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Jiang L, Yan C, Yi Y, Zhu L, Liu Z, Zhang D, Jiang W. Cell size regulates human endoderm specification through actomyosin-dependent AMOT-YAP signaling. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:1137-1155. [PMID: 39094563 PMCID: PMC11368700 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.07.001] [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: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell size is a crucial physical property that significantly impacts cellular physiology and function. However, the influence of cell size on stem cell specification remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the dynamic changes in cell size during the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into definitive endoderm (DE). Interestingly, cell size exhibited a gradual decrease as DE differentiation progressed with higher stiffness. Furthermore, the application of hypertonic pressure or chemical to accelerate the reduction in cell size significantly and specifically enhanced DE differentiation. By functionally intervening in mechanosensitive elements, we have identified actomyosin activity as a crucial mediator of both DE differentiation and cell size reduction. Mechanistically, the reduction in cell size induces actomyosin-dependent angiomotin (AMOT) nuclear translocation, which suppresses Yes-associated protein (YAP) activity and thus facilitates DE differentiation. Together, our study has established a novel connection between cell size diminution and DE differentiation, which is mediated by AMOT nuclear translocation. Additionally, our findings suggest that the application of osmotic pressure can effectively promote human endodermal lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chenchao Yan
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Ying Yi
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lihang Zhu
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Zheng Liu
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Donghui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China.
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2
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Poidevin M, Mazuras N, Bontonou G, Delamotte P, Denis B, Devilliers M, Akiki P, Petit D, de Luca L, Soulie P, Gillet C, Wicker-Thomas C, Montagne J. A fatty acid anabolic pathway in specialized-cells sustains a remote signal that controls egg activation in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011186. [PMID: 38483976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Egg activation, representing the critical oocyte-to-embryo transition, provokes meiosis completion, modification of the vitelline membrane to prevent polyspermy, and translation of maternally provided mRNAs. This transition is triggered by a calcium signal induced by spermatozoon fertilization in most animal species, but not in insects. In Drosophila melanogaster, mature oocytes remain arrested at metaphase-I of meiosis and the calcium-dependent activation occurs while the oocyte moves through the genital tract. Here, we discovered that the oenocytes of fruitfly females are required for egg activation. Oenocytes, cells specialized in lipid-metabolism, are located beneath the abdominal cuticle. In adult flies, they synthesize the fatty acids (FAs) that are the precursors of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including pheromones. The oenocyte-targeted knockdown of a set of FA-anabolic enzymes, involved in very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) synthesis, leads to a defect in egg activation. Given that some but not all of the identified enzymes are required for CHC/pheromone biogenesis, this putative VLCFA-dependent remote control may rely on an as-yet unidentified CHC or may function in parallel to CHC biogenesis. Additionally, we discovered that the most posterior ventral oenocyte cluster is in close proximity to the uterus. Since oocytes dissected from females deficient in this FA-anabolic pathway can be activated in vitro, this regulatory loop likely operates upstream of the calcium trigger. To our knowledge, our findings provide the first evidence that a physiological extra-genital signal remotely controls egg activation. Moreover, our study highlights a potential metabolic link between pheromone-mediated partner recognition and egg activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Poidevin
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Mazuras
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie (EGCE), CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Gwénaëlle Bontonou
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie (EGCE), CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre Delamotte
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Béatrice Denis
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie (EGCE), CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Maëlle Devilliers
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Perla Akiki
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Delphine Petit
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Laura de Luca
- Centre Médical Universitaire, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Priscilla Soulie
- Centre Médical Universitaire, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cynthia Gillet
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Claude Wicker-Thomas
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie (EGCE), CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jacques Montagne
- Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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3
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Berg C, Sieber M, Sun J. Finishing the egg. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad183. [PMID: 38000906 PMCID: PMC10763546 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad183] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamete development is a fundamental process that is highly conserved from early eukaryotes to mammals. As germ cells develop, they must coordinate a dynamic series of cellular processes that support growth, cell specification, patterning, the loading of maternal factors (RNAs, proteins, and nutrients), differentiation of structures to enable fertilization and ensure embryonic survival, and other processes that make a functional oocyte. To achieve these goals, germ cells integrate a complex milieu of environmental and developmental signals to produce fertilizable eggs. Over the past 50 years, Drosophila oogenesis has risen to the forefront as a system to interrogate the sophisticated mechanisms that drive oocyte development. Studies in Drosophila have defined mechanisms in germ cells that control meiosis, protect genome integrity, facilitate mRNA trafficking, and support the maternal loading of nutrients. Work in this system has provided key insights into the mechanisms that establish egg chamber polarity and patterning as well as the mechanisms that drive ovulation and egg activation. Using the power of Drosophila genetics, the field has begun to define the molecular mechanisms that coordinate environmental stresses and nutrient availability with oocyte development. Importantly, the majority of these reproductive mechanisms are highly conserved throughout evolution, and many play critical roles in the development of somatic tissues as well. In this chapter, we summarize the recent progress in several key areas that impact egg chamber development and ovulation. First, we discuss the mechanisms that drive nutrient storage and trafficking during oocyte maturation and vitellogenesis. Second, we examine the processes that regulate follicle cell patterning and how that patterning impacts the construction of the egg shell and the establishment of embryonic polarity. Finally, we examine regulatory factors that control ovulation, egg activation, and successful fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Berg
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5065USA
| | - Matthew Sieber
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269USA
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4
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Deshpande SA, Rohrbach EW, Asuncion JD, Harrigan J, Eamani A, Schlingmann EH, Suto DJ, Lee PT, Schweizer FE, Bellen HJ, Krantz DE. Regulation of Drosophila oviduct muscle contractility by octopamine. iScience 2022; 25:104697. [PMID: 35880044 PMCID: PMC9307614 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Octopamine is essential for egg-laying in Drosophila melanogaster, but the neuronal pathways and receptors by which it regulates visceral muscles in the reproductive tract are not known. We find that the two octopamine receptors that have been previously implicated in egg-laying–OAMB and Octβ2R-are expressed in octopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons that project to the reproductive tract, peripheral ppk(+) neurons within the reproductive tract and epithelial cells that line the lumen of the oviducts. Further optogenetic and mutational analyses indicate that octopamine regulates both oviduct contraction and relaxation via Octβ2 and OAMB respectively. Interactions with glutamatergic pathways modify the effects of octopamine. Octopaminergic activation of Octβ2R on glutamatergic processes provides a possible mechanism by which octopamine initiates lateral oviduct contractions. We speculate that aminergic pathways in the oviposition circuit may be comparable to some of the mechanisms that regulate visceral muscle contractility in mammals. The receptors Octβ2 and OAMB mediate oviduct muscle contraction and relaxation The receptors are detectably expressed in neurons and epithelia but not muscle cells The control of visceral muscles in flies and mammals may share common features
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali A. Deshpande
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ethan W. Rohrbach
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James D. Asuncion
- Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jenna Harrigan
- Interdepartmental Program in Molecular Toxicology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Aditya Eamani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ellery H. Schlingmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel J. Suto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pei-Tseng Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Felix E. Schweizer
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hugo J. Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David E. Krantz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Corresponding author
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5
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Mukherjee P, Rahaman SG, Goswami R, Dutta B, Mahanty M, Rahaman SO. Role of mechanosensitive channels/receptors in atherosclerosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2022; 322:C927-C938. [PMID: 35353635 PMCID: PMC9109792 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00396.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical forces are critical physical cues that can affect numerous cellular processes regulating the development, tissue maintenance, and functionality of cells. The contribution of mechanical forces is especially crucial in the vascular system where it is required for embryogenesis and for maintenance of physiological function in vascular cells including aortic endothelial cells, resident macrophages, and smooth muscle cells. Emerging evidence has also identified a role of these mechanical cues in pathological conditions of the vascular system such as atherosclerosis and associated diseases like hypertension. Of the different mechanotransducers, mechanosensitive ion channels/receptors are gaining prominence due to their involvement in numerous physiological and pathological conditions. However, only a handful of potential mechanosensory ion channels/receptors have been shown to be involved in atherosclerosis, and their precise role in disease development and progression remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive account of recent studies investigating the role of mechanosensitive ion channels/receptors in atherosclerosis. We discuss the different groups of mechanosensitive proteins and their specific roles in inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, macrophage foam cell formation, and lesion development, which are crucial for the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Results of the studies discussed here will help in developing an understanding of the current state of mechanobiology in vascular diseases, specifically in atherosclerosis, which may be important for the development of innovative and targeted therapeutics for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritha Mukherjee
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Rishov Goswami
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Bidisha Dutta
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Manisha Mahanty
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Shaik O Rahaman
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
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6
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A Brief History of Drosophila (Female) Meiosis. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050775. [PMID: 35627159 PMCID: PMC9140851 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050775] [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: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila has been a model system for meiosis since the discovery of nondisjunction. Subsequent studies have determined that crossing over is required for chromosome segregation, and identified proteins required for the pairing of chromosomes, initiating meiotic recombination, producing crossover events, and building a spindle to segregate the chromosomes. With a variety of genetic and cytological tools, Drosophila remains a model organism for the study of meiosis. This review focusses on meiosis in females because in male meiosis, the use of chiasmata to link homologous chromosomes has been replaced by a recombination-independent mechanism. Drosophila oocytes are also a good model for mammalian meiosis because of biological similarities such as long pauses between meiotic stages and the absence of centrosomes during the meiotic divisions.
