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Krishna S, Prajapati B, Seth P, Sinha S. Dickopff 1 inhibits cancer stem cell properties and promotes neuronal differentiation of human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 17:73-82. [PMID: 39021664 PMCID: PMC11253693 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastomas are pediatric tumors arising from undifferentiated cells of neural crest origin with stem cell-like characteristics. Dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been shown to be linked to the development of various tumors. Activated Wnt signaling results in β-catenin accumulation in the nucleus to support pro-neoplastic traits. DKK1, a secreted glycoprotein, is an inhibitor of Wnt signaling, and the addition of DKKI to the culture medium has been used to suppress the Wnt pathway. This study aimed to analyze the role of Dickopff-1 as a potential differentiating agent for the neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y and neurospheres derived from it. The treatment of SH-5Y5Y derived neurospheres by DKK1 resulted in their disintegration and reduced proliferation markers like Ki67, PCNA. DKK1 treatment to the neurospheres also resulted in the loss of cancer stem cell markers like CD133, KIT and pluripotency markers like SOX2, OCT4, NANOG. DKK1 treatment caused reduction in mRNA expression of β-catenin and TCF genes like TCF4, TCF12. When the SH-SY5Y cancer cells were grown under differentiating conditions, DKKI caused neuronal differentiation by itself, and in synergy with retinoic acid. This was verified by the expression of markers like MAPT, DCX, GAP43, ENO2 and also with changes in neurite length. We concluded that Wnt inhibition, as exemplified by DKK1 treatment, is therefore a possible differentiating condition and also suppresses the proliferative and cancer stemness related properties of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bharat Prajapati
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurugram, India
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pankaj Seth
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurugram, India
| | - Subrata Sinha
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurugram, India
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Yadalam PK, Natarajan PM, Saeed MH, Ardila CM. Variational Approaches for Drug-Disease-Gene Links in Periodontal Inflammation. Int Dent J 2024:S0020-6539(24)01537-5. [PMID: 39395900 DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2024.09.025] [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: 08/13/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Oral diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are linked to the Wnt signaling pathway, vital for bone metabolism, cementum homeostasis, and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Advances in generative AI techniques, such as variational autoencoders (VAEs) and quantum variational classifiers (QVCs), offer promising tools for predicting gene associations between drugs and diseases. This study aims to compare the predictive performance of VAEs and QVCs in modeling drug-disease gene networks within the Wnt signaling pathway in periodontal inflammation. METHODS Genes associated with Wnt-related periodontal inflammation were identified through comprehensive literature reviews and genomic databases. Their roles in various biological processes were evaluated using gene set enrichment analysis, employing tools like Enrichr, which integrates diverse gene sets from sources such as DSigDB, DisGeNET, and Lincs_l1000.drug. The study then applied VAEs and QVCs to predict gene-disease associations related to the Wnt signaling pathway. RESULTS The analysis revealed an extensive network comprising 1738 nodes and 1498 edges, averaging 1.992 neighbors per node. The network exhibited a diameter of 2, a radius of 1, and a characteristic path length of 1.992, indicating limited interconnectivity. The VQA model demonstrated a high accuracy rate of 97.5%, although it only detected 50% of anomalies. The VQC model achieved a precision of 78%, with Class 1 samples showing improved recall and a balanced F1 score. CONCLUSION VQC and VAE models exhibit strong potential for discovering FDA-approved drugs by predicting gene-drug associations in periodontitis based on the Wnt signaling pathway. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study highlights the potential of VAEs and QVCs in predicting gene-drug associations for periodontal inflammation. This could lead to more targeted therapies for oral diseases like periodontitis, improving patient outcomes and advancing personalized treatment strategies in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Kumar Yadalam
- Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences,Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Prabhu Manickam Natarajan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Center of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences and Research, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Musab Hamed Saeed
- Associate Professor, Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry. Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Carlos M Ardila
- Carlos-M. Ardila. DDS. Periodontist. Ph.D in Epidemiology. Postdoc in Bioethics Titular Professor. Universidad de Antioquia U de A, Medellín, Colombia. Biomedical Stomatology Research Group, Universidad de Antioquia U de A, Medellín, Colombia.
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Vidyawan V, Puspita L, Juwono VB, Deline M, Pieknell K, Chang MY, Lee SH, Shim JW. Autophagy controls neuronal differentiation by regulating the WNT-DVL signaling pathway. Autophagy 2024:1-18. [PMID: 39385328 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2407707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy dysregulation is associated with various neurological diseases, including Vici syndrome. We aimed to determine the role of autophagy in early brain development. We generated neurons from human embryonic stem cells and developed a Vici syndrome model by introducing a loss-of-function mutation in the EPG5 gene. Autophagy-related genes were upregulated at the neuronal progenitor cell stage. Inhibition of autolysosome formation with bafilomycin A1 treatment at the neuronal progenitor cell stage delayed neuronal differentiation. Notably, WNT (Wnt family member) signaling may be part of the underlying mechanism, which is negatively regulated by autophagy-mediated DVL2 (disheveled segment polarity protein 2) degradation. Disruption of autolysosome formation may lead to failure in the downregulation of WNT signaling, delaying neuronal differentiation. EPG5 mutations disturbed autolysosome formation, subsequently inducing defects in progenitor cell differentiation and cortical layer generation in organoids. Disrupted autophagy leads to smaller organoids, recapitulating Vici syndrome-associated microcephaly, and validating the disease relevance of our study.Abbreviations: BafA1: bafilomycin A1; co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; DVL2: dishevelled segment polarity protein 2; EPG5: ectopic P-granules 5 autophagy tethering factor; gRNA, guide RNA; hESC: human embryonic stem cells; KO: knockout; mDA, midbrain dopamine; NIM: neural induction media; NPC: neuronal progenitor cell; qPCR: quantitative polymerase chain reaction; UPS: ubiquitin-proteasome system; WNT: Wnt family member; WT: wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincencius Vidyawan
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-Bio Science (SIMS), Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
| | - Lesly Puspita
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-Bio Science (SIMS), Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
| | - Virginia Blessy Juwono
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-Bio Science (SIMS), Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
| | - Magdalena Deline
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-Bio Science (SIMS), Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
| | - Kelvin Pieknell
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Mi-Yoon Chang
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Premedicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang-Hun Lee
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Won Shim
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-Bio Science (SIMS), Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan-Si, Korea
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Barjesteh F, Heidari-Kalvani N, Alipourfard I, Najafi M, Bahreini E. Testosterone, β-estradiol, and hepatocellular carcinoma: stimulation or inhibition? A comparative effect analysis on cell cycle, apoptosis, and Wnt signaling of HepG2 cells. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:6121-6133. [PMID: 38421409 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03019-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Unlike breast and prostate cancers, which are specifically affected by estrogens or androgens, hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported to be influenced by both sex hormones. Given the coincidental differences of hepatocellular carcinoma in men and women, we investigated the effects of β-estradiol and testosterone on the cell cycle, apoptosis, and Wnt signaling in a model of hepatocellular carcinoma to understand the sex hormone-related etiology. To determine the effective concentration of both hormones, an MTT assay was performed. The effects of β-estradiol and testosterone on cell proliferation and death were evaluated by specific staining and flow cytometry. In addition, gene expression levels of estimated factors involved in GPC3-Wnt survival signaling were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Both hormones inhibited hepatic cell proliferation through arresting the cell cycle at S/G2 and increased the apoptosis rate in HepG2 cells. Both hormones dose-dependently decreased GPC3, Wnt, and DVL expression levels as activators of the Wnt-signaling pathway. In the case of Wnt-signaling inhibitors, the effects of both hormones on WIF were negligible, but they increased DKK1 levels in a dose-dependent manner. In each of the effects mentioned above, β-estradiol was notably more potent than testosterone. In contrast to the primary hypothesis of the project, in which testosterone was considered a stimulating carcinogenic factor in HCC pathogenesis, testosterone inhibited the occurrence of HCC similarly to β-estradiol. However, this inhibitory effect was weaker than that of β-estradiol and requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Barjesteh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614525, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Heidari-Kalvani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614525, Iran
| | - Iraj Alipourfard
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammad Najafi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614525, Iran
| | - Elham Bahreini
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614525, Iran.
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de Pellegars-Malhortie A, Picque Lasorsa L, Mazard T, Granier F, Prévostel C. Why Is Wnt/β-Catenin Not Yet Targeted in Routine Cancer Care? Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:949. [PMID: 39065798 PMCID: PMC11279613 DOI: 10.3390/ph17070949] [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: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite significant progress in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, the still limited number of therapeutic options is an obstacle towards increasing the cancer cure rate. In recent years, many efforts were put forth to develop therapeutics that selectively target different components of the oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These include small molecule inhibitors, antibodies, and more recently, gene-based approaches. Although some of them showed promising outcomes in clinical trials, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is still not targeted in routine clinical practice for cancer management. As for most anticancer treatments, a critical limitation to the use of Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors is their therapeutic index, i.e., the difficulty of combining effective anticancer activity with acceptable toxicity. Protecting healthy tissues from the effects of Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors is a major issue due to the vital role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in adult tissue homeostasis and regeneration. In this review, we provide an up-to-date summary of clinical trials on Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitors, examine their anti-tumor activity and associated adverse events, and explore strategies under development to improve the benefit/risk profile of this therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auriane de Pellegars-Malhortie
- IRCM (Montpellier Cancer Research Institute), University of Montpellier, Inserm, ICM (Montpellier Regional Cancer Institute), 34298 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France; (A.d.P.-M.); (L.P.L.); (T.M.)
| | - Laurence Picque Lasorsa
- IRCM (Montpellier Cancer Research Institute), University of Montpellier, Inserm, ICM (Montpellier Regional Cancer Institute), 34298 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France; (A.d.P.-M.); (L.P.L.); (T.M.)
| | - Thibault Mazard
- IRCM (Montpellier Cancer Research Institute), University of Montpellier, Inserm, ICM (Montpellier Regional Cancer Institute), 34298 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France; (A.d.P.-M.); (L.P.L.); (T.M.)
- Medical Oncology Department, ICM, University of Montpellier, CEDEX 5, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | | | - Corinne Prévostel
- IRCM (Montpellier Cancer Research Institute), University of Montpellier, Inserm, ICM (Montpellier Regional Cancer Institute), 34298 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France; (A.d.P.-M.); (L.P.L.); (T.M.)
