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Ye Y, Xie W, Ma Z, Wang X, Wen Y, Li X, Qi H, Wu H, An J, Jiang Y, Lu X, Chen G, Hu S, Blaber EA, Chen X, Chang L, Zhang W. Conserved mechanisms of self-renewal and pluripotency in mouse and human ESCs regulated by simulated microgravity using a 3D clinostat. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:68. [PMID: 38336777 PMCID: PMC10858198 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01846-2] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exhibit unique attributes of boundless self-renewal and pluripotency, making them invaluable for fundamental investigations and clinical endeavors. Previous examinations of microgravity effects on ESC self-renewal and differentiation have predominantly maintained a descriptive nature, constrained by limited experimental opportunities and techniques. In this investigation, we present compelling evidence derived from murine and human ESCs, demonstrating that simulated microgravity (SMG)-induced stress significantly impacts self-renewal and pluripotency through a previously unidentified conserved mechanism. Specifically, SMG induces the upregulation of heat shock protein genes, subsequently enhancing the expression of core pluripotency factors and activating the Wnt and/or LIF/STAT3 signaling pathways, thereby fostering ESC self-renewal. Notably, heightened Wnt pathway activity, facilitated by Tbx3 upregulation, prompts mesoendodermal differentiation in both murine and human ESCs under SMG conditions. Recognizing potential disparities between terrestrial SMG simulations and authentic microgravity, forthcoming space flight experiments are imperative to validate the impact of reduced gravity on ESC self-renewal and differentiation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ye
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenyan Xie
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhaoru Ma
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xuepeng Wang
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yi Wen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Hongqian Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinnan An
- Institute of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Guokai Chen
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Shijun Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Elizabeth A Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Lei Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Jiangsu Province International Joint Laboratory For Regeneration Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Ju Z, Thomas TN, Chiu YJ, Yamanouchi S, Yoshida Y, Abe JI, Takahashi A, Wang J, Fujiwara K, Hada M. Adaptation and Changes in Actin Dynamics and Cell Motility as Early Responses of Cultured Mammalian Cells to Altered Gravitational Vector. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6127. [PMID: 35682810 PMCID: PMC9181735 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116127] [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: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cultured mammalian cells have been shown to respond to microgravity (μG), but the molecular mechanism is still unknown. The study we report here is focused on molecular and cellular events that occur within a short period of time, which may be related to gravity sensing by cells. Our assumption is that the gravity-sensing mechanism is activated as soon as cells are exposed to any new gravitational environment. To study the molecular events, we exposed cells to simulated μG (SμG) for 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 8 h using a three-dimensional clinostat and made cell lysates, which were then analyzed by reverse phase protein arrays (RPPAs) using a panel of 453 different antibodies. By comparing the RPPA data from cells cultured at 1G with those of cells under SμG, we identified a total of 35 proteomic changes in the SμG samples and found that 20 of these changes took place, mostly transiently, within 30 min. In the 4 h and 8 h samples, there were only two RPPA changes, suggesting that the physiology of these cells is practically indistinguishable from that of cells cultured at 1 G. Among the proteins involved in the early proteomic changes were those that regulate cell motility and cytoskeletal organization. To see whether changes in gravitational environment indeed activate cell motility, we flipped the culture dish upside down (directional change in gravity vector) and studied cell migration and actin cytoskeletal organization. We found that compared with cells grown right-side up, upside-down cells transiently lost stress fibers and rapidly developed lamellipodia, which was supported by increased activity of Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1). The upside-down cells also increased their migratory activity. It is possible that these early molecular and cellular events play roles in gravity sensing by mammalian cells. Our study also indicated that these early responses are transient, suggesting that cells appear to adapt physiologically to a new gravitational environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlin Ju
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Tamlyn N. Thomas
- Department of Cardiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.N.T.); (J.-i.A.)
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Yi-Jen Chiu
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Sakuya Yamanouchi
- Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan; (S.Y.); (Y.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Yukari Yoshida
- Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan; (S.Y.); (Y.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Jun-ichi Abe
- Department of Cardiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.N.T.); (J.-i.A.)
| | - Akihisa Takahashi
- Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan; (S.Y.); (Y.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Keigi Fujiwara
- Department of Cardiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.N.T.); (J.-i.A.)
