1
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Poole RJ, Flames N, Cochella L. Neurogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2024; 228:iyae116. [PMID: 39167071 PMCID: PMC11457946 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae116] [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: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals rely on their nervous systems to process sensory inputs, integrate these with internal signals, and produce behavioral outputs. This is enabled by the highly specialized morphologies and functions of neurons. Neuronal cells share multiple structural and physiological features, but they also come in a large diversity of types or classes that give the nervous system its broad range of functions and plasticity. This diversity, first recognized over a century ago, spurred classification efforts based on morphology, function, and molecular criteria. Caenorhabditis elegans, with its precisely mapped nervous system at the anatomical level, an extensive molecular description of most of its neurons, and its genetic amenability, has been a prime model for understanding how neurons develop and diversify at a mechanistic level. Here, we review the gene regulatory mechanisms driving neurogenesis and the diversification of neuron classes and subclasses in C. elegans. We discuss our current understanding of the specification of neuronal progenitors and their differentiation in terms of the transcription factors involved and ensuing changes in gene expression and chromatin landscape. The central theme that has emerged is that the identity of a neuron is defined by modules of gene batteries that are under control of parallel yet interconnected regulatory mechanisms. We focus on how, to achieve these terminal identities, cells integrate information along their developmental lineages. Moreover, we discuss how neurons are diversified postembryonically in a time-, genetic sex-, and activity-dependent manner. Finally, we discuss how the understanding of neuronal development can provide insights into the evolution of neuronal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nuria Flames
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Valencia 46012, Spain
| | - Luisa Cochella
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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2
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Toraason E, Kaletsky R, Murphy C. In vivo neuron-specific expression of C. elegans reprogramming factor orthologs does not alleviate age-related cognitive decline. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024. [PMID: 39267613 PMCID: PMC11391276 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Overexpression of the OSK(M) (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, with or without cMyc) pluripotency factors have shown promise in rejuvenating the function of aged neurons. To test whether this intervention could also ameliorate age-associated cognitive decline, we used a doxycycline inducible system to overexpress the C. elegans OSK orthologs specifically in aging C. elegans neurons. We find that OSK does not improve short-term associative memory or extend lifespan and can further disrupt chemotaxis behavior. Taken together, our data suggest that OSK-mediated partial reprogramming may have deleterious effects on post-mitotic neurons that function in cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Toraason
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University
| | - Rachel Kaletsky
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University
| | - Coleen Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University
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3
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Medwig-Kinney TN, Kinney BA, Martinez MAQ, Yee C, Sirota SS, Mullarkey AA, Somineni N, Hippler J, Zhang W, Shen K, Hammell C, Pani AM, Matus DQ. Dynamic compartmentalization of the pro-invasive transcription factor NHR-67 reveals a role for Groucho in regulating a proliferative-invasive cellular switch in C. elegans. eLife 2023; 12:RP84355. [PMID: 38038410 PMCID: PMC10691804 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84355] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that cell division and basement membrane invasion are mutually exclusive cellular behaviors. How cells switch between proliferative and invasive states is not well understood. Here, we investigated this dichotomy in vivo by examining two cell types in the developing Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonad that derive from equipotent progenitors, but exhibit distinct cell behaviors: the post-mitotic, invasive anchor cell and the neighboring proliferative, non-invasive ventral uterine (VU) cells. We show that the fates of these cells post-specification are more plastic than previously appreciated and that levels of NHR-67 are important for discriminating between invasive and proliferative behavior. Transcription of NHR-67 is downregulated following post-translational degradation of its direct upstream regulator, HLH-2 (E/Daughterless) in VU cells. In the nuclei of VU cells, residual NHR-67 protein is compartmentalized into discrete punctae that are dynamic over the cell cycle and exhibit liquid-like properties. By screening for proteins that colocalize with NHR-67 punctae, we identified new regulators of uterine cell fate maintenance: homologs of the transcriptional co-repressor Groucho (UNC-37 and LSY-22), as well as the TCF/LEF homolog POP-1. We propose a model in which the association of NHR-67 with the Groucho/TCF complex suppresses the default invasive state in non-invasive cells, which complements transcriptional regulation to add robustness to the proliferative-invasive cellular switch in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor N Medwig-Kinney
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Brian A Kinney
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborUnited States
| | - Michael AQ Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Callista Yee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Sydney S Sirota
