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Li X, Wang Z, Wu Q, Klaunig JE. Evaluating the mode of action of perfluorooctanoic acid-induced liver tumors in male Sprague-Dawley rats using a toxicogenomic approach. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART C, TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGENESIS 2024; 42:189-213. [PMID: 38494990 DOI: 10.1080/26896583.2024.2327969] [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: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The mode of action (MOA) underlying perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-induced liver tumors in rats is proposed to involve peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonism. Despite clear PPARα activation evidence in rodent livers, the mechanisms driving cell growth remain elusive. Herein, we used dose-responsive apical endpoints and transcriptomic data to examine the proposed MOA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 0, 1, 5, and 15 mg/kg PFOA for 7, 14, and 28 days via oral gavage. We showed PFOA induced hepatomegaly along with hepatocellular hypertrophy in rats. PPARα was activated in a dose-dependent manner. Toxicogenomic analysis revealed six early biomarkers (Cyp4a1, Nr1d1, Acot1, Acot2, Ehhadh, and Vnn1) in response to PPARα activation. A transient rise in hepatocellular DNA synthesis was demonstrated while Ki-67 labeling index showed no change. Transcriptomic analysis indicated no significant enrichment in pathways related to DNA synthesis, apoptosis, or the cell cycle. Key cyclins including Ccnd1, Ccnb1, Ccna2, and Ccne2 were dose-dependently suppressed by PFOA. Oxidative stress and the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway were unaffected. Overall, evidence for PFOA-induced hepatocellular proliferation was transient within the studied timeframe. Our findings underscore the importance of considering inter-species differences and chemical-specific effects when evaluating the carcinogenic risk of PFOA in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilin Li
- Laboratory of Investigative Toxicology and Pathology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Zemin Wang
- Laboratory of Investigative Toxicology and Pathology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Qiangen Wu
- Laboratory of Investigative Toxicology and Pathology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - James E Klaunig
- Laboratory of Investigative Toxicology and Pathology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Lloret A, Monllor P, Fuchsberger T, Giraldo E, Perluigi M, Vina J. Increased basal antioxidant levels in RCAN1 - deficient mice lowers oxidative injury after acute paraquat insult. Free Radic Res 2020; 54:442-454. [PMID: 32686528 DOI: 10.1080/10715762.2020.1798002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RCAN1 is an inhibitor of the phosphatase calcineurin, which is involved in the regulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis, among other important cell processes. Here we have used RCAN1 deficient mice (RCAN1-/-) to elucidate its role after an acute oxidative insult such as paraquat injection. We have observed that RCAN1-/- mice show less oxidative damage than wildtype (WT) mice after treatment. Under basal conditions, RCAN1-/- animals express more calcineurin, heme oxygenase-1, Nrf2, and catalase compared to WT mice (controls). This may explain the less severe effect of paraquat treatment on RCAN1-/- mice compared to WT. We showed that oxidative stress is involved in the early stages of apoptosis, thus we determined the apoptotic effector BAD and found that decreases in RCAN1-/- mice after treatment with paraquat compared with WT in similar experimental conditions. Our results suggest that RCAN1 may be involved in the balance between oxidant and antioxidant species production in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lloret
- Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, CIBERFES-ISCIII, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Paloma Monllor
- Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, CIBERFES-ISCIII, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Tanja Fuchsberger
- Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, CIBERFES-ISCIII, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esther Giraldo
- Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, CIBERFES-ISCIII, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Biotechnology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.,The Principe Felipe Research Center, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marzia Perluigi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jose Vina
- Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, CIBERFES-ISCIII, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
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Williams JA. Cholecystokinin (CCK) Regulation of Pancreatic Acinar Cells: Physiological Actions and Signal Transduction Mechanisms. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:535-564. [PMID: 30873601 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c180014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic acinar cells synthesize and secrete about 20 digestive enzymes and ancillary proteins with the processes that match the supply of these enzymes to their need in digestion being regulated by a number of hormones (CCK, secretin and insulin), neurotransmitters (acetylcholine and VIP) and growth factors (EGF and IGF). Of these regulators, one of the most important and best studied is the gastrointestinal hormone, cholecystokinin (CCK). Furthermore, the acinar cell has become a model for seven transmembrane, heterotrimeric G protein coupled receptors to regulate multiple processes by distinct signal transduction cascades. In this review, we briefly describe the chemistry and physiology of CCK and then consider the major physiological effects of CCK on pancreatic acinar cells. The majority of the review is devoted to the physiologic signaling pathways activated by CCK receptors and heterotrimeric G proteins and the functions they affect. The pathways covered include the traditional second messenger pathways PLC-IP3-Ca2+ , DAG-PKC, and AC-cAMP-PKA/EPAC that primarily relate to secretion. Then there are the protein-protein interaction pathways Akt-mTOR-S6K, the three major MAPK pathways (ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK), and Ca2+ -calcineurin-NFAT pathways that primarily regulate non-secretory processes including biosynthesis and growth, and several miscellaneous pathways that include the Rho family small G proteins, PKD, FAK, and Src that may regulate both secretory and nonsecretory processes but are not as well understood. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:535-564, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Williams
- University of Michigan, Departments of Molecular & Integrative Physiology and Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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4
