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Bhushan V, Nita-Lazar A. Recent Advancements in Subcellular Proteomics: Growing Impact of Organellar Protein Niches on the Understanding of Cell Biology. J Proteome Res 2024; 23:2700-2722. [PMID: 38451675 PMCID: PMC11296931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00839] [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: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian cell is a complex entity, with membrane-bound and membrane-less organelles playing vital roles in regulating cellular homeostasis. Organellar protein niches drive discrete biological processes and cell functions, thus maintaining cell equilibrium. Cellular processes such as signaling, growth, proliferation, motility, and programmed cell death require dynamic protein movements between cell compartments. Aberrant protein localization is associated with a wide range of diseases. Therefore, analyzing the subcellular proteome of the cell can provide a comprehensive overview of cellular biology. With recent advancements in mass spectrometry, imaging technology, computational tools, and deep machine learning algorithms, studies pertaining to subcellular protein localization and their dynamic distributions are gaining momentum. These studies reveal changing interaction networks because of "moonlighting proteins" and serve as a discovery tool for disease network mechanisms. Consequently, this review aims to provide a comprehensive repository for recent advancements in subcellular proteomics subcontexting methods, challenges, and future perspectives for method developers. In summary, subcellular proteomics is crucial to the understanding of the fundamental cellular mechanisms and the associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanya Bhushan
- Functional Cellular Networks Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Aleksandra Nita-Lazar
- Functional Cellular Networks Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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2
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Tataridas-Pallas N, Aman Y, Williams R, Chapman H, Cheng KJ, Gomez-Paredes C, Bates GP, Labbadia J. Mitochondrial clearance and increased HSF-1 activity are coupled to promote longevity in fasted Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2024; 27:109834. [PMID: 38784016 PMCID: PMC11112483 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fasting has emerged as a potent means of preserving tissue function with age in multiple model organisms. However, our understanding of the relationship between food removal and long-term health is incomplete. Here, we demonstrate that in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, a single period of early-life fasting is sufficient to selectively enhance HSF-1 activity, maintain proteostasis capacity and promote longevity without compromising fecundity. These effects persist even when food is returned, and are dependent on the mitochondrial sirtuin, SIR-2.2 and the H3K27me3 demethylase, JMJD-3.1. We find that increased HSF-1 activity upon fasting is associated with elevated SIR-2.2 levels, decreased mitochondrial copy number and reduced H3K27me3 levels at the promoters of HSF-1 target genes. Furthermore, consistent with our findings in worms, HSF-1 activity is also enhanced in muscle tissue from fasted mice, suggesting that the potentiation of HSF-1 is a conserved response to food withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Tataridas-Pallas
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yahyah Aman
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rhianna Williams
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hannah Chapman
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kevin J.H. Cheng
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Casandra Gomez-Paredes
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Labbadia
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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3
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Wang C, Vidal B, Sural S, Loer C, Aguilar GR, Merritt DM, Toker IA, Vogt MC, Cros C, Hobert O. A neurotransmitter atlas of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.24.573258. [PMID: 38895397 PMCID: PMC11185579 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.24.573258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Mapping neurotransmitter identities to neurons is key to understanding information flow in a nervous system. It also provides valuable entry points for studying the development and plasticity of neuronal identity features. In the C. elegans nervous system, neurotransmitter identities have been largely assigned by expression pattern analysis of neurotransmitter pathway genes that encode neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes or transporters. However, many of these assignments have relied on multicopy reporter transgenes that may lack relevant cis-regulatory information and therefore may not provide an accurate picture of neurotransmitter usage. We analyzed the expression patterns of 16 CRISPR/Cas9-engineered knock-in reporter strains for all main types of neurotransmitters in C. elegans (glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, tyramine, and octopamine) in both the hermaphrodite and the male. Our analysis reveals novel sites of expression of these neurotransmitter systems within both neurons and glia, as well as non-neural cells. The resulting expression atlas defines neurons that may be exclusively neuropeptidergic, substantially expands the repertoire of neurons capable of co-transmitting multiple neurotransmitters, and identifies novel neurons that uptake monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Furthermore, we also observed unusual co-expression patterns of monoaminergic synthesis pathway genes, suggesting the existence of novel monoaminergic transmitters. Our analysis results in what constitutes the most extensive whole-animal-wide map of neurotransmitter usage to date, paving the way for a better understanding of neuronal communication and neuronal identity specification in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Berta Vidal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Surojit Sural
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Curtis Loer
- Department of Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - G. Robert Aguilar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Daniel M. Merritt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Itai Antoine Toker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Merly C. Vogt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Cyril Cros
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
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4
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Kodan N, Hussaini R, Weber SC, Kondev J, Mohapatra L. Transcription templated assembly of the nucleolus in the C. elegans embryo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597440. [PMID: 38895351 PMCID: PMC11185672 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The nucleolus is a multicomponent structure made of RNA and proteins that serves as the site of ribosome biogenesis within the nucleus. It has been extensively studied as a prototype of a biomolecular condensate whose assembly is driven by phase separation. While the steady-state size of the nucleolus is quantitatively accounted for by the thermodynamics of phase separation, we show that experimental measurements of the assembly dynamics are inconsistent with a simple model of a phase-separating system relaxing to its equilibrium state. Instead, we show that the dynamics are well described by a model in which the transcription of ribosomal RNA actively drives nucleolar assembly. We find that our model of active transcription-templated assembly quantitatively accounts for the rapid kinetics observed in early embryos at different developmental stages, and for different RNAi perturbations of embryo size. Our model predicts a scaling of the time to assembly with the volume of the nucleus to the one-third power, which is confirmed by experimental data. Our study highlights the role of active processes such as transcription in controlling the placement and timing of assembly of membraneless organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant Kodan
- School of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Rabeya Hussaini
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Stephanie C Weber
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - Jane Kondev
- Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Lishibanya Mohapatra
- School of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
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5
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Lamb H, Liro MJ, Myles KM, Fernholz M, Anderson HA, Rose LS. The Rac1 homolog CED-10 is a component of the MES-1/SRC-1 pathway for asymmetric division of the C. elegans EMS blastomere. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.04.588162. [PMID: 38645195 PMCID: PMC11030239 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.04.588162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division is essential for the creation of cell types with different identities and functions. The EMS blastomere of the four-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo undergoes an asymmetric division in response to partially redundant signaling pathways. One pathway involves a Wnt signal emanating from the neighboring P2 cell, while the other pathway is defined by the receptor-like MES-1 protein localized at the EMS/P2 cell contact, and the cytoplasmic kinase SRC-1. In response to these pathways, the EMS nuclear-centrosome complex rotates so that the spindle forms on the anterior-posterior axis; after division, the daughter cell contacting P2 becomes the endodermal precursor cell. Here we identify the Rac1 homolog, CED-10, as a new component of the MES-1/SRC-1 pathway. Loss of CED-10 affects both spindle positioning and endoderm specification. Although MES-1 is still present at the EMS/P2 contact in ced-10 embryos, SRC-1 dependent phosphorylation is reduced. These and other results suggest that CED-10 acts downstream of MES-1 and upstream or at the level of SRC-1 activity. In addition, we find that the branched actin regulator ARX-2 is enriched at the EMS/P2 cell contact site, in a CED-10 dependent manner. Loss of ARX-2 results in spindle positioning defects, suggesting that CED-10 acts through branched actin to promote the asymmetric division of the EMS cell.
