The long and the short of Wnt signaling in C. elegans

The great small organisms of developmental genetics: Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster

Experimental embryologists working at the turn of the 19th century suggested fundamental mechanisms of development, such as localized cytoplasmic determinants and tissue induction. However, the molecular basis underlying these processes proved intractable for a long time, despite concerted efforts in many developmental systems to isolate factors with a biological role. That road block was overcome by combining developmental biology with genetics. This powerful approach used unbiased genome-wide screens to isolate mutants with developmental defects and to thereby identify genes encoding key determinants and regulatory pathways that govern development. Two small invertebrates were the pioneers: the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Their modes of development differ in many ways, but the two together led the way to unraveling the molecular mechanisms of many fundamental developmental processes. The discovery of the grand homologies between key players in development throughout the animal kingdom underscored the usefulness of studying these small invertebrate models for animal development and even human disease. We describe developmental genetics in Drosophila and C. elegans up to the rise of genomics at the beginning of the 21st Century. Finally, we discuss themes that emerge from the histories of such distinct organisms and prospects of this approach for the future.

Systemic regulation of mitochondria by germline proteostasis prevents protein aggregation in the soma of C. elegans

Protein aggregation causes intracellular changes in neurons, which elicit signals to modulate proteostasis in the periphery. Beyond the nervous system, a fundamental question is whether other organs also communicate their proteostasis status to distal tissues. Here, we examine whether proteostasis of the germ line influences somatic tissues. To this end, we induce aggregation of germline-specific PGL-1 protein in germline stem cells of Caenorhabditis elegans Besides altering the intracellular mitochondrial network of germline cells, PGL-1 aggregation also reduces the mitochondrial content of somatic tissues through long-range Wnt signaling pathway. This process induces the unfolded protein response of the mitochondria in the soma, promoting somatic mitochondrial fragmentation and aggregation of proteins linked with neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, the proteostasis status of germline stem cells coordinates mitochondrial networks and protein aggregation through the organism.

In vivo Functional Genomics for Undiagnosed Patients: The Impact of Small GTPases Signaling Dysregulation at Pan-Embryo Developmental Scale

While individually rare, disorders affecting development collectively represent a substantial clinical, psychological, and socioeconomic burden to patients, families, and society. Insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders are required to speed up diagnosis, improve counseling, and optimize management toward targeted therapies. Genome sequencing is now unveiling previously unexplored genetic variations in undiagnosed patients, which require functional validation and mechanistic understanding, particularly when dealing with novel nosologic entities. Functional perturbations of key regulators acting on signals' intersections of evolutionarily conserved pathways in these pathological conditions hinder the fine balance between various developmental inputs governing morphogenesis and homeostasis. However, the distinct mechanisms by which these hubs orchestrate pathways to ensure the developmental coordinates are poorly understood. Integrative functional genomics implementing quantitative in vivo models of embryogenesis with subcellular precision in whole organisms contribute to answering these questions. Here, we review the current knowledge on genes and mechanisms critically involved in developmental syndromes and pediatric cancers, revealed by genomic sequencing and in vivo models such as insects, worms and fish. We focus on the monomeric GTPases of the RAS superfamily and their influence on crucial developmental signals and processes. We next discuss the effectiveness of exponentially growing functional assays employing tractable models to identify regulatory crossroads. Unprecedented sophistications are now possible in zebrafish, i.e., genome editing with single-nucleotide precision, nanoimaging, highly resolved recording of multiple small molecules activity, and simultaneous monitoring of brain circuits and complex behavioral response. These assets permit accurate real-time reporting of dynamic small GTPases-controlled processes in entire organisms, owning the potential to tackle rare disease mechanisms.

Synthetic Lethality through the Lens of Medicinal Chemistry

Personalized medicine and therapies represent the goal of modern medicine, as drug discovery strives to move away from one-cure-for-all and makes use of the various targets and biomarkers within differing disease areas. This approach, especially in oncology, is often undermined when the cells make use of alternative survival pathways. As such, acquired resistance is unfortunately common. In order to combat this phenomenon, synthetic lethality is being investigated, making use of existing genetic fragilities within the cancer cell. This Perspective highlights exciting targets within synthetic lethality, (PARP, ATR, ATM, DNA-PKcs, WEE1, CDK12, RAD51, RAD52, and PD-1) and discusses the medicinal chemistry programs being used to interrogate them, the challenges these programs face, and what the future holds for this promising field.

