Prominin-1 glycosylation changes throughout early pregnancy in uterine epithelial cells under the influence of maternal ovarian hormones

Advances in post-translational modifications and recurrent spontaneous abortion

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is defined as two or more pregnancy loss, which affects approximately 1-2 % of women's fertility. The etiology of RSA has not yet been fully revealed, which poses a great problem for clinical treatment. Post- translational modifications(PTMs) are chemical modifications that play a crucial role in the functional proteome. A considerable number of published studies have shown the relationship between post-translational modifications of various proteins and RSA. The study of PTMs contributes to elucidating the role of modified proteins in the pathogenesis of RSA, as well as the design of more effective diagnostic/prognostic tools and more targeted treatments. Most reviews in the field of RSA have only focused on RNA epigenomics research. The present review reports the latest research developments of PTMs related to RSA, such as glycosylation, phosphorylation, Methylation, Acetylation, Ubiquitination, etc.

Emerging roles of prominin-1 (CD133) in the dynamics of plasma membrane architecture and cell signaling pathways in health and disease

Prominin-1 (CD133) is a cholesterol-binding membrane glycoprotein selectively associated with highly curved and prominent membrane structures. It is widely recognized as an antigenic marker of stem cells and cancer stem cells and is frequently used to isolate them from biological and clinical samples. Recent progress in understanding various aspects of CD133 biology in different cell types has revealed the involvement of CD133 in the architecture and dynamics of plasma membrane protrusions, such as microvilli and cilia, including the release of extracellular vesicles, as well as in various signaling pathways, which may be regulated in part by posttranslational modifications of CD133 and its interactions with a variety of proteins and lipids. Hence, CD133 appears to be a master regulator of cell signaling as its engagement in PI3K/Akt, Src-FAK, Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β/Smad and MAPK/ERK pathways may explain its broad action in many cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration or intercellular communication. Here, we summarize early studies on CD133, as they are essential to grasp its novel features, and describe recent evidence demonstrating that this unique molecule is involved in membrane dynamics and molecular signaling that affects various facets of tissue homeostasis and cancer development. We hope this review will provide an informative resource for future efforts to elucidate the details of CD133's molecular function in health and disease.

Employing CRISPR-Cas9 to Generate CD133 Synthetic Lethal Melanoma Stem Cells

Malignant melanoma is a lethal skin cancer containing melanoma-initiating cells (MIC) implicated in tumorigenesis, invasion, and drug resistance, and is characterized by the elevated expression of stem cell markers, including CD133. The siRNA knockdown of CD133 enhances apoptosis induced by the MEK inhibitor trametinib in melanoma cells. This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of CD133's anti-apoptotic activity in patient-derived BAKP and POT cells, harboring difficult-to-treat NRASQ61K and NRASQ61R drivers, after CRISPR-Cas9 CD133 knockout or Dox-inducible expression of CD133. MACS-sorted CD133(+) BAKP cells were conditionally reprogrammed to derive BAKR cells with sustained CD133 expression and MIC features. Compared to BAKP, CD133(+) BAKR exhibit increased cell survival and reduced apoptosis in response to trametinib or the chemotherapeutic dacarbazine (DTIC). CRISPR-Cas9-mediated CD133 knockout in BAKR cells (BAKR-KO) re-sensitized cells to trametinib. CD133 knockout in BAKP and POT cells increased trametinib-induced apoptosis by reducing anti-apoptotic BCL-xL, p-AKT, and p-BAD and increasing pro-apoptotic BAX. Conversely, Dox-induced CD133 expression diminished apoptosis in both trametinib-treated cell lines, coincident with elevated p-AKT, p-BAD, BCL-2, and BCL-xL and decreased activation of BAX and caspases-3 and -9. AKT1/2 siRNA knockdown or inhibition of BCL-2 family members with navitoclax (ABT-263) in BAKP-KO cells further enhanced caspase-mediated apoptotic PARP cleavage. CD133 may therefore activate a survival pathway where (1) increased AKT phosphorylation and activation induces (2) BAD phosphorylation and inactivation, (3) decreases BAX activation, and (4) reduces caspases-3 and -9 activity and caspase-mediated PARP cleavage, leading to apoptosis suppression and drug resistance in melanoma. Targeting nodes of the CD133, AKT, or BCL-2 survival pathways with trametinib highlights the potential for combination therapies for NRAS-mutant melanoma stem cells for the development of more effective treatments for patients with high-risk melanoma.