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Abumustafa W, Castven D, Becker D, Salih SS, Manzoor S, Zamer BA, Talaat I, Hamad M, Marquardt JU, Muhammad JS. Inhibition of PRMT5-mediated regulation of DKK1 sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to chemotherapy. Cell Signal 2024; 119:111166. [PMID: 38588876 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The Dickkopf family proteins (DKKs) are strong Wnt signaling antagonists that play a significant role in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Recent work has shown that DKKs, mainly DKK1, are associated with the induction of chemoresistance in CRC and that DKK1 expression in cancer cells correlates with that of protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). This points to the presence of a regulatory loop between DKK1 and PRMT5. Herein, we addressed the question of whether PRMT5 contributes to DKK1 expression in CRC and hence CRC chemoresistance. Both in silico and in vitro approaches were used to explore the relationship between PRMT5 and different DKK members. Our data demonstrated that DKK1 expression is significantly upregulated in CRC clinical samples, KRAS-mutated CRC in particular and that the levels of DKK1 positively correlate with PRMT5 activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) data indicated a possible epigenetic role of PRMT5 in regulating DKK1, possibly through the symmetric dimethylation of H3R8. Knockdown of DKK1 or treatment with the PRMT5 inhibitor CMP5 in combination with doxorubicin yielded a synergistic anti-tumor effect in KRAS mutant, but not KRAS wild-type, CRC cells. These findings suggest that PRMT5 regulates DKK1 expression in CRC and that inhibition of PRMT5 modulates DKK1 expression in such a way that reduces CRC cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wafaa Abumustafa
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Darko Castven
- First Medical Department, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Diana Becker
- University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg, University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Shahenaz Shaban Salih
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shaista Manzoor
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Batoul Abi Zamer
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman Talaat
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jens Uwe Marquardt
- First Medical Department, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jibran Sualeh Muhammad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Xue W, Zhu B, Zhao K, Huang Q, Luo H, Shou Y, Huang Z, Guo H. Targeting LRP6: A new strategy for cancer therapy. Pharmacol Res 2024; 204:107200. [PMID: 38710241 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Targeting specific molecular drivers of tumor growth is a key approach in cancer therapy. Among these targets, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6), a vital component of the Wnt signaling pathway, has emerged as an intriguing candidate. As a cell-surface receptor and vital co-receptor, LRP6 is frequently overexpressed in various cancer types, implicating its pivotal role in driving tumor progression. The pursuit of LRP6 as a target for cancer treatment has gained substantial traction, offering a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention. Here, this comprehensive review explores recent breakthroughs in our understanding of LRP6's functions and underlying molecular mechanisms, providing a profound discussion of its involvement in cancer pathogenesis and drug resistance. Importantly, we go beyond discussing LRP6's role in cancer by discussing diverse potential therapeutic approaches targeting this enigmatic protein. These approaches encompass a wide spectrum, including pharmacological agents, natural compounds, non-coding RNAs, epigenetic factors, proteins, and peptides that modulate LRP6 expression or disrupt its interactions. In addition, also discussed the challenges associated with developing LRP6 inhibitors and their advantages over Wnt inhibitors, as well as the drugs that have entered phase II clinical trials. By shedding light on these innovative strategies, we aim to underscore LRP6's significance as a valuable and multifaceted target for cancer treatment, igniting enthusiasm for further research and facilitating translation into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xue
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules&College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Department of Pharmacy, Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Medical BioResource Development and Application Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Kaili Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules&College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Qiuju Huang
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules&College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Hua Luo
- Macau Centre for Research and Development in Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yiwen Shou
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules&College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Zhaoquan Huang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
| | - Hongwei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules&College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
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Yadalam PK, Ramadoss R, Suresh R. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis of the Inflammatory Wnt Signaling Reveals Biomarkers Related to Bone Formation. Cureus 2024; 16:e63510. [PMID: 39081453 PMCID: PMC11288288 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.63510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Osteocytes regulate bone metabolism and balance through various mechanisms, including the Wnt (Wingless-related integration site signal transduction) signaling pathway. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is a computational method to identify functionally related genes based on expression patterns, especially in the Wnt-beta-catenin and osteo-regenerative pathways. This study aims to analyze gene modules of the Wnt signaling pathway from WGCNA analysis. Methods The study used a microarray dataset from the GEO (GSE228306) to analyze differential gene expression in human primary monocytes. The study standardized datasets using Robust Multi-Array Average (RMA) expression measure and Integrated Differential Expression and Pathway (IDEP) analysis tool, building a co-expression network for group-specific component (GC) genes. Results The study uses WGCNA to identify co-expression modules with dysregulated mRNAs, revealing enrichment in Wnt-associated pathways and top hub-enriched genes like colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-23 subunit alpha (IL23A), suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), and C-C motif chemokine ligand 19 (CCL19). Conclusion WGCNA analysis of the Wnt signaling pathway will involve functional annotation, network visualization, validation, integration with other omics data, and addressing method limitations for better understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Kumar Yadalam
- Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
| | - Ramya Ramadoss
- Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
| | - Ramya Suresh
- Oral Biology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
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Choi YS, Hong JG, Lim DY, Kim MS, Park SH, Kang HC, Seo WS, Lee J. Small Peptide Derived from SFRP5 Suppresses Melanogenesis by Inhibiting Wnt Activity. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:5420-5435. [PMID: 38920996 PMCID: PMC11201734 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46060324] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanocytes, located in the epidermis' basal layer, are responsible for melanin pigment production, crucial for skin coloration and protection against UV radiation-induced damage. Melanin synthesis is intricately regulated by various factors, including the Wnt signaling pathway, particularly mediated by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). While MITF is recognized as a key regulator of pigmentation, its regulation by the Wnt pathway remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of Sfrp5pepD, a peptide antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway, in modulating melanogenesis and its potential therapeutic implications for pigmentary disorders. To tackle this issue, we investigated smaller peptides frequently utilized in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, there is a significant scarcity of reports on peptides associated with melanin-related signal modulation or inhibiting melanin production. Results indicate that Sfrp5pepD effectively inhibits Wnt signaling by disrupting the interaction between Axin-1 and β-catenin, thus impeding downstream melanogenic processes. Additionally, Sfrp5pepD suppresses the interaction between MITF and β-catenin, inhibiting their nuclear translocation and downregulating melanogenic enzyme expression, ultimately reducing melanin production. These inhibitory effects are validated in cell culture models suggesting potential clinical applications for hyperpigmentation disorders. Overall, this study elucidates the intricate interplay between Wnt signaling and melanogenesis, highlighting Sfrp5pepD as a promising therapeutic agent for pigmentary disorders. Sfrp5pepD, with a molecular weight of less than 500 Da, is anticipated to penetrate the skin unlike SFRPs. This suggests a strong potential for their use as cosmetics or transdermal absorption agents. Additional investigation into its mechanisms and clinical significance is necessary to enhance its effectiveness in addressing melanin-related skin conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon-Seo Choi
- Graduate School-Interdisciplinary Program in Biocosmetics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jin-Gwen Hong
- Research and Development Department, Benex Co., Ltd., Cheongju 28118, Republic of Korea;
| | - Dong-Young Lim
- R&D Center, Supadelixir Co., Ltd., Chuncheon 24232, Republic of Korea; (D.-Y.L.); (M.-S.K.)
| | - Min-Seo Kim
- R&D Center, Supadelixir Co., Ltd., Chuncheon 24232, Republic of Korea; (D.-Y.L.); (M.-S.K.)
| | - Sang-Hoon Park
- Department of Plastic Surgery, ID Hospital, Gangnam 06039, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hee-Cheol Kang
- Materials Division Affiliated Research Center, GFC Life Science Co., Ltd., Hwaseong 18471, Republic of Korea;
| | - Won-Sang Seo
- Materials Division Affiliated Research Center, GFC Life Science Co., Ltd., Hwaseong 18471, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jongsung Lee
- Molecular Dermatology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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10
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Powell GT, Faro A, Zhao Y, Stickney H, Novellasdemunt L, Henriques P, Gestri G, White ER, Ren J, Lu W, Young RM, Hawkins TA, Cavodeassi F, Schwarz Q, Dreosti E, Raible DW, Li VSW, Wright GJ, Jones EY, Wilson SW. Cachd1 interacts with Wnt receptors and regulates neuronal asymmetry in the zebrafish brain. Science 2024; 384:573-579. [PMID: 38696577 PMCID: PMC7615972 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade6970] [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: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Neurons on the left and right sides of the nervous system often show asymmetric properties, but how such differences arise is poorly understood. Genetic screening in zebrafish revealed that loss of function of the transmembrane protein Cachd1 resulted in right-sided habenula neurons adopting left-sided identity. Cachd1 is expressed in neuronal progenitors, functions downstream of asymmetric environmental signals, and influences timing of the normally asymmetric patterns of neurogenesis. Biochemical and structural analyses demonstrated that Cachd1 can bind simultaneously to Lrp6 and Frizzled family Wnt co-receptors. Consistent with this, lrp6 mutant zebrafish lose asymmetry in the habenulae, and epistasis experiments support a role for Cachd1 in modulating Wnt pathway activity in the brain. These studies identify Cachd1 as a conserved Wnt receptor-interacting protein that regulates lateralized neuronal identity in the zebrafish brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth T. Powell
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ana Faro
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Heather Stickney
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Departments of Otolaryngology-HNS and Biological Structure, University of Washington; Seattle, WA 98195-7420, USA
- Ambry Genetics; Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, USA
| | - Laura Novellasdemunt
- The Francis Crick Institute; London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology; 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Henriques
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Gaia Gestri
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Jingshan Ren
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Weixian Lu
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Rodrigo M. Young
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London; London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Center for Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor; Camino La Piramide 5750, 8580745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Thomas A. Hawkins
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- St. George’s, University of London; London, SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Quenten Schwarz
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London; London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Elena Dreosti
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David W. Raible
- Departments of Otolaryngology-HNS and Biological Structure, University of Washington; Seattle, WA 98195-7420, USA
| | | | - Gavin J. Wright
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York; York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - E. Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London; London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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11