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7
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Hemolymph Ecdysteroid Titer Affects Maternal mRNAs during Bombyx mori Oogenesis. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110969. [PMID: 34821770 PMCID: PMC8622876 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Both maternal genes and ecdysteroids play important roles during embryonic development. In this study, we aimed to characterize the dynamic landscape of maternal mRNAs and the relationship between maternal genes and ecdysteroids during silkworm oogenesis. For the first time, we determined the start of the accumulation of maternal mRNAs in the ovary at the wandering stage during the larval period. We detected the developmental expression profiles of each gene in the ovary or ovariole. We finally confirmed the role of 20-hydroxyecdysone in regulating maternal gene expression. Taken together, our findings expand the understanding of insect oogenesis and provide a perspective on the embryonic development of the silkworm. Abstract Silkworm larval–pupal metamorphosis and the first half of pupal–adult development occur during oogenesis from previtellogenesis to vitellogenesis and include two peaks of the hemolymph ecdysteroid titer. Moreover, a rise in 20-hydroxyecdysone titer in early pupae can trigger the first major transition from previtellogenesis to vitellogenesis in silkworm oogenesis. In this study, we first investigated the expression patterns of 66 maternal genes in the ovary at the wandering stage. We then examined the developmental expression profiles in six time-series samples of ovaries or ovarioles by reverse transcription–quantitative PCR. We found that the transcripts of 22 maternal genes were regulated by 20-hydroxyecdysone in the isolated abdomens of the pupae following a single injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone. This study is the first to determine the relationship between 20-hydroxyecdysone and maternal genes during silkworm oogenesis. These findings provide a basis for further research into the embryonic development of Bombyx mori.
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8
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Vieira PH, Benjamim CF, Atella G, Ramos I. VPS38/UVRAG and ATG14, the variant regulatory subunits of the ATG6/Beclin1-PI3K complexes, are crucial for the biogenesis of the yolk organelles and are transcriptionally regulated in the oocytes of the vector Rhodnius prolixus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009760. [PMID: 34492013 PMCID: PMC8448300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In insects the reserve proteins are stored in the oocytes into endocytic-originated vesicles named yolk organelles. VPS38/UVRAG and ATG14 are the variant regulatory subunits of two class-III ATG6/Beclin1 PI3K complexes that regulate the recruitment of the endocytic (complex II) and autophagic (complex I) machineries. In a previous work from our group, we found that the silencing of ATG6/Beclin1 resulted in the formation of yolk-deficient oocytes due to defects in the endocytosis of the yolk proteins. Because ATG6/Beclin1 is present in the two above-described PI3K complexes, we could not identify the contributions of each complex to the yolk defective phenotypes. To address this, here we investigated the role of the variant subunits VPS38/UVRAG (complex II, endocytosis) and ATG14 (complex I, autophagy) in the biogenesis of the yolk organelles in the insect vector of Chagas Disease Rhodnius prolixus. Interestingly, the silencing of both genes phenocopied the silencing of ATG6/Beclin1, generating 1) accumulation of yolk proteins in the hemolymph; 2) white, smaller, and yolk-deficient oocytes; 3) abnormal yolk organelles in the oocyte cortex; and 4) unviable F1 embryos. However, we found that the similar phenotypes were the result of a specific cross-silencing effect among the PI3K subunits where the silencing of VPS38/UVRAG and ATG6/Beclin1 resulted in the specific silencing of each other, whereas the silencing of ATG14 triggered the silencing of all three PI3K components. Because the silencing of VPS38/UVRAG and ATG6/Beclin1 reproduced the yolk-deficiency phenotypes without the cross silencing of ATG14, we concluded that the VPS38/UVRAG PI3K complex II was the major contributor to the previously observed phenotypes in silenced insects. Altogether, we found that class-III ATG6/Beclin1 PI3K complex II (VPS38/UVRAG) is essential for the yolk endocytosis and that the subunits of both complexes are under an unknown transcriptional regulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila H Vieira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Insetos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia F Benjamim
- Laboratório de Imunologia Molecular e Celular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Georgia Atella
- Laboratório de de Bioquímica de Lipídeos e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular-INCT-EM/CNPq. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabela Ramos
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Insetos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular-INCT-EM/CNPq. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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9
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York-Andersen AH, Wood BW, Wilby EL, Berry AS, Weil TT. Osmolarity-regulated swelling initiates egg activation in Drosophila. Open Biol 2021; 11:210067. [PMID: 34343463 PMCID: PMC8331238 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg activation is a series of highly coordinated processes that prepare the mature oocyte for embryogenesis. Typically associated with fertilization, egg activation results in many downstream outcomes, including the resumption of the meiotic cell cycle, translation of maternal mRNAs and cross-linking of the vitelline membrane. While some aspects of egg activation, such as initiation factors in mammals and environmental cues in sea animals, have been well-documented, the mechanics of egg activation in insects are less well-understood. For many insects, egg activation can be triggered independently of fertilization. In Drosophila melanogaster, egg activation occurs in the oviduct resulting in a single calcium wave propagating from the posterior pole of the oocyte. Here we use physical manipulations, genetics and live imaging to demonstrate the requirement of a volume increase for calcium entry at egg activation in ex vivo mature Drosophila oocytes. The addition of water, modified with sucrose to a specific osmolarity, is sufficient to trigger the calcium wave in the mature oocyte and the downstream events associated with egg activation. We show that the swelling process is regulated by the conserved osmoregulatory channels, aquaporins and DEGenerin/Epithelial Na+ channels. Furthermore, through pharmacological and genetic disruption, we reveal a concentration-dependent requirement of transient receptor potential M channels to transport calcium, most probably from the perivitelline space, across the plasma membrane into the mature oocyte. Our data establish osmotic pressure as a mechanism that initiates egg activation in Drosophila and are consistent with previous work from evolutionarily distant insects, including dragonflies and mosquitos, and show remarkable similarities to the mechanism of egg activation in some plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna H York-Andersen
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Benjamin W Wood
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Elise L Wilby
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Alexander S Berry
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Timothy T Weil
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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10
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Jang JK, Gladstein AC, Das A, Shapiro JG, Sisco ZL, McKim KS. Multiple pools of PP2A regulate spindle assembly, kinetochore attachments and cohesion in Drosophila oocytes. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:jcs254037. [PMID: 34297127 PMCID: PMC8325958 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.254037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiosis in female oocytes lacks centrosomes, the microtubule-organizing centers. In Drosophila oocytes, meiotic spindle assembly depends on the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC). To investigate the mechanisms that regulate Aurora B activity, we examined the role of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in Drosophila oocyte meiosis. We found that both forms of PP2A, B55 and B56, antagonize the Aurora B spindle assembly function, suggesting that a balance between Aurora B and PP2A activity maintains the oocyte spindle during meiosis I. PP2A-B56, which has a B subunit encoded by two partially redundant paralogs, wdb and wrd, is also required for maintenance of sister chromatid cohesion, establishment of end-on microtubule attachments, and metaphase I arrest in oocytes. WDB recruitment to the centromeres depends on BUBR1, MEI-S332 and kinetochore protein SPC105R. Although BUBR1 stabilizes microtubule attachments in Drosophila oocytes, it is not required for cohesion maintenance during meiosis I. We propose at least three populations of PP2A-B56 regulate meiosis, two of which depend on SPC105R and a third that is associated with the spindle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kim S. McKim
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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11
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Avilés-Pagán EE, Hara M, Orr-Weaver TL. The GNU subunit of PNG kinase, the developmental regulator of mRNA translation, binds BIC-C to localize to RNP granules. eLife 2021; 10:67294. [PMID: 34250903 PMCID: PMC8313231 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67294] [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: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Control of mRNA translation is a key mechanism by which the differentiated oocyte transitions to a totipotent embryo. In Drosophila, the PNG kinase complex regulates maternal mRNA translation at the oocyte-to-embryo transition. We previously showed that the GNU activating subunit is crucial in regulating PNG and timing its activity to the window between egg activation and early embryogenesis (Hara et al., 2017). In this study, we find associations between GNU and proteins of RNP granules and demonstrate that GNU localizes to cytoplasmic RNP granules in the mature oocyte, identifying GNU as a new component of a subset of RNP granules. Furthermore, we define roles for the domains of GNU. Interactions between GNU and the granule component BIC-C reveal potential conserved functions for translational regulation in metazoan development. We propose that by binding to BIC-C, upon egg activation GNU brings PNG to its initial targets, translational repressors in RNP granules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emir E Avilés-Pagán
