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Kenny-Ganzert I, Chi Q, Sherwood D. Differential production rates of cytosolic and transmembrane GFP reporters in C. elegans L3 larval uterine cells. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000813. [PMID: 37033704 PMCID: PMC10074172 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Transgene driven protein expression is an important tool for investigating developmental mechanisms in C. elegans . Here, we have assessed protein production rates and levels in L3 larval uterine cells (UCs). Using ubiquitous promoter driven cytosolic and transmembrane tethered GFP, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and quantitative fluorescence analysis, we reveal that cytosolic GFP is produced at an ~two-fold higher rate than transmembrane tethered GFP and accumulates at ~five-fold higher levels in UCs. We also provide evidence that cytosolic GFP in the anchor cell, a specialized UC that mediates uterine-vulval connection, is more rapidly degraded through an autophagy-independent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qiuyi Chi
- Department of Biology, Duke University
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de la Cruz Ruiz P, Romero-Bueno R, Askjaer P. Analysis of Nuclear Pore Complexes in Caenorhabditis elegans by Live Imaging and Functional Genomics. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2502:161-182. [PMID: 35412238 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2337-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are essential to communication of macromolecules between the cell nucleus and the surrounding cytoplasm. RNA synthesized in the nucleus is exported through NPCs to function in the cytoplasm, whereas transcription factors and other proteins are selectively and actively imported. In addition, many NPC constituents, known as nuclear pore proteins (nucleoporins or nups), also play critical roles in other processes, such as genome organization, gene expression, and kinetochore function. Thanks to its genetic amenability and transparent body, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model to study NPC dynamics. We provide here an overview of available genome engineered strains and FLP/Frt-based tools to study tissue-specific functions of individual nucleoporins. We also present protocols for live imaging of fluorescently tagged nucleoporins in intact tissues of embryos, larvae, and adult and for analysis of interactions between nucleoporins and chromatin by DamID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia de la Cruz Ruiz
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Raquel Romero-Bueno
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.
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Colmenero-Repiso A, Gómez-Muñoz MA, Rodríguez-Prieto I, Amador-Álvarez A, Henrich KO, Pascual-Vaca D, Okonechnikov K, Rivas E, Westermann F, Pardal R, Vega FM. Identification of VRK1 as a New Neuroblastoma Tumor Progression Marker Regulating Cell Proliferation. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113465. [PMID: 33233777 PMCID: PMC7699843 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common pediatric cancers and presents a poor survival rate in affected children. Current pretreatment risk assessment relies on a few known molecular parameters, like the amplification of the oncogene MYCN. However, a better molecular knowledge about the aggressive progression of the disease is needed to provide new therapeutical targets and prognostic markers and to improve patients' outcomes. The human protein kinase VRK1 phosphorylates various signaling molecules and transcription factors to regulate cell cycle progression and other processes in physiological and pathological situations. Using neuroblastoma tumor expression data, tissue microarrays from fresh human samples and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), we have determined that VRK1 kinase expression stratifies patients according to tumor aggressiveness and survival, allowing the identification of patients with worse outcome among intermediate risk. VRK1 associates with cell cycle signaling pathways in NB and its downregulation abrogates cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Through the analysis of ChIP-seq and methylation data from NB tumors, we show that VRK1 is a MYCN gene target, however VRK1 correlates with NB aggressiveness independently of MYCN gene amplification, synergizing with the oncogene to drive NB progression. Our study also suggests that VRK1 inhibition may constitute a novel cell-cycle-targeted strategy for anticancer therapy in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Colmenero-Repiso
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - María A. Gómez-Muñoz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Ismael Rodríguez-Prieto
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Aida Amador-Álvarez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Kai-Oliver Henrich
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Neuroblastoma Genomics, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.-O.H.); (F.W.)
| | - Diego Pascual-Vaca
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (D.P.-V.); (E.R.)
| | | | - Eloy Rivas
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (D.P.-V.); (E.R.)
| | - Frank Westermann
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Neuroblastoma Genomics, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.-O.H.); (F.W.)
| | - Ricardo Pardal
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.P.); (F.M.V.)
| | - Francisco M. Vega
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (M.A.G.-M.); (I.R.-P.); (A.A.-Á.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.P.); (F.M.V.)
