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Tanaka T, Chung HL. Exploiting fly models to investigate rare human neurological disorders. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:21-28. [PMID: 38767473 PMCID: PMC11246155 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Rare neurological diseases, while individually are rare, collectively impact millions globally, leading to diverse and often severe neurological symptoms. Often attributed to genetic mutations that disrupt protein function or structure, understanding their genetic basis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies. To investigate the underlying pathogenesis of these conditions, researchers often use non-mammalian model organisms, such as Drosophila (fruit flies), which is valued for their genetic manipulability, cost-efficiency, and preservation of genes and biological functions across evolutionary time. Genetic tools available in Drosophila, including CRISPR-Cas9, offer a means to manipulate gene expression, allowing for a deep exploration of the genetic underpinnings of rare neurological diseases. Drosophila boasts a versatile genetic toolkit, rapid generation turnover, and ease of large-scale experimentation, making it an invaluable resource for identifying potential drug candidates. Researchers can expose flies carrying disease-associated mutations to various compounds, rapidly pinpointing promising therapeutic agents for further investigation in mammalian models and, ultimately, clinical trials. In this comprehensive review, we explore rare neurological diseases where fly research has significantly contributed to our understanding of their genetic basis, pathophysiology, and potential therapeutic implications. We discuss rare diseases associated with both neuron-expressed and glial-expressed genes. Specific cases include mutations in CDK19 resulting in epilepsy and developmental delay, mutations in TIAM1 leading to a neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures and language delay, and mutations in IRF2BPL causing seizures, a neurodevelopmental disorder with regression, loss of speech, and abnormal movements. And we explore mutations in EMC1 related to cerebellar atrophy, visual impairment, psychomotor retardation, and gain-of-function mutations in ACOX1 causing Mitchell syndrome. Loss-of-function mutations in ACOX1 result in ACOX1 deficiency, characterized by very-long-chain fatty acid accumulation and glial degeneration. Notably, this review highlights how modeling these diseases in Drosophila has provided valuable insights into their pathophysiology, offering a platform for the rapid identification of potential therapeutic interventions. Rare neurological diseases involve a wide range of expression systems, and sometimes common phenotypes can be found among different genes that cause abnormalities in neurons or glia. Furthermore, mutations within the same gene may result in varying functional outcomes, such as complete loss of function, partial loss of function, or gain-of-function mutations. The phenotypes observed in patients can differ significantly, underscoring the complexity of these conditions. In conclusion, Drosophila represents an indispensable and cost-effective tool for investigating rare neurological diseases. By facilitating the modeling of these conditions, Drosophila contributes to a deeper understanding of their genetic basis, pathophysiology, and potential therapies. This approach accelerates the discovery of promising drug candidates, ultimately benefiting patients affected by these complex and understudied diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Tanaka
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hyung-Lok Chung
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Losurdo NA, Bibo A, Bedke J, Link N. A novel adipose loss-of-function mutant in Drosophila. Fly (Austin) 2024; 18:2352938. [PMID: 38741287 PMCID: PMC11095658 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2024.2352938] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
To identify genes required for brain growth, we took an RNAi knockdown reverse genetic approach in Drosophila. One potential candidate isolated from this effort is the anti-lipogenic gene adipose (adp). Adp has an established role in the negative regulation of lipogenesis in the fat body of the fly and adipose tissue in mammals. While fat is key to proper development in general, adp has not been investigated during brain development. Here, we found that RNAi knockdown of adp in neuronal stem cells and neurons results in reduced brain lobe volume and sought to replicate this with a mutant fly. We generated a novel adp mutant that acts as a loss-of-function mutant based on buoyancy assay results. We found that despite a change in fat content in the body overall and a decrease in the number of larger (>5 µm) brain lipid droplets, there was no change in the brain lobe volume of mutant larvae. Overall, our work describes a novel adp mutant that can functionally replace the long-standing adp60 mutant and shows that the adp gene has no obvious involvement in brain growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriana Bibo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA
| | - Jacob Bedke
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA
| | - Nichole Link
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA
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3
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Sachan N, Sharma V, Mutsuddi M, Mukherjee A. Notch signalling: multifaceted role in development and disease. FEBS J 2024; 291:3030-3059. [PMID: 37166442 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Notch pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signalling system that operates to influence an astonishing array of cell fate decisions in different developmental contexts. Notch signalling plays important roles in many developmental processes, making it difficult to name a tissue or a developing organ that does not depend on Notch function at one stage or another. Thus, dysregulation of Notch signalling is associated with many developmental defects and various pathological conditions, including cancer. Although many recent advances have been made to reveal different aspects of the Notch signalling mechanism and its intricate regulation, there are still many unanswered questions related to how the Notch signalling pathway functions in so many developmental events. The same pathway can be deployed in numerous cellular contexts to play varied and critical roles in an organism's development and this is only possible because of the complex regulatory mechanisms of the pathway. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanism and regulation of the Notch signalling pathway along with its multifaceted functions in different aspects of development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalani Sachan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vartika Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Mousumi Mutsuddi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Ashim Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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4
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Poljšak B, Milisav I. Decreasing Intracellular Entropy by Increasing Mitochondrial Efficiency and Reducing ROS Formation-The Effect on the Ageing Process and Age-Related Damage. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6321. [PMID: 38928027 PMCID: PMC11203720 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126321] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A hypothesis is presented to explain how the ageing process might be influenced by optimizing mitochondrial efficiency to reduce intracellular entropy. Research-based quantifications of entropy are scarce. Non-equilibrium metabolic reactions and compartmentalization were found to contribute most to lowering entropy in the cells. Like the cells, mitochondria are thermodynamically open systems exchanging matter and energy with their surroundings-the rest of the cell. Based on the calculations from cancer cells, glycolysis was reported to produce less entropy than mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. However, these estimations depended on the CO2 concentration so that at slightly increased CO2, it was oxidative phosphorylation that produced less entropy. Also, the thermodynamic efficiency of mitochondrial respiratory complexes varies depending on the respiratory state and oxidant/antioxidant balance. Therefore, in spite of long-standing theoretical and practical efforts, more measurements, also in isolated mitochondria, with intact and suboptimal respiration, are needed to resolve the issue. Entropy increases in ageing while mitochondrial efficiency of energy conversion, quality control, and turnover mechanisms deteriorate. Optimally functioning mitochondria are necessary to meet energy demands for cellular defence and repair processes to attenuate ageing. The intuitive approach of simply supplying more metabolic fuels (more nutrients) often has the opposite effect, namely a decrease in energy production in the case of nutrient overload. Excessive nutrient intake and obesity accelerate ageing, while calorie restriction without malnutrition can prolong life. Balanced nutrient intake adapted to needs/activity-based high ATP requirement increases mitochondrial respiratory efficiency and leads to multiple alterations in gene expression and metabolic adaptations. Therefore, rather than overfeeding, it is necessary to fine-tune energy production by optimizing mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress; the evidence is discussed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borut Poljšak
- Laboratory of Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Zdravstvena pot 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Irina Milisav
- Laboratory of Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Zdravstvena pot 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology, University of Ljubljana, Zaloska 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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5
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Santi A, Kay EJ, Neilson LJ, McGarry L, Lilla S, Mullin M, Paul NR, Fercoq F, Koulouras G, Rodriguez Blanco G, Athineos D, Mason S, Hughes M, Thomson G, Kieffer Y, Nixon C, Blyth K, Mechta-Grigoriou F, Carlin LM, Zanivan S. Cancer-associated fibroblasts produce matrix-bound vesicles that influence endothelial cell function. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eade0580. [PMID: 38470957 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.ade0580] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Intercellular communication between different cell types in solid tumors contributes to tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. The secretome of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) plays major roles in these processes. Using human mammary CAFs, we showed that CAFs with a myofibroblast phenotype released extracellular vesicles that transferred proteins to endothelial cells (ECs) that affected their interaction with immune cells. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics identified proteins transferred from CAFs to ECs, which included plasma membrane receptors. Using THY1 as an example of a transferred plasma membrane-bound protein, we showed that CAF-derived proteins increased the adhesion of a monocyte cell line to ECs. CAFs produced high amounts of matrix-bound EVs, which were the primary vehicles of protein transfer. Hence, our work paves the way for future studies that investigate how CAF-derived matrix-bound EVs influence tumor pathology by regulating the function of neighboring cancer, stromal, and immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Santi
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale Morgagni 50, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Emily J Kay
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Lisa J Neilson
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Lynn McGarry
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Sergio Lilla
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Margaret Mullin
- College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Nikki R Paul
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | | | - Grigorios Koulouras
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | | | | | - Susan Mason
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Mark Hughes
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Gemma Thomson
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Yann Kieffer
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 26, rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- INSERM, U830, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Colin Nixon
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Fatima Mechta-Grigoriou
