046, China
| | - Ping Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China
| | - Hailiang Wei
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712000, China
| | - Rui Jia
- College of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China; Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases and Prescriptions in Shaanxi Province, Xianyang 712046, China
| | - Meijia Zhen
- College of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China; Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases and Prescriptions in Shaanxi Province, Xianyang 712046, China
| | - Qian Li
- Medical Research and Experiment Center, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046
| | - Chang Xue
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Ankang Central Hospital, Ankang 725099, China.
| | - Jingtao Li
- Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Diseases and Prescriptions in Shaanxi Province, Xianyang 712046, China; Department of infectious disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712000, China.
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26
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Biochemical Pathways of Cellular Mechanosensing/Mechanotransduction and Their Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases Pathogenesis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193093. [PMID: 36231055 PMCID: PMC9563116 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we shed light on recent advances regarding the characterization of biochemical pathways of cellular mechanosensing and mechanotransduction with particular attention to their role in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis. While the mechanistic components of these pathways are mostly uncovered today, the crosstalk between mechanical forces and soluble intracellular signaling is still not fully elucidated. Here, we recapitulate the general concepts of mechanobiology and the mechanisms that govern the mechanosensing and mechanotransduction processes, and we examine the crosstalk between mechanical stimuli and intracellular biochemical response, highlighting their effect on cellular organelles' homeostasis and dysfunction. In particular, we discuss the current knowledge about the translation of mechanosignaling into biochemical signaling, focusing on those diseases that encompass metabolic accumulation of mutant proteins and have as primary characteristics the formation of pathological intracellular aggregates, such as Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease. Overall, recent findings elucidate how mechanosensing and mechanotransduction pathways may be crucial to understand the pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and emphasize the importance of these pathways for identifying potential therapeutic targets.
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27
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YAP and TAZ play a crucial role in human erythrocyte maturation and enucleation. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:467. [PMID: 36076260 PMCID: PMC9461202 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-03166-7] [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: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yes-associated protein (YAP) and WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1 (WWTR1, also known as TAZ) are two key transcription co-activators of the Hippo pathway. Both were originally characterized as organ size and cell proliferation regulators. Later studies demonstrated that the Hippo pathway may play a role in Drosophila and mammal hematopoiesis. However, the role of the Hippo pathway in human erythropoiesis has not yet been fully elucidated. METHODS The role of YAP and TAZ was studied in human erythropoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) lineage determination by using mobilized peripheral blood (PB) and cord blood (CB)-derived HSC as a model. HSCs were isolated and cultured in an erythroid differentiation medium for erythroid differentiation and culture in methylcellulose assay for HSC lineage determination study. RESULTS YAP and TAZ were barely detectable in human HSCs, but became highly expressed in pro-erythroblasts and erythroblasts. Depletion or knockdown of YAP and/or TAZ did not affect the ability of HSC lineage specification to erythroid lineage in either methylcellulose assay or liquid culture. However, depletion of YAP and TAZ did impair erythroblast terminal differentiation to erythrocytes and their enucleation. Moreover, ectopic expression of YAP and TAZ in pro-erythroblasts did not exert an apparent effect on erythroid differentiation, expansion, or morphology. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that YAP/TAZ plays important role in erythroid maturation and enucleation but is dispensable for lineage determination of human HSCs.
