1
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Peysson A, Zariohi N, Gendrel M, Chambert-Loir A, Frébault N, Cheynet E, Andrini O, Boulin T. Wnt-Ror-Dvl signalling and the dystrophin complex organize planar-polarized membrane compartments in C. elegans muscles. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4935. [PMID: 38858388 PMCID: PMC11164867 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49154-8] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity mechanisms allow the formation of specialized membrane domains with unique protein compositions, signalling properties, and functional characteristics. By analyzing the localization of potassium channels and proteins belonging to the dystrophin-associated protein complex, we reveal the existence of distinct planar-polarized membrane compartments at the surface of C. elegans muscle cells. We find that muscle polarity is controlled by a non-canonical Wnt signalling cascade involving the ligand EGL-20/Wnt, the receptor CAM-1/Ror, and the intracellular effector DSH-1/Dishevelled. Interestingly, classical planar cell polarity proteins are not required for this process. Using time-resolved protein degradation, we demonstrate that -while it is essentially in place by the end of embryogenesis- muscle polarity is a dynamic state, requiring continued presence of DSH-1 throughout post-embryonic life. Our results reveal the unsuspected complexity of the C. elegans muscle membrane and establish a genetically tractable model system to study cellular polarity and membrane compartmentalization in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Peysson
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noura Zariohi
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Marie Gendrel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Amandine Chambert-Loir
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noémie Frébault
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Elise Cheynet
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Olga Andrini
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Thomas Boulin
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, MeLiS, Lyon, 69008, France.
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2
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Liu J, Murray JI. Mechanisms of lineage specification in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad174. [PMID: 37847877 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The studies of cell fate and lineage specification are fundamental to our understanding of the development of multicellular organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has been one of the premiere systems for studying cell fate specification mechanisms at single cell resolution, due to its transparent nature, the invariant cell lineage, and fixed number of somatic cells. We discuss the general themes and regulatory mechanisms that have emerged from these studies, with a focus on somatic lineages and cell fates. We next review the key factors and pathways that regulate the specification of discrete cells and lineages during embryogenesis and postembryonic development; we focus on transcription factors and include numerous lineage diagrams that depict the expression of key factors that specify embryonic founder cells and postembryonic blast cells, and the diverse somatic cell fates they generate. We end by discussing some future perspectives in cell and lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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3
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Medwig-Kinney TN, Kinney BA, Martinez MAQ, Yee C, Sirota SS, Mullarkey AA, Somineni N, Hippler J, Zhang W, Shen K, Hammell C, Pani AM, Matus DQ. Dynamic compartmentalization of the pro-invasive transcription factor NHR-67 reveals a role for Groucho in regulating a proliferative-invasive cellular switch in C. elegans. eLife 2023; 12:RP84355. [PMID: 38038410 PMCID: PMC10691804 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84355] [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: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that cell division and basement membrane invasion are mutually exclusive cellular behaviors. How cells switch between proliferative and invasive states is not well understood. Here, we investigated this dichotomy in vivo by examining two cell types in the developing Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonad that derive from equipotent progenitors, but exhibit distinct cell behaviors: the post-mitotic, invasive anchor cell and the neighboring proliferative, non-invasive ventral uterine (VU) cells. We show that the fates of these cells post-specification are more plastic than previously appreciated and that levels of NHR-67 are important for discriminating between invasive and proliferative behavior. Transcription of NHR-67 is downregulated following post-translational degradation of its direct upstream regulator, HLH-2 (E/Daughterless) in VU cells. In the nuclei of VU cells, residual NHR-67 protein is compartmentalized into discrete punctae that are dynamic over the cell cycle and exhibit liquid-like properties. By screening for proteins that colocalize with NHR-67 punctae, we identified new regulators of uterine cell fate maintenance: homologs of the transcriptional co-repressor Groucho (UNC-37 and LSY-22), as well as the TCF/LEF homolog POP-1. We propose a model in which the association of NHR-67 with the Groucho/TCF complex suppresses the default invasive state in non-invasive cells, which complements transcriptional regulation to add robustness to the proliferative-invasive cellular switch in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor N Medwig-Kinney
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Brian A Kinney
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborUnited States
| | - Michael AQ Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Callista Yee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Sydney S Sirota
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Angelina A Mullarkey
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Neha Somineni
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Justin Hippler
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
- Science and Technology Research Program, Smithtown High School EastSt. JamesUnited States
| | - Wan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Kang Shen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | - Ariel M Pani
- Departments of Biology and Cell Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
| | - David Q Matus
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
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4
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Mubtasim N, Gollahon L. The Effect of Adipocyte-Secreted Factors in Activating Focal Adhesion Kinase-Mediated Cell Signaling Pathway towards Metastasis in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16605. [PMID: 38068928 PMCID: PMC10706115 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity-associated perturbations in the normal secretion of adipocytokines from white adipocytes can drive the metastatic progression of cancer. However, the association between obesity-induced changes in secretory factors of white adipocytes and subsequent transactivation of the downstream effector proteins impacting metastasis in breast cancer cells remains unclear. Focal adhesion kinase, a cytoplasmic signal transducer, regulates the biological phenomenon of metastasis by activating downstream targets such as beta-catenin and MMP9. Thus, the possible role of phosphorylated FAK in potentiating cancer cell migration was investigated. To elucidate this potential relationship, MCF7 (ER+), MDA-MB-231 (Triple Negative) breast cancer cells, and MCF-10A non-tumorigenic breast cells were exposed to in vitro murine adipocyte-conditioned medium derived from 3T3-L1 MBX cells differentiated to obesity with fatty acid supplementation. Our results show that the conditioned medium derived from these obese adipocytes enhanced motility and invasiveness of breast cancer cells. Importantly, no such changes were observed in the non-tumorigenic breast cells. Our results also show that increased FAK autophosphorylation was followed by increased expression of beta-catenin and MMP9 in the breast cancer cells when exposed to obese adipocyte-conditioned medium, but not in the MCF10A cells. These results indicate that adipocyte-derived secretory factors induced FAK activation through phosphorylation. This in turn increased breast cancer cell migration and invasion by activating its downstream effector proteins beta-catenin and MMP9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noshin Mubtasim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
| | - Lauren Gollahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
- Obesity Research Institute, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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5
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Konopelski Snavely SE, Srinivasan S, Dreyer CA, Tan J, Carraway KL, Ho HYH. Non-canonical WNT5A-ROR signaling: New perspectives on an ancient developmental pathway. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 153:195-227. [PMID: 36967195 PMCID: PMC11042798 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.01.009] [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: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Deciphering non-canonical WNT signaling has proven to be both fascinating and challenging. Discovered almost 30 years ago, non-canonical WNT ligands signal independently of the transcriptional co-activator β-catenin to regulate a wide range of morphogenetic processes during development. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie non-canonical WNT function, however, remain nebulous. Recent results from various model systems have converged to define a core non-canonical WNT pathway consisting of the prototypic non-canonical WNT ligand, WNT5A, the receptor tyrosine kinase ROR, the seven transmembrane receptor Frizzled and the cytoplasmic scaffold protein Dishevelled. Importantly, mutations in each of these signaling components cause Robinow syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by profound tissue morphogenetic abnormalities. Moreover, dysregulation of the pathway has also been linked to cancer metastasis. As new knowledge concerning the WNT5A-ROR pathway continues to grow, modeling these mutations will likely provide crucial insights into both the physiological regulation of the pathway and the etiology of WNT5A-ROR-driven diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Konopelski Snavely
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Srisathya Srinivasan
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Courtney A Dreyer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Jia Tan
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Kermit L Carraway
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Hsin-Yi Henry Ho
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States.