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 26, rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- INSERM, U830, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Leo M Carlin
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Sara Zanivan
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
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6
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Sullivan LF, Barker MS, Felix PC, Vuong RQ, White BH. Neuromodulation and the toolkit for behavioural evolution: can ecdysis shed light on an old problem? FEBS J 2024; 291:1049-1079. [PMID: 36223183 PMCID: PMC10166064 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16650] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The geneticist Thomas Dobzhansky famously declared: 'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'. A key evolutionary adaptation of Metazoa is directed movement, which has been elaborated into a spectacularly varied number of behaviours in animal clades. The mechanisms by which animal behaviours have evolved, however, remain unresolved. This is due, in part, to the indirect control of behaviour by the genome, which provides the components for both building and operating the brain circuits that generate behaviour. These brain circuits are adapted to respond flexibly to environmental contingencies and physiological needs and can change as a function of experience. The resulting plasticity of behavioural expression makes it difficult to characterize homologous elements of behaviour and to track their evolution. Here, we evaluate progress in identifying the genetic substrates of behavioural evolution and suggest that examining adaptive changes in neuromodulatory signalling may be a particularly productive focus for future studies. We propose that the behavioural sequences used by ecdysozoans to moult are an attractive model for studying the role of neuromodulation in behavioural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Sullivan
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthew S Barker
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Princess C Felix
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard Q Vuong
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin H White
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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7
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Vukojević K, Šoljić V, Martinović V, Raguž F, Filipović N. The Ubiquitin-Associated and SH3 Domain-Containing Proteins (UBASH3) Family in Mammalian Development and Immune Response. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1932. [PMID: 38339213 PMCID: PMC10855836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031932] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
UBASH3A and UBASH3B are protein families of atypical protein tyrosine phosphatases that function as regulators of various cellular processes during mammalian development. As UBASH3A has only mild phosphatase activity, its regulatory effects are based on the phosphatase-independent mechanisms. On the contrary, UBASH3B has strong phosphatase activity, and the suppression of its receptor signalling is mediated by Syk and Zap-70 kinases. The regulatory functions of UBASH3A and UBASH3B are particularly evident in the lymphoid tissues and kidney development. These tyrosine phosphatases are also known to play key roles in autoimmunity and neoplasms. However, their involvement in mammalian development and its regulatory functions are largely unknown and are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Vukojević
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Center for Translational Research in Biomedicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Violeta Šoljić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Vlatka Martinović
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Fila Raguž
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Natalija Filipović
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Center for Translational Research in Biomedicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia
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8
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Baker NE. Founding the Wnt gene family: How wingless was found to be a positional signal and oncogene homolog. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300156. [PMID: 38214693 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The Wnt family of developmental regulators were named after the Drosophila segmentation gene wingless and the murine proto-oncogene int-1. Homology between these two genes connected oncogenesis to cell-cell signals in development. I review how wingless was initially characterized, and cloned, as part of the quest to identify developmental cell-to-cell signals, based on predictions of the Positional Information Model, and on the properties of homeotic and segmentation gene mutants. The requirements and cell-nonautonomy of wingless in patterning multiple embryonic and adult structures solidified its status as a candidate signaling molecule. The physical location of wingless mutations and transcription unit defined the gene and its developmental transcription pattern. When the Drosophila homolog of int-1 was then isolated, and predicted to encode a secreted proto-oncogene homolog, it's identity to the wingless gene confirmed that a developmental cell-cell signal had been identified and connected cancer to development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Baker
- Department of Genetics, Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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9
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Attrill H, Antonazzo G, Goodman JL, Thurmond J, Strelets VB, Brown NH, the FlyBase Consortium. A new experimental evidence-weighted signaling pathway resource in FlyBase. Development 2024; 151:dev202255. [PMID: 38230566 PMCID: PMC10911275 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202255] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Research in model organisms is central to the characterization of signaling pathways in multicellular organisms. Here, we present the comprehensive and systematic curation of 17 Drosophila signaling pathways using the Gene Ontology framework to establish a dynamic resource that has been incorporated into FlyBase, providing visualization and data integration tools to aid research projects. By restricting to experimental evidence reported in the research literature and quantifying the amount of such evidence for each gene in a pathway, we captured the landscape of empirical knowledge of signaling pathways in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Attrill
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Giulia Antonazzo
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Joshua L. Goodman
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Jim Thurmond
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Nicholas H. Brown
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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10
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Heikes KL, Goldstein B. Expression patterns of FGF and BMP pathway genes in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.29.577774. [PMID: 38352320 PMCID: PMC10862696 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.29.577774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
A small number of conserved signaling pathways regulate development of most animals, yet we do not know where these pathways are deployed in most embryos. This includes tardigrades, a phylum with a unique body shape. We examined expression patterns of components of the BMP and FGF signaling pathways during embryonic segmentation and mesoderm development of the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. Among the patterns examined, we found that an FGF ligand gene is expressed in ectodermal segment posteriors and an FGF receptor gene is expressed in underlying endomesodermal pouches, suggesting possible FGF signaling between these developing germ layers. We found that a BMP ligand gene is expressed in lateral ectoderm and dorsolateral bands along segment posteriors, while the BMP antagonist Sog gene is expressed in lateral ectoderm and also in a subset of endomesodermal cells, suggesting a possible role of BMP signaling in dorsal-ventral patterning of lateral ectoderm. In combination with known roles of these pathways during development of common model systems, we developed hypotheses for how the BMP and FGF pathways might regulate embryo segmentation and mesoderm formation of the tardigrade H. exemplaris. These results identify the expression patterns of genes from two conserved signaling pathways for the first time in the tardigrade phylum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira L. Heikes
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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11
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Kögler AC, Müller P. Modes and motifs in multicellular communication. Cell Syst 2024; 15:1-3. [PMID: 38237550 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Signaling pathways feature multiple interacting ligand and receptor variants, which are thought to act in a combinatorial manner to elicit different cellular responses. Transcriptome analyses now suggest that many signaling pathways use their components in combinations that are surprisingly often shared between otherwise dissimilar cell states.
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12
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Legras M, Ghisleni G, Regnard L, Dias M, Soilihi R, Celmar E, Balavoine G. Fast cycling culture of the annelid model Platynereis dumerilii. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295290. [PMID: 38127889 PMCID: PMC10735030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Platynereis dumerilii, a marine annelid, is a model animal that has gained popularity in various fields such as developmental biology, biological rhythms, nervous system organization and physiology, behaviour, reproductive biology, and epigenetic regulation. The transparency of P. dumerilii tissues at all developmental stages makes it easy to perform live microscopic imaging of all cell types. In addition, the slow-evolving genome of P. dumerilii and its phylogenetic position as a representative of the vast branch of Lophotrochozoans add to its evolutionary significance. Although P. dumerilii is amenable to transgenesis and CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts, its relatively long and indefinite life cycle, as well as its semelparous reproduction have been hindrances to its adoption as a reverse genetics model. To overcome this limitation, an adapted culturing method has been developed allowing much faster life cycling, with median reproductive age at 13-14 weeks instead of 25-35 weeks using the traditional protocol. A low worm density in boxes and a strictly controlled feeding regime are important factors for the rapid growth and health of the worms. This culture method has several advantages, such as being much more compact, not requiring air bubbling or an artificial moonlight regime for synchronized sexual maturation and necessitating only limited water change. A full protocol for worm care and handling is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Legras
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Giulia Ghisleni
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Léna Regnard
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Manon Dias
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Rabouant Soilihi
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Enzo Celmar
- Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
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13
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Attrill H, Antonazzo G, Goodman JL, Thurmond J, Strelets VB, Brown NH. A new experimental evidence-weighted signaling pathway resource in FlyBase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.10.552786. [PMID: 37645956 PMCID: PMC10461922 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Research in model organisms is central to the characterization of signaling pathways in multicellular organisms. Here, we present the systematic curation of 17 Drosophila signaling pathways using the Gene Ontology framework to establish a comprehensive and dynamic resource that has been incorporated into FlyBase, providing visualization and data integration tools to aid research projects. By restricting to experimental evidence reported in the research literature and quantifying the amount of such evidence for each gene in a pathway, we captured the landscape of empirical knowledge of signaling pathways in Drosophila . Summary statement Comprehensive curation of Drosophila signaling pathways and new visual displays of the pathways provides a new FlyBase resource for researchers, and new insights into signaling pathway architecture.