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6
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Napier-Jameson R, Marx O, Norris A. A pair of RNA binding proteins inhibit ion transporter expression to maintain lifespan. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad212. [PMID: 38112749 PMCID: PMC10847721 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad212] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of lifespan by transcription factors has been well established. More recently, a role for RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in regulating lifespan has also emerged. In both cases, a major challenge is to determine which regulatory targets are functionally responsible for the observed lifespan phenotype. We recently identified a pair of neuronal RBPs, exc-7/ELAVL and mbl-1/Muscleblind, which in Caenorhabditis elegans display synthetic (nonadditive) lifespan defects: single mutants do not affect lifespan, but exc-7; mbl-1 double mutants have strongly reduced lifespan. Such a strong synthetic phenotype represented an opportunity to use transcriptomics to search for potential causative targets that are synthetically regulated. Focus on such genes would allow us to narrow our target search by ignoring the hundreds of genes altered only in single mutants, and provide a shortlist of synthetically regulated candidate targets that might be responsible for the double mutant phenotype. We identified a small handful of genes synthetically dysregulated in double mutants and systematically tested each candidate gene for functional contribution to the exc-7; mbl-1 lifespan phenotype. We identified 1 such gene, the ion transporter nhx-6, which is highly upregulated in double mutants. Overexpression of nhx-6 causes reduced lifespan, and deletion of nhx-6 in an exc-7; mbl-1 background partially restores both lifespan and healthspan. Together, these results reveal that a pair of RBPs mediate lifespan in part by inhibiting expression of an ion transporter, and provide a template for how synthetic phenotypes (including lifespan) can be dissected at the transcriptomic level to reveal potential causative genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Napier-Jameson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, 6501 Airline Rd, Dallas, TX 75205, USA
| | - Olivia Marx
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, 6501 Airline Rd, Dallas, TX 75205, USA
| | - Adam Norris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, 6501 Airline Rd, Dallas, TX 75205, USA
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7
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Kudron M, Gevirtzman L, Victorsen A, Lear BC, Gao J, Xu J, Samanta S, Frink E, Tran-Pearson A, Huynh C, Vafeados D, Hammonds A, Fisher W, Wall M, Wesseling G, Hernandez V, Lin Z, Kasparian M, White K, Allada R, Gerstein M, Hillier L, Celniker SE, Reinke V, Waterston RH. Binding profiles for 954 Drosophila and C. elegans transcription factors reveal tissue specific regulatory relationships. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.18.576242. [PMID: 38293065 PMCID: PMC10827215 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.18.576242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
A catalog of transcription factor (TF) binding sites in the genome is critical for deciphering regulatory relationships. Here we present the culmination of the modERN (model organism Encyclopedia of Regulatory Networks) consortium that systematically assayed TF binding events in vivo in two major model organisms, Drosophila melanogaster (fly) and Caenorhabditis elegans (worm). We describe key features of these datasets, comprising 604 TFs identifying 3.6M sites in the fly and 350 TFs identifying 0.9 M sites in the worm. Applying a machine learning model to these data identifies sets of TFs with a prominent role in promoting target gene expression in specific cell types. TF binding data are available through the ENCODE Data Coordinating Center and at https://epic.gs.washington.edu/modERNresource, which provides access to processed and summary data, as well as widgets to probe cell type-specific TF-target relationships. These data are a rich resource that should fuel investigations into TF function during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Kudron
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Louis Gevirtzman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Alec Victorsen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Bridget C. Lear
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Jiahao Gao
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Jinrui Xu
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia 20059, USA
- Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia 20059, USA
| | - Swapna Samanta
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Emily Frink
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Adri Tran-Pearson
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Chau Huynh
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Dionne Vafeados
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Ann Hammonds
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - William Fisher
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Martha Wall
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Greg Wesseling
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Vanessa Hernandez
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Zhichun Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Mary Kasparian
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Kevin White
- Department of Biochemistry and Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597
| | - Ravi Allada
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208
| | - Mark Gerstein
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - LaDeana Hillier
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Susan E. Celniker
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Valerie Reinke
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Robert H. Waterston
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
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8
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Stevens TA, Tomaleri GP, Hazu M, Wei S, Nguyen VN, DeKalb C, Voorhees RM, Pleiner T. A nanobody-based strategy for rapid and scalable purification of human protein complexes. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:127-158. [PMID: 37974029 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00904-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The isolation of proteins in high yield and purity is a major bottleneck for the analysis of their three-dimensional structure, function and interactome. Here, we present a streamlined workflow for the rapid production of proteins or protein complexes using lentiviral transduction of human suspension cells, combined with highly specific nanobody-mediated purification and proteolytic elution. Application of the method requires prior generation of a plasmid coding for a protein of interest (POI) fused to an N- or C-terminal GFP or ALFA peptide tag using a lentiviral plasmid toolkit we have designed. The plasmid is then used to generate human suspension cell lines stably expressing the tagged fusion protein by lentiviral transduction. By leveraging the picomolar affinity of the GFP and ALFA nanobodies for their respective tags, the POI can be specifically captured from the resulting cell lysate even when expressed at low levels and under a variety of conditions, including detergents and mild denaturants. Finally, rapid and specific elution of the POI (in its tagged or untagged form) under native conditions is achieved within minutes at 4 °C, using the engineered SUMO protease SENPEuB. We demonstrate the wide applicability of the method by purifying multiple challenging soluble and membrane protein complexes to high purity from human cells. Our strategy is also directly compatible with many widely used GFP-expression plasmids, cell lines and transgenic model organisms. Finally, our method is faster than alternative approaches, requiring only 8 d from plasmid to purified protein, and results in substantially improved yields and purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Anthony Stevens
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Giovani Pinton Tomaleri
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Masami Hazu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Sophia Wei
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Vy N Nguyen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Charlene DeKalb
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca M Voorhees
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Tino Pleiner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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9
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Gregory EF, Ragle JM, Ward JD, Starr DA. Split-GFP lamin as a tool for studying C. elegans LMN-1 dynamics in vivo. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.001022. [PMID: 38152058 PMCID: PMC10751582 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
We engineered a fluorescent fusion protein of C. elegans lamin, by fusing the eleventh beta strand of GFP to the N-terminus of LMN-1 at the endogenous lmn-1 locus. When co-expressed with GFP1-10, GFP11::LMN-1 was observed at the nuclear periphery of a wide variety of somatic cells. Homozygous gfp11::lmn-1 animals had normal numbers of viable embryos. However, the gfp11::lmn-1 animals had a mild swimming defect. While not completely functional, the GFP11::LMN-1 strain is more healthy than other published fluorescent LMN-1 lines, making it a valuable reagent for studying lamins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen F. Gregory
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - James Matthew Ragle
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States
| | - Jordan D. Ward
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States
| | - Daniel A. Starr
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
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10
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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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11
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Alexander KD, Ramachandran S, Biswas K, Lambert CM, Russell J, Oliver DB, Armstrong W, Rettler M, Liu S, Doitsidou M, Bénard C, Walker AK, Francis MM. The homeodomain transcriptional regulator DVE-1 directs a program for synapse elimination during circuit remodeling. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7520. [PMID: 37980357 PMCID: PMC10657367 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The elimination of synapses during circuit remodeling is critical for brain maturation; however, the molecular mechanisms directing synapse elimination and its timing remain elusive. We show that the transcriptional regulator DVE-1, which shares homology with special AT-rich sequence-binding (SATB) family members previously implicated in human neurodevelopmental disorders, directs the elimination of juvenile synaptic inputs onto remodeling C. elegans GABAergic neurons. Juvenile acetylcholine receptor clusters and apposing presynaptic sites are eliminated during the maturation of wild-type GABAergic neurons but persist into adulthood in dve-1 mutants, producing heightened motor connectivity. DVE-1 localization to GABAergic nuclei is required for synapse elimination, consistent with DVE-1 regulation of transcription. Pathway analysis of putative DVE-1 target genes, proteasome inhibitor, and genetic experiments implicate the ubiquitin-proteasome system in synapse elimination. Together, our findings define a previously unappreciated role for a SATB family member in directing synapse elimination during circuit remodeling, likely through transcriptional regulation of protein degradation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellianne D Alexander
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Shankar Ramachandran
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kasturi Biswas
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M Lambert
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Julia Russell
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Devyn B Oliver
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - William Armstrong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Monika Rettler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Samuel Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Maria Doitsidou
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Claire Bénard
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Amy K Walker
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Francis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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12
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Tang LTH, Lee GA, Cook SJ, Ho J, Potter CC, Bülow HE. Anatomical restructuring of a lateralized neural circuit during associative learning by asymmetric insulin signaling. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3835-3850.e6. [PMID: 37591249 PMCID: PMC10639090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.041] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Studies of neuronal connectivity in model organisms, i.e., of their connectomes, have been instrumental in dissecting the structure-function relationship of nervous systems. However, the limited sample size of these studies has impeded analyses into how variation of connectivity across populations may influence circuit architecture and behavior. Moreover, little is known about how experiences induce changes in circuit architecture. Here, we show that an asymmetric salt-sensing circuit in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits variation that predicts the animals' salt preferences and undergoes restructuring during salt associative learning. Naive worms memorize and prefer the salt concentration they experience in the presence of food through a left-biased neural network architecture. However, animals conditioned at elevated salt concentrations change this left-biased network to a right-biased network. This change in circuit architecture occurs through the addition of new synapses in response to asymmetric, paracrine insulin signaling. Therefore, experience-dependent changes in an animal's neural connectome are induced by insulin signaling and are fundamental to learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo T H Tang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Garrett A Lee
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Steven J Cook
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jacquelin Ho
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cassandra C Potter
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Hannes E Bülow
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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13
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Puri D, Sharma S, Samaddar S, Ravivarma S, Banerjee S, Ghosh-Roy A. Muscleblind-1 interacts with tubulin mRNAs to regulate the microtubule cytoskeleton in C. elegans mechanosensory neurons. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010885. [PMID: 37603562 PMCID: PMC10470942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton is crucial for the development and maintenance of neuronal architecture, and recent studies have highlighted the significance of regulated RNA processing in the establishment and maintenance of neural circuits. In a genetic screen conducted using mechanosensory neurons of C. elegans, we identified a mutation in muscleblind-1/mbl-1 as a suppressor of loss of kinesin-13 family microtubule destabilizing factor klp-7. Muscleblind-1(MBL-1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates the splicing, localization, and stability of RNA. Our findings demonstrate that mbl-1 is required cell-autonomously for axon growth and proper synapse positioning in the posterior lateral microtubule (PLM) neuron. Loss of mbl-1 leads to increased microtubule dynamics and mixed orientation of microtubules in the anterior neurite of PLM. These defects are also accompanied by abnormal axonal transport of the synaptic protein RAB-3 and reduction of gentle touch sensation in mbl-1 mutant. Our data also revealed that mbl-1 is genetically epistatic to mec-7 (β tubulin) and mec-12 (α tubulin) in regulating axon growth. Furthermore, mbl-1 is epistatic to sad-1, an ortholog of BRSK/Brain specific-serine/threonine kinase and a known regulator of synaptic machinery, for synapse formation at the correct location of the PLM neurite. Notably, the immunoprecipitation of MBL-1 resulted in the co-purification of mec-7, mec-12, and sad-1 mRNAs, suggesting a direct interaction between MBL-1 and these transcripts. Additionally, mbl-1 mutants exhibited reduced levels and stability of mec-7 and mec-12 transcripts. Our study establishes a previously unknown link between RNA-binding proteins and cytoskeletal machinery, highlighting their crucial roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Puri
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Sunanda Sharma
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Sarbani Samaddar
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Sruthy Ravivarma
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
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14
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Arnold ML, Cooper J, Androwski R, Ardeshna S, Melentijevic I, Smart J, Guasp RJ, Nguyen KCQ, Bai G, Hall DH, Grant BD, Driscoll M. Intermediate filaments associate with aggresome-like structures in proteostressed C. elegans neurons and influence large vesicle extrusions as exophers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4450. [PMID: 37488107 PMCID: PMC10366101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39700-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxic protein aggregates can spread among neurons to promote human neurodegenerative disease pathology. We found that in C. elegans touch neurons intermediate filament proteins IFD-1 and IFD-2 associate with aggresome-like organelles and are required cell-autonomously for efficient production of neuronal exophers, giant vesicles that can carry aggregates away from the neuron of origin. The C. elegans aggresome-like organelles we identified are juxtanuclear, HttPolyQ aggregate-enriched, and dependent upon orthologs of mammalian aggresome adaptor proteins, dynein motors, and microtubule integrity for localized aggregate collection. These key hallmarks indicate that conserved mechanisms drive aggresome formation. Furthermore, we found that human neurofilament light chain (NFL) can substitute for C. elegans IFD-2 in promoting exopher extrusion. Taken together, our results suggest a conserved influence of intermediate filament association with aggresomes and neuronal extrusions that eject potentially toxic material. Our findings expand understanding of neuronal proteostasis and suggest implications for neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Lee Arnold
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Jason Cooper
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Rebecca Androwski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Sohil Ardeshna
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Ilija Melentijevic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Joelle Smart
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Ryan J Guasp
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - Ken C Q Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA
| | - David H Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Barth D Grant
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA.