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Kawaue H, Rojasawasthien T, Dusadeemeelap C, Matsubara T, Kokabu S, Addison WN. PI15, a novel secreted WNT-signaling antagonist, regulates chondrocyte differentiation. Connect Tissue Res 2024; 65:237-252. [PMID: 38739041 DOI: 10.1080/03008207.2024.2349818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE/AIM OF STUDY During the development of the vertebrate skeleton, the progressive differentiation and maturation of chondrocytes from mesenchymal progenitors is precisely coordinated by multiple secreted factors and signaling pathways. The WNT signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play a major role in chondrogenesis. However, the identification of secreted factors that fine-tune WNT activity has remained elusive. Here, in this study, we have identified PI15 (peptidase inhibitor 15, protease Inhibitor 15, SugarCrisp), a member of the CAP (cysteine rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and pathogenesis related 1 proteins) protein superfamily, as a novel secreted WNT antagonist dynamically upregulated during chondrocyte differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS ATDC5 cells, C3H10T1/2 micromass cultures and primary chondrocyte cells were used as in vitro models of chondrogenesis. PI15 levels were stably depleted or overexpressed by viral shRNA or expression vectors. Chondrogenesis was evaluated by qPCR gene expression analysis and Alcian blue staining. Protein interactions were determined by coimmunoprecipitation assays. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS shRNA-mediated knockdown of PI15 in ATDC5 cells, C3H10T1/2 cells or primary chondrocytes inhibits chondrogenesis, whereas the overexpression of PI15 strongly enhances chondrogenic potential. Mechanistically, PI15 binds to the LRP6 WNT co-receptor and blocks WNT-induced LRP6 phosphorylation, thus repressing WNT-induced transcriptional activity and alleviating the inhibitory effect of WNT signaling on chondrogenesis. Altogether, our findings suggest that PI15 acts as a key regulator of chondrogenesis and unveils a mechanism through which chondrocyte-derived molecules can modulate WNT activity as differentiation proceeds, thereby creating a positive feedback loop that further drives differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroka Kawaue
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
- Division of Oral Functional Development, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Thira Rojasawasthien
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Chirada Dusadeemeelap
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takuma Matsubara
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Kokabu
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - William N Addison
- Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
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12
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Peifer M, Dunn AR. Bill Weis (1959-2023): Pioneering structural biologist and biochemist who revolutionized our understanding of cell adhesion and Wnt signaling. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202402091. [PMID: 38393069 PMCID: PMC10890921 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202402091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In October 2023, cell biology lost one of its brightest stars, Bill Weis, gone too soon at the age of 64. Bill was a masterful biochemist and structural biologist who made landmark contributions to a remarkable number of fields, most notably cell–cell adhesion, Wnt signaling, and signaling by G-protein coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Peifer
- Department of Biology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexander R. Dunn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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13
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Shen L, Zhang C, Zhu G. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 promotes endometrial cancer progression and cancer cell immune escape. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23677. [PMID: 38528715 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23677] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The study investigated the potential association of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) genome with endometrial cancer progression based on the Gene Expression Omnibus data set and The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. Differential and weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed on endometrial cancer transcriptome datasets GSE9750 and GSE106191. The protein-protein interaction network was built using LDL-receptor proteins and the top 50 tumor-associated genes. Low-density lipoprotein-related receptors 5/6 (LRP5/6) in endometrial cancer tissues were correlated with oncogenes, cell cycle-related genes, and immunological checkpoints using Spearman correlation. MethPrimer predicted the LRP5/6 promoter CpG island. LRP2, LRP6, LRP8, LRP12, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-associated protein, and LRP5 were major LDL-receptor-related genes associated with endometrial cancer. LRP5/6 was enriched in various cancer-related pathways and may be a key LDL-receptor-related gene in cancer progression. LRP5/6 may be involved in the proliferation process of endometrial cancer cells by promoting the expression of cell cycle-related genes. LRP5/6 may be involved in the proliferation of endometrial cancer cells by promoting the expression of cell cycle-related genes. LRP5/6 may promote the immune escape of cancer cells by promoting the expression of immune checkpoints, promoting endometrial cancer progression. The MethPrimer database predicted that the LRP5/6 promoter region contained many CpG islands, suggesting that DNA methylation can occur in the LRP5/6 promoter region. LRP5/6 may aggravate endometrial cancer by activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifan Shen
- Department of Gynecology, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Central Lab, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Genhai Zhu
- Department of Gynecology, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, China
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14
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Bruguera ES, Mahoney JP, Weis WI. The co-receptor Tspan12 directly captures Norrin to promote ligand-specific β-catenin signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.03.578714. [PMID: 38352533 PMCID: PMC10862866 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.03.578714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling directs animal development and tissue renewal in a tightly controlled, cell- and tissue-specific manner. In the central nervous system, the atypical ligand Norrin controls angiogenesis and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier and blood-retina barrier through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Like Wnt, Norrin activates signaling by binding and heterodimerizing the receptors Frizzled (Fzd) and Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 or 6 (LRP5/6), leading to membrane recruitment of the intracellular transducer Dishevelled (Dvl); this ultimately results in the stabilization of the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin. Unlike Wnt, the cysteine-knot ligand Norrin only signals through Fzd4 and additionally requires the co-receptor Tspan12; however, the mechanism underlying Tspan12-mediated signal enhancement is unclear. It has been proposed that Tspan12 integrates into the Norrin-Fzd4 complex to enhance Norrin-Fzd4 affinity or otherwise allosterically modulate Fzd4 signaling. Here, we measure direct, high-affinity binding between purified Norrin and Tspan12 in a lipid environment and use AlphaFold models to interrogate this interaction interface. We find that Tspan12 and Fzd4 can simultaneously bind Norrin and that a pre-formed Tspan12/Fzd4 heterodimer, as well as cells co-expressing Tspan12 and Fzd4, more efficiently capture low concentrations of Norrin than Fzd4 alone. We also show that Tspan12 competes with both heparan sulfate proteoglycans and LRP6 for Norrin binding and that Tspan12 does not impact Fzd4-Dvl affinity in the presence or absence of Norrin. Our findings suggest that Tspan12 does not allosterically enhance Fzd4 binding to Norrin or Dvl, but instead functions to directly capture Norrin upstream of signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Bruguera
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jacob P Mahoney
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - William I Weis
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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15
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Fazeli E, Child DD, Bucks SA, Stovarsky M, Edwards G, Rose SE, Yu CE, Latimer C, Kitago Y, Bird T, Jayadev S, Andersen OM, Young JE. A familial missense variant in the Alzheimer's disease gene SORL1 impairs its maturation and endosomal sorting. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:20. [PMID: 38244079 PMCID: PMC10799806 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02670-1] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The SORL1 gene has recently emerged as a strong Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk gene. Over 500 different variants have been identified in the gene and the contribution of individual variants to AD development and progression is still largely unknown. Here, we describe a family consisting of 2 parents and 5 offspring. Both parents were affected with dementia and one had confirmed AD pathology with an age of onset > 75 years. All offspring were affected with AD with ages at onset ranging from 53 years to 74 years. DNA was available from the parent with confirmed AD and 5 offspring. We identified a coding variant, p.(Arg953Cys), in SORL1 in 5 of 6 individuals affected by AD. Notably, variant carriers had severe AD pathology, and the SORL1 variant segregated with TDP-43 pathology (LATE-NC). We further characterized this variant and show that this Arginine substitution occurs at a critical position in the YWTD-domain of the SORL1 translation product, SORL1. Functional studies further show that the p.R953C variant leads to retention of the SORL1 protein in the endoplasmic reticulum which leads to decreased maturation and shedding of the receptor and prevents its normal endosomal trafficking. Together, our analysis suggests that p.R953C is a pathogenic variant of SORL1 and sheds light on mechanisms of how missense SORL1 variants may lead to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Fazeli
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel D Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Stephanie A Bucks
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Miki Stovarsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Gabrielle Edwards
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Shannon E Rose
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Chang-En Yu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Administration Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Caitlin Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Yu Kitago
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Thomas Bird
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Administration Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Olav M Andersen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Jessica E Young
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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16
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Rodriguez FD, Covenas R. Association of Neurokinin-1 Receptor Signaling Pathways with Cancer. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:6460-6486. [PMID: 37594106 DOI: 10.2174/0929867331666230818110812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous biochemical reactions leading to altered cell proliferation cause tumorigenesis and cancer treatment resistance. The mechanisms implicated include genetic and epigenetic changes, modified intracellular signaling, and failure of control mechanisms caused by intrinsic and extrinsic factors alone or combined. No unique biochemical events are responsible; entangled molecular reactions conduct the resident cells in a tissue to display uncontrolled growth and abnormal migration. Copious experimental research supports the etiological responsibility of NK-1R (neurokinin-1 receptor) activation, alone or cooperating with other mechanisms, in cancer appearance in different tissues. Consequently, a profound study of this receptor system in the context of malignant processes is essential to design new treatments targeting NK-1R-deviated activity. METHODS This study reviews and discusses recent literature that analyzes the main signaling pathways influenced by the activation of neurokinin 1 full and truncated receptor variants. Also, the involvement of NK-1R in cancer development is discussed. CONCLUSION NK-1R can signal through numerous pathways and cross-talk with other receptor systems. The participation of override or malfunctioning NK-1R in malignant processes needs a more precise definition in different types of cancers to apply satisfactory and effective treatments. A long way has already been traveled: the current disposal of selective and effective NK-1R antagonists and the capacity to develop new drugs with biased agonistic properties based on the receptor's structural states with functional significance opens immediate research action and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco David Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Group GIR USAL: BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rafael Covenas
- Group GIR USAL: BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems, Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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17
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Fazeli E, Child DD, Bucks SA, Stovarsky M, Edwards G, Rose SE, Yu CE, Latimer C, Kitago Y, Bird T, Jayadev S, Andersen OM, Young JE. A familial missense variant in the Alzheimer's Disease gene SORL1 impairs its maturation and endosomal sorting. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.01.547348. [PMID: 37461597 PMCID: PMC10349966 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.01.547348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
The SORL1 gene has recently emerged as a strong Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk gene. Over 500 different variants have been identified in the gene and the contribution of individual variants to AD development and progression is still largely unknown. Here, we describe a family consisting of 2 parents and 5 offspring. Both parents were affected with dementia and one had confirmed AD pathology with an age of onset >75 years. All offspring were affected with AD with ages at onset ranging from 53yrs-74yrs. DNA was available from the parent with confirmed AD and 5 offspring. We identified a coding variant, p.(Arg953Cys), in SORL1 in 5 of 6 individuals affected by AD. Notably, variant carriers had severe AD pathology, and the SORL1 variant segregated with TDP-43 pathology (LATE-NC). We further characterized this variant and show that this Arginine substitution occurs at a critical position in the YWTD-domain of the SORL1 translation product, SORL1. Functional studies further show that the p.R953C variant leads to retention of the SORL1 protein in the endoplasmic reticulum which leads to decreased maturation and shedding of the receptor and prevents its normal endosomal trafficking. Together, our analysis suggests that p.R953C is a pathogenic variant of SORL1 and sheds light on mechanisms of how missense SORL1 variants may lead to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Fazeli