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14
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Li J, Mao Y, Yi J, Lin M, Xu H, Cheng Y, Wu H, Liu J. Induced expression modes of genes related to Toll, Imd, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway-mediated immune response in Spodoptera frugiperda infected with Beauveria bassiana. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1249662. [PMID: 37693000 PMCID: PMC10484109 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1249662] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Spodoptera frugiperda is one of the most harmful pests that attack maize and other major food crops and causes huge economic loss every year in China and other countries and regions. Beauveria bassiana, a kind of entomological fungus that is highly pathogenic to pests, is harmless to the environment and human beings. However, at present, S. frugiperda has gradually developed resistance to many pesticides and microbial insecticides. In this study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted to analyze the differences in gene expression between B. bassiana-infected and -uninfected S. frugiperda. More than 160 Gb of clean data were obtained as 150-bp paired-end reads using the Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform, and 2,767 and 2,892 DEGs were identified in LH36vsCK36 and LH144vsCK144, respectively. In order to explore the roles of JAK/STAT, Toll, and Imd signaling pathways in antifungal immune response in S. frugiperda against B. bassiana infection, the expression patterns of those signaling pathway-related genes in B. bassiana-infected S. frugiperda were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, antifungal activity experiments revealed that the suppression of JAK/STAT, Toll, and Imd signaling pathways by inhibitors could inhibit the antifungal activity to a large extent and lead to increased sensitivity of S. frugiperda to B. bassiana infection, indicating that JAK/STAT, Toll, and Imd signaling pathways and their associated genes might be involved in the synthesis and secretion of antifungal substances. This study implied that JAK/STAT, Toll, and Imd signaling pathways played crucial roles in the antifungal immune response of the S. frugiperda larvae, in which the related genes of these signaling pathways could play special regulatory roles in signal transduction. This study would improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying innate immunity and provide the basis for a wide spectrum of strategies against antifungal resistance of S. frugiperda.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Han Wu
- Institute of Nanfan and Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianbai Liu
- Institute of Nanfan and Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Chodkowski M, Zielezinski A, Anbalagan S. A ligand-receptor interactome atlas of the zebrafish. iScience 2023; 26:107309. [PMID: 37539027 PMCID: PMC10393773 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in zebrafish can unravel the functions of cellular communication and thus identify novel bench-to-bedside drugs targeting cellular communication signaling molecules. Due to the incomplete annotation of zebrafish proteome, the knowledge of zebrafish receptors, ligands, and tools to explore their interactome is limited. To address this gap, we de novo predicted the cellular localization of zebrafish reference proteome using deep learning algorithm. We combined the predicted and existing annotations on cellular localization of zebrafish proteins and created repositories of zebrafish ligands, membrane receptome, and interactome as well as associated diseases and targeting drugs. Unlike other tools, our interactome atlas is based on both the physical interaction data of zebrafish proteome and existing human ligand-receptor pair databases. The resources are available as R and Python scripts. DanioTalk provides a novel resource for researchers interested in targeting cellular communication in zebrafish, as we demonstrate in applications studying synapse and axo-glial interactome. DanioTalk methodology can be applied to build and explore the ligand-receptor atlas of other non-mammalian model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milosz Chodkowski
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej Zielezinski
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Savani Anbalagan
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
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16
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Collu GM, Mlodzik M. The beauty of seeing the real thing: BMP heterodimer detection in vivo reveals dimer composition and activity. Dev Cell 2023; 58:633-634. [PMID: 37098324 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.03.022] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
BMP family ligands can direct cells to divide, differentiate, or die, depending on cell context and specific hetero- or homodimer combinations. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Bauer et al. detect endogenous Drosophila ligand dimers in situ and show that BMP dimer composition affects both signaling range and activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna M Collu
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marek Mlodzik
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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17
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Ebohon O, Hart BA, Jutras BL. Vertebrate-arthropod communication dictates tick development and pathogen transmission. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:325-327. [PMID: 36958955 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Cross-species communication drives the coordination of diverse biological processes in complex systems. Rana et al. discovered that Ixodes scapularis, the tick vector of Lyme disease, produces a receptor that binds host interferon-gamma (IFNγ) in the blood meal, which orchestrates tick development, immunity, and vector competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamudiamen Ebohon
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Brittany A Hart
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Brandon L Jutras
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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18
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Zhang Y, Li BX, Mao QZ, Zhuo JC, Huang HJ, Lu JB, Zhang CX, Li JM, Chen JP, Lu G. The JAK-STAT pathway promotes persistent viral infection by activating apoptosis in insect vectors. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011266. [PMID: 36928081 PMCID: PMC10069781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that can regulate various biological processes. However, the role of JAK-STAT pathway in the persistent viral infection in insect vectors has rarely been investigated. Here, using a system that comprised two different plant viruses, Rice stripe virus (RSV) and Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), as well as their insect vector small brown planthopper, we elucidated the regulatory mechanism of JAK-STAT pathway in persistent viral infection. Both RSV and RBSDV infection activated the JAK-STAT pathway and promoted the accumulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling 5 (SOCS5), an E3 ubiquitin ligase regulated by the transcription factor STAT5B. Interestingly, the virus-induced SOCS5 directly interacted with the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) to accelerate the BCL2 degradation through the 26S proteasome pathway. As a result, the activation of apoptosis facilitated persistent viral infection in their vector. Furthermore, STAT5B activation promoted virus amplification, whereas STAT5B suppression inhibited apoptosis and reduced virus accumulation. In summary, our results reveal that virus-induced JAK-STAT pathway regulates apoptosis to promote viral infection, and uncover a new regulatory mechanism of the JAK-STAT pathway in the persistent plant virus transmission by arthropod vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Bo-Xue Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Qian-Zhuo Mao
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ji-Chong Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Hai-Jian Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jia-Bao Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Chuan-Xi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jun-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jian-Ping Chen
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- * E-mail: (J-PC); (GL)
| | - Gang Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- * E-mail: (J-PC); (GL)
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19
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Kandoor A, Fierst J. Dauer fate in a Caenorhabditis elegans Boolean network model. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14713. [PMID: 36710867 PMCID: PMC9879150 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular fates are determined by genes interacting across large, complex biological networks. A critical question is how to identify causal relationships spanning distinct signaling pathways and underlying organismal phenotypes. Here, we address this question by constructing a Boolean model of a well-studied developmental network and analyzing information flows through the system. Depending on environmental signals Caenorhabditis elegans develop normally to sexual maturity or enter a reproductively delayed, developmentally quiescent 'dauer' state, progressing to maturity when the environment changes. The developmental network that starts with environmental signal and ends in the dauer/no dauer fate involves genes across 4 signaling pathways including cyclic GMP, Insulin/IGF-1, TGF-β and steroid hormone synthesis. We identified three stable motifs leading to normal development, each composed of genes interacting across the Insulin/IGF-1, TGF-β and steroid hormone synthesis pathways. Three genes known to influence dauer fate, daf-2, daf-7 and hsf-1, acted as driver nodes in the system. Using causal logic analysis, we identified a five gene cyclic subgraph integrating the information flow from environmental signal to dauer fate. Perturbation analysis showed that a multifactorial insulin profile determined the stable motifs the system entered and interacted with daf-12 as the switchpoint driving the dauer/no dauer fate. Our results show that complex organismal systems can be distilled into abstract representations that permit full characterization of the causal relationships driving developmental fates. Analyzing organismal systems from this perspective of logic and function has important implications for studies examining the evolution and conservation of signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alekhya Kandoor
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Janna Fierst
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute and Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
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20
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Rana VS, Kitsou C, Dutta S, Ronzetti MH, Zhang M, Bernard Q, Smith AA, Tomás-Cortázar J, Yang X, Wu MJ, Kepple O, Li W, Dwyer JE, Matias J, Baljinnyam B, Oliver JD, Rajeevan N, Pedra JHF, Narasimhan S, Wang Y, Munderloh U, Fikrig E, Simeonov A, Anguita J, Pal U. Dome1-JAK-STAT signaling between parasite and host integrates vector immunity and development. Science 2023; 379:eabl3837. [PMID: 36634189 PMCID: PMC10122270 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl3837] [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: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Ancestral signaling pathways serve critical roles in metazoan development, physiology, and immunity. We report an evolutionary interspecies communication pathway involving a central Ixodes scapularis tick receptor termed Dome1, which acquired a mammalian cytokine receptor motif exhibiting high affinity for interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Host-derived IFN-γ facilitates Dome1-mediated activation of the Ixodes JAK-STAT pathway. This accelerates tick blood meal acquisition and development while upregulating antimicrobial components. The Dome1-JAK-STAT pathway, which exists in most Ixodid tick genomes, regulates the regeneration and proliferation of gut cells-including stem cells-and dictates metamorphosis through the Hedgehog and Notch-Delta networks, ultimately affecting Ixodes vectorial competence. We highlight the evolutionary dependence of I. scapularis on mammalian hosts through cross-species signaling mechanisms that dually influence arthropod immunity and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin S. Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Shraboni Dutta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Michael H. Ronzetti
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Quentin Bernard
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Alexis A. Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Julen Tomás-Cortázar
- CIC bioGUNE-BRTA (Basque Research & Technology Alliance), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Ming-Jie Wu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Oleksandra Kepple
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Weizhong Li
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Dwyer
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Nallakkandi Rajeevan
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ulrike Munderloh
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Juan Anguita
- CIC bioGUNE-BRTA (Basque Research & Technology Alliance), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
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21
