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Poole RJ, Flames N, Cochella L. Neurogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2024:iyae116. [PMID: 39167071 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals rely on their nervous systems to process sensory inputs, integrate these with internal signals, and produce behavioral outputs. This is enabled by the highly specialized morphologies and functions of neurons. Neuronal cells share multiple structural and physiological features, but they also come in a large diversity of types or classes that give the nervous system its broad range of functions and plasticity. This diversity, first recognized over a century ago, spurred classification efforts based on morphology, function, and molecular criteria. Caenorhabditis elegans, with its precisely mapped nervous system at the anatomical level, an extensive molecular description of most of its neurons, and its genetic amenability, has been a prime model for understanding how neurons develop and diversify at a mechanistic level. Here, we review the gene regulatory mechanisms driving neurogenesis and the diversification of neuron classes and subclasses in C. elegans. We discuss our current understanding of the specification of neuronal progenitors and their differentiation in terms of the transcription factors involved and ensuing changes in gene expression and chromatin landscape. The central theme that has emerged is that the identity of a neuron is defined by modules of gene batteries that are under control of parallel yet interconnected regulatory mechanisms. We focus on how, to achieve these terminal identities, cells integrate information along their developmental lineages. Moreover, we discuss how neurons are diversified postembryonically in a time-, genetic sex-, and activity-dependent manner. Finally, we discuss how the understanding of neuronal development can provide insights into the evolution of neuronal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nuria Flames
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia 46012, Spain
| | - Luisa Cochella
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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2
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Yin X, He Z, Chen K, Ouyang K, Yang C, Li J, Tang H, Cai M. Unveiling the impact of CDK8 on tumor progression: mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1386929. [PMID: 38606172 PMCID: PMC11006979 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1386929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
CDK8 is an important member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family associated with transcription and acts as a key "molecular switch" in the Mediator complex. CDK8 regulates gene expression by phosphorylating transcription factors and can control the transcription process through Mediator complex. Previous studies confirmed that CDK8 is an important oncogenic factor, making it a potential tumor biomarker and a promising target for tumor therapy. However, CDK8 has also been confirmed to be a tumor suppressor, indicating that it not only promotes the development of tumors but may also be involved in tumor suppression. Therefore, the dual role of CDK8 in the process of tumor development is worth further exploration and summary. This comprehensive review delves into the intricate involvement of CDK8 in transcription-related processes, as well as its role in signaling pathways related to tumorigenesis, with a focus on its critical part in driving cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Yin
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Zhilong He
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Kai Ouyang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Changxuan Yang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Jianjun Li
- Department of Urological Surgical, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hailin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Manbo Cai
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
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3
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Mullan TW, Felton T, Tam J, Kasem O, Yeung TJ, Memar N, Schnabel R, Poole RJ. Control of successive unequal cell divisions by neural cell fate regulators determines embryonic neuroblast cell size. Development 2024; 151:dev200981. [PMID: 38205939 PMCID: PMC10911278 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200981] [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] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Asymmetric cell divisions often generate daughter cells of unequal size in addition to different fates. In some contexts, daughter cell size asymmetry is thought to be a key input to specific binary cell fate decisions. An alternative possibility is that unequal division is a mechanism by which a variety of cells of different sizes are generated during embryonic development. We show here that two unequal cell divisions precede neuroblast formation in the C lineage of Caenorhabditis elegans. The equalisation of these divisions in a pig-1/MELK mutant background has little effect on neuroblast specification. Instead, we demonstrate that let-19/MDT13 is a regulator of the proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor hlh-14/ASCL1 and find that both are required to concomitantly regulate the acquisition of neuroblast identity and neuroblast cell size. Thus, embryonic neuroblast cell size in this lineage is progressively regulated in parallel with identity by key neural cell fate regulators. We propose that key cell fate determinants have a previously unappreciated function in regulating unequal cleavage, and therefore cell size, of the progenitor cells whose daughter cell fates they then go on to specify.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Mullan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Terry Felton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Janis Tam
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Osama Kasem
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tim J. Yeung
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nadin Memar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institut für Genetik, TU Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ralf Schnabel
- Institut für Genetik, TU Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Richard J. Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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4
