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Rodríguez-Martín M, Báez-Flores J, Ribes V, Isidoro-García M, Lacal J, Prieto-Matos P. Non-Mammalian Models for Understanding Neurological Defects in RASopathies. Biomedicines 2024; 12:841. [PMID: 38672195 PMCID: PMC11048513 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
RASopathies, a group of neurodevelopmental congenital disorders stemming from mutations in the RAS/MAPK pathway, present a unique opportunity to delve into the intricacies of complex neurological disorders. Afflicting approximately one in a thousand newborns, RASopathies manifest as abnormalities across multiple organ systems, with a pronounced impact on the central and peripheral nervous system. In the pursuit of understanding RASopathies' neurobiology and establishing phenotype-genotype relationships, in vivo non-mammalian models have emerged as indispensable tools. Species such as Danio rerio, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus species and Gallus gallus embryos have proven to be invaluable in shedding light on the intricate pathways implicated in RASopathies. Despite some inherent weaknesses, these genetic models offer distinct advantages over traditional rodent models, providing a holistic perspective on complex genetics, multi-organ involvement, and the interplay among various pathway components, offering insights into the pathophysiological aspects of mutations-driven symptoms. This review underscores the value of investigating the genetic basis of RASopathies for unraveling the underlying mechanisms contributing to broader neurological complexities. It also emphasizes the pivotal role of non-mammalian models in serving as a crucial preliminary step for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Rodríguez-Martín
- Laboratory of Functional Genetics of Rare Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.R.-M.); (J.B.-F.)
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.I.-G.); (P.P.-M.)
| | - Juan Báez-Flores
- Laboratory of Functional Genetics of Rare Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.R.-M.); (J.B.-F.)
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.I.-G.); (P.P.-M.)
| | - Vanessa Ribes
- Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France;
| | - María Isidoro-García
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.I.-G.); (P.P.-M.)
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Clinical Rare Diseases Reference Unit DiERCyL, 37007 Castilla y León, Spain
- Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jesus Lacal
- Laboratory of Functional Genetics of Rare Diseases, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.R.-M.); (J.B.-F.)
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.I.-G.); (P.P.-M.)
| | - Pablo Prieto-Matos
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.I.-G.); (P.P.-M.)
- Clinical Rare Diseases Reference Unit DiERCyL, 37007 Castilla y León, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostics Science, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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2
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Ram A, Murphy D, DeCuzzi N, Patankar M, Hu J, Pargett M, Albeck JG. A guide to ERK dynamics, part 2: downstream decoding. Biochem J 2023; 480:1909-1928. [PMID: 38038975 PMCID: PMC10754290 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230277] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Signaling by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway controls many cellular processes, including cell division, death, and differentiation. In this second installment of a two-part review, we address the question of how the ERK pathway exerts distinct and context-specific effects on multiple processes. We discuss how the dynamics of ERK activity induce selective changes in gene expression programs, with insights from both experiments and computational models. With a focus on single-cell biosensor-based studies, we summarize four major functional modes for ERK signaling in tissues: adjusting the size of cell populations, gradient-based patterning, wave propagation of morphological changes, and diversification of cellular gene expression states. These modes of operation are disrupted in cancer and other related diseases and represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention. By understanding the dynamic mechanisms involved in ERK signaling, there is potential for pharmacological strategies that not only simply inhibit ERK, but also restore functional activity patterns and improve disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhineet Ram
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Devan Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Nicholaus DeCuzzi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Madhura Patankar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Jason Hu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Michael Pargett
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - John G. Albeck
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
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3
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Shvartsman SY, McFann S, Wühr M, Rubinstein BY. Phase plane dynamics of ERK phosphorylation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105234. [PMID: 37690685 PMCID: PMC10616409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105234] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) controls multiple critical processes in the cell and is deregulated in human cancers, congenital abnormalities, immune diseases, and neurodevelopmental syndromes. Catalytic activity of ERK requires dual phosphorylation by an upstream kinase, in a mechanism that can be described by two sequential Michaelis-Menten steps. The estimation of individual reaction rate constants from kinetic data in the full mechanism has proved challenging. Here, we present an analytically tractable approach to parameter estimation that is based on the phase plane representation of ERK activation and yields two combinations of six reaction rate constants in the detailed mechanism. These combinations correspond to the ratio of the specificities of two consecutive phosphorylations and the probability that monophosphorylated substrate does not dissociate from the enzyme before the second phosphorylation. The presented approach offers a language for comparing the effects of mutations that disrupt ERK activation and function in vivo. As an illustration, we use phase plane representation to analyze dual phosphorylation under heterozygous conditions, when two enzyme variants compete for the same substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Sarah McFann
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Martin Wühr
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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4
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Andrianova EP, Marmion RA, Shvartsman SY, Zhulin IB. Evolutionary history of MEK1 illuminates the nature of deleterious mutations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304184120. [PMID: 37579140 PMCID: PMC10450672 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304184120] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in signal transduction pathways lead to various diseases including cancers. MEK1 kinase, encoded by the human MAP2K1 gene, is one of the central components of the MAPK pathway and more than a hundred somatic mutations in the MAP2K1 gene were identified in various tumors. Germline mutations deregulating MEK1 also lead to congenital abnormalities, such as the cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome and arteriovenous malformation. Evaluating variants associated with a disease is a challenge, and computational genomic approaches aid in this process. Establishing evolutionary history of a gene improves computational prediction of disease-causing mutations; however, the evolutionary history of MEK1 is not well understood. Here, by revealing a precise evolutionary history of MEK1, we construct a well-defined dataset of MEK1 metazoan orthologs, which provides sufficient depth to distinguish between conserved and variable amino acid positions. We matched known and predicted disease-causing and benign mutations to evolutionary changes observed in corresponding amino acid positions and found that all known and many suspected disease-causing mutations are evolutionarily intolerable. We selected several variants that cannot be unambiguously assessed by automated prediction tools but that are confidently identified as "damaging" by our approach, for experimental validation in Drosophila. In all cases, evolutionary intolerant variants caused increased mortality and severe defects in fruit fly embryos confirming their damaging nature. We anticipate that our analysis will serve as a blueprint to help evaluate known and novel missense variants in MEK1 and that our approach will contribute to improving automated tools for disease-associated variant interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina P. Andrianova
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
- Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Robert A. Marmion
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Stanislav Y. Shvartsman
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
- Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY10010
| | - Igor B. Zhulin
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
- Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
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5
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Patterson V, Ullah F, Bryant L, Griffin JN, Sidhu A, Saliganan S, Blaile M, Saenz MS, Smith R, Ellingwood S, Grange DK, Hu X, Mireguli M, Luo Y, Shen Y, Mulhern M, Zackai E, Ritter A, Izumi K, Hoefele J, Wagner M, Riedhammer KM, Seitz B, Robin NH, Goodloe D, Mignot C, Keren B, Cox H, Jarvis J, Hempel M, Gibson CF, Tran Mau-Them F, Vitobello A, Bruel AL, Sorlin A, Mehta S, Raymond FL, Gilmore K, Powell BC, Weck K, Li C, Vulto-van Silfhout AT, Giacomini T, Mancardi MM, Accogli A, Salpietro V, Zara F, Vora NL, Davis EE, Burdine R, Bhoj E. Abrogation of MAP4K4 protein function causes congenital anomalies in humans and zebrafish. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade0631. [PMID: 37126546 PMCID: PMC10132768 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade0631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We report 21 families displaying neurodevelopmental differences and multiple congenital anomalies while bearing a series of rare variants in mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4). MAP4K4 has been implicated in many signaling pathways including c-Jun N-terminal and RAS kinases and is currently under investigation as a druggable target for multiple disorders. Using several zebrafish models, we demonstrate that these human variants are either loss-of-function or dominant-negative alleles and show that decreasing Map4k4 activity causes developmental defects. Furthermore, MAP4K4 can restrain hyperactive RAS signaling in early embryonic stages. Together, our data demonstrate that MAP4K4 negatively regulates RAS signaling in the early embryo and that variants identified in affected humans abrogate its function, establishing MAP4K4 as a causal locus for individuals with syndromic neurodevelopmental differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Patterson
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Farid Ullah
- Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Laura Bryant
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John N. Griffin
- University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Alpa Sidhu
- The Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - Mackenzie Blaile
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Margarita S. Saenz
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rosemarie Smith
- Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St, Portland, ME 04102, USA