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, United States.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Masatoshi Hara
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Terry L Orr-Weaver
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, United States.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
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12
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Ma Y, Gu M, Chen L, Shen H, Pan Y, Pang Y, Miao S, Tong R, Huang H, Zhu Y, Sun L. Recent advances in critical nodes of embryo engineering technology. Theranostics 2021; 11:7391-7424. [PMID: 34158857 PMCID: PMC8210615 DOI: 10.7150/thno.58799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The normal development and maturation of oocytes and sperm, the formation of fertilized ova, the implantation of early embryos, and the growth and development of foetuses are the biological basis of mammalian reproduction. Therefore, research on oocytes has always occupied a very important position in the life sciences and reproductive medicine fields. Various embryo engineering technologies for oocytes, early embryo formation and subsequent developmental stages and different target sites, such as gene editing, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technologies, have all been established and widely used in industrialization. However, as research continues to deepen and target species become more advanced, embryo engineering technology has also been developing in a more complex and sophisticated direction. At the same time, the success rate also shows a declining trend, resulting in an extension of the research and development cycle and rising costs. By studying the existing embryo engineering technology process, we discovered three critical nodes that have the greatest impact on the development of oocytes and early embryos, namely, oocyte micromanipulation, oocyte electrical activation/reconstructed embryo electrofusion, and the in vitro culture of early embryos. This article mainly demonstrates the efforts made by researchers in the relevant technologies of these three critical nodes from an engineering perspective, analyses the shortcomings of the current technology, and proposes a plan and prospects for the development of embryo engineering technology in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwen Ma
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Mingwei Gu
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Liguo Chen
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hao Shen
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yifan Pan
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yan Pang
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sheng Miao
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruiqing Tong
- Cardiology, Dushuhu Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Haibo Huang
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Cambridge-Suda Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Lining Sun
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics & Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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13
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Wang P, Yang F, Ma Z, Zhang R. Chromosome Unipolar Division and Low Expression of Tws May Cause Parthenogenesis of Rice Water Weevil ( Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel). INSECTS 2021; 12:278. [PMID: 33805047 PMCID: PMC8064085 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rice water weevil (RWW) is divided into two types of population, triploid parthenogenesis and diploid bisexual reproduction. In this study, we explored the meiosis of triploid parthenogenesis RWW (Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, Beijing, China) by marking the chromosomes and microtubules of parthenogenetic RWW oocytes via immunostaining. The immunostaining results show that there is a canonical meiotic spindle formed in the triploid parthenogenetic RWW oocytes, but chromosomes segregate at only one pole, which means that there is a chromosomal unipolar division during the oogenesis of the parthenogenetic RWW. Furthermore, we cloned the conserved sequences of parthenogenetic RWW REC8 and Tws, and designed primers based on the parthenogenetic RWW sequence to detect expression patterns by quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). Q-PCR results indicate that the expression of REC8 and Tws in ovarian tissue of bisexual Drosophila melanogaster is 0.98 and 10,000.00 times parthenogenetic RWW, respectively (p < 0.01). The results show that Tws had low expression in parthenogenetic RWW ovarian tissue, and REC8 was expressed normally. Our study suggests that the chromosomal unipolar division and deletion of Tws may cause parthenogenesis in RWW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fangyuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- Department of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhuo Ma
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Runzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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14
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Hu Q, Antipova OA, O’Halloran TV, Wolfner MF. X-ray fluorescence microscopy scanning of Drosophila oocytes and eggs. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100247. [PMID: 33437967 PMCID: PMC7786125 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100247] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) is a powerful tool for mapping and quantifying the spatial distribution of elemental composition of biological samples. Recently, it was reported that transition metal fluctuations occur during Drosophila reproduction, analogous to what is seen in mammals and nematodes, and may contribute to Drosophila female fertility. To further support XFM studies on Drosophila reproduction, we describe procedures for isolating oocytes and activated eggs and examining their elemental composition by XFM scanning and analysis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hu et al. (2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Olga A. Antipova
- X-ray Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Thomas V. O’Halloran
- The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Mariana F. Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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15
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Dutta B, Goswami R, Rahaman SO. TRPV4 Plays a Role in Matrix Stiffness-Induced Macrophage Polarization. Front Immunol 2020; 11:570195. [PMID: 33381111 PMCID: PMC7767862 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.570195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic polarization of macrophages is deemed essential in innate immunity and various pathophysiological conditions. We have now determined key aspects of the molecular mechanism by which mechanical cues regulate macrophage polarization. We show that Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), a mechanosensitive ion channel, mediates substrate stiffness-induced macrophage polarization. Using atomic force microscopy, we showed that genetic ablation of TRPV4 function abrogated fibrosis-induced matrix stiffness generation in skin tissues. We have determined that stiffer skin tissue promotes the M1 macrophage subtype in a TRPV4-dependent manner; soft tissue does not. These findings were further validated by our in vitro results which showed that stiff matrix (50 kPa) alone increased expression of macrophage M1 markers in a TRPV4-dependent manner, and this response was further augmented by the addition of soluble factors; neither of which occurred with soft matrix (1 kPa). A direct requirement for TRPV4 in M1 macrophage polarization spectrum in response to increased stiffness was evident from results of gain-of-function assays, where reintroduction of TRPV4 significantly upregulated the expression of M1 markers in TRPV4 KO macrophages. Together, these data provide new insights regarding the role of TRPV4 in matrix stiffness-induced macrophage polarization spectrum that may be explored in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidisha Dutta
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Rishov Goswami
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Shaik O Rahaman
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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16
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Identification of New Regulators of the Oocyte-to-Embryo Transition in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2989-2998. [PMID: 32690584 PMCID: PMC7466974 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
At the oocyte-to-embryo transition the highly differentiated oocyte arrested in meiosis becomes a totipotent embryo capable of embryogenesis. Oocyte maturation (release of the prophase I primary arrest) and egg activation (release from the secondary meiotic arrest and the trigger for the oocyte-to-embryo transition) serve as prerequisites for this transition, both events being controlled posttranscriptionally. Recently, we obtained a comprehensive list of proteins whose levels are developmentally regulated during these events via a high-throughput quantitative proteomic analysis of Drosophila melanogaster oocyte maturation and egg activation. We conducted a targeted screen for potential novel regulators of the oocyte-to-embryo transition, selecting 53 candidates from these proteins. We reduced the function of each candidate gene using transposable element insertion alleles and RNAi, and screened for defects in oocyte maturation or early embryogenesis. Deletion of the aquaporin gene CG7777 did not affect female fertility. However, we identified CG5003 and nebu (CG10960) as new regulators of the transition from oocyte to embryo. Mutations in CG5003, which encodes an F-box protein associated with SCF-proteasome degradation function, cause a decrease in female fertility and early embryonic arrest. Mutations in nebu, encoding a putative glucose transporter, result in defects during the early embryonic divisions, as well as a developmental delay and arrest. nebu mutants also exhibit a defect in glycogen accumulation during late oogenesis. Our findings highlight potential previously unknown roles for the ubiquitin protein degradation pathway and sugar transport across membranes during this time, and paint a broader picture of the underlying requirements of the oocyte-to-embryo transition.