Cell lineage-dependent chiral actomyosin flows drive cellular rearrangements in early Caenorhabditis elegans development

Proper positioning of cells is essential for many aspects of development. Daughter cell positions can be specified via orienting the cell division axis during cytokinesis. Rotatory actomyosin flows during division have been implied in specifying and reorienting the cell division axis, but how general such reorientation events are, and how they are controlled, remains unclear. We followed the first nine divisions of Caenorhabditis elegans embryo development and demonstrate that chiral counter-rotating flows arise systematically in early AB lineage, but not in early P/EMS lineage cell divisions. Combining our experiments with thin film active chiral fluid theory we identify a mechanism by which chiral counter-rotating actomyosin flows arise in the AB lineage only, and show that they drive lineage-specific spindle skew and cell reorientation events. In conclusion, our work sheds light on the physical processes that underlie chiral morphogenesis in early development.

Wnt Signaling Drives Ectopic Gene Expression and Larval Arrest in the Absence of the Caenorhabditis elegans DREAM Repressor Complex

Establishment and maintenance of proper gene expression is a requirement for normal growth and development. The DREAM complex in Caenorhabditis elegans functions as a transcriptional repressor of germline genes in somatic cells. At 26°, DREAM complex mutants show increased misexpression of germline genes in somatic cells and High Temperature Arrest (HTA) of worms at the first larval stage. To identify transcription factors required for the ectopic expression of germline genes in DREAM complex mutants, we conducted an RNA interference screen against 123 transcription factors capable of binding DREAM target promoter loci for suppression of the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. We found that knock-down of 15 embryonically expressed transcription factors suppress the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. Five of the transcription factors found in the initial screen have associations with Wnt signaling pathways. In a subsequent RNAi suppression screen of Wnt signaling factors we found that knock-down of the non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway factors vang-1, prkl-1 and fmi-1 in a lin-54 mutant background resulted in strong suppression of the HTA phenotype. Animals mutant for both lin-54 and vang-1 showed almost complete suppression of the HTA phenotype, pgl-1 misexpression, and fertility defects associated with lin-54 single mutants at 26°. We propose a model whereby a set of embryonically expressed transcription factors, and the Wnt/PCP pathway, act opportunistically to activate DREAM complex target genes in somatic cells of DREAM complex mutants at 26°.

G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity

Many vital processes during C. elegans development, especially the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in embryogenesis, are controlled by complex signaling pathways. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as the four Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are linchpins in regulating and orchestrating several of these mechanisms. However, despite being GPCRs, which usually couple to G proteins, these receptors do not seem to activate classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling cascades. The view on signaling during embryogenesis is further complicated by the fact that heterotrimeric G proteins do play essential roles in cell polarity during embryogenesis, but their activity is modulated in a predominantly GPCR-independent manner via G protein regulators such as GEFs GAPs and GDIs. Further, the triggered downstream effectors are not typical. Only very few GPCR-dependent and G protein-mediated signaling pathways have been unambiguously defined in this context. This unusual and highly intriguing concept of separating GPCR function and G-protein activity, which is not restricted to embryogenesis in C. elegans but can also be found in other organisms, allows for essential and multi-faceted ways of regulating cellular communication and response. Although its relevance cannot be debated, its impact is still poorly discussed, and C. elegans is an ideal model to understand the underlying principles.

Wnt Secretion Is Regulated by the Tetraspan Protein HIC-1 through Its Interaction with Neurabin/NAB-1

The aberrant regulation of Wnt secretion is implicated in various neurological diseases. However, the mechanisms of Wnt release are still largely unknown. Here we describe the role of a C. elegans tetraspan protein, HIC-1, in maintaining normal Wnt release. We show that HIC-1 is expressed in cholinergic synapses and that mutants in hic-1 show increased levels of the acetylcholine receptor AChR/ACR-16. Our results suggest that HIC-1 maintains normal AChR/ACR-16 levels by regulating normal Wnt release from presynaptic neurons, as hic-1 mutants show an increase in secreted Wnt from cholinergic neurons. We further show that HIC-1 affects Wnt secretion by modulating the actin cytoskeleton through its interaction with the actin-binding protein NAB-1. In summary, we describe a protein, HIC-1, that functions as a neuromodulator by affecting postsynaptic AChR/ACR-16 levels by regulating presynaptic Wnt release from cholinergic motor neurons.