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Lemaître QIB, Bartsch N, Kouzel IU, Busengdal H, Richards GS, Steinmetz PRH, Rentzsch F. NvPrdm14d-expressing neural progenitor cells contribute to non-ectodermal neurogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4854. [PMID: 37563174 PMCID: PMC10415408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39789-4] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis has been studied extensively in the ectoderm, from which most animals generate the majority of their neurons. Neurogenesis from non-ectodermal tissue is, in contrast, poorly understood. Here we use the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a model to provide new insights into the molecular regulation of non-ectodermal neurogenesis. We show that the transcription factor NvPrdm14d is expressed in a subpopulation of NvSoxB(2)-expressing endodermal progenitor cells and their NvPOU4-expressing progeny. Using a new transgenic reporter line, we show that NvPrdm14d-expressing cells give rise to neurons in the body wall and in close vicinity of the longitudinal retractor muscles. RNA-sequencing of NvPrdm14d::GFP-expressing cells and gene knockdown experiments provide candidate genes for the development and function of these neurons. Together, the identification of a population of endoderm-specific neural progenitor cells and of previously undescribed putative motoneurons in Nematostella provide new insights into the regulation of non-ectodermal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin I B Lemaître
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Natascha Bartsch
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
- Department for Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ian U Kouzel
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Henriette Busengdal
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gemma Sian Richards
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
- Department for Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
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5
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Masoudi N, Schnabel R, Yemini E, Leyva-Díaz E, Hobert O. Cell-specific effects of the sole C. elegans Daughterless/E protein homolog, HLH-2, on nervous system development. Development 2023; 150:286219. [PMID: 36595352 PMCID: PMC10108603 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Are there common mechanisms of neurogenesis used throughout an entire nervous system? We explored to what extent canonical proneural class I/II bHLH complexes are responsible for neurogenesis throughout the entire Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system. Distinct, lineage-specific proneural class II bHLH factors are generally thought to operate via interaction with a common, class I bHLH subunit, encoded by Daughterless in flies, the E proteins in vertebrates and HLH-2 in C. elegans. To eliminate function of all proneuronal class I/II bHLH complexes, we therefore genetically removed maternal and zygotic hlh-2 gene activity. We observed broad effects on neurogenesis, but still detected normal neurogenesis in many distinct neuron-producing lineages of the central and peripheral nervous system. Moreover, we found that hlh-2 selectively affects some aspects of neuron differentiation while leaving others unaffected. Although our studies confirm the function of proneuronal class I/II bHLH complexes in many different lineages throughout a nervous system, we conclude that their function is not universal, but rather restricted by lineage, cell type and components of differentiation programs affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Masoudi
- 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
| | - Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA.,University of Massachusetts, Department of Neurobiology, Worcester, MA 1605-2324, USA
| | - Eduardo Leyva-Díaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA
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6
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Lin Z, Xie Y, Nong W, Ren X, Li R, Zhao Z, Hui JHL, Yuen KWY. Formation of artificial chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans and analyses of their segregation in mitosis, DNA sequence composition and holocentromere organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9174-9193. [PMID: 34417622 PMCID: PMC8450109 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate how exogenous DNA concatemerizes to form episomal artificial chromosomes (ACs), acquire equal segregation ability and maintain stable holocentromeres, we injected DNA sequences with different features, including sequences that are repetitive or complex, and sequences with different AT-contents, into the gonad of Caenorhabditis elegans to form ACs in embryos, and monitored AC mitotic segregation. We demonstrated that AT-poor sequences (26% AT-content) delayed the acquisition of segregation competency of newly formed ACs. We also co-injected fragmented Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic DNA, differentially expressed fluorescent markers and ubiquitously expressed selectable marker to construct a less repetitive, more complex AC. We sequenced the whole genome of a strain which propagates this AC through multiple generations, and de novo assembled the AC sequences. We discovered CENP-AHCP-3 domains/peaks are distributed along the AC, as in endogenous chromosomes, suggesting a holocentric architecture. We found that CENP-AHCP-3 binds to the unexpressed marker genes and many fragmented yeast sequences, but is excluded in the yeast extremely high-AT-content centromeric and mitochondrial DNA (> 83% AT-content) on the AC. We identified A-rich motifs in CENP-AHCP-3 domains/peaks on the AC and on endogenous chromosomes, which have some similarity with each other and similarity to some non-germline transcription factor binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyang Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yichun Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wenyan Nong
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaoliang Ren
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Runsheng Li
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Jerome Ho Lam Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Karen Wing Yee Yuen
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
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7
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Sando SR, Bhatla N, Lee EL, Horvitz HR. An hourglass circuit motif transforms a motor program via subcellularly localized muscle calcium signaling and contraction. eLife 2021; 10:59341. [PMID: 34212858 PMCID: PMC8331187 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural control of muscle function is fundamental to animal behavior. Many muscles can generate multiple distinct behaviors. Nonetheless, individual muscle cells are generally regarded as the smallest units of motor control. We report that muscle cells can alter behavior by contracting subcellularly. We previously discovered that noxious tastes reverse the net flow of particles through the C. elegans pharynx, a neuromuscular pump, resulting in spitting. We now show that spitting results from the subcellular contraction of the anterior region of the pm3 muscle cell. Subcellularly localized calcium increases accompany this contraction. Spitting is controlled by an ‘hourglass’ circuit motif: parallel neural pathways converge onto a single motor neuron that differentially controls multiple muscles and the critical subcellular muscle compartment. We conclude that subcellular muscle units enable modulatory motor control and propose that subcellular muscle contraction is a fundamental mechanism by which neurons can reshape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Sando