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Derakhshani A, Mousavi SM, Rezaei M, Afgar A, Keyhani AR, Mohammadi MA, Dabiri S, Fasihi Harandi M. Natural history of Echinococcus granulosus microcyst development in long term in vitro culture and molecular and morphological changes induced by insulin and BMP-4. Front Vet Sci 2023; 9:1068602. [PMID: 36699324 PMCID: PMC9868913 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1068602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus is a disease of worldwide public health and economic importance. The determinants and underlying cellular mechanisms of CE development and fate in intermediate hosts are largely unknown. Hormones and cytokines such as insulin and BMP-4 are the key players in the development, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we evaluated the long term natural history of E. granulosus microcysts in an vitro setting and the molecular and morphological changes induced by the growth factors, insulin and BMP4 during the development of metacestode stage of E. granulosus. Methods E. granulosus protoscoleces were cultivated and the parasite development was followed in the long term mono-phasic culture for 105 days and the morphometric, molecular and immunohistochemical changes were evaluated, including the microcysts number and size, microcysts development and deformation rates as well as the markers of calcification (Alizarin Red staining) and apoptosis (BAX, BCL2, Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and TNF-α expression) in the microcysts. Also the biological, histological and molecular consequences of insulin and BMP-4 treatment on the parasite development were evaluated. Results Insulin and BMP-4 treatment of microcysts resulted in significant increase in microcyst formation, increased size, reduced apoptosis and deformation of the microcysts. Alizarin red staining of the microcysts treated with the insulin and BMP-4 confirmed that calcium deposition is significantly lower than the untreated microcysts. Also Alizarin Red staining and Immunohistochemistry of the microcysts indicates that calcium accumulation in deformed microcysts is higher than the normal ones on day 105. The microcysts began to wrinkle and the germinal layer was partially detached from the laminated layer on day 84. Conclusion Results of the present study suggest that the degenerative changes in hydatid cysts can be slowed down by insulin and BMP-4, indicating that cellular factors and host hormones could contribute to the longevity of hydatid cysts. Significant evidences are provided suggesting that the microcysts cultivated in vitro can undergo calcification and apoptotic processes similar to what have been observed in the natural hydatid infection in the intermediate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Derakhshani
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Mousavi
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Masoud Rezaei
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Afgar
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Reza Keyhani
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Mohammadi
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shahriar Dabiri
- Department of Pathology, Afzalipour Medical School, Pathology and Stem Cells Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Majid Fasihi Harandi
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,*Correspondence: Majid Fasihi Harandi ✉
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22
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Li Z, Sun Y, Ding L, Yang J, Huang J, Cheng M, Wu L, Zhuang Z, Chen C, Huang Y, Zhu Z, Jiang S, Huang F, Wang C, Liu S, Liu L, Lei Y. Deciphering the distinct transcriptomic and gene regulatory map in adult macaque basal ganglia cells. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad095. [PMID: 38091510 PMCID: PMC10716911 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The basal ganglia are a complex of interconnected subcortical structures located beneath the mammalian cerebral cortex. The degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia is the primary pathological feature of Parkinson's disease. Due to a lack of integrated analysis of multiomics datasets across multiple basal ganglia brain regions, very little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of this area. FINDINGS We utilized high-throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis to profile over 270,000 single-nucleus cells to create a cellular atlas of the basal ganglia, characterizing the cellular composition of 4 regions of basal ganglia in adult macaque brain, including the striatum, substantia nigra (SN), globus pallidum, and amygdala. We found a distinct epigenetic regulation on gene expression of neuronal and nonneuronal cells across regions in basal ganglia. We identified a cluster of SN-specific astrocytes associated with neurodegenerative diseases and further explored the conserved and primate-specific transcriptomics in SN cell types across human, macaque, and mouse. Finally, we integrated our epigenetic landscape of basal ganglia cells with human disease heritability and identified a regulatory module consisting of candidate cis-regulatory elements that are specific to medium spiny neurons and associated with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS In general, our macaque basal ganglia atlas provides valuable insights into the comprehensive transcriptome and epigenome of the most important and populous cell populations in the macaque basal ganglia. We have identified 49 cell types based on transcriptomic profiles and 47 cell types based on epigenomic profiles, some of which exhibit region specificity, and characterized the molecular relationships underlying these brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yunong Sun
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | | | - Jing Yang
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | | | | | - Liang Wu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | | | - Cheng Chen
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yunqi Huang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Siyuan Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Fubaoqian Huang
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chunqing Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Shiping Liu
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Longqi Liu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- BGI Research, Hangzhou 310030, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Ying Lei
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
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23
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Dysin AP, Shcherbakov YS, Nikolaeva OA, Terletskii VP, Tyshchenko VI, Dementieva NV. Salmonidae Genome: Features, Evolutionary and Phylogenetic Characteristics. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122221. [PMID: 36553488 PMCID: PMC9778375 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The salmon family is one of the most iconic and economically important fish families, primarily possessing meat of excellent taste as well as irreplaceable nutritional and biological value. One of the most common and, therefore, highly significant members of this family, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), was not without reason one of the first fish species for which a high-quality reference genome assembly was produced and published. Genomic advancements are becoming increasingly essential in both the genetic enhancement of farmed salmon and the conservation of wild salmon stocks. The salmon genome has also played a significant role in influencing our comprehension of the evolutionary and functional ramifications of the ancestral whole-genome duplication event shared by all Salmonidae species. Here we provide an overview of the current state of research on the genomics and phylogeny of the various most studied subfamilies, genera, and individual salmonid species, focusing on those studies that aim to advance our understanding of salmonid ecology, physiology, and evolution, particularly for the purpose of improving aquaculture production. This review should make potential researchers pay attention to the current state of research on the salmonid genome, which should potentially attract interest in this important problem, and hence the application of new technologies (such as genome editing) in uncovering the genetic and evolutionary features of salmoniforms that underlie functional variation in traits of commercial and scientific importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem P. Dysin
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Yuri S. Shcherbakov
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga A. Nikolaeva
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Valerii P. Terletskii
- All-Russian Research Veterinary Institute of Poultry Science-Branch of the Federal Scientific Center, All-Russian Research and Technological Poultry Institute (ARRVIPS), Lomonosov, 198412 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Valentina I. Tyshchenko
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia V. Dementieva
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia
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24
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Hu Y, Ewen-Campen B, Comjean A, Rodiger J, Mohr SE, Perrimon N. Paralog Explorer: A resource for mining information about paralogs in common research organisms. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6570-6577. [PMID: 36467589 PMCID: PMC9712503 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Paralogs are genes which arose via gene duplication, and when such paralogs retain overlapping or redundant function, this poses a challenge to functional genetics research. Recent technological advancements have made it possible to systematically probe gene function for redundant genes using dual or multiplex gene perturbation, and there is a need for a simple bioinformatic tool to identify putative paralogs of a gene(s) of interest. We have developed Paralog Explorer (https://www.flyrnai.org/tools/paralogs/), an online resource that allows researchers to quickly and accurately identify candidate paralogous genes in the genomes of the model organisms D. melanogaster, C. elegans, D. rerio, M. musculus, and H. sapiens. Paralog Explorer deploys an effective between-species ortholog prediction software, DIOPT, to analyze within-species paralogs. Paralog Explorer allows users to identify candidate paralogs, and to navigate relevant databases regarding gene co-expression, protein-protein and genetic interaction, as well as gene ontology and phenotype annotations. Altogether, this tool extends the value of current ortholog prediction resources by providing sophisticated features useful for identification and study of paralogous genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Corresponding authors at: Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Ben Ewen-Campen
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aram Comjean
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan Rodiger
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephanie E. Mohr
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02138, USA,Corresponding authors at: Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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25
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Anderson NK, Goodwin SE, Schuppe ER, Dawn A, Preininger D, Mangiamele LA, Fuxjager MJ. Activational vs. organizational effects of sex steroids and their role in the evolution of reproductive behavior: Looking to foot-flagging frogs and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105248. [PMID: 36054981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play an important role in regulation of the vertebrate reproductive phenotype. This is because sex steroids not only activate sexual behaviors that mediate copulation, courtship, and aggression, but they also help guide the development of neural and muscular systems that underlie these traits. Many biologists have therefore described the effects of sex steroid action on reproductive behavior as both "activational" and "organizational," respectively. Here, we focus on these phenomena from an evolutionary standpoint, highlighting that we know relatively little about the way that organizational effects evolve in the natural world to support the adaptation and diversification of reproductive behavior. We first review the evidence that such effects do in fact evolve to mediate the evolution of sexual behavior. We then introduce an emerging animal model - the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus - that will be useful to study how sex hormones shape neuromotor development necessary for sexual displays. The foot flag is nothing more than a waving display that males use to compete for access to female mates, and thus the neural circuits that control its production are likely laid down when limb control systems arise during the developmental transition from tadpole to frog. We provide data that highlights how sex steroids might organize foot-flagging behavior through its putative underlying mechanisms. Overall, we anticipate that future studies of foot-flagging frogs will open a powerful window from which to see how sex steroids influence the neuromotor systems to help germinate circuits that drive signaling behavior. In this way, our aim is to bring attention to the important frontier of endocrinological regulation of evolutionary developmental biology (endo-evo-devo) and its relationship to behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Goodwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric R Schuppe
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - AllexAndrya Dawn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America.