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08855, USA.
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15
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Nkombo Nkoula S, Velez-Aguilera G, Ossareh-Nazari B, Van Hove L, Ayuso C, Legros V, Chevreux G, Thomas L, Seydoux G, Askjaer P, Pintard L. Mechanisms of nuclear pore complex disassembly by the mitotic Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK-1) in C. elegans embryos. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf7826. [PMID: 37467327 PMCID: PMC10355831 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf7826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The nuclear envelope, which protects and organizes the genome, is dismantled during mitosis. In the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) of the parental pronuclei is spatially and temporally regulated during mitosis to promote the unification of the maternal and paternal genomes. Nuclear pore complex (NPC) disassembly is a decisive step of NEBD, essential for nuclear permeabilization. By combining live imaging, biochemistry, and phosphoproteomics, we show that NPC disassembly is a stepwise process that involves Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK-1)-dependent and -independent steps. PLK-1 targets multiple NPC subcomplexes, including the cytoplasmic filaments, central channel, and inner ring. PLK-1 is recruited to and phosphorylates intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of several multivalent linker nucleoporins. Notably, although the phosphosites are not conserved between human and C. elegans nucleoporins, they are located in IDRs in both species. Our results suggest that targeting IDRs of multivalent linker nucleoporins is an evolutionarily conserved driver of NPC disassembly during mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Nkombo Nkoula
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Griselda Velez-Aguilera
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Batool Ossareh-Nazari
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Lucie Van Hove
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Cristina Ayuso
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Véronique Legros
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Chevreux
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Laura Thomas
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Géraldine Seydoux
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Lionel Pintard
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
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16
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Balasubramaniam B, Topalidou I, Kelley M, Meadows SM, Funk O, Ailion M, Fay DS. Effectors of anterior morphogenesis in C. elegans embryos. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059982. [PMID: 37345480 PMCID: PMC10339035 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059982] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryogenesis the nascent Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis secretes an apical extracellular matrix (aECM) that serves as an external stabilizer, preventing deformation of the epidermis by mechanical forces exerted during morphogenesis. At present, the factors that contribute to aECM function are mostly unknown, including the aECM components themselves, their posttranslational regulators, and the pathways required for their secretion. Here we showed that two proteins previously linked to aECM function, SYM-3/FAM102A and SYM-4/WDR44, colocalize to intracellular and membrane-associated puncta and likely function in a complex. Proteomics experiments also suggested potential roles for SYM-3/FAM102A and SYM-4/WDR44 family proteins in intracellular trafficking. Nonetheless, we found no evidence to support a critical function for SYM-3 or SYM-4 in the apical deposition of two aECM components, NOAH-1 and FBN-1. Moreover, loss of a key splicing regulator of fbn-1, MEC-8/RBPMS2, had surprisingly little effect on the abundance or deposition of FBN-1. Using a focused screening approach, we identified 32 additional proteins that likely contribute to the structure and function of the embryonic aECM. We also characterized morphogenesis defects in embryos lacking mir-51 microRNA family members, which display a similar phenotype to mec-8; sym double mutants. Collectively, these findings add to our knowledge of factors controlling embryonic morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boopathi Balasubramaniam
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3944, WY, USA
| | - Irini Topalidou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7350, WA, USA
| | - Melissa Kelley
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3944, WY, USA
| | - Sarina M. Meadows
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3944, WY, USA
| | - Owen Funk
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3944, WY, USA
| | - Michael Ailion
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7350, WA, USA
| | - David S. Fay
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3944, WY, USA
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17
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Stevenson ZC, Moerdyk-Schauwecker MJ, Banse SA, Patel DS, Lu H, Phillips PC. High-throughput library transgenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans via Transgenic Arrays Resulting in Diversity of Integrated Sequences (TARDIS). eLife 2023; 12:RP84831. [PMID: 37401921 PMCID: PMC10328503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput transgenesis using synthetic DNA libraries is a powerful method for systematically exploring genetic function. Diverse synthesized libraries have been used for protein engineering, identification of protein-protein interactions, characterization of promoter libraries, developmental and evolutionary lineage tracking, and various other exploratory assays. However, the need for library transgenesis has effectively restricted these approaches to single-cell models. Here, we present Transgenic Arrays Resulting in Diversity of Integrated Sequences (TARDIS), a simple yet powerful approach to large-scale transgenesis that overcomes typical limitations encountered in multicellular systems. TARDIS splits the transgenesis process into a two-step process: creation of individuals carrying experimentally introduced sequence libraries, followed by inducible extraction and integration of individual sequences/library components from the larger library cassette into engineered genomic sites. Thus, transformation of a single individual, followed by lineage expansion and functional transgenesis, gives rise to thousands of genetically unique transgenic individuals. We demonstrate the power of this system using engineered, split selectable TARDIS sites in Caenorhabditis elegans to generate (1) a large set of individually barcoded lineages and (2) transcriptional reporter lines from predefined promoter libraries. We find that this approach increases transformation yields up to approximately 1000-fold over current single-step methods. While we demonstrate the utility of TARDIS using C. elegans, in principle the process is adaptable to any system where experimentally generated genomic loci landing pads and diverse, heritable DNA elements can be generated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen A Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Dhaval S Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
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18
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Malaiwong N, Porta-de-la-Riva M, Krieg M. FLInt: single shot safe harbor transgene integration via Fluorescent Landmark Interference. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad041. [PMID: 36805659 PMCID: PMC10151404 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The stable incorporation of transgenes and recombinant DNA material into the host genome is a bottleneck in many bioengineering applications. Due to the low efficiency, identifying the transgenic animals is often a needle in the haystack. Thus, optimal conditions require efficient screening procedures, but also known and safe landing sites that do not interfere with host expression, low input material and strong expression from the new locus. Here, we leverage an existing library of ≈300 different loci coding for fluorescent markers that are distributed over all 6 chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans as safe harbors for versatile transgene integration sites using CRISPR/Cas9. We demonstrated that a single crRNA was sufficient for cleavage of the target region and integration of the transgene of interest, which can be easily followed by loss of the fluorescent marker. The same loci can also be used for extrachromosomal landing sites and as co-CRISPR markers without affecting body morphology or animal behavior. Thus, our method overcomes the uncertainty of transgene location during random mutagenesis, facilitates easy screening through fluorescence interference and can be used as co-CRISPR markers without further influence in phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Krieg
- Corresponding author: Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO), 08860 Castelldefels, Spain.