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Park S, Artan M, Han SH, Park HEH, Jung Y, Hwang AB, Shin WS, Kim KT, Lee SJV. VRK-1 extends life span by activation of AMPK via phosphorylation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/27/eaaw7824. [PMID: 32937443 PMCID: PMC7458447 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Vaccinia virus-related kinase (VRK) is an evolutionarily conserved nuclear protein kinase. VRK-1, the single Caenorhabditis elegans VRK ortholog, functions in cell division and germline proliferation. However, the role of VRK-1 in postmitotic cells and adult life span remains unknown. Here, we show that VRK-1 increases organismal longevity by activating the cellular energy sensor, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), via direct phosphorylation. We found that overexpression of vrk-1 in the soma of adult C. elegans increased life span and, conversely, inhibition of vrk-1 decreased life span. In addition, vrk-1 was required for longevity conferred by mutations that inhibit C. elegans mitochondrial respiration, which requires AMPK. VRK-1 directly phosphorylated and up-regulated AMPK in both C. elegans and cultured human cells. Thus, our data show that the somatic nuclear kinase, VRK-1, promotes longevity through AMPK activation, and this function appears to be conserved between C. elegans and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangsoon Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Murat Artan
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Han
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Hae-Eun H Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Yoonji Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Ara B Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Won Sik Shin
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Kyong-Tai Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea.
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea
| | - Seung-Jae V Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
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Zhu Y, Yao J, Duan Y, Xu H, Cheng Q, Gao X, Li S, Yang F, Liu H, Yuan J. Protein Expression Profile in Rat Silicosis Model Reveals Upregulation of PTPN2 and Its Inhibitory Effect on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Dephosphorylation of STAT3. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041189. [PMID: 32054021 PMCID: PMC7072761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Silicosis is a chronic occupational lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of crystalline silica particulates. We created a rat model that closely approximates the exposure and development of silicosis in humans. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technologies we used to identify proteins differentially expressed in activated rat lung tissue. We constructed three lentiviral knockdown vectors and an overexpression vector for the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) gene to achieve stable long-term expression. A total of 471 proteins were differentially expressed in the silicosis group compared with controls. Twenty upregulated, and eight downregulated proteins exhibited a ≥1.5-fold change relative to controls. We next found that the PTPN2, Factor B, and VRK1 concentrations in silicotic rats silicosis and SiO2-stimulated MLE-12 cells were significantly higher than control groups. More importantly, we found that overexpression of PTPN2 simultaneously decreased the expression of phospho–signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) and Vimentin, while increasing E-cadherin expression. The opposite pattern was observed for PTPN2-gene silencing. We identified three proteins with substantially enhanced expression in silicosis. Our study also showed that PTPN2 can inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition by dephosphorylating STAT3 in silicosis fibrosis.
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Expression of VRK1 and the downstream gene BANF1 in esophageal cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 89:1086-1091. [PMID: 28298069 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.02.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is considered one of the most malignant tumors, being characterized by rapid progression and poor outcomes. China has the highest incidence of esophageal cancer in the world. Hence, it is necessary to clarify the mechanisms underlying esophageal cancer progression. In this study, we examined the expression of vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) and barrier to autointegration factor 1 (BANF1) in tumor tissues at the mRNA and protein levels via real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analyses. The mRNA and protein expression levels of VRK1 and BANF1 were higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. ROC curve analysis showed that VRK1 and BANF1 yielded AUCs of 0.790 and 0.735, respectively, for the detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) patients. In conclusion, our study indicates that VRK1 and BANF are promising novel therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer.
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