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Angelina A Mullarkey
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Neha Somineni
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Justin Hippler
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
- Science and Technology Research Program, Smithtown High School EastSt. JamesUnited States
| | - Wan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Kang Shen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | - Ariel M Pani
- Departments of Biology and Cell Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
| | - David Q Matus
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
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4
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Kumari P, Thuestad L, Ciosk R. Post-transcriptional repression of CFP-1 expands the regulatory repertoire of LIN-41/TRIM71. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10668-10680. [PMID: 37670562 PMCID: PMC10602926 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans LIN-41/TRIM71 is a well-studied example of a versatile regulator of mRNA fate, which plays different biological functions involving distinct post-transcriptional mechanisms. In the soma, LIN-41 determines the timing of developmental transitions between larval stages. The somatic LIN-41 recognizes specific mRNAs via LREs (LIN-41 Recognition Elements) and elicits either mRNA decay or translational repression. In the germline, LIN-41 controls the oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET), although the relevant targets and regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. The germline LIN-41 was suggested to regulate mRNAs indirectly by associating with another RNA-binding protein. We show here that LIN-41 can also regulate germline mRNAs via the LREs. Through a computational-experimental analysis, we identified the germline mRNAs potentially controlled via LREs and validated one target, the cfp-1 mRNA, encoding a conserved chromatin modifier. Our analysis suggests that cfp-1 may be a long-sought target whose LIN-41-mediated regulation during OET facilitates the transcriptional reprogramming underlying the switch from germ- to somatic cell identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Kumari
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316, Norway
| | | | - Rafal Ciosk
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316, Norway
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5
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Kalbfuss N, Gönczy P. Extensive programmed centriole elimination unveiled in C. elegans embryos. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg8682. [PMID: 37256957 PMCID: PMC10413642 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg8682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Centrioles are critical for fundamental cellular processes, including signaling, motility, and division. The extent to which centrioles are present after cell cycle exit in a developing organism is not known. The stereotypical lineage of Caenorhabditis elegans makes it uniquely well-suited to investigate this question. Using notably lattice light-sheet microscopy, correlative light electron microscopy, and lineage assignment, we found that ~88% of cells lose centrioles during embryogenesis. Our analysis reveals that centriole elimination is stereotyped, occurring invariably at a given time in a given cell type. Moreover, we established that experimentally altering cell fate results in corresponding changes in centriole fate. Overall, we uncovered the existence of an extensive centriole elimination program, which we anticipate to be paradigmatic for a broad understanding of centriole fate regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Kalbfuss
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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Kang H, Hasselbeck S, Taškova K, Wang N, Oosten LNV, Mrowka R, Utikal J, Andrade-Navarro MA, Wang J, Wölfl S, Cheng X. Development of a next-generation endogenous OCT4 inducer and its anti-aging effect in vivo. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 257:115513. [PMID: 37253308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115513] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The identification of small molecules capable of replacing transcription factors has been a longstanding challenge in the generation of human chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Recent studies have shown that ectopic expression of OCT4, one of the master pluripotency regulators, compromised the developmental potential of resulting iPSCs, This highlights the importance of finding endogenous OCT4 inducers for the generation of clinical-grade human iPSCs. Through a cell-based high throughput screen, we have discovered several new OCT4-inducing compounds (O4Is). In this work, we prepared metabolically stable analogues, including O4I4, which activate endogenous OCT4 and associated signaling pathways in various cell lines. By combining these with a transcription factor cocktail consisting of SOX2, KLF4, MYC, and LIN28 (referred to as "CSKML") we achieved to reprogram human fibroblasts into a stable and authentic pluripotent state without the need for exogenous OCT4. In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila, O4I4 extends lifespan, suggesting the potential application of OCT4-inducing compounds in regenerative medicine and rejuvenation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Kang
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hasselbeck
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Katerina Taškova
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
| | - Nessa Wang
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Luuk N van Oosten
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Ralf Mrowka
- Experimentelle Nephrologie, KIM III, Universitätsklinikum, Jena, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit (G300), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Jichang Wang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Germany.