Identification of synthetic lethality based on a functional network by using machine learning algorithms

Synthetic lethality is the synthesis of mutations leading to cell death. Tumor-specific synthetic lethality has been targeted in research to improve cancer therapy. With the advances of techniques in molecular biology, such as RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, efforts have been made to systematically identify synthetic lethal interactions, especially for frequently mutated genes in cancers. However, elucidating the mechanism of synthetic lethality remains a challenge because of the complexity of its influencing conditions. In this study, we proposed a new computational method to identify critical functional features that can accurately predict synthetic lethal interactions. This method incorporates several machine learning algorithms and encodes protein-coding genes by an enrichment system derived from gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways to represent their functional features. We built a random forest-based prediction engine by using 2120 selected features and obtained a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.532. We examined the top 15 features and found that most of them have potential roles in synthetic lethality according to previous studies. These results demonstrate the ability of our proposed method to predict synthetic lethal interactions and provide a basis for further characterization of these particular genetic combinations.

The Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response Is Mediated Cell-Non-autonomously by Retromer-Dependent Wnt Signaling

The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt) can be triggered in a cell-non-autonomous fashion across multiple tissues in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. The ability to communicate information about the presence of mitochondrial stress enables a global response that can ultimately better protect an organism from local mitochondrial challenges. We find that animals use retromer-dependent Wnt signaling to propagate mitochondrial stress signals from the nervous system to peripheral tissues. Specifically, the polyQ40-triggered activation of mitochondrial stress or reduction of cco-1 (complex IV subunit) in neurons of C. elegans results in the Wnt-dependent induction of cell-non-autonomous UPR^mt in peripheral cells. Loss-of-function mutations of retromer complex components that are responsible for recycling the Wnt secretion-factor/MIG-14 prevent Wnt secretion and thereby suppress cell-non-autonomous UPR^mt. Neuronal expression of the Wnt ligand/EGL-20 is sufficient to induce cell-non-autonomous UPR^mt in a retromer complex-, Wnt signaling-, and serotonin-dependent manner, clearly implicating Wnt signaling as a strong candidate for the "mitokine" signal.

Wnt Signaling Polarizes C. elegans Asymmetric Cell Divisions During Development

Asymmetric cell division is a common mode of cell differentiation during the invariant lineage of the nematode, C. elegans. Beginning at the four-cell stage, and continuing throughout embryogenesis and larval development, mother cells are polarized by Wnt ligands, causing an asymmetric inheritance of key members of a Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway termed the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway. The resulting daughter cells are distinct at birth with one daughter cell activating Wnt target gene expression via β-catenin activation of TCF, while the other daughter displays transcriptional repression of these target genes. Here, we seek to review the body of evidence underlying a unified model for Wnt-driven asymmetric cell division in C. elegans, identify global themes that occur during asymmetric cell division, as well as highlight tissue-specific variations. We also discuss outstanding questions that remain unanswered regarding this intriguing mode of asymmetric cell division.

Syndecan defines precise spindle orientation by modulating Wnt signaling in C. elegans

Wnt signals orient mitotic spindles in development, but it remains unclear how Wnt signaling is spatially controlled to achieve precise spindle orientation. Here, we show that C. elegans syndecan (SDN-1) is required for precise orientation of a mitotic spindle in response to a Wnt cue. We find that SDN-1 is the predominant heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan in the early C. elegans embryo, and that loss of HS biosynthesis or of the SDN-1 core protein results in misorientation of the spindle of the ABar blastomere. The ABar and EMS spindles both reorient in response to Wnt signals, but only ABar spindle reorientation is dependent on a new cell contact and on HS and SDN-1. SDN-1 transiently accumulates on the ABar surface as it contacts C, and is required for local concentration of Dishevelled (MIG-5) in the ABar cortex adjacent to C. These findings establish a new role for syndecan in Wnt-dependent spindle orientation.