| | - Sara Ellingwood
- Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St, Portland, ME 04102, USA
| | - Dorothy K. Grange
- St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xuyun Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Genetics and Birth Defects Control Center, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Maimaiti Mireguli
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yanfei Luo
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yiping Shen
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Maternal and Child Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi, Nanning, China
| | - Maureen Mulhern
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W. 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Elaine Zackai
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alyssa Ritter
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kosaki Izumi
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julia Hoefele
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matias Wagner
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Korbinian M. Riedhammer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Nathaniel H. Robin
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Dana Goodloe
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Cyril Mignot
- APHP-Sorbonne Université, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Boris Keren
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Helen Cox
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Joanna Jarvis
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Maja Hempel
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Antonio Vitobello
- UMR1231 GAD, Inserm, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- Unité Fonctionnelle Innovation en Diagnostic génomique des maladies rares, FHU-TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Kelly Gilmore
- Department of Ob/Gyn, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bradford C. Powell
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karen Weck
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chumei Li
- McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | | | - Thea Giacomini
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Genova, EpiCARE Network, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Accogli
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Federico Zara
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Neeta L. Vora
- Department of Ob/Gyn, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Erica E. Davis
- Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Bhoj
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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6
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Marmion RA, Simpkins AG, Barrett LA, Denberg DW, Zusman S, Schottenfeld-Roames J, Schüpbach T, Shvartsman SY. Stochastic phenotypes in RAS-dependent developmental diseases. Curr Biol 2023; 33:807-816.e4. [PMID: 36706752 PMCID: PMC10026697 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Germline mutations upregulating RAS signaling are associated with multiple developmental disorders. A hallmark of these conditions is that the same mutation may present vastly different phenotypes in different individuals, even in monozygotic twins. Here, we demonstrate how the origins of such largely unexplained phenotypic variations may be dissected using highly controlled studies in Drosophila that have been gene edited to carry activating variants of MEK, a core enzyme in the RAS pathway. This allowed us to measure the small but consistent increase in signaling output of such alleles in vivo. The fraction of mutation carriers reaching adulthood was strongly reduced, but most surviving animals had normal RAS-dependent structures. We rationalize these results using a stochastic signaling model and support it by quantifying cell fate specification errors in bilaterally symmetric larval trachea, a RAS-dependent structure that allows us to isolate the effects of mutations from potential contributions of genetic modifiers and environmental differences. We propose that the small increase in signaling output shifts the distribution of phenotypes into a regime, where stochastic variation causes defects in some individuals, but not in others. Our findings shed light on phenotypic heterogeneity of developmental disorders caused by deregulated RAS signaling and offer a framework for investigating causal effects of other pathogenic alleles and mild mutations in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Marmion
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Alison G Simpkins
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Lena A Barrett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - David W Denberg
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Susan Zusman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | | | - Trudi Schüpbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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7
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Gelb BD, Yohe ME, Wolf C, Andelfinger G. New prospectives on treatment opportunities in RASopathies. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2022; 190:541-560. [PMID: 36533679 PMCID: PMC10150944 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.32024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The RASopathies are a group of clinically defined developmental syndromes caused by germline variants of the RAS/mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) cascade. The prototypic RASopathy is Noonan syndrome, which has phenotypic overlap with related disorders such as cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Costello syndrome, Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines, and others. In this state-of-the-art review, we summarize current knowledge on unmet therapeutic needs in these diseases and novel treatment approaches informed by insights from RAS/MAPK-associated cancer therapies, in particular through inhibition of MEK1/2 and mTOR in patients with severe disease manifestations. We explore the possibilities of integrating a larger arsenal of molecules currently under development into future care plans. Lastly, we describe both medical and ethical challenges and opportunities for future clinical trials in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce D. Gelb
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute and Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marielle E. Yohe
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Cordula Wolf
- Department of Congenital Heart Defects and Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine & Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Gregor Andelfinger
- CHU Sainte Justine, Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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8
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Abstract
Signaling via extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK), a downstream effector, mediates numerous processes. For example, ERK1/2-RSK signaling is essential for estrogen homeostasis in the mammary gland and uterus to maintain physiological responsiveness. This review will focus on the coordination of ERK1/2-RSK2 and estrogen signaling through estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). The interrelationship and the feedback mechanisms between these pathways occurs at the level of transcription, translation, and posttranslational modification. Identifying how ERK1/2-RSK2 and estrogen signaling cooperate in homeostasis and disease may lead to novel therapeutic approaches in estrogen-dependent disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Lannigan
- Correspondence: Deborah A. Lannigan, PhD, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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9
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Kubota Y, Fujioka Y, Patil A, Takagi Y, Matsubara D, Iijima M, Momose I, Naka R, Nakai K, Noda NN, Takekawa M. Qualitative differences in disease-associated MEK mutants reveal molecular signatures and aberrant signaling-crosstalk in cancer. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4063. [PMID: 35831322 PMCID: PMC9279491 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31690-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Point-mutations of MEK1, a central component of ERK signaling, are present in cancer and RASopathies, but their precise biological effects remain obscure. Here, we report a mutant MEK1 structure that uncovers the mechanisms underlying abnormal activities of cancer- and RASopathy-associated MEK1 mutants. These two classes of MEK1 mutations differentially impact on spatiotemporal dynamics of ERK signaling, cellular transcriptional programs, gene expression profiles, and consequent biological outcomes. By making use of such distinct characteristics of the MEK1 mutants, we identified cancer- and RASopathy-signature genes that may serve as diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets for these diseases. In particular, two AKT-inhibitor molecules, PHLDA1 and 2, are simultaneously upregulated by oncogenic ERK signaling, and mediate cancer-specific ERK-AKT crosstalk. The combined expression of PHLDA1/2 is critical to confer resistance to ERK pathway-targeted therapeutics on cancer cells. Finally, we propose a therapeutic strategy to overcome this drug resistance. Our data provide vital insights into the etiology, diagnosis, and therapeutic strategy of cancers and RASopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Kubota
- Division of Cell Signaling and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yuko Fujioka
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Biological Molecular Mechanisms, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0815, Japan
| | - Ashwini Patil
- Laboratory of Functional Analysis In Silico, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.,Combinatics Inc., Chiba, Japan
| | - Yusuke Takagi
- Division of Cell Signaling and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Daisuke Matsubara
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Masatomi Iijima
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Isao Momose
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Naka
- Division of Cell Signaling and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Kenta Nakai
- Laboratory of Functional Analysis In Silico, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Nobuo N Noda
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Biological Molecular Mechanisms, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0815, Japan
| | - Mutsuhiro Takekawa
- Division of Cell Signaling and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
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10
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Abstract
Immunity could be viewed as the common factor in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. The immune and nervous systems coevolve as the embryo develops. Immunity can release cytokines that activate MAPK signaling in neural cells. In specific embryonic brain cell types, dysregulated signaling that results from germline or embryonic mutations can promote changes in chromatin organization and gene accessibility, and thus expression levels of essential genes in neurodevelopment. In cancer, dysregulated signaling can emerge from sporadic somatic mutations during human life. Neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer share similarities. In neurodevelopmental disorders, immunity, and cancer, there appears an almost invariable involvement of small GTPases (e.g., Ras, RhoA, and Rac) and their pathways. TLRs, IL-1, GIT1, and FGFR signaling pathways, all can be dysregulated in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. Although there are signaling similarities, decisive differentiating factors are timing windows, and cell type specific perturbation levels, pointing to chromatin reorganization. Finally, we discuss drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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11