| | - Megumi Hada
- Radiation Institute for Science & Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA;
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Ma C, Xiong Y, Han P, Zhang X, Cao Y, Wang B, Zhao H, Duan E, Zhang JV, Lei X. Simulated Microgravity Potentiates Hematopoietic Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Supports Formation of 3D Hematopoietic Cluster. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:797060. [PMID: 35083220 PMCID: PMC8784808 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.797060] [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: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Microgravity has been shown to induces many changes in proliferation, differentiation and growth behavior of stem cells. Little is known about the effect of microgravity on hematopoietic differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). In this study, we used the random position machine (RPM) to investigate whether simulated microgravity (SMG) allows the induction of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro. The results showed that SMG facilitates hESCs differentiate to HSPC with more efficient induction of CD34+CD31+ hemogenic endothelium progenitors (HEPs) on day 4 and CD34+CD43+ HSPC on day 7, and these cells shows an increased generation of functional hematopoietic cells in colony-forming unit assay when compared with normal gravity (NG) conditions. Additionally, we found that SMG significantly increased the total number of cells on day 4 and day 7 which formed more 3D cell clusters. Transcriptome analysis of cells identified thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between NG and SMG. DEGs down-regulated were enriched in the axonogenesis, positive regulation of cell adhesion, cell adhesion molecule and axon guidance, while SMG resulted in the up-regulation of genes were functionally associated with DNA replication, cell cycle, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and tumorigenesis. Interestingly, some key gene terms were enriched in SMG, like hypoxia and ECM receptor interaction. Moreover, HSPC obtained from SMG culture conditions had a robust ability of proliferation in vitro. The proliferated cells also had the ability to form erythroid, granulocyte and monocyte/macrophage colonies, and can be induced to generate macrophages and megakaryocytes. In summary, our data has shown a potent impact of microgravity on hematopoietic differentiation of hPSCs for the first time and reveals an underlying mechanism for the effect of SMG on hematopoiesis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiyuan Ma
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Xiong
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pei Han
- Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yujing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baobei Wang
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huashan Zhao
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Enkui Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian V Zhang
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaohua Lei
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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Li F, Ye Y, Lei X, Zhang W. Effects of Microgravity on Early Embryonic Development and Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation: Phenotypic Characterization and Potential Mechanisms. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:797167. [PMID: 34926474 PMCID: PMC8675004 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.797167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
With the development of science and technology, mankind’s exploration of outer space has increased tremendously. Settling in outer space or on other planets could help solve the Earth’s resource crisis, but such settlement will first face the problem of reproduction. There are considerable differences between outer space and the Earth’s environment, with the effects of gravity being one of the most significant. Studying the possible effects and underlying mechanisms of microgravity on embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation and embryonic development could help provide solutions to healthy living and reproduction in deep space. This article summarizes recent research progress on the effects of microgravity on ESCs and early embryonic development and proposes hypotheses regarding the potential mechanisms. In addition, we discuss the controversies and key questions in the field and indicate directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Li
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Ye
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaohua Lei
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wensheng Zhang
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
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Brandt AC, Koehn OJ, Williams CL. SmgGDS: An Emerging Master Regulator of Prenylation and Trafficking by Small GTPases in the Ras and Rho Families. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:685135. [PMID: 34222337 PMCID: PMC8242357 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.685135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Newly synthesized small GTPases in the Ras and Rho families are prenylated by cytosolic prenyltransferases and then escorted by chaperones to membranes, the nucleus, and other sites where the GTPases participate in a variety of signaling cascades. Understanding how prenylation and trafficking are regulated will help define new therapeutic strategies for cancer and other disorders involving abnormal signaling by these small GTPases. A growing body of evidence indicates that splice variants of SmgGDS (gene name RAP1GDS1) are major regulators of the prenylation, post-prenylation processing, and trafficking of Ras and Rho family members. SmgGDS-607 binds pre-prenylated small GTPases, while SmgGDS-558 binds prenylated small GTPases. This review discusses the history of SmgGDS research and explains our current understanding of how SmgGDS splice variants regulate the prenylation and trafficking of small GTPases. We discuss recent evidence that mutant forms of RabL3 and Rab22a control the release of small GTPases from SmgGDS, and review the inhibitory actions of DiRas1, which competitively blocks the binding of other small GTPases to SmgGDS. We conclude with a discussion of current strategies for therapeutic targeting of SmgGDS in cancer involving splice-switching oligonucleotides and peptide inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony C Brandt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Olivia J Koehn
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Carol L Williams
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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Humphries BA, Wang Z, Yang C. MicroRNA Regulation of the Small Rho GTPase Regulators-Complexities and Opportunities in Targeting Cancer Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1092. [PMID: 32353968 PMCID: PMC7281527 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The small Rho GTPases regulate important cellular processes that affect cancer metastasis, such as cell survival and proliferation, actin dynamics, adhesion, migration, invasion and transcriptional activation. The Rho GTPases function as molecular switches cycling between an active GTP-bound and inactive guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound conformation. It is known that Rho GTPase activities are mainly regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs), GDP dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs) and guanine nucleotide exchange modifiers (GEMs). These Rho GTPase regulators are often dysregulated in cancer; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a large family of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate protein-coding gene expression, have been shown to play important roles in cancer metastasis. Recent studies showed that miRNAs are capable of directly targeting RhoGAPs, RhoGEFs, and RhoGDIs, and regulate the activities of Rho GTPases. This not only provides new evidence for the critical role of miRNA dysregulation in cancer metastasis, it also reveals novel mechanisms for Rho GTPase regulation. This review summarizes recent exciting findings showing that miRNAs play important roles in regulating Rho GTPase regulators (RhoGEFs, RhoGAPs, RhoGDIs), thus affecting Rho GTPase activities and cancer metastasis. The potential opportunities and challenges for targeting miRNAs and Rho GTPase regulators in treating cancer metastasis are also discussed. A comprehensive list of the currently validated miRNA-targeting of small Rho GTPase regulators is presented as a reference resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brock A. Humphries
- Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zhishan Wang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 1095 V A Drive, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
| | - Chengfeng Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 1095 V A Drive, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
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