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Gao F, Li C, Smith SM, Peinado N, Kohbodi G, Tran E, Loh YHE, Li W, Borok Z, Minoo P. Decoding the IGF1 signaling gene regulatory network behind alveologenesis from a mouse model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. eLife 2022; 11:e77522. [PMID: 36214448 PMCID: PMC9581530 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung development is precisely controlled by underlying gene regulatory networks (GRN). Disruption of genes in the network can interrupt normal development and cause diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) - a chronic lung disease in preterm infants with morbid and sometimes lethal consequences characterized by lung immaturity and reduced alveolarization. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse exhibiting a moderate severity BPD phenotype by blocking IGF1 signaling in secondary crest myofibroblasts (SCMF) at the onset of alveologenesis. Using approaches mirroring the construction of the model GRN in sea urchin's development, we constructed the IGF1 signaling network underlying alveologenesis using this mouse model that phenocopies BPD. The constructed GRN, consisting of 43 genes, provides a bird's eye view of how the genes downstream of IGF1 are regulatorily connected. The GRN also reveals a mechanistic interpretation of how the effects of IGF1 signaling are transduced within SCMF from its specification genes to its effector genes and then from SCMF to its neighboring alveolar epithelial cells with WNT5A and FGF10 signaling as the bridge. Consistently, blocking WNT5A signaling in mice phenocopies BPD as inferred by the network. A comparative study on human samples suggests that a GRN of similar components and wiring underlies human BPD. Our network view of alveologenesis is transforming our perspective to understand and treat BPD. This new perspective calls for the construction of the full signaling GRN underlying alveologenesis, upon which targeted therapies for this neonatal chronic lung disease can be viably developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Changgong Li
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Susan M Smith
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Neil Peinado
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Golenaz Kohbodi
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Evelyn Tran
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Yong-Hwee Eddie Loh
- Norris Medical Library, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Nephrology, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese MedicineNanjingChina
| | - Zea Borok
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Parviz Minoo
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
- Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
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Fu T, Park HH, Kim KS. Role of the cAMP signaling pathway in the dissemination and development on pepper fruit anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum scovillei. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1003195. [PMID: 36262188 PMCID: PMC9574036 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1003195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ascomycete fungus Colletotrichum scovillei causes severe anthracnose disease on the fruit of sweet pepper and chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) worldwide. Understanding the biology of C. scovillei would improve the management of fruit anthracnose diseases. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway regulates diverse cellular and physiological processes in several foliar fungal pathogens. We investigated the roles of the cAMP signaling pathway in C. scovillei using pharmaceutical and genetic approaches. Exogenous cAMP was found to increase conidiation, appressorium formation, and anthracnose disease development in C. scovillei. CsAc1, CsCap1, and CsPdeH, which regulate the intracellular cAMP level, were deleted by homology-dependent gene replacement. Expectedly, the intracellular cAMP level was significantly decreased in ΔCsac1 and ΔCscap1 but increased in ΔCspdeh. All three deletion mutants exhibited serious defects in multiple fungal developments and pathogenicity, suggesting regulation of the intracellular cAMP level is important for C. scovillei. Notably, exogenous cAMP recovered the defect of ΔCsac1 in appressorium development, but not penetration, which was further recovered by adding CaCl2. This result suggests that CsAc1 is associated with both the cAMP and Ca2+ signaling pathways in C. scovillei. ΔCscap1 produced morphologically abnormal conidia with reduced tolerance to thermal stress. ΔCspdeh was completely defective in conidiation in C. scovillei, unlike other foliar pathogens. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of cAMP signaling in anthracnose disease caused by C. scovillei.
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Chen W, Zhang Y, Li R, Huang W, Wei X, Zeng D, Liang Y, Zeng Y, Chen M, Zhang L, Gao W, Zhu Y, Li Y, Zhang G. Notch3 Transactivates Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3-Beta and Inhibits Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182872. [PMID: 36139447 PMCID: PMC9497076 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As a critical transformational process in the attributes of epithelial cells, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in tumor invasion, metastasis, and resistance to treatment, which contributes to the ultimate death of some patients with breast cancer. Glycogen synthase kinase-3-beta (GSK3β) is thought to be an EMT suppressor that down-regulates the protein, snail, a zinc finger transcription inhibitor, and regulates E-cadherin expression and the Wnt signaling pathway. Our previous studies have shown that Notch3 also inhibits EMT in breast cancer. In mammary gland cells, GSK3β physically bound and phosphorylated the intracellular domain of two Notch paralogs: N1ICD was positively regulated, but N2ICD was negatively regulated; however, the relationship between Notch3, GSK3β, and EMT in breast cancer is still unclear and crosstalk between Notch3 and GSK3β has not been widely investigated. In this study, we revealed that Notch3 was an essential antagonist of EMT in breast cancer cells by transcriptionally upregulating GSK3β. In breast cancer, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, the silencing of Notch3 reduced GSK3β expression, which is sufficient to induce EMT. Conversely, ectopic Notch3 expression re-activated GSK3β and E-cadherin. Mechanistically, Notch3 can bind to the GSK3β promoter directly and activate GSK3β transcription. In human breast cancer samples, Notch3 expression is positively associated with GSK3β (r = 0.416, p = 0.001); moreover, high expressions of Notch3 and GSK3β mRNA are correlated to better relapse-free survival in all breast cancer patients via analysis in "the Kaplan-Meier plotter" database. In summary, our preliminary results suggested that Notch3 might inhibit EMT by trans-activating GSK3β in breast cancer cells. The suppression of Notch3 expression may contribute to EMT by transcriptionally downregulating GSK3β in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiling Chen
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Yongqu Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Ronghui Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Wenhe Huang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Xiaolong Wei
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515041, China
| | - De Zeng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yuanke Liang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yunzhu Zeng
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Min Chen
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Wenliang Gao
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Yaochen Li
- Department of Central Lab, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515041, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (G.Z.)
| | - Guojun Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Key Laboratory for Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine of Xiamen, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, No. 2000 Xiang’an East Road, Xiamen 361101, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (G.Z.)
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Schumacher M, DelCurto-Wyffels H, Thomson J, Boles J. Fat Deposition and Fat Effects on Meat Quality—A Review. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12121550. [PMID: 35739885 PMCID: PMC9219498 DOI: 10.3390/ani12121550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Animal fat deposition has a major impact on the meat yield from individual carcasses as well the perceived eating quality for consumers. Understanding the impact of livestock production practices on fat deposition and the molecular mechanisms activated will lead to a better understanding of finishing livestock. This enhanced understanding will also lead to the increased efficiency and improved sustainability of practices for livestock production. The impact of fat storage on physiological functions and health are also important. This review brings together both the production practices and the current understanding of molecular processes associated with fat deposition. Abstract Growth is frequently described as weight gain over time. Researchers have used this information in equations to predict carcass composition and estimate fat deposition. Diet, species, breed, and gender all influence fat deposition. Alterations in diets result in changes in fat deposition as well as the fatty acid profile of meat. Additionally, the amount and composition of the fat can affect lipid stability and flavor development upon cooking. Fat functions not only as a storage of energy and contributor of flavor compounds, but also participates in signaling that affects many aspects of the physiological functions of the animal. Transcription factors that are upregulated in response to excess energy to be stored are an important avenue of research to improve the understanding of fat deposition and thus, the efficiency of production. Additionally, further study of the inflammation associated with increased fat depots may lead to a better understanding of finishing animals, production efficiency, and overall health.
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Evolutionary Divergence and Radula Diversification in Two Ecomorphs from an Adaptive Radiation of Freshwater Snails. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061029. [PMID: 35741791 PMCID: PMC9222583 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Adaptive diversification of complex traits plays a pivotal role in the evolution of organismal diversity. In the freshwater snail genus Tylomelania, adaptive radiations were likely promoted by trophic specialization via diversification of their key foraging organ, the radula. (2) Methods: To investigate the molecular basis of radula diversification and its contribution to lineage divergence, we used tissue-specific transcriptomes of two sympatric Tylomelania sarasinorum ecomorphs. (3) Results: We show that ecomorphs are genetically divergent lineages with habitat-correlated abundances. Sequence divergence and the proportion of highly differentially expressed genes are significantly higher between radula transcriptomes compared to the mantle and foot. However, the same is not true when all differentially expressed genes or only non-synonymous SNPs are considered. Finally, putative homologs of some candidate genes for radula diversification (hh, arx, gbb) were also found to contribute to trophic specialization in cichlids and Darwin’s finches. (4) Conclusions: Our results are in line with diversifying selection on the radula driving Tylomelania ecomorph divergence and indicate that some molecular pathways may be especially prone to adaptive diversification, even across phylogenetically distant animal groups.