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, DK8000 AarhusC, Denmark
| | - Daniel D. Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Stephanie A. Bucks
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Miki Stovarsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Gabrielle Edwards
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Shannon E. Rose
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Chang-En Yu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Administration Health Care System
| | - Caitlin Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Yu Kitago
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Thomas Bird
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Administration Health Care System
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
| | - Olav M. Andersen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, DK8000 AarhusC, Denmark
| | - Jessica E. Young
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle Washington USA
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18
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Güneş E, Güneş M. Increased Prevalence of Autoimmune Rheumatologic Diseases in Patients With Primary Hyperparathyroidism. Cureus 2023; 15:e46906. [PMID: 37841984 PMCID: PMC10569233 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46906] [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] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1) have been mentioned together at the intersection of autoimmune rheumatologic diseases (ARDs) and osteoimmunology. However, few studies have evaluated the association between primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and ARDs. Methodology This retrospective study included 225 PHPT patients and 386 patients with thyroid nodules as a control group. The electronic hospital records of all patients were screened going back nine years for the presence of ARDs. Patients who were diagnosed at least three months ago, had complete serologic tests, and were continuing with rheumatologic follow-up were included. Results The prevalence of ARDs in the PHPT group was 9.77% (22/225), while the prevalence of ARDs in the CG was 1.04% (4/386, p < 0.001). The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the PHPT group was 4.4% (10/225), ankylosing spondylitis 3.1% (7/225), systemic lupus erythematosus 0.88% (2/225), Behçet's disease 0.88% (2/225), and mixed connective tissue disease 0.44% (1/225). Of the 22 patients with ARDs, 21 (95.45%) were diagnosed before they were diagnosed with PHPT, and the median time from diagnosis with ARD to the onset of PHPT was 36 months (interquartile range = 61.5). Logistic regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the duration of PHPT and ARDs (odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.09, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation between ARDs and calcium levels (OR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.09-0.79, p = 0.018). Conclusions The prevalence of ARDs increased in PHPT patients and PHPT accompanying ARDs developed after rheumatologic disease. ARDs with PHPT are cases with a prolonged duration of PHPT and mildly elevated calcium, probably preceded by parathyroid hyperplasia. Therefore, the factors that cause ARDs may trigger a process that leads to mild PHPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Güneş
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Health Sciences University, Bursa State Hospital, Bursa, TUR
| | - Mutlu Güneş
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Health Sciences University, Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, TUR
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19
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Wen B, Hu S, Yin J, Wu J, Guo W. Molecular Evolution and Protein Structure Variation of Dkk Family. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1863. [PMID: 37895211 PMCID: PMC10606412 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dkks have inhibitory effects on the Wnt signaling pathway, which is involved in the development of skin and its appendages and the regulation of hair growth. The nucleotide sequences were compared and analyzed to further investigate the relationship between the structure and function of the Dkk gene family and vertebrate epidermal hair. The analysis of the molecular evolution of the Dkk family revealed that the evolution rate of the genes changed significantly after speciation, with the Aves and Reptilia branches showing accelerated evolution. Additionally, positive selection was observed at specific sites. The tertiary structure of the protein was also predicted. The analysis of the functional divergence of the Dkk family revealed that the functional divergence coefficient of each gene was greater than 0, with most of the functional divergence sites were located in the Cys-2 domain and a few in the Cys-1 domain. This suggests that the amino acid and functional divergence sites may play a role in regulating the binding of the Dkk family to LRP5/6, and thus affect the inhibition of Wnt signaling, leading to different functions of Dkk1, Dkk2, and Dkk4 in the development of skin hair follicles. In addition, the Dkk families of Aves and Reptilia may have undergone adaptive evolution and functional divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binhong Wen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China;
| | - Sile Hu
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China;
| | - Jun Yin
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China;
| | - Jianghong Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China;
| | - Wenrui Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
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20
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Scharr M, Scherer S, Hirt B, Neckel PH. Dickkopf1 induces enteric neurogenesis and gliogenesis in vitro if apoptosis is evaded. Commun Biol 2023; 6:808. [PMID: 37532804 PMCID: PMC10397193 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05072-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis in the postnatal enteric nervous system (ENS) is controversially discussed. Yet, deciphering the regenerative potential of the ENS is essential for our understanding and therapy of human enteric neuropathies. Dickkopf1 (DKK1) is a Wnt-antagonist and involved in the homeostasis of various tissues. We hypothesize that DKK1 could function as a negative regulator on the proliferation of ENS-progenitors in the postnatal gut of mice and human infants. Here, we provide evidence that DKK1 is expressed in the murine and human ENS. If applied to ENS-progenitors in vitro, DKK1 leads to an increased proliferation, however, followed by extensive apoptosis. Yet, once we block apoptosis, DKK1-stimulation markedly increases enteric neurogenesis in murine and human ENS-progenitors. Thus, DKK1 is a strong, ambivalent regulator of the ENS-progenitor cell pool in mice and humans. These results are fundamental steps to reshaping our understanding of the homeostasis of the ENS in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Scharr
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon Scherer
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Children's Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hirt
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter H Neckel
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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21
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Prajapat M, Singh H, Chaudhary G, Sarma P, Kaur G, Prakash Patel A, Medhi B. A Novel Inhibitor of DKK1/LRP6 Interactions Against the Alzheimer Disease: An Insilco Approach. Bioinform Biol Insights 2023; 17:11779322231183762. [PMID: 37424708 PMCID: PMC10328054 DOI: 10.1177/11779322231183762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is implicated in a neuroprotective mechanism against the Alzheimer disease. When this pathway is blocked, it activates GSK3 beta, leading to tau hyperphosphorylation and the apoptosis of neurons. Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) is a protein that competes with the Wnt ligand for the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) receptor's binding, interrupting the Wnt-induced Fzd-Wnt-LRP6 complex. This counteracts Wnt's neuroprotective effect and contributes to the progression of the Alzheimer disease. The aim of this study was to use in silico approach to develop new agents that can combat the Alzheimer disease by targeting the interaction between DKK1 and LRP6. To achieve this, we conducted a virtual screening (Vsw) of the Asinex-CNS database library (n = 54 513) compounds against a generated grid in LRP6 protein. From this screening, we selected 6 compounds based on their docking score and performed molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) binding energy calculations on the selected ligands. Next, we evaluated the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) results of the 6 screened compounds using the Quick prop module of Schrödinger. We then employed several computational techniques, including PCA (Principal Component Analysis), DCCM (Dynamic Cross-Correlation Map), molecular dynamics simulation, and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA)-based negative binding free energy (BFE) calculation, to further analyze the compounds. Our extensive computational analysis resulted in the identification of 3 potential hits, LAS 29757582, LAS 29984441, and LAS 29757942. These compounds were found to block the interaction of DKK1 with LRP6 (A and B interface) protein, and their potential as therapeutic agents was supported by negative BFE calculation. Therefore, these compounds show potential as possible therapeutic agents for treating the Alzheimer disease through targeting the interaction between DKK1 and LRP6.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bikash Medhi
- Bikash Medhi, Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Research Block B, 4th Floor, Lab no. 4044, Chandigarh 160012, India.
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22
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Ramakrishna K, Nalla LV, Naresh D, Venkateswarlu K, Viswanadh MK, Nalluri BN, Chakravarthy G, Duguluri S, Singh P, Rai SN, Kumar A, Singh V, Singh SK. WNT-β Catenin Signaling as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Status and Future Perspective. Diseases 2023; 11:89. [PMID: 37489441 PMCID: PMC10366863 DOI: 10.3390/diseases11030089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin (WβC) signaling pathway is an important signaling pathway for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis from the embryonic developmental stages to adulthood. The canonical pathway of WβC signaling is essential for neurogenesis, cell proliferation, and neurogenesis, whereas the noncanonical pathway (WNT/Ca2+ and WNT/PCP) is responsible for cell polarity, calcium maintenance, and cell migration. Abnormal regulation of WβC signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Hence, the alteration of WβC signaling is considered a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. In the present review, we have used the bibliographical information from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus to address the current prospects of WβC signaling role in the abovementioned neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kakarla Ramakrishna
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Lakshmi Vineela Nalla
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Dumala Naresh
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Kojja Venkateswarlu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, IIT BHU, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Matte Kasi Viswanadh
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Buchi N Nalluri
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Guntupalli Chakravarthy
- KL College of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation Deemed to be University (KLU), Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur 522502, India
| | - Sajusha Duguluri
- Department of Biotechnology, Bharathi Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai 600073, India
| | - Payal Singh
- Department of Zoology, Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Sachchida Nand Rai
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, India
| | - Veer Singh
- ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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23
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Pokharel SM, Mohanty I, Mariasoosai C, Miura TA, Maddison LA, Natesan S, Bose S. Human beta defensin-3 mediated activation of β-catenin during human respiratory syncytial virus infection: interaction of HBD3 with LDL receptor-related protein 5. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1186510. [PMID: 37426017 PMCID: PMC10324619 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1186510] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a non-segmented negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the paramyxovirus family. RSV infects the respiratory tract to cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants, elderly, and immunocompromised patients. Effective clinical therapeutic options and vaccines to combat RSV infection are still lacking. Therefore, to develop effective therapeutic interventions, it is imperative to understand virus-host interactions during RSV infection. Cytoplasmic stabilization of β-catenin protein results in activation of canonical Wingless (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling pathway that culminates in transcriptional activation of various genes regulated by T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factors. This pathway is involved in various biological and physiological functions. Our study shows RSV infection of human lung epithelial A549 cells triggering β-catenin protein stabilization and induction of β-catenin mediated transcriptional activity. Functionally, the activated β-catenin pathway promoted a pro-inflammatory response during RSV infection of lung epithelial cells. Studies with β-catenin inhibitors and A549 cells lacking optimal β-catenin activity demonstrated a significant loss of pro-inflammatory chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) release from RSV-infected cells. Mechanistically, our studies revealed a role of extracellular human beta defensin-3 (HBD3) in interacting with cell surface Wnt receptor LDL receptor-related protein-5 (LRP5) to activate the non-canonical Wnt independent β-catenin pathway during RSV infection. We showed gene expression and release of HBD3 from RSV-infected cells and silencing of HBD3 expression resulted in reduced stabilization of β-catenin protein during RSV infection. Furthermore, we observed the binding of extracellular HBD3 with cell surface localized LRP5 protein, and our in silico and protein-protein interaction studies have highlighted a direct interaction of HBD3 with LRP5. Thus, our studies have identified the β-catenin pathway as a key regulator of pro-inflammatory response during RSV infection of human lung epithelial cells. This pathway was induced during RSV infection via a non-canonical Wnt-independent mechanism involving paracrine/autocrine action of extracellular HBD3 activating cell surface Wnt receptor complex by directly interacting with the LRP5 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swechha M. Pokharel