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6
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Sileo P, Simonin C, Melnyk P, Chartier-Harlin MC, Cotelle P. Crosstalk between the Hippo Pathway and the Wnt Pathway in Huntington's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223631. [PMID: 36429058 PMCID: PMC9688160 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway consists of a cascade of kinases that controls the phosphorylation of the co-activators YAP/TAZ. When unphosphorylated, YAP and TAZ translocate into the nucleus, where they mainly bind to the TEAD transcription factor family and activate genes related to cell proliferation and survival. In this way, the inhibition of the Hippo pathway promotes cell survival, proliferation, and stemness fate. Another pathway can modulate these processes, namely the Wnt/β-catenin pathway that is indeed involved in cellular functions such as proliferation and cell survival, as well as apoptosis, growth, and cell renewal. Wnt signaling can act in a canonical or noncanonical way, depending on whether β-catenin is involved in the process. In this review, we will focus only on the canonical Wnt pathway. It has emerged that YAP/TAZ are components of the β-catenin destruction complex and that there is a close relationship between the Hippo pathway and the canonical Wnt pathway. Furthermore, recent data have shown that both of these pathways may play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Thus, this review analyzes the Hippo pathway and the Wnt pathway, their crosstalk, and their involvement in Huntington's disease, as well as in other neurodegenerative disorders. Altogether, these data suggest possible therapeutic approaches targeting key players of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Sileo
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Clémence Simonin
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, F-59000 Lille, France
- Centre de Référence Maladie de Huntington, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Patricia Melnyk
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Marie-Christine Chartier-Harlin
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, F-59000 Lille, France
- Correspondence: (M.-C.C.-H.); (P.C.)
| | - Philippe Cotelle
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, F-59000 Lille, France
- ENSCL-Centrale Lille, CS 90108, F-59652 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
- Correspondence: (M.-C.C.-H.); (P.C.)
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7
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Sonawala K, Ramalingam S, Sellamuthu I. Influence of Long Non-Coding RNA in the Regulation of Cancer Stem Cell Signaling Pathways. Cells 2022; 11:3492. [PMID: 36359888 PMCID: PMC9656902 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as an immensely studied and experimental topic, however a wide range of questions concerning the topic still remain unanswered; in particular, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of tumor stem cells and their characteristics. Understanding the cancer stem-cell signaling pathways may pave the way towards a better comprehension of these mechanisms. Signaling pathways such as WNT, STAT, Hedgehog, NOTCH, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, TGF-β, and NF-κB are responsible not only for modulating various features of CSCs but also their microenvironments. Recently, the prominent roles of various non-coding RNAs such as small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in developing and enhancing the tumor phenotypes have been unfolded. This review attempts to shed light on understanding the influence of long non- coding RNAs in the modulation of various CSC-signaling pathways and its impact on the CSCs and tumor properties; highlighting the protagonistic and antagonistic roles of lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Iyappan Sellamuthu
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603202, India
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8
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Zhang Q, Hrach H, Mangone M, Reiner DJ. Identifying the Caenorhabditis elegans vulval transcriptome. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac091. [PMID: 35551383 PMCID: PMC9157107 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Development of the Caenorhabditis elegans vulva is a classic model of organogenesis. This system, which starts with 6 equipotent cells, encompasses diverse types of developmental event, including developmental competence, multiple signaling events to control precise and faithful patterning of three cell fates, execution and proliferation of specific cell lineages, and a series of sophisticated morphogenetic events. Early events have been subjected to extensive mutational and genetic investigations and later events to cell biological analyses. We infer the existence of dramatically changing profiles of gene expression that accompanies the observed changes in development. Yet, except from serendipitous discovery of several transcription factors expressed in dynamic patterns in vulval lineages, our knowledge of the transcriptomic landscape during vulval development is minimal. This study describes the composition of a vulva-specific transcriptome. We used tissue-specific harvesting of mRNAs via immunoprecipitation of epitope-tagged poly(A) binding protein, PAB-1, heterologously expressed by a promoter known to express GFP in vulval cells throughout their development. The identified transcriptome was small but tightly interconnected. From this data set, we identified several genes with identified functions in development of the vulva and validated more with promoter-GFP reporters of expression. For one target, lag-1, promoter-GFP expression was limited but a fluorescent tag of the endogenous protein revealed extensive expression. Thus, we have identified a transcriptome of C. elegans vulval lineages as a launching pad for exploration of functions of these genes in organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Heather Hrach
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Marco Mangone
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - David J Reiner
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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9
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Murray JI, Preston E, Crawford JP, Rumley JD, Amom P, Anderson BD, Sivaramakrishnan P, Patel SD, Bennett BA, Lavon TD, Hsiao E, Peng F, Zacharias AL. The anterior Hox gene ceh-13 and elt-1/GATA activate the posterior Hox genes nob-1 and php-3 to specify posterior lineages in the C. elegans embryo. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010187. [PMID: 35500030 PMCID: PMC9098060 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox transcription factors play a conserved role in specifying positional identity during animal development, with posterior Hox genes typically repressing the expression of more anterior Hox genes. Here, we dissect the regulation of the posterior Hox genes nob-1 and php-3 in the nematode C. elegans. We show that nob-1 and php-3 are co-expressed in gastrulation-stage embryos in cells that previously expressed the anterior Hox gene ceh-13. This expression is controlled by several partially redundant transcriptional enhancers. These enhancers act in a ceh-13-dependant manner, providing a striking example of an anterior Hox gene positively regulating a posterior Hox gene. Several other regulators also act positively through nob-1/php-3 enhancers, including elt-1/GATA, ceh-20/ceh-40/Pbx, unc-62/Meis, pop-1/TCF, ceh-36/Otx, and unc-30/Pitx. We identified defects in both cell position and cell division patterns in ceh-13 and nob-1;php-3 mutants, suggesting that these factors regulate lineage identity in addition to positional identity. Together, our results highlight the complexity and flexibility of Hox gene regulation and function and the ability of developmental transcription factors to regulate different targets in different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elicia Preston
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jeremy P. Crawford
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Rumley
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Prativa Amom
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Breana D. Anderson
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Priya Sivaramakrishnan
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Shaili D. Patel
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Barrington Alexander Bennett
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Teddy D. Lavon
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Erin Hsiao
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Felicia Peng
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Zacharias
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
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10
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Cell polarity control by Wnt morphogens. Dev Biol 2022; 487:34-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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11
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Saraswathy VM, Kurup AJ, Sharma P, Polès S, Poulain M, Fürthauer M. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Mindbomb1 controls planar cell polarity-dependent convergent extension movements during zebrafish gastrulation. eLife 2022; 11:71928. [PMID: 35142609 PMCID: PMC8937233 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate Delta/Notch signaling involves multiple ligands, receptors and transcription factors. Delta endocytosis - a critical event for Notch activation - is however essentially controlled by the E3 Ubiquitin ligase Mindbomb1 (Mib1). Mib1 inactivation is therefore often used to inhibit Notch signaling. However, recent findings indicate that Mib1 function extends beyond the Notch pathway. We report a novel Notch-independent role of Mib1 in zebrafish gastrulation. mib1 null mutants and morphants display impaired Convergence Extension (CE) movements. Comparison of different mib1 mutants and functional rescue experiments indicate that Mib1 controls CE independently of Notch. Mib1-dependent CE defects can be rescued using the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) downstream mediator RhoA, or enhanced through knock-down of the PCP ligand Wnt5b. Mib1 regulates CE through its RING Finger domains that have been implicated in substrate ubiquitination, suggesting that Mib1 may control PCP protein trafficking. Accordingly, we show that Mib1 controls the endocytosis of the PCP component Ryk and that Ryk internalization is required for CE. Numerous morphogenetic processes involve both Notch and PCP signaling. Our observation that during zebrafish gastrulation Mib1 exerts a Notch-independent control of PCP-dependent CE movements suggest that Mib1 loss of function phenotypes should be cautiously interpreted depending on the biological context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sophie Polès
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
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12