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28
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Kim SH, Basili T, Dopeso H, Cruz Paula AD, Bi R, Bhaloo SI, Pareja F, Li Q, da Silva EM, Zhu Y, Hoang T, Selenica P, Murali R, Chan E, Wu M, Derakhshan F, Maroldi A, Hanlon E, Ferreira CG, Lapa e Silva JR, Abu-Rustum NR, Zamarin D, Chandarlapaty S, Matrai C, Yoon JY, Reis-Filho JS, Park KJ, Weigelt B. Recurrent WWTR1 S89W mutations and Hippo pathway deregulation in clear cell carcinomas of the cervix. J Pathol 2022; 257:635-649. [PMID: 35411948 PMCID: PMC9881397 DOI: 10.1002/path.5910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the cervix (cCCC) is a rare and aggressive type of human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative cervical cancer with limited effective treatment options for recurrent or metastatic disease. Historically, CCCs of the lower genital tract were associated with in utero diethylstilbestrol exposure; however, the genetic landscape of sporadic cCCCs remains unknown. Here we sought to define the molecular underpinning of cCCCs. Using a combination of whole-exome, targeted capture, and RNA-sequencing, we identified pathogenic genetic alterations in the Hippo signaling pathway in 50% (10/20) of cCCCs, including recurrent WWTR1 S89W somatic mutations in 40% (4/10) of the cases harboring mutations in the Hippo pathway. Irrespective of the presence or absence of Hippo pathway genetic alterations, however, all primary cCCCs analyzed in this study (n = 20) harbored features of Hippo pathway deregulation at the transcriptomic and protein levels. In vitro functional analysis revealed that expression of the WWTR1 S89W mutation leads to reduced binding of TAZ to 14-3-3, promoting constitutive nuclear translocation of TAZ and Hippo pathway repression. WWTR1 S89W expression was found to lead to acquisition of oncogenic behavior, including increased proliferation, migration, and colony formation in vitro as well as increased tumorigenesis in vivo, which could be reversed by targeted inhibition of the TAZ/YAP1 complex with verteporfin. Finally, xenografts expressing WWTR1 S89W displayed a shift in tumor phenotype, becoming more infiltrative as well as less differentiated, and were found to be composed of cells with conspicuous cytoplasmic clearing as compared to controls. Our results demonstrate that Hippo pathway alterations are likely drivers of cCCCs and likely contribute to the clear cell phenotype. Therapies targeting this pathway may constitute a new class of treatment for these rare, aggressive tumors. © 2022 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H. Kim
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thais Basili
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Higinio Dopeso
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arnaud Da Cruz Paula
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rui Bi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Shirin Issa Bhaloo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fresia Pareja
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qing Li
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edaise M. da Silva
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy Hoang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pier Selenica
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rajmohan Murali
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric Chan
- Molecular Cytology Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Wu
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fatemeh Derakhshan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ana Maroldi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Etta Hanlon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carlos Gil Ferreira
- Oncoclinicas Institute for Research and Education, Sao Paulo, Brazil,Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Nadeem R. Abu-Rustum
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dmitriy Zamarin
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarat Chandarlapaty
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cathleen Matrai
- Department of Pathology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ju-Yoon Yoon
- Department of Pathology, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jorge S. Reis-Filho
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kay J. Park
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,Correspondence to: KJ Park or B Weigelt, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. or:
| | - Britta Weigelt
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,Correspondence to: KJ Park or B Weigelt, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. or:
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PFKFB3 regulates cancer stemness through the hippo pathway in small cell lung carcinoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:4003-4017. [PMID: 35804016 PMCID: PMC9374593 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PFKFB3 (6-phosphofructo-2-kinase) is the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis and is overexpressed in several human cancers that are associated with poor prognosis. High PFKFB3 expression in cancer stem cells promotes glycolysis and survival in the tumor microenvironment. Inhibition of PFKFB3 by the glycolytic inhibitor PFK158 and by shRNA stable knockdown in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell lines inhibited glycolysis, proliferation, spheroid formation, and the expression of cancer stem cell markers CD133, Aldh1, CD44, Sox2, and ABCG2. These factors are also associated with chemotherapy resistance. We found that PFK158 treatment and PFKFB3 knockdown enhanced the ABCG2-interacting drugs doxorubicin, etoposide, and 5-fluorouracil in reducing cell viability under conditions of enriched cancer stem cells (CSC). Additionally, PFKFB3 inhibition attenuated the invasion/migration of SCLC cells by downregulating YAP/TAZ signaling while increasing pLATS1 via activation of pMST1 and NF2 and by reducing the mesenchymal protein expression. PFKFB3 knockdown and PFK158 treatment in a H1048 SCLC cancer stem cell-enriched mouse xenograft model showed significant reduction in tumor growth and weight with reduced expression of cancer stem cell markers, ABCG2, and YAP/TAZ. Our findings identify that PFKFB3 is a novel target to regulate cancer stem cells and its associated therapeutic resistance markers YAP/TAZ and ABCG2 in SCLC models.