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Indira Mohanty
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Charles Mariasoosai
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Tanya A. Miura
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Lisette A. Maddison
- Center for Reproductive Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Senthil Natesan
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Santanu Bose
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Bowin CF, Kozielewicz P, Grätz L, Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Schulte G. WNT stimulation induces dynamic conformational changes in the Frizzled-Dishevelled interaction. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eabo4974. [PMID: 37014927 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abo4974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Frizzleds (FZDs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind to WNT family ligands. FZDs signal through multiple effector proteins, including Dishevelled (DVL), which acts as a hub for several downstream signaling pathways. To understand how WNT binding to FZD stimulates intracellular signaling and influences downstream pathway selectivity, we investigated the dynamic changes in the FZD5-DVL2 interaction elicited by WNT-3A and WNT-5A. Ligand-induced changes in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between FZD5 and DVL2 or the isolated FZD-binding DEP domain of DVL2 revealed a composite response consisting of both DVL2 recruitment and conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex. The combination of different BRET paradigms enabled us to identify ligand-dependent conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex and distinguish them from ligand-induced recruitment of DVL2 or DEP to FZD5. The observed agonist-induced conformational changes at the receptor-transducer interface suggest that extracellular agonist and intracellular transducers cooperate through transmembrane allosteric interaction with FZDs in a ternary complex reminiscent of that of classical GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl-Fredrik Bowin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lukas Grätz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Doucet D, Brubaker C, Turner D, Gregory CA. Factors affecting the role of canonical Wnt inhibitor Dickkopf-1 in cancer progression. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1114822. [PMID: 37007131 PMCID: PMC10050559 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1114822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe canonical Wnt inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) has the capacity to modulate homeostasis between canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways and also signal independently of Wnt. The specific effects of Dkk-1 activity on tumor physiology are therefore unpredictable with examples of Dkk-1 serving as either a driver or suppressor of malignancy. Given that Dkk-1 blockade may serve as a potential treatment for some types of cancer, we questioned whether it is possible to predict the role of Dkk-1 on tumor progression based on the tissue origin of the tumor.MethodsOriginal research articles that described Dkk-1 in terms a tumor suppressor or driver of cancer growth were identified. To determine the association between tumor developmental origin and the role of Dkk-1, a logistic regression was performed. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was interrogated for survival statistics based on tumor Dkk-1 expression.ResultsWe report that Dkk-1 is statistically more likely to serve as a suppressor in tumors arising from the ectoderm (p = 0.0198) or endoderm (p = 0.0334) but more likely to serve as a disease driver in tumors of mesodermal origin (p = 0.0155). Survival analyses indicated that in cases where Dkk-1 expression could be stratified, high Dkk-1 expression is usually associated with poor prognosis. This in part may be due to pro-tumorigenic role Dkk-1 plays on tumor cells but also through its influence on immunomodulatory and angiogenic processes in the tumor stroma.ConclusionDkk-1 has a context-specific dual role as a tumor suppressor or driver. Dkk-1 is significantly more likely to serve as a tumor suppressor in tumors arising from ectoderm and endoderm while the converse is true for mesodermal tumors. Patient survival data indicated high Dkk-1 expression is generally a poor prognostic indicator. These findings provide further support for the importance of Dkk-1 as a therapeutic cancer target in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota Doucet
- Medical Sciences Program, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Connor Brubaker
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Donald Turner
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Carl A. Gregory
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Carl A. Gregory,
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26
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N-Glycosylation of LRP6 by B3GnT2 Promotes Wnt/β-Catenin Signalling. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060863. [PMID: 36980204 PMCID: PMC10047360 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Reception of Wnt signals by cells is predominantly mediated by Frizzled receptors in conjunction with a co-receptor, the latter being LRP6 or LRP5 for the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. It is important that cells maintain precise control of receptor activation events in order to properly regulate Wnt/β-catenin signalling as aberrant signalling can result in disease in humans. Phosphorylation of the intracellular domain (ICD) of LRP6 is well known to regulate Wntβ-catenin signalling; however, less is known for regulatory post-translational modification events within the extracellular domain (ECD). Using a cell culture-based expression screen for functional regulators of LRP6, we identified a glycosyltransferase, B3GnT2-like, from a teleost fish (medaka) cDNA library, that modifies LRP6 and regulates Wnt/β-catenin signalling. We provide both gain-of-function and loss-of-function evidence that the single human homolog, B3GnT2, promotes extension of polylactosamine chains at multiple N-glycans on LRP6, thereby enhancing trafficking of LRP6 to the plasma membrane and promoting Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Our findings further highlight the importance of LRP6 as a regulatory hub in Wnt signalling and provide one of the few examples of how a specific glycosyltransferase appears to selectively target a signalling pathway component to alter cellular signalling events.
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27
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Thakur AK, Miller SE, Liau NPD, Hwang S, Hansen S, de Sousa E Melo F, Sudhamsu J, Hannoush RN. Synthetic Multivalent Disulfide-Constrained Peptide Agonists Potentiate Wnt1/β-Catenin Signaling via LRP6 Coreceptor Clustering. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:772-784. [PMID: 36893429 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Wnt ligands are critical for tissue homeostasis and form a complex with LRP6 and frizzled coreceptors to initiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Yet, how different Wnts achieve various levels of signaling activation through distinct domains on LRP6 remains elusive. Developing tool ligands that target individual LRP6 domains could help elucidate the mechanism of Wnt signaling regulation and uncover pharmacological approaches for pathway modulation. We employed directed evolution of a disulfide constrained peptide (DCP) to identify molecules that bind to the third β-propeller domain of LRP6. The DCPs antagonize Wnt3a while sparing Wnt1 signaling. Using PEG linkers with different geometries, we converted the Wnt3a antagonist DCPs to multivalent molecules that potentiated Wnt1 signaling by clustering the LRP6 coreceptor. The mechanism of potentiation is unique as it occurred only in the presence of extracellular secreted Wnt1 ligand. While all DCPs recognized a similar binding interface on LRP6, they displayed different spatial orientations that influenced their cellular activities. Moreover, structural analyses revealed that the DCPs exhibited new folds that were distinct from the parent DCP framework they were evolved from. The multivalent ligand design principles highlighted in this study provide a path for developing peptide agonists that modulate different branches of cellular Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash K Thakur
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Stephen E Miller
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas P D Liau
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sunhee Hwang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Simon Hansen
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Felipe de Sousa E Melo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jawahar Sudhamsu
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Rami N Hannoush
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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28
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Ruiz-Gómez G, Salbach-Hirsch J, Dürig JN, Köhler L, Balamurugan K, Rother S, Heidig SL, Moeller S, Schnabelrauch M, Furesi G, Pählig S, Guillem-Gloria PM, Hofbauer C, Hintze V, Pisabarro MT, Rademann J, Hofbauer LC. Rational engineering of glycosaminoglycan-based Dickkopf-1 scavengers to improve bone regeneration. Biomaterials 2023; 297:122105. [PMID: 37031548 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
The WNT signaling pathway is a central regulator of bone development and regeneration. Functional alterations of WNT ligands and inhibitors are associated with a variety of bone diseases that affect bone fragility and result in a high medical and socioeconomic burden. Hence, this cellular pathway has emerged as a novel target for bone-protective therapies, e.g. in osteoporosis. Here, we investigated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) recognition by Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a potent endogenous WNT inhibitor, and the underlying functional implications in order to develop WNT signaling regulators. In a multidisciplinary approach we applied in silico structure-based de novo design strategies and molecular dynamics simulations combined with synthetic chemistry and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy to Rationally Engineer oligomeric Glycosaminoglycan derivatives (REGAG) with improved neutralizing properties for DKK1. In vitro and in vivo assays show that the GAG modification to obtain REGAG translated into increased WNT pathway activity and improved bone regeneration in a mouse calvaria defect model with critical size bone lesions. Importantly, the developed REGAG outperformed polymeric high-sulfated hyaluronan (sHA3) in enhancing bone healing up to 50% due to their improved DKK1 binding properties. Thus, rationally engineered GAG variants may represent an innovative strategy to develop novel therapeutic approaches for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ruiz-Gómez
- Structural Bioinformatics, BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/51, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Juliane Salbach-Hirsch
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases & Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden Medical Center, Fetscherstraße 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan-Niklas Dürig
- Institute of Pharmacy - Medicinal Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Linda Köhler
- Institute of Materials Science, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Technische Universität Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kanagasabai Balamurugan
- Structural Bioinformatics, BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/51, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sandra Rother
- Institute of Materials Science, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Technische Universität Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sophie-Luise Heidig
- Structural Bioinformatics, BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/51, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Giulia Furesi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases & Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden Medical Center, Fetscherstraße 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sophie Pählig
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases & Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden Medical Center, Fetscherstraße 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Pedro M Guillem-Gloria
- Structural Bioinformatics, BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/51, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christine Hofbauer
- National Center for Tumor Diseases/University Cancer Center Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden Medical Center, Fetscherstraße 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Vera Hintze
- Institute of Materials Science, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Technische Universität Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany.
| | - M Teresa Pisabarro
- Structural Bioinformatics, BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/51, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Jörg Rademann
- Institute of Pharmacy - Medicinal Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lorenz C Hofbauer
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases & Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden Medical Center, Fetscherstraße 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany; Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.