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Bruno JL, Shrestha SB, Reiss AL, Saggar M, Green T. Altered canonical and striatal-frontal resting state functional connectivity in children with pathogenic variants in the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1542-1551. [PMID: 35087195 PMCID: PMC9106817 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01422-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence supports the role of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (Ras/MAPK) pathway in neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, the authors used a genetics-first approach to examine how Ras/MAPK pathogenic variants affect the functional organization of the brain and cognitive phenotypes including weaknesses in attention and inhibition. Functional MRI was used to examine resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in association with Ras/MAPK pathogenic variants in children with Noonan syndrome (NS). Participants (age 4-12 years) included 39 children with NS (mean age 8.44, SD = 2.20, 25 females) and 49 typically developing (TD) children (mean age 9.02, SD = 9.02, 33 females). Twenty-eight children in the NS group and 46 in the TD group had usable MRI data and were included in final analyses. The results indicated significant hyperconnectivity for the NS group within canonical visual, ventral attention, left frontoparietal and limbic networks (p < 0.05 FWE). Higher connectivity within canonical left frontoparietal and limbic networks positively correlated with cognitive function within the NS but not the TD group. Further, the NS group demonstrated significant group differences in seed-based striatal-frontal connectivity (Z > 2.6, p < 0.05 FWE). Hyperconnectivity within canonical brain networks may represent an intermediary phenotype between Ras/MAPK pathogenic variants and cognitive phenotypes, including weaknesses in attention and inhibition. Altered striatal-frontal connectivity corresponds with smaller striatal volume and altered white matter connectivity previously documented in children with NS. These results may indicate delayed maturation and compensatory mechanisms and they are important for understanding the pathophysiology underlying cognitive phenotypes in NS and in the broader population of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Bruno
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Sharon B Shrestha
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Manish Saggar
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tamar Green
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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12
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ERK signaling dissolves ERF repression condensates in living embryos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2119187119. [PMID: 35217620 PMCID: PMC8892517 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119187119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase separation underlies the organization of the nucleus, including the biogenesis of nucleoli and the packaging of heterochromatin. Here we explore the regulation of transcription factor condensates involved in gene repression by ERK signaling in gastrulating embryos of a simple proto-vertebrate (Ciona). ERK signaling induces nuclear export of the transcriptional repressor Ets-2 repressive factor (ERF), which has been linked to various human developmental disorders. Using high-resolution imaging, we show that ERF is localized within discrete nuclear condensates that dissolve upon ERK activation. Interestingly, we observe dynamic pulses of assembly and dissociation during interphase, providing visualization of a nuclear phase separation process regulated by cell signaling. We discuss the implications of these observations for producing sharp on/off switches in gene activity and suppressing noise in cell-cell signaling events.
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13
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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Jang H. How can same-gene mutations promote both cancer and developmental disorders? SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm2059. [PMID: 35030014 PMCID: PMC8759737 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm2059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The question of how same-gene mutations can drive both cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders has been puzzling. It has also been puzzling why those with neurodevelopmental disorders have a high risk of cancer. Ras, MEK, PI3K, PTEN, and SHP2 are among the oncogenic proteins that can harbor mutations that encode diseases other than cancer. Understanding why some of their mutations can promote cancer, whereas others promote neurodevelopmental diseases, and why even the same mutations may promote both phenotypes, has important clinical ramifications. Here, we review the literature and address these tantalizing questions. We propose that cell type–specific expression of the mutant protein, and of other proteins in the respective pathway, timing of activation (during embryonic development or sporadic emergence), and the absolute number of molecules that the mutations activate, alone or in combination, are pivotal in determining the pathological phenotypes—cancer and (or) developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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14
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Colonnetta MM, Goyal Y, Johnson HE, Syal S, Schedl P, Deshpande G. Preformation and epigenesis converge to specify primordial germ cell fate in the early Drosophila embryo. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010002. [PMID: 34986144 PMCID: PMC8765614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical step in animal development is the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors of the germline. Two seemingly mutually exclusive mechanisms are implemented across the animal kingdom: epigenesis and preformation. In epigenesis, PGC specification is non-autonomous and depends on extrinsic signaling pathways. The BMP pathway provides the key PGC specification signals in mammals. Preformation is autonomous and mediated by determinants localized within PGCs. In Drosophila, a classic example of preformation, constituents of the germ plasm localized at the embryonic posterior are thought to be both necessary and sufficient for proper determination of PGCs. Contrary to this longstanding model, here we show that these localized determinants are insufficient by themselves to direct PGC specification in blastoderm stage embryos. Instead, we find that the BMP signaling pathway is required at multiple steps during the specification process and functions in conjunction with components of the germ plasm to orchestrate PGC fate. Proper specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is crucial as PGCs serve as the precursors of germline stem cells. To specify PGC fate, invertebrates rely upon cell autonomous preformation involving maternally deposited germ plasm. In Drosophila melanogaster, to insulate newly formed PGCs from the adverse effects of the cell-cell signaling pathways, germ plasm determinants silence transcription and attenuate the cell cycle. However, our data on the BMP signaling pathway challenge this long-held view of PGC specification and suggest that appropriate specification of embryonic PGCs is sensitive to the BMP ligand, decapentaplegic (dpp), and its cognate receptor, thickveins. We find that PGCs are not only capable of responding to BMP signals from the soma, but also that these signals impact the proper determination of the germ cells. Based on these unanticipated similarities between mammals and flies, we propose a model integrating contribution of both the cell-autonomous (preformation) and non-autonomous (epigenesis) pathways during PGC determination. Consistent with the model, we have observed dominant genetic interactions between, oskar, the maternal determinant of PGC fate, and the BMP pathway ligand dpp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Colonnetta
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Heath E. Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Sapna Syal
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Paul Schedl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Girish Deshpande
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Patton EE, Zon LI, Langenau DM. Zebrafish disease models in drug discovery: from preclinical modelling to clinical trials. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:611-628. [PMID: 34117457 PMCID: PMC9210578 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00210-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Numerous drug treatments that have recently entered the clinic or clinical trials have their genesis in zebrafish. Zebrafish are well established for their contribution to developmental biology and have now emerged as a powerful preclinical model for human disease, as their disease characteristics, aetiology and progression, and molecular mechanisms are clinically relevant and highly conserved. Zebrafish respond to small molecules and drug treatments at physiologically relevant dose ranges and, when combined with cell-specific or tissue-specific reporters and gene editing technologies, drug activity can be studied at single-cell resolution within the complexity of a whole animal, across tissues and over an extended timescale. These features enable high-throughput and high-content phenotypic drug screening, repurposing of available drugs for personalized and compassionate use, and even the development of new drug classes. Often, drugs and drug leads explored in zebrafish have an inter-organ mechanism of action and would otherwise not be identified through targeted screening approaches. Here, we discuss how zebrafish is an important model for drug discovery, the process of how these discoveries emerge and future opportunities for maximizing zebrafish potential in medical discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David M Langenau
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Watanabe M. Introduction to the special issue on "RASopathies: Misregulation of signaling". Birth Defects Res 2021; 112:703-707. [PMID: 32558382 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Watanabe
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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17
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Abstract
Markers for the endoderm and mesoderm germ layers are commonly expressed together in the early embryo, potentially reflecting cells' ability to explore potential fates before fully committing. It remains unclear when commitment to a single-germ layer is reached and how it is impacted by external signals. Here, we address this important question in Drosophila, a convenient model system in which mesodermal and endodermal fates are associated with distinct cellular movements during gastrulation. Systematically applying endoderm-inducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals to the ventral medial embryo-which normally only receives a mesoderm-inducing cue-reveals a critical time window during which mesodermal cell movements and gene expression are suppressed by proendoderm signaling. We identify the ERK target gene huckebein (hkb) as the main cause of the ventral furrow suppression and use computational modeling to show that Hkb repression of the mesoderm-associated gene snail is sufficient to account for a broad range of transcriptional and morphogenetic effects. Our approach, pairing precise signaling perturbations with observation of transcriptional dynamics and cell movements, provides a general framework for dissecting the complexities of combinatorial tissue patterning.