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19
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Boopathi B, Topalidou I, Kelley M, Meadows SM, Funk O, Ailion M, Fay DS. Pathways that affect anterior morphogenesis in C. elegans embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.23.537986. [PMID: 37163004 PMCID: PMC10168279 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.23.537986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
During embryogenesis the nascent Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis secretes an apical extracellular matrix (aECM) that serves as an external stabilizer, preventing deformation of the epidermis by mechanical forces exerted during morphogenesis. We showed that two conserved proteins linked to this process, SYM-3/FAM102A and SYM-4/WDR44, colocalize to intracellular and membrane-associated puncta and likely function together in a complex. Proteomics data also suggested potential roles for FAM102A and WDR44 family proteins in intracellular trafficking, consistent with their localization patterns. Nonetheless, we found no evidence to support a clear function for SYM-3 or SYM-4 in the apical deposition of two aECM components, FBN-1 and NOAH. Surprisingly, loss of MEC-8/RBPMS2, a conserved splicing factor and regulator of fbn-1 , had little effect on the abundance or deposition of FBN-1 to the aECM. Using a focused screening approach, we identified 32 additional proteins that likely contribute to the structure and function of the embryonic aECM. Lastly, we examined morphogenesis defects in embryos lacking mir-51 microRNA family members, which display a related embryonic phenotype to mec-8; sym double mutants. Collectively, our findings add to our knowledge of pathways controlling embryonic morphogenesis. SUMMARY STATEMENT We identify new proteins in apical ECM biology in C. elegans and provide evidence that SYM-3/FAM102A and SYM-4/WDR44 function together in trafficking but do not regulate apical ECM protein deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasubramaniam Boopathi
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Irini Topalidou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Melissa Kelley
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Sarina M Meadows
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Owen Funk
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Michael Ailion
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - David S Fay
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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20
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Fazeli G, Levin-Konigsberg R, Bassik MC, Stigloher C, Wehman AM. A BORC-dependent molecular pathway for vesiculation of cell corpse phagolysosomes. Curr Biol 2023; 33:607-621.e7. [PMID: 36652947 PMCID: PMC9992095 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Phagocytic clearance is important to provide cells with metabolites and regulate immune responses, but little is known about how phagolysosomes finally resolve their phagocytic cargo of cell corpses, cell debris, and pathogens. While studying the phagocytic clearance of non-apoptotic polar bodies in C. elegans, we previously discovered that phagolysosomes tubulate into small vesicles to facilitate corpse clearance within 1.5 h. Here, we show that phagolysosome vesiculation depends on amino acid export by the solute transporter SLC-36.1 and the activation of TORC1. We demonstrate that downstream of TORC1, BLOC-1-related complex (BORC) is de-repressed by Ragulator through the BORC subunit BLOS-7. In addition, the BORC subunit SAM-4 is needed continuously to recruit the small GTPase ARL-8 to the phagolysosome for tubulation. We find that disrupting the regulated GTP-GDP cycle of ARL-8 reduces tubulation by kinesin-1, delays corpse clearance, and mislocalizes ARL-8 away from lysosomes. We also demonstrate that mammalian phagocytes use BORC to promote phagolysosomal degradation, confirming the conserved importance of TOR and BORC. Finally, we show that HOPS is required after tubulation for the rapid degradation of cargo in small phagolysosomal vesicles, suggesting that additional rounds of lysosome fusion occur. Thus, by observing single phagolysosomes over time, we identified the molecular pathway regulating phagolysosome vesiculation that promotes efficient resolution of phagocytosed cargos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gholamreza Fazeli
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Roni Levin-Konigsberg
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ann M Wehman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA.
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21
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Nkoula SN, Velez-Aguilera G, Ossareh-Nazari B, Hove LV, Ayuso C, Legros V, Chevreux G, Thomas L, Seydoux G, Askjaer P, Pintard L. Mechanisms of Nuclear Pore Complex disassembly by the mitotic Polo-Like Kinase 1 (PLK-1) in C. elegans embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.21.528438. [PMID: 36865292 PMCID: PMC9980100 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.21.528438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The nuclear envelope, which protects and organizes the interphase genome, is dismantled during mitosis. In the C. elegans zygote, nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) of the parental pronuclei is spatially and temporally regulated during mitosis to promote the unification of the parental genomes. During NEBD, Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) disassembly is critical for rupturing the nuclear permeability barrier and removing the NPCs from the membranes near the centrosomes and between the juxtaposed pronuclei. By combining live imaging, biochemistry, and phosphoproteomics, we characterized NPC disassembly and unveiled the exact role of the mitotic kinase PLK-1 in this process. We show that PLK-1 disassembles the NPC by targeting multiple NPC sub-complexes, including the cytoplasmic filaments, the central channel, and the inner ring. Notably, PLK-1 is recruited to and phosphorylates intrinsically disordered regions of several multivalent linker nucleoporins, a mechanism that appears to be an evolutionarily conserved driver of NPC disassembly during mitosis. (149/150 words). One-Sentence Summary PLK-1 targets intrinsically disordered regions of multiple multivalent nucleoporins to dismantle the nuclear pore complexes in the C. elegans zygote.
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22
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Genome Editing of C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2637:389-396. [PMID: 36773162 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3016-7_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans, a 1 mm long free-living nematode, is a traditional model animal for genetic investigations of various biological processes. Characteristic features that make C. elegans a powerful model of choice for eukaryotic genetic studies include its rapid life cycle, well-annotated genome, simple morphology, and transparency. Recently, genome editing technologies have been increasingly used in C. elegans, thereby facilitating their genetic analyses. Here, I introduce a protocol frequently used in C. elegans genome editing.
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23
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Tang LTH, Lee GA, Cook SJ, Ho J, Potter CC, Bülow HE. Restructuring of an asymmetric neural circuit during associative learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.12.523604. [PMID: 36711870 PMCID: PMC9882173 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.12.523604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric brain function is common across the animal kingdom and involved in language processing, and likely in learning and memory. What regulates asymmetric brain function remains elusive. Here, we show that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans restructures an asymmetric salt sensing neural circuit during associative learning. Worms memorize and prefer the salt concentration at which they were raised in the presence of food through a left-biased network architecture. When conditioned at elevated salt concentrations, animals change the left-biased to a right-biased network, which explains the changed salt-seeking behavior. The changes in circuit architecture require new synapse formation induced through asymmetric, paracrine insulin-signaling. Therefore, experience-dependent changes in asymmetric network architecture rely on paracrine insulin signaling and are fundamental to learning and behavior.
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24
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Navarro IC, Suen KM, Bensaddek D, Tanpure A, Lamond A, Balasubramanian S, Miska EA. Identification of putative reader proteins of 5-methylcytosine and its derivatives in Caenorhabditis elegans RNA. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:282. [PMID: 37475875 PMCID: PMC10354459 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17893.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Methylation of carbon-5 of cytosines (m 5C) is a conserved post-transcriptional nucleotide modification of RNA with widespread distribution across organisms. It can be further modified to yield 5-hydroxymethylcytidine (hm 5C), 5-formylcytidine (f 5C), 2´-O-methyl-5-hydroxymethylcytidine (hm 5Cm) and 2´-O-methyl-5-formylcytidine (f 5Cm). How m 5C, and specially its derivates, contribute to biology mechanistically is poorly understood. We recently showed that m 5C is required for Caenorhabditis elegans development and fertility under heat stress. m 5C has been shown to participate in mRNA transport and maintain mRNA stability through its recognition by the reader proteins ALYREF and YBX1, respectively. Hence, identifying readers for RNA modifications can enhance our understanding in the biological roles of these modifications. Methods: To contribute to the understanding of how m 5C and its oxidative derivatives mediate their functions, we developed RNA baits bearing modified cytosines in diverse structural contexts to pulldown potential readers in C. elegans. Potential readers were identified using mass spectrometry. The interaction of two of the putative readers with m 5C was validated using immunoblotting. Results: Our mass spectrometry analyses revealed unique binding proteins for each of the modifications. In silico analysis for phenotype enrichments suggested that hm 5Cm unique readers are enriched in proteins involved in RNA processing, while readers for m 5C, hm 5C and f 5C are involved in germline processes. We validated our dataset by demonstrating that the nematode ALYREF homologues ALY-1 and ALY-2 preferentially bind m 5C in vitro. Finally, sequence alignment analysis showed that several of the putative m 5C readers contain the conserved RNA recognition motif (RRM), including ALY-1 and ALY-2. Conclusions: The dataset presented here serves as an important scientific resource that will support the discovery of new functions of m 5C and its derivatives. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ALY-1 and ALY-2 bind to m 5C in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- IC Navarro
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Kin Man Suen
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LC Miall Building, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Dalila Bensaddek
- Laboratory for Quantitative Proteomics, Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
- Bioscience Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arun Tanpure
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Angus Lamond
- Laboratory for Quantitative Proteomics, Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Shankar Balasubramanian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- Cancer Research (UK), Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SP, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
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25
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Gang SS, Grover M, Reddy KC, Raman D, Chang YT, Ekiert DC, Barkoulas M, Troemel ER. A pals-25 gain-of-function allele triggers systemic resistance against natural pathogens of C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010314. [PMID: 36191002 PMCID: PMC9560605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of immunity throughout an organism is critical for host defense. Previous studies in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have described an "ON/OFF" immune switch comprised of the antagonistic paralogs PALS-25 and PALS-22, which regulate resistance against intestinal and epidermal pathogens. Here, we identify and characterize a PALS-25 gain-of-function mutant protein with a premature stop (Q293*), which we find is freed from physical repression by its negative regulator, the PALS-22 protein. PALS-25(Q293*) activates two related gene expression programs, the Oomycete Recognition Response (ORR) against natural pathogens of the epidermis, and the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR) against natural intracellular pathogens of the intestine. A subset of ORR/IPR genes is upregulated in pals-25(Q293*) mutants, and they are resistant to oomycete infection in the epidermis, and microsporidia and virus infection in the intestine, but without compromising growth. Surprisingly, we find that activation of PALS-25 seems to primarily stimulate the downstream bZIP transcription factor ZIP-1 in the epidermis, with upregulation of gene expression in both the epidermis and in the intestine. Interestingly, we find that PALS-22/25-regulated epidermal-to-intestinal signaling promotes resistance to the N. parisii intestinal pathogen, demonstrating cross-tissue protective immune induction from one epithelial tissue to another in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer S. Gang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Manish Grover
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirthi C. Reddy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Deevya Raman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ya-Ting Chang