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Torban E, Sokol SY. Planar cell polarity pathway in kidney development, function and disease. Nat Rev Nephrol 2021; 17:369-385. [PMID: 33547419 PMCID: PMC8967065 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-021-00395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) refers to the coordinated orientation of cells in the tissue plane. Originally discovered and studied in Drosophila melanogaster, PCP is now widely recognized in vertebrates, where it is implicated in organogenesis. Specific sets of PCP genes have been identified. The proteins encoded by these genes become asymmetrically distributed to opposite sides of cells within a tissue plane and guide many processes that include changes in cell shape and polarity, collective cell movements or the uniform distribution of cell appendages. A unifying characteristic of these processes is that they often involve rearrangement of actomyosin. Mutations in PCP genes can cause malformations in organs of many animals, including humans. In the past decade, strong evidence has accumulated for a role of the PCP pathway in kidney development including outgrowth and branching morphogenesis of ureteric bud and podocyte development. Defective PCP signalling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of developmental kidney disorders of the congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract spectrum. Understanding the origins, molecular constituents and cellular targets of PCP provides insights into the involvement of PCP molecules in normal kidney development and how dysfunction of PCP components may lead to kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Torban
- McGill University and McGill University Health Center Research Institute, 1001 Boulevard Decarie, Block E, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4A3J1.,Corresponding authors: Elena Torban (); Sergei Sokol ()
| | - Sergei Y. Sokol
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, 10029, USA,Corresponding authors: Elena Torban (); Sergei Sokol ()
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13
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Chen X, Lu Y, Guo G, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Guo L, Li R, Nan Y, Yang X, Dong J, Jin X, Huang Q. AMOTL2‑knockdown promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma by regulating β‑catenin nuclear localization. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:139. [PMID: 34036399 PMCID: PMC8165599 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent type of malignant cancer in the adult central nervous system; however, its mechanism remains unclear. Angiomotin-like 2 (AMOTL2) is a member of the motin family of angiostatin-binding proteins. It has been reported as an oncogene in cervical and breast cancer, but its association with glioma remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate AMOTL2-regulated processes in glioma cell lines using extensive in vitro assays and certain bioinformatics tools. These results revealed that AMOTL2 was downregulated in high-grade glioma cells and tissues, with patients with glioma exhibiting a high AMOTL2 expression having a higher survival rate. The results of the glioma cell phenotype experiment showed that AMOTL2 suppressed GBM proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, immunoblotting, co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays demonstrated that AMOTL2 could directly bind to β-catenin protein, the key molecule of the Wnt signaling pathway, and regulate its downstream genes by regulating β-catenin nuclear translocation. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that AMOTL2 inhibited glioma proliferation, migration and invasion by regulating β-catenin nuclear localization. Thus, AMOTL2 may serve as a therapeutic target to further improve the prognosis and prolong survival time of patients with glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingjie Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yalin Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Gaochao Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China
| | - Lianmei Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Ruohong Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yang Nan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Xuejun Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Jun Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, P.R. China
| | - Xun Jin
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
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14
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Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway on Polarity Formation of Utricle Hair Cells. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:9950533. [PMID: 34122536 PMCID: PMC8166501 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9950533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the inner ear, the vestibular system is responsible for sense of balance, which consists of three semicircular canals, the utricle, and the saccule. Increasing evidence has indicated that the noncanonical Wnt/PCP signaling pathway plays a significant role in the development of the polarity of the inner ear. However, the role of canonical Wnt signaling in the polarity of the vestibule is still not completely clear. In this study, we found that canonical Wnt pathway-related genes are expressed in the early stage of development of the utricle and change dynamically. We conditionally knocked out β-catenin, a canonical Wnt signaling core protein, and found that the cilia orientation of hair cells was disordered with reduced number of hair cells in the utricle. Moreover, regulating the canonical Wnt pathway (Licl and IWP2) in vitro also affected hair cell polarity and indicated that Axin2 may be important in this process. In conclusion, our results not only confirm that the regulation of canonical Wnt signaling affects the number of hair cells in the utricle but also provide evidence for its role in polarity development.
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15
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Parallel Rap1>RalGEF>Ral and Ras signals sculpt the C. elegans nervous system. Dev Biol 2021; 477:37-48. [PMID: 33991533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.05.004] [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: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Ras is the most commonly mutated oncogene in humans and uses three oncogenic effectors: Raf, PI3K, and RalGEF activation of Ral. Understanding the importance of RalGEF>Ral signaling in cancer is hampered by the paucity of knowledge about their function in animal development, particularly in cell movements. We found that mutations that disrupt function of RalGEF or Ral enhance migration phenotypes of mutants for genes with established roles in cell migration. We used as a model the migration of the canal associated neurons (CANs), and validated our results in HSN cell migration, neurite guidance, and general animal locomotion. These functions of RalGEF and Ral are specific to their control of Ral signaling output rather than other published functions of these proteins. In this capacity Ral functions cell autonomously as a permissive developmental signal. In contrast, we observed Ras, the canonical activator of RalGEF>Ral signaling in cancer, to function as an instructive signal. Furthermore, we unexpectedly identified a function for the close Ras relative, Rap1, consistent with activation of RalGEF>Ral. These studies define functions of RalGEF>Ral, Rap1 and Ras signaling in morphogenetic processes that fashion the nervous system. We have also defined a model for studying how small GTPases partner with downstream effectors. Taken together, this analysis defines novel molecules and relationships in signaling networks that control cell movements during development of the nervous system.
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16
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Caspi M, Wittenstein A, Kazelnik M, Shor-Nareznoy Y, Rosin-Arbesfeld R. Therapeutic targeting of the oncogenic Wnt signaling pathway for treating colorectal cancer and other colonic disorders. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 169:118-136. [PMID: 33346022 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The canonical Wnt pathway is one of the key cellular signaling cascades that regulates, via the transcriptional co-activator β-catenin, numerous embryogenic developmental processes, as well as tissue homeostasis. It is therefore not surprising that misregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been implicated in carcinogenesis. Aberrant Wnt signaling has been reported in a variety of malignancies, and its role in both hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC), has been the subject of intensive study. Interestingly, the vast majority of colorectal tumors harbor mutations in the tumor suppressor gene adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). The Wnt pathway is complex, and despite decades of research, the mechanisms that underlie its functions are not completely known. Thus, although the Wnt cascade is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention against CRC, one of the malignancies with the highest morbidity and mortality rates, achieving efficacy and safety is yet extremely challenging. Here, we review the current knowledge of the Wnt different epistatic signaling components and the mechanism/s by which the signal is transduced in both health and disease, focusing on CRC. We address some of the important questions in the field and describe various therapeutic strategies designed to combat unregulated Wnt signaling, the development of targeted therapy approaches and the emerging challenges that are associated with these advanced methods.
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17
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Stucky A, Gao L, Sun L, Li SC, Chen X, Park TH, Cai J, Kabeer MH, Zhang X, Sinha UK, Zhong JF. Evidence for AJUBA-catenin-CDH4-linked differentiation resistance of mesenchymal stem cells implies tumorigenesis and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a single-cell transcriptome approach. BLOOD AND GENOMICS 2021; 5:29-39. [PMID: 34368804 PMCID: PMC8346230 DOI: 10.46701/bg.2021012021106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of reports indicate that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play an essential role in promoting tumorigenesis and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Using the MSC model system, this study analyzes the molecular pathway by which differentiation resistant MSCs promote HNSCC. MSCs were cultured in osteogenic differentiation media and harvested on days 12 and 19. Cells were stained for cell differentiation analysis using Alizarin Red. The osteogenesis-resistant MSCs (OR-MSCs) and MSC-differentiation-derived osteoblasts (D-OSTBs) were identified and subjected to the single-cell transcriptome analysis. Gene-specific analyses of these two sub-populations were performed for the patterns of differential expression. A total of 1 780 differentially expressed genes were determined to distinguish OR-MSCs significantly from D-OSTB. Notably, AJUBA, β-catenin, and CDH4 expression levels were upregulated considerably within the OR-MSCs compared to D-OSTBs. To confirm their clinical relevance, a survey of a clinical cohort revealed a high correlation among the expression levels of AJUBA, β-catenin and CDH4. The results shed new light that OR-MSCs participate in the development of HNSCC via a pathway mediated by AJUBA, β-catenin, CDH4, and CTNNB1, thereby implying that MSC-based therapy is a promising therapeutic approach in the management of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Stucky
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Li Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lan Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Shengwen Calvin Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Research Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience Research, CHOC Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange, CA 92868, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California - Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| | - Xuelian Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tiffany H. Park
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jin Cai
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Mustafa H. Kabeer