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18
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Kholodenko BN, Rauch N, Kolch W, Rukhlenko OS. A systematic analysis of signaling reactivation and drug resistance. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109157. [PMID: 34038718 PMCID: PMC8202068 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the reactivation of initially inhibited signaling pathways causes drug resistance. Here, we analyze how network topologies affect signaling responses to drug treatment. Network-dependent drug resistance is commonly attributed to negative and positive feedback loops. However, feedback loops by themselves cannot completely reactivate steady-state signaling. Newly synthesized negative feedback regulators can induce a transient overshoot but cannot fully restore output signaling. Complete signaling reactivation can only occur when at least two routes, an activating and inhibitory, connect an inhibited upstream protein to a downstream output. Irrespective of the network topology, drug-induced overexpression or increase in target dimerization can restore or even paradoxically increase downstream pathway activity. Kinase dimerization cooperates with inhibitor-mediated alleviation of negative feedback. Our findings inform drug development by considering network context and optimizing the design drug combinations. As an example, we predict and experimentally confirm specific combinations of RAF inhibitors that block mutant NRAS signaling. Kholodenko et al. uncover signaling network circuitries and molecular mechanisms necessary and sufficient for complete reactivation or overshoot of steady-state signaling after kinase inhibitor treatment. The two means to revive signaling output fully are through network topology or reactivation of the kinase activity of the primary drug target. Blocking RAF dimer activity by a combination of type I½ and type II RAF inhibitors efficiently blocks mutant NRAS-driven ERK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris N Kholodenko
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Nora Rauch
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Walter Kolch
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Oleksii S Rukhlenko
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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19
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Marmion RA, Yang L, Goyal Y, Jindal GA, Wetzel JL, Singh M, Schüpbach T, Shvartsman SY. Molecular mechanisms underlying cellular effects of human MEK1 mutations. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:974-983. [PMID: 33476180 PMCID: PMC8108529 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-10-0625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Terminal regions of Drosophila embryos are patterned by signaling through ERK, which is genetically deregulated in multiple human diseases. Quantitative studies of terminal patterning have been recently used to investigate gain-of-function variants of human MEK1, encoding the MEK kinase that directly activates ERK by dual phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, several mutations reduced ERK activation by extracellular signals, possibly through a negative feedback triggered by signal-independent activity of the mutant variants. Here we present experimental evidence supporting this model. Using a MEK variant that combines a mutation within the negative regulatory region with alanine substitutions in the activation loop, we prove that pathogenic variants indeed acquire signal-independent kinase activity. We also demonstrate that signal-dependent activation of these variants is independent of kinase suppressor of Ras, a conserved adaptor that is indispensable for activation of normal MEK. Finally, we show that attenuation of ERK activation by extracellular signals stems from transcriptional induction of Mkp3, a dual specificity phosphatase that deactivates ERK by dephosphorylation. These findings in the Drosophila embryo highlight its power for investigating diverse effects of human disease mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Marmion
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Liu Yang
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Granton A Jindal
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Joshua L Wetzel
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540
| | - Mona Singh
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540
| | - Trudi Schüpbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010
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20
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Colonnetta MM, Lym LR, Wilkins L, Kappes G, Castro EA, Ryder PV, Schedl P, Lerit DA, Deshpande G. Antagonism between germ cell-less and Torso receptor regulates transcriptional quiescence underlying germline/soma distinction. eLife 2021; 10:54346. [PMID: 33459591 PMCID: PMC7843132 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54346] [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: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional quiescence, an evolutionarily conserved trait, distinguishes the embryonic primordial germ cells (PGCs) from their somatic neighbors. In Drosophila melanogaster, PGCs from embryos maternally compromised for germ cell-less (gcl) misexpress somatic genes, possibly resulting in PGC loss. Recent studies documented a requirement for Gcl during proteolytic degradation of the terminal patterning determinant, Torso receptor. Here we demonstrate that the somatic determinant of female fate, Sex-lethal (Sxl), is a biologically relevant transcriptional target of Gcl. Underscoring the significance of transcriptional silencing mediated by Gcl, ectopic expression of a degradation-resistant form of Torso (torsoDeg) can activate Sxl transcription in PGCs, whereas simultaneous loss of torso-like (tsl) reinstates the quiescent status of gcl PGCs. Intriguingly, like gcl mutants, embryos derived from mothers expressing torsoDeg in the germline display aberrant spreading of pole plasm RNAs, suggesting that mutual antagonism between Gcl and Torso ensures the controlled release of germ-plasm underlying the germline/soma distinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Colonnetta
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Lauren R Lym
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Lillian Wilkins
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Gretchen Kappes
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Elias A Castro
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Pearl V Ryder
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Paul Schedl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Dorothy A Lerit
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Girish Deshpande
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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21
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Sawyer JK, Kabiri Z, Montague RA, Allen SR, Stewart R, Paramore SV, Cohen E, Zaribafzadeh H, Counter CM, Fox DT. Exploiting codon usage identifies intensity-specific modifiers of Ras/MAPK signaling in vivo. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009228. [PMID: 33296356 PMCID: PMC7752094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction pathways are intricately fine-tuned to accomplish diverse biological processes. An example is the conserved Ras/mitogen-activated-protein-kinase (MAPK) pathway, which exhibits context-dependent signaling output dynamics and regulation. Here, by altering codon usage as a novel platform to control signaling output, we screened the Drosophila genome for modifiers specific to either weak or strong Ras-driven eye phenotypes. Our screen enriched for regions of the genome not previously connected with Ras phenotypic modification. We mapped the underlying gene from one modifier to the ribosomal gene RpS21. In multiple contexts, we show that RpS21 preferentially influences weak Ras/MAPK signaling outputs. These data show that codon usage manipulation can identify new, output-specific signaling regulators, and identify RpS21 as an in vivo Ras/MAPK phenotypic regulator. Cellular communication is critical in controlling the growth of organs and must be carefully regulated to prevent disease. The Ras signaling pathway is frequently used for cellular communication of tissue growth regulation but can operate at different signaling strengths. Here, we used a novel strategy to identify genes that specifically tune weak or strong Ras signaling states. We find that the gene RpS21 preferentially tunes weak Ras signaling states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Zahra Kabiri
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ruth A. Montague
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Scott R. Allen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Rebeccah Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sarah V. Paramore
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Erez Cohen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Hamed Zaribafzadeh
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Counter
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CMC); (DTF)
| | - Donald T. Fox
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CMC); (DTF)
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22
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Patterson VL, Burdine RD. Swimming toward solutions: Using fish and frogs as models for understanding RASopathies. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:749-765. [PMID: 32506834 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The RAS signaling pathway regulates cell growth, survival, and differentiation, and its inappropriate activation is associated with disease in humans. The RASopathies, a set of developmental syndromes, arise when the pathway is overactive during development. Patients share a core set of symptoms, including congenital heart disease, craniofacial anomalies, and neurocognitive delay. Due to the conserved nature of the pathway, animal models are highly informative for understanding disease etiology, and zebrafish and Xenopus are emerging as advantageous model systems. Here we discuss these aquatic models of RASopathies, which recapitulate many of the core symptoms observed in patients. Craniofacial structures become dysmorphic upon expression of disease-associated mutations, resulting in wider heads. Heart defects manifest as delays in cardiac development and changes in heart size, and behavioral deficits are beginning to be explored. Furthermore, early convergence and extension defects cause elongation of developing embryos: this phenotype can be quantitatively assayed as a readout of mutation strength, raising interesting questions regarding the relationship between pathway activation and disease. Additionally, the observation that RAS signaling may be simultaneously hyperactive and attenuated suggests that downregulation of signaling may also contribute to etiology. We propose that models should be characterized using a standardized approach to allow easier comparison between models, and a better understanding of the interplay between mutation and disease presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Patterson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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23