- Departments of Cell Biology and Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Damian C. Ekiert
- Departments of Cell Biology and Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Emily R. Troemel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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26
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Ragipani B, Albritton SE, Morao AK, Mesquita D, Kramer M, Ercan S. Increased gene dosage and mRNA expression from chromosomal duplications in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac151. [PMID: 35731207 PMCID: PMC9339279 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac151] [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: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Isolation of copy number variations and chromosomal duplications at high frequency in the laboratory suggested that Caenorhabditis elegans tolerates increased gene dosage. Here, we addressed if a general dosage compensation mechanism acts at the level of mRNA expression in C. elegans. We characterized gene dosage and mRNA expression in 3 chromosomal duplications and a fosmid integration strain using DNA-seq and mRNA-seq. Our results show that on average, increased gene dosage leads to increased mRNA expression, pointing to a lack of genome-wide dosage compensation. Different genes within the same chromosomal duplication show variable levels of mRNA increase, suggesting feedback regulation of individual genes. Somatic dosage compensation and germline repression reduce the level of mRNA increase from X chromosomal duplications. Together, our results show a lack of genome-wide dosage compensation mechanism acting at the mRNA level in C. elegans and highlight the role of epigenetic and individual gene regulation contributing to the varied consequences of increased gene dosage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Ragipani
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sarah Elizabeth Albritton
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ana Karina Morao
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Diogo Mesquita
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Maxwell Kramer
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sevinç Ercan
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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27
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Rolland S, Conradt B. Genetic screen identifies non-mitochondrial proteins involved in the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000562. [PMID: 35622507 PMCID: PMC9099400 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR mt ) is an important stress response that ensures the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis in response to various types of cellular stress. We previously described a genetic screen for Caenorhabditis elegans genes, which when inactivated cause UPR mt activation, and reported genes identified that encode mitochondrial proteins. We now report additional genes identified in the screen. Importantly, these include genes that encode non-mitochondrial proteins involved in processes such as the control of gene expression, post-translational modifications, cell signaling and cellular trafficking. Interestingly, we identified several genes that have been proposed to participate in the transfer of lipids between peroxisomes, ER and mitochondria, suggesting that lipid transfer between these organelles is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis. In conclusion, this study shows that the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis is not only dependent on mitochondrial processes but also relies on non-mitochondrial processes and pathways. Our results reinforce the notion that mitochondrial function and cellular function are intimately connected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Rolland
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Current Address: Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Barbara Conradt
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Current Address: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6AP, United Kingdom
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28
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Spike CA, Tsukamoto T, Greenstein D. Ubiquitin ligases and a processive proteasome facilitate protein clearance during the oocyte-to-embryo transition in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2022; 221:iyac051. [PMID: 35377419 PMCID: PMC9071522 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-mediated degradation of oocyte translational regulatory proteins is a conserved feature of the oocyte-to-embryo transition. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, multiple translational regulatory proteins, including the TRIM-NHL RNA-binding protein LIN-41/Trim71 and the Pumilio-family RNA-binding proteins PUF-3 and PUF-11, are degraded during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. Degradation of each protein requires activation of the M-phase cyclin-dependent kinase CDK-1, is largely complete by the end of the first meiotic division and does not require the anaphase-promoting complex. However, only LIN-41 degradation requires the F-box protein SEL-10/FBW7/Cdc4p, the substrate recognition subunit of an SCF-type E3 ubiquitin ligase. This finding suggests that PUF-3 and PUF-11, which localize to LIN-41-containing ribonucleoprotein particles, are independently degraded through the action of other factors and that the oocyte ribonucleoprotein particles are disassembled in a concerted fashion during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. We develop and test the hypothesis that PUF-3 and PUF-11 are targeted for degradation by the proteasome-associated HECT-type ubiquitin ligase ETC-1/UBE3C/Hul5, which is broadly expressed in C. elegans. We find that several GFP-tagged fusion proteins that are degraded during the oocyte-to-embryo transition, including fusions with PUF-3, PUF-11, LIN-41, IFY-1/Securin, and CYB-1/Cyclin B, are incompletely degraded when ETC-1 function is compromised. However, it is the fused GFP moiety that appears to be the critical determinant of this proteolysis defect. These findings are consistent with a conserved role for ETC-1 in promoting proteasome processivity and suggest that proteasomal processivity is an important element of the oocyte-to-embryo transition during which many key oocyte regulatory proteins are rapidly targeted for degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Spike
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Tatsuya Tsukamoto
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Greenstein
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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29
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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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30
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Bordet G, Couillault C, Soulavie F, Filippopoulou K, Bertrand V. PRC1 chromatin factors strengthen the consistency of neuronal cell fate specification and maintenance in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010209. [PMID: 35604893 PMCID: PMC9126393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the nervous system, the specific identity of a neuron is established and maintained by terminal selector transcription factors that directly activate large batteries of terminal differentiation genes and positively regulate their own expression via feedback loops. However, how this is achieved in a reliable manner despite noise in gene expression, genetic variability or environmental perturbations remains poorly understood. We addressed this question using the AIY cholinergic interneurons of C. elegans, whose specification and differentiation network is well characterized. Via a genetic screen, we found that a loss of function of PRC1 chromatin factors induces a stochastic loss of AIY differentiated state in a small proportion of the population. PRC1 factors act directly in the AIY neuron and independently of PRC2 factors. By quantifying mRNA and protein levels of terminal selector transcription factors in single neurons, using smFISH and CRISPR tagging, we observed that, in PRC1 mutants, terminal selector expression is still initiated during embryonic development but the level is reduced, and expression is subsequently lost in a stochastic manner during maintenance phase in part of the population. We also observed variability in the level of expression of terminal selectors in wild type animals and, using correlation analysis, established that this noise comes from both intrinsic and extrinsic sources. Finally, we found that PRC1 factors increase the resistance of AIY neuron fate to environmental stress, and also secure the terminal differentiation of other neuron types. We propose that PRC1 factors contribute to the consistency of neuronal cell fate specification and maintenance by protecting neurons against noise and perturbations in their differentiation program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bordet
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Carole Couillault
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Fabien Soulavie
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | | | - Vincent Bertrand
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
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31
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Leyva-Díaz E, Hobert O. Robust regulatory architecture of pan-neuronal gene expression. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1715-1727.e8. [PMID: 35259341 PMCID: PMC9050922 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pan-neuronally expressed genes, such as genes involved in the synaptic vesicle cycle or in neuropeptide maturation, are critical for proper function of all neurons, but the transcriptional control mechanisms that direct such genes to all neurons of a nervous system remain poorly understood. We show here that six members of the CUT family of homeobox genes control pan-neuronal identity specification in Caenorhabditis elegans. Single CUT mutants show barely any effects on pan-neuronal gene expression or global nervous system function, but such effects become apparent and progressively worsen upon removal of additional CUT family members, indicating a critical role of gene dosage. Overexpression of each individual CUT gene rescued the phenotype of compound mutants, corroborating that gene dosage, rather than the activity of specific members of the gene family, is critical for CUT gene family function. Genome-wide binding profiles, as well as mutation of CUT homeodomain binding sites by CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering show that CUT genes directly control the expression of pan-neuronal features. Moreover, CUT genes act in conjunction with neuron-type-specific transcription factors to control pan-neuronal gene expression. Our study, therefore, provides a previously missing key insight into how neuronal gene expression programs are specified and reveals a highly buffered and robust mechanism that controls the most critical functional features of all neuronal cell types.
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32
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Jeong H, Park JY, Lee JH, Baik JH, Kim CY, Cho JY, Driscoll M, Paik YK. Deficiency in RCAT-1 Function Causes Dopamine Metabolism Related Behavioral Disorders in Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042393. [PMID: 35216508 PMCID: PMC8879058 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042393] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
When animals are faced with food depletion, food search-associated locomotion is crucial for their survival. Although food search-associated locomotion is known to be regulated by dopamine, it has yet to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of genes involved in dopamine metabolism (e.g., cat-1, cat-2) and related behavioral disorders. During the studies of the pheromone ascaroside, a signal of starvation stress in C. elegans, we identified R02D3.7, renamed rcat-1 (regulator of cat genes-1), which had previously been shown to bind to regulatory sequences of both cat-1 and cat-2 genes. It was found that RCAT-1 (R02D3.7) is expressed in dopaminergic neurons and functions as a novel negative transcriptional regulator for cat-1 and cat-2 genes. When a food source becomes depleted, the null mutant, rcat-1(ok1745), exhibited an increased frequency of high-angled turns and intensified area restricted search behavior compared to the wild-type animals. Moreover, rcat-1(ok1745) also showed defects in state-dependent olfactory adaptation and basal slowing response, suggesting that the mutants are deficient in either sensing food or locomotion toward food. However, rcat-1(ok1745) has normal cuticular structures and locomotion genes. The discovery of rcat-1 not only identifies a new subtype of dopamine-related behaviors but also provides a potential therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haelim Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (H.J.); (J.-H.L.)
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.Y.P.); (C.-Y.K.); (J.-Y.C.)
| | - Jun Young Park
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.Y.P.); (C.-Y.K.); (J.-Y.C.)
| | - Ji-Hyun Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (H.J.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Ja-Hyun Baik
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea;
| | - Chae-Yeon Kim
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.Y.P.); (C.-Y.K.); (J.-Y.C.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Integrative Omics for Biomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Jin-Young Cho
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.Y.P.); (C.-Y.K.); (J.-Y.C.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Integrative Omics for Biomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855, USA;
| | - Young-Ki Paik
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (H.J.); (J.-H.L.)
