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Semba T, Sammons R, Wang X, Xie X, Dalby KN, Ueno NT. JNK Signaling in Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2613. [PMID: 32283767 PMCID: PMC7177258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
C-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs), which belong to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, are evolutionarily conserved kinases that mediate cell responses to various types of extracellular stress insults. They regulate physiological processes such as embryonic development and tissue regeneration, playing roles in cell proliferation and programmed cell death. JNK signaling is also involved in tumorigenesis and progression of several types of malignancies. Recent studies have shown that JNK signaling has crucial roles in regulating the traits of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here we describe the functions of the JNK signaling pathway in self-renewal and differentiation, which are essential features of various types of stem cells, such as embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult tissue-specific stem cells. We also review current knowledge of JNK signaling in CSCs and discuss its role in maintaining the CSC phenotype. A better understanding of JNK signaling as an essential regulator of stemness may provide a basis for the development of regenerative medicine and new therapeutic strategies against malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Semba
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rachel Sammons
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Nikoloudaki G, Brooks S, Peidl AP, Tinney D, Hamilton DW. JNK Signaling as a Key Modulator of Soft Connective Tissue Physiology, Pathology, and Healing. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1015. [PMID: 32033060 PMCID: PMC7037145 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In healthy individuals, the healing of soft tissues such as skin after pathological insult or post injury follows a relatively predictable and defined series of cell and molecular processes to restore tissue architecture and function(s). Healing progresses through the phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, remodeling, and concomitant with re-epithelialization restores barrier function. Soft tissue healing is achieved through the spatiotemporal interplay of multiple different cell types including neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells/pericytes, and keratinocytes. Expressed in most cell types, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) are signaling molecules associated with the regulation of several cellular processes involved in soft tissue wound healing and in response to cellular stress. A member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family (MAPK), JNKs have been implicated in the regulation of inflammatory cell phenotype, as well as fibroblast, stem/progenitor cell, and epithelial cell biology. In this review, we discuss our understanding of JNKs in the regulation of cell behaviors related to tissue injury, pathology, and wound healing of soft tissues. Using models as diverse as Drosophila, mice, rats, as well as human tissues, research is now defining important, but sometimes conflicting roles for JNKs in the regulation of multiple molecular processes in multiple different cell types central to wound healing processes. In this review, we focus specifically on the role of JNKs in the regulation of cell behavior in the healing of skin, cornea, tendon, gingiva, and dental pulp tissues. We conclude that while parallels can be drawn between some JNK activities and the control of cell behavior in healing, the roles of JNK can also be very specific modes of action depending on the tissue and the phase of healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Nikoloudaki
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
| | - Sarah Brooks
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (S.B.); (D.T.)
| | - Alexander P. Peidl
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
| | - Dylan Tinney
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (S.B.); (D.T.)
| | - Douglas W. Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (S.B.); (D.T.)
- Division of Oral Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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Yang L, Zhang Y, Ma Y, Du J, Gu L, Zheng L, Zhang X. Effect of melatonin on EGF- and VEGF-induced monolayer permeability of HUVECs. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2018; 316:H1178-H1191. [PMID: 30575440 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00542.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Melatonin is a natural hormone involved in the regulation of circadian rhythm, immunity, and cardiovascular function. In the present study, we focused on the mechanism of melatonin in the regulation of vascular permeability. We found that melatonin could inhibit both VEGF- and EGF-induced monolayer permeability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and change the tyrosine phosphorylation of vascular-endothelial (VE-)cadherin, which was related to endothelial barrier function. In addition, phospho-AKT (Ser473) and phospho-ERK(1/2) played significant roles in the regulation of VE-cadherin phosphorylation. Both the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT inhibitor LY49002 and MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 could inhibit the permeability of HUVECs, but with different effects on tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin. Melatonin can influence the two growth factor-induced phosphorylation of AKT (Ser473) but not ERK(1/2). Our results show that melatonin can inhibit growth factor-induced monolayer permeability of HUVECs by influencing the phosphorylation of AKT and VE-cadherin. Melatonin can be a potential treatment for diseases associated with abnormal vascular permeability. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found that melatonin could inhibit both EGF- and VEGF-induced monolayer permeability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which is related to phosphorylation of vascular-endothelial cadherin. Blockade of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways could inhibit the permeability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and phosphorylation of AKT (Ser473) might be a critical event in the changing of monolayer permeability and likely has cross-talk with the MEK/ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Yang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Changzhou, Jiangsu , China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China
| | - Yadong Ma
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China
| | - Jun Du
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China
| | - Luo Gu
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, Jiangsu , China
| | - Lu Zheng
- General Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Changzhou, Jiangsu , China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Department of Cardiothoracic surgery and the General Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Changzhou, Jiangsu , China
