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Mishra J, Chakraborty S, Niharika, Roy A, Manna S, Baral T, Nandi P, Patra SK. Mechanotransduction and epigenetic modulations of chromatin: Role of mechanical signals in gene regulation. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30531. [PMID: 38345428 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Mechanical forces may be generated within a cell due to tissue stiffness, cytoskeletal reorganization, and the changes (even subtle) in the cell's physical surroundings. These changes of forces impose a mechanical tension within the intracellular protein network (both cytosolic and nuclear). Mechanical tension could be released by a series of protein-protein interactions often facilitated by membrane lipids, lectins and sugar molecules and thus generate a type of signal to drive cellular processes, including cell differentiation, polarity, growth, adhesion, movement, and survival. Recent experimental data have accentuated the molecular mechanism of this mechanical signal transduction pathway, dubbed mechanotransduction. Mechanosensitive proteins in the cell's plasma membrane discern the physical forces and channel the information to the cell interior. Cells respond to the message by altering their cytoskeletal arrangement and directly transmitting the signal to the nucleus through the connection of the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton before the information despatched to the nucleus by biochemical signaling pathways. Nuclear transmission of the force leads to the activation of chromatin modifiers and modulation of the epigenetic landscape, inducing chromatin reorganization and gene expression regulation; by the time chemical messengers (transcription factors) arrive into the nucleus. While significant research has been done on the role of mechanotransduction in tumor development and cancer progression/metastasis, the mechanistic basis of force-activated carcinogenesis is still enigmatic. Here, in this review, we have discussed the various cues and molecular connections to better comprehend the cellular mechanotransduction pathway, and we also explored the detailed role of some of the multiple players (proteins and macromolecular complexes) involved in mechanotransduction. Thus, we have described an avenue: how mechanical stress directs the epigenetic modifiers to modulate the epigenome of the cells and how aberrant stress leads to the cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagdish Mishra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Subhajit Chakraborty
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Niharika
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Soumen Manna
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Tirthankar Baral
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Piyasa Nandi
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Samir K Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
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2
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The Therapeutic and Diagnostic Potential of Phospholipase C Zeta, Oocyte Activation, and Calcium in Treating Human Infertility. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16030441. [PMID: 36986540 PMCID: PMC10056371 DOI: 10.3390/ph16030441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oocyte activation, a fundamental event during mammalian fertilisation, is initiated by concerted intracellular patterns of calcium (Ca2+) release, termed Ca2+ oscillations, predominantly driven by testis-specific phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ). Ca2+ exerts a pivotal role in not just regulating oocyte activation and driving fertilisation, but also in influencing the quality of embryogenesis. In humans, a failure of Ca2+ release, or defects in related mechanisms, have been reported to result in infertility. Furthermore, mutations in the PLCζ gene and abnormalities in sperm PLCζ protein and RNA, have been strongly associated with forms of male infertility where oocyte activation is deficient. Concurrently, specific patterns and profiles of PLCζ in human sperm have been linked to parameters of semen quality, suggesting the potential for PLCζ as a powerful target for both therapeutics and diagnostics of human fertility. However, further to PLCζ and given the strong role played by Ca2+ in fertilisation, targets down- and up-stream of this process may also present a significantly similar level of promise. Herein, we systematically summarise recent advancements and controversies in the field to update expanding clinical associations between Ca2+-release, PLCζ, oocyte activation and human fertility. We discuss how such associations may potentially underlie defective embryogenesis and recurrent implantation failure following fertility treatments, alongside potential diagnostic and therapeutic avenues presented by oocyte activation for the diagnosis and treatment of human infertility.