Maternal Hyperglycemia Induces Changes in Gene Expression and Morphology in Mouse Placentas

Background

Pregestational diabetes complicates one million pregnancies in the United States and is associated with placental dysfunction. Placental dysfunction can manifest as stillbirth, spontaneous abortions, fetal growth restriction, and preeclampsia in the mother. However, the underlying mechanisms of placental dysfunction are not well understood.

Objective

We hypothesize that maternal hyperglycemia disrupts cellular processes important for normal vascular development and function.

Study Design

Hyperglycemia, defined as a non-fasting glucose concentration of >250 mg/dL was induced in eight-week-old female CD1 mice by injecting a one-time intraperitoneal dose of 150mg/kg streptozotocin. Control mice received an equal volume of normal saline. Hyperglycemic and control females were mated with CD-1 males. At Embryonic Day 17.5, the pregnant mice were euthanized. Sixty-eight placentas were harvested from the six euglycemic dams and twenty-six placentas were harvested from three hyperglycemic dams. RNA was extracted from homogenized placental tissue (N=12/group; 2-4 placentas per litter of each group). Total RNA was prepared and sequenced. Differentially expressed genes that were >2-fold change was considered significant. Placentas (9-20/group) were fixed in paraffin wax and sectioned at 6 μm. Cross-sectional areas of placental zones were evaluated using slides stained for hematoxylin and eosin, glycogen, collagen, proliferation and apoptosis. Quantification of staining intensity and percent positive nuclei was done using Leica Image Hub Data software. Data were compared between the control and experimental group using t-tests. Values of p < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.

Results

The average maternal blood glucose concentrations for control and diabetic dams were 112+/-24 and 473+/-47 respectively (p<0.0001). A higher rate of resorptions was noted in the hyperglycemia exposed placentas compared to euglycemic exposed placentas (24% vs 7%; p=0.04). A total of 24 RNA libraries (12/group) were prepared. Placentas from hyperglycemic pregnancies exhibited 1374 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The 10 most significantly differentially expressed genes are Filip 1, Prom 2, Fam 78a, Pde4d, Pou3f1, Kcnk5, Dusp4, Cxcr4, Slc6a4 and D430019H16Rik. Their corresponding biologic functions are related to chemotaxis, ossification, cellular and vascular development. Histologically, we found that hyperglycemia exposed placentas demonstrated increased proliferation, apoptosis, and glycogen content and decreased collagen deposition.

Conclusion

There was a higher rate of resorptions in the pregnancies of hyperglycemic dams. Pregestational diabetes resulted in significant changes in placental morphology, including increased glycogen content in the spongiotrophoblast, decreased collagen deposition, increased apoptosis and proliferation in the junction zone. Maternal diabetes causes widespread disruption in multiple cellular processes important for normal vascular development and sets the platform for placenta dysfunction.

CRISPR-Cas9 Knockdown and Induced Expression of CD133 Reveal Essential Roles in Melanoma Invasion and Metastasis

CD133, known as prominin1, is a penta-span transmembrane glycoprotein presumably a cancer stem cell marker for carcinomas, glioblastomas, and melanomas. We showed that CD133(+) ‘melanoma-initiating cells’ are associated with chemoresistance, contributing to poor patient outcome. The current study investigates the role(s) of CD133 in invasion and metastasis. Magnetic-activated cell sorting of a melanoma cell line (BAKP) followed by transwell invasion assays revealed that CD133(+) cells are significantly more invasive than CD133(−) cells. Conditional reprogramming of BAKP CD133(+) cells maintained stable CD133 overexpression (BAK-R), and induced cancer stem cell markers, melanosphere formation, and chemoresistance to kinase inhibitors. BAK-R cells showed upregulated CD133 expression, and consequently were more invasive and metastatic than BAK-P cells in transwell and zebrafish assays. CD133 knockdown by siRNA or CRISPR-Cas9 (BAK-R-T3) in BAK-R cells reduced invasion and levels of matrix metalloproteinases MMP2/MMP9. BAK-R-SC cells, but not BAK-R-T3, were metastatic in zebrafish. While CD133 knockdown by siRNA or CRISPR-Cas9 in BAK-P cells attenuated invasion and diminished MMP2/MMP9 levels, doxycycline-induced CD133 expression in BAK-P cells enhanced invasion and MMP2/MMP9 concentrations. CD133 may therefore play an essential role in invasion and metastasis via upregulation of MMP2/MMP9, leading to tumor progression, and represents an attractive target for intervention in melanoma.