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.Y.P.); (C.-Y.K.); (J.-Y.C.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Integrative Omics for Biomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-2123-4242
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33
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Umansky C, Morellato AE, Rieckher M, Scheidegger MA, Martinefski MR, Fernández GA, Pak O, Kolesnikova K, Reingruber H, Bollini M, Crossan GP, Sommer N, Monge ME, Schumacher B, Pontel LB. Endogenous formaldehyde scavenges cellular glutathione resulting in redox disruption and cytotoxicity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:745. [PMID: 35136057 PMCID: PMC8827065 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Formaldehyde (FA) is a ubiquitous endogenous and environmental metabolite that is thought to exert cytotoxicity through DNA and DNA-protein crosslinking, likely contributing to the onset of the human DNA repair condition Fanconi Anaemia. Mutations in the genes coding for FA detoxifying enzymes underlie a human inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS), even in the presence of functional DNA repair, raising the question of whether FA causes relevant cellular damage beyond genotoxicity. Here, we report that FA triggers cellular redox imbalance in human cells and in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mechanistically, FA reacts with the redox-active thiol group of glutathione (GSH), altering the GSH:GSSG ratio and causing oxidative stress. FA cytotoxicity is prevented by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5/GSNOR), which metabolizes FA-GSH products, lastly yielding reduced GSH. Furthermore, we show that GSH synthesis protects human cells from FA, indicating an active role of GSH in preventing FA toxicity. These findings might be relevant for patients carrying mutations in FA-detoxification systems and could suggest therapeutic benefits from thiol-rich antioxidants like N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Formaldehyde (FA) is known to exert cytotoxicity through DNA damage. Here, the authors show that FA also triggers cellular redox imbalance by reacting with glutathione (GSH), and that FA cytotoxicity is prevented by GSH synthesis and by ADH5, an enzyme that metabolizes FA-GSH products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Umansky
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín E Morellato
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Matthias Rieckher
- Institute for Genome Stability in Ageing and Disease, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, and Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marco A Scheidegger
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Manuela R Martinefski
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela A Fernández
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Oleg Pak
- Justus-Liebig University, Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Ksenia Kolesnikova
- Institute for Genome Stability in Ageing and Disease, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, and Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hernán Reingruber
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Bollini
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gerry P Crossan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Natascha Sommer
- Justus-Liebig University, Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - María Eugenia Monge
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Björn Schumacher
- Institute for Genome Stability in Ageing and Disease, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, and Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucas B Pontel
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Zečić A, Dhondt I, Braeckman BP. Accumulation of Glycogen and Upregulation of LEA-1 in C. elegans daf-2(e1370) Support Stress Resistance, Not Longevity. Cells 2022; 11:245. [PMID: 35053361 PMCID: PMC8773926 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
DAF-16-dependent activation of a dauer-associated genetic program in the C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 daf-2(e1370) mutant leads to accumulation of large amounts of glycogen with concomitant upregulation of glycogen synthase, GSY-1. Glycogen is a major storage sugar in C. elegans that can be used as a short-term energy source for survival, and possibly as a reservoir for synthesis of a chemical chaperone trehalose. Its role in mitigating anoxia, osmotic and oxidative stress has been demonstrated previously. Furthermore, daf-2 mutants show increased abundance of the group 3 late embryogenesis abundant protein LEA-1, which has been found to act in synergy with trehalose to exert its protective role against desiccation and heat stress in vitro, and to be essential for desiccation tolerance in C. elegans dauer larvae. Here we demonstrate that accumulated glycogen is not required for daf-2 longevity, but specifically protects against hyperosmotic stress, and serves as an important energy source during starvation. Similarly, lea-1 does not act to support daf-2 longevity. Instead, it contributes to increased resistance of daf-2 mutants to heat, osmotic, and UV stress. In summary, our experimental results suggest that longevity and stress resistance can be uncoupled in IIS longevity mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bart P. Braeckman
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.Z.); (I.D.)
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35
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Seroussi U, Li C, Sundby AE, Lee TL, Claycomb JM, Saltzman AL. Mechanisms of epigenetic regulation by C. elegans nuclear RNA interference pathways. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:142-154. [PMID: 34876343 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly conserved gene regulatory phenomenon whereby Argonaute/small RNA (AGO/sRNA) complexes target transcripts by antisense complementarity to modulate gene expression. While initially appreciated as a cytoplasmic process, RNAi can also occur in the nucleus where AGO/sRNA complexes are recruited to nascent transcripts. Nuclear AGO/sRNA complexes recruit co-factors that regulate transcription by inhibiting RNA Polymerase II, modifying histones, compacting chromatin and, in some organisms, methylating DNA. C. elegans has a longstanding history in unveiling the mechanisms of RNAi and has become an outstanding model to delineate the mechanisms underlying nuclear RNAi. In this review we highlight recent discoveries in the field of nuclear RNAi in C. elegans and the roles of nuclear RNAi in the regulation of gene expression, chromatin organization, genome stability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Seroussi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chengyin Li
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adam E Sundby
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tammy L Lee
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie M Claycomb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Arneet L Saltzman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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36
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Dolgalev G, Poverennaya E. Applications of CRISPR-Cas Technologies to Proteomics. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1790. [PMID: 34828396 PMCID: PMC8625504 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing is a revolutionary approach that has provided an unprecedented investigational power for the life sciences. Rapid and efficient, CRISPR-Cas technologies facilitate the generation of complex biological models and at the same time provide the necessary methods required to study these models in depth. The field of proteomics has already significantly benefited from leveraging the power of CRISPR-Cas technologies, however, many potential applications of these technologies in the context of proteomics remain unexplored. In this review, we intend to provide an introduction to the CRISPR-Cas technologies and demonstrate how they can be applied to solving proteome-centric questions. To achieve this goal, we begin with the description of the modern suite of CRISPR-Cas-based tools, focusing on the more mature CRISPR-Cas9 system. In the second part of this review, we highlight both established and potential applications of the CRISPR-Cas technologies to proteomics.
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Nilsson L, Rahmani S, Tuck S. C. elegans TAT-6, a putative aminophospholipid translocase, is expressed in sujc cells in the hermaphrodite gonad. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021. [PMID: 34746684 PMCID: PMC8569451 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In healthy eukaryotic cells, the two leaflets that make up plasma membranes are highly asymmetric with respect to the lipids they contain. In both unicellular eukaryotes and metazoans, the asymmetry in the distribution of aminophospholipids is maintained by P4-family transmembrane ATPases, which catalyze the movement of selected phospholipids from the outer leaflet to the inner. C. elegans has six P4-family ATPases, TAT-1 – TAT-6. TAT-1 – TAT-5 are expressed in many tissues and cells. Here we report that, in contrast, TAT-6 is much less broadly expressed and that, within the somatic gonad, expression of TAT-6 reporters is restricted to the spermathecal-uterine core cell (sujc) cells.
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Babukov Y, Aleksandrov R, Ivanova A, Atemin A, Stoynov S. DNArepairK: An Interactive Database for Exploring the Impact of Anticancer Drugs onto the Dynamics of DNA Repair Proteins. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1238. [PMID: 34572428 PMCID: PMC8470695 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells are constantly exposed to numerous mutagens that produce diverse types of DNA lesions. Eukaryotic cells have evolved an impressive array of DNA repair mechanisms that are able to detect and repair these lesions, thus preventing genomic instability. The DNA repair process is subjected to precise spatiotemporal coordination, and repair proteins are recruited to lesions in an orderly fashion, depending on their function. Here, we present DNArepairK, a unique open-access database that contains the kinetics of recruitment and removal of 70 fluorescently tagged DNA repair proteins to complex DNA damage sites in living HeLa Kyoto cells. An interactive graphical representation of the data complemented with live cell imaging movies facilitates straightforward comparisons between the dynamics of proteins contributing to different DNA repair pathways. Notably, most of the proteins included in DNArepairK are represented by their kinetics in both nontreated and PARP1/2 inhibitor-treated (talazoparib) cells, thereby providing an unprecedented overview of the effects of anticancer drugs on the regular dynamics of the DNA damage response. We believe that the exclusive dataset available in DNArepairK will be of value to scientists exploring the DNA damage response but, also, to inform and guide the development and evaluation of novel DNA repair-targeting anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yordan Babukov
- Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Sofia University, St. Kliment Ohridski, 5 James Bourchier Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Radoslav Aleksandrov
- Laboratory of Genomic Stability, Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.A.); (A.I.); (A.A.)
| | - Aneliya Ivanova
- Laboratory of Genomic Stability, Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.A.); (A.I.); (A.A.)
| | - Aleksandar Atemin
- Laboratory of Genomic Stability, Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.A.); (A.I.); (A.A.)
| | - Stoyno Stoynov
- Laboratory of Genomic Stability, Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.A.); (A.I.); (A.A.)
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39
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A 4D single-cell protein atlas of transcription factors delineates spatiotemporal patterning during embryogenesis. Nat Methods 2021; 18:893-902. [PMID: 34312566 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01216-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Complex biological processes such as embryogenesis require precise coordination of cell differentiation programs across both space and time. Using protein-fusion fluorescent reporters and four-dimensional live imaging, we present a protein expression atlas of transcription factors (TFs) mapped onto developmental cell lineages during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, at single-cell resolution. This atlas reveals a spatiotemporal combinatorial code of TF expression, and a cascade of lineage-specific, tissue-specific and time-specific TFs that specify developmental states. The atlas uncovers regulators of embryogenesis, including an unexpected role of a skin specifier in neurogenesis and the critical function of an uncharacterized TF in convergent muscle differentiation. At the systems level, the atlas provides an opportunity to model cell state-fate relationships, revealing a lineage-dependent state diversity within functionally related cells and a winding trajectory of developmental state progression. Collectively, this single-cell protein atlas represents a valuable resource for elucidating metazoan embryogenesis at the molecular and systems levels.