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Venit T, El Said NH, Mahmood SR, Percipalle P. A dynamic actin-dependent nucleoskeleton and cell identity. J Biochem 2021; 169:243-257. [PMID: 33351909 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin is an essential regulator of cellular functions. In the eukaryotic cell nucleus, actin regulates chromatin as a bona fide component of chromatin remodelling complexes, it associates with nuclear RNA polymerases to regulate transcription and is involved in co-transcriptional assembly of nascent RNAs into ribonucleoprotein complexes. Actin dynamics are, therefore, emerging as a major regulatory factor affecting diverse cellular processes. Importantly, the involvement of actin dynamics in nuclear functions is redefining the concept of nucleoskeleton from a rigid scaffold to a dynamic entity that is likely linked to the three-dimensional organization of the nuclear genome. In this review, we discuss how nuclear actin, by regulating chromatin structure through phase separation may contribute to the architecture of the nuclear genome during cell differentiation and facilitate the expression of specific gene programs. We focus specifically on mitochondrial genes and how their dysregulation in the absence of actin raises important questions about the role of cytoskeletal proteins in regulating chromatin structure. The discovery of a novel pool of mitochondrial actin that serves as 'mitoskeleton' to facilitate organization of mtDNA supports a general role for actin in genome architecture and a possible function of distinct actin pools in the communication between nucleus and mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Venit
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
| | - Nadine Hosny El Said
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
| | - Syed Raza Mahmood
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, 1009 Silver Center, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Erenpreisa J, Krigerts J, Salmina K, Gerashchenko BI, Freivalds T, Kurg R, Winter R, Krufczik M, Zayakin P, Hausmann M, Giuliani A. Heterochromatin Networks: Topology, Dynamics, and Function (a Working Hypothesis). Cells 2021; 10:1582. [PMID: 34201566 PMCID: PMC8304199 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Open systems can only exist by self-organization as pulsing structures exchanging matter and energy with the outer world. This review is an attempt to reveal the organizational principles of the heterochromatin supra-intra-chromosomal network in terms of nonlinear thermodynamics. The accessibility of the linear information of the genetic code is regulated by constitutive heterochromatin (CHR) creating the positional information in a system of coordinates. These features include scale-free splitting-fusing of CHR with the boundary constraints of the nucleolus and nuclear envelope. The analysis of both the literature and our own data suggests a radial-concentric network as the main structural organization principle of CHR regulating transcriptional pulsing. The dynamic CHR network is likely created together with nucleolus-associated chromatin domains, while the alveoli of this network, including springy splicing speckles, are the pulsing transcription hubs. CHR contributes to this regulation due to the silencing position variegation effect, stickiness, and flexible rigidity determined by the positioning of nucleosomes. The whole system acts in concert with the elastic nuclear actomyosin network which also emerges by self-organization during the transcriptional pulsing process. We hypothesize that the the transcriptional pulsing, in turn, adjusts its frequency/amplitudes specified by topologically associating domains to the replication timing code that determines epigenetic differentiation memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jekaterina Erenpreisa
- Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (J.K.); (K.S.); (P.Z.)
| | - Jekabs Krigerts
- Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (J.K.); (K.S.); (P.Z.)
| | - Kristine Salmina
- Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (J.K.); (K.S.); (P.Z.)
| | - Bogdan I. Gerashchenko
- R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Talivaldis Freivalds
- Institute of Cardiology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Latvia, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia;
| | - Reet Kurg
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia;
| | - Ruth Winter
- Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (R.W.); (M.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Matthias Krufczik
- Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (R.W.); (M.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Pawel Zayakin
- Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (J.K.); (K.S.); (P.Z.)
| | - Michael Hausmann
- Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (R.W.); (M.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Istituto Superiore di Sanita Environment and Health Department, 00161 Roma, Italy
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5
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Xie X, Mahmood SR, Gjorgjieva T, Percipalle P. Emerging roles of cytoskeletal proteins in regulating gene expression and genome organization during differentiation. Nucleus 2020; 11:53-65. [PMID: 32212905 PMCID: PMC7289583 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2020.1742066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the eukaryotic cell nucleus, cytoskeletal proteins are emerging as essential players in nuclear function. In particular, actin regulates chromatin as part of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, it modulates transcription and it is incorporated into nascent ribonucleoprotein complexes, accompanying them from the site of transcription to polyribosomes. The nuclear actin pool is undistinguishable from the cytoplasmic one in terms of its ability to undergo polymerization and it has also been implicated in the dynamics of chromatin, regulating heterochromatin segregation at the nuclear lamina and maintaining heterochromatin levels in the nuclear interiors. One of the next frontiers is, therefore, to determine a possible involvement of nuclear actin in the functional architecture of the cell nucleus by regulating the hierarchical organization of chromatin and, thus, genome organization. Here, we discuss the repertoire of these potential actin functions and how they are likely to play a role in the context of cellular differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - S Raza Mahmood
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tamara Gjorgjieva