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Zhang Y, Wang Y, Ji H, Ding J, Wang K. The interplay between noncoding RNA and YAP/TAZ signaling in cancers: molecular functions and mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:202. [PMID: 35701841 PMCID: PMC9199231 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02403-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway was found coordinately modulates cell regeneration and organ size. Its dysregulation contributes to uncontrolled cell proliferation and malignant transformation. YAP/TAZ are two critical effectors of the Hippo pathway and have been demonstrated essential for the initiation or growth of most tumors. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, have been shown to play critical roles in the development of many cancers. In the past few decades, a growing number of studies have revealed that ncRNAs can directly or indirectly regulate YAP/TAZ signaling. YAP/TAZ also regulate ncRNAs expression in return. This review summarizes the interactions between YAP/TAZ signaling and noncoding RNAs together with their biological functions on cancer progression. We also try to describe the complex feedback loop existing between these components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirao Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Ji
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jie Ding
- Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Keming Wang
- Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, Jiangsu, China.
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31
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Fallah S, Beaulieu JF. Differential influence of YAP1 and TAZ on differentiation of intestinal epithelial cell: A review. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 306:1054-1061. [PMID: 35648375 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Intestinal cell stemness, proliferation and differentiation are complex processes all occurring in distinct compartments of the crypt that need to be closely regulated to ensure proper epithelial renewal. The involvement of the Hippo pathway in intestinal epithelial proliferation and regeneration after injury via the regulation of its effectors YAP1 and TAZ has been well-documented over the last decade. The implication of YAP1 and TAZ on intestinal epithelial cell differentiation is less clear. Using intestinal cell models in which the expression of YAP1 and TAZ can be modulated, our group showed that YAP1 inhibits differentiation of the two main intestinal epithelial cell types, goblet and absorptive cells through a specific mechanism involving the repression of prodifferentiation transcription factor CDX2 expression. Further analysis provided evidence that the repressive effect of YAP1 on intestinal differentiation is mediated by regulation of the Hippo pathway by Src family kinase activity. Interestingly, the TAZ paralog does not seem to be involved in this process, which provides another example of the lack of perfect complementarity of the two main Hippo effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Fallah
- Laboratory of Intestinal Physiopathology, Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-François Beaulieu
- Laboratory of Intestinal Physiopathology, Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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LeBleu VS. Plasticity Enables Cooperation among Heterogeneous Cancer Cell Populations to Support Metastatic Fitness. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1870-1871. [PMID: 35570704 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The invasive progression of cancer known as metastasis remains strongly associated with morbidity and lethality. New meaningful therapeutic interventions could be derived from a better understanding of the underlying processes driving cancer cell seeding and proliferation at secondary sites. Emerging findings regarding the heterogeneity of cancer cells observed in metastases have led us to revisit concepts surrounding metastatic fitness. Novel model systems to study the markers of cancer stem cell plasticity and their evolution during metastatic growth have uncovered that dynamic and heterogeneous cancer cell populations are observed during metastatic disease progression. Heinz and colleagues studied the heterogeneity of colorectal carcinomas, where primary tumors evolve alongside an epithelium well characterized for its self-renewing stem cell population. Their work revealed a functional dynamic interplay in the organization of the metastatic lesions as they transition from stagnating to expanding nodules, wherein the heterogeneous mixture of cancer cell stem cells with more differentiated cancer cells is essential for metastatic outgrowth. Their work supports that dynamic YAP signaling enables the growth-permissive heterogeneous composition of the metastatic nodule, in contrast with growth-restricted homogeneous compositions. See related article by Heinz et al., p. 1953.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie S LeBleu
- Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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33
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Carthew J, Taylor JBJ, Garcia-Cruz MR, Kiaie N, Voelcker NH, Cadarso VJ, Frith JE. The Bumpy Road to Stem Cell Therapies: Rational Design of Surface Topographies to Dictate Stem Cell Mechanotransduction and Fate. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:23066-23101. [PMID: 35192344 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cells sense and respond to a variety of physical cues from their surrounding microenvironment, and these are interpreted through mechanotransductive processes to inform their behavior. These mechanisms have particular relevance to stem cells, where control of stem cell proliferation, potency, and differentiation is key to their successful application in regenerative medicine. It is increasingly recognized that surface micro- and nanotopographies influence stem cell behavior and may represent a powerful tool with which to direct the morphology and fate of stem cells. Current progress toward this goal has been driven by combined advances in fabrication technologies and cell biology. Here, the capacity to generate precisely defined micro- and nanoscale topographies has facilitated the studies that provide knowledge of the mechanotransducive processes that govern the cellular response as well as knowledge of the specific features that can drive cells toward a defined differentiation outcome. However, the path forward is not fully defined, and the "bumpy road" that lays ahead must be crossed before the full potential of these approaches can be fully exploited. This review focuses on the challenges and opportunities in applying micro- and nanotopographies to dictate stem cell fate for regenerative medicine. Here, key techniques used to produce topographic features are reviewed, such as photolithography, block copolymer lithography, electron beam lithography, nanoimprint lithography, soft lithography, scanning probe lithography, colloidal lithography, electrospinning, and surface roughening, alongside their advantages and disadvantages. The biological impacts of surface topographies are then discussed, including the current understanding of the mechanotransductive mechanisms by which these cues are interpreted by the cells, as well as the specific effects of surface topographies on cell differentiation and fate. Finally, considerations in translating these technologies and their future prospects are evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Carthew
- Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jason B J Taylor
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Maria R Garcia-Cruz
- Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Nasim Kiaie
- Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Nicolas H Voelcker
- Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Victor J Cadarso
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jessica E Frith
- Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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34
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Distinctive Roles of YAP and TAZ in Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells Growth and Functions. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10010147. [PMID: 35052826 PMCID: PMC8773510 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippo signaling pathway plays an essential role in controlling organ size and balancing tissue homeostasis. Its two main effectors, yes-associated protein (YAP) and WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1, WWTR1 or TAZ, have also been shown to regulate endothelial cell functions and angiogenesis. In this study, the functions of YAP and TAZ in human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were investigated by a loss-of-function study using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockdown (KD). Depletion of either YAP or TAZ reduced EPC survival and impaired many of their critical functions, including migration, invasion, vessel-formation, and expression of pro-angiogenic genes. Notably, TAZ-KD EPCs exhibited more severe phenotypes in comparison to YAP-KD EPCs. Moreover, the conditioned medium derived from TAZ-KD EPCs reduced the survivability of human lung cancer cells and increased their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. The overexpression of either wild-type or constitutively active TAZ rescued the impaired phenotypes of TAZ-KD EPCs and restored the expression of pro-angiogenic genes in those EPCs. In summary, we demonstrate the crucial role of Hippo signaling components, YAP and TAZ, in controlling several aspects of EPC functions that can potentially be used as a drug target to enhance EPC functions in patients.