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Yeung E, McFann S, Marsh L, Dufresne E, Filippi S, Harrington HA, Shvartsman SY, Wühr M. Inference of Multisite Phosphorylation Rate Constants and Their Modulation by Pathogenic Mutations. Curr Biol 2020; 30:877-882.e6. [PMID: 32059766 PMCID: PMC7085240 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Multisite protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in cell regulation [1-3]. It is widely appreciated that the functional capabilities of multisite phosphorylation depend on the order and kinetics of phosphorylation steps, but kinetic aspects of multisite phosphorylation remain poorly understood [4-6]. Here, we focus on what appears to be the simplest scenario, when a protein is phosphorylated on only two sites in a strict, well-defined order. This scenario describes the activation of ERK, a highly conserved cell-signaling enzyme. We use Bayesian parameter inference in a structurally identifiable kinetic model to dissect dual phosphorylation of ERK by MEK, a kinase that is mutated in a large number of human diseases [7-12]. Our results reveal how enzyme processivity and efficiencies of individual phosphorylation steps are altered by pathogenic mutations. The presented approach, which connects specific mutations to kinetic parameters of multisite phosphorylation mechanisms, provides a systematic framework for closing the gap between studies with purified enzymes and their effects in the living organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyan Yeung
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sarah McFann
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Engineering Quad, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Lewis Marsh
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Andrew Wiles Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Emilie Dufresne
- Department of Mathematics, James College, Campus West, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sarah Filippi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, Medical School Building, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; Department of Mathematics, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Heather A Harrington
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Andrew Wiles Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Martin Wühr
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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24
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Keenan SE, Blythe SA, Marmion RA, Djabrayan NJV, Wieschaus EF, Shvartsman SY. Rapid Dynamics of Signal-Dependent Transcriptional Repression by Capicua. Dev Cell 2020; 52:794-801.e4. [PMID: 32142631 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetic perturbations, live imaging, and time-resolved ChIP-seq assays in Drosophila embryos were used to dissect the ERK-dependent control of the HMG-box repressor Capicua (Cic), which plays critical roles in development and is deregulated in human spinocerebellar ataxia and cancers. We established that Cic target genes are activated before significant downregulation of nuclear localization of Cic and demonstrated that their activation is preceded by fast dissociation of Cic from the regulatory DNA. We discovered that both Cic-DNA binding and repression are rapidly reinstated in the absence of ERK activation, revealing that inductive signaling must be sufficiently sustained to ensure robust transcriptional response. Our work provides a quantitative framework for the mechanistic analysis of dynamics and control of transcriptional repression in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Keenan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Shelby A Blythe
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Robert A Marmion
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Nareg J-V Djabrayan
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Eric F Wieschaus
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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25
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Paul S, Yang L, Mattingly H, Goyal Y, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A. Activation-induced substrate engagement in ERK signaling. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:235-243. [PMID: 31913744 PMCID: PMC7183763 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-07-0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is an essential component of developmental signaling in metazoans. Previous models of pathway activation suggested that dissociation of activated dually phosphorylated ERK (dpERK) from MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK), a kinase that phosphorylates ERK, and other cytoplasmic anchors, is sufficient for allowing ERK interactions with its substrates. Here, we provide evidence for an additional step controlling ERK’s access to substrates. Specifically, we demonstrate that interaction of ERK with its substrate Capicua (Cic) is controlled at the level of ERK phosphorylation, whereby Cic binds to dpERK much stronger than to unphosphorylated ERK, both in vitro and in vivo. Mathematical modeling suggests that the differential affinity of Cic for dpERK versus ERK is required for both down-regulation of Cic and stabilizing phosphorylated ERK. Preferential association of Cic with dpERK serves two functions: it prevents unproductive competition of Cic with unphosphorylated ERK and contributes to efficient signal propagation. We propose that high-affinity substrate binding increases the specificity and efficiency of signal transduction through the ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantanee Paul
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
| | - Henry Mattingly
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Alexey Veraksa
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125
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26
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Schüpbach T. Genetic Screens to Analyze Pattern Formation of Egg and Embryo in Drosophila: A Personal History. Annu Rev Genet 2019; 53:1-18. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-112618-043708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila development, the axes of the egg and future embryo are established during oogenesis. To learn about the underlying genetic and molecular pathways that lead to axis formation, I conducted a large-scale genetic screen at the beginning of my independent career. This led to the eventual understanding that both anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral pattern information is transmitted from the oocyte to the surrounding follicle cells and in turn from the follicle cells back to the oocyte. How I came to conduct this screen and what further insights were gained by studying the mutants isolated in the screen are the topics of this autobiographical article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudi Schüpbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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27
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Abstract
Optogenetic approaches are transforming quantitative studies of cell-signaling systems. A recently developed photoswitchable mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) enzyme (psMEK) short-circuits the highly conserved Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (ERK)-signaling cascade at the most proximal step of effector kinase activation. However, since this optogenetic tool relies on phosphorylation-mimicking substitutions in the activation loop of MEK, its catalytic activity is predicted to be substantially lower than that of wild-type MEK that has been phosphorylated at these residues. Here, we present evidence that psMEK indeed has suboptimal functionality in vivo and propose a strategy to circumvent this limitation by harnessing gain-of-function, destabilizing mutations in MEK. Specifically, we demonstrate that combining phosphomimetic mutations with additional mutations in MEK, chosen for their activating potential, restores maximal kinase activity in vitro. We establish that this modification can be tuned by the choice of the destabilizing mutation and does not interfere with reversible activation of psMEK in vivo in both Drosophila and zebrafish. To illustrate the types of perturbations enabled by optimized psMEK, we use it to deliver pulses of ERK activation during zebrafish embryogenesis, revealing rheostat-like responses of an ERK-dependent morphogenetic event.
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28
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Johnson HE, Toettcher JE. Signaling Dynamics Control Cell Fate in the Early Drosophila Embryo. Dev Cell 2019; 48:361-370.e3. [PMID: 30753836 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The Erk mitogen-activated protein kinase plays diverse roles in animal development. Its widespread reuse raises a conundrum: when a single kinase like Erk is activated, how does a developing cell know which fate to adopt? We combine optogenetic control with genetic perturbations to dissect Erk-dependent fates in the early Drosophila embryo. We find that Erk activity is sufficient to "posteriorize" 88% of the embryo, inducing gut endoderm-like gene expression and morphogenetic movements in all cells within this region. Gut endoderm fate adoption requires at least 1 h of signaling, whereas a 30-min Erk pulse specifies a distinct ectodermal cell type, intermediate neuroblasts. We find that the endoderm-ectoderm cell fate switch is controlled by the cumulative load of Erk activity, not the duration of a single pulse. The fly embryo thus harbors a classic example of dynamic control, where the temporal profile of Erk signaling selects between distinct physiological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heath E Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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29
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Jang H, Oakley E, Forbes-Osborne M, Kesler MV, Norcross R, Morris AC, Galperin E. Hematopoietic and neural crest defects in zebrafish shoc2 mutants: a novel vertebrate model for Noonan-like syndrome. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:501-514. [PMID: 30329053 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-related kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway is a highly conserved signaling cascade with numerous essential functions in development. The scaffold protein Shoc2 amplifies the activity of the ERK1/2 pathway and is an essential modulator of a variety of signaling inputs. Germline mutations in Shoc2 are associated with the human developmental disease known as the Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair. Clinical manifestations of this disease include congenital heart defects, developmental delays, distinctive facial abnormalities, reduced growth and cognitive deficits along with hair anomalies. The many molecular details of pathogenesis of the Noonan-like syndrome and related developmental disorders, cumulatively called RASopathies, remain poorly understood. Mouse knockouts for Shoc2 are embryonic lethal, emphasizing the need for additional animal models to study the role of Shoc2 in embryonic development. Here, we characterize a zebrafish shoc2 mutant, and show that Shoc2 is essential for development, and that its loss is detrimental for the development of the neural crest and for hematopoiesis. The zebrafish model of the Noonan-like syndrome described here provides a novel system for the study of structure-function analyses and for genetic screens in a tractable vertebrate system.