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Science Division, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Gjorgjieva T, Xie X, Commins P, Pasricha R, Mahmood SR, Gunsalus KC, Naumov P, Percipalle P. Loss of β-Actin Leads to Accelerated Mineralization and Dysregulation of Osteoblast-Differentiation Genes during Osteogenic Reprogramming. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2002261. [PMID: 33304760 PMCID: PMC7709978 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Actin plays fundamental roles in both the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus. In the nucleus, β-actin regulates neuronal reprogramming by consolidating a heterochromatin landscape required for transcription of neuronal gene programs, yet it remains unknown whether it has a role in other differentiation models. To explore the potential roles of β-actin in osteogenesis, β-actin wild-type (WT) and β-actin knockout (KO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) are reprogrammed to osteoblast-like cells using small molecules in vitro. It is discovered that loss of β-actin leads to an accelerated mineralization phenotype (hypermineralization), accompanied with enhanced formation of extracellular hydroxyapatite microcrystals, which originate in the mitochondria in the form of microgranules. This phenotype is a consequence of rapid upregulation of mitochondrial genes including those involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in reprogrammed KO cells. It is further found that osteogenic gene programs are differentially regulated between WT and KO cells, with clusters of genes exhibiting different temporal expression patterns. A novel function for β-actin in osteogenic reprogramming through a mitochondria-based mechanism that controls cell-mediated mineralization is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Gjorgjieva
- Program in BiologyDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Xin Xie
- Program in BiologyDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Patrick Commins
- Program in ChemistryDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Renu Pasricha
- Core Technology PlatformsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Syed Raza Mahmood
- Program in BiologyDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Department of BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNY10003USA
| | - Kristin C. Gunsalus
- Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Department of BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNY10003USA
| | - Panče Naumov
- Program in ChemistryDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Program in BiologyDivision of Science and MathematicsNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)P.O. Box 129188Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesThe Wenner‐Gren InstituteStockholm UniversityStockholmSE‐106 91Sweden
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7
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Al-Sayegh MA, Mahmood SR, Khair SBA, Xie X, El Gindi M, Kim T, Almansoori A, Percipalle P. β-actin contributes to open chromatin for activation of the adipogenic pioneer factor CEBPA during transcriptional reprograming. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2511-2521. [PMID: 32877276 PMCID: PMC7851876 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-11-0628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipogenesis is regulated by a cascade of signals that drive transcriptional reprogramming in adipocytes. Here, we report that nuclear actin regulates the chromatin states that establish tissue- specific expression during adipogenesis. To study the role of β-actin in adipocyte differentiation, we conducted RNA sequencing on wild-type and β-actin knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) after reprograming to adipocytes. We found that β-actin depletion affects induction of several adipogenic genes during transcriptional reprograming. This impaired regulation of adipogenic genes is linked to reduced expression of the pioneer factor Cebpa and is rescued by reintroducing NLS-tagged β-actin. ATAC-Seq in knockout MEFs revealed that actin-dependent reduction of Cebpa expression correlates with decreased chromatin accessibility and loss of chromatin association of the ATPase Brg1. This, in turn, impairs CEBPB's association with its Cebpa promoter-proximal binding site during adipogenesis. We propose a role for the nuclear β-actin pool in maintaining open chromatin for transcriptional reprogramming during adipogenic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Al-Sayegh
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - S R Mahmood
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - S B Abul Khair
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - X Xie
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - M El Gindi
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - T Kim
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - A Almansoori
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - P Percipalle
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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D-Aspartate Upregulates DAAM1 Protein Levels in the Rat Testis and Induces Its Localization in Spermatogonia Nucleus. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10050677. [PMID: 32353957 PMCID: PMC7277804 DOI: 10.3390/biom10050677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell differentiation during spermatogenesis requires a proper actin dynamic, regulated by several proteins, including formins. Disheveled-Associated-Activator of Morphogenesis1 (DAAM1) belongs to the formins and promotes actin polymerization. Our results showed that oral D-Aspartate (D-Asp) administration, an excitatory amino acid, increased DAAM1 protein levels in germ cells cytoplasm of rat testis. Interestingly, after the treatment, DAAM1 also localized in rat spermatogonia (SPG) and mouse GC-1 cells nuclei. We provided bioinformatic evidence that DAAM1 sequence has two predicted NLS, supporting its nuclear localization. The data also suggested a role of D-Asp in promoting DAAM1 shuttling to the nuclear compartment of those proliferative cells. In addition, the proliferative action induced by D-Asp is confirmed by the increased levels of PCNA, a protein expressed in the nucleus of cells in the S phase and p-H3, a histone crucial for chromatin condensation during mitosis and meiosis. In conclusion, we demonstrated, for the first time, an increased DAAM1 protein levels following D-Asp treatment in rat testis and also its localization in the nucleus of rat SPG and in mouse GC-1 cells. Our results suggest an assumed role for this formin as a regulator of actin dynamics in both cytoplasm and nuclei of the germ cells.