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29
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Beenken A, Cerutti G, Brasch J, Guo Y, Sheng Z, Erdjument-Bromage H, Aziz Z, Robbins-Juarez SY, Chavez EY, Ahlsen G, Katsamba PS, Neubert TA, Fitzpatrick AWP, Barasch J, Shapiro L. Structures of LRP2 reveal a molecular machine for endocytosis. Cell 2023; 186:821-836.e13. [PMID: 36750096 PMCID: PMC9993842 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2 or megalin) is representative of the phylogenetically conserved subfamily of giant LDL receptor-related proteins, which function in endocytosis and are implicated in diseases of the kidney and brain. Here, we report high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy structures of LRP2 isolated from mouse kidney, at extracellular and endosomal pH. The structures reveal LRP2 to be a molecular machine that adopts a conformation for ligand binding at the cell surface and for ligand shedding in the endosome. LRP2 forms a homodimer, the conformational transformation of which is governed by pH-sensitive sites at both homodimer and intra-protomer interfaces. A subset of LRP2 deleterious missense variants in humans appears to impair homodimer assembly. These observations lay the foundation for further understanding the function and mechanism of LDL receptors and implicate homodimerization as a conserved feature of the LRP receptor subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Beenken
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gabriele Cerutti
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Julia Brasch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yicheng Guo
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zizhang Sheng
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Hediye Erdjument-Bromage
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Zainab Aziz
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Estefania Y Chavez
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Goran Ahlsen
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Phinikoula S Katsamba
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Thomas A Neubert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anthony W P Fitzpatrick
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Jonathan Barasch
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University George M. O'Brien Urology Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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30
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Dincel AS, Jørgensen NR. New Emerging Biomarkers for Bone Disease: Sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1). Calcif Tissue Int 2023; 112:243-257. [PMID: 36165920 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-022-01020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
A healthy skeleton depends on a continuous renewal and maintenance of the bone tissue. The process of bone remodeling is highly controlled and consists of a fine-tuned balance between bone formation and bone resorption. Biochemical markers of bone turnover are already in use for monitoring diseases and treatment involving the skeletal system, but novel biomarkers reflecting specific biological processes in bone and interacting tissues may prove useful for diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring purposes. The Wnt-signaling pathway is one of the most important pathways controlling bone metabolism and consequently the action of inhibitors of the pathway such as sclerostin and Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) have crucial roles in controlling bone formation and resorption. Thus, they might be potential markers for clinical use as they reflect a number of physiological and pathophysiological events in bone and in the cross-talk with other tissues in the human body. This review focuses on the clinical utility of measurements of circulating sclerostin and DKK1 levels based on preanalytical and analytical considerations and on evidence obtained from published clinical studies. While accumulating evidence points to clear associations with a number of disease states for the two markers, and thus, the potential for especially sclerostin as a biochemical marker that may be used clinically, the lack of standardization or harmonization of the assays still hampers the clinical utility of the markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Sepinci Dincel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Valdemar Hansens Vej 13 Glostrup, 2600, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niklas Rye Jørgensen
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Valdemar Hansens Vej 13 Glostrup, 2600, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Jarman EJ, Horcas‐Lopez M, Waddell SH, MacMaster S, Gournopanos K, Soong DYH, Musialik K, Tsokkou P, Ng M, Cambridge WA, Wilson DH, Kagey MH, Newman W, Pollard JW, Boulter L. DKK1 drives immune suppressive phenotypes in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and can be targeted with anti-DKK1 therapeutic DKN-01. Liver Int 2023; 43:208-220. [PMID: 35924447 PMCID: PMC10087034 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is associated with poor prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), but the mechanisms behind this are unclear. Here, we show that DKK1 plays an immune regulatory role in vivo and inhibition reduces tumour growth. METHODS Various in vivo GEMM mouse models and patient samples were utilized to assess the effects of tumour specific DKK1 overexpression in iCCA. DKK1-driven changes to the tumour immune microenvironment were characterized by immunostaining and gene expression analysis. DKK1 overexpressing and damage-induced models of iCCA were used to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of DKK1 inhibition in these contexts using the anti-DKK1 therapeutic, DKN-01. RESULTS DKK1 overexpression in mouse models of iCCA drives an increase in chemokine and cytokine signalling, the recruitment of regulatory macrophages, and promotes the formation of a tolerogenic niche with higher numbers of regulatory T cells. We show a similar association of DKK1 with FOXP3 and regulatory T cells in patient tissue and gene expression data, demonstrating these effects are relevant to human iCCA. Finally, we demonstrate that inhibition of DKK1 with the monoclonal antibody mDKN-01 is effective at reducing tumour burden in two distinct mouse models of the disease. CONCLUSION DKK1 promotes tumour immune evasion in iCCA through the recruitment of immune suppressive macrophages. Targeting DKK1 with a neutralizing antibody is effective at reducing tumour growth in vivo. As such, DKK1 targeted and immune modulatory therapies may be an effective strategy in iCCA patients with high DKK1 tumour expression or tolerogenic immune phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J. Jarman
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Marta Horcas‐Lopez
- MRC Centre for Reproductive HealthQueen's Medical Research Institute, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Scott H. Waddell
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Stephanie MacMaster
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | | | - Daniel Y. H. Soong
- MRC Centre for Reproductive HealthQueen's Medical Research Institute, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Kamila I. Musialik
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Panagiota Tsokkou
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Minn‐E Ng
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - William A. Cambridge
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of Clinical SurgeryUniversity of Edinburgh, Little France CrescentEdinburghUK
| | - David H. Wilson
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | | | | | - Jeffrey W. Pollard
- MRC Centre for Reproductive HealthQueen's Medical Research Institute, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Luke Boulter
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Cancer, University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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Geng S, Paul F, Kowalczyk I, Raimundo S, Sporbert A, Mamo TM, Hammes A. Balancing WNT signalling in early forebrain development: The role of LRP4 as a modulator of LRP6 function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1173688. [PMID: 37091972 PMCID: PMC10119419 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1173688] [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: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The specification of the forebrain relies on the precise regulation of WNT/ß-catenin signalling to support neuronal progenitor cell expansion, patterning, and morphogenesis. Imbalances in WNT signalling activity in the early neuroepithelium lead to congenital disorders, such as neural tube defects (NTDs). LDL receptor-related protein (LRP) family members, including the well-studied receptors LRP5 and LRP6, play critical roles in modulating WNT signalling capacity through tightly regulated interactions with their co-receptor Frizzled, WNT ligands, inhibitors and intracellular WNT pathway components. However, little is known about the function of LRP4 as a potential modulator of WNT signalling in the central nervous system. In this study, we investigated the role of LRP4 in the regulation of WNT signalling during early mouse forebrain development. Our results demonstrate that LRP4 can modulate LRP5- and LRP6-mediated WNT signalling in the developing forebrain prior to the onset of neurogenesis at embryonic stage 9.5 and is therefore essential for accurate neural tube morphogenesis. Specifically, LRP4 functions as a genetic modifier for impaired mitotic activity and forebrain hypoplasia, but not for NTDs in LRP6-deficient mutants. In vivo and in vitro data provide evidence that LRP4 is a key player in fine-tuning WNT signalling capacity and mitotic activity of mouse neuronal progenitors and of human retinal pigment epithelial (hTERT RPE-1) cells. Our data demonstrate the crucial roles of LRP4 and LRP6 in regulating WNT signalling and forebrain development and highlight the need to consider the interaction between different signalling pathways to understand the underlying mechanisms of disease. The findings have significant implications for our mechanistic understanding of how LRPs participate in controlling WNT signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Geng
- Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Paul
- Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Izabela Kowalczyk
- Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Raimundo
- Advanced Light Microscopy Technology Platform, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anje Sporbert
- Advanced Light Microscopy Technology Platform, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamrat Meshka Mamo
- Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tamrat Meshka Mamo, ; Annette Hammes,
| | - Annette Hammes
- Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tamrat Meshka Mamo, ; Annette Hammes,
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Luo M, Chen YJ, Xie Y, Wang QR, Xiang YN, Long NY, Yang WX, Zhao Y, Zhou JJ. Dickkopf-related protein 1/cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 signaling activation by Helicobacter pylori-induced activator protein-1 promotes gastric tumorigenesis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:6769-6787. [PMID: 36620343 PMCID: PMC9813938 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i47.6769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates globally, especially in East Asian countries. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a significant and independent risk factor for GC. However, its underlying mechanism of action is not fully understood. Dickkopf-related protein (DKK) 1 is a Wnt signaling antagonist, and cytoskeleton-associated protein (CKAP) 4 is a newly identified DKK1 receptor. Recent studies found that the binding of DKK1 to CAKP4 mediated the procancer signaling of DKK1 inde-pendent of Wnt signaling. We hypothesize that H. pylori-induced activation of DKK1/CKAP4 signaling contributes to the initiation and progression of GC.
AIM To investigate the interaction of H. pylori infection, DKK1 and CAKP4 in GC, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms.
METHODS RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between H. pylori-infected and uninfected primary GC cells. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed to verify the H. pylori-induced upregulation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) in GC cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay and co-immunoprecipitation were used to determine the binding of AP-1 to the DKK1 promoter and DKK1 to CKAP4. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry detected the expression of DKK1, CKAP4, and phos-phatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway-related proteins in GC cells and tissues. Functional experiments and tumorigenicity in nude mice detected malignant behavior of GC cells in vitro and in vivo.
RESULTS We identified 32 DEGs between primary GC cells with and without H. pylori infection, including JUN, fos-like antigen-1 (FOSL1), and DKK1, and confirmed that the three proteins and CKAP4 were highly expressed in H. pylori-infected GC cells, H. pylori-infected gerbil gastric tissues, and human GC tissues. JUN and FOSL1 form AP-1 to transcriptionally activate DKK1 expression by binding to the DKK1 promoter. Activated DKK1 bound to CKAP4, but not the most common Wnt coreceptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6, to promote GC cell growth, colony formation, migration, invasion, and xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. All these effects were driven by activation of the PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Targeting the PI3K signaling pathway by LY294002 inhibited DKK1-mediated CKAP4/PI3K signaling activity and the malignant behavior of GC cells.