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA 92868, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California - Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Uttam K. Sinha
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jiang F. Zhong
- Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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18
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Lu J, Wilfred P, Korbie D, Trau M. Regulation of Canonical Oncogenic Signaling Pathways in Cancer via DNA Methylation. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3199. [PMID: 33143142 PMCID: PMC7692324 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruption of signaling pathways that plays a role in the normal development and cellular homeostasis may lead to the dysregulation of cellular signaling and bring about the onset of different diseases, including cancer. In addition to genetic aberrations, DNA methylation also acts as an epigenetic modifier to drive the onset and progression of cancer by mediating the reversible transcription of related genes. Although the role of DNA methylation as an alternative driver of carcinogenesis has been well-established, the global effects of DNA methylation on oncogenic signaling pathways and the presentation of cancer is only emerging. In this article, we introduced a differential methylation parsing pipeline (MethylMine) which mined for epigenetic biomarkers based on feature selection. This pipeline was used to mine for biomarkers, which presented a substantial difference in methylation between the tumor and the matching normal tissue samples. Combined with the Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker discovery (DIABLO) framework for machine learning and multi-omic analysis, we revisited the TCGA DNA methylation and RNA-Seq datasets for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, and identified differentially methylated genes within the NRF2-KEAP1/PI3K oncogenic pathway, which regulates the expression of cytoprotective genes, that serve as potential therapeutic targets to treat different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lu
- Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.L.); (P.W.)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Premila Wilfred
- Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.L.); (P.W.)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Darren Korbie
- Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.L.); (P.W.)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Matt Trau
- Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.L.); (P.W.)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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19
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Hsu HW, Liao CP, Chiang YC, Syu RT, Pan CL. Caenorhabditis elegans Flamingo FMI-1 controls dendrite self-avoidance through F-actin assembly. Development 2020; 147:dev179168. [PMID: 32631831 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Self-avoidance is a conserved mechanism that prevents crossover between sister dendrites from the same neuron, ensuring proper functioning of the neuronal circuits. Several adhesion molecules are known to be important for dendrite self-avoidance, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely defined. Here, we show that FMI-1/Flamingo, an atypical cadherin, is required autonomously for self-avoidance in the multidendritic PVD neuron of Caenorhabditis elegans The fmi-1 mutant shows increased crossover between sister PVD dendrites. Our genetic analysis suggests that FMI-1 promotes transient F-actin assembly at the tips of contacting sister dendrites to facilitate their efficient retraction during self-avoidance events, probably by interacting with WSP-1/N-WASP. Mutations of vang-1, which encodes the planar cell polarity protein Vangl2 previously shown to inhibit F-actin assembly, suppress self-avoidance defects of the fmi-1 mutant. FMI-1 downregulates VANG-1 levels probably through forming protein complexes. Our study identifies molecular links between Flamingo and the F-actin cytoskeleton that facilitate efficient dendrite self-avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Wei Hsu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Po Liao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Chen Chiang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Ru-Ting Syu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Pan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
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20
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Modzelewska K, Brown L, Culotti J, Moghal N. Sensory regulated Wnt production from neurons helps make organ development robust to environmental changes in C. elegans. Development 2020; 147:dev186080. [PMID: 32586974 DOI: 10.1242/dev.186080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Long-term survival of an animal species depends on development being robust to environmental variations and climate changes. We used C. elegans to study how mechanisms that sense environmental changes trigger adaptive responses that ensure animals develop properly. In water, the nervous system induces an adaptive response that reinforces vulval development through an unknown backup signal for vulval induction. This response involves the heterotrimeric G-protein EGL-30//Gαq acting in motor neurons. It also requires body-wall muscle, which is excited by EGL-30-stimulated synaptic transmission, suggesting a behavioral function of neurons induces backup signal production from muscle. We now report that increased acetylcholine during liquid growth activates an EGL-30-Rho pathway, distinct from the synaptic transmission pathway, that increases Wnt production from motor neurons. We also provide evidence that this neuronal Wnt contributes to EGL-30-stimulated vulval development, with muscle producing a parallel developmental signal. As diverse sensory modalities stimulate motor neurons via acetylcholine, this mechanism enables broad sensory perception to enhance Wnt-dependent development. Thus, sensory perception improves animal fitness by activating distinct neuronal functions that trigger adaptive changes in both behavior and developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Modzelewska
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Louise Brown
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Joseph Culotti
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Nadeem Moghal
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada
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21
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Kaur S, Mélénec P, Murgan S, Bordet G, Recouvreux P, Lenne PF, Bertrand V. Wnt ligands regulate the asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors in C. elegans embryos. Development 2020; 147:dev183186. [PMID: 32156756 PMCID: PMC10679509 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signalling has been implicated in the terminal asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors in vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the role of Wnt ligands in this process remains poorly characterized. Here, we used the terminal divisions of the embryonic neuronal progenitors in C. elegans to characterize the role of Wnt ligands during this process, focusing on a lineage that produces the cholinergic interneuron AIY. We observed that, during interphase, the neuronal progenitor is elongated along the anteroposterior axis, then divides along its major axis, generating an anterior and a posterior daughter with different fates. Using time-controlled perturbations, we show that three Wnt ligands, which are transcribed at higher levels at the posterior of the embryo, regulate the orientation of the neuronal progenitor and its asymmetric division. We also identify a role for a Wnt receptor (MOM-5) and a cortical transducer APC (APR-1), which are, respectively, enriched at the posterior and anterior poles of the neuronal progenitor. Our study establishes a role for Wnt ligands in the regulation of the shape and terminal asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors, and identifies downstream components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Kaur
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Pauline Mélénec
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Sabrina Murgan
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Guillaume Bordet
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Pierre Recouvreux
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Vincent Bertrand
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille 13009, France
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22
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Jung YS, Park JI. Wnt signaling in cancer: therapeutic targeting of Wnt signaling beyond β-catenin and the destruction complex. Exp Mol Med 2020; 52:183-191. [PMID: 32037398 PMCID: PMC7062731 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-0380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is implicated in many physiological processes, including development, tissue homeostasis, and tissue regeneration. In human cancers, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is highly activated, which has led to the development of various Wnt signaling inhibitors for cancer therapies. Nonetheless, the blockade of Wnt signaling causes side effects such as impairment of tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Recently, several studies have identified cancer-specific Wnt signaling regulators. In this review, we discuss the Wnt inhibitors currently being used in clinical trials and suggest how additional cancer-specific regulators could be utilized to treat Wnt signaling-associated cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youn-Sang Jung
- 0000 0001 2291 4776grid.240145.6Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Jae-Il Park
- 0000 0001 2291 4776grid.240145.6Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA ,0000 0001 2291 4776grid.240145.6Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA ,0000 0001 2291 4776grid.240145.6Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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23
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Cherian JR, Adams KV, Petrella LN. Wnt Signaling Drives Ectopic Gene Expression and Larval Arrest in the Absence of the Caenorhabditis elegans DREAM Repressor Complex. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:863-874. [PMID: 31843805 PMCID: PMC7003081 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Establishment and maintenance of proper gene expression is a requirement for normal growth and development. The DREAM complex in Caenorhabditis elegans functions as a transcriptional repressor of germline genes in somatic cells. At 26°, DREAM complex mutants show increased misexpression of germline genes in somatic cells and High Temperature Arrest (HTA) of worms at the first larval stage. To identify transcription factors required for the ectopic expression of germline genes in DREAM complex mutants, we conducted an RNA interference screen against 123 transcription factors capable of binding DREAM target promoter loci for suppression of the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. We found that knock-down of 15 embryonically expressed transcription factors suppress the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. Five of the transcription factors found in the initial screen have associations with Wnt signaling pathways. In a subsequent RNAi suppression screen of Wnt signaling factors we found that knock-down of the non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway factors vang-1, prkl-1 and fmi-1 in a lin-54 mutant background resulted in strong suppression of the HTA phenotype. Animals mutant for both lin-54 and vang-1 showed almost complete suppression of the HTA phenotype, pgl-1 misexpression, and fertility defects associated with lin-54 single mutants at 26°. We propose a model whereby a set of embryonically expressed transcription factors, and the Wnt/PCP pathway, act opportunistically to activate DREAM complex target genes in somatic cells of DREAM complex mutants at 26°.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerrin R Cherian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