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40
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Puri D, Ponniah K, Biswas K, Basu A, Dey S, Lundquist EA, Ghosh-Roy A. Wnt signaling establishes the microtubule polarity in neurons through regulation of Kinesin-13. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212396. [PMID: 34137792 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202005080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal polarization is facilitated by the formation of axons with parallel arrays of plus-end-out and dendrites with the nonuniform orientation of microtubules. In C. elegans, the posterior lateral microtubule (PLM) neuron is bipolar with its two processes growing along the anterior-posterior axis under the guidance of Wnt signaling. Here we found that loss of the Kinesin-13 family microtubule-depolymerizing enzyme KLP-7 led to the ectopic extension of axon-like processes from the PLM cell body. Live imaging of the microtubules and axonal transport revealed mixed polarity of the microtubules in the short posterior process, which is dependent on both KLP-7 and the minus-end binding protein PTRN-1. KLP-7 is positively regulated in the posterior process by planar cell polarity components of Wnt involving rho-1/rock to induce mixed polarity of microtubules, whereas it is negatively regulated in the anterior process by the unc-73/ced-10 cascade to establish a uniform microtubule polarity. Our work elucidates how evolutionarily conserved Wnt signaling establishes the microtubule polarity in neurons through Kinesin-13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Puri
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Keerthana Ponniah
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Kasturi Biswas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Atrayee Basu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Swagata Dey
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Erik A Lundquist
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Anindya Ghosh-Roy
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
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41
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Desse VE, Blanchette CR, Nadour M, Perrat P, Rivollet L, Khandekar A, Bénard CY. Neuronal post-developmentally acting SAX-7S/L1CAM can function as cleaved fragments to maintain neuronal architecture in C. elegans. Genetics 2021; 218:6296841. [PMID: 34115111 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas remarkable advances have uncovered mechanisms that drive nervous system assembly, the processes responsible for the lifelong maintenance of nervous system architecture remain poorly understood. Subsequent to its establishment during embryogenesis, neuronal architecture is maintained throughout life in the face of the animal's growth, maturation processes, the addition of new neurons, body movements, and aging. The C. elegans protein SAX-7, homologous to the vertebrate L1 protein family of neural adhesion molecules, is required for maintaining the organization of neuronal ganglia and fascicles after their successful initial embryonic development. To dissect the function of sax-7 in neuronal maintenance, we generated a null allele and sax-7S-isoform-specific alleles. We find that the null sax-7(qv30) is, in some contexts, more severe than previously described mutant alleles, and that the loss of sax-7S largely phenocopies the null, consistent with sax-7S being the key isoform in neuronal maintenance. Using a sfGFP::SAX-7S knock-in, we observe sax-7S to be predominantly expressed across the nervous system, from embryogenesis to adulthood. Yet, its role in maintaining neuronal organization is ensured by post-developmentally acting SAX-7S, as larval transgenic sax-7S(+) expression alone is sufficient to profoundly rescue the null mutants' neuronal maintenance defects. Moreover, the majority of the protein SAX-7 appears to be cleaved, and we show that these cleaved SAX-7S fragments together, not individually, can fully support neuronal maintenance. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of the conserved protein SAX-7/L1CAM in long-term neuronal maintenance, and may help decipher processes that go awry in some neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie E Desse
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Cassandra R Blanchette
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Malika Nadour
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Paola Perrat
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Lise Rivollet
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Anagha Khandekar
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Claire Y Bénard
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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42
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Masoudi N, Yemini E, Schnabel R, Hobert O. Piecemeal regulation of convergent neuronal lineages by bHLH transcription factors in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 2021; 148:dev199224. [PMID: 34100067 PMCID: PMC8217713 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cells of the same type can be generated by distinct cellular lineages that originate in different parts of the developing embryo ('lineage convergence'). Several Caenorhabditis elegans neuron classes composed of left/right or radially symmetric class members display such lineage convergence. We show here that the C. elegans Atonal homolog lin-32 is differentially expressed in neuronal lineages that give rise to left/right or radially symmetric class members. Loss of lin-32 results in the selective loss of the expression of pan-neuronal markers and terminal selector-type transcription factors that confer neuron class-specific features. Another basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene, the Achaete-Scute homolog hlh-14, is expressed in a mirror image pattern relative to lin-32 and is required to induce neuronal identity and terminal selector expression on the contralateral side of the animal. These findings demonstrate that distinct lineage histories converge via different bHLH factors at the level of induction of terminal selector identity determinants, which thus serve as integrators of distinct lineage histories. We also describe neuron-to-neuron identity transformations in lin-32 mutants, which we propose to also be the result of misregulation of terminal selector gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Masoudi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ralf Schnabel
- Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA
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43
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Emrich-Mills TZ, Yates G, Barrett J, Girr P, Grouneva I, Lau CS, Walker CE, Kwok TK, Davey JW, Johnson MP, Mackinder LCM. A recombineering pipeline to clone large and complex genes in Chlamydomonas. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:1161-1181. [PMID: 33723601 PMCID: PMC8633747 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to clone genes has greatly advanced cell and molecular biology research, enabling researchers to generate fluorescent protein fusions for localization and confirm genetic causation by mutant complementation. Most gene cloning is polymerase chain reaction (PCR)�or DNA synthesis-dependent, which can become costly and technically challenging as genes increase in size, particularly if they contain complex regions. This has been a long-standing challenge for the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii research community, as this alga has a high percentage of genes containing complex sequence structures. Here we overcame these challenges by developing a recombineering pipeline for the rapid parallel cloning of genes from a Chlamydomonas bacterial artificial chromosome collection. To generate fluorescent protein fusions for localization, we applied the pipeline at both batch and high-throughput scales to 203 genes related to the Chlamydomonas CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM), with an overall cloning success rate of 77%. Cloning success was independent of gene size and complexity, with cloned genes as large as 23 kb. Localization of a subset of CCM targets confirmed previous mass spectrometry data, identified new pyrenoid components, and enabled complementation of mutants. We provide vectors and detailed protocols to facilitate easy adoption of this technology, which we envision will open up new possibilities in algal and plant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Z Emrich-Mills
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Department Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Gary Yates
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - James Barrett
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Philipp Girr
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Irina Grouneva
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Chun Sing Lau
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Tsz Kam Kwok
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - John W Davey
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Matthew P Johnson
- Department Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Luke C M Mackinder
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Author for correspondence: (L.C.M.M.)