CONCLUSION H. pylori induces JUN and FOSL1 expression to form AP-1, which transcriptionally activates DKK1. Binding of DKK1 to KAKP4 contributes to gastric tumorigenesis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Luo
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yuan-Jia Chen
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yuan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Qin-Rong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yi-Ning Xiang
- Department of Pathology of Affiliated Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Ni-Ya Long
- Department of Neurology of Affiliated Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Wen-Xiu Yang
- Department of Pathology of Affiliated Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Jian-Jiang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
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Manandhar S, Priya K, Mehta CH, Nayak UY, Kabekkodu SP, Pai KSR. Repositioning of antidiabetic drugs for Alzheimer's disease: possibility of Wnt signaling modulation by targeting LRP6 an in silico based study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:9577-9591. [PMID: 34080526 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1930583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common, irreversible and progressive form of dementia for which the exact pathology and cause are still not clear. At present, we are only confined to symptomatic treatment, and the lack of disease-modifying therapeutics is worrisome. Alteration of Wnt signaling has been linked to metabolic diseases as well as AD. The crosstalk between Canonical Wnt signaling and insulin signaling pathway has been widely studied and accepted from several clinical and preclinical studies that have proven the beneficial effect of antidiabetic medications in the case of memory and cognition loss. This structure-based in silico study was focused on exploring the link between the currently available FDA approved antidiabetic drugs and the Wnt signaling pathway. The library of antidiabetics was obtained from drug bank and was screened for their binding affinity with protein (PDB ID: 3S2K) LRP6, a coreceptor of the Wnt signaling pathway using GLIDE module of Schrodinger. The top molecules, with higher docking score, binding energy and stable interactions, were subjected to energy-based calculation using MMGBSA, followed by a molecular dynamics-based simulation study. Drugs of class α-glucosidase inhibitors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) agonists were found to have a strong affinity towards LRP6 proteins, highlighting the possibility of the modulation of Wnt signaling by antidiabetics as one of the possible mechanisms for use in AD. However, further experimental based in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted for verification and support.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Manandhar
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Keerthi Priya
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Chetan H Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Usha Y Nayak
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - K Sreedhara Ranganath Pai
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
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Cvekl A, Camerino MJ. Generation of Lens Progenitor Cells and Lentoid Bodies from Pluripotent Stem Cells: Novel Tools for Human Lens Development and Ocular Disease Etiology. Cells 2022; 11:3516. [PMID: 36359912 PMCID: PMC9658148 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213516] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specialized tissues and organs represents a powerful approach to gain insight into those cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating human development. Although normal embryonic eye development is a complex process, generation of ocular organoids and specific ocular tissues from pluripotent stem cells has provided invaluable insights into the formation of lineage-committed progenitor cell populations, signal transduction pathways, and self-organization principles. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in generation of adenohypophyseal, olfactory, and lens placodes, lens progenitor cells and three-dimensional (3D) primitive lenses, "lentoid bodies", and "micro-lenses". These cells are produced alone or "community-grown" with other ocular tissues. Lentoid bodies/micro-lenses generated from human patients carrying mutations in crystallin genes demonstrate proof-of-principle that these cells are suitable for mechanistic studies of cataractogenesis. Taken together, current and emerging advanced in vitro differentiation methods pave the road to understand molecular mechanisms of cataract formation caused by the entire spectrum of mutations in DNA-binding regulatory genes, such as PAX6, SOX2, FOXE3, MAF, PITX3, and HSF4, individual crystallins, and other genes such as BFSP1, BFSP2, EPHA2, GJA3, GJA8, LIM2, MIP, and TDRD7 represented in human cataract patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Cvekl
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Michael John Camerino
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Lee Y, Chae W, Kim YJ, Kim JW. Novel LRP6 Mutations Causing Non-Syndromic Oligodontia. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091401. [PMID: 36143186 PMCID: PMC9504909 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of tooth formation is a series of reciprocal interactions between the ectoderm and mesoderm, and it is believed that many genetic factors are involved in this complex process. More than a dozen genes have been identified in non-syndromic tooth agenesis; however, the genetic etiology underlying tooth agenesis is not fully understood yet. In this study, we identified two novel LRP6 mutations in two non-syndromic oligodontia families. Both probands had 16 and 17 missing teeth in their permanent dentition. Mutational analysis identified a de novo frameshift mutation by a 1-bp insertion in exon 9 (NM_002336.2: c.1870dupA, p.(Met624Asnfs*29)) and a splicing donor site mutation in intron 8 (c.1762+2T>C). An in vitro splicing assay confirmed the deletion of exon 8, and the deletion would result in a frameshift. Due to the premature termination codons introduced by the frameshift, both mutant transcripts would be degraded by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, resulting in haploinsufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejin Lee
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry & DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Wonseon Chae
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry & DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Youn Jung Kim
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry & DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Jung-Wook Kim
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry & DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Molecular Genetics & DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Correspondence:
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Wang Y, Zhao R, Dai E, Peng L, He Y, Yang M, Li S. Identification of Two Novel Variants in the LRP5 Gene that Cause Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2022; 26:146-151. [PMID: 35244470 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2021.0223] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR, OMIM 133780) is a severe inherited eye disease characterized by abnormal development of the retinal vasculature. Variants in the reported genes account for ∼50% of total FEVR cases. However, the pathogenesis of other 50% of FEVR cases remains unclear. Therefore, it is crucial to identify novel variants responsible for the pathogenesis of FEVR. Aims: To find causative variants responsible for FEVR in two Han Chinses families. Materials and Methods: We recruited two families with two FEVR patients and applied exome sequencing on the genomic DNA samples from the probands. Sanger sequencing was performed for variant validation. Western blot analysis and luciferase assays were performed to test the expression levels and activity of mutant proteins. Results: We identified two novel missense variants in the LRP5 gene (NM_002335), namely c.1176 C > A (p.Asp392Glu) and c.2435 A>C (p.Asp812Ala), inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Both variants significantly reduced Norrin/β-catenin signaling activity without affecting the expression of the LRP5 protein. Conclusion: This study expands the variant spectrum of the LRP5 gene for FEVR, providing valuable information for prenatal counseling and molecular diagnosis of FEVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuze Wang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Rulian Zhao
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Erkuan Dai
- Ophthalmology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Peng
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.,Natural Products Research Center, Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yunqi He
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.,Natural Products Research Center, Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Mu Yang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.,Natural Products Research Center, Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Shujin Li
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China.,Natural Products Research Center, Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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Manandhar S, Sankhe R, Priya K, Hari G, Kumar B H, Mehta CH, Nayak UY, Pai KSR. Molecular dynamics and structure-based virtual screening and identification of natural compounds as Wnt signaling modulators: possible therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Divers 2022; 26:2793-2811. [PMID: 35146638 PMCID: PMC9532339 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10395-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway responsible for neurogenesis, axon outgrowth, neuronal polarity, synapse formation, and maintenance. Downregulation of Wnt signaling has been found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several experimental approaches to activate Wnt signaling pathway have proven to be beneficial in alleviating AD, which is one of the new therapeutic approaches for AD. The current study focuses on the computational structure-based virtual screening followed by the identification of potential phytomolecules targeting different markers of Wnt signaling like WIF1, DKK1, LRP6, GSK-3β, and acetylcholine esterase. Initially, screening of 1924 compounds from the plant-based library of Zinc database was done for the selected five proteins using docking approach followed by MM-GBSA calculations. The top five hit molecules were identified for each protein. Based on docking score, and binding interactions, the top two hit molecules for each protein were selected as promising molecules for the molecular dynamic (MD) simulation study with the five proteins. Therefore, from this in silico based study, we report that Mangiferin could be a potential molecule targeting Wnt signaling pathway modulating the LRP6 activity, Baicalin for AChE activity, Chebulic acid for DKK1, ZINC103539689 for WIF1, and Morin for GSk-3β protein. However, further validation of the activity is warranted based on in vivo and in vitro experiments for better understanding and strong claim. This study provides an in silico approach for the identification of modulators of the Wnt signaling pathway as a new therapeutic approach for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Manandhar
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Runali Sankhe
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Keerthi Priya
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Gangadhar Hari
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Harish Kumar B
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Chetan H Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - Usha Y Nayak
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - K Sreedhara Ranganath Pai
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India.
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Bruguera ES, Mahoney JP, Weis WI. Reconstitution of purified membrane protein dimers in lipid nanodiscs with defined stoichiometry and orientation using a split GFP tether. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101628. [PMID: 35074428 PMCID: PMC8980801 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many membrane proteins function as dimers or larger oligomers, including transporters, channels, certain signaling receptors, and adhesion molecules. In some cases, the interactions between individual proteins may be weak and/or dependent on specific lipids, such that detergent solubilization used for biochemical and structural studies disrupts functional oligomerization. Solubilized membrane protein oligomers can be captured in lipid nanodiscs, but this is an inefficient process that can produce stoichiometrically and topologically heterogeneous preparations. Here, we describe a technique to obtain purified homogeneous membrane protein dimers in nanodiscs using a split GFP (sGFP) tether. Complementary sGFP tags associate to tether the coexpressed dimers and control both stoichiometry and orientation within the nanodiscs, as assessed by quantitative Western blotting and negative-stain EM. The sGFP tether confers several advantages over other methods: it is highly stable in solution and in SDS-PAGE, which facilitates screening of dimer expression and purification by fluorescence, and also provides a dimer-specific purification handle for use with GFP nanobody–conjugated resin. We used this method to purify a Frizzled-4 homodimer and a Frizzled-4/low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 6 heterodimer in nanodiscs. These examples demonstrate the utility and flexibility of this method, which enables subsequent mechanistic molecular and structural studies of membrane protein pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Bruguera
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jacob P Mahoney
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305
| | - William I Weis
- Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305.
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40
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Martínez-Gil N, Ugartondo N, Grinberg D, Balcells S. Wnt Pathway Extracellular Components and Their Essential Roles in Bone Homeostasis. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13010138. [PMID: 35052478 PMCID: PMC8775112 DOI: 10.3390/genes13010138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt pathway is involved in several processes essential for bone development and homeostasis. For proper functioning, the Wnt pathway is tightly regulated by numerous extracellular elements that act by both activating and inhibiting the pathway at different moments. This review aims to describe, summarize and update the findings regarding the extracellular modulators of the Wnt pathway, including co-receptors, ligands and inhibitors, in relation to bone homeostasis, with an emphasis on the animal models generated, the diseases associated with each gene and the bone processes in which each member is involved. The precise knowledge of all these elements will help us to identify possible targets that can be used as a therapeutic target for the treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
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LRP6 Receptor Plays Essential Functions in Development and Human Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13010120. [PMID: 35052459 PMCID: PMC8775365 DOI: 10.3390/genes13010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
LRP6 is a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor superfamily of cell-surface receptors. It is required for the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. LRP6 is detected in different tissue types and is involved in numerous biological activities such as cell proliferation, specification, metastatic cancer, and embryonic development. LRP6 is essential for the proper development of different organs in vertebrates, such as Xenopus laevis, chickens, and mice. In human, LRP6 overexpression and mutations have been reported in multiple complex diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancers. Clinical studies have shown that LRP6 is involved in various kinds of cancer, such as bladder and breast cancer. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the structure of LRP6 and its interactions with Wnt inhibitors (DKK1, SOST). We also discuss the expression of LRP6 in different model systems, with emphasis on its function in development and human diseases.