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9
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Santella L, Limatola N, Chun JT. Cellular and molecular aspects of oocyte maturation and fertilization: a perspective from the actin cytoskeleton. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2020; 6:5. [PMID: 32313685 PMCID: PMC7158055 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-020-00157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Much of the scientific knowledge on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryonic development has come from the experiments using gametes of marine organisms that reproduce by external fertilization. In particular, echinoderm eggs have enabled the study of structural and biochemical changes related to meiotic maturation and fertilization owing to the abundant availability of large and transparent oocytes and eggs. Thus, in vitro studies of oocyte maturation and sperm-induced egg activation in starfish are carried out under experimental conditions that resemble those occurring in nature. During the maturation process, immature oocytes of starfish are released from the prophase of the first meiotic division, and acquire the competence to be fertilized through a highly programmed sequence of morphological and physiological changes at the oocyte surface. In addition, the changes in the cortical and nuclear regions are essential for normal and monospermic fertilization. This review summarizes the current state of research on the cortical actin cytoskeleton in mediating structural and physiological changes during oocyte maturation and sperm and egg activation in starfish and sea urchin. The common denominator in these studies with echinoderms is that exquisite rearrangements of the egg cortical actin filaments play pivotal roles in gamete interactions, Ca2+ signaling, exocytosis of cortical granules, and control of monospermic fertilization. In this review, we also compare findings from studies using invertebrate eggs with what is known about the contributions made by the actin cytoskeleton in mammalian eggs. Since the cortical actin cytoskeleton affects microvillar morphology, movement, and positioning of organelles and vesicles, and the topography of the egg surface, these changes have impacts on the fertilization process, as has been suggested by recent morphological studies on starfish oocytes and eggs using scanning electron microscopy. Drawing the parallelism between vitelline layer of echinoderm eggs and the zona pellucida of mammalian eggs, we also discuss the importance of the egg surface in mediating monospermic fertilization. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Santella
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80121, Italy
| | - Nunzia Limatola
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80121, Italy
| | - Jong Tai Chun
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80121, Italy
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10
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Percipalle P, Vartiainen M. Cytoskeletal proteins in the cell nucleus: a special nuclear actin perspective. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 30:1781-1785. [PMID: 31306096 PMCID: PMC6727747 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-10-0645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging role of cytoskeletal proteins in the cell nucleus has become a new frontier in cell biology. Actin and actin-binding proteins regulate chromatin and gene expression, but importantly they are beginning to be essential players in genome organization. These actin-based functions contribute to genome stability and integrity while affecting DNA replication and global transcription patterns. This is likely to occur through interactions of actin with nuclear components including nuclear lamina and subnuclear organelles. An exciting future challenge is to understand how these actin-based genome-wide mechanisms may regulate development and differentiation by interfering with the mechanical properties of the cell nucleus and how regulated actin polymerization plays a role in maintaining nuclear architecture. With a special focus on actin, here we summarize how cytoskeletal proteins operate in the nucleus and how they may be important to consolidate nuclear architecture for sustained gene expression or silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, 12988 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Vartiainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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11
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12
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Venit T, Mahmood SR, Endara-Coll M, Percipalle P. Nuclear actin and myosin in chromatin regulation and maintenance of genome integrity. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 355:67-108. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
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13
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The Cytoskeleton as Regulator of Cell Signaling Pathways. Trends Biochem Sci 2019; 45:96-107. [PMID: 31812462 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
During interphase, filamentous actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments regulate cell shape, motility, transport, and interactions with the environment. These activities rely on signaling events that control cytoskeleton properties. Recent studies uncovered mechanisms that go far beyond this one-directional flow of information. Thus, the three branches of the cytoskeleton impinge on signaling pathways to determine their activities. We propose that this regulatory role of the cytoskeleton provides sophisticated mechanisms to control the spatiotemporal output and the intensity of signaling events. Specific examples emphasize these emerging contributions of the cytoskeleton to cell physiology. In our opinion, further exploration of these pathways will uncover new concepts of cellular communication that originate from the cytoskeleton.