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17
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Zhang F, Wang J, Lü D, Zheng L, Shangguan B, Gao Y, Wu Y, Long M. Mechanomics analysis of hESCs under combined mechanical shear, stretch, and compression. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2020; 20:205-222. [PMID: 32809130 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-020-01378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can differentiate to three germ layers within biochemical and biomechanical niches. The complicated mechanical environments in vivo could have diverse effects on the fate decision and biological functions of hESCs. To globally screen mechanosensitive molecules, three typical types of mechanical stimuli, i.e., tensile stretch, shear flow, and mechanical compression, were applied in respective parameter sets of loading pattern, amplitude, frequency, and/or duration, and then, iTRAQ proteomics test was used for identifying and quantifying differentially expressed proteins in hESCs. Bioinformatics analysis identified 37, 41, and 23 proteins under stretch pattern, frequency, and duration, 13, 18, and 41 proteins under shear pattern, amplitude, and duration, and 4, 0, and 183 proteins under compression amplitude, frequency, and duration, respectively, where distinct parameters yielded the differentially weighted preferences under each stimulus. Ten mechanosensitive proteins were commonly shared between two of three mechanical stimuli, together with numerous proteins identified under single stimulus. More importantly, functional GSEA and WGCNA analyses elaborated the variations of the screened proteins with loading parameters. Common functions in protein synthesis and modification were identified among three stimuli, and specific functions were observed in skin development under stretch alone. In conclusion, mechanomics analysis is indispensable to map actual mechanosensitive proteins under physiologically mimicking mechanical environment, and sheds light on understanding the core hub proteins in mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiawen Wang
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dongyuan Lü
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bing Shangguan
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yuxin Gao
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mian Long
- Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China. .,School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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18
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Hu Q, Wolfner MF. Regulation of Trpm activation and calcium wave initiation during Drosophila egg activation. Mol Reprod Dev 2020; 87:880-886. [PMID: 32735035 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The transition from a developmentally arrested mature oocyte to a developing embryo requires a series of highly conserved events, collectively known as egg activation. All of these events are preceded by a ubiquitous rise of intracellular calcium, which results from influx of external calcium and/or calcium release from internal storage. In Drosophila, this calcium rise initiates from the pole(s) of the oocyte by influx of external calcium in response to mechanical triggers. It is thought to trigger calcium responsive kinases and/or phosphatases, which in turn alter the oocyte phospho-proteome to initiate downstream events. Recent studies revealed that external calcium enters the activating Drosophila oocyte through Trpm channels, a feature conserved in mouse. The local entry of calcium raises the question of whether Trpm channels are found locally at the poles of the oocyte or are localized around the oocyte periphery, but activated only at the poles. Here, we show that Trpm is distributed all around the oocyte. This requires that it thus be specially regulated at the poles to allow calcium wave initiation. We show that neither egg shape nor local pressure is sufficient to explain this local activation of Trpm channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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19
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Hu Q, Duncan FE, Nowakowski AB, Antipova OA, Woodruff TK, O'Halloran TV, Wolfner MF. Zinc Dynamics during Drosophila Oocyte Maturation and Egg Activation. iScience 2020; 23:101275. [PMID: 32615472 PMCID: PMC7330606 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal fluctuations in zinc concentration are essential signals, including during oogenesis and early embryogenesis. In mammals, zinc accumulation and release are required for oocyte maturation and egg activation, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that zinc flux occurs in Drosophila oocytes and activated eggs, and that zinc is required for female fertility. Our synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy reveals zinc as the most abundant transition metal in Drosophila oocytes. Its levels increase during oocyte maturation, accompanied by the appearance of zinc-enriched intracellular granules in the oocyte, which depend on transporters. Subsequently, in egg activation, which mediates the transition from oocyte to embryo, oocyte zinc levels decrease significantly, as does the number of zinc-enriched granules. This pattern of zinc dynamics in Drosophila oocytes follows a similar trajectory to that in mammals, extending the parallels in female gamete processes between Drosophila and mammals and establishing Drosophila as a model for dissecting reproductive roles of zinc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Francesca E Duncan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andrew B Nowakowski
- The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Olga A Antipova
- X-ray Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Teresa K Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Thomas V O'Halloran
- The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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20
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Stein P, Savy V, Williams AM, Williams CJ. Modulators of calcium signalling at fertilization. Open Biol 2020; 10:200118. [PMID: 32673518 PMCID: PMC7574550 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) signals initiate egg activation across the animal kingdom and in at least some plants. These signals are crucial for the success of development and, in the case of mammals, health of the offspring. The mechanisms associated with fertilization that trigger these signals and the molecules that regulate their characteristic patterns vary widely. With few exceptions, a major contributor to fertilization-induced elevation in cytoplasmic Ca2+ is release from endoplasmic reticulum stores through the IP3 receptor. In some cases, Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space and/or release from alternative intracellular stores contribute to the rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+. Following the Ca2+ rise, the reuptake of Ca2+ into intracellular stores or efflux of Ca2+ out of the egg drive the return of cytoplasmic Ca2+ back to baseline levels. The molecular mediators of these Ca2+ fluxes in different organisms include Ca2+ release channels, uptake channels, exchangers and pumps. The functions of these mediators are regulated by their particular activating mechanisms but also by alterations in their expression and spatial organization. We discuss here the molecular basis for modulation of Ca2+ signalling at fertilization, highlighting differences across several animal phyla, and we mention key areas where questions remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Stein
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Virginia Savy
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Audrey M. Williams
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Carmen J. Williams
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
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21
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Zavortink M, Rutt LN, Dzitoyeva S, Henriksen JC, Barrington C, Bilodeau DY, Wang M, Chen XXL, Rissland OS. The E2 Marie Kondo and the CTLH E3 ligase clear deposited RNA binding proteins during the maternal-to-zygotic transition. eLife 2020; 9:53889. [PMID: 32573431 PMCID: PMC7384856 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved step in animal development, where control is passed from the maternal to the zygotic genome. Although the MZT is typically considered from its impact on the transcriptome, we previously found that three maternally deposited Drosophila RNA-binding proteins (ME31B, Trailer Hitch [TRAL], and Cup) are also cleared during the MZT by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that these proteins are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Marie Kondo, an E2 conjugating enzyme, and the E3 CTLH ligase are required for the destruction of ME31B, TRAL, and Cup. Structure modeling of the Drosophila CTLH complex suggests that substrate recognition is different than orthologous complexes. Despite occurring hours earlier, egg activation mediates clearance of these proteins through the Pan Gu kinase, which stimulates translation of Kdo mRNA. Clearance of the maternal protein dowry thus appears to be a coordinated, but as-yet underappreciated, aspect of the MZT. Bestselling author and organizing consultant Marie Kondo has helped people around the world declutter their homes by getting rid of physical items that do not bring them joy. Keeping the crowded environment inside a living cell organized also requires work and involves removing molecules that are no longer needed. A fertilized egg cell, for example, contains molecules from the mother that regulate the initial stages as it develops into an embryo. Later on, the embryo takes control of its own development by destroying these inherited molecules and switches to making its own instead. This process is called the maternal-to-zygotic transition. The molecules passed from the mother to the egg cell include proteins and messenger RNAs (molecules that include the coded instructions to make new proteins). Previous research has begun to reveal how the embryo destroys the mRNAs it inherits from its mother and how it starts to make its own. Yet almost nothing is known about how an embryo gets rid of its mother’s proteins. To address this question, Zavortink, Rutt, Dzitoyeva et al. used an approach known as an RNA interference screen to identify factors required to destroy three maternal proteins in fruit fly embryos. The experiments helped identify one enzyme that worked together with another larger enzyme complex to destroy the maternal proteins. This enzyme belongs to a class of enzymes known as ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (or E2 enzymes) and it was given the name “Kdo”, short for “Marie Kondo”. Further experiments showed that the mRNAs that code for the Kdo enzyme were present in unfertilized eggs, but in a repressed state that prevented the eggs from making the enzyme. Once an egg started to develop into an embryo, these mRNAs became active and the embryo started to make Kdo enzymes. This led to the three maternal proteins being destroyed during the maternal-to-zygotic transition. These findings reveal a new pathway that regulates the destruction of maternal proteins as the embryo develops. The next challenge will be identifying other maternal proteins that do not “spark joy” and understanding the role their destruction plays in the earliest events of embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren N Rutt
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States
| | | | | | - Chloe Barrington
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States
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22
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Drosophila MARF1 ensures proper oocyte maturation by regulating nanos expression. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231114. [PMID: 32243476 PMCID: PMC7122799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis and oocyte maturation are tightly regulated processes. The meiosis arrest female 1 (MARF1) gene is essential for meiotic progression in animals; however, its detailed function remains unclear. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of dMarf1, a Drosophila homolog of MARF1 encoding an OST and RNA Recognition Motif (RRM) -containing protein for meiotic progression and oocyte maturation. Although oogenesis progressed in females carrying a dMarf1 loss-of-function allele, the dMarf1 mutant oocytes were found to contain arrested meiotic spindles or disrupted microtubule structures, indicating that the transition from meiosis I to II was compromised in these oocytes. The expression of the full-length dMarf1 transgene, but none of the variants lacking the OST and RRM motifs or the 47 conserved C-terminal residues among insect groups, rescued the meiotic defect in dMarf1 mutant oocytes. Our results indicate that these conserved residues are important for dMarf1 function. Immunoprecipitation of Myc-dMarf1 revealed that several mRNAs are bound to dMarf1. Of those, the protein expression of nanos (nos), but not its mRNA, was affected in the absence of dMarf1. In the control, the expression of Nos protein became downregulated during the late stages of oogenesis, while it remained high in dMarf1 mutant oocytes. We propose that dMarf1 translationally represses nos by binding to its mRNA. Furthermore, the downregulation of Nos induces cycB expression, which in turn activates the CycB/Cdk1 complex at the onset of oocyte maturation.