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Affiliation(s)
- HyeIn Jang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Erin Oakley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Melissa V Kesler
- Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Rebecca Norcross
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Ann C Morris
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Emilia Galperin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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30
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Holter MC, Hewitt LT, Koebele SV, Judd JM, Xing L, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Conrad CD, Araki T, Neel BG, Snider WD, Newbern JM. The Noonan Syndrome-linked Raf1L613V mutation drives increased glial number in the mouse cortex and enhanced learning. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008108. [PMID: 31017896 PMCID: PMC6502435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RASopathies are a family of related syndromes caused by mutations in regulators of the RAS/Extracellular Regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling cascade that often result in neurological deficits. RASopathy mutations in upstream regulatory components, such as NF1, PTPN11/SHP2, and RAS have been well-characterized, but mutation-specific differences in the pathogenesis of nervous system abnormalities remain poorly understood, especially those involving mutations downstream of RAS. Here, we assessed cellular and behavioral phenotypes in mice expressing a Raf1L613V gain-of-function mutation associated with the RASopathy, Noonan Syndrome. We report that Raf1L613V/wt mutants do not exhibit a significantly altered number of excitatory or inhibitory neurons in the cortex. However, we observed a significant increase in the number of specific glial subtypes in the forebrain. The density of GFAP+ astrocytes was significantly increased in the adult Raf1L613V/wt cortex and hippocampus relative to controls. OLIG2+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cells were also increased in number in mutant cortices, but we detected no significant change in myelination. Behavioral analyses revealed no significant changes in voluntary locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, or sociability. Surprisingly, Raf1L613V/wt mice performed better than controls in select aspects of the water radial-arm maze, Morris water maze, and cued fear conditioning tasks. Overall, these data show that increased astrocyte and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) density in the cortex coincides with enhanced cognition in Raf1L613V/wt mutants and further highlight the distinct effects of RASopathy mutations on nervous system development and function. The RASopathies are a large and complex family of syndromes caused by mutations in the RAS/MAPK signaling cascade with no known cure. Individuals with these syndromes often present with heart defects, craniofacial differences, and neurological abnormalities, such as developmental delay, cognitive changes, epilepsy, and an increased risk of autism. However, there is wide variation in the extent of intellectual ability between individuals. It is currently unclear how different RASopathy mutations affect brain development. Here, we describe the cellular and behavioral consequences of a mutation in a gene called Raf1 that is associated with a common RASopathy, Noonan Syndrome. We find that mice harboring a mutation in Raf1 show moderate increases in the number of two subsets of glial cells, which is also observed in a number of other RASopathy brain samples. Surprisingly, we found that Raf1 mutant mice show improved performance in several learning and memory tasks. Our work highlights potential mutation-specific changes in RASopathy brain function and helps set the framework for future personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Holter
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Lauren. T. Hewitt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Stephanie V. Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Judd
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Lei Xing
- Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Cheryl D. Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Toshiyuki Araki
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Benjamin G. Neel
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - William D. Snider
- Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jason M. Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Bustelo XR, Crespo P, Fernández-Pisonero I, Rodríguez-Fdez S. RAS GTPase-dependent pathways in developmental diseases: old guys, new lads, and current challenges. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2018; 55:42-51. [PMID: 30007125 PMCID: PMC7615762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Deregulated RAS signaling is associated with increasing numbers of congenital diseases usually referred to as RASopathies. The spectrum of genes and mutant alleles causing these diseases has been significantly expanded in recent years. This progress has triggered new challenges, including the origin and subsequent selection of the mutations driving these diseases, the specific pathobiological programs triggered by those mutations, the type of correlations that exist between the genotype and the clinical features of patients, and the ancillary genetic factors that influence the severity of the disease in patients. These issues also directly impinge on the feasibility of using RAS pathway drugs to treat RASopathy patients. Here, we will review the main developments and pending challenges in this research topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xosé R Bustelo
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Piero Crespo
- CIBERONC, CSIC-University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, CSIC-University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Isabel Fernández-Pisonero
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sonia Rodríguez-Fdez
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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32
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Regions of multistationarity in cascades of Goldbeter-Koshland loops. J Math Biol 2018; 78:1115-1145. [PMID: 30415316 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-018-1304-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We consider cascades of enzymatic Goldbeter-Koshland loops (Goldbeter and Koshland in Proc Natl Acad Sci 78(11):6840-6844, 1981) with any number n of layers, for which there exist two layers involving the same phosphatase. Even if the number of variables and the number of conservation laws grow linearly with n, we find explicit regions in reaction rate constant and total conservation constant space for which the associated mass-action kinetics dynamical system is multistationary. Our computations are based on the theoretical results of our companion paper (Bihan, Dickenstein and Giaroli 2018, preprint: arXiv:1807.05157 ) which are inspired by results in real algebraic geometry by Bihan et al. (SIAM J Appl Algebra Geom, 2018).
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33
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Ordan M, Pallara C, Maik-Rachline G, Hanoch T, Gervasio FL, Glaser F, Fernandez-Recio J, Seger R. Intrinsically active MEK variants are differentially regulated by proteinases and phosphatases. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11830. [PMID: 30087384 PMCID: PMC6081382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30202-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) 1/2 are central signaling proteins that serve as specificity determinants of the MAPK/ERK cascade. More than twenty activating mutations have been reported for MEK1/2, and many of them are known to cause diseases such as cancers, arteriovenous malformation and RASopathies. Changes in their intrinsic activity do not seem to correlate with the severity of the diseases. Here we studied four MEK1/2 mutations using biochemical and molecular dynamic methods. Although the studied mutants elevated the activating phosphorylation of MEK they had no effect on the stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Studying the regulatory mechanism that may explain this lack of effect, we found that one type of mutation affects MEK stability and two types of mutations demonstrate a reduced sensitivity to PP2A. Together, our results indicate that some MEK mutations exert their function not only by their elevated intrinsic activity, but also by modulation of regulatory elements such as protein stability or dephosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merav Ordan
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Chiara Pallara
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Galia Maik-Rachline
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tamar Hanoch
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Fabian Glaser
- Bioinformatics Knowledge Unit, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Juan Fernandez-Recio
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rony Seger
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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34
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Yeh E, Dao DQ, Wu ZY, Kandalam SM, Camacho FM, Tom C, Zhang W, Krencik R, Rauen KA, Ullian EM, Weiss LA. Patient-derived iPSCs show premature neural differentiation and neuron type-specific phenotypes relevant to neurodevelopment. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1687-1698. [PMID: 29158583 PMCID: PMC5962360 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Ras/MAPK pathway signaling is a major participant in neurodevelopment, and evidence suggests that BRAF, a key Ras signal mediator, influences human behavior. We studied the role of the mutation BRAFQ257R, the most common cause of cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC), in an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived model of human neurodevelopment. In iPSC-derived neuronal cultures from CFC subjects, we observed decreased p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 compared to controls, as well as a depleted neural progenitor pool and rapid neuronal maturation. Pharmacological PI3K/AKT pathway manipulation recapitulated cellular phenotypes in control cells and attenuated them in CFC cells. CFC cultures displayed altered cellular subtype ratios and increased intrinsic excitability. Moreover, in CFC cells, Ras/MAPK pathway activation and morphological abnormalities exhibited cell subtype-specific differences. Our results highlight the importance of exploring specific cellular subtypes and of using iPSC models to reveal relevant human-specific neurodevelopmental events.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - D Q Dao
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Z Y Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - S M Kandalam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F M Camacho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - C Tom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - W Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - R Krencik
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K A Rauen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E M Ullian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - L A Weiss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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35
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Johnson HE, Toettcher JE. Illuminating developmental biology with cellular optogenetics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2018; 52:42-48. [PMID: 29505976 PMCID: PMC6082700 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In developmental biology, localization is everything. The same stimulus-cell signaling event or expression of a gene-can have dramatically different effects depending on the time, spatial position, and cell types in which it is applied. Yet the field has long lacked the ability to deliver localized perturbations with high specificity in vivo. The advent of optogenetic tools, capable of delivering highly localized stimuli, is thus poised to profoundly expand our understanding of development. We describe the current state-of-the-art in cellular optogenetic tools, review the first wave of major studies showcasing their application in vivo, and discuss major obstacles that must be overcome if the promise of developmental optogenetics is to be fully realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heath E Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States.