Netrins and Wnts function redundantly to regulate antero-posterior and dorso-ventral guidance in C. elegans

Guided migrations of cells and developing axons along the dorso-ventral (D/V) and antero-posterior (A/P) body axes govern tissue patterning and neuronal connections. In C. elegans, as in vertebrates, D/V and A/P graded distributions of UNC-6/Netrin and Wnts, respectively, provide instructive polarity information to guide cells and axons migrating along these axes. By means of a comprehensive genetic analysis, we found that simultaneous loss of Wnt and Netrin signaling components reveals previously unknown and unexpected redundant roles for Wnt and Netrin signaling pathways in both D/V and A/P guidance of migrating cells and axons in C. elegans, as well as in processes essential for organ function and viability. Thus, in addition to providing polarity information for migration along the axis of their gradation, Wnts and Netrin are each able to guide migrations orthogonal to the axis of their gradation. Netrin signaling not only functions redundantly with some Wnts, but also counterbalances the effects of others to guide A/P migrations, while the involvement of Wnt signaling in D/V guidance identifies Wnt signaling as one of the long sought mechanisms that functions in parallel to Netrin signaling to promote D/V guidance of cells and axons. These findings provide new avenues for deciphering how A/P and D/V guidance signals are integrated within the cell to establish polarity in multiple biological processes, and implicate broader roles for Netrin and Wnt signaling - roles that are currently masked due to prevalent redundancy.

While ample information was gathered in past decades on identifying guidance cues and their downstream mediators, very little is known about how the information from multiple extracellular cues is integrated within the cell to generate normal patterning. Netrin and Wnt signaling pathways are both critical to multiple developmental processes and play key roles in normal development as well as in malignancies. The UNC-6/Netrin guidance cue has a conserved role in guiding cell and growth cone migrations along the dorso-ventral axis, whereas Wnts are critical for determining polarity and guidance along the antero-posterior axis. In this study we show that these two signaling pathways function redundantly in both antero-posterior and dorso-ventral guidance as well as in processes essential for viability. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a fine balance between Wnt and Netrin signaling pathways is critical for proper polarity establishment and identify Wnt signaling as one of the long sought mechanisms that signal in parallel to Netrin to promote dorso-ventral guidance of cells and axons in Caenorhabditis elegans. These findings pave the way to unraveling the broader roles of Wnt and Netrin signaling pathways and provide a conceptually novel view of how antero-posterior and dorso-ventral guidance mechanisms are orchestrated.

A comprehensive survey of wnt and frizzled expression in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

WNT signaling is, in all multicellular animals, an essential intercellular communication pathway that is critical for shaping the embryo. At the molecular level, WNT signals can be transmitted by several transduction cascades, all activated chiefly by the binding of WNT ligands to receptors of the FRIZZLED family. The first step in assessing the biological functions of WNT signaling during embryogenesis is thus the establishment of the spatiotemporal expression profiles of wnt and frizzled genes in the course of embryonic development. To this end, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot, and in situ hybridization assays, we report here the comprehensive expression patterns of all 11 wnt and 4 frizzled genes present in the genome of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus during its embryogenesis. Our findings indicate that the expression of these wnt ligands and frizzled receptors is highly dynamic in both time and space. We further establish that all wnt genes are chiefly transcribed in the vegetal hemisphere of the embryo, whereas expression of the frizzled genes is distributed more widely across the embryonic territories. Thus, in P. lividus, WNT ligands might act both as short- and long-range signaling molecules that may operate in all cell lineages and tissues to control various developmental processes during embryogenesis.

Extrasynaptic muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on neuronal cell bodies regulate presynaptic function in Caenorhabditis elegans

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a potent neuromodulator in the brain, and its effects on cognition and memory formation are largely performed through muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). mAChRs are often preferentially distributed on specialized membrane regions in neurons, but the significance of mAChR localization in modulating neuronal function is not known. Here we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the M1/M3/M5 family of mAChRs, gar-3, is expressed in cholinergic motor neurons, and GAR-3-GFP fusion proteins localize to cell bodies where they are enriched at extrasynaptic regions that are in contact with the basal lamina. The GAR-3 N-terminal extracellular domain is necessary and sufficient for this asymmetric distribution, and mutation of a predicted N-linked glycosylation site within the N-terminus disrupts GAR-3-GFP localization. In transgenic animals expressing GAR-3 variants that are no longer asymmetrically localized, synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions is impaired and there is a reduction in the abundance of the presynaptic protein sphingosine kinase at release sites. Finally, GAR-3 can be activated by endogenously produced ACh released from neurons that do not directly contact cholinergic motor neurons. Together, our results suggest that humoral activation of asymmetrically localized mAChRs by ACh is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which ACh modulates neuronal function.