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Rotter D, Peiris H, Grinsfelder DB, Martin AM, Burchfield J, Parra V, Hull C, Morales CR, Jessup CF, Matusica D, Parks BW, Lusis AJ, Nguyen NUN, Oh M, Iyoke I, Jakkampudi T, McMillan DR, Sadek HA, Watt MJ, Gupta RK, Pritchard MA, Keating DJ, Rothermel BA. Regulator of Calcineurin 1 helps coordinate whole-body metabolism and thermogenesis. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:embr.201744706. [PMID: 30389725 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201744706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), which expends calories as heat rather than storing them as fat, is championed as an effective way to combat obesity and metabolic disease. Innate mechanisms constraining the capacity for NST present a fundamental limitation to this approach, yet are not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that Regulator of Calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), a feedback inhibitor of the calcium-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN), acts to suppress two distinctly different mechanisms of non-shivering thermogenesis (NST): one involving the activation of UCP1 expression in white adipose tissue, the other mediated by sarcolipin (SLN) in skeletal muscle. UCP1 generates heat at the expense of reducing ATP production, whereas SLN increases ATP consumption to generate heat. Gene expression profiles demonstrate a high correlation between Rcan1 expression and metabolic syndrome. On an evolutionary timescale, in the context of limited food resources, systemic suppression of prolonged NST by RCAN1 might have been beneficial; however, in the face of caloric abundance, RCAN1-mediated suppression of these adaptive avenues of energy expenditure may now contribute to the growing epidemic of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rotter
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Heshan Peiris
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - D Bennett Grinsfelder
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Alyce M Martin
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jana Burchfield
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Valentina Parra
- Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences & Faculty of Medicine, Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS) and Center for Exercise Metabolism and Cancer (CEMC), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Christi Hull
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Cyndi R Morales
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Claire F Jessup
- Department of Anatomy and Histology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Dusan Matusica
- Department of Anatomy and Histology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Brian W Parks
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Aldons J Lusis
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ngoc Uyen Nhi Nguyen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Misook Oh
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Israel Iyoke
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tanvi Jakkampudi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - D Randy McMillan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Children's Medical Centre, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hesham A Sadek
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J Watt
- The Department of Physiology and Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Metabolic Disease and Obesity Program, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Rana K Gupta
- Touchstone Diabetes Center and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Melanie A Pritchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Damien J Keating
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia .,South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Beverly A Rothermel
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA .,Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, TX, USA
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Norberg KJ, Nania S, Li X, Gao H, Szatmary P, Segersvärd R, Haas S, Wagman A, Arnelo U, Sutton R, Heuchel RL, Löhr JM. RCAN1 is a marker of oxidative stress, induced in acute pancreatitis. Pancreatology 2018; 18:734-741. [PMID: 30139658 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, there still is a lack of specific acute pancreatitis markers and specifically an early marker that can reliably predict disease severity. The inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis is mediated in part through oxidative stress and calcineurin-NFAT (Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells) signaling, which is inducing its own negative regulator, regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1). Caerulein induction is a commonly used in vivo model of experimental acute pancreatitis. Caerulein induces CN-NFAT signaling, reactive oxygen species and inflammation. METHODS To screen for potential markers of acute pancreatitis, we used the caerulein model of experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) in C57Bl/6 J mice. Pancreata from treated and control mice were used for expression profiling. Promising gene candidates were validated in cell culture experiments using primary murine acinar cells and rat AR42J cells. These candidates were then further tested for their usefulness as biomarkers in mouse and human plasma. RESULTS We identified a number of novel genes, including Regulator of calcineurin 1 (Rcan1) and Sestrin 2 (Sesn2) and demonstrated that they are induced by oxidative stress, by stimulation with H2O2 and by inhibiting caerulein stimulated expression with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. We found Rcan1 protein to be significantly elevated in AP-induced mouse plasma as well as in plasma from AP patients. CONCLUSION We demonstrated that Rcan1 is regulated by oxidative stress and identified RCAN1 as a potential diagnostic marker of AP.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Jessica Norberg
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Salvatore Nania
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xuan Li
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hui Gao
- Dept. of Biosciences and Nutrition (BioNut), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Szatmary
- Liverpool Pancreatitis Research Group, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Ralf Segersvärd
- Centre for Digestive Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephan Haas
- Centre for Digestive Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika Wagman
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Urban Arnelo
- Centre for Digestive Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert Sutton
- Liverpool Pancreatitis Research Group, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Rainer L Heuchel
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Matthias Löhr
- Pancreas Cancer Research Lab, Dept. of Clinical Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Digestive Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
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6
