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Quintero-Barceinas RS, Gehringer F, Ducker C, Saxton J, Shaw PE. ELK-1 ubiquitination status and transcriptional activity are modulated independently of F-Box protein FBXO25. J Biol Chem 2020; 296:100214. [PMID: 33428929 PMCID: PMC7948486 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitogen-responsive, ETS-domain transcription factor ELK-1 stimulates the expression of immediate early genes at the onset of the cell cycle and participates in early developmental programming. ELK-1 is subject to multiple levels of posttranslational control, including phosphorylation, SUMOylation, and ubiquitination. Recently, removal of monoubiquitin from the ELK-1 ETS domain by the Ubiquitin Specific Protease USP17 was shown to augment ELK-1 transcriptional activity and promote cell proliferation. Here we have used coimmunoprecipitation experiments, protein turnover and ubiquitination assays, RNA-interference and gene expression analyses to examine the possibility that USP17 acts antagonistically with the F-box protein FBXO25, an E3 ubiquitin ligase previously shown to promote ELK-1 ubiquitination and degradation. Our data confirm that FBXO25 and ELK-1 interact in HEK293T cells and that FBXO25 is active toward Hand1 and HAX1, two of its other candidate substrates. However, our data indicate that FBXO25 neither promotes ubiquitination of ELK-1 nor impacts on its transcriptional activity and suggest that an E3 ubiquitin ligase other than FBXO25 regulates ELK-1 ubiquitination and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna Sara Quintero-Barceinas
- Transcription and Signal Transduction Lab, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Franziska Gehringer
- Transcription and Signal Transduction Lab, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Charles Ducker
- Transcription and Signal Transduction Lab, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Janice Saxton
- Transcription and Signal Transduction Lab, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Peter E Shaw
- Transcription and Signal Transduction Lab, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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Ducker C, Chow LKY, Saxton J, Handwerger J, McGregor A, Strahl T, Layfield R, Shaw PE. De-ubiquitination of ELK-1 by USP17 potentiates mitogenic gene expression and cell proliferation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:4495-4508. [PMID: 30854565 PMCID: PMC6511843 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ELK-1 is a transcription factor involved in ERK-induced cellular proliferation. Here, we show that its transcriptional activity is modulated by ubiquitination at lysine 35 (K35). The level of ubiquitinated ELK-1 rises in mitogen-deprived cells and falls upon mitogen stimulation or oncogene expression. Ectopic expression of USP17, a cell cycle-dependent deubiquitinase, decreases ELK-1 ubiquitination and up-regulates ELK-1 target-genes with a concomitant increase in cyclin D1 expression. In contrast, USP17 depletion attenuates ELK-1-dependent gene expression and slows cell proliferation. The reduced rate of proliferation upon USP17 depletion appears to be a direct effect of ELK-1 ubiquitination because it is rescued by an ELK-1(K35R) mutant refractory to ubiquitination. Overall, our results show that ubiquitination of ELK-1 at K35, and its reversal by USP17, are important mechanisms in the regulation of nuclear ERK signalling and cellular proliferation. Our findings will be relevant for tumours that exhibit elevated USP17 expression and suggest a new target for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Ducker
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Leo Kam Yuen Chow
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Janice Saxton
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Jürgen Handwerger
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Alexander McGregor
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Thomas Strahl
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Robert Layfield
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Peter E Shaw
- Transcription and Molecular Signalling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
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Cary GA, Wolff A, Zueva O, Pattinato J, Hinman VF. Analysis of sea star larval regeneration reveals conserved processes of whole-body regeneration across the metazoa. BMC Biol 2019; 17:16. [PMID: 30795750 PMCID: PMC6385403 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0633-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metazoan lineages exhibit a wide range of regenerative capabilities that vary among developmental stage and tissue type. The most robust regenerative abilities are apparent in the phyla Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, and Echinodermata, whose members are capable of whole-body regeneration (WBR). This phenomenon has been well characterized in planarian and hydra models, but the molecular mechanisms of WBR are less established within echinoderms, or any other deuterostome system. Thus, it is not clear to what degree aspects of this regenerative ability are shared among metazoa. Results We characterize regeneration in the larval stage of the Bat Star (Patiria miniata). Following bisection along the anterior-posterior axis, larvae progress through phases of wound healing and re-proportioning of larval tissues. The overall number of proliferating cells is reduced following bisection, and we find evidence for a re-deployment of genes with known roles in embryonic axial patterning. Following axial respecification, we observe a significant localization of proliferating cells to the wound region. Analyses of transcriptome data highlight the molecular signatures of functions that are common to regeneration, including specific signaling pathways and cell cycle controls. Notably, we find evidence for temporal similarities among orthologous genes involved in regeneration from published Platyhelminth and Cnidarian regeneration datasets. Conclusions These analyses show that sea star larval regeneration includes phases of wound response, axis respecification, and wound-proximal proliferation. Commonalities of the overall process of regeneration, as well as gene usage between this deuterostome and other species with divergent evolutionary origins reveal a deep similarity of whole-body regeneration among the metazoa. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-019-0633-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Cary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Andrew Wolff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Olga Zueva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Joseph Pattinato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Veronica F Hinman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Slota LA, Miranda EM, McClay DR. Spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression during neurogenesis in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. EvoDevo 2019; 10:2. [PMID: 30792836 PMCID: PMC6371548 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-019-0115-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sea urchin is a basal deuterostome that is more closely related to vertebrates than many organisms traditionally used to study neurogenesis. This phylogenetic position means that the sea urchin can provide insights into the evolution of the nervous system by helping resolve which developmental processes are deuterostome innovations, which are innovations in other clades, and which are ancestral. However, the nervous system of echinoderms is one of the least understood of all major metazoan phyla. To gain insights into echinoderm neurogenesis, spatial and temporal gene expression data are essential. Then, functional data will enable the building of a detailed gene regulatory network for neurogenesis in the sea urchin that can be compared across metazoans to resolve questions about how nervous systems evolved. RESULTS Here, we analyze spatiotemporal gene expression during sea urchin neurogenesis for genes that have been shown to be neurogenic in one or more species. We report the expression of 21 genes expressed in areas of neurogenesis in the sea urchin embryo from blastula stage (just before neural progenitors begin their specification sequence) through pluteus larval stage (when much of the nervous system has been patterned). Among those 21 gene expression patterns, we report expression of 11 transcription factors and 2 axon guidance genes, each expressed in discrete domains in the neuroectoderm or in the endoderm. Most of these genes are expressed in and around the ciliary band. Some including the transcription factors Lv-mbx, Lv-dmrt, Lv-islet, and Lv-atbf1, the nuclear protein Lv-prohibitin, and the guidance molecule Lv-semaa are expressed in the endoderm where they are presumably involved in neurogenesis in the gut. CONCLUSIONS This study builds a foundation to study how neurons are specified and evolved by analyzing spatial and temporal gene expression during neurogenesis in a basal deuterostome. With these expression patterns, we will be able to understand what genes are required for neural development in the sea urchin. These data can be used as a starting point to (1) build a spatial gene regulatory network for sea urchin neurogenesis, (2) identify how subtypes of neurons are specified, (3) perform comparative studies with the sea urchin, protostome, and vertebrate organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A. Slota
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 124 Science Dr., Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Esther M. Miranda
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 124 Science Dr., Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - David R. McClay
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 124 Science Dr., Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708 USA
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Molina MD, Gache C, Lepage T. Expression of exogenous mRNAs to study gene function in echinoderm embryos. Methods Cell Biol 2019; 151:239-282. [PMID: 30948011 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
With the completion of the genome sequencing projects, a new challenge for developmental biologists is to assign a function to the thousands of genes identified. Expression of exogenous mRNAs is a powerful, versatile and rapid technique that can be used to study gene function during development of the sea urchin. This chapter describes how this technique can be used to analyze gene function in echinoderm embryos, how it can be combined with cell transplantation to perform mosaic analysis and how it can be applied to identify downstream targets genes of transcription factors and signaling pathways. We describe specific examples of the use of overexpression of mRNA to analyze gene function, mention the benefits and current limitations of the technique and emphasize the importance of using different controls to assess the specificity of the effects observed. Finally, this chapter details the different steps, vectors and protocols for in vitro production of mRNA and phenotypic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Gache
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche sur Mer, UMR7009 CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Lepage
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, Nice, France.
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A bipolar role of the transcription factor ERG for cnidarian germ layer formation and apical domain patterning. Dev Biol 2017; 430:346-361. [PMID: 28818668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Germ layer formation and axial patterning are biological processes that are tightly linked during embryonic development of most metazoans. In addition to canonical WNT, it has been proposed that ERK-MAPK signaling is involved in specifying oral as well as aboral territories in cnidarians. However, the effector and the molecular mechanism underlying latter phenomenon is unknown. By screening for potential effectors of ERK-MAPK signaling in both domains, we identified a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, Nverg that is bi-polarily expressed prior to gastrulation. We further describe the crucial role of NvERG for gastrulation, endomesoderm as well as apical domain formation. The molecular characterization of the obtained NvERG knock-down phenotype using previously described as well as novel potential downstream targets, provides evidence that a single transcription factor, NvERG, simultaneously controls expression of two different sets of downstream targets, leading to two different embryonic gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in opposite poles of the developing embryo. We also highlight the molecular interaction of cWNT and MEK/ERK/ERG signaling that provides novel insight into the embryonic axial organization of Nematostella, and show a cWNT repressive role of MEK/ERK/ERG signaling in segregating the endomesoderm in two sub-domains, while a common input of both pathways is required for proper apical domain formation. Taking together, we build the first blueprint for a global cnidarian embryonic GRN that is the foundation for additional gene specific studies addressing the evolution of embryonic and larval development.
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Hajdu M, Calle J, Puno A, Haruna A, Arenas-Mena C. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of histone variantH2A.Zduring sea urchin development. Dev Growth Differ 2016; 58:727-740. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Hajdu
- Department of Biology; College of Staten Island and Graduate Center; The City University of New York (CUNY); Staten Island New York 10314 USA
| | - Jasmine Calle
- Department of Biology; College of Staten Island and Graduate Center; The City University of New York (CUNY); Staten Island New York 10314 USA
| | - Andrea Puno
- Department of Biology; College of Staten Island and Graduate Center; The City University of New York (CUNY); Staten Island New York 10314 USA
| | - Aminat Haruna
- Department of Biology; College of Staten Island and Graduate Center; The City University of New York (CUNY); Staten Island New York 10314 USA
| | - César Arenas-Mena
- Department of Biology; College of Staten Island and Graduate Center; The City University of New York (CUNY); Staten Island New York 10314 USA
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