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Duit R, Hawkins TJ, Määttä A. Depilatory chemical thioglycolate affects hair cuticle and cortex, degrades epidermal cornified envelopes and induces proliferation and differentiation responses in keratinocytes. Exp Dermatol 2018; 28:76-79. [PMID: 30417461 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thioglycolate is a potent depilatory agent. In addition, it has been proposed to be useful as a penetration enhancer for transepidermal drug delivery. However, the effects on hair structure and stress responses it elicits in epidermal keratinocytes have not been fully characterised. We have used label-free confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging supported by electron microscopy to demonstrate how thioglycolate damages hair cuticle cells by generating breakages along the endocuticle and leading to swelling of cortex cells. Maleimide staining of free SH-groups and a decrease in the average fluorescence lifetime of endogenous fluorophores demonstrate a specific change in protein structure in both hair cuticle and cortex. We found that the thioglycolate damages cornified envelopes isolated from the stratum corneum of the epidermis. However, thioglycolate-treated epidermal equivalent cultures recover within 48 hours, which highlights the reversibility of the damage. HaCaT keratinocytes respond to thioglycolate by increased proliferation, onset of differentiation and expression of the chaperone protein Hsp 70, but not Hsp 27. Up-regulation of involucrin can be blocked by an application of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, but the up-regulation of Hsp 70 takes place regardless of the presence of the JNK inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Duit
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Tim J Hawkins
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Arto Määttä
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
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JNK Signaling: Regulation and Functions Based on Complex Protein-Protein Partnerships. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2016; 80:793-835. [PMID: 27466283 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00043-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 321] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), as members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, mediate eukaryotic cell responses to a wide range of abiotic and biotic stress insults. JNKs also regulate important physiological processes, including neuronal functions, immunological actions, and embryonic development, via their impact on gene expression, cytoskeletal protein dynamics, and cell death/survival pathways. Although the JNK pathway has been under study for >20 years, its complexity is still perplexing, with multiple protein partners of JNKs underlying the diversity of actions. Here we review the current knowledge of JNK structure and isoforms as well as the partnerships of JNKs with a range of intracellular proteins. Many of these proteins are direct substrates of the JNKs. We analyzed almost 100 of these target proteins in detail within a framework of their classification based on their regulation by JNKs. Examples of these JNK substrates include a diverse assortment of nuclear transcription factors (Jun, ATF2, Myc, Elk1), cytoplasmic proteins involved in cytoskeleton regulation (DCX, Tau, WDR62) or vesicular transport (JIP1, JIP3), cell membrane receptors (BMPR2), and mitochondrial proteins (Mcl1, Bim). In addition, because upstream signaling components impact JNK activity, we critically assessed the involvement of signaling scaffolds and the roles of feedback mechanisms in the JNK pathway. Despite a clarification of many regulatory events in JNK-dependent signaling during the past decade, many other structural and mechanistic insights are just beginning to be revealed. These advances open new opportunities to understand the role of JNK signaling in diverse physiological and pathophysiological states.
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The role of barrier genes in epidermal malignancy. Oncogene 2016; 35:5705-5712. [PMID: 27041586 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The outermost layer of the mammalian skin, the epidermis, forms a protective barrier against pathogenic microbes and tissue dehydration. This barrier is formed and maintained by complex genetic networks that connect cellular differentiation processes, enzymatic activities and cellular junctions. Disruption in these networks affects the balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation resulting in barrier function impairment, epidermal hyperproliferation and in some cases, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Recent studies in wound-induced inflammation-mediated cancers in mice have identified dysregulation of core barrier components as tumor drivers. We therefore propose a hypothesis in which loss of key barrier genes, induce barrier dysfunction, and promote inflammation-driven epidermal hyperplasia and carcinogenesis over time. This emerging vision suggests that under specific genetic circumstances, localized barrier impairment could be considered as a hallmark of initiating lesions in epidermal SCC.
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Boros G, Miko E, Muramatsu H, Weissman D, Emri E, van der Horst GTJ, Szegedi A, Horkay I, Emri G, Karikó K, Remenyik É. Identification of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimer-Responsive Genes Using UVB-Irradiated Human Keratinocytes Transfected with In Vitro-Synthesized Photolyase mRNA. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131141. [PMID: 26121660 PMCID: PMC4488231 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Major biological effects of UVB are attributed to cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), the most common photolesions formed on DNA. To investigate the contribution of CPDs to UVB-induced changes of gene expression, a model system was established by transfecting keratinocytes with pseudouridine-modified mRNA (Ψ-mRNA) encoding CPD-photolyase. Microarray analyses of this model system demonstrated that more than 50% of the gene expression altered by UVB was mediated by CPD photolesions. Functional classification of the gene targets revealed strong effects of CPDs on the regulation of the cell cycle and transcriptional machineries. To confirm the microarray data, cell cycle-regulatory genes, CCNE1 and CDKN2B that were induced exclusively by CPDs were selected for further investigation. Following UVB irradiation, expression of these genes increased significantly at both mRNA and protein levels, but not in cells transfected with CPD-photolyase Ψ-mRNA and exposed to photoreactivating light. Treatment of cells with inhibitors of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) blocked the UVB-dependent upregulation of both genes suggesting a role for JNK in relaying the signal of UVB-induced CPDs into transcriptional responses. Thus, photolyase mRNA-based experimental platform demonstrates CPD-dependent and -independent events of UVB-induced cellular responses, and, as such, has the potential to identify novel molecular targets for treatment of UVB-mediated skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Boros
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Edit Miko
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Eszter Emri
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Andrea Szegedi
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Dermatological Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Irén Horkay
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Emri
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Katalin Karikó
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Éva Remenyik
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Efficient Keratinocyte Differentiation Strictly Depends on JNK-Induced Soluble Factors in Fibroblasts. J Invest Dermatol 2014; 134:1332-1341. [DOI: 10.1038/jid.2013.535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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