| | - Katherine V Adams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
| | - Lisa N Petrella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
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24
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Kroll JR, Tsiaxiras J, van Zon JS. Variability in β-catenin pulse dynamics in a stochastic cell fate decision in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2020; 461:110-123. [PMID: 32032579 PMCID: PMC7203549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During development, cell fate decisions are often highly stochastic, but with the frequency of the different possible fates tightly controlled. To understand how signaling networks control the cell fate frequency of such random decisions, we studied the stochastic decision of the Caenorhabditis elegans P3.p cell to either fuse to the hypodermis or assume vulva precursor cell fate. Using time-lapse microscopy to measure the single-cell dynamics of two key inhibitors of cell fusion, the Hox gene LIN-39 and Wnt signaling through the β-catenin BAR-1, we uncovered significant variability in the dynamics of LIN-39 and BAR-1 levels. Most strikingly, we observed that BAR-1 accumulated in a single, 1–4 h pulse at the time of the P3.p cell fate decision, with strong variability both in pulse slope and time of pulse onset. We found that the time of BAR-1 pulse onset was delayed relative to the time of cell fusion in mutants with low cell fusion frequency, linking BAR-1 pulse timing to cell fate outcome. Overall, a model emerged where animal-to-animal variability in LIN-39 levels and BAR-1 pulse dynamics biases cell fate by modulating their absolute level at the time cell fusion is induced. Our results highlight that timing of cell signaling dynamics, rather than its average level or amplitude, could play an instructive role in determining cell fate. The fate of the C. elegans P3.p cell is stochastic. β-catenin (BAR-1) accumulated in P3.p at the time of the cell fate decision. There is variability in dynamics of Hox and β-catenin levels during the decision. BAR-1 accumulated with variable pulse slope and time of pulse onset. Pulse dynamics bias cell fate at the time of the cell fate decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Kroll
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasonas Tsiaxiras
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen S van Zon
- Department of Living Matter, AMOLF, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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25
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Cravo J, van den Heuvel S. Tissue polarity and PCP protein function: C. elegans as an emerging model. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 62:159-167. [PMID: 31884395 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Polarity is the basis for the generation of cell diversity, as well as the organization, morphogenesis, and functioning of tissues. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans have provided much insight into PAR-protein mediated polarity; however, the molecules and mechanisms critical for cell polarization within the plane of epithelia have been identified in other systems. Tissue polarity in C. elegans is organized by Wnt-signaling with some resemblance to the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, but lacking core PCP protein functions. Nonetheless, recent studies revealed that conserved PCP proteins regulate directed cell migratory events in C. elegans, such as convergent extension movements and neurite formation and guidance. Here, we discuss the latest insights and use of C. elegans as a PCP model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Cravo
- Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sander van den Heuvel
- Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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26
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Minor P, Sternberg P. C. elegans LRP-2 functions in vulval precursor cell polarity. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2019; 2019. [PMID: 32550417 PMCID: PMC7252275 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Minor
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125.,Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
| | - Paul Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125
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27
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Minor PJ, Sternberg PW. LRP-2 controls the localization of C. elegans SYS-1/beta-catenin. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2019; 2019:10.17912/micropub.biology.000151. [PMID: 32550426 PMCID: PMC7252296 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Minor
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125
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28
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Minor P, Sternberg P. Low density lipoprotein receptors LRP-1 and LRP-2 in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2019; 2019. [PMID: 32550404 PMCID: PMC7252236 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Minor
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125.,Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
| | - Paul Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Minor
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125.,Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
| | - Paul Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125
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30
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Shin H, Braendle C, Monahan KB, Kaplan REW, Zand TP, Mote FS, Peters EC, Reiner DJ. Developmental fidelity is imposed by genetically separable RalGEF activities that mediate opposing signals. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008056. [PMID: 31086367 PMCID: PMC6534338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The six C. elegans vulval precursor cells (VPCs) are induced to form the 3°-3°-2°-1°-2°-3° pattern of cell fates with high fidelity. In response to EGF signal, the LET-60/Ras-LIN-45/Raf-MEK-2/MEK-MPK-1/ERK canonical MAP kinase cascade is necessary to induce 1° fate and synthesis of DSL ligands for the lateral Notch signal. In turn, LIN-12/Notch receptor is necessary to induce neighboring cells to become 2°. We previously showed that, in response to graded EGF signal, the modulatory LET-60/Ras-RGL-1/RalGEF-RAL-1/Ral signal promotes 2° fate in support of LIN-12. In this study, we identify two key differences between RGL-1 and RAL-1. First, deletion of RGL-1 confers no overt developmental defects, while previous studies showed RAL-1 to be essential for viability and fertility. From this observation, we hypothesize that the essential functions of RAL-1 are independent of upstream activation. Second, RGL-1 plays opposing and genetically separable roles in VPC fate patterning. RGL-1 promotes 2° fate via canonical GEF-dependent activation of RAL-1. Conversely, RGL-1 promotes 1° fate via a non-canonical GEF-independent activity. Our genetic epistasis experiments are consistent with RGL-1 functioning in the modulatory 1°-promoting AGE-1/PI3-Kinase-PDK-1-AKT-1 cascade. Additionally, animals lacking RGL-1 experience 15-fold higher rates of VPC patterning errors compared to the wild type. Yet VPC patterning in RGL-1 deletion mutants is not more sensitive to environmental perturbations. We propose that RGL-1 functions to orchestrate opposing 1°- and 2°-promoting modulatory cascades to decrease developmental stochasticity. We speculate that such switches are broadly conserved but mostly masked by paralog redundancy or essential functions. Developmental signals are increasingly conceptualized in the context of networks rather than linear pathways. Patterning of C. elegans vulval fates is mostly governed by two major signaling cascades that operate antagonistically to induce two cell identities. An additional pair of minor cascades support each of the major cascades. All components in this system are conserved in mammalian oncogenic signaling networks. We find that RGL-1, a component of one of the minor cascades, performs two antagonistic functions. Its deletion appears to abolish both opposing modulatory signals, resulting in a 15-fold increase in the basal error rate in development of these cells. We hypothesize that the bifunctional RGL-1 protein defines a novel mechanism by which signaling networks are interwoven to mitigate developmental errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Shin
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Kimberly B Monahan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Rebecca E W Kaplan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Tanya P Zand
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America.,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Francisca Sefakor Mote
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Eldon C Peters
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - David J Reiner
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, United States of America.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America.,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
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31
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Necessity and Contingency in Developmental Genetic Screens: EGF, Wnt, and Semaphorin Pathways in Vulval Induction of the Nematode Oscheius tipulae. Genetics 2019; 211:1315-1330. [PMID: 30700527 PMCID: PMC6456316 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic screens in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have identified EGF and Notch pathways as key for vulval precursor cell fate patterning. Here, Vargas-Velazquez, Besnard, and Félix report on the molecular identification of... Genetic screens in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans identified the EGF/Ras and Notch pathways as central for vulval precursor cell fate patterning. Schematically, the anchor cell secretes EGF, inducing the P6.p cell to a primary (1°) vulval fate; P6.p in turn induces its neighbors to a secondary (2°) fate through Delta-Notch signaling and represses Ras signaling. In the nematode Oscheius tipulae, the anchor cell successively induces 2° then 1° vulval fates. Here, we report on the molecular identification of mutations affecting vulval induction in O. tipulae. A single Induction Vulvaless mutation was found, which we identify as a cis-regulatory deletion in a tissue-specific enhancer of the O. tipulae lin-3 homolog, confirmed by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 mutation. In contrast to this predictable Vulvaless mutation, mutations resulting in an excess of 2° fates unexpectedly correspond to the plexin/semaphorin pathway. Hyperinduction of P4.p and P8.p in these mutants likely results from mispositioning of these cells due to a lack of contact inhibition. The third signaling pathway found by forward genetics in O. tipulae is the Wnt pathway; a decrease in Wnt pathway activity results in loss of vulval precursor competence and induction, and 1° fate miscentering on P5.p. Our results suggest that the EGF and Wnt pathways have qualitatively similar activities in vulval induction in C. elegans and O. tipulae, albeit with quantitative differences in the effects of mutation. Thus, the derived induction process in C. elegans with an early induction of the 1° fate appeared during evolution, after the recruitment of the EGF pathway for vulval induction.