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Peiris H, Keating DJ. The neuronal and endocrine roles of RCAN1 in health and disease. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2017; 45:377-383. [PMID: 29094385 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) was first discovered as a gene located on human chromosome 21, expressed in neurons and overexpressed in the brains of Down syndrome individuals. Increased expression of RCAN1 has been linked with not only Down syndrome-associated pathology but also an associated neurological disorder, Alzheimer's Disease, in which neuronal RCAN1 expression is also increased. RCAN1 has additionally been demonstrated to affect other cell types including endocrine cells, with links to the pathogenesis of β-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. The primary functions of RCAN1 relate to the inhibition of the phosphatase calcineurin, and to the regulation of mitochondrial function. Various forms of cellular stress such as reactive oxygen species and hyperglycaemia cause transient increases in RCAN1 expression. The short term (hours to days) induction of RCAN1 expression is generally thought to have a protective effect by regulating the expression of pro-survival genes in multiple cell types, many of which are mediated via the calcineurin/NFAT transcriptional pathway. However, strong evidence also supports the notion that chronic (weeks-years) overexpression of RCAN1 has a detrimental effect on cells and that this may drive pathophysiological changes in neurons and endocrine cells linked to Down syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and type 2 diabetes. Here we review the evidence related to these roles of RCAN1 in neurons and endocrine cells and their relationship to these human health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heshan Peiris
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Damien J Keating
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Khoriaty R, Vogel N, Hoenerhoff MJ, Sans MD, Zhu G, Everett L, Nelson B, Durairaj H, McKnight B, Zhang B, Ernst SA, Ginsburg D, Williams JA. SEC23B is required for pancreatic acinar cell function in adult mice. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:2146-2154. [PMID: 28539403 PMCID: PMC5509426 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-01-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inactivation of Sec23b exclusively in the pancreatic acinar cells of adult mice results in loss of pancreatic mass, with evidence of cell loss, degeneration of exocrine cells (with smaller-than-normal zymogen granules and ER dilation), ER stress, and increased pancreatic cell apoptosis. Mice with germline absence of SEC23B die perinatally, exhibiting massive pancreatic degeneration. We generated mice with tamoxifen-inducible, pancreatic acinar cell–specific Sec23b deletion. Inactivation of Sec23b exclusively in the pancreatic acinar cells of adult mice results in decreased overall pancreatic weights from pancreatic cell loss (decreased pancreatic DNA, RNA, and total protein content), as well as degeneration of exocrine cells, decreased zymogen granules, and alterations in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ranging from vesicular ER to markedly expanded cisternae with accumulation of moderate-density content or intracisternal granules. Acinar Sec23b deletion results in induction of ER stress and increased apoptosis in the pancreas, potentially explaining the loss of pancreatic cells and decreased pancreatic weight. These findings demonstrate that SEC23B is required for normal function of pancreatic acinar cells in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Khoriaty
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Nancy Vogel
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Mark J Hoenerhoff
- In Vivo Animal Core, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - M Dolors Sans
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Guojing Zhu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Lesley Everett
- University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Bradley Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Haritha Durairaj
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Brooke McKnight
- College of Literature Science and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Bin Zhang
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Stephen A Ernst
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - David Ginsburg
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 .,Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - John A Williams
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 .,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Transcriptional Maintenance of Pancreatic Acinar Identity, Differentiation, and Homeostasis by PTF1A. Mol Cell Biol 2016; 36:3033-3047. [PMID: 27697859 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00358-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of cell type identity is crucial for health, yet little is known of the regulation that sustains the long-term stability of differentiated phenotypes. To investigate the roles that key transcriptional regulators play in adult differentiated cells, we examined the effects of depletion of the developmental master regulator PTF1A on the specialized phenotype of the adult pancreatic acinar cell in vivo Transcriptome sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing results showed that PTF1A maintains the expression of genes for all cellular processes dedicated to the production of the secretory digestive enzymes, a highly attuned surveillance of unfolded proteins, and a heightened unfolded protein response (UPR). Control by PTF1A is direct on target genes and indirect through a ten-member transcription factor network. Depletion of PTF1A causes an imbalance that overwhelms the UPR, induces cellular injury, and provokes acinar metaplasia. Compromised cellular identity occurs by derepression of characteristic stomach genes, some of which are also associated with pancreatic ductal cells. The loss of acinar cell homeostasis, differentiation, and identity is directly relevant to the pathologies of pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
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9
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Zhan X, Wang F, Bi Y, Ji B. Animal models of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Animal models of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2016; 311:G343-55. [PMID: 27418683 PMCID: PMC5076005 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00372.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of pancreatitis are useful for elucidating the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and developing and testing novel interventions. In this review, we aim to summarize the most commonly used animal models, overview their pathophysiology, and discuss their strengths and limitations. We will also briefly describe common animal study procedures and refer readers to more detailed protocols in the literature. Although animal models include pigs, dogs, opossums, and other animals, we will mainly focus on rodent models because of their popularity. Autoimmune pancreatitis and genetically engineered animal models will be reviewed elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbao Zhan
- 1Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida and
| | - Fan Wang
- 1Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida and
| | - Yan Bi
- 2Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Baoan Ji
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida and
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10