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Nikhil Bhatla
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Miller Institute, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Eugene Lq Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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8
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Lambert J, Lloret-Fernández C, Laplane L, Poole RJ, Jarriault S. On the origins and conceptual frameworks of natural plasticity-Lessons from single-cell models in C. elegans. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 144:111-159. [PMID: 33992151 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How flexible are cell identities? This problem has fascinated developmental biologists for several centuries and can be traced back to Abraham Trembley's pioneering manipulations of Hydra to test its regeneration abilities in the 1700s. Since the cell theory in the mid-19th century, developmental biology has been dominated by a single framework in which embryonic cells are committed to specific cell fates, progressively and irreversibly acquiring their differentiated identities. This hierarchical, unidirectional and irreversible view of cell identity has been challenged in the past decades through accumulative evidence that many cell types are more plastic than previously thought, even in intact organisms. The paradigm shift introduced by such plasticity calls into question several other key traditional concepts, such as how to define a differentiated cell or more generally cellular identity, and has brought new concepts, such as distinct cellular states. In this review, we want to contribute to this representation by attempting to clarify the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of cell plasticity and identity. In the context of these new frameworks we describe here an atlas of natural plasticity of cell identity in C. elegans, including our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play. The worm further provides interesting cases at the borderlines of cellular plasticity that highlight the conceptual challenges still ahead. We then discuss a set of future questions and perspectives arising from the studies of natural plasticity in the worm that are shared with other reprogramming and plasticity events across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Lambert
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Carla Lloret-Fernández
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie Laplane
- CNRS UMR 8590, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, IHPST, Paris, France
| | - Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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9
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Pham K, Masoudi N, Leyva-Díaz E, Hobert O. A nervous system-specific subnuclear organelle in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2021; 217:1-17. [PMID: 33683371 PMCID: PMC8045701 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe here phase-separated subnuclear organelles in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which we term NUN (NUclear Nervous system-specific) bodies. Unlike other previously described subnuclear organelles, NUN bodies are highly cell type specific. In fully mature animals, 4-10 NUN bodies are observed exclusively in the nucleus of neuronal, glial and neuron-like cells, but not in other somatic cell types. Based on co-localization and genetic loss of function studies, NUN bodies are not related to other previously described subnuclear organelles, such as nucleoli, splicing speckles, paraspeckles, Polycomb bodies, promyelocytic leukemia bodies, gems, stress-induced nuclear bodies, or clastosomes. NUN bodies form immediately after cell cycle exit, before other signs of overt neuronal differentiation and are unaffected by the genetic elimination of transcription factors that control many other aspects of neuronal identity. In one unusual neuron class, the canal-associated neurons, NUN bodies remodel during larval development, and this remodeling depends on the Prd-type homeobox gene ceh-10. In conclusion, we have characterized here a novel subnuclear organelle whose cell type specificity poses the intriguing question of what biochemical process in the nucleus makes all nervous system-associated cells different from cells outside the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Pham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Neda Masoudi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Eduardo Leyva-Díaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical 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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10
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Wu D, Zhang Z, Chen X, Yan Y, Liu X. Angel or Devil ? - CDK8 as the new drug target. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 213:113043. [PMID: 33257171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) plays an momentous role in transcription regulation by forming kinase module or transcription factor phosphorylation. A large number of evidences have identified CDK8 as an important factor in cancer occurrence and development. In addition, CDK8 also participates in the regulation of cancer cell stress response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, assists tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, CDK8 is regarded as a promising target for cancer therapy. Most studies in recent years supported the role of CDK8 as a carcinogen, however, under certain conditions, CDK8 exists as a tumor suppressor. The functional diversity of CDK8 and its exceptional role in different types of cancer have aroused great interest from scientists but even more controversy during the discovery of CDK8 inhibitors. In addition, CDK8 appears to be an effective target for inflammation diseases and immune system disorders. Therefore, we summarized the research results of CDK8, involving physiological/pathogenic mechanisms and the development status of compounds targeting CDK8, provide a reference for the feasibility evaluation of CDK8 as a therapeutic target, and guidance for researchers who are involved in this field for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- School of Biological Engineering, Hefei Technology College, Hefei, 238000, PR China
| | - Zhaoyan Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, PR China
| | - Xing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, PR China
| | - Yaoyao Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, PR China
| | - Xinhua Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, PR China.