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35
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Xiao Y, Liu Q, Peng N, Li Y, Qiu D, Yang T, Kang R, Usmani A, Amadasu E, Borlongan CV, Yu G. Lovastatin Inhibits RhoA to Suppress Canonical Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Alternative Wnt-YAP/TAZ Signaling in Colon Cancer. Cell Transplant 2022; 31:9636897221075749. [PMID: 35168393 PMCID: PMC8855423 DOI: 10.1177/09636897221075749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Statins are first-line drugs used to control patient lipid levels, but there is recent evidence that statin treatment can lower colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence by 50% and prolong CRC patient survival through mechanisms that are poorly understood. In this study, we found that the treatment of APCmin mice by the mevalonate pathway inhibitor lovastatin significantly reduced the number of colonic masses and improved hypersplenism and peripheral anemia. Furthermore, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of colonic mass tissues showed a potent inhibitory effect in both Wnt/β-catenin signaling and YAP/TAZ signaling in the lovastatin treatment group. The results of our transcriptomic analyses in RKO indicated that lovastatin regulated several proliferation-related signaling pathways. Moreover, lovastatin suppressed important genes and proteins related to the canonical Wnt/β-catenin and alternative Wnt-YAP/TAZ signaling pathways in RKO and SW480 cells, and these effects were rescued by mevalonic acid (MVA), as confirmed through a series of Western blotting, RT-PCR, and reporter assays. Given that statins suppress oncogenic processes primarily through the inhibition of Rho GTPase in the mevalonate pathway, we speculate that lovastatin can inhibit certain Rho GTPases to suppress both canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and alternative Wnt-YAP/TAZ signaling. In RKO cells, lovastatin showed similar inhibitory properties as the RhoA inhibitor CCG1423, being able to inhibit β-catenin, TAZ, and p-LATS1 protein activity. Our results revealed that lovastatin inhibited RhoA activity, thereby suppressing the downstream canonical Wnt/β-catenin and alternative Wnt-YAP/TAZ pathways in colon cancer cells. These inhibitory properties suggest the promise of statins as a treatment for CRC. Altogether, the present findings support the potential clinical use of statins in non-cardiovascular contexts and highlight novel targets for anticancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Xiao
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qin Liu
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Nanyin Peng
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuzhang Li
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Danyang Qiu
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tianlun Yang
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Richard Kang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain
Repair, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL,
USA
| | - Ahsan Usmani
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain
Repair, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL,
USA
| | - Efosa Amadasu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain
Repair, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL,
USA
| | - Cesario V. Borlongan
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain
Repair, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL,
USA
| | - Guolong Yu
- Division of Cardiovascular, Xiangya
Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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36
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Xu Y, Wang X, Yu M, Ruan Y, Zhang J, Tian Y, Xiong J, Liu L, Cheng Y, Yang Y, Ren B, Chen G, Zhang Y, Zhao B, Wang J, Wang J, Jian R, Liu Y, Wang J. Identification, subcellular localization, and functional comparison of novel Yap splicing isoforms in mouse embryonic stem cells. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:1432-1445. [PMID: 34687583 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Hippo signaling pathway is involved in many biological processes including the fate decision of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Yes-associated protein (Yap) function as a key effector of Hippo pathway, but its role in ESCs is still controversial. So far, only two isoforms of Yap have been identified and they have both overlapping and distinct functions. Here, we identify six novel isoforms of mouse Yap, bringing the total number of isoforms to eight. According to the differences in the first exon, they are divided into two subtypes (a and b). Isoform-a and isoform-b exhibit different subcellular localizations. Moreover, isoform-a can fully reverse the impaired self-renewal phenotype induced by Yap knockout (KO). Upon overexpression, isoform-a moderately promotes mESCs self-renewal and markedly delays differentiation. On the contrary, no significant pro-self-renewal phenotype is observed when isoform-b overexpressed in wildtype (WT) mESCs or re-expressed in Yap KO cell lines. These finding not only help to clarify the role of Yap in mESCs, but also lay the foundation for advancing functional researches of Yap in other processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiao Xu
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xueyue Wang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The General Hospital of PLA Tibet Military Area Command, Lhasa, China
| | - Meng Yu
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Joint Surgery Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Ruan
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junlei Zhang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanping Tian
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiaxiang Xiong
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lianlian Liu
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuda Cheng
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bangqi Ren
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Guangxing Chen
- Joint Surgery Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Binyu Zhao
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Institute of Immunology PLA and Department of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangjun Wang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Cell Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Jian
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiali Wang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Ferrara B, Pignatelli C, Cossutta M, Citro A, Courty J, Piemonti L. The Extracellular Matrix in Pancreatic Cancer: Description of a Complex Network and Promising Therapeutic Options. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13174442. [PMID: 34503252 PMCID: PMC8430646 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The stroma is a relevant player in driving and supporting the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and a large body of evidence highlights its role in hindering the efficacy of current therapies. In fact, the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) characterizing this tumor acts as a natural physical barrier, impairing drug penetration. Consequently, all of the approaches combining stroma-targeting and anticancer therapy constitute an appealing option for improving drug penetration. Several strategies have been adopted in order to target the PDAC stroma, such as the depletion of ECM components and the targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are responsible for the increased matrix deposition in cancer. Additionally, the leaky and collapsing blood vessels characterizing the tumor might be normalized, thus restoring blood perfusion and allowing drug penetration. Even though many stroma-targeting strategies have reported disappointing results in clinical trials, the ECM offers a wide range of potential therapeutic targets that are now being investigated. The dense ECM might be bypassed by implementing nanoparticle-based systems or by using mesenchymal stem cells as drug carriers. The present review aims to provide an overview of the principal mechanisms involved in the ECM remodeling and of new promising therapeutic strategies for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Ferrara
- Diabetes Research Institute (HSR-DRI), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (C.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Cataldo Pignatelli
- Diabetes Research Institute (HSR-DRI), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (C.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Mélissande Cossutta
- INSERM U955, Immunorégulation et Biothérapie, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), Université Paris-Est Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (M.C.); (J.C.)