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Cras-Méneur C, Conlon M, Zhang Y, Pasca Di Magliano M, Bernal-Mizrachi E. Early pancreatic islet fate and maturation is controlled through RBP-Jκ. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26874. [PMID: 27240887 PMCID: PMC4886527 DOI: 10.1038/srep26874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Notch signaling is known to control early pancreatic differentiation through Ngn3 repression. In later stages, downstream of Notch, the Presenilins are still required to maintain the endocrine fate allocation. Amongst their multiple targets, it remains unclear which one actually controls the maintenance of the fate of the early islets. Conditional deletions of the Notch effector RBP-Jκ with lineage tracing in Presenilin-deficient endocrine progenitors, demonstrated that this factor is central to the control of the fate through a non-canonical Notch mechanism. RBP-Jκ mice exhibit normal islet morphogenesis and function, however, a fraction of the progenitors fails to differentiate and develop into disorganized masses resembling acinar to ductal metaplasia and chronic pancreatitis. A subsequent deletion of RBP-Jκ in forming β-cells led to the transdifferentiation into the other endocrine cells types, indicating that this factor still mediates the maintenance of the fate within the endocrine lineage itself. These results highlight the dual importance of Notch signaling for the endocrine lineage. Even after Ngn3 expression, Notch activity is required to maintain both fate and maturation of the Ngn3 progenitors. In a subset of the cells, these alterations of Notch signaling halt their differentiation and leads to acinar to ductal metaplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Cras-Méneur
- University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Internal Medicine Department, MEND Division Brehm Tower, 1000 Wall St, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1912, USA
| | - Megan Conlon
- University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Internal Medicine Department, MEND Division Brehm Tower, 1000 Wall St, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1912, USA
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Department of Surgery, General Surgery Division 4304 Cancer Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48109-5936, USA
| | - Marina Pasca Di Magliano
- University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Department of Surgery, General Surgery Division 4304 Cancer Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48109-5936, USA
| | - Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism 1400 NW 10th Ave, Miami, FL 33136-1031, USA
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11
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NFATc4 Regulates Sox9 Gene Expression in Acinar Cell Plasticity and Pancreatic Cancer Initiation. Stem Cells Int 2015; 2016:5272498. [PMID: 26697077 PMCID: PMC4677249 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5272498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinar transdifferentiation toward a duct-like phenotype constitutes the defining response of acinar cells to external stress signals and is considered to be the initial step in pancreatic carcinogenesis. Despite the requirement for oncogenic Kras in pancreatic cancer (PDAC) development, oncogenic Kras is not sufficient to drive pancreatic carcinogenesis beyond the level of premalignancy. Instead, secondary events, such as inflammation-induced signaling activation of the epidermal growth factor (EGFR) or induction of Sox9 expression, are required for tumor formation. Herein, we aimed to dissect the mechanism that links EGFR signaling to Sox9 gene expression during acinar-to-ductal metaplasia in pancreatic tissue adaptation and PDAC initiation. We show that the inflammatory transcription factor NFATc4 is highly induced and localizes in the nucleus in response to inflammation-induced EGFR signaling. Moreover, we demonstrate that NFATc4 drives acinar-to-ductal conversion and PDAC initiation through direct transcriptional induction of Sox9. Therefore, strategies designed to disrupt NFATc4 induction might be beneficial in the prevention or therapy of PDAC.
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12
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MYC in pancreatic cancer: novel mechanistic insights and their translation into therapeutic strategies. Oncogene 2015; 35:1609-18. [PMID: 26119937 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Owing to its aggressiveness, late detection and marginal therapeutic accessibility, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a most challenging malignant disease. Despite scientific progress in the understanding of the mechanisms that underly PDAC initiation and progression, the successful translation of experimental findings into effective new therapeutic strategies remains a largely unmet need. The oncogene MYC is activated in many PDAC cases and is a master regulator of vital cellular processes. Excellent recent studies have shed new light on the tremendous functions of MYC in cancer and identified inhibition of MYC as a likewise beneficial and demanding effort. This review will focus on mechanisms that contribute to deregulation of MYC expression in pancreatic carcinogenesis and progression and will summarize novel biological findings from recent in vivo models. Finally, we provide a perspective, how regulation of MYC in PDAC may contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
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Chen NM, Singh G, Koenig A, Liou GY, Storz P, Zhang JS, Regul L, Nagarajan S, Kühnemuth B, Johnsen SA, Hebrok M, Siveke J, Billadeau DD, Ellenrieder V, Hessmann E. NFATc1 Links EGFR Signaling to Induction of Sox9 Transcription and Acinar-Ductal Transdifferentiation in the Pancreas. Gastroenterology 2015; 148:1024-1034.e9. [PMID: 25623042 PMCID: PMC4409493 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Oncogenic mutations in KRAS contribute to the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, but are not sufficient to initiate carcinogenesis. Secondary events, such as inflammation-induced signaling via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and expression of the SOX9 gene, are required for tumor formation. Herein we sought to identify the mechanisms that link EGFR signaling with activation of SOX9 during acinar-ductal metaplasia, a transdifferentiation process that precedes pancreatic carcinogenesis. METHODS We analyzed pancreatic tissues from Kras(G12D);pdx1-Cre and Kras(G12D);NFATc1(Δ/Δ);pdx1-Cre mice after intraperitoneal administration of caerulein, vs cyclosporin A or dimethyl sulfoxide (controls). Induction of EGFR signaling and its effects on the expression of Nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) or SOX9 were investigated by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analyses of mouse and human tissues and acinar cell explants. Interactions between NFATc1 and partner proteins and effects on DNA binding or chromatin modifications were studied using co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in acinar cell explants and mouse tissue. RESULTS EGFR activation induced expression of NFATc1 in metaplastic areas from patients with chronic pancreatitis and in pancreatic tissue from Kras(G12D) mice. EGFR signaling also promoted formation of a complex between NFATc1 and C-JUN in dedifferentiating mouse acinar cells, leading to activation of Sox9 transcription and induction of acinar-ductal metaplasia. Pharmacologic inhibition of NFATc1 or disruption of the Nfatc1 gene inhibited EGFR-mediated induction of Sox9 transcription and blocked acinar-ductal transdifferentiation and pancreatic cancer initiation in mice. CONCLUSIONS EGFR signaling induces expression of NFATc1 and Sox9, leading to acinar cell transdifferentiation and initiation of pancreatic cancer. Strategies designed to disrupt this pathway might be developed to prevent pancreatic cancer initiation in high-risk patients with chronic pancreatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Ming Chen
- Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen