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7
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El Waly B, Bertet C, Paris M, Falque M, Milpied P, Magalon K, Cayre M, Durbec P. Neuroblasts contribute to oligodendrocytes generation upon demyelination in the adult mouse brain. iScience 2022; 25:105102. [PMID: 36185360 PMCID: PMC9519617 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
After demyelinating insult, the neuronal progenitors of the adult mouse sub-ventricular zone (SVZ) called neuroblasts convert into oligodendrocytes that participate to the remyelination process. We use this rare example of spontaneous fate conversion to identify the molecular mechanisms governing these processes. Using in vivo cell lineage and single cell RNA-sequencing, we demonstrate that SVZ neuroblasts fate conversion proceeds through formation of a non-proliferating transient cellular state co-expressing markers of both neuronal and oligodendrocyte identities. Transition between the two identities starts immediately after demyelination and occurs gradually, by a stepwise upregulation/downregulation of key TFs and chromatin modifiers. Each step of this fate conversion involves fine adjustments of the transcription and translation machineries as well as tight regulation of metabolism and migratory behaviors. Together, these data constitute the first in-depth analysis of a spontaneous cell fate conversion in the adult mammalian CNS. NB can contribute to myelin repair by converting into oligodendrocytes NB fate conversion occurs gradually, through formation of an intermediate cell type NB fate conversion does not involve reversion toward a pluripotent state NB fate conversion seems to involve EMT-related mechanisms and metabolic changes
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8
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Rashid A, Tevlin M, Lu Y, Shaham S. A developmental pathway for epithelial-to-motoneuron transformation in C. elegans. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111414. [PMID: 36170838 PMCID: PMC9579992 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111414] [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: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Motoneurons and motoneuron-like pancreatic β cells arise from radial glia and ductal cells, respectively, both tube-lining progenitors that share molecular regulators. To uncover programs underlying motoneuron formation, we studied a similar, cell-division-independent transformation of the C. elegans tube-lining Y cell into the PDA motoneuron. We find that lin-12/Notch acts through ngn-1/Ngn and its regulator hlh-16/Olig to control transformation timing. lin-12 loss blocks transformation, while lin-12(gf) promotes precocious PDA formation. Early basal expression of ngn-1/Ngn and hlh-16/Olig depends on sem-4/Sall and egl-5/Hox. Later, coincident with Y cell morphological changes, ngn-1/Ngn expression is upregulated in a sem-4/Sall and egl-5/Hox-dependent but hlh-16/Olig-independent manner. Subsequently, Y cell retrograde extension forms an anchored process priming PDA axon extension. Extension requires ngn-1-dependent expression of the cytoskeleton organizers UNC-119, UNC-44/ANK, and UNC-33/CRMP, which also activate PDA terminal-gene expression. Our findings uncover cell-division-independent regulatory events leading to motoneuron generation, suggesting a conserved pathway for epithelial-to-motoneuron/motoneuron-like cell differentiation. Rashid et al. report on a conserved epithelial-to-motoneuron transformation pathway in C. elegans requiring ngn-1/Ngn and hlh-16/Olig. lin-12/Notch regulates transformation timing through these genes, while ngn-1/Ngn and hlh-16/Olig expression levels are regulated by sem-4/Sall and egl-5/Hox. Unexpectedly, the cytoskeleton organizers UNC-119, UNC-44, and UNC-33, which are ngn-1/Ngn targets, promote motoneuron terminal identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Rashid
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maya Tevlin
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yun Lu
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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9
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Riva C, Hajduskova M, Gally C, Suman SK, Ahier A, Jarriault S. A natural transdifferentiation event involving mitosis is empowered by integrating signaling inputs with conserved plasticity factors. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111365. [PMID: 36130499 PMCID: PMC9513805 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111365] [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: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Transdifferentiation, or direct cell reprogramming, is the conversion of one fully differentiated cell type into another. Whether core mechanisms are shared between natural transdifferentiation events when occurring with or without cell division is unclear. We have previously characterized the Y-to-PDA natural transdifferentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans, which occurs without cell division and requires orthologs of vertebrate reprogramming factors. Here, we identify a rectal-to-GABAergic transdifferentiation and show that cell division is required but not sufficient for conversion. We find shared mechanisms, including erasure of the initial identity, which requires the conserved reprogramming factors SEM-4/SALL, SOX-2, CEH-6/OCT, and EGL-5/HOX. We also find three additional and parallel roles of the Wnt signaling pathway: selection of a specific daughter, removal of the initial identity, and imposition of the precise final subtype identity. Our results support a model in which levels and antagonistic activities of SOX-2 and Wnt signaling provide a timer for the acquisition of final identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Riva
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Martina Hajduskova
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Christelle Gally
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France.
| | - Shashi Kumar Suman
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Arnaud Ahier
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- Development and Stem Cells Department, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France.