β-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling in C. elegans: teaching an old dog a new trick

Wnt signaling is an evolutionarily ancient pathway used to regulate many events during metazoan development. Genetic results from Caenorhabditis elegans more than a dozen years ago suggested that Wnt signaling in this nematode worm might be different than in vertebrates and Drosophila: the worm had a small number of Wnts, too many β-catenins, and some Wnt pathway components functioned in an opposite manner than in other species. Work over the ensuing years has clarified that C. elegans does possess a canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway similar to that in other metazoans, but that the majority of Wnt signaling in this species may proceed via a variant Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway that uses some new components (mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling enzymes), and in which some conserved pathway components (β-catenin, T-cell factor [TCF]) are used in new and interesting ways. This review summarizes our current understanding of the canonical and novel TCF/β-catenin-dependent signaling pathways in C. elegans.

The evolution of the Wnt pathway

Wnt genes are important regulators of embryogenesis and cell differentiation in vertebrates and insects. New data revealed by comparative genomics have now shown that members of the Wnt signaling pathway can be found in all clades of metazoans, but not in fungi, plants, or unicellular eukaryotes. This article focuses on new data from recent genomic analyses of several basal metazoan organisms, providing evidence that the Wnt pathway was a primordial signaling pathway during evolution. The formation of a Wnt signaling center at the site of gastrulation was instrumental for the formation of a primary, anterior-posterior body axis, which can be traced throughout animal evolution.

Membrane extensions are associated with proper anterior migration of muscle cells during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis

C. elegans body wall muscle is formed after a series of well-orchestrated steps. With the onset of specification embryonic muscle cells accumulate under the hypodermal seam cells at the left and right sides of the embryo. Shortly thereafter they begin to migrate dorsally and ventrally resting beneath the dorsal and ventral hypodermis eventually forming the four muscle quadrants present upon hatching. In this study we describe the plasma membrane dynamics of these migrating cells and observe the extension of filopodia and lamellipodia during dorso-ventral migration but not during the earlier stages of accumulation. We also describe an anterior migration event during embryonic muscle morphogenesis, whereby the anterior-most pair of cells in each of the four muscle quadrants extends long processes to the anterior tip of the developing embryo. Anteriormost muscle cells then follow these extensions into their final positions in the developing embryo. Using RNAi and mutant analysis, we have identified laminin as being involved in mediating the dorsal-ventral muscle migrations. Finally we show that the α-integrin INA-1, the ephrin VAB-2 and its receptor VAB-1 and the Robo receptor SAX-3 indirectly promote the proper extension of the ventral anterior muscle processes by organizing the embryonic neurons so as to provide a clear path for muscle membrane extension.

OrthoList: a compendium of C. elegans genes with human orthologs

BACKGROUND

C. elegans is an important model for genetic studies relevant to human biology and disease. We sought to assess the orthology between C. elegans and human genes to understand better the relationship between their genomes and to generate a compelling list of candidates to streamline RNAi-based screens in this model.

RESULTS

We performed a meta-analysis of results from four orthology prediction programs and generated a compendium, "OrthoList", containing 7,663 C. elegans protein-coding genes. Various assessments indicate that OrthoList has extensive coverage with low false-positive and false-negative rates. Part of this evaluation examined the conservation of components of the receptor tyrosine kinase, Notch, Wnt, TGF-ß and insulin signaling pathways, and led us to update compendia of conserved C. elegans kinases, nuclear hormone receptors, F-box proteins, and transcription factors. Comparison with two published genome-wide RNAi screens indicated that virtually all of the conserved hits would have been obtained had just the OrthoList set (∼38% of the genome) been targeted. We compiled Ortholist by InterPro domains and Gene Ontology annotation, making it easy to identify C. elegans orthologs of human disease genes for potential functional analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We anticipate that OrthoList will be of considerable utility to C. elegans researchers for streamlining RNAi screens, by focusing on genes with apparent human orthologs, thus reducing screening effort by ∼60%. Moreover, we find that OrthoList provides a useful basis for annotating orthology and reveals more C. elegans orthologs of human genes in various functional groups, such as transcription factors, than previously described.