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23
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Hu Q, Vélez-Avilés AN, Wolfner MF. Drosophila Plc21C is involved in calcium wave propagation during egg activation. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020. [PMID: 32550503 PMCID: PMC7252351 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Adriana N Vélez-Avilés
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, Río Piedras, PR
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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24
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Yang J, Duan X, Fraser AK, Choudhury MI, Ewald AJ, Li R, Sun SX. Microscale pressure measurements based on an immiscible fluid/fluid interface. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20044. [PMID: 31882951 PMCID: PMC6934680 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56573-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A method of microscale pressure measurement based on immiscible fluid/fluid interface is proposed. This method utilizes observed curvature changes in a fluid/fluid interface, and can accurately report hydraulic pressure in fluids at length scales of 10 microns. The method is especially suited for measuring fluid pressure in micro-scale biological samples. Using this method, we probe fluid pressure build up in epithelial domes, murine mammary gland organoids embedded in hydrogel, and lumen pressure in the developing mouse embryo. Results reveal that the pressure developed across epithelial barriers is on the order of 100~300 Pa, and is modulated by ion channel activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.,School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Xing Duan
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Andrew K Fraser
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Mohammad Ikbal Choudhury
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.,Institute of NanoBioTechnology (INBT), The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Andrew J Ewald
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Rong Li
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sean X Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA. .,Institute of NanoBioTechnology (INBT), The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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Expression Analysis of mRNA Decay of Maternal Genes during Bombyx mori Maternal-to-Zygotic Transition. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20225651. [PMID: 31718114 PMCID: PMC6887711 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal genes play an important role in the early embryonic development of the silkworm. Early embryonic development without new transcription depends on maternal components stored in the egg during oocyte maturation. The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a tightly regulated process that includes maternal mRNAs elimination and zygotic transcription initiation. This process has been extensively studied within model species. Each model organism has a unique pattern of maternal transcriptional clearance classes in MZT. In this study, we identified 66 maternal genes through bioinformatics analysis and expression analysis in the eggs of silkworm virgin moths (Bombyx mori). All 66 maternal genes were expressed in vitellogenesis in day eight female pupae. During MZT, the degradation of maternal gene mRNAs could be divided into three clusters. We found that eight maternal genes of cluster 1 remained stable from 0 to 3.0 h, 17 maternal genes of cluster 2 were significantly decayed from 0.5 to 1.0 h and 41 maternal genes of cluster 3 were significantly decayed after 1.5 h. Therefore, the initial time-point of degradation of cluster 2 was earlier than that of cluster 3. The maternal gene mRNAs decay of clusters 2 and 3 is first initiated by maternal degradation activity. Our study expands upon the identification of silkworm maternal genes and provides a perspective for further research of the embryo development in Bombyx mori.
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Hu Q, Wolfner MF. The Drosophila Trpm channel mediates calcium influx during egg activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:18994-19000. [PMID: 31427540 PMCID: PMC6754564 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1906967116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Egg activation is the process in which mature oocytes are released from developmental arrest and gain competency for embryonic development. In Drosophila and other arthropods, eggs are activated by mechanical pressure in the female reproductive tract, whereas in most other species, eggs are activated by fertilization. Despite the difference in the trigger, Drosophila shares many conserved features with higher vertebrates in egg activation, including a rise of intracellular calcium in response to the trigger. In Drosophila, this calcium rise is initiated by entry of extracellular calcium due to opening of mechanosensitive ion channels and initiates a wave that passes across the egg prior to initiation of downstream activation events. Here, we combined inhibitor tests, germ-line-specific RNAi knockdown, and germ-line-specific CRISPR/Cas9 knockout to identify the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channel subfamily M (Trpm) as a critical channel that mediates the calcium influx and initiates the calcium wave during Drosophila egg activation. We observed a reduction in the proportion of eggs that hatched from trpm germ-line knockout mutant females, although eggs were able to complete some egg activation events including cell cycle resumption. Since a mouse ortholog of Trpm was recently reported also to be involved in calcium influx during egg activation and in further embryonic development, our results suggest that calcium uptake from the environment via TRPM channels is a deeply conserved aspect of egg activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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27
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Mechanical stimulation activates Drosophila eggs via Trpm channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:18757-18758. [PMID: 31455728 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913150116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Zhang Z, Ahmed-Braimah YH, Goldberg ML, Wolfner MF. Calcineurin-dependent Protein Phosphorylation Changes During Egg Activation in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:S145-S158. [PMID: 30478224 PMCID: PMC6427240 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.001076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In almost all animals studied to date, the crucial process of egg activation, by which an arrested mature oocyte transitions into an actively developing embryo, initiates with an increase in Ca2+ in the oocyte's cytoplasm. This Ca2+ rise sets off a series of downstream events, including the completion of meiosis and the dynamic remodeling of the oocyte transcriptome and proteome, which prepares the oocyte for embryogenesis. Calcineurin is a highly conserved phosphatase that is activated by Ca2+ upon egg activation and that is required for the resumption of meiosis in Xenopus,, ascidians, and Drosophila. The molecular mechanisms by which calcineurin transduces the calcium signal to regulate meiosis and other downstream events are still unclear. In this study, we investigate the regulatory role of calcineurin during egg activation in Drosophila melanogaster,. Using mass spectrometry, we quantify the phosphoproteomic and proteomic changes that occur during egg activation, and we examine how these events are affected when calcineurin function is perturbed in female germ cells. Our results show that calcineurin regulates hundreds of phosphosites and also influences the abundance of numerous proteins during egg activation. We find calcineurin-dependent changes in cell cycle regulators including Fizzy (Fzy), Greatwall (Gwl) and Endosulfine (Endos); in protein translation modulators including PNG, NAT, eIF4G, and eIF4B; and in important components of signaling pathways including GSK3β and Akt1. Our results help elucidate the events that occur during the transition from oocyte to embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | | | - Michael L Goldberg
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
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Xiong J, Wu M, Zhang Q, Zhang C, Xiong G, Ma L, Lu Z, Wang S. Proteomic analysis of mouse ovaries during the prepubertal stages. Exp Cell Res 2019; 377:36-46. [PMID: 30797753 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Postnatal folliculogenesis, primordial follicle activation and follicular development at early stage are important for normal ovarian function and fertility, and a comprehensive understanding of this process under physiological condition is necessary. To observe the regulation and mechanism of ovarian follicle development during the prepubertal stages, we collected the mouse ovaries from three time points, including 1 day, 7 days, and 4 weeks after birth. We then performed a proteomic analysis using tandem mass tags (TMT) labeling combined with a two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (2D LC-MS/MS) technique. A total of 706 proteins were determined to be significant differential abundance (P-SDA). Sixty upregulated proteins and 12 downregulated proteins that were P-SDA and 3 significant KEGG pathways (P < 0.05) were found at 7 days vs. 1 day after birth, while 237 upregulated proteins, 271 downregulated proteins and 42 significant KEGG pathways were found for 4 weeks vs. 7 days after birth. Some vital genes (Figla, Ooep, Padi6, Zp3, Hsd3b1, cyp11a1), key pathways (ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, ovarian steroidogenesis, complement and coagulation cascades, PI3K/Akt/mTOR), and metabolic regulation (energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, metal ion metabolism) were found to be related to the postnatal folliculogenesis, primordial follicle activation and follicular development. Finally, qRT-PCR and western blotting verified some vital genes and further elucidated the developmental process of follicles, and the results may contribute to the understanding of the formation and activation of primordial follicle and follicular development. Significance: This study offers the first proteomic insights into mechanisms of follicle development under physiological condition during the prepubertal stages. By comparing P-SDA of mouse ovaries during various period of age, our data reveals that the regulation of primordial follicle formation and activation is significantly different from that of follicular development. These findings demonstrate that many unique molecular mechanisms underlie ovarian development could be used for ovarian disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qinghua Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Guoping Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lingwei Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiyong Lu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Tai-He Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China,Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Puren Hospital, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shixuan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Avilés-Pagán EE, Orr-Weaver TL. Activating embryonic development in Drosophila. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 84:100-110. [PMID: 29448071 PMCID: PMC6301029 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The transition from oocyte to embryo marks the onset of development. This process requires complex regulation to link developmental signals with profound changes in mRNA translation, cell cycle control, and metabolism. This control is beginning to be understood for most organisms, and research in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has generated new insights. Recent findings have increased our understanding of the roles played by hormone and Ca2+ signaling events as well as metabolic remodeling crucial for this transition. Specialized features of the structure and assembly of the meiotic spindle have been identified. The changes in protein levels, mRNA translation, and polyadenylation that occur as the oocyte becomes an embryo have been identified together with key aspects of their regulation. Here we highlight these important developments and the insights they provide on the intricate regulation of this dramatic transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emir E Avilés-Pagán
- Whitehead Institute and Dept. of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Terry L Orr-Weaver
- Whitehead Institute and Dept. of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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31
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Barui A, Datta P. Biophysical factors in the regulation of asymmetric division of stem cells. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:810-827. [PMID: 30467934 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Barui
- Centre for Healthcare Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Howrah West Bengal 711103 India
| | - Pallab Datta
- Centre for Healthcare Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Howrah West Bengal 711103 India
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Characterizing Inner Pressure and Stiffness of Trophoblast and Inner Cell Mass of Blastocysts. Biophys J 2018; 115:2443-2450. [PMID: 30509858 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been recognized that mechanical forces underlie mammalian embryonic shape changes. Before gastrulation, the blastocyst embryo undergoes significant shape changes, namely, the blastocyst cavity emerges and expands, and the inner cell mass (ICM) forms and changes in shape. The embryo's inner pressure has been hypothesized to be the driving mechanical input that causes the expansion of the blastocyst cavity and the shape changes of the ICM. However, how the inner pressure and the mechanics of the trophoblast and the ICM change during development is unknown because of the lack of a suitable tool for quantitative characterization. This work presents a laser-assisted magnetic tweezer technique for measuring the inner pressure and Young's modulus of the trophoblast and ICM of the blastocyst-stage mouse embryo. The results quantitatively showed that the inner pressure and Young's modulus of the trophoblast and ICM all increase during progression of mouse blastocysts, providing useful data for understanding how mechanical factors are physiologically integrated with other cues to direct embryo development.