| | - Garima Singh
- Signaling and Transcription Laboratory, Department of Gastroenterology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Koenig
- Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen,Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Geou-Yarh Liou
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
| | - Peter Storz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
| | - Jin-San Zhang
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Lisanne Regul
- Signaling and Transcription Laboratory, Department of Gastroenterology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sankari Nagarajan
- Clinic for General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Kühnemuth
- Signaling and Transcription Laboratory, Department of Gastroenterology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Steven A. Johnsen
- Clinic for General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Jens Siveke
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel D Billadeau
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Volker Ellenrieder
- Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen
| | - Elisabeth Hessmann
- Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
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14
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Holtz BJ, Lodewyk KB, Sebolt-Leopold JS, Ernst SA, Williams JA. ERK activation is required for CCK-mediated pancreatic adaptive growth in mice. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2014; 307:G700-10. [PMID: 25104499 PMCID: PMC4187068 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00163.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
High levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) can stimulate pancreatic adaptive growth in which mature acinar cells divide, leading to enhanced pancreatic mass with parallel increases in protein, DNA, RNA, and digestive enzyme content. Prolonged release of CCK can be induced by feeding trypsin inhibitor (TI) to disrupt normal feedback control. This leads to exocrine growth in a CCK-dependent manner. The extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway regulates many proliferative processes in various tissues and disease models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ERK signaling in pancreatic adaptive growth using the MEK inhibitors PD-0325901 and trametinib (GSK-1120212). It was determined that PD-0325901 given two times daily by gavage or mixed into powdered chow was an effective and specific inhibitor of ERK signaling in vivo. TI-containing chow led to a robust increase in pancreatic mass, protein, DNA, and RNA content. This pancreatic adaptive growth was blocked in mice fed chow containing the MEK inhibitors. PD-0325901 blocked TI-induced ERK-regulated early response genes, cell-cycle proteins, and mitogenesis by acinar cells. It was determined that ERK signaling is necessary for the initiation of pancreatic adaptive growth but not necessary to maintain it. PD-0325901 blocked adaptive growth when given before cell-cycle initiation but not after mitogenesis had been established. Furthermore, GSK-1120212, a chemically distinct inhibitor of the ERK pathway that is now approved for clinical use, inhibited growth similar to PD-0325901. These data demonstrate that the ERK pathway is required for CCK-stimulated pancreatic adaptive growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J. Holtz
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan;
| | - Kevin B. Lodewyk
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan;
| | | | - Stephen A. Ernst
- 3Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
| | - John A. Williams
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan; ,4Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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15
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Paredes JL, Orabi AI, Ahmad T, Benbourenane I, Tobita K, Tadros S, Bae KT, Husain SZ. A non-invasive method of quantifying pancreatic volume in mice using micro-MRI. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92263. [PMID: 24642611 PMCID: PMC3958493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In experimental models of pancreatic growth and recovery, changes in pancreatic size are assessed by euthanizing a large cohort of animals at varying time points and measuring organ mass. However, to ascertain this information in clinical practice, patients with pancreatic disorders routinely undergo non-invasive cross-sectional imaging of the pancreas using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). The aim of the current study was to develop a thin-sliced, optimized sequence protocol using a high field MRI to accurately calculate pancreatic volumes in the most common experimental animal, the mouse. Using a 7 Telsa Bruker micro-MRI system, we performed abdominal imaging in whole-fixed mice in three standard planes: axial, sagittal, and coronal. The contour of the pancreas was traced using Vitrea software and then transformed into a 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, from which volumetric measurements were calculated. Images were optimized using heart perfusion-fixation, T1 sequence analysis, and 0.2 to 0.4 mm thick slices. As proof of principle, increases in pancreatic volume among mice of different ages correlated tightly with increasing body weight. In summary, this is the first study to measure pancreatic volumes in mice, using a high field 7 Tesla micro-MRI and a thin-sliced, optimized sequence protocol. We anticipate that micro-MRI will improve the ability to non-invasively quantify changes in pancreatic size and will dramatically reduce the number of animals required to serially assess pancreatic growth and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L. Paredes
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Abrahim I. Orabi
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Taimur Ahmad
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Iman Benbourenane
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kimimasa Tobita
- Department of Developmental Biology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sameh Tadros
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kyongtae T. Bae
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sohail Z. Husain
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Muili KA, Wang D, Orabi AI, Sarwar S, Luo Y, Javed TA, Eisses JF, Mahmood SM, Jin S, Singh VP, Ananthanaravanan M, Perides G, Williams JA, Molkentin JD, Husain SZ. Bile acids induce pancreatic acinar cell injury and pancreatitis by activating calcineurin. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:570-80. [PMID: 23148215 PMCID: PMC3537054 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.428896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2012] [Revised: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biliary pancreatitis is the leading cause of acute pancreatitis in both children and adults. A proposed mechanism is the reflux of bile into the pancreatic duct. Bile acid exposure causes pancreatic acinar cell injury through a sustained rise in cytosolic Ca(2+). Thus, it would be clinically relevant to know the targets of this aberrant Ca(2+) signal. We hypothesized that the Ca(2+)-activated phosphatase calcineurin is such a Ca(2+) target. To examine calcineurin activation, we infected primary acinar cells from mice with an adenovirus expressing the promoter for a downstream calcineurin effector, nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT). The bile acid taurolithocholic acid-3-sulfate (TLCS) was primarily used to examine bile acid responses. TLCS caused calcineurin activation only at concentrations that cause acinar cell injury. The activation of calcineurin by TLCS was abolished by chelating intracellular Ca(2+). Pretreatment with 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (acetoxymethyl ester) (BAPTA-AM) or the three specific calcineurin inhibitors FK506, cyclosporine A, or calcineurin inhibitory peptide prevented bile acid-induced acinar cell injury as measured by lactate dehydrogenase leakage and propidium iodide uptake. The calcineurin inhibitors reduced the intra-acinar activation of chymotrypsinogen within 30 min of TLCS administration, and they also prevented NF-κB activation. In vivo, mice that received FK506 or were deficient in the calcineurin isoform Aβ (CnAβ) subunit had reduced pancreatitis severity after infusion of TLCS or taurocholic acid into the pancreatic duct. In summary, we demonstrate that acinar cell calcineurin is activated in response to Ca(2+) generated by bile acid exposure, bile acid-induced pancreatic injury is dependent on calcineurin activation, and calcineurin inhibitors may provide an adjunctive therapy for biliary pancreatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dong Wang
- From the Department of Pediatrics and
- the Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vijay P. Singh
- Internal Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224
| | - Meena Ananthanaravanan
- the Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06519
| | - George Perides
- the Department of Surgery, Tufts University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
| | - John A. Williams
- the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, and
| | - Jeffery D. Molkentin
- the Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
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17
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Awla D, Zetterqvist AV, Abdulla A, Camello C, Berglund LM, Spégel P, Pozo MJ, Camello PJ, Regnér S, Gomez MF, Thorlacius H. NFATc3 regulates trypsinogen activation, neutrophil recruitment, and tissue damage in acute pancreatitis in mice. Gastroenterology 2012; 143:1352-1360.e7. [PMID: 22841788 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2012.07.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 07/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The signaling mechanisms that regulate trypsinogen activation and inflammation in acute pancreatitis (AP) are unclear. We explored the involvement of the calcium- and calcineurin-dependent transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) in development of AP in mice. METHODS We measured levels of myeloperoxidase and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (CXCL2), trypsinogen activation, and tissue damage in the pancreas 24 hours after induction of AP by retrograde infusion of taurocholate into the pancreatic ducts of wild-type, NFAT luciferase reporter (NFAT-luc), and NFATc3-deficient mice. We isolated acinar cells and measured NFAT nuclear accumulation, trypsin activity, and expression of NFAT-regulated genes. RESULTS Infusion of taurocholate increased the transcriptional activity of NFAT in the pancreas, aorta, lung, and spleen of NFAT-luc mice. Inhibition of NFAT with A-285222 blocked taurocholate-induced activation of NFAT in all organs. A-285222 also reduced taurocholate-induced increases in levels of amylase, myeloperoxidase, and CXCL2; activation of trypsinogen; necrosis of acinar cells; edema; leukocyte infiltration; and hemorrhage in the pancreas. NFATc3-deficient mice were protected from these effects of taurocholate. Similar results were obtained using an l-arginine-induced model of AP. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and confocal immunofluorescence analyses showed that NFATc3 is expressed by acinar cells. NFATc3 expression was activated by stimuli that increase intracellular calcium levels, and activation was prevented by the calcineurin blocker cyclosporin A or A-285222. Activation of trypsinogen by secretagogues in acinar cells was prevented by pharmacologic inhibition of NFAT signaling or lack of NFATc3. A-285222 also reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines such as CXCL2 in acinar cells. CONCLUSIONS NFATc3 regulates trypsinogen activation, inflammation, and pancreatic tissue damage during development of AP in mice and might be a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darbaz Awla
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anna V Zetterqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Vascular Excitation-Transcription Coupling, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Aree Abdulla
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Cristina Camello
- Department of Physiology, Nursing School, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain
| | - Lisa M Berglund
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Vascular Excitation-Transcription Coupling, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Peter Spégel
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Molecular Metabolism, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Maria J Pozo
- Department of Physiology, Nursing School, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain
| | - Pedro J Camello
- Department of Physiology, Nursing School, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain
| | - Sara Regnér
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Maria F Gomez
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Vascular Excitation-Transcription Coupling, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Henrik Thorlacius
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
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18
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Peiris H, Raghupathi R, Jessup CF, Zanin MP, Mohanasundaram D, Mackenzie KD, Chataway T, Clarke JN, Brealey J, Coates PT, Pritchard MA, Keating DJ. Increased expression of the glucose-responsive gene, RCAN1, causes hypoinsulinemia, β-cell dysfunction, and diabetes. Endocrinology 2012; 153:5212-21. [PMID: 23011918 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-2149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
RCAN1 is a chromosome 21 gene that controls secretion in endocrine cells, regulates mitochondrial function, and is sensitive to oxidative stress. Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) is also an endogenous inhibitor of the protein phosphatase calcineurin, the inhibition of which leads to hypoinsulinemia and diabetes in humans and mice. However, the presence or the role of RCAN1 in insulin-secreting β-cells and its potential role in the pathogenesis of diabetes is unknown. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the presence of RCAN1 in β-cells and identify its role in β-cell function. RCAN1 is expressed in mouse islets and in the cytosol of pancreatic β-cells. We find RCAN1 is a glucose-responsive gene with a 1.5-fold increase in expression observed in pancreatic islets in response to chronic hyperglycemia. The overexpression of the human RCAN1.1 isoform in mice under the regulation of its endogenous promoter causes diabetes, age-associated hyperglycemia, reduced glucose tolerance, hypoinsulinemia, loss of β-cells, reduced β-cell insulin secretion, aberrant mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and the down-regulation of key β-cell genes. Our data therefore identifies a novel molecular link between the overexpression of RCAN1 and β-cell dysfunction. The glucose-responsive nature of RCAN1 provides a potential mechanism of action associated with the β-cell dysfunction observed in diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heshan Peiris