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Christopher JA, Stadler C, Martin CE, Morgenstern M, Pan Y, Betsinger CN, Rattray DG, Mahdessian D, Gingras AC, Warscheid B, Lehtiö J, Cristea IM, Foster LJ, Emili A, Lilley KS. Subcellular proteomics. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2021; 1:32. [PMID: 34549195 PMCID: PMC8451152 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-021-00029-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The eukaryotic cell is compartmentalized into subcellular niches, including membrane-bound and membrane-less organelles. Proteins localize to these niches to fulfil their function, enabling discreet biological processes to occur in synchrony. Dynamic movement of proteins between niches is essential for cellular processes such as signalling, growth, proliferation, motility and programmed cell death, and mutations causing aberrant protein localization are associated with a wide range of diseases. Determining the location of proteins in different cell states and cell types and how proteins relocalize following perturbation is important for understanding their functions, related cellular processes and pathologies associated with their mislocalization. In this Primer, we cover the major spatial proteomics methods for determining the location, distribution and abundance of proteins within subcellular structures. These technologies include fluorescent imaging, protein proximity labelling, organelle purification and cell-wide biochemical fractionation. We describe their workflows, data outputs and applications in exploring different cell biological scenarios, and discuss their main limitations. Finally, we describe emerging technologies and identify areas that require technological innovation to allow better characterization of the spatial proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie A. Christopher
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charlotte Stadler
- Department of Protein Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Claire E. Martin
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcel Morgenstern
- Institute of Biology II, Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yanbo Pan
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Cora N. Betsinger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - David G. Rattray
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Diana Mahdessian
- Department of Protein Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bettina Warscheid
- Institute of Biology II, Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- BIOSS and CIBSS Signaling Research Centers, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Janne Lehtiö
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Ileana M. Cristea
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Leonard J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Emili
- Center for Network Systems Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn S. Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge, UK
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45
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Tecle E, Chhan CB, Franklin L, Underwood RS, Hanna-Rose W, Troemel ER. The purine nucleoside phosphorylase pnp-1 regulates epithelial cell resistance to infection in C. elegans. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009350. [PMID: 33878133 PMCID: PMC8087013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal epithelial cells are subject to attack by a diverse array of microbes, including intracellular as well as extracellular pathogens. While defense in epithelial cells can be triggered by pattern recognition receptor-mediated detection of microbe-associated molecular patterns, there is much to be learned about how they sense infection via perturbations of host physiology, which often occur during infection. A recently described host defense response in the nematode C. elegans called the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR) can be triggered by infection with diverse natural intracellular pathogens, as well as by perturbations to protein homeostasis. From a forward genetic screen, we identified the C. elegans ortholog of purine nucleoside phosphorylase pnp-1 as a negative regulator of IPR gene expression, as well as a negative regulator of genes induced by extracellular pathogens. Accordingly, pnp-1 mutants have resistance to both intracellular and extracellular pathogens. Metabolomics analysis indicates that C. elegans pnp-1 likely has enzymatic activity similar to its human ortholog, serving to convert purine nucleosides into free bases. Classic genetic studies have shown how mutations in human purine nucleoside phosphorylase cause immunodeficiency due to T-cell dysfunction. Here we show that C. elegans pnp-1 acts in intestinal epithelial cells to regulate defense. Altogether, these results indicate that perturbations in purine metabolism are likely monitored as a cue to promote defense against epithelial infection in the nematode C. elegans. All life requires purine nucleotides. However, obligate intracellular pathogens are incapable of generating their own purine nucleotides and thus have evolved strategies to steal these nucleotides from host cells in order to support their growth and replication. Using the small roundworm C. elegans, we show that infection with natural obligate intracellular pathogens is impaired by loss of pnp-1, the C. elegans ortholog of the vertebrate purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), which is an enzyme involved in salvaging purines. Loss of pnp-1 leads to altered levels of purine nucleotide precursors and increased expression of Intracellular Pathogen Response genes, which are induced by viral and fungal intracellular pathogens of C. elegans. In addition, we find that loss of pnp-1 increases resistance to extracellular pathogen infection and increases expression of genes involved in extracellular pathogen defense. Interestingly, studies from 1975 found that mutations in human PNP impair T-cell immunity, whereas our findings here indicate C. elegans pnp-1 regulates intestinal epithelial immunity. Overall, our work indicates that host purine homeostasis regulates resistance to both intracellular and extracellular pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eillen Tecle
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Crystal B. Chhan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Latisha Franklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ryan S. Underwood
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Wendy Hanna-Rose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Emily R. Troemel
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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46
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Vigano MA, Ell CM, Kustermann MMM, Aguilar G, Matsuda S, Zhao N, Stasevich TJ, Affolter M, Pyrowolakis G. Protein manipulation using single copies of short peptide tags in cultured cells and in Drosophila melanogaster. Development 2021; 148:dev191700. [PMID: 33593816 PMCID: PMC7990863 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cellular development and function rely on highly dynamic molecular interactions among proteins distributed in all cell compartments. Analysis of these interactions has been one of the main topics in cellular and developmental research, and has been mostly achieved by the manipulation of proteins of interest (POIs) at the genetic level. Although genetic strategies have significantly contributed to our current understanding, targeting specific interactions of POIs in a time- and space-controlled manner or analysing the role of POIs in dynamic cellular processes, such as cell migration or cell division, would benefit from more-direct approaches. The recent development of specific protein binders, which can be expressed and function intracellularly, along with advancement in synthetic biology, have contributed to the creation of a new toolbox for direct protein manipulations. Here, we have selected a number of short-tag epitopes for which protein binders from different scaffolds have been generated and showed that single copies of these tags allowed efficient POI binding and manipulation in living cells. Using Drosophila, we also find that single short tags can be used for POI manipulation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alessandra Vigano
- Growth and Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Clara-Maria Ell
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Biological Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg, Habsburgerstrasse 49, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Manuela M M Kustermann
- Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Biological Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg, Habsburgerstrasse 49, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gustavo Aguilar
- Growth and Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shinya Matsuda
- Growth and Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ning Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Timothy J Stasevich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Markus Affolter
- Growth and Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - George Pyrowolakis
- Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Biological Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg, Habsburgerstrasse 49, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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47
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Lackner A, Sehlke R, Garmhausen M, Giuseppe Stirparo G, Huth M, Titz-Teixeira F, van der Lelij P, Ramesmayer J, Thomas HF, Ralser M, Santini L, Galimberti E, Sarov M, Stewart AF, Smith A, Beyer A, Leeb M. Cooperative genetic networks drive embryonic stem cell transition from naïve to formative pluripotency. EMBO J 2021; 40:e105776. [PMID: 33687089 PMCID: PMC8047444 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian embryo, epiblast cells must exit the naïve state and acquire formative pluripotency. This cell state transition is recapitulated by mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which undergo pluripotency progression in defined conditions in vitro. However, our understanding of the molecular cascades and gene networks involved in the exit from naïve pluripotency remains fragmentary. Here, we employed a combination of genetic screens in haploid ESCs, CRISPR/Cas9 gene disruption, large‐scale transcriptomics and computational systems biology to delineate the regulatory circuits governing naïve state exit. Transcriptome profiles for 73 ESC lines deficient for regulators of the exit from naïve pluripotency predominantly manifest delays on the trajectory from naïve to formative epiblast. We find that gene networks operative in ESCs are also active during transition from pre‐ to post‐implantation epiblast in utero. We identified 496 naïve state‐associated genes tightly connected to the in vivo epiblast state transition and largely conserved in primate embryos. Integrated analysis of mutant transcriptomes revealed funnelling of multiple gene activities into discrete regulatory modules. Finally, we delineate how intersections with signalling pathways direct this pivotal mammalian cell state transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lackner
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Sehlke
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marius Garmhausen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Giuliano Giuseppe Stirparo
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michelle Huth
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Titz-Teixeira
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra van der Lelij
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Ramesmayer
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Henry F Thomas
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meryem Ralser
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Santini
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Galimberti
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mihail Sarov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Francis Stewart
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Austin Smith
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Leeb
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
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48
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Jankele R, Jelier R, Gönczy P. Physically asymmetric division of the C. elegans zygote ensures invariably successful embryogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:e61714. [PMID: 33620314 PMCID: PMC7972452 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric divisions that yield daughter cells of different sizes are frequent during early embryogenesis, but the importance of such a physical difference for successful development remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated this question using the first division of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, which yields a large AB cell and a small P1 cell. We equalized AB and P1 sizes using acute genetic inactivation or optogenetic manipulation of the spindle positioning protein LIN-5. We uncovered that only some embryos tolerated equalization, and that there was a size asymmetry threshold for viability. Cell lineage analysis of equalized embryos revealed an array of defects, including faster cell cycle progression in P1 descendants, as well as defects in cell positioning, division orientation, and cell fate. Moreover, equalized embryos were more susceptible to external compression. Overall, we conclude that unequal first cleavage is essential for invariably successful embryonic development of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Jankele
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Rob Jelier
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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49
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Yemini E, Lin A, Nejatbakhsh A, Varol E, Sun R, Mena GE, Samuel ADT, Paninski L, Venkatachalam V, Hobert O. NeuroPAL: A Multicolor Atlas for Whole-Brain Neuronal Identification in C. elegans. Cell 2021; 184:272-288.e11. [PMID: 33378642 PMCID: PMC10494711 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Comprehensively resolving neuronal identities in whole-brain images is a major challenge. We achieve this in C. elegans by engineering a multicolor transgene called NeuroPAL (a neuronal polychromatic atlas of landmarks). NeuroPAL worms share a stereotypical multicolor fluorescence map for the entire hermaphrodite nervous system that resolves all neuronal identities. Neurons labeled with NeuroPAL do not exhibit fluorescence in the green, cyan, or yellow emission channels, allowing the transgene to be used with numerous reporters of gene expression or neuronal dynamics. We showcase three applications that leverage NeuroPAL for nervous-system-wide neuronal identification. First, we determine the brainwide expression patterns of all metabotropic receptors for acetylcholine, GABA, and glutamate, completing a map of this communication network. Second, we uncover changes in cell fate caused by transcription factor mutations. Third, we record brainwide activity in response to attractive and repulsive chemosensory cues, characterizing multimodal coding for these stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Albert Lin
- Department of Physics, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Amin Nejatbakhsh
- Departments of Statistics and Neuroscience, Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Erdem Varol
- Departments of Statistics and Neuroscience, Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ruoxi Sun
- Departments of Statistics and Neuroscience, Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Gonzalo E Mena
- Department of Statistics and Data Science Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Aravinthan D T Samuel
- Department of Physics, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Liam Paninski
- Departments of Statistics and Neuroscience, Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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50
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Rondelet A, Pozniakovsky A, Namboodiri D, Cardoso da Silva R, Singh D, Leuschner M, Poser I, Ssykor A, Berlitz J, Schmidt N, Röhder L, Vader G, Hyman AA, Bird AW. ESI mutagenesis: a one-step method for introducing mutations into bacterial artificial chromosomes. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 4:4/2/e202000836. [PMID: 33293335 PMCID: PMC7756954 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A simple and efficient recombineering-based method for introducing point mutations into bacterial artificial chromosomes using an artificial intron cassette. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)–based transgenes have emerged as a powerful tool for controlled and conditional interrogation of protein function in higher eukaryotes. Although homologous recombination-based recombineering methods have streamlined the efficient integration of protein tags onto BAC transgenes, generating precise point mutations has remained less efficient and time-consuming. Here, we present a simplified method for inserting point mutations into BAC transgenes requiring a single recombineering step followed by antibiotic selection. This technique, which we call exogenous/synthetic intronization (ESI) mutagenesis, relies on co-integration of a mutation of interest along with a selectable marker gene, the latter of which is harboured in an artificial intron adjacent to the mutation site. Cell lines generated from ESI-mutated BACs express the transgenes equivalently to the endogenous gene, and all cells efficiently splice out the synthetic intron. Thus, ESI mutagenesis provides a robust and effective single-step method with high precision and high efficiency for mutating BAC transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Rondelet
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Andrei Pozniakovsky
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Divya Singh
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marit Leuschner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ina Poser
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea Ssykor
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julian Berlitz
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Nadine Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Lea Röhder
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Gerben Vader
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Anthony A Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
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