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Female Meiosis: Synapsis, Recombination, and Segregation in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2018; 208:875-908. [PMID: 29487146 PMCID: PMC5844340 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A century of genetic studies of the meiotic process in Drosophila melanogaster females has been greatly augmented by both modern molecular biology and major advances in cytology. These approaches, and the findings they have allowed, are the subject of this review. Specifically, these efforts have revealed that meiotic pairing in Drosophila females is not an extension of somatic pairing, but rather occurs by a poorly understood process during premeiotic mitoses. This process of meiotic pairing requires the function of several components of the synaptonemal complex (SC). When fully assembled, the SC also plays a critical role in maintaining homolog synapsis and in facilitating the maturation of double-strand breaks (DSBs) into mature crossover (CO) events. Considerable progress has been made in elucidating not only the structure, function, and assembly of the SC, but also the proteins that facilitate the formation and repair of DSBs into both COs and noncrossovers (NCOs). The events that control the decision to mature a DSB as either a CO or an NCO, as well as determining which of the two CO pathways (class I or class II) might be employed, are also being characterized by genetic and genomic approaches. These advances allow a reconsideration of meiotic phenomena such as interference and the centromere effect, which were previously described only by genetic studies. In delineating the mechanisms by which the oocyte controls the number and position of COs, it becomes possible to understand the role of CO position in ensuring the proper orientation of homologs on the first meiotic spindle. Studies of bivalent orientation have occurred in the context of numerous investigations into the assembly, structure, and function of the first meiotic spindle. Additionally, studies have examined the mechanisms ensuring the segregation of chromosomes that have failed to undergo crossing over.
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Maternal Proteins That Are Phosphoregulated upon Egg Activation Include Crucial Factors for Oogenesis, Egg Activation and Embryogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:3005-3018. [PMID: 30012668 PMCID: PMC6118307 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Egg activation is essential for the successful transition from a mature oocyte to a developmentally competent egg. It consists of a series of events including the resumption and completion of meiosis, initiation of translation of some maternal mRNAs and destruction of others, and changes to the vitelline envelope. This major change of cell state is accompanied by large scale alteration in the oocyte’s phosphoproteome. We hypothesize that the cohort of proteins that are subject to phosphoregulation during egg activation are functionally important for processes before, during, or soon after this transition, potentially uniquely or as proteins carrying out essential cellular functions like those they do in other (somatic) cells. In this study, we used germline-specific RNAi to examine the function of 189 maternal proteins that are phosphoregulated during egg activation in Drosophila melanogaster. We identified 53 genes whose knockdown reduced or abolished egg production and caused a range of defects in ovarian morphology, as well as 51 genes whose knockdown led to significant impairment or abolishment of the egg hatchability. We observed different stages of developmental arrest in the embryos and various defects in spindle morphology and aberrant centrosome activities in the early arrested embryos. Our results, validated by the detection of multiple genes with previously-documented maternal effect phenotypes among the proteins we tested, revealed 15 genes with newly discovered roles in egg activation and early embryogenesis in Drosophila. Given that protein phosphoregulation is a conserved characteristic of this developmental transition, we suggest that the phosphoregulated proteins may provide a rich pool of candidates for the identification of important players in the egg-to-embryo transition.
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Hara M, Petrova B, Orr-Weaver TL. Control of PNG kinase, a key regulator of mRNA translation, is coupled to meiosis completion at egg activation. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28555567 PMCID: PMC5449181 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The oocyte-to-embryo transition involves extensive changes in mRNA translation, regulated in Drosophila by the PNG kinase complex whose activity we show here to be under precise developmental control. Despite presence of the catalytic PNG subunit and the PLU and GNU activating subunits in the mature oocyte, GNU is phosphorylated at Cyclin B/CDK1sites and unable to bind PNG and PLU. In vitro phosphorylation of GNU by CyclinB/CDK1 blocks activation of PNG. Meiotic completion promotes GNU dephosphorylation and PNG kinase activation to regulate translation. The critical regulatory effect of phosphorylation is shown by replacement in the oocyte with a phosphorylation-resistant form of GNU, which promotes PNG-GNU complex formation, elevation of Cyclin B, and meiotic defects consistent with premature PNG activation. After PNG activation GNU is destabilized, thus inactivating PNG. This short-lived burst in kinase activity links development with maternal mRNA translation and ensures irreversibility of the oocyte-to-embryo transition. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22219.001 New egg cells form via a specialized kind of cell division called called meiosis, and will pause at key stages in this process before continuing their development. One of these pauses occurs before the egg cell is fertilized. At fertilization, the egg cell becomes “activated”, development resumes, and it starts forming into an embryo. Molecules deposited in the egg cell when it originally formed are used to control these earliest stages of embryonic development. These molecules include messenger RNA molecules (mRNAs for short), which can be “translated” to build proteins. In fruit flies, an enzyme called PNG kinase regulates the translation of hundreds of mRNA molecules during the period after the pause, when the maturing egg cell is activated and the embryo begins to develop. It is not well understood what activates and inactivates the kinase to limit its activity to this period of time. However, it was known that a protein called GNU was needed to bind to the PNG kinase to make it active. CyclinB/CDK1 is another kinase, and in contrast to PNG it is highly active when the egg cell is paused. When the egg cell is activated for embryonic development, the levels of this second kinase drop sharply and meiosis is completed. Like all kinases, CyclinB/CDK1 attaches phosphate groups onto other molecules, and Hara et al. now show that CyclinB/CDK1 can modify the GNU protein in this way. The added phosphate groups prevent GNU from binding to the PNG kinase, meaning that the high levels of CyclinB/CDK1 during the pause stop GNU from activating the PNG kinase. However, when the egg cell is activated, the level of CyclinB/CDK1 declines so that there are not enough of these molecules to add phosphates onto GNU. This leaves GNU free to activate the PNG kinase, allowing this kinase to control the translation of mRNA molecules. Furthermore, the activity of PNG kinase leads to the destruction of GNU, and this feedback loop limits this kinase’s activity to the narrow window of time in which it is needed. The fruit fly is the second example of an animal in which the activity of a kinase essential for embryonic development has been linked to the completion of meiosis (the other being the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans). The use of this strategy in two such different animals suggests that it may also be common to many other animals, including humans. Further investigation is now needed to determine if this is indeed the case. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22219.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Hara
- Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Boryana Petrova
- Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Terry L Orr-Weaver
- Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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Riparbelli MG, Gottardo M, Callaini G. Parthenogenesis in Insects: The Centriole Renaissance. Results Probl Cell Differ 2017; 63:435-479. [PMID: 28779329 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60855-6_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Building a new organism usually requires the contribution of two differently shaped haploid cells, the male and female gametes, each providing its genetic material to restore diploidy of the new born zygote. The successful execution of this process requires defined sequential steps that must be completed in space and time. Otherwise, development fails. Relevant among the earlier steps are pronuclear migration and formation of the first mitotic spindle that promote the mixing of parental chromosomes and the formation of the zygotic nucleus. A complex microtubule network ensures the proper execution of these processes. Instrumental to microtubule organization and bipolar spindle assembly is a distinct non-membranous organelle, the centrosome. Centrosome inheritance during fertilization is biparental, since both gametes provide essential components to build a functional centrosome. This model does not explain, however, centrosome formation during parthenogenetic development, a special mode of sexual reproduction in which the unfertilized egg develops without the contribution of the male gamete. Moreover, whereas fertilization is a relevant example in which the cells actively check the presence of only one centrosome, to avoid multipolar spindle formation, the development of parthenogenetic eggs is ensured, at least in insects, by the de novo assembly of multiple centrosomes.Here, we will focus our attention on the assembly of functional centrosomes following fertilization and during parthenogenetic development in insects. Parthenogenetic development in which unfertilized eggs are naturally depleted of centrosomes would provide a useful experimental system to investigate centriole assembly and duplication together with centrosome formation and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Gottardo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Giuliano Callaini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
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Abstract
Egg activation is a universal process that includes a series of events to allow the fertilized egg to complete meiosis and initiate embryonic development. One aspect of egg activation, conserved across all organisms examined, is a change in the intracellular concentration of calcium (Ca(2+)) often termed a 'Ca(2+) wave'. While the speed and number of oscillations of the Ca(2+) wave varies between species, the change in intracellular Ca(2+) is key in bringing about essential events for embryonic development. These changes include resumption of the cell cycle, mRNA regulation, cortical granule exocytosis, and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton. In the mature Drosophila egg, activation occurs in the female oviduct prior to fertilization, initiating a series of Ca(2+)-dependent events. Here we present a protocol for imaging the Ca(2+) wave in Drosophila. This approach provides a manipulable model system to interrogate the mechanism of the Ca(2+) wave and the downstream changes associated with it.