- Flinders Medical Science and Technology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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19
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Guo L, Sans MD, Hou Y, Ernst SA, Williams JA. c-Jun/AP-1 is required for CCK-induced pancreatic acinar cell dedifferentiation and DNA synthesis in vitro. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2012; 302:G1381-96. [PMID: 22461029 PMCID: PMC3378092 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00129.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous CCK plays an important role in pancreatic regeneration after pancreatitis. We used primary culture of mouse pancreatic acinar cells to evaluate the effect of CCK on acinar cell morphology and gene expression and to determine signaling pathways required for proliferation of acinar cells in vitro. Over 4 days in culture, cells grew out from acini and formed patches of monolayer, which displayed a reduced expression of acinar cell markers including digestive enzymes and Mist1 and an increased expression of ductal and embryonic markers, including cytokeratin 7, β-catenin, E-cadherin, pdx-1, and nestin. There was no appearance of stellate cell markers. CCK enhanced cellular spreading, DNA synthesis, and cyclin D1 expression. When signaling pathways were evaluated, CCK stimulation increased c-Jun expression, JNK and ERK activity, and AP-1 activation. Chemical inhibitors of JNK and ERK pathways, dominant-negative JNK and c-Jun, and c-Jun shRNA significantly inhibited CCK-induced DNA synthesis, CCK-induced AP-1 activation, and cyclin D1 expression. Furthermore, dominant-negative c-Jun reduced the increased expression of β-catenin and the decreased expression of amylase during culture. These results show that MAPK/c-Jun/AP-1 pathway plays an important role in pancreatic acinar cell dedifferentiation and proliferation in culture. Monolayer culture can serve as a model to study acinar cell proliferation similar to regeneration after pancreatitis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Guo
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
| | - Maria Dolors Sans
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
| | - Yanan Hou
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
| | - Stephen A. Ernst
- 2Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and
| | - John A. Williams
- 1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, ,3Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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20
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Benitez CM, Goodyer WR, Kim SK. Deconstructing pancreas developmental biology. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2012; 4:cshperspect.a012401. [PMID: 22587935 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a012401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The relentless nature and increasing prevalence of human pancreatic diseases, in particular, diabetes mellitus and adenocarcinoma, has motivated further understanding of pancreas organogenesis. The pancreas is a multifunctional organ whose epithelial cells govern a diversity of physiologically vital endocrine and exocrine functions. The mechanisms governing the birth, differentiation, morphogenesis, growth, maturation, and maintenance of the endocrine and exocrine components in the pancreas have been discovered recently with increasing tempo. This includes recent studies unveiling mechanisms permitting unexpected flexibility in the developmental potential of immature and mature pancreatic cell subsets, including the ability to interconvert fates. In this article, we describe how classical cell biology, genetic analysis, lineage tracing, and embryological investigations are being complemented by powerful modern methods including epigenetic analysis, time-lapse imaging, and flow cytometry-based cell purification to dissect fundamental processes of pancreas development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecil M Benitez
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5329, USA
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21
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Muili KA, Ahmad M, Orabi AI, Mahmood SM, Shah AU, Molkentin JD, Husain SZ. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of calcineurin protects against carbachol-induced pathological zymogen activation and acinar cell injury. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2012; 302:G898-905. [PMID: 22323127 PMCID: PMC3355562 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00545.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute pancreatitis is a major health burden for which there are currently no targeted therapies. Premature activation of digestive proenzymes, or zymogens, within the pancreatic acinar cell is an early and critical event in this disease. A high-amplitude, sustained rise in acinar cell Ca(2+) is required for zymogen activation. We previously showed in a cholecystokinin-induced pancreatitis model that a potential target of this aberrant Ca(2+) signaling is the Ca(2+)-activated phosphatase calcineurin (Cn). However, in this study, we examined the role of Cn on both zymogen activation and injury, in the clinically relevant condition of neurogenic stimulation (by giving the acetylcholine analog carbachol) using three different Cn inhibitors or Cn-deficient acinar cells. In freshly isolated mouse acinar cells, pretreatment with FK506, calcineurin inhibitory peptide (CiP), or cyclosporine (CsA) blocked intra-acinar zymogen activation (n = 3; P < 0.05). The Cn inhibitors also reduced leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by 79%, 62%, and 63%, respectively (n = 3; P < 0.05). Of the various Cn isoforms, the β-isoform of the catalytic A subunit (CnAβ) was strongly expressed in mouse acinar cells. For this reason, we obtained acinar cells from CnAβ-deficient mice (CnAβ-/-) and observed an 84% and 50% reduction in trypsin and chymotrypsin activation, respectively, compared with wild-type controls (n = 3; P < 0.05). LDH release in the CnAβ-deficient cells was reduced by 50% (n = 2; P < 0.05). The CnAβ-deficient cells were also protected against zymogen activation and cell injury induced by the cholecystokinin analog caerulein. Importantly, amylase secretion was generally not affected by either the Cn inhibitors or Cn deficiency. These data provide both pharmacological and genetic evidence that implicates Cn in intra-acinar zymogen activation and cell injury during pancreatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamaldeen A Muili
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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22