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10
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Lambert J, Lloret-Fernández C, Laplane L, Poole RJ, Jarriault S. On the origins and conceptual frameworks of natural plasticity-Lessons from single-cell models in C. elegans. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 144:111-159. [PMID: 33992151 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How flexible are cell identities? This problem has fascinated developmental biologists for several centuries and can be traced back to Abraham Trembley's pioneering manipulations of Hydra to test its regeneration abilities in the 1700s. Since the cell theory in the mid-19th century, developmental biology has been dominated by a single framework in which embryonic cells are committed to specific cell fates, progressively and irreversibly acquiring their differentiated identities. This hierarchical, unidirectional and irreversible view of cell identity has been challenged in the past decades through accumulative evidence that many cell types are more plastic than previously thought, even in intact organisms. The paradigm shift introduced by such plasticity calls into question several other key traditional concepts, such as how to define a differentiated cell or more generally cellular identity, and has brought new concepts, such as distinct cellular states. In this review, we want to contribute to this representation by attempting to clarify the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of cell plasticity and identity. In the context of these new frameworks we describe here an atlas of natural plasticity of cell identity in C. elegans, including our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play. The worm further provides interesting cases at the borderlines of cellular plasticity that highlight the conceptual challenges still ahead. We then discuss a set of future questions and perspectives arising from the studies of natural plasticity in the worm that are shared with other reprogramming and plasticity events across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Lambert
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Carla Lloret-Fernández
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie Laplane
- CNRS UMR 8590, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, IHPST, Paris, France
| | - Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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11
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Ahier A, Suman SK, Jarriault S. Gene bashing of ceh-6 locus identifies genomic regions important for ceh-6 rectal cell expression and rescue of its mutant lethality. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020. [PMID: 33364555 PMCID: PMC7753896 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Strong loss-of-function or null mutants can sometimes lead to a penetrant early lethality, impairing the study of these genes’ function. This is the case for the ceh-6 null mutant, which exhibits 100% penetrant lethality. Here, we describe how we used gene bashing to identify distinct regulatory regions in the ceh-6 locus. This allowed us to generate a ceh-6 null strain that is viable and still displays ceh-6 mutant Y-to-PDA transdifferentiation phenotype. Such strategy can be applied to many other mutants impacting viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Ahier
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch CU Strasbourg, 67404 France.,current address: Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shashi Kumar Suman
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch CU Strasbourg, 67404 France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch CU Strasbourg, 67404 France
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12
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Molina-García L, Lloret-Fernández C, Cook SJ, Kim B, Bonnington RC, Sammut M, O'Shea JM, Gilbert SPR, Elliott DJ, Hall DH, Emmons SW, Barrios A, Poole RJ. Direct glia-to-neuron transdifferentiation gives rise to a pair of male-specific neurons that ensure nimble male mating. eLife 2020; 9:e48361. [PMID: 33138916 PMCID: PMC7609048 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviours require underlying differences in the nervous system between males and females. The extent to which nervous systems are sexually dimorphic and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate these differences are only beginning to be understood. We reveal here a novel mechanism by which male-specific neurons are generated in Caenorhabditis elegans through the direct transdifferentiation of sex-shared glial cells. This glia-to-neuron cell fate switch occurs during male sexual maturation under the cell-autonomous control of the sex-determination pathway. We show that the neurons generated are cholinergic, peptidergic, and ciliated putative proprioceptors which integrate into male-specific circuits for copulation. These neurons ensure coordinated backward movement along the mate's body during mating. One step of the mating sequence regulated by these neurons is an alternative readjustment movement performed when intromission becomes difficult to achieve. Our findings reveal programmed transdifferentiation as a developmental mechanism underlying flexibility in innate behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Molina-García
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Carla Lloret-Fernández
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Steven J Cook
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Byunghyuk Kim
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Rachel C Bonnington
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Michele Sammut
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jack M O'Shea
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sophie PR Gilbert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - David J Elliott
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - David H Hall
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Scott W Emmons
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Arantza Barrios