Combinatorial cell-specific regulation of GSK3 directs cell differentiation and polarity in Dictyostelium

In Dictyostelium, the interaction of secreted cAMP with specific cell surface receptors regulates the activation/de-activation of GSK3, which mediates developmental cell patterning. In addition, Dictyostelium cells polarize in response to extracellular cAMP, although a potential role for GSK3 in this pathway has not been investigated. Previously, we had shown that ZAK1 was an activating tyrosine kinase for GSK3 function in Dictyostelium and we now identify ZAK2 as the other tyrosine kinase in the cAMP-activation pathway for GSK3; no additional family members exist. We also now show that tyrosine phosphorylation/activation of GSK3 by ZAK2 and ZAK1 separately regulate GSK3 in distinct differentiated cell populations, and that ZAK2 acts in both autonomous and non-autonomous pathways to regulate these cell-type differentiations. Finally, we demonstrate that efficient polarization of Dictyostelium towards cAMP depends on ZAK1-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of GSK3. Combinatorial regulation of GSK3 by ZAK kinases in Dictyostelium guides cell polarity, directional cell migration and cell differentiation, pathways that extend the complexity of GSK3 signaling throughout the development of Dictyostelium.

Wnt signaling from development to disease: insights from model systems

One of the early surprises in the study of cell adhesion was the discovery that beta-catenin plays dual roles, serving as an essential component of cadherin-based cell-cell adherens junctions and also serving as the key regulated effector of the Wnt signaling pathway. Here, we review our current model of Wnt signaling and discuss how recent work using model organisms has advanced our understanding of the roles Wnt signaling plays in both normal development and in disease. These data help flesh out the mechanisms of signaling from the membrane to the nucleus, revealing new protein players and providing novel information about known components of the pathway.

ccz-1 mediates the digestion of apoptotic corpses in C. elegans

During development, the processes of cell division, differentiation and apoptosis must be precisely coordinated in order to maintain tissue homeostasis. The nematode C. elegans is a powerful model system in which to study cell death and its control. C. elegans apoptotic cells condense and form refractile corpses under differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. Activation of the GTPase CED-10 (Rac) in a neighbouring cell mediates the recognition and engulfment of the cell corpse. After inclusion of the engulfed corpse in a phagosome, different proteins are sequentially recruited onto this organelle to promote its acidification and fusion with lysosomes, leading to the enzymatic degradation of the cell corpse. We show that CCZ-1, a protein conserved from yeasts to humans, mediates the digestion of these apoptotic corpses. CCZ-1 seems to act in lysosome biogenesis and phagosome maturation by recruiting the GTPase RAB-7 over the phagosome.

Frizzled-5, a receptor for the synaptic organizer Wnt7a, regulates activity-mediated synaptogenesis

Wnt proteins play a crucial role in several aspects of neuronal circuit formation. Wnts can signal through different receptors including Frizzled, Ryk and Ror2. In the hippocampus, Wnt7a stimulates the formation of synapses; however, its receptor remains poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that Frizzled-5 (Fz5) is expressed during the peak of synaptogenesis in the mouse hippocampus. Fz5 is present in synaptosomes and colocalizes with the pre- and postsynaptic markers vGlut1 and PSD-95. Expression of Fz5 during early stages of synaptogenesis increases the number of presynaptic sites in hippocampal neurons. Conversely, Fz5 knockdown or the soluble Fz5-CRD domain (Fz5CRD), which binds to Wnt7a, block the ability of Wnt7a to stimulate synaptogenesis. Increased neuronal activity induced by K+ depolarization or by high-frequency stimulation (HFS), known to induce synapse formation, raises the levels of Fz5 at the cell surface. Importantly, both stimuli increase the localization of Fz5 at synapses, an effect that is blocked by Wnt antagonists or Fz5CRD. Conversely, low-frequency stimulation, which reduces the number of synapses, decreases the levels of surface Fz5 and the percentage of synapses containing the receptor. Interestingly, Fz5CRD abolishes HFS-induced synapse formation. Our results indicate that Fz5 mediates the synaptogenic effect of Wnt7a and that its localization to synapses is regulated by neuronal activity, a process that depends on endogenous Wnts. These findings support a model where neuronal activity and Wnts increase the responsiveness of neurons to Wnt signalling by recruiting Fz5 receptor at synaptic sites.