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Daniluk J, Liu Y, Deng D, Chu J, Huang H, Gaiser S, Cruz-Monserrate Z, Wang H, Ji B, Logsdon CD. An NF-κB pathway-mediated positive feedback loop amplifies Ras activity to pathological levels in mice. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:1519-28. [PMID: 22406536 DOI: 10.1172/jci59743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mutations that give rise to active mutant forms of Ras are oncogenic and found in several types of tumor. However, such mutations are not clear biomarkers for disease, since they are frequently detected in healthy individuals. Instead, it has become clear that elevated levels of Ras activity are critical for Ras-induced tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying the production of pathological levels of Ras activity are unclear. Here, we show that in the presence of oncogenic Ras, inflammatory stimuli initiate a positive feedback loop involving NF-κB that further amplifies Ras activity to pathological levels. Stimulation of Ras signaling by typical inflammatory stimuli was transient and had no long-term sequelae in wild-type mice. In contrast, these stimuli generated prolonged Ras signaling and led to chronic inflammation and precancerous pancreatic lesions (PanINs) in mice expressing physiological levels of oncogenic K-Ras. These effects of inflammatory stimuli were disrupted by deletion of inhibitor of NF-κB kinase 2 (IKK2) or inhibition of Cox-2. Likewise, expression of active IKK2 or Cox-2 or treatment with LPS generated chronic inflammation and PanINs only in mice expressing oncogenic K-Ras. The data support the hypothesis that in the presence of oncogenic Ras, inflammatory stimuli trigger an NF-κB-mediated positive feedback mechanism involving Cox-2 that amplifies Ras activity to pathological levels. Because a large proportion of the adult human population possesses Ras mutations in tissues including colon, pancreas, and lung, disruption of this positive feedback loop may be an important strategy for cancer prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslaw Daniluk
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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23
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Sans MD, Sabbatini ME, Ernst SA, D'Alecy LG, Nishijima I, Williams JA. Secretin is not necessary for exocrine pancreatic development and growth in mice. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2011; 301:G791-8. [PMID: 21852360 PMCID: PMC3220326 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00245.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive exocrine pancreatic growth is mediated primarily by dietary protein and the gastrointestinal hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). Feeding trypsin inhibitors such as camostat (FOY-305) is known to induce CCK release and stimulate pancreatic growth. However, camostat has also been reported to stimulate secretin release and, because secretin often potentiates the action of CCK, it could participate in the growth response. Our aim was to test the role of secretin in pancreatic development and adaptive growth through the use of C57BL/6 mice with genetic deletion of secretin or secretin receptor. The lack of secretin in the intestine or the secretin receptor in the pancreas was confirmed by RT-PCR. Other related components, such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptors (VPAC(1) and VPAC(2)), were not affected. Secretin increased cAMP levels in acini from wild-type (WT) mice but had no effect on acini from secretin receptor-deleted mice, whereas VIP and forskolin still induced a normal response. Secretin in vivo failed to induce fluid secretion in receptor-deficient mice. The pancreas of secretin or secretin receptor-deficient mice was of normal size and histology, indicating that secretin is not necessary for normal pancreatic differentiation or maintenance. When WT mice were fed 0.1% camostat in powdered chow, the pancreas doubled in size in 1 wk, accompanied by parallel increases in protein and DNA. Camostat-fed littermate secretin and secretin receptor-deficient mice had similar pancreatic mass to WT mice. These results indicate that secretin is not required for normal pancreatic development or adaptive growth mediated by CCK.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen A. Ernst
- 2Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
| | | | - Ichiko Nishijima
- 3Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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Gurda GT, Wang JY, Guo L, Ernst SA, Williams JA. Profiling CCK-mediated pancreatic growth: the dynamic genetic program and the role of STATs as potential regulators. Physiol Genomics 2011; 44:14-24. [PMID: 22010007 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00255.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding mice with protease inhibitor (PI) leads to increased endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) release and results in pancreatic growth. This adaptive response requires calcineurin (CN)-NFAT and AKT-mTOR pathways, but the genes involved, the dynamics of their expression, and other regulatory pathways remain unknown. Here, we examined the early (1-8 h) transcriptional program that underlies pancreatic growth. We found 314 upregulated and 219 downregulated genes with diverse temporal and functional profiles. Several new identifications include the following: stress response genes Gdf15 and Txnip, metabolic mediators Pitpnc1 and Hmges2, as well as components of growth factor response Fgf21, Atf3, and Egr1. The genes fell into seven self-organizing clusters, each with a distinct pattern of expression; a representative gene within each of the upregulated clusters (Egr1, Gadd45b, Rgs2, and Serpinb1a) was validated by qRT-PCR. Genes up at any point throughout the time course and CN-dependent genes were subjected to further bioinformatics-based networking and promoter analysis, yielding STATs as potential transcriptional regulators. As shown by PCR, qPCR, and Western blots, the active phospho-form of STAT3 and the Jak-STAT feedback inhibitor Socs2 were both increased throughout early pancreatic growth. Moreover, immunohistochemistry showed a CCK-dependent and acinar cell-specific increase in nuclear localization of p-STAT3, with >75% nuclear occupancy in PI-fed mice vs. <0.1% in controls. Thus, the study identified novel genes likely to be important for CCK-driven pancreatic growth, characterized and biologically validated the dynamic pattern of their expression and investigated STAT-Socs signaling as a new player in this trophic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz T Gurda
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0622, USA.
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Kume S. Xenopus embryos and ES cells as tools for studies of developmental biology. Neurochem Res 2010; 36:1280-5. [PMID: 21152976 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-010-0350-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 20 years ago Professor Katsuhiko Mikoshiba led me to an exciting world of IP(3)-Ca(2+) signaling, we embarked on the role of IP(3)-Ca(2+) signaling on fertilization, early cell cycle progression, and body axis formation. I was fully enchanted by the world of basic science, particularly developmental biology. It is a great pleasure to contribute a paper to this special issue of Neurochemical Research honoring Professor Katsuhiko Mikoshiba. Many of the former lab members are now working in a wide range of fields, both inside or outside the fields of Neurochemical research. I am one of those who are working in a different field. Therefore, it seems fitting here to first write about our former work with IP3 receptor, and then introduce our recent works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoen Kume
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Honjo 2-2-1, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan.
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