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Gao S, Jin Y, Zhang H. Pan-Cancer Analyses Reveal Oncogenic and Immunological Role of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1). Front Genet 2021; 12:757897. [PMID: 34899842 PMCID: PMC8654726 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.757897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
WNT signaling pathway inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is related to cancer progression; however, its diagnostic and prognostic potential have not been investigated in a pan-cancer perspective. In this study, multiple bioinformatic analyses were conducted to evaluate therapeutic value of DKK1 in human cancers. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project served as data resources. The Wilcoxon rank test was performed to evaluate the expression difference of DKK1 between cancer tissues and normal tissues. A Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression were used for prognosis evaluation. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to evaluate the association of DKK1 expression with the immune cell infiltration. The potential function of DKK1 was explored by STRING and clusterProfiler. We found that the expression level of DKK1 is significantly different in different cancer types. Importantly, we demonstrated that DKK1 is an independent risk factor in ESCA, LUAD, MESO, and STAD. Further analysis revealed that DKK1 had a large effect on the immune cell infiltration and markers of certain immune cells, such as Th1 and Th2 cells. PPI network analysis and further pathway enrichment analysis indicated that DKK1 was mainly involved in the WNT signaling pathway. Our findings suggested that DKK1 might serve as a marker of prognosis for certain cancers by affecting the WNT signaling pathway and tumor immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Gao
- College of Life Science, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Ye Jin
- College of Life Science, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China.,Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
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43
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Kikuchi A, Matsumoto S, Sada R. Dickkopf signaling, beyond Wnt-mediated biology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 125:55-65. [PMID: 34801396 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dickkopf1 (DKK1) was originally identified as a secreted protein that antagonizes Wnt signaling. Although DKK1 is essential for the developmental process, its functions in postnatal and adult life are unclear. However, evidence is accumulating that DKK1 is involved in tumorigenesis in a manner unrelated to Wnt signaling. In addition, recent studies have revealed that DKK1 may control immune reactions, although the relationship of this to Wnt signaling is unknown. Other DKK family members, DKK2-4, are likely to have their own functions. Here, we review the possible novel functions of DKKs. We summarize the characteristics of receptors of DKKs and the signaling mechanisms through DKKs and their receptors, provide evidence showing that DKKs are involved in tumor aggressiveness independently of Wnt signaling, and emphasize promising cancer therapies targeting DKKs and receptors. Lastly, we discuss various physiological and pathological processes controlled by DKKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Kikuchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Shinji Matsumoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryota Sada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
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Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Turku A, Huber T, Sakmar TP, Schulte G. Frizzled BRET sensors based on bioorthogonal labeling of unnatural amino acids reveal WNT-induced dynamics of the cysteine-rich domain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj7917. [PMID: 34757789 PMCID: PMC8580317 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj7917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Frizzleds (FZD1–10) are G protein–coupled receptors containing an extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD) binding Wingless/Int-1 lipoglycoproteins (WNTs). Despite the role of WNT/FZD signaling in health and disease, our understanding of how WNT binding is translated into receptor activation and transmembrane signaling remains limited. Current hypotheses dispute the roles for conformational dynamics. To clarify how WNT binding to FZD translates into receptor dynamics, we devised conformational FZD-CRD biosensors based on bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Using FZD with N-terminal nanoluciferase (Nluc) and fluorescently labeled unnatural amino acids in the linker domain and extracellular loop 3, we show that WNT-3A and WNT-5A induce similar CRD conformational rearrangements despite promoting distinct signaling pathways and that CRD dynamics are not required for WNT/β-catenin signaling. Thus, these FZD-CRD biosensors provide insights into binding, activation, and signaling processes in FZDs. The sensor design is broadly applicable to explore ligand-induced dynamics also in other membrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ainoleena Turku
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Huber
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thomas P. Sakmar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, S-17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Corresponding author.
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45
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Zhang F, Cheng N, Han Y, Zhang C, Zhang H. miRNA Expression Profiling Uncovers a Role of miR-139-5p in Regulating the Calcification of Human Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells. Front Genet 2021; 12:722564. [PMID: 34745206 PMCID: PMC8569802 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.722564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common structural heart disease, and the morbidity is increased with elderly population. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to play crucial roles in CAVD, and numerous miRNAs are still waiting to be explored. In this study, the miRNA expression signature in CAVD was analyzed unbiasedly by miRNA-sequencing, and we found that, compared with the normal control valves, 152 miRNAs were upregulated and 186 miRNAs were downregulated in calcified aortic valves. The functions of these differentially expressed miRNAs were associated with cell differentiation, apoptosis, adhesion and immune response processes. Among downregulated miRNAs, the expression level of miR-139-5p was negatively correlated with the osteogenic gene RUNX2, and miR-139-5p was also downregulated during the osteogenic differentiation of primary human aortic valve interstitial cells (VICs). Subsequent functional studies revealed that miR-139-5p overexpression inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of VICs by negatively modulating the expression of pro-osteogenic gene FZD4 and CTNNB1. In conclusion, these results suggest that miR-139-5p plays an important role in osteogenic differentiation of VICs via the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, which may further provide a new therapeutic target for CAVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Naixuan Cheng
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Vascular Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yingchun Han
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Vascular Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Vascular Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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46
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Jeong Y, Kim J, Choi HJ, Chung KY. Conformational Dynamics of Sclerostin-LRP6 Complex Analyzed by HDX-MS. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2021; 29:527-535. [PMID: 33833136 PMCID: PMC8411024 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2020.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sclerostin (SOST), a regulator of bone formation in osteocytes, inhibits the canonical Wnt signaling by interacting with low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 (LRP5/6) to prevent Wnt binding. Loss-of-function mutations of the SOST gene caused massive bone outgrowth and SOST-null mouse exhibited a high bone density phenotype. Therefore, SOST has been suggested as a promising therapeutic target for osteoporosis. A few previous studies with X-ray crystallography identified the binding interfaces between LRP6 and SOST, but there are limitations in these studies as they used truncated SOST protein or SOST peptide. Here, we analyzed the conformational dynamics of SOST-LRP6 E1E2 complex using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). We examined the effect of the C-terminal tail of SOST on LRP6 conformation upon complex formation. HDX-MS analysis suggested a new potential binding interface for the C-terminal region of SOST that was missing from the previous crystal structure of the SOST-LRP6 E1E2 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejing Jeong
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinuk Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Jung Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ka Young Chung
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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47
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Yu F, Yu C, Li F, Zuo Y, Wang Y, Yao L, Wu C, Wang C, Ye L. Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and targeted therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:307. [PMID: 34456337 PMCID: PMC8403677 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00701-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 85.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been broadly implicated in human cancers and experimental cancer models of animals. Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is tightly linked with the increment of prevalence, advancement of malignant progression, development of poor prognostics, and even ascendence of the cancer-associated mortality. Early experimental investigations have proposed the theoretical potential that efficient repression of this signaling might provide promising therapeutic choices in managing various types of cancers. Up to date, many therapies targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers have been developed, which is assumed to endow clinicians with new opportunities of developing more satisfactory and precise remedies for cancer patients with aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, current facts indicate that the clinical translations of Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent targeted therapies have faced un-neglectable crises and challenges. Therefore, in this study, we systematically reviewed the most updated knowledge of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and relatively targeted therapies to generate a clearer and more accurate awareness of both the developmental stage and underlying limitations of Wnt/β-catenin-targeted therapies in cancers. Insights of this study will help readers better understand the roles of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and provide insights to acknowledge the current opportunities and challenges of targeting this signaling in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanyuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Changhao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Feifei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanqin Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yitian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenzhou Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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48
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Ubels JL, Diegel CR, Foxa GE, Ethen NJ, Lensing JN, Madaj ZB, Williams BO. Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 5-Deficient Rats Have Reduced Bone Mass and Abnormal Development of the Retinal Vasculature. CRISPR J 2021; 3:284-298. [PMID: 32833527 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans carrying homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the Wnt co-receptor, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5), develop osteoporosis and a defective retinal vasculature known as familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) due to disruption of the Wnt signaling pathway. The purpose of this study was to use CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to create strains of Lrp5-deficient rats and to determine whether knockout of Lrp5 resulted in phenotypes that model the bone and retina pathology in LRP5-deficient humans. Knockout of Lrp5 in rats produced low bone mass, decreased bone mineral density, and decreased bone size. The superficial retinal vasculature of Lrp5-deficient rats was sparse and disorganized, with extensive exudates and decreases in vascularized area, vessel length, and branch point density. This study showed that Lrp5 could be predictably knocked out in rats using CRISPR-Cas9, causing the expression of bone and retinal phenotypes that will be useful for studying the role of Wnt signaling in bone and retina development and for research on the treatment of osteoporosis and FEVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Ubels
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.,Department of Biology, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Cassandra R Diegel
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Gabrielle E Foxa
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Nicole J Ethen
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonathan N Lensing
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Zachary B Madaj
- Core Technologies and Services, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Bart O Williams
- Program for Skeletal Disease and Tumor Microenvironment, Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, and Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
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49
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miR-129-5p Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation of BMSCs and Bone Regeneration via Repressing Dkk3. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:7435605. [PMID: 34326879 PMCID: PMC8302374 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7435605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Accumulating evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in osteogenic differentiation. However, the associated mechanisms remain elusive. This paper is aimed at exploring the role of miR-129-5p in regulating bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) differentiation and bone regeneration in vivo and in vitro. Methods BMSCs were transduced by miR-129-5p mimic, miR-129-5p inhibitor, and negative control lentivirus. The ability of BMSC differentiation to osteoblast was tested by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red staining (ARS). The expression of osteogenic genes (Runx2, Bmp2, and OCN) was examined via quantitative RT-PCR and western blot. A mouse model of calvaria defect was investigated by Micro-CT, immunohistochemistry, and histological examination. The luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to confirm the binding between Dkk3 and miR-129-5p. For the transfection experiments, lipofectamine 3000 was used to transfect pcDNA-Dkk3 into BMSCs to overexpress Dkk3. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent localization assay were included for exploring the role of Dkk3 and β-catenin. Results miR-129-5p was induced in BMSCs and MSC cell line C3H10T1/2 cells under osteogenic medium. Overexpression of miR-129-5p significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro. Moreover, BMSCs transduced with miR-129-5p mimic exhibited better bone regeneration compared with BMSCs transduced with control counterpart in vivo. Luciferase and western blot data showed that Dickkopf3 (Dkk3) is a target gene of miR-129-5p and the expression of Dkk3 was inhibited in BMSCs transduced with miR-129-5p mimic but enhanced in BMSCs transduced with miR-129-5p inhibitor. In addition, Dkk3 interacted with β-catenin directly. Conclusions miR-129-5p promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and bone regeneration, and miR-129-5p/Dkk3 axis may be new potential targets for the treatment of bone defect and bone loss.
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50
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Huang YX, Gao CY, Zheng CY, Chen X, Yan YS, Sun YQ, Dong XY, Yang K, Zhang DL. Investigation of a Novel LRP6 Variant Causing Autosomal-Dominant Tooth Agenesis. Front Genet 2021; 12:688241. [PMID: 34306029 PMCID: PMC8292820 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.688241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) gene is a recently defined gene that is associated with the autosomal-dominant inherited tooth agenesis (TA). In the present study, a family of four generations having TA was recruited and subjected to a series of clinical, genetic, in silico, and in vitro investigations. Methods After routine clinical evaluation, the proband was subjected to whole-exome sequencing (WES) to detect the diagnostic variant. Next, in silico structural and molecular dynamics (MD) analysis was conducted on the identified novel missense variant for predicting its intramolecular impact. Subsequently, an in vitro study was performed to further explore the effect of this variant on protein maturation and phosphorylation. Results WES identified a novel variant, designated as LRP6: c.2570G > A (p.R857H), harbored by six members of the concerned family, four of whom exhibited varied TA symptoms. The in silico analysis suggested that this novel variant could probably damage the Wnt bonding function of the LRP6 protein. The experimental study demonstrated that although this novel variant did not affect the LRP6 gene transcription, it caused a impairment in the maturation and phosphorylation of LRP6 protein, suggesting the possibility of the disruption of the Wnt signaling. Conclusion The present study expanded the mutation spectrum of human TA in the LRP6 gene. The findings of the present study are insightful and conducive to understanding the functional significance of specific LRP6 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Xia Huang
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Yan Gao
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Yan Zheng
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - You-Sheng Yan
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Qing Sun
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xing-Yue Dong
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Yang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Liang Zhang
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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