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32
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Shin H, Reiner DJ. The Signaling Network Controlling C. elegans Vulval Cell Fate Patterning. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:E30. [PMID: 30544993 PMCID: PMC6316802 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6040030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EGF, emitted by the Anchor Cell, patterns six equipotent C. elegans vulval precursor cells to assume a precise array of three cell fates with high fidelity. A group of core and modulatory signaling cascades forms a signaling network that demonstrates plasticity during the transition from naïve to terminally differentiated cells. In this review, we summarize the history of classical developmental manipulations and molecular genetics experiments that led to our understanding of the signals governing this process, and discuss principles of signal transduction and developmental biology that have emerged from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Shin
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - David J Reiner
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- College of Medicine, Texas A & M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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33
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The planar cell polarity protein VANG-1/Vangl negatively regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling through a Dvl dependent mechanism. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007840. [PMID: 30532125 PMCID: PMC6307821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Van Gogh-like (Vangl) and Prickle (Pk) are core components of the non-canonical Wnt planar cell polarity pathway that controls epithelial polarity and cell migration. Studies in vertebrate model systems have suggested that Vangl and Pk may also inhibit signaling through the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, but the functional significance of this potential cross-talk is unclear. In the nematode C. elegans, the Q neuroblasts and their descendants migrate in opposite directions along the anteroposterior body axis. The direction of these migrations is specified by Wnt signaling, with activation of canonical Wnt signaling driving posterior migration, and non-canonical Wnt signaling anterior migration. Here, we show that the Vangl ortholog VANG-1 influences the Wnt signaling response of the Q neuroblasts by negatively regulating canonical Wnt signaling. This inhibitory activity depends on a carboxy-terminal PDZ binding motif in VANG-1 and the Dishevelled ortholog MIG-5, but is independent of the Pk ortholog PRKL-1. Moreover, using Vangl1 and Vangl2 double mutant cells, we show that a similar mechanism acts in mammalian cells. We conclude that cross-talk between VANG-1/Vangl and the canonical Wnt pathway is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that ensures robust specification of Wnt signaling responses. Wnt proteins are signaling molecules with a wide range of functions in embryonic development and the maintenance of adult tissues. Wnt proteins can trigger several different signaling pathways that are grouped in β-catenin dependent (canonical) and independent (non-canonical) signaling mechanisms. Here, we have investigated cross-talk between these different Wnt signaling pathways. We show that VANG-1/Vangl, a component of the non-canonical planar cell polarity pathway, negatively regulates canonical Wnt signaling. We propose that this cross-talk mechanism ensures that Wnt stimulated cells always activate the proper downstream signaling response.
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34
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Shin H, Kaplan REW, Duong T, Fakieh R, Reiner DJ. Ral Signals through a MAP4 Kinase-p38 MAP Kinase Cascade in C. elegans Cell Fate Patterning. Cell Rep 2018; 24:2669-2681.e5. [PMID: 30184501 PMCID: PMC6484852 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
C. elegans vulval precursor cell (VPC) fates are patterned by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) gradient. High-dose EGF induces 1° VPC fate, and lower dose EGF contributes to 2° fate in support of LIN-12/Notch. We previously showed that the EGF 2°-promoting signal is mediated by LET-60/Ras switching effectors, from the canonical Raf-MEK-ERK mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade that promotes 1° fate to the non-canonical RalGEF-Ral that promotes 2° fate. Of oncogenic Ras effectors, RalGEF-Ral is by far the least well understood. We use genetic analysis to identify an effector cascade downstream of C. elegans RAL-1/Ral, starting with an established Ral binding partner, Exo84 of the exocyst complex. Additionally, RAL-1 signals through GCK-2, a citron-N-terminal-homology-domain-containing MAP4 kinase, and PMK-1/p38 MAP kinase cascade to promote 2° fate. Our study delineates a Ral-dependent developmental signaling cascade in vivo, thus providing the mechanism by which lower EGF dose is transduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Shin
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rebecca E W Kaplan
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Tam Duong
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Razan Fakieh
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David J Reiner
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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35
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Pani AM, Goldstein B. Direct visualization of a native Wnt in vivo reveals that a long-range Wnt gradient forms by extracellular dispersal. eLife 2018; 7:38325. [PMID: 30106379 PMCID: PMC6143344 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnts are evolutionarily conserved signaling proteins with essential roles in development and disease that have often been thought to spread between cells and signal at a distance. However, recent studies have challenged this model, and whether long-distance extracellular Wnt dispersal occurs and is biologically relevant is debated. Understanding fundamental aspects of Wnt dispersal has been limited by challenges with observing endogenous ligands in vivo, which has prevented directly testing hypotheses. Here, we have generated functional, fluorescently tagged alleles for a C. elegans Wnt homolog and for the first time visualized a native, long-range Wnt gradient in a living animal. Live imaging of Wnt along with source and responding cell membranes provided support for free, extracellular dispersal. By limiting Wnt transfer between cells, we confirmed that extracellular spreading shapes a long-range gradient and is critical for neuroblast migration. These results provide direct evidence that Wnts spread extracellularly to regulate aspects of long-range signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel M Pani
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
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36
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Beaven R, Denholm B. Release and spread of Wingless is required to pattern the proximo-distal axis of Drosophila renal tubules. eLife 2018; 7:e35373. [PMID: 30095068 PMCID: PMC6086663 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wingless/Wnts are signalling molecules, traditionally considered to pattern tissues as long-range morphogens. However, more recently the spread of Wingless was shown to be dispensable in diverse developmental contexts in Drosophila and vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that release and spread of Wingless is required to pattern the proximo-distal (P-D) axis of Drosophila Malpighian tubules. Wingless signalling, emanating from the midgut, directly activates odd skipped expression several cells distant in the proximal tubule. Replacing Wingless with a membrane-tethered version that is unable to diffuse from the Wingless producing cells results in aberrant patterning of the Malpighian tubule P-D axis and development of short, deformed ureters. This work directly demonstrates a patterning role for a released Wingless signal. As well as extending our understanding about the functional modes by which Wnts shape animal development, we anticipate this mechanism to be relevant to patterning epithelial tubes in other organs, such as the vertebrate kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Beaven
- Deanery of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Barry Denholm
- Deanery of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
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37
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Regulation of Axon Guidance by the Wnt Receptor Ror/CAM-1 in the PVT Guidepost Cell in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2017; 207:1533-1545. [PMID: 28993416 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans ventral nerve cord (VNC) consists of two asymmetric bundles of neurons and axons that are separated by the midline. How the axons are guided to stay on the correct sides of the midline remains poorly understood. Here we provide evidence that the conserved Wnt signaling pathway along with the Netrin and Robo pathways constitute a combinatorial code for midline guidance of PVP and PVQ axons that extend into the VNC. Combined loss of the Wnts CWN-1, CWN-2, and EGL-20 or loss of the Wnt receptor CAM-1 caused >70% of PVP and PVQ axons to inappropriately cross over from the left side to the right side. Loss of the Frizzled receptor LIN-17 or the planar cell polarity (PCP) protein VANG-1 also caused cross over defects that did not enhance those in the cam-1 mutant, indicating that the proteins function together in midline guidance. Strong cam-1 expression can be detected in the PVQs and the guidepost cell PVT that is located on the midline. However, only when cam-1 is expressed in PVT are the crossover defects of PVP and PVQ rescued, showing that CAM-1 functions nonautonomously in PVT to prevent axons from crossing the midline.