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Choi Y, Park JE, Jeong JS, Park JK, Kim J, Jeon S. Sound Waves Induce Neural Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Ryanodine Receptor-Induced Calcium Release and Pyk2 Activation. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2016; 180:682-694. [DOI: 10.1007/s12010-016-2124-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Guo Z, Batiha O, Bourouh M, Fifield E, Swan A. Role of Securin, Separase and Cohesins in female meiosis and polar body formation in Drosophila. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:531-42. [PMID: 26675236 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.179358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation in meiosis is controlled by a conserved pathway that culminates in Separase-mediated cleavage of the α-kleisin Rec8, leading to dissolution of cohesin rings. Drosophila has no gene encoding Rec8, and the absence of a known Separase target raises the question of whether Separase and its regulator Securin (Pim in Drosophila) are important in Drosophila meiosis. Here, we investigate the role of Securin, Separase and the cohesin complex in female meiosis using fluorescence in situ hybridization against centromeric and arm-specific sequences to monitor cohesion. We show that Securin destruction and Separase activity are required for timely release of arm cohesion in anaphase I and centromere-proximal cohesion in anaphase II. They are also required for release of arm cohesion on polar body chromosomes. Cohesion on polar body chromosomes depends on the cohesin components SMC3 and the mitotic α-kleisin Rad21 (also called Vtd in Drosophila). We provide cytological evidence that SMC3 is required for arm cohesion in female meiosis, whereas Rad21, in agreement with recent findings, is not. We conclude that in Drosophila meiosis, cohesion is regulated by a conserved Securin-Separase pathway that targets a diverged Separase target, possibly within the cohesin complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Guo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 2P1
| | - Osamah Batiha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 2P1
| | - Mohammed Bourouh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 2P1
| | - Eric Fifield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 2P1
| | - Andrew Swan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 2P1
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40
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Lee HC, Yoon SY, Lykke-Hartmann K, Fissore RA, Carvacho I. TRPV3 channels mediate Ca2+ influx induced by 2-APB in mouse eggs. Cell Calcium 2016; 59:21-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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Laver JD, Marsolais AJ, Smibert CA, Lipshitz HD. Regulation and Function of Maternal Gene Products During the Maternal-to-Zygotic Transition in Drosophila. Curr Top Dev Biol 2015; 113:43-84. [PMID: 26358870 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila late-stage oocytes and early embryos are transcriptionally silent. Thus, control of gene expression during these developmental periods is posttranscriptional and posttranslational. Global changes in the transcriptome and proteome occur during oocyte maturation, after egg activation and fertilization, and upon zygotic genome activation. We review the scale, content, and dynamics of these global changes; the factors that regulate these changes; and the mechanisms by which they are accomplished. We highlight the intimate relationship between the clearance of maternal gene products and the activation of the embryo's own genome, and discuss the fact that each of these complementary components of the maternal-to-zygotic transition can be subdivided into several phases that serve different biological roles and are regulated by distinct factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Laver
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Craig A Smibert
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Howard D Lipshitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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42
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Boija A, Mannervik M. A time of change: Dynamics of chromatin and transcriptional regulation during nuclear programming in earlyDrosophiladevelopment. Mol Reprod Dev 2015; 82:735-46. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ann Boija
- Department of Molecular Biosciences; The Wenner-Gren Institute; Stockholm University; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Mattias Mannervik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences; The Wenner-Gren Institute; Stockholm University; Stockholm Sweden
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43
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McGinnis LA, Lee HJ, Robinson DN, Evans JP. MAPK3/1 (ERK1/2) and Myosin Light Chain Kinase in Mammalian Eggs Affect Myosin-II Function and Regulate the Metaphase II State in a Calcium- and Zinc-Dependent Manner. Biol Reprod 2015; 92:146. [PMID: 25904014 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.127027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate eggs are arrested at metaphase of meiosis II, a state classically known as cytostatic factor arrest. Maintenance of this arrest until the time of fertilization and then fertilization-induced exit from metaphase II are crucial for reproductive success. Another key aspect of this meiotic arrest and exit is regulation of the metaphase II spindle, which must be appropriately localized adjacent to the egg cortex during metaphase II and then progress into successful asymmetric cytokinesis to produce the second polar body. This study examined the mitogen-activated protein kinases MAPK3 and MAPK1 (also known as ERK1/2) as regulators of these two related aspects of mammalian egg biology, specifically testing whether this MAPK pathway affected myosin-II function and whether myosin-II perturbation would produce some of the same effects as MAPK pathway perturbation. Inhibition of the MEK1/2-MAPK pathway with U0126 leads to reduced levels of phosphorylated myosin-regulatory light chain (pMRLC) and causes a reduction in cortical tension, effects that are mimicked by treatment with the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitor ML-7. These data indicate that one mechanism by which the MAPK pathway acts in eggs is by affecting myosin-II function. We further show that MAPK or MLCK inhibition induces loss of normal cortical spindle localization or parthenogenetic egg activation. This parthenogenesis is dependent on cytosolic and extracellular calcium and can be rescued by hyperloading eggs with zinc, suggesting that these effects of inhibition of MLCK or the MAPK pathway are linked with dysregulation of ion homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A McGinnis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hyo J Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Douglas N Robinson
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Janice P Evans
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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44
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Kim TJ, Joo C, Seong J, Vafabakhsh R, Botvinick EL, Berns MW, Palmer AE, Wang N, Ha T, Jakobsson E, Sun J, Wang Y. Distinct mechanisms regulating mechanical force-induced Ca²⁺ signals at the plasma membrane and the ER in human MSCs. eLife 2015; 4:e04876. [PMID: 25667984 PMCID: PMC4337650 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unclear that how subcellular organelles respond to external mechanical stimuli. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which mechanical force regulates Ca2+ signaling at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in human mesenchymal stem cells. Without extracellular Ca2+, ER Ca2+ release is the source of intracellular Ca2+ oscillations induced by laser-tweezer-traction at the plasma membrane, providing a model to study how mechanical stimuli can be transmitted deep inside the cell body. This ER Ca2+ release upon mechanical stimulation is mediated not only by the mechanical support of cytoskeleton and actomyosin contractility, but also by mechanosensitive Ca2+ permeable channels on the plasma membrane, specifically TRPM7. However, Ca2+ influx at the plasma membrane via mechanosensitive Ca2+ permeable channels is only mediated by the passive cytoskeletal structure but not active actomyosin contractility. Thus, active actomyosin contractility is essential for the response of ER to the external mechanical stimuli, distinct from the mechanical regulation at the plasma membrane. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04876.001 Cells receive many signals from their environment, for example, when they are compressed or pulled about by neighboring cells. Information about these ‘mechanical stimuli’ can be transmitted within the cell to trigger changes in gene expression and cell behavior. When a cell receives a mechanical stimulus, it can activate the release of calcium ions from storage compartments within the cell, including from a compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum. Calcium ions can also enter the cell from outside via channels located in the membrane that surrounds the cell (the plasma membrane). Kim et al. investigated how mechanical forces are transmitted in a type of human cell called mesenchymal stem cells using optical tweezers to apply a gentle force to the outside of a cell. These tweezers use a laser to attract tiny objects, in this case a bead attached to proteins in the cell's outer membrane. The cell's response to this mechanical stimulation was measured using a sensor protein that fluoresces a different color when it binds to calcium ions. With this set-up, Kim et al. found that mesenchymal stem cells are able to transmit mechanical forces to different depths within the cell. The forces can travel deep to trigger the release of calcium ions from the endoplasmic reticulum. This process involves a network of protein fibers that criss-cross to support the structure of a cell—called the cytoskeleton—and also requires proteins that are associated with the cytoskeleton to contract. However, calcium ion entry through the plasma membrane due to a mechanical force does not require these contractile proteins—only the cytoskeleton is involved. These results demonstrate that the transmission of mechanical signals to different depths within mesenchymal stem cells involves different components. Future work should shed light on how these mechanical signals control gene expression and the development of mesenchymal stem cells. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04876.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Jin Kim
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Chirlmin Joo
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Jihye Seong
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Reza Vafabakhsh
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Elliot L Botvinick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
| | - Michael W Berns
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
| | - Amy E Palmer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Eric Jakobsson
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Jie Sun
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