- AP-HP, Centre d’Investigation Clinique Biothérapie, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire Chenevier Mondor, 94010 Créteil, France
| | - Antonio Citro
- Diabetes Research Institute (HSR-DRI), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (C.P.); (A.C.)
| | - José Courty
- INSERM U955, Immunorégulation et Biothérapie, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), Université Paris-Est Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (M.C.); (J.C.)
- AP-HP, Centre d’Investigation Clinique Biothérapie, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire Chenevier Mondor, 94010 Créteil, France
| | - Lorenzo Piemonti
- Diabetes Research Institute (HSR-DRI), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (C.P.); (A.C.)
- Correspondence:
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38
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Messa L, Celegato M, Bertagnin C, Mercorelli B, Alvisi G, Banks L, Palù G, Loregian A. The Dimeric Form of HPV16 E6 Is Crucial to Drive YAP/TAZ Upregulation through the Targeting of hScrib. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164083. [PMID: 34439242 PMCID: PMC8393709 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Understanding the mechanisms of action of HPV oncoproteins is pivotal for the rationale development of anti-cancer drugs to treat HPV-related malignancies. The aim of the present study was to explore more in detail the mechanism of action of the HPV16 oncoprotein E6 that directly fosters the YAP/TAZ signaling pathway, a conserved cascade highly active in HPV-related cancers. We confirmed previous evidence about the importance of the PDZ-protein targeting in this process, highlighting here the importance of hScrib degradation, and discovered that the targeting of the Scribble module involves the dimeric form of HPV16 E6. The findings here presented extend our knowledge about the mechanism through which the oncoprotein E6 targets a PDZ-host factor to degradation in cancer cells. Abstract Human papillomavirus is the most common viral infectious agent responsible for cancer development in humans. High-risk strains are known to induce cancer through the expression of the viral oncogenes E6 and E7, yet we have only a partial understanding of the precise mechanisms of action of these viral proteins. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism through which the oncoprotein E6 alters the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway to trigger YAP/TAZ induction in cancer cells. By employing E6 overexpression systems combined with protein–protein interaction studies and loss-of-function approaches, we discovered that the E6-mediated targeting of hScrib, which supports YAP/TAZ upregulation, intimately requires E6 homodimerization. We show that the self-association of E6, previously reported only in vitro, takes place in the cytoplasm and, as a dimer, E6 targets the fraction of hScrib at the cell cortex for proteasomal degradation. Thus, E6 homodimerization emerges as an important event in the mechanism of E6-mediated hScrib targeting to sustain downstream YAP/TAZ upregulation, unraveling for the first time the key role of E6 homodimerization in the context of its transforming functions and thus paving the way for the possible development of E6 dimerization inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Messa
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Marta Celegato
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Chiara Bertagnin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Beatrice Mercorelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Gualtiero Alvisi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Lawrence Banks
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 34149 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Giorgio Palù
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
| | - Arianna Loregian
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; (L.M.); (M.C.); (C.B.); (B.M.); (G.A.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-049-8272363
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