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38
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Susman MW, Karuna EP, Kunz RC, Gujral TS, Cantú AV, Choi SS, Jong BY, Okada K, Scales MK, Hum J, Hu LS, Kirschner MW, Nishinakamura R, Yamada S, Laird DJ, Jao LE, Gygi SP, Greenberg ME, Ho HYH. Kinesin superfamily protein Kif26b links Wnt5a-Ror signaling to the control of cell and tissue behaviors in vertebrates. eLife 2017; 6:e26509. [PMID: 28885975 PMCID: PMC5590807 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt5a-Ror signaling constitutes a developmental pathway crucial for embryonic tissue morphogenesis, reproduction and adult tissue regeneration, yet the molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt5a-Ror pathway mediates these processes are largely unknown. Using a proteomic screen, we identify the kinesin superfamily protein Kif26b as a downstream target of the Wnt5a-Ror pathway. Wnt5a-Ror, through a process independent of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin-dependent pathway, regulates the cellular stability of Kif26b by inducing its degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Through this mechanism, Kif26b modulates the migratory behavior of cultured mesenchymal cells in a Wnt5a-dependent manner. Genetic perturbation of Kif26b function in vivo caused embryonic axis malformations and depletion of primordial germ cells in the developing gonad, two phenotypes characteristic of disrupted Wnt5a-Ror signaling. These findings indicate that Kif26b links Wnt5a-Ror signaling to the control of morphogenetic cell and tissue behaviors in vertebrates and reveal a new role for regulated proteolysis in noncanonical Wnt5a-Ror signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Susman
- Department of NeurobiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Edith P Karuna
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Ryan C Kunz
- Department of Cell BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Division of Human BiologyFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Andrea V Cantú
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive SciencesCenter for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Shannon S Choi
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Brigette Y Jong
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Kyoko Okada
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Michael K Scales
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Jennie Hum
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Linda S Hu
- Department of NeurobiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Marc W Kirschner
- Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Ryuichi Nishinakamura
- Department of Kidney DevelopmentInstitute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Soichiro Yamada
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of CaliforniaDavisUnited States
| | - Diana J Laird
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive SciencesCenter for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Li-En Jao
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | | | - Hsin-Yi Henry Ho
- Department of NeurobiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology and Human AnatomyUniversity of California, Davis School of MedicineDavisUnited States
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39
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Shah PK, Tanner MR, Kovacevic I, Rankin A, Marshall TE, Noblett N, Tran NN, Roenspies T, Hung J, Chen Z, Slatculescu C, Perkins TJ, Bao Z, Colavita A. PCP and SAX-3/Robo Pathways Cooperate to Regulate Convergent Extension-Based Nerve Cord Assembly in C. elegans. Dev Cell 2017; 41:195-203.e3. [PMID: 28441532 PMCID: PMC5469364 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Formation and resolution of multicellular rosettes can drive convergent extension (CE) type cell rearrangements during tissue morphogenesis. Rosette dynamics are regulated by both planar cell polarity (PCP)-dependent and -independent pathways. Here we show that CE is involved in ventral nerve cord (VNC) assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that a VANG-1/Van Gogh and PRKL-1/Prickle containing PCP pathway and a Slit-independent SAX-3/Robo pathway cooperate to regulate, via rosette intermediaries, the intercalation of post-mitotic neuronal cell bodies during VNC formation. We show that VANG-1 and SAX-3 are localized to contracting edges and rosette foci and act to specify edge contraction during rosette formation and to mediate timely rosette resolution. Simultaneous loss of both pathways severely curtails CE resulting in a shortened, anteriorly displaced distribution of VNC neurons at hatching. Our results establish rosette-based CE as an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of nerve cord morphogenesis and reveal a role for SAX-3/Robo in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavak K Shah
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Matthew R Tanner
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Ismar Kovacevic
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Aysha Rankin
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Teagan E Marshall
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathaniel Noblett
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Nhan Nguyen Tran
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tony Roenspies
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Hung
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Zheqian Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Cristina Slatculescu
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Theodore J Perkins
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Antonio Colavita
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
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40
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Shah SB, Singh A. Cellular self-assembly and biomaterials-based organoid models of development and diseases. Acta Biomater 2017; 53:29-45. [PMID: 28159716 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Organogenesis and morphogenesis have informed our understanding of physiology, pathophysiology, and avenues to create new curative and regenerative therapies. Thus far, this understanding has been hindered by the lack of a physiologically relevant yet accessible model that affords biological control. Recently, three-dimensional ex vivo cellular cultures created through cellular self-assembly under natural extracellular matrix cues or through biomaterial-based directed assembly have been shown to physically resemble and recapture some functionality of target organs. These "organoids" have garnered momentum for their applications in modeling human development and disease, drug screening, and future therapy design or even organ replacement. This review first discusses the self-organizing organoids as materials with emergent properties and their advantages and limitations. We subsequently describe biomaterials-based strategies used to afford more control of the organoid's microenvironment and ensuing cellular composition and organization. In this review, we also offer our perspective on how multifunctional biomaterials with precise spatial and temporal control could ultimately bridge the gap between in vitro organoid platforms and their in vivo counterparts. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Several notable reviews have highlighted PSC-derived organoids and 3D aggregates, including embryoid bodies, from a development and cellular assembly perspective. The focus of this review is to highlight the materials-based approaches that cells, including PSCs and others, adopt for self-assembly and the controlled development of complex tissues, such as that of the brain, gut, and immune system.
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41
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Craft TR, Forrester WC. The Caenorhabditis elegans matrix non-peptidase MNP-1 is required for neuronal cell migration and interacts with the Ror receptor tyrosine kinase CAM-1. Dev Biol 2017; 424:18-27. [PMID: 28238735 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Directed cell migration is critical for metazoan development. During Caenorhabditis elegans development many neuronal, muscle and other cell types migrate. Multiple classes of proteins have been implicated in cell migration including secreted guidance cues, receptors for guidance cues and intracellular proteins that respond to cues to polarize cells and produce the forces that move them. In addition, cell surface and secreted proteases have been identified that may clear the migratory route and process guidance cues. We report here that mnp-1 is required for neuronal cell and growth cone migrations. MNP-1 is expressed by migrating cells and functions cell autonomously for cell migrations. We also find a genetic interaction between mnp-1 and cam-1, which encodes a Ror receptor tyrosine kinase required for some of the same cell migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa R Craft
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Wayne C Forrester
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States.
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42
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Huelsz-Prince G, van Zon JS. Canalization of C. elegans Vulva Induction against Anatomical Variability. Cell Syst 2017; 4:219-230.e6. [PMID: 28215526 PMCID: PMC5330807 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
It is a fundamental open question as to how embryos develop into complex adult organisms with astounding reproducibility, particularly because cells are inherently variable on the molecular level. During C. elegans vulva induction, the anchor cell induces cell fate in the vulva precursor cells in a distance-dependent manner. Surprisingly, we found that initial anchor cell position was highly variable and caused variability in cell fate induction. However, we observed that vulva induction was "canalized," i.e., the variability in anchor cell position and cell fate was progressively reduced, resulting in an invariant spatial pattern of cell fates at the end of induction. To understand the mechanism of canalization, we quantified induction dynamics as a function of anchor cell position during the canalization process. Our experiments, combined with mathematical modeling, showed that canalization required a specific combination of long-range induction, lateral inhibition, and cell migration that is also found in other developmental systems.
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43
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Dawes AT, Wu D, Mahalak KK, Zitnik EM, Kravtsova N, Su H, Chamberlin HM. A computational model predicts genetic nodes that allow switching between species-specific responses in a conserved signaling network. Integr Biol (Camb) 2017; 9:156-166. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ib00238b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Alterations to only specific parameters in a model including EGF, Wnt and Notch lead to cell behavior differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana T. Dawes
- Department of Mathematics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics
| | - David Wu
- Department of Mathematics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
| | - Karley K. Mahalak
- Department of Molecular Genetics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular
| | - Edward M. Zitnik
- Department of Molecular Genetics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
| | - Natalia Kravtsova
- Department of Mathematics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
- Department of Statistics
| | - Haiwei Su
- Department of Mathematics
- Ohio State University
- Columbus
- USA
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44
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Lam AK, Phillips BT. Wnt Signaling Polarizes C. elegans Asymmetric Cell Divisions During Development. Results Probl Cell Differ 2017; 61:83-114. [PMID: 28409301 PMCID: PMC6057142 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53150-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division is a common mode of cell differentiation during the invariant lineage of the nematode, C. elegans. Beginning at the four-cell stage, and continuing throughout embryogenesis and larval development, mother cells are polarized by Wnt ligands, causing an asymmetric inheritance of key members of a Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway termed the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway. The resulting daughter cells are distinct at birth with one daughter cell activating Wnt target gene expression via β-catenin activation of TCF, while the other daughter displays transcriptional repression of these target genes. Here, we seek to review the body of evidence underlying a unified model for Wnt-driven asymmetric cell division in C. elegans, identify global themes that occur during asymmetric cell division, as well as highlight tissue-specific variations. We also discuss outstanding questions that remain unanswered regarding this intriguing mode of asymmetric cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle Koonyee Lam
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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45
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Abstract
ROR-family receptor tyrosine kinases form a small subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), characterized by a conserved, unique domain architecture. ROR RTKs are evolutionary conserved throughout the animal kingdom and act as alternative receptors and coreceptors of WNT ligands. The intracellular signaling cascades activated downstream of ROR receptors are diverse, including but not limited to ROR-Frizzled-mediated activation of planar cell polarity signaling, RTK-like signaling, and antagonistic regulation of WNT/β-Catenin signaling. In line with their diverse repertoire of signaling functions, ROR receptors are involved in the regulation of multiple processes in embryonic development such as development of the axial and paraxial mesoderm, the nervous system and the neural crest, the axial and appendicular skeleton, and the kidney. In humans, mutations in the ROR2 gene cause two distinct developmental syndromes, recessive Robinow syndrome (RRS; MIM 268310) and dominant brachydactyly type B1 (BDB1; MIM 113000). In Robinow syndrome patients and animal models, the development of multiple organs is affected, whereas BDB1 results only in shortening of the distal phalanges of fingers and toes, reflecting the diversity of functions and signaling activities of ROR-family RTKs. In this chapter, we give an overview on ROR receptor structure and function. We discuss their signaling functions and role in vertebrate embryonic development with a focus on those developmental processes that are affected by mutations in the ROR2 gene in human patients.