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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13
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Bhattacharya A, Mukherjee S, Khan P, Banerjee S, Dutta A, Banerjee N, Sengupta D, Basak U, Chakraborty S, Dutta A, Chattopadhyay S, Jana K, Sarkar DK, Chatterjee S, Das T. SMAR1 repression by pluripotency factors and consequent chemoresistance in breast cancer stem-like cells is reversed by aspirin. Sci Signal 2020; 13:13/654/eaay6077. [PMID: 33082288 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aay6077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The high abundance of drug efflux pumps in cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributes to chemotherapy resistance. The transcriptional regulator SMAR1 suppresses CSC expansion in colorectal cancer, and increased abundance of SMAR1 is associated with better prognosis. Here, we found in breast tumors that the expression of SMAR1 was decreased in CSCs through the cooperative interaction of the pluripotency factors Oct4 and Sox2 with the histone deacetylase HDAC1. Overexpressing SMAR1 sensitized CSCs to chemotherapy through SMAR1-dependent recruitment of HDAC2 to the promoter of the gene encoding the drug efflux pump ABCG2. Treating cultured CSCs or 4T1 tumor-bearing mice with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aspirin restored SMAR1 expression and ABCG2 repression and enhanced tumor sensitivity to doxorubicin. Our findings reveal transcriptional mechanisms regulating SMAR1 that also regulate cancer stemness and chemoresistance and suggest that, by restoring SMAR1 expression, aspirin might enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy in patients with stem-like tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva Bhattacharya
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Shravanti Mukherjee
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Poulami Khan
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Shruti Banerjee
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Apratim Dutta
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Nilanjan Banerjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Debomita Sengupta
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Udit Basak
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Sourio Chakraborty
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Abhishek Dutta
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Samit Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, NH 17B, Zuarinagar, Goa-403 726, India
| | - Kuladip Jana
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Diptendra K Sarkar
- Department of Surgery, IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata- 700 020, India
| | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India
| | - Tanya Das
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata-700 054, India.
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Tissue-Specific Transcription Footprinting Using RNA PoI DamID (RAPID) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2020; 216:931-945. [PMID: 33037050 PMCID: PMC7768263 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential gene expression across cell types underlies development and cell physiology in multicellular organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful, extensively used model to address these biological questions. A remaining bottleneck relates to the difficulty to obtain comprehensive tissue-specific gene transcription data, since available methods are still challenging to execute and/or require large worm populations. Here, we introduce the RNA Polymerase DamID (RAPID) approach, in which the Dam methyltransferase is fused to a ubiquitous RNA polymerase subunit to create transcriptional footprints via methyl marks on the DNA of transcribed genes. To validate the method, we determined the polymerase footprints in whole animals, in sorted embryonic blastomeres and in different tissues from intact young adults by driving tissue-specific Dam fusion expression. We obtained meaningful transcriptional footprints in line with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) studies in whole animals or specific tissues. To challenge the sensitivity of RAPID and demonstrate its utility to determine novel tissue-specific transcriptional profiles, we determined the transcriptional footprints of the pair of XXX neuroendocrine cells, representing 0.2% of the somatic cell content of the animals. We identified 3901 candidate genes with putatively active transcription in XXX cells, including the few previously known markers for these cells. Using transcriptional reporters for a subset of new hits, we confirmed that the majority of them were expressed in XXX cells and identified novel XXX-specific markers. Taken together, our work establishes RAPID as a valid method for the determination of RNA polymerase footprints in specific tissues of C. elegans without the need for cell sorting or RNA tagging.
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The SEM-4 Transcription Factor Is Required for Regulation of the Oxidative Stress Response in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3379-3385. [PMID: 32718932 PMCID: PMC7466988 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress causes damage to cells by creating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the overproduction of ROS have been linked to the onset of premature aging. We previously found that a brap-2 (BRCA1 associated protein 2) mutant significantly increases the expression of phase II detoxification enzymes in C. elegans An RNAi suppression screen to identify transcription factors involved in the production of gst-4 mRNA in brap-2 worms identified SEM-4 as a potential candidate. Here, we show that knockdown of sem-4 suppresses the activation of gst-4 caused by the mutation in brap-2 We also demonstrate that sem-4 is required for survival upon exposure to oxidative stress and that SEM-4 is required for expression of the transcription factor SKN-1C. These findings identify a novel role for SEM-4 in ROS detoxification by regulating expression of SKN-1C and the phase II detoxification genes.