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31
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Phillips JE, Santos M, Konchwala M, Xing C, Pan D. Genome editing in the unicellular holozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki suggests a premetazoan role for the Hippo pathway in multicellular morphogenesis. eLife 2022; 11:e77598. [PMID: 35659869 PMCID: PMC9170242 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal development is mediated by a surprisingly small set of canonical signaling pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, Notch, and Hippo pathways. Although once thought to be present only in animals, recent genome sequencing has revealed components of these pathways in the closest unicellular relatives of animals. These findings raise questions about the ancestral functions of these developmental pathways and their potential role in the emergence of animal multicellularity. Here, we provide the first functional characterization of any of these developmental pathways in unicellular organisms by developing techniques for genetic manipulation in Capsaspora owczarzaki, a close unicellular relative of animals that displays aggregative multicellularity. We then use these tools to characterize the Capsaspora ortholog of the Hippo signaling nuclear effector YAP/TAZ/Yorkie (coYki), a key regulator of tissue size in animals. In contrast to what might be expected based on studies in animals, we show that coYki is dispensable for cell proliferation but regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and the three-dimensional (3D) shape of multicellular structures. We further demonstrate that the cytoskeletal abnormalities of individual coYki mutant cells underlie the abnormal 3D shape of coYki mutant aggregates. Taken together, these findings implicate an ancestral role for the Hippo pathway in cytoskeletal dynamics and multicellular morphogenesis predating the origin of animal multicellularity, which was co-opted during evolution to regulate cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Phillips
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Maribel Santos
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Mohammed Konchwala
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth & Development, Departments of Bioinformatics and Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Chao Xing
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth & Development, Departments of Bioinformatics and Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Duojia Pan
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
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Meister L, Escriva H, Bertrand S. Functions of the FGF signalling pathway in cephalochordates provide insight into the evolution of the prechordal plate. Development 2022; 149:275365. [PMID: 35575387 PMCID: PMC9188755 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling pathway plays various roles during vertebrate embryogenesis, from mesoderm formation to brain patterning. This diversity of functions relies on the fact that vertebrates possess the largest FGF gene complement among metazoans. In the cephalochordate amphioxus, which belongs to the chordate clade together with vertebrates and tunicates, we have previously shown that the main role of FGF during early development is the control of rostral somite formation. Inhibition of this signalling pathway induces the loss of these structures, resulting in an embryo without anterior segmented mesoderm, as in the vertebrate head. Here, by combining several approaches, we show that the anterior presumptive paraxial mesoderm cells acquire an anterior axial fate when FGF signal is inhibited and that they are later incorporated in the anterior notochord. Our analysis of notochord formation in wild type and in embryos in which FGF signalling is inhibited also reveals that amphioxus anterior notochord presents transient prechordal plate features. Altogether, our results give insight into how changes in FGF functions during chordate evolution might have participated to the emergence of the complex vertebrate head. Summary: FGF signalling inhibition in cephalochordates induces a loss of anteriormost somites. After FGFR inhibition, the presomitic anterior region cells are incorporated in the anterior notochord which transiently present prechordal plate features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydvina Meister
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Hector Escriva
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Stéphanie Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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Elbl PM, de Souza DT, Rosado D, de Oliveira LF, Navarro BV, Matioli SR, Floh EIS. Building an embryo: An auxin gene toolkit for zygotic and somatic embryogenesis in Brazilian pine. Gene 2022; 817:146168. [PMID: 34995731 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.146168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Many studies in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana characterized genes involved in embryo formation. However, much remains to be learned about the portfolio of genes that are involved in signal transduction and transcriptional regulation during plant embryo development in other species, particularly in an evolutionary context, especially considering that some genes involved in embryo patterning are not exclusive of land plants. This study, used a combination of domain architecture phylostratigraphy and phylogenetic reconstruction to investigate the evolutionary history of embryo patterning and auxin metabolism (EPAM) genes in Viridiplantae. This approach shed light on the co-optation of auxin metabolism and other molecular mechanisms that contributed to the radiation of land plants, and specifically to embryo formation. These results have potential to assist conservation programs, by directing the development of tools for obtaining somatic embryos. In this context, we employed this methodology with critically endangered and non-model species Araucaria angustifolia, the Brazilian pine, which is current focus of conservation efforts using somatic embryogenesis. So far, this approach had little success since somatic embryos fail to completely develop. By profiling the expression of genes that we identified as necessary for the emergence of land-plant embryos, we found striking differences between zygotic and somatic embryos that might explain the developmental arrest and be used to improve A. angustifolia somatic culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula M Elbl
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Diego T de Souza
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Computer Science, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniele Rosado
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, United States
| | - Leandro F de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bruno V Navarro
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Laboratory of Plant Physiological Ecology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio R Matioli
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eny I S Floh
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Karunaraj P, Tidswell O, Duncan EJ, Lovegrove MR, Jefferies G, Johnson TK, Beck CW, Dearden PK. Noggin proteins are multifunctional extracellular regulators of cell signalling. Genetics 2022; 221:6561546. [PMID: 35357435 PMCID: PMC9071555 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Noggin is an extracellular cysteine knot protein that plays a crucial role in vertebrate dorsoventral patterning. Noggin binds and inhibits the activity of bone morphogenetic proteins via a conserved N-terminal clip domain. Noncanonical orthologs of Noggin that lack a clip domain (“Noggin-like” proteins) are encoded in many arthropod genomes and are thought to have evolved into receptor tyrosine kinase ligands that promote Torso/receptor tyrosine kinase signaling rather than inhibiting bone morphogenic protein signaling. Here, we examined the molecular function of noggin/noggin-like genes (ApNL1 and ApNL2) from the arthropod pea aphid using the dorso-ventral patterning of Xenopus and the terminal patterning system of Drosophila to identify whether these proteins function as bone morphogenic protein or receptor tyrosine kinase signaling regulators. Our findings reveal that ApNL1 from the pea aphid can regulate both bone morphogenic protein and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, and unexpectedly, that the clip domain is not essential for its antagonism of bone morphogenic protein signaling. Our findings indicate that ancestral noggin/noggin-like genes were multifunctional regulators of signaling that have specialized to regulate multiple cell signaling pathways during the evolution of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashath Karunaraj
- Laboratory for Development and Regeneration, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand.,Genomics Aotearoa and Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - Olivia Tidswell
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Grace Jefferies
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Travis K Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Caroline W Beck
- Laboratory for Development and Regeneration, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - Peter K Dearden
- Genomics Aotearoa and Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand
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Abstract
In this manuscript, we address an essential question in developmental and evolutionary biology: How have changes in gene regulatory networks contributed to the invertebrate-to-vertebrate transition? To address this issue, we perturbed four signaling pathways critical for body plan formation in the cephalochordate amphioxus and in zebrafish and compared the effects of such perturbations on gene expression and gene regulation in both species. Our data reveal that many developmental genes have gained response to these signaling pathways in the vertebrate lineage. Moreover, we show that the interconnectivity between these pathways is much higher in zebrafish than in amphioxus. We conclude that this increased signaling pathway complexity likely contributed to vertebrate morphological novelties during evolution. Signaling pathways control a large number of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) during animal development, acting as major tools for body plan formation [A. Pires-daSilva, R. J. Sommer, Nat. Rev. Genet. 4, 39–49 (2003)], although only a few of these pathways operate during this period [J. J. Sanz-Ezquerro, A. E. Münsterberg, S. Stricker, Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 5, 76 (2017)]. Moreover, most of them have been largely conserved during metazoan evolution [L. S. Babonis, M. Q. Martindale, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 372, 20150477 (2017)]. How evolution has generated a vast diversity of animal morphologies with such a limited number of tools is still largely unknown. Here, we show that gain of interconnectivity between signaling pathways and the GRNs they control may have critically contributed to the origin of vertebrates. We perturbed the retinoic acid, Wnt, FGF, and Nodal signaling pathways during gastrulation in the invertebrate chordate amphioxus and zebrafish and compared the effects on gene expression and cis-regulatory elements (CREs). We found that multiple developmental genes gain response to these pathways through vertebrate-specific CREs. Moreover, in contrast to amphioxus, many of these CREs responded to multiple pathways in zebrafish, which reflects their high interconnectivity. Furthermore, we found that vertebrate-specific cell types are more enriched in highly interconnected genes than in tissues with more ancient origin. Thus, the increase of CREs in vertebrates integrating inputs from different signaling pathways probably contributed to gene expression complexity and to the formation of new cell types and morphological novelties in this lineage.