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Kaneuchi T, Sartain CV, Takeo S, Horner VL, Buehner NA, Aigaki T, Wolfner MF. Calcium waves occur as Drosophila oocytes activate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:791-6. [PMID: 25564670 PMCID: PMC4311822 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420589112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg activation is the process by which a mature oocyte becomes capable of supporting embryo development. In vertebrates and echinoderms, activation is induced by fertilization. Molecules introduced into the egg by the sperm trigger progressive release of intracellular calcium stores in the oocyte. Calcium wave(s) spread through the oocyte and induce completion of meiosis, new macromolecular synthesis, and modification of the vitelline envelope to prevent polyspermy. However, arthropod eggs activate without fertilization: in the insects examined, eggs activate as they move through the female's reproductive tract. Here, we show that a calcium wave is, nevertheless, characteristic of egg activation in Drosophila. This calcium rise requires influx of calcium from the external environment and is induced as the egg is ovulated. Pressure on the oocyte (or swelling by the oocyte) can induce a calcium rise through the action of mechanosensitive ion channels. Visualization of calcium fluxes in activating eggs in oviducts shows a wave of increased calcium initiating at one or both oocyte poles and spreading across the oocyte. In vitro, waves also spread inward from oocyte pole(s). Wave propagation requires the IP3 system. Thus, although a fertilizing sperm is not necessary for egg activation in Drosophila, the characteristic of increased cytosolic calcium levels spreading through the egg is conserved. Because many downstream signaling effectors are conserved in Drosophila, this system offers the unique perspective of egg activation events due solely to maternal components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Kaneuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Caroline V Sartain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Satomi Takeo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences and Life Science Center of Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Vanessa L Horner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Norene A Buehner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Toshiro Aigaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan;
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
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46
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Widespread changes in the posttranscriptional landscape at the Drosophila oocyte-to-embryo transition. Cell Rep 2014; 7:1495-1508. [PMID: 24882012 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The oocyte-to-embryo transition marks the onset of development. The initial phase of this profound change from the differentiated oocyte to the totipotent embryo occurs in the absence of both transcription and mRNA degradation. Here we combine global polysome profiling, ribosome-footprint profiling, and quantitative mass spectrometry in a comprehensive approach to delineate the translational and proteomic changes that occur during this important transition in Drosophila. Our results show that PNG kinase is a critical regulator of the extensive changes in the translatome, acting uniquely at this developmental window. Analysis of the proteome in png mutants provided insights into the contributions of translation to changes in protein levels, revealing a compensatory dynamic between translation and protein turnover during proteome remodeling at the return to totipotency. The proteome changes additionally suggested regulators of meiosis and early embryogenesis, including the conserved H3K4 demethylase LID, which we demonstrated is required during this period despite transcriptional inactivity.
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47
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Guo J, Sachs F, Meng F. Fluorescence-based force/tension sensors: a novel tool to visualize mechanical forces in structural proteins in live cells. Antioxid Redox Signal 2014; 20:986-99. [PMID: 24205787 PMCID: PMC3924807 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Three signaling systems, chemical, electrical, and mechanical, ubiquitously contribute to cellular activities. There is limited information on the mechanical signaling system because of a lack of tools to measure stress in specific proteins. Although significant advances in methodologies such as atomic force microscopy and laser tweezers have achieved great success in single molecules and measuring the mean properties of cells and tissues, they cannot deal with specific proteins in live cells. RECENT ADVANCES To remedy the situation, we developed a family of genetically encoded optical force sensors to measure the stress in structural proteins in living cells. The sensors can be incorporated into specific proteins and are not harmful in transgenic animals. The chimeric proteins distribute and function as their wild-type counterparts, and local stress can be read out from changes in Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). CRITICAL ISSUES Our original sensor used two mutant green fluorescence proteins linked by an alpha helix that served as a linking spring. Ever since, we have improved the probe design in a number of ways. For example, we replaced the helical linker with more common elastic protein domains to better match the compliance of the wild-type hosts. We greatly improved sensitivity by using the angular dependence of FRET rather than the distance dependence as the transduction mechanism, because that has nearly 100% efficiency at rest and nearly zero when stretched. FUTURE DIRECTIONS These probes enable researchers to investigate the roles of mechanical force in cellular activities at the level of single molecules, cells, tissues, and whole animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Guo
- 1 Department of Biochemistry, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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48
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Rashidi Z, Azadbakht M, Amini A, Karimi I. Hydrostatic pressure affects in vitro maturation of oocytes and follicles and increases granulosa cell death. CELL JOURNAL 2014; 15:282-93. [PMID: 24381852 PMCID: PMC3866531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines the effects of hydrostatic pressure on in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes derived from in vitro grown follicles. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, preantral follicles were isolated from 12-day-old female NMRI mice. Each follicle was cultured individually in Alpha Minimal Essential Medium (α-MEM) under mineral oil for 12 days. Then, follicles were induced for IVM and divided into two groups, control and experiment. In the experiment group follicles were subjected to 20 mmHg pressure for 30 minutes and cultured for 24-48 hours. We assessed for viability and IVM of the oocytes. The percentage of apoptosis in cumulus cells was determined by the TUNEL assay. A comparison between groups was made using the student's t test. RESULTS The percentage of metaphase II oocytes (MII) increased in hydrostatic pressuretreated follicles compared to controls (p<0.05). Cumulus cell viability reduced in hydrostatic pressure-treated follicles compared to controls (p<0.05). Exposure of follicles to pressure increased apoptosis in cumulus cells compared to controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Hydrostatic pressure, by inducing apoptosis in cumulus cells, participates in the cumulus oocyte coupled relationship with oocyte maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Rashidi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mehri Azadbakht
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran,
* Corresponding Address:
P.O.Box: 6714967346Department of BiologyFaculty of Basic SciencesRazi UniversityKermanshahIran
Email
| | - Ali Amini
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Isac Karimi
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
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Hunter GL, Crawford JM, Genkins JZ, Kiehart DP. Ion channels contribute to the regulation of cell sheet forces during Drosophila dorsal closure. Development 2013; 141:325-34. [PMID: 24306105 DOI: 10.1242/dev.097097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate that ion channels contribute to the regulation of dorsal closure in Drosophila, a model system for cell sheet morphogenesis. We find that Ca(2+) is sufficient to cause cell contraction in dorsal closure tissues, as UV-mediated release of caged Ca(2+) leads to cell contraction. Furthermore, endogenous Ca(2+) fluxes correlate with cell contraction in the amnioserosa during closure, whereas the chelation of Ca(2+) slows closure. Microinjection of high concentrations of the peptide GsMTx4, which is a specific modulator of mechanically gated ion channel function, causes increases in cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) and actomyosin contractility and, in the long term, blocks closure in a dose-dependent manner. We identify two channel subunits, ripped pocket and dtrpA1 (TrpA1), that play a role in closure and other morphogenetic events. Blocking channels leads to defects in force generation via failure of actomyosin structures, and impairs the ability of tissues to regulate forces in response to laser microsurgery. Our results point to a key role for ion channels in closure, and suggest a mechanism for the coordination of force-producing cell behaviors across the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginger L Hunter
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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50
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Kashir J, Deguchi R, Jones C, Coward K, Stricker SA. Comparative biology of sperm factors and fertilization-induced calcium signals across the animal kingdom. Mol Reprod Dev 2013; 80:787-815. [PMID: 23900730 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization causes mature oocytes or eggs to increase their concentrations of intracellular calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in all animals that have been examined, and such Ca²⁺ elevations, in turn, provide key activating signals that are required for non-parthenogenetic development. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Ca²⁺ transients produced during fertilization in mammals and other taxa are triggered by soluble factors that sperm deliver into oocytes after gamete fusion. Thus, for a broad-based analysis of Ca²⁺ dynamics during fertilization in animals, this article begins by summarizing data on soluble sperm factors in non-mammalian species, and subsequently reviews various topics related to a sperm-specific phospholipase C, called PLCζ, which is believed to be the predominant activator of mammalian oocytes. After characterizing initiation processes that involve sperm factors or alternative triggering mechanisms, the spatiotemporal patterns of Ca²⁺ signals in fertilized oocytes or eggs are compared in a taxon-by-taxon manner, and broadly classified as either a single major transient or a series of repetitive oscillations. Both solitary and oscillatory types of fertilization-induced Ca²⁺ signals are typically propagated as global waves that depend on Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum in response to increased concentrations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃). Thus, for taxa where relevant data are available, upstream pathways that elevate intraoocytic IP3 levels during fertilization are described, while other less-common modes of producing Ca²⁺ transients are also examined. In addition, the importance of fertilization-induced Ca²⁺ signals for activating development is underscored by noting some major downstream effects of these signals in various animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Kashir
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK
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