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16
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Deng J, Ding HH, Long JL, Lin SY, Liu M, Zhang XQ, Xin WJ, Ruan X. Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain involves HOXA6 via a TET1-dependent demethylation of the SOX10 promoter. Int J Cancer 2020; 147:2503-2514. [PMID: 32428246 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is a common dose-limiting side effect of cancer treatment but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we used a whole-genome expression microarray and gene ontology analysis to identify the upregulation of a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, HOXA6, in the spinal dorsal horn on Day 10 after injection of rats with oxaliplatin. Genetic disruption of HOXA6 with siRNAs alleviated mechanical allodynia after oxaliplatin administration. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing assays indicated that oxaliplatin decreased the methylation levels of the SOX10 promoter but not of HOXA6. TET1 was also upregulated by oxaliplatin. Genetic disruption of TET1 with siRNA blocked the promoter demethylation of SOX10 and the upregulation of HOXA6 and SOX10. Importantly, inhibition of SOX10 by intrathecal application of SOX10 siRNA ameliorated the mechanical allodynia induced by oxaliplatin and downregulated the expression of HOXA6. Consistently, overexpression of SOX10 through intraspinal injection of AAV-SOX10-EGFP produced mechanical allodynia and upregulated the expression of spinal dorsal horn HOXA6. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that oxaliplatin increased the binding of SOX10 to the promoter region of HOXA6. Taken together, our data suggest that HOXA6 upregulation through the TET1-mediated promoter demethylation of SOX10 may contribute to oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Deng
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huan-Huan Ding
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Li Long
- Department of Pathology, the Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Su-Yan Lin
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Qin Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jun Xin
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiangcai Ruan
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Rothman J, Jarriault S. Developmental Plasticity and Cellular Reprogramming in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 213:723-757. [PMID: 31685551 PMCID: PMC6827377 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
While Caenorhabditis elegans was originally regarded as a model for investigating determinate developmental programs, landmark studies have subsequently shown that the largely invariant pattern of development in the animal does not reflect irreversibility in rigidly fixed cell fates. Rather, cells at all stages of development, in both the soma and germline, have been shown to be capable of changing their fates through mutation or forced expression of fate-determining factors, as well as during the normal course of development. In this chapter, we review the basis for natural and induced cellular plasticity in C. elegans We describe the events that progressively restrict cellular differentiation during embryogenesis, starting with the multipotency-to-commitment transition (MCT) and subsequently through postembryonic development of the animal, and consider the range of molecular processes, including transcriptional and translational control systems, that contribute to cellular plasticity. These findings in the worm are discussed in the context of both classical and recent studies of cellular plasticity in vertebrate systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93111, and
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), Department of Development and Stem Cells, CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
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18
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Effects of diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin treatment on Brugia malayi gene expression in infected gerbils ( Meriones unguiculatus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 5. [PMID: 33777408 PMCID: PMC7994942 DOI: 10.1017/pao.2019.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) threatens nearly 20% of the world’s population and has handicapped one-third of the 120 million people currently infected. Current control and elimination programs for LF rely on mass drug administration of albendazole plus diethylcarbamazine (DEC) or ivermectin. Only the mechanism of action of albendazole is well understood. To gain a better insight into antifilarial drug action in vivo, we treated gerbils harbouring patent Brugia malayi infections with 6 mg kg−1 DEC, 0.15 mg kg−1 ivermectin or 1 mg kg−1 albendazole. Treatments had no effect on the numbers of worms present in the peritoneal cavity of treated animals, so effects on gene expression were a direct result of the drug and not complicated by dying parasites. Adults and microfilariae were collected 1 and 7 days post-treatment and RNA isolated for transcriptomic analysis. The experiment was repeated three times. Ivermectin treatment produced the most differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 113. DEC treatment yielded 61 DEGs. Albendazole treatment resulted in little change in gene expression, with only 6 genes affected. In total, nearly 200 DEGs were identified with little overlap between treatment groups, suggesting that these drugs may interfere in different ways with processes important for parasite survival, development, and reproduction.