Interaction of the mu-opioid receptor with GPR177 (Wntless) inhibits Wnt secretion: potential implications for opioid dependence

BACKGROUND

Opioid agonist drugs produce analgesia. However, long-term exposure to opioid agonists may lead to opioid dependence. The analgesic and addictive properties of opioid agonist drugs are mediated primarily via the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). Opioid agonists appear to alter neuronal morphology in key brain regions implicated in the development of opioid dependence. However, the precise role of the MOR in the development of these neuronal alterations remains elusive. We hypothesize that identifying and characterizing novel MOR interacting proteins (MORIPs) may help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of opioid dependence.

RESULTS

GPR177, the mammalian ortholog of Drosophila Wntless/Evi/Sprinter, was identified as a MORIP in a modified split ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid screen. GPR177 is an evolutionarily conserved protein that plays a critical role in mediating Wnt protein secretion from Wnt producing cells. The MOR/GPR177 interaction was validated in pulldown, coimmunoprecipitation, and colocalization studies using mammalian tissue culture cells. The interaction was also observed in rodent brain, where MOR and GPR177 were coexpressed in close spatial proximity within striatal neurons. At the cellular level, morphine treatment caused a shift in the distribution of GPR177 from cytosol to the cell surface, leading to enhanced MOR/GPR177 complex formation at the cell periphery and the inhibition of Wnt protein secretion.

CONCLUSIONS

It is known that chronic morphine treatment decreases dendritic arborization and hippocampal neurogenesis, and Wnt proteins are essential for these processes. We therefore propose that the morphine-mediated MOR/GPR177 interaction may result in decreased Wnt secretion in the CNS, resulting in atrophy of dendritic arbors and decreased neurogenesis. Our results demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for GPR177 in regulating cellular response to opioid drugs.

Emerging patterns in planarian regeneration

In the past decade, the planarian has become an increasingly tractable invertebrate model for the investigation of regeneration and stem cell biology. Application of a variety of techniques and development of genomic reagents in this system have enabled exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which pluripotent somatic stem cells called neoblasts replenish, repair, and regenerate planarian tissues and organs. Recent investigations have implicated evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways in the re-establishment of anterior-posterior (A-P), dorsal-ventral (D-V), and medial-lateral (M-L) polarity after injury. These studies have significantly advanced our understanding of early events during planarian regeneration and have raised new questions about the mechanisms of stem cell-based tissue repair and renewal.

Wnt signaling pathways meet Rho GTPases

Wnt ligands and their receptors orchestrate many essential cellular and physiological processes. During development they control differentiation, proliferation, migration, and patterning, while in the adult, they regulate tissue homeostasis, primarily through their effects on stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Underpinning these diverse biological activities is a complex set of intracellular signaling pathways that are still poorly understood. Rho GTPases have emerged as key mediators of Wnt signals, most notably in the noncanonical pathways that involve polarized cell shape changes and migrations, but also more recently in the canonical pathway leading to beta-catenin-dependent transcription. It appears that Rho GTPases integrate Wnt-induced signals spatially and temporally to promote morphological and transcriptional changes affecting cell behavior.

Upsides and downsides to polarity and asymmetric cell division in leukemia

The notion that polarity regulators can act as tumor suppressors in epithelial cells is now well accepted. The function of these proteins in lymphocytes is less well explored, and their possible function as suppressors of leukemia has had little attention so far. We review the literature on lymphocyte polarity and the growing recognition that polarity proteins have an important function in lymphocyte function. We then describe molecular relationships between the polarity network and signaling pathways that have been implicated in leukemogenesis, which suggest mechanisms by which the polarity network might impact on leukemogenesis. We particularly focus on the possibility that disruption of polarity might alter asymmetric cell division (ACD), and that this might be a leukemia-initiating event. We also explore the converse possibility that leukemic stem cells might be produced or maintained by ACD, and therefore that Dlg, Scribble and Lgl might be important regulators of this process.