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36
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Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway leads to activation of the effector molecule ERK, which controls downstream responses by phosphorylating a variety of substrates, including transcription factors. Crucial insights into the regulation and function of this pathway came from studying embryos in which specific phenotypes arise from aberrant ERK activation. Despite decades of research, several important questions remain to be addressed for deeper understanding of this highly conserved signaling system and its function. Answering these questions will require quantifying the first steps of pathway activation, elucidating the mechanisms of transcriptional interpretation and measuring the quantitative limits of ERK signaling within which the system must operate to avoid developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleena L Patel
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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37
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Goyal Y, Schüpbach T, Shvartsman SY. A quantitative model of developmental RTK signaling. Dev Biol 2018; 442:80-86. [PMID: 30026122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) control a wide range of developmental processes, from the first stages of embryogenesis to postnatal growth and neurocognitive development in the adult. A significant share of our knowledge about RTKs comes from genetic screens in model organisms, which provided numerous examples demonstrating how specific cell fates and morphologies are abolished when RTK activation is either abrogated or significantly reduced. Aberrant activation of such pathways has also been recognized in many forms of cancer. More recently, studies of human developmental syndromes established that excessive activation of RTKs and their downstream signaling effectors, most notably the Ras signaling pathway, can also lead to structural and functional defects. Given that both insufficient and excessive pathway activation can lead to abnormalities, mechanistic analysis of developmental RTK signaling must address quantitative questions about its regulation and function. Patterning events controlled by the RTK Torso in the early Drosophila embryo are well-suited for this purpose. This mini review summarizes current state of knowledge about Torso-dependent Ras activation and discusses its potential to serve as a quantitative model for studying the general principles of Ras signaling in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Trudi Schüpbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States.
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38
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Kang H, Jha S, Deng Z, Fratzl-Zelman N, Cabral WA, Ivovic A, Meylan F, Hanson EP, Lange E, Katz J, Roschger P, Klaushofer K, Cowen EW, Siegel RM, Marini JC, Bhattacharyya T. Somatic activating mutations in MAP2K1 cause melorheostosis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1390. [PMID: 29643386 PMCID: PMC5895796 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03720-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Melorheostosis is a sporadic disease of uncertain etiology characterized by asymmetric bone overgrowth and functional impairment. Using whole exome sequencing, we identify somatic mosaic MAP2K1 mutations in affected, but not unaffected, bone of eight unrelated patients with melorheostosis. The activating mutations (Q56P, K57E and K57N) cluster tightly in the MEK1 negative regulatory domain. Affected bone displays a mosaic pattern of increased p-ERK1/2 in osteoblast immunohistochemistry. Osteoblasts cultured from affected bone comprise two populations with distinct p-ERK1/2 levels by flow cytometry, enhanced ERK1/2 activation, and increased cell proliferation. However, these MAP2K1 mutations inhibit BMP2-mediated osteoblast mineralization and differentiation in vitro, underlying the markedly increased osteoid detected in affected bone histology. Mosaicism is also detected in the skin overlying bone lesions in four of five patients tested. Our data show that the MAP2K1 oncogene is important in human bone formation and implicate MEK1 inhibition as a potential treatment avenue for melorheostosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heeseog Kang
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Smita Jha
- Clinical and Investigative Orthopedics Surgery Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Zuoming Deng
- Biodata Mining and Discovery Section, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nadja Fratzl-Zelman
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, UKH Meidling, Kundratstr. 37, Vienna, 1120, Austria
| | - Wayne A Cabral
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Molecular Genetics Section, Medical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Aleksandra Ivovic
- Immunoregulation Section, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Françoise Meylan
- Immunoregulation Section, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eric P Hanson
- Immunodeficiency and Inflammation Unit, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892, USA
| | - Eileen Lange
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - James Katz
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul Roschger
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, UKH Meidling, Kundratstr. 37, Vienna, 1120, Austria
| | - Klaus Klaushofer
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, UKH Meidling, Kundratstr. 37, Vienna, 1120, Austria
| | - Edward W Cowen
- Dermatology Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Richard M Siegel
- Immunoregulation Section, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Joan C Marini
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Timothy Bhattacharyya
- Clinical and Investigative Orthopedics Surgery Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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39
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Weddell JC, Imoukhuede PI. Integrative meta-modeling identifies endocytic vesicles, late endosome and the nucleus as the cellular compartments primarily directing RTK signaling. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 9:464-484. [PMID: 28436498 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00011a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recently, intracellular receptor signaling has been identified as a key component mediating cell responses for various receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). However, the extent each endocytic compartment (endocytic vesicle, early endosome, recycling endosome, late endosome, lysosome and nucleus) contributes to receptor signaling has not been quantified. Furthermore, our understanding of endocytosis and receptor signaling is complicated by cell- or receptor-specific endocytosis mechanisms. Therefore, towards understanding the differential endocytic compartment signaling roles, and identifying how to achieve signal transduction control for RTKs, we delineate how endocytosis regulates RTK signaling. We achieve this via a meta-analysis across eight RTKs, integrating computational modeling with experimentally derived cell (compartment volume, trafficking kinetics and pH) and ligand-receptor (ligand/receptor concentration and interaction kinetics) physiology. Our simulations predict the abundance of signaling from eight RTKs, identifying the following hierarchy in RTK signaling: PDGFRβ > IGFR1 > EGFR > PDGFRα > VEGFR1 > VEGFR2 > Tie2 > FGFR1. We find that endocytic vesicles are the primary cell signaling compartment; over 43% of total receptor signaling occurs within the endocytic vesicle compartment for these eight RTKs. Mechanistically, we found that high RTK signaling within endocytic vesicles may be attributed to their low volume (5.3 × 10-19 L) which facilitates an enriched ligand concentration (3.2 μM per ligand molecule within the endocytic vesicle). Under the analyzed physiological conditions, we identified extracellular ligand concentration as the most sensitive parameter to change; hence the most significant one to modify when regulating absolute compartment signaling. We also found that the late endosome and nucleus compartments are important contributors to receptor signaling, where 26% and 18%, respectively, of average receptor signaling occurs across the eight RTKs. Conversely, we found very low membrane-based receptor signaling, exhibiting <1% of the total receptor signaling for these eight RTKs. Moreover, we found that nuclear translocation, mechanistically, requires late endosomal transport; when we blocked receptor trafficking from late endosomes to the nucleus we found a 57% reduction in nuclear translocation. In summary, our research has elucidated the significance of endocytic vesicles, late endosomes and the nucleus in RTK signal propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared C Weddell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W Springfield Ave., 3233 Digital Computer Laboratory, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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40
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Neben CL, Lo M, Jura N, Klein OD. Feedback regulation of RTK signaling in development. Dev Biol 2017; 447:71-89. [PMID: 29079424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Precise regulation of the amplitude and duration of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is critical for the execution of cellular programs and behaviors. Understanding these control mechanisms has important implications for the field of developmental biology, and in recent years, the question of how augmentation or attenuation of RTK signaling via feedback loops modulates development has become of increasing interest. RTK feedback regulation is also important for human disease research; for example, germline mutations in genes that encode RTK signaling pathway components cause numerous human congenital syndromes, and somatic alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancers. In this review, we survey regulators of RTK signaling that tune receptor activity and intracellular transduction cascades, with a focus on the roles of these genes in the developing embryo. We detail the diverse inhibitory mechanisms utilized by negative feedback regulators that, when lost or perturbed, lead to aberrant increases in RTK signaling. We also discuss recent biochemical and genetic insights into positive regulators of RTK signaling and how these proteins function in tandem with negative regulators to guide embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Neben
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA
| | - Megan Lo
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Natalia Jura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA.