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Lo WS, Sommer RJ. Vitamin B 12 and predatory behavior in nematodes. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2022; 119:471-489. [PMID: 35337632 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The round worms or nematodes are the largest phylum of animals with an estimated species number of more than one million. Nematodes have invaded all ecosystems and are known from all continents including Antarctica. Parasitic species infest plants, animals and humans often with high host-specificity. Free-living species are known from marine, fresh water and soil systems, the latter of which contain many culturable species. This includes Caenorhabditis elegans, a species that was developed as one of the most prominent model systems in modern biology since the 1960ies. Pristionchus pacificus is a second nematode model organism that can easily be cultured in the laboratory. This species shows a number of complex traits including omnivorous feeding and the capability of predation on other nematodes. Predation depends on the formation of teeth-like denticles in the mouth of P. pacificus, structures unknown from C. elegans and most other nematodes. Here, we review the current knowledge about the role of vitamin B12 for the predatory behavior in P. pacificus and correlate its role with that on the physiology and development in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sui Lo
- Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralf J Sommer
- Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Lani-Louzada R, Marra C, Dias MS, de Araújo VG, Abreu CA, Ribas VT, Adesse D, Allodi S, Chiodo V, Hauswirth W, Petrs-Silva H, Linden R. Neuroprotective Gene Therapy by Overexpression of the Transcription Factor MAX in Rat Models of Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:5. [PMID: 35103748 PMCID: PMC8819487 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.2.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Based on our preview evidence that reduced nuclear content of the transcription factor Myc-associated protein X (MAX) is an early event associated with degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), in the present study, our purpose was to test whether the overexpression of human MAX had a neuroprotective effect against RGC injury. Methods Overexpression of either MAX or green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the retina was achieved by intravitreal injections of recombinant adenovirus-associated viruses (rAAVs). Lister Hooded rats were used in three models of RGC degeneration: (1) cultures of retinal explants for 30 hours ex vivo from the eyes of 14-day-old rats that had received intravitreal injections of rAAV2-MAX or the control vector rAAV2-GFP at birth; (2) an optic nerve crush model, in which 1-month-old rats received intravitreal injection of either rAAV2-MAX or rAAV2-GFP and, 4 weeks later, were operated on; and (3) an ocular hypertension (OHT) glaucoma model, in which 1-month-old rats received intravitreal injection of either rAAV2-MAX or rAAV2-GFP and, 4 weeks later, were subject to cauterization of the limbal plexus. Cell death was estimated by detection of pyknotic nuclei and TUNEL technique and correlated with MAX immunocontent in an ex vivo model of retinal explants. MAX expression was detected by quantitative RT-PCR. In the OHT model, survival of RGCs was quantified by retrograde labeling with DiI or immunostaining for BRN3a at 14 days after in vivo injury. Functional integrity of RGCs was analyzed through pattern electroretinography, and damage to the optic nerve was examined in semithin sections. Results In all three models of RGC insult, gene therapy by overexpression of MAX prevented RGC death. Also, ON degeneration and electrophysiologic deficits were prevented in the OHT model. Conclusions Our experiments offer proof of concept for a novel neuroprotective gene therapy for glaucomatous neurodegeneration based on overexpression of MAX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Lani-Louzada
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Camila Marra
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Santana Dias
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Victor Guedes de Araújo
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carla Andreia Abreu
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Toledo Ribas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Daniel Adesse
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Silvana Allodi
- Laboratory of Comparative and Developmental Neurobiology, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vince Chiodo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - William Hauswirth
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Hilda Petrs-Silva
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Linden
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Zhou J, Dabiri Y, Gama-Brambila RA, Ghafoory S, Altinbay M, Mehrabi A, Golriz M, Blagojevic B, Reuter S, Han K, Seidel A, Đikić I, Wölfl S, Cheng X. pVHL-mediated SMAD3 degradation suppresses TGF-β signaling. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:212891. [PMID: 34860252 PMCID: PMC8650352 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202012097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling plays a fundamental role in metazoan development and tissue homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms concerning the ubiquitin-related dynamic regulation of TGF-β signaling are not thoroughly understood. Using a combination of proteomics and an siRNA screen, we identify pVHL as an E3 ligase for SMAD3 ubiquitination. We show that pVHL directly interacts with conserved lysine and proline residues in the MH2 domain of SMAD3, triggering degradation. As a result, the level of pVHL expression negatively correlates with the expression and activity of SMAD3 in cells, Drosophila wing, and patient tissues. In Drosophila, loss of pVHL leads to the up-regulation of TGF-β targets visible in a downward wing blade phenotype, which is rescued by inhibition of SMAD activity. Drosophila pVHL expression exhibited ectopic veinlets and reduced wing growth in a similar manner as upon loss of TGF-β/SMAD signaling. Thus, our study demonstrates a conserved role of pVHL in the regulation of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling in human cells and Drosophila wing development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Hunan University, Changsha, China.,Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yasamin Dabiri
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rodrigo A Gama-Brambila
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shahrouz Ghafoory
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mukaddes Altinbay
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mohammad Golriz
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Biljana Blagojevic
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reuter
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Jena, Germany
| | - Kang Han
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Seidel
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ivan Đikić
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Racca JD, Chatterjee D, Chen YS, Rai RK, Yang Y, Georgiadis MM, Haas E, Weiss MA. Tenuous transcriptional threshold of human sex determination. II. SRY exploits water-mediated clamp at the edge of ambiguity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1029177. [PMID: 36568077 PMCID: PMC9771472 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1029177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Y-encoded transcription factor SRY initiates male differentiation in therian mammals. This factor contains a high-mobility-group (HMG) box, which mediates sequence-specific DNA binding with sharp DNA bending. A companion article in this issue described sex-reversal mutations at box position 72 (residue 127 in human SRY), invariant as Tyr among mammalian orthologs. Although not contacting DNA, the aromatic ring seals the domain's minor wing at a solvent-exposed junction with a basic tail. A seeming paradox was posed by the native-like biochemical properties of inherited Swyer variant Y72F: its near-native gene-regulatory activity is consistent with the father's male development, but at odds with the daughter's XY female somatic phenotype. Surprisingly, aromatic rings (Y72, F72 or W72) confer higher transcriptional activity than do basic or polar side chains generally observed at solvated DNA interfaces (Arg, Lys, His or Gln). Whereas biophysical studies (time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy) uncovered only subtle perturbations, dissociation of the Y72F complex was markedly accelerated relative to wild-type. Studies of protein-DNA solvation by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of an homologous high-resolution crystal structure (SOX18) suggest that Y72 para-OH anchors a network of water molecules at the tail-DNA interface, perturbed in the variant in association with nonlocal conformational fluctuations. Loss of the Y72 anchor among SRY variants presumably "unclamps" its basic tail, leading to (a) rapid DNA dissociation despite native affinity and (b) attenuated transcriptional activity at the edge of sexual ambiguity. Conservation of Y72 suggests that this water-mediated clamp operates generally among SRY and metazoan SOX domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Racca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph D. Racca, ; Michael A. Weiss,
| | - Deepak Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Ratan K. Rai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yanwu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Millie M. Georgiadis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Elisha Haas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph D. Racca, ; Michael A. Weiss,
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Signalling dynamics in embryonic development. Biochem J 2021; 478:4045-4070. [PMID: 34871368 PMCID: PMC8718268 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, cellular behaviour is tightly regulated to allow proper embryonic development and maintenance of adult tissue. A critical component in this control is the communication between cells via signalling pathways, as errors in intercellular communication can induce developmental defects or diseases such as cancer. It has become clear over the last years that signalling is not static but varies in activity over time. Feedback mechanisms present in every signalling pathway lead to diverse dynamic phenotypes, such as transient activation, signal ramping or oscillations, occurring in a cell type- and stage-dependent manner. In cells, such dynamics can exert various functions that allow organisms to develop in a robust and reproducible way. Here, we focus on Erk, Wnt and Notch signalling pathways, which are dynamic in several tissue types and organisms, including the periodic segmentation of vertebrate embryos, and are often dysregulated in cancer. We will discuss how biochemical processes influence their dynamics and how these impact on cellular behaviour within multicellular systems.
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Harper A, Baudouin Gonzalez L, Schönauer A, Janssen R, Seiter M, Holzem M, Arif S, McGregor AP, Sumner-Rooney L. Widespread retention of ohnologs in key developmental gene families following whole-genome duplication in arachnopulmonates. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab299. [PMID: 34849767 PMCID: PMC8664421 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have occurred multiple times during animal evolution, including in lineages leading to vertebrates, teleosts, horseshoe crabs, and arachnopulmonates. These dramatic events initially produce a wealth of new genetic material, generally followed by extensive gene loss. It appears, however, that developmental genes such as homeobox genes, signaling pathway components and microRNAs are frequently retained as duplicates (so-called ohnologs) following WGD. These not only provide the best evidence for WGD, but an opportunity to study its evolutionary consequences. Although these genes are well studied in the context of vertebrate WGD, similar comparisons across the extant arachnopulmonate orders are patchy. We sequenced embryonic transcriptomes from two spider species and two amblypygid species and surveyed three important gene families, Hox, Wnt, and frizzled, across these and 12 existing transcriptomic and genomic resources for chelicerates. We report extensive retention of putative ohnologs, further supporting the ancestral arachnopulmonate WGD. We also found evidence of consistent evolutionary trajectories in Hox and Wnt gene repertoires across three of the six arachnopulmonate orders, with interorder variation in the retention of specific paralogs. We identified variation between major clades in spiders and are better able to reconstruct the chronology of gene duplications and losses in spiders, amblypygids, and scorpions. These insights shed light on the evolution of the developmental toolkit in arachnopulmonates, highlight the importance of the comparative approach within lineages, and provide substantial new transcriptomic data for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Harper
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Luis Baudouin Gonzalez
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Geocentrum, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Seiter
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Holzem
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saad Arif
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Centre for Functional Genomics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Centre for Functional Genomics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Lauren Sumner-Rooney
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK
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de Oliveira AL, Mitchell J, Girguis P, Bright M. Novel insights on obligate symbiont lifestyle and adaptation to chemosynthetic environment as revealed by the giant tubeworm genome. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6454105. [PMID: 34893862 PMCID: PMC8789280 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutualism between the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila and its endosymbiont Candidatus Endoriftia persephone has been extensively researched over the past 40 years. However, the lack of the host whole genome information has impeded the full comprehension of the genotype/phenotype interface in Riftia. Here we described the high-quality draft genome of Riftia, its complete mitogenome, and tissue-specific transcriptomic data. The Riftia genome presents signs of reductive evolution, with gene family contractions exceeding expansions. Expanded gene families are related to sulphur metabolism, detoxification, anti-oxidative stress, oxygen transport, immune system, and lysosomal digestion, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to the vent environment and endosymbiosis. Despite the derived body plan, the developmental gene repertoire in the gutless tubeworm is extremely conserved with the presence of a near intact and complete Hox cluster. Gene expression analyses establishes that the trophosome is a multi-functional organ marked by intracellular digestion of endosymbionts, storage of excretory products and haematopoietic functions. Overall, the plume and gonad tissues both in contact to the environment harbour highly expressed genes involved with cell cycle, programmed cell death, and immunity indicating a high cell turnover and defence mechanisms against pathogens. We posit that the innate immune system plays a more prominent role into the establishment of the symbiosis during the infection in the larval stage, rather than maintaining the symbiostasis in the trophosome. This genome bridges four decades of physiological research in Riftia, whilst simultaneously provides new insights into the development, whole organism functions and evolution in the giant tubeworm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica Mitchell
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Monika Bright
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Austria
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Lyapina I, Ivanov V, Fesenko I. Peptidome: Chaos or Inevitability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13128. [PMID: 34884929 PMCID: PMC8658490 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of naturally occurring peptides differing in their origin, abundance and possible functions have been identified in the tissue and biological fluids of vertebrates, insects, fungi, plants and bacteria. These peptide pools are referred to as intracellular or extracellular peptidomes, and besides a small proportion of well-characterized peptide hormones and defense peptides, are poorly characterized. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that unknown bioactive peptides are hidden in the peptidomes of different organisms. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of generation and properties of peptidomes across different organisms. Based on their origin, we propose three large peptide groups-functional protein "degradome", small open reading frame (smORF)-encoded peptides (smORFome) and specific precursor-derived peptides. The composition of peptide pools identified by mass-spectrometry analysis in human cells, plants, yeast and bacteria is compared and discussed. The functions of different peptide groups, for example the role of the "degradome" in promoting defense signaling, are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Igor Fesenko
- Department of Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Plants, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (I.L.); (V.I.)