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Schwendeman AR, Shaham S. A High-Throughput Small Molecule Screen for C. elegans Linker Cell Death Inhibitors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164595. [PMID: 27716809 PMCID: PMC5055323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death is a ubiquitous process in metazoan development. Apoptosis, one cell death form, has been studied extensively. However, mutations inactivating key mammalian apoptosis regulators do not block most developmental cell culling, suggesting that other cell death pathways are likely important. Recent work in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans identified a non-apoptotic cell death form mediating the demise of the male-specific linker cell. This cell death process (LCD, linker cell-type death) is morphologically conserved, and its molecular effectors also mediate axon degeneration in mammals and Drosophila. To develop reagents to manipulate LCD, we established a simple high-throughput screening protocol for interrogating the effects of small molecules on C. elegans linker cell death in vivo. From 23,797 compounds assayed, 11 reproducibly block linker cell death onset. Of these, five induce animal lethality, and six promote a reversible developmental delay. These results provide proof-of principle validation of our screening protocol, demonstrate that developmental progression is required for linker cell death, and suggest that larger scale screens may identify LCD-specific small-molecule regulators that target the LCD execution machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Schwendeman
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Dunn NR, Tolwinski NS. Ptk7 and Mcc, Unfancied Components in Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling and Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2016; 8:cancers8070068. [PMID: 27438854 PMCID: PMC4963810 DOI: 10.3390/cancers8070068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human development uses a remarkably small number of signal transduction pathways to organize vastly complicated tissues. These pathways are commonly associated with disease in adults if activated inappropriately. One such signaling pathway, Wnt, solves the too few pathways conundrum by having many alternate pathways within the Wnt network. The main or "canonical" Wnt pathway has been studied in great detail, and among its numerous downstream components, several have been identified as drug targets that have led to cancer treatments currently in clinical trials. In contrast, the non-canonical Wnt pathways are less well characterized, and few if any possible drug targets exist to tackle cancers caused by dysregulation of these Wnt offshoots. In this review, we focus on two molecules-Protein Tyrosine Kinase 7 (Ptk7) and Mutated in Colorectal Cancer (Mcc)-that do not fit perfectly into the non-canonical pathways described to date and whose roles in cancer are ill defined. We will summarize work from our laboratories as well as many others revealing unexpected links between these two proteins and Wnt signaling both in cancer progression and during vertebrate and invertebrate embryonic development. We propose that future studies focused on delineating the signaling machinery downstream of Ptk7 and Mcc will provide new, hitherto unanticipated drug targets to combat cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norris Ray Dunn
- Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) Institute of Medical Biology, 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-06 Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore.
| | - Nicholas S Tolwinski
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138610, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Translational Medicine, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Level 10 South, 10-02M, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
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Yu J, Chen L, Cui B, Widhopf GF, Shen Z, Wu R, Zhang L, Zhang S, Briggs SP, Kipps TJ. Wnt5a induces ROR1/ROR2 heterooligomerization to enhance leukemia chemotaxis and proliferation. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:585-98. [PMID: 26690702 DOI: 10.1172/jci83535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved receptor tyrosine kinase–like orphan receptor-1 and -2 (ROR1/2) are considered distinct receptors for Wnt5a and are implicated in noncanonical Wnt signaling in organogenesis and cancer metastasis. We found that Wnt5a enhanced proliferation and migration of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells and that these effects were blocked by the humanized anti-ROR1 mAb cirmtuzumab (UC-961). Treatment of CLL cells with Wnt5a induced ROR1 to oligomerize with ROR2 and recruit guanine exchange factors (GEFs), which activated Rac1 and RhoA; siRNA-mediated silencing of either ROR1 or ROR2 or treatment with UC-961 inhibited these effects. Using the ROR1-deficient CLL cell line MEC1, we demonstrated that ectopic ROR1 expression induced ROR1/ROR2 heterooligomers, which recruited GEFs, and enhanced proliferation, cytokine-directed migration, and engraftment potential of MEC1 cells in immune-deficient mice. Notably, treatment with UC-961 inhibited engraftment of ROR1+ leukemia cells in immune-competent ROR1-transgenic mice. Molecular analysis revealed that the extracellular Kringle domain is required for ROR1/ROR2 heterooligomerization and the cysteine-rich domain or intracellular proline-rich domain is required for Wnt5a-induced recruitment of GEFs to ROR1/ROR2. This study identifies an interaction between ROR1 and ROR2 that is required for Wnt5a signaling that promotes leukemia chemotaxis and proliferation.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Proliferation
- Chemotaxis
- Heterografts
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neoplasm Transplantation
- Protein Multimerization
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism
- Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors/genetics
- Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors/metabolism
- Wnt Proteins/genetics
- Wnt Proteins/metabolism
- Wnt-5a Protein
- rac1 GTP-Binding Protein/genetics
- rac1 GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism
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Hiraoka T, Hirota Y, Saito-Fujita T, Matsuo M, Egashira M, Matsumoto L, Haraguchi H, Dey SK, Furukawa KS, Fujii T, Osuga Y. STAT3 accelerates uterine epithelial regeneration in a mouse model of decellularized uterine matrix transplantation. JCI Insight 2016; 1:87591. [PMID: 27358915 PMCID: PMC4922514 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.87591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a close connection between uterine regeneration and successful pregnancy in both humans and mice has been consistently observed, its molecular basis remains unclear. We here established a mouse model of decellularized uterine matrix (DUM) transplantation. Resected mouse uteri were processed with SDS to make DUMs without any intact cells. DUMs were transplanted into the mouse uteri with artificially induced defects, and all the uterine layers were recovered at the DUM transplantation sites within a month. In the regenerated uteri, normal hormone responsiveness in early pregnancy was observed, suggesting the regeneration of functional uteri. Uterine epithelial cells rapidly migrated and formed a normal uterine epithelial layer within a week, indicating a robust epithelial-regenerating capacity. Stromal and myometrial regeneration occurred following epithelial regeneration. In ovariectomized mice, uterine regeneration of the DUM transplantation was similarly observed, suggesting that ovarian hormones are not essential for this regeneration process. Importantly, the regenerating epithelium around the DUM demonstrated heightened STAT3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation, which was suppressed in uteri of Stat3 conditional knockout mice. These data suggest a key role of STAT3 in the initial step of the uterine regeneration process. The DUM transplantation model is a powerful tool for uterine regeneration research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehiro Hiraoka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hirota
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Precursory Research for Innovative Medical Care (PRIME), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Saito-Fujita
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Matsuo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mahiro Egashira
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Leona Matsumoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Haraguchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sudhansu K Dey
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Katsuko S Furukawa
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Fujii
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Osuga
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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50
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Bertrand V. β-catenin-driven binary cell fate decisions in animal development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 5:377-88. [PMID: 26952169 PMCID: PMC5069452 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt/β‐catenin pathway plays key roles during animal development. In several species, β‐catenin is used in a reiterative manner to regulate cell fate diversification between daughter cells following division. This binary cell fate specification mechanism has been observed in animals that belong to very diverse phyla: the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the annelid Platynereis, and the ascidian Ciona. It may also play a role in the regulation of several stem cell lineages in vertebrates. While the molecular mechanism behind this binary cell fate switch is not fully understood, it appears that both secreted Wnt ligands and asymmetric cortical factors contribute to the generation of the difference in nuclear β‐catenin levels between daughter cells. β‐Catenin then cooperates with lineage specific transcription factors to induce the expression of novel sets of transcription factors at each round of divisions, thereby diversifying cell fate. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:377–388. doi: 10.1002/wdev.228 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bertrand
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, Marseille, France
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