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41
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Keenan SE, Shvartsman SY. Mechanisms and causality in molecular diseases. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2017; 39:35. [PMID: 29038918 PMCID: PMC6445273 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-017-0162-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
How is a disease contracted, and how does it progress through the body? Answers to these questions are fundamental to understanding both basic biology and medicine. Advances in the biomedical sciences continue to provide more tools to address these fundamental questions and to uncover questions that have not been thought of before. Despite these major advances, we are still facing conceptual and technical challenges when learning about the etiology of disease, especially for genetic diseases. In this review, we illustrate this point by discussing the causal links between molecular mechanisms and systems-level phenotypes in molecular diseases. We begin with an examination of sickle cell anemia, and how mechanisms of the disease have been comprehended over the last century. While sickle cell anemia involves a mutation in a single protein in a single cell type, other diseases involve mutations in networks with many protein interactions and in diverse cell types. We introduce the challenges that result from these differences and illustrate the current obstacles by discussing the RASopathies, a recently discovered class of developmental syndromes that result from mutations in signaling networks. Methods to study mutant genotypes that lead to mutant phenotypes are discussed, particularly the use of model organisms and mutant proteins to study protein interactions that may be important for development of disease. These studies will point toward the future of diagnosing and treating genetic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Keenan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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42
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Jindal GA, Goyal Y, Humphreys JM, Yeung E, Tian K, Patterson VL, He H, Burdine RD, Goldsmith EJ, Shvartsman SY. How activating mutations affect MEK1 regulation and function. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:18814-18820. [PMID: 29018093 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.c117.806067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The MEK1 kinase directly phosphorylates ERK2, after the activation loop of MEK1 is itself phosphorylated by Raf. Studies over the past decade have revealed a large number of disease-related mutations in the MEK1 gene that lead to tumorigenesis and abnormal development. Several of these mutations result in MEK1 constitutive activity, but how they affect MEK1 regulation and function remains largely unknown. Here, we address these questions focusing on two pathogenic variants of the Phe-53 residue, which maps to the well-characterized negative regulatory region of MEK1. We found that these variants are phosphorylated by Raf faster than the wild-type enzyme, and this phosphorylation further increases their enzymatic activity. However, the maximal activities of fully phosphorylated wild-type and mutant enzymes are indistinguishable. On the basis of available structural information, we propose that the activating substitutions destabilize the inactive conformation of MEK1, resulting in its constitutive activity and making it more prone to Raf-mediated phosphorylation. Experiments in zebrafish revealed that the effects of activating variants on embryonic development reflect the joint control of the negative regulatory region and activating phosphorylation. Our results underscore the complexity of the effects of activating mutations on signaling systems, even at the level of a single protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Granton A Jindal
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - John M Humphreys
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | - Eyan Yeung
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Kaijia Tian
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and
| | - Victoria L Patterson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Haixia He
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | | | - Elizabeth J Goldsmith
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and .,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
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43
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Villoutreix P, Andén J, Lim B, Lu H, Kevrekidis IG, Singer A, Shvartsman SY. Synthesizing developmental trajectories. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005742. [PMID: 28922353 PMCID: PMC5619836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamical processes in biology are studied using an ever-increasing number of techniques, each of which brings out unique features of the system. One of the current challenges is to develop systematic approaches for fusing heterogeneous datasets into an integrated view of multivariable dynamics. We demonstrate that heterogeneous data fusion can be successfully implemented within a semi-supervised learning framework that exploits the intrinsic geometry of high-dimensional datasets. We illustrate our approach using a dataset from studies of pattern formation in Drosophila. The result is a continuous trajectory that reveals the joint dynamics of gene expression, subcellular protein localization, protein phosphorylation, and tissue morphogenesis. Our approach can be readily adapted to other imaging modalities and forms a starting point for further steps of data analytics and modeling of biological dynamics. A wide range of problems in biology require analysis of multivariable dynamics in space and time. As a rule, the multiscale nature and complexity of real systems precludes simultaneous monitoring of all the relevant variables, and multivariable dynamics must be synthesized from partial views provided by different experimental techniques. We present a formal framework for accomplishing this task in the context of imaging studies of pattern formation in developing tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Villoutreix
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Joakim Andén
- Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Bomyi Lim
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ioannis G. Kevrekidis
- Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Amit Singer
- Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Stanislav Y. Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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44
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Zdraljevic S, Andersen EC. Natural diversity facilitates the discovery of conserved chemotherapeutic response mechanisms. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2017; 47:41-47. [PMID: 28892780 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Organismal fitness depends on adaptation to complex niches where chemical compounds and pathogens are omnipresent. These stresses can lead to the fixation of alleles in both xenobiotic responses and proliferative signaling pathways that promote survival in these niches. However, both xenobiotic responses and proliferative pathways vary within and among species. For example, genetic differences can accumulate within populations because xenobiotic exposures are not constant and selection is variable. Additionally, neutral genetic variation can accumulate in conserved proliferative pathway genes because these systems are robust to genetic perturbations given their essential roles in normal cell-fate specification. For these reasons, sensitizing mutations or chemical perturbations can disrupt pathways and reveal cryptic variation. With this fundamental view of how organisms respond to cytotoxic compounds and cryptic variation in conserved signaling pathways, it is not surprising that human patients have highly variable responses to chemotherapeutic compounds. These different responses result in the low FDA-approval rates for chemotherapeutics and underscore the need for new approaches to understand these diseases and therapeutic interventions. Model organisms, especially the classic invertebrate systems of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, can be used to combine studies of natural variation across populations with responses to both xenobiotic compounds and chemotherapeutics targeted to conserved proliferative signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Zdraljevic
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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45
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Goyal Y, Levario TJ, Mattingly HH, Holmes S, Shvartsman SY, Lu H. Parallel imaging of Drosophila embryos for quantitative analysis of genetic perturbations of the Ras pathway. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:923-929. [PMID: 28495673 PMCID: PMC5536913 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.030163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ras pathway patterns the poles of the Drosophila embryo by downregulating the levels and activity of a DNA-binding transcriptional repressor Capicua (Cic). We demonstrate that the spatiotemporal pattern of Cic during this signaling event can be harnessed for functional studies of mutations in the Ras pathway in human diseases. Our approach relies on a new microfluidic device that enables parallel imaging of Cic dynamics in dozens of live embryos. We found that although the pattern of Cic in early embryos is complex, it can be accurately approximated by a product of one spatial profile and one time-dependent amplitude. Analysis of these functions of space and time alone reveals the differential effects of mutations within the Ras pathway. Given the highly conserved nature of Ras-dependent control of Cic, our approach provides new opportunities for functional analysis of multiple sequence variants from developmental abnormalities and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Thomas J Levario
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Henry H Mattingly
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Susan Holmes
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA .,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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