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Csabai L, Fazekas D, Kadlecsik T, Szalay-Bekő M, Bohár B, Madgwick M, Módos D, Ölbei M, Gul L, Sudhakar P, Kubisch J, Oyeyemi OJ, Liska O, Ari E, Hotzi B, Billes VA, Molnár E, Földvári-Nagy L, Csályi K, Demeter A, Pápai N, Koltai M, Varga M, Lenti K, Farkas IJ, Türei D, Csermely P, Vellai T, Korcsmáros T. SignaLink3: a multi-layered resource to uncover tissue-specific signaling networks. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D701-D709. [PMID: 34634810 PMCID: PMC8728204 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling networks represent the molecular mechanisms controlling a cell's response to various internal or external stimuli. Most currently available signaling databases contain only a part of the complex network of intertwining pathways, leaving out key interactions or processes. Hence, we have developed SignaLink3 (http://signalink.org/), a value-added knowledge-base that provides manually curated data on signaling pathways and integrated data from several types of databases (interaction, regulation, localisation, disease, etc.) for humans, and three major animal model organisms. SignaLink3 contains over 400 000 newly added human protein-protein interactions resulting in a total of 700 000 interactions for Homo sapiens, making it one of the largest integrated signaling network resources. Next to H. sapiens, SignaLink3 is the only current signaling network resource to provide regulatory information for the model species Caenorhabditis elegans and Danio rerio, and the largest resource for Drosophila melanogaster. Compared to previous versions, we have integrated gene expression data as well as subcellular localization of the interactors, therefore uniquely allowing tissue-, or compartment-specific pathway interaction analysis to create more accurate models. Data is freely available for download in widely used formats, including CSV, PSI-MI TAB or SQL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Csabai
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Dávid Fazekas
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Tamás Kadlecsik
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | | | - Balázs Bohár
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Matthew Madgwick
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Dezső Módos
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Márton Ölbei
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Lejla Gul
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Padhmanand Sudhakar
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders, Leuven BE-3000, Belgium
| | - János Kubisch
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | | | - Orsolya Liska
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged H-6726, Hungary.,Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Szeged H-6726, Hungary.,Doctoral School in Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged H-6720 Hungary
| | - Eszter Ari
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged H-6726, Hungary.,Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Szeged H-6726, Hungary
| | - Bernadette Hotzi
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Viktor A Billes
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,ELKH/MTA-ELTE Genetics Research Group, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Eszter Molnár
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - László Földvári-Nagy
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,Department of Morphology and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1088, Hungary
| | - Kitti Csályi
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Amanda Demeter
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Nóra Pápai
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna A-1030, Austria
| | - Mihály Koltai
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (CMMID), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Máté Varga
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Katalin Lenti
- Department of Morphology and Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1088, Hungary
| | - Illés J Farkas
- Citibank Europe plc Hungarian Branch Office, Budapest H-1133, Hungary
| | - Dénes Türei
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Péter Csermely
- Department of Molecular Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1094, Hungary
| | - Tibor Vellai
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,ELKH/MTA-ELTE Genetics Research Group, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Tamás Korcsmáros
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.,Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
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47
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Streit A. Opinion: What do rescue experiments with heterologous proteins tell us and what not? Parasitol Res 2021; 121:1131-1135. [PMID: 34351494 PMCID: PMC8986660 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07247-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The recent progress in sequencing technology allowed the compilation of gene lists for a large number of organisms, though many of these organisms are hardly experimentally tractable when compared with well-established model organisms. One popular approach to further characterize genes identified in a poorly tractable organism is to express these genes in a model organism, and then ask what the protein does in this system or if the gene is capable of replacing the homologous endogenous one when the latter is mutated. While this is a valid approach for certain questions, I argue that the results of such experiments are frequently wrongly interpreted. If, for example, a gene from a parasitic nematode is capable of replacing its homologous gene in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, it is often concluded that the gene is most likely involved in the same biological process in its own organism as the C. elegans gene is in C. elegans. This conclusion is not valid. All this experiment tells us is that the chemical properties of the parasite protein are similar enough to the ones of the C. elegans protein that it can perform the function of the C. elegans protein in C. elegans. Here I discuss this misconception and illustrate it using the analog of similar electric switches (components) controlling various devices (processes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Streit
- Department of Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 9, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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48
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Zhu H. Elucidate growth control mechanisms using reconstructed spatiotemporal distributions of signaling events. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:3618-3627. [PMID: 34257840 PMCID: PMC8249872 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental biological question is how diverse and complex signaling and patterning is controlled correctly to generate distinct tissues, organs, and body plans, but incorrectly in diseased cells and tissues. Signaling pathways important for growth control have been identified, but to identify the mechanisms their transient and context-dependent interactions encode is more difficult. Currently computational systems biology aims to infer the control mechanisms by investigating quantitative changes of gene expression and protein concentrations, but this inference is difficult in nature. We propose it is desirable to explicitly simulate events and orders of gene regulation and protein interactions, which better elucidate control mechanisms, and report a method and tool with three examples. The Drosophila wing model includes Wnt, PCP, and Hippo pathways and mechanical force, incorporates well-confirmed experimental findings, and generates novel results. The other two examples illustrate the building of three-dimensional and large-scale models. These examples support that reconstructed spatiotemporal distributions of key signaling events help elucidate growth control mechanisms. As biologists pay increasing attention to disordered signaling in diseased cells, to develop new modeling methods and tools for conducting new computational studies is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhu
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Shatai Road, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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49
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Tata A, Chow RD, Tata PR. Epithelial cell plasticity: breaking boundaries and changing landscapes. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e51921. [PMID: 34096150 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues respond to a wide variety of environmental and genotoxic stresses. As an adaptive mechanism, cells can deviate from their natural paths to acquire new identities, both within and across lineages. Under extreme conditions, epithelial tissues can utilize "shape-shifting" mechanisms whereby they alter their form and function at a tissue-wide scale. Mounting evidence suggests that in order to acquire these alternate tissue identities, cells follow a core set of "tissue logic" principles based on developmental paradigms. Here, we review the terminology and the concepts that have been put forward to describe cell plasticity. We also provide insights into various cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including genetic mutations, inflammation, microbiota, and therapeutic agents that contribute to cell plasticity. Additionally, we discuss recent studies that have sought to decode the "syntax" of plasticity-i.e., the cellular and molecular principles through which cells acquire new identities in both homeostatic and malignant epithelial tissues-and how these processes can be manipulated for developing novel cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Tata
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ryan D Chow
- Department of Genetics, Systems Biology Institute, Medical Scientist Training Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Purushothama Rao Tata
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.,Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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50
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Mechanism of Huo-Xue-Qu-Yu Formula in Treating Nonalcoholic Hepatic Steatosis by Regulating Lipid Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Rats. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2021; 2021:6026319. [PMID: 34007294 PMCID: PMC8102110 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6026319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Huo-Xue-Qu-Yu formula (HXQYF) is a prescription consisting of Ginkgo biloba leaf and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. for treating hyperlipidemia and NAFLD in China. Here, we investigated the hepatic and renal function, oxidative stress and lipid metabolism, and potential mechanisms of HXQYF on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rat models. NAFLD rat models were induced with high-fat diet (HFD) and 10% fructose water for 18 weeks and orally administered with or without HXQYF simultaneously. The results showed that HXQYF (22.5, 45, 90 mg/kg) significantly improved blood lipid levels via reducing serum TC, TG, LDL-C, and APOB values and elevating HDL-C and APOA1 levels in NAFLD rats. The higher levels of ALT, AST, CR, and BUN in serum induced by HFD were reduced by HXQYF. HE staining showed that HXQYF (90 mg/kg) reduced the accumulation of fat droplets and alleviated inflammatory response in liver cells. Three doses of HXQYF exhibited notable antioxidant effects by elevating SOD, GSH, and CAT activities and decreasing MDA and OH-1 levels in the liver. Furthermore, abnormal lipid metabolism caused by HFD was alleviated by HXQYF, which was associated with the upregulation of PPAR-α, AdipoR2, and CPT1 mRNAs as well as the downregulation of CYP2E1 and SREBP-1c mRNAs in liver tissue. In conclusion, our work verified that HXQYF could reduce the degree of hepatic steatosis, suppress oxidative stress, and attenuate lipid metabolism, thus preventing NAFLD.
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