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11
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The Conserved ASCL1/MASH-1 Ortholog HLH-3 Specifies Sex-Specific Ventral Cord Motor Neuron Fate in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:4201-4213. [PMID: 32973001 PMCID: PMC7642948 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Neural specification is regulated by one or many transcription factors that control expression of effector genes that mediate function and determine neuronal type. Here we identify a novel role for one conserved proneural factor, the bHLH protein HLH-3, implicated in the specification of sex-specific ventral cord motor neurons in C. elegans. Proneural genes act in early stages of neurogenesis in early progenitors, but here, we demonstrate a later role for hlh-3. First, we document that differentiation of the ventral cord type C motor neuron class (VC) within their neuron class, is dynamic in time and space. Expression of VC class-specific and subclass-specific identity genes is distinct through development and is dependent on the VC position along the A-P axis and their proximity to the vulva. Our characterization of the expression of VC class and VC subclass-specific differentiation markers in the absence of hlh-3 function reveals that VC fate specification, differentiation, and morphology requires hlh-3 function. Finally, we conclude that hlh-3 cell-autonomously specifies VC cell fate.
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12
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Rothman J, Jarriault S. Developmental Plasticity and Cellular Reprogramming in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 213:723-757. [PMID: 31685551 PMCID: PMC6827377 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
While Caenorhabditis elegans was originally regarded as a model for investigating determinate developmental programs, landmark studies have subsequently shown that the largely invariant pattern of development in the animal does not reflect irreversibility in rigidly fixed cell fates. Rather, cells at all stages of development, in both the soma and germline, have been shown to be capable of changing their fates through mutation or forced expression of fate-determining factors, as well as during the normal course of development. In this chapter, we review the basis for natural and induced cellular plasticity in C. elegans We describe the events that progressively restrict cellular differentiation during embryogenesis, starting with the multipotency-to-commitment transition (MCT) and subsequently through postembryonic development of the animal, and consider the range of molecular processes, including transcriptional and translational control systems, that contribute to cellular plasticity. These findings in the worm are discussed in the context of both classical and recent studies of cellular plasticity in vertebrate systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93111, and
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), Department of Development and Stem Cells, CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
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13
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Rimel JK, Taatjes DJ. The essential and multifunctional TFIIH complex. Protein Sci 2018; 27:1018-1037. [PMID: 29664212 PMCID: PMC5980561 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
TFIIH is a 10‐subunit complex that regulates RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription but also serves other important biological roles. Although much remains unknown about TFIIH function in eukaryotic cells, much progress has been made even in just the past few years, due in part to technological advances (e.g. cryoEM and single molecule methods) and the development of chemical inhibitors of TFIIH enzymes. This review focuses on the major cellular roles for TFIIH, with an emphasis on TFIIH function as a regulator of pol II transcription. We describe the structure of TFIIH and its roles in pol II initiation, promoter‐proximal pausing, elongation, and termination. We also discuss cellular roles for TFIIH beyond transcription (e.g. DNA repair, cell cycle regulation) and summarize small molecule inhibitors of TFIIH and diseases associated with defects in TFIIH structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna K Rimel
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80303
| | - Dylan J Taatjes
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80303
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Lloret-Fernández C, Maicas M, Mora-Martínez C, Artacho A, Jimeno-Martín Á, Chirivella L, Weinberg P, Flames N. A transcription factor collective defines the HSN serotonergic neuron regulatory landscape. eLife 2018; 7:32785. [PMID: 29553368 PMCID: PMC5916565 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell differentiation is controlled by individual transcription factors (TFs) that together activate a selection of enhancers in specific cell types. How these combinations of TFs identify and activate their target sequences remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the cis-regulatory transcriptional code that controls the differentiation of serotonergic HSN neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. Activation of the HSN transcriptome is directly orchestrated by a collective of six TFs. Binding site clusters for this TF collective form a regulatory signature that is sufficient for de novo identification of HSN neuron functional enhancers. Among C. elegans neurons, the HSN transcriptome most closely resembles that of mouse serotonergic neurons. Mouse orthologs of the HSN TF collective also regulate serotonergic differentiation and can functionally substitute for their worm counterparts which suggests deep homology. Our results identify rules governing the regulatory landscape of a critically important neuronal type in two species separated by over 700 million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lloret-Fernández
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miren Maicas
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Mora-Martínez
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Artacho
- Departamento de Genómica y Salud, Centro Superior de Investigación en Salud Pública, FISABIO, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ángela Jimeno-Martín
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Laura Chirivella
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Peter Weinberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Nuria Flames
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
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