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Santella
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Issei Mabuchi
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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15
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β-actin regulates a heterochromatin landscape essential for optimal induction of neuronal programs during direct reprograming. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007846. [PMID: 30557298 PMCID: PMC6312353 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
During neuronal development, β-actin serves an important role in growth cone mediated axon guidance. Consistent with this notion, in vivo ablation of the β-actin gene leads to abnormalities in the nervous system. However, whether β-actin is involved in the regulation of neuronal gene programs is not known. In this study, we directly reprogramed β-actin+/+ WT, β-actin+/- HET and β-actin-/- KO mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEFs) into chemically induced neurons (CiNeurons). Using RNA-seq analysis, we profiled the transcriptome changes among the CiNeurons. We discovered that induction of neuronal gene programs was impaired in KO CiNeurons in comparison to WT ones, whereas HET CiNeurons showed an intermediate levels of induction. ChIP-seq analysis of heterochromatin markers demonstrated that the impaired expression of neuronal gene programs correlated with the elevated H3K9 and H3K27 methylation levels at gene loci in β-actin deficient MEFs, which is linked to the loss of chromatin association of the BAF complex ATPase subunit Brg1. Together, our study shows that heterochromatin alteration in β-actin null MEFs impedes the induction of neuronal gene programs during direct reprograming. These findings are in line with the notion that H3K9Me3-based heterochromatin forms a major epigenetic barrier during cell fate change. Although β-actin plays an important role in growth cone mediated axon guidance in neurons, the potential role of β-actin in controlling neuron differentiation remains unknown. Here, we converted β-actin+/+ WT, β-actin+/- HET and β-actin-/- KO mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEFs) into chemically induced neurons (CiNeurons) by direct reprograming. We found that the up-regulation of neuronal programs was impaired in β-actin-/- CiNeurons in comparison to WT ones. β-actin+/- HET CiNeurons showed an intermediate level of neuronal program expression, suggesting that β-actin dosage plays an important role during direct neuronal reprograming. Importantly, the impaired up-regulation of neuron-related genes was associated with the elevated H3K9 and H3K27 methylation levels at gene loci in KO MEFs. These epigenetic changes were accompanied by the impaired chromatin association of Brg1-containing chromatin remodeling BAF complex in β-actin null cells. Together our study demonstrates that β-actin is required for the optimal induction of neuronal gene programs during direct reprograming by presetting a favorable chromatin status.
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Nuclear actin: ancient clue to evolution in eukaryotes? Histochem Cell Biol 2018; 150:235-244. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-1693-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Stefen H, Suchowerska AK, Chen BJ, Brettle M, Kuschelewski J, Gunning PW, Janitz M, Fath T. Tropomyosin isoforms have specific effects on the transcriptome of undifferentiated and differentiated B35 neuroblastoma cells. FEBS Open Bio 2018; 8:570-583. [PMID: 29632810 PMCID: PMC5881551 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropomyosins, a family of actin‐associated proteins, bestow actin filaments with distinct biochemical and physical properties which are important for determining cell shape and regulating many cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Here, we used RNA‐seq to investigate the effect of four tropomyosin isoforms on gene expression in undifferentiated and differentiated rat B35 neuroblastoma cells. In undifferentiated cells, overexpression of tropomyosin isoforms Tpm1.12, Tpm2.1, Tpm3.1, and Tpm4.2 differentially regulates a vast number of genes, clustering into several gene ontology terms. In differentiated cells, tropomyosin overexpression exerts a much weaker influence on overall gene expression. Our findings are particularly compelling because they demonstrate that tropomyosin‐dependent changes are attenuated once the cells are induced to follow a defined path of differentiation. Database Sequence data for public availability are deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive under the accession number PRJEB24136.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Stefen
- Neurodegenerative and Repair Unit School of Medical Science UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | | | - Bei Jun Chen
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Merryn Brettle
- Neurodegenerative and Repair Unit School of Medical Science UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Jennifer Kuschelewski
- Neurodegenerative and Repair Unit School of Medical Science UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Peter William Gunning
- Cellular and Genetic Medicine Unit School of Medical Sciences UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Michael Janitz
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Thomas Fath
- Neurodegenerative and Repair Unit School of Medical Science UNSW Sydney NSW Australia
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