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Coraggio F, Püschel R, Marti A, Meister P. Polycomb and Notch signaling regulate cell proliferation potential during Caenorhabditis elegans life cycle. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:e201800170. [PMID: 30599047 PMCID: PMC6306570 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201800170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable cell fate is an essential feature for multicellular organisms in which individual cells achieve specialized functions. Caenorhabditis elegans is a great model to analyze the determinants of cell fate stability because of its invariant lineage. We present a tractable cell fate challenge system that uses the induction of fate-specifying transcription factors. We show that wild-type differentiated animals are highly resistant to fate challenge. Removal of heterochromatin marks showed marked differences: the absence of histone 3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9) has no effect on fate stability, whereas Polycomb homolog mes-2 mutants lacking H3K27 methylation terminally arrest larval development upon fate challenge. Unexpectedly, the arrest correlated with widespread cell proliferation rather than transdifferentiation. Using a candidate RNAi larval arrest-rescue screen, we show that the LIN-12Notch pathway is essential for hyperplasia induction. Moreover, Notch signaling appears downstream of food-sensing pathways, as dauers and first larval stage diapause animals are resistant to fate challenge. Our results demonstrate an equilibrium between proliferation and differentiation regulated by Polycomb and Notch signaling in the soma during the nematode life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coraggio
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ringo Püschel
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alisha Marti
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Meister
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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20
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Reid A, Tursun B. Transdifferentiation: do transition states lie on the path of development? CURRENT OPINION IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2018; 11:18-23. [PMID: 30386832 PMCID: PMC6202785 DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The direct conversion of one differentiated cell fate into another identity is a process known as Transdifferentiation. During Transdifferentiation, cells pass through intermediate states that are not well understood. Given the potential application of transdifferentiation in regenerative medicine and disease modeling, a better understanding of intermediate states is crucial to avoid uncontrolled conversion or proliferation, which pose a risk for patients. Researchers have begun to analyze the transcriptomes of donor, converting and target cells of Transdifferentiation with single cell resolution to compare transitional states to those found along the path of development. Here, we review examples of Transdifferentiation in a range of model systems and organisms. We propose that cells pass either through a mixed, unspecific intermediate or progenitor-like state during Transdifferentiation, which, to varying degrees, resemble states seen during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Reid
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Baris Tursun
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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21
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Spickard EA, Joshi PM, Rothman JH. The multipotency-to-commitment transition in Caenorhabditis elegans-implications for reprogramming from cells to organs. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:838-851. [PMID: 29334121 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In animal embryos, cells transition from a multipotential state, with the capacity to adopt multiple fates, into an irreversible, committed state of differentiation. This multipotency-to-commitment transition (MCT) is evident from experiments in which cell fate is reprogrammed by transcription factors for cell type-specific differentiation, as has been observed extensively in Caenorhabditis elegans. Although factors that direct differentiation into each of the three germ layer types cannot generally reprogram cells after the MCT in this animal, transcription factors for endoderm development are able to do so in multiple differentiated cell types. In one case, these factors can redirect the development of an entire organ in the process of "transorganogenesis". Natural transdifferentiation also occurs in a small number of differentiated cells during normal C. elegans development. We review these reprogramming and transdifferentiation events, highlighting the cellular and developmental contexts in which they occur, and discuss common themes underlying direct cell lineage reprogramming. Although certain aspects may be unique to the model system, growing evidence suggests that some mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved and may shed light on cellular plasticity and disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A Spickard
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Pradeep M Joshi
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Joel H Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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22
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Affinity purification of cell-specific mitochondria from whole animals resolves patterns of genetic mosaicism. Nat Cell Biol 2018; 20:352-360. [DOI: 10.1038/s41556-017-0023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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23
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Vibert L, Daulny A, Jarriault S. Wound healing, cellular regeneration and plasticity: the elegans way. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 62:491-505. [PMID: 29938761 PMCID: PMC6161810 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.180123sj] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration and wound healing are complex processes that allow organs and tissues to regain their integrity and functionality after injury. Wound healing, a key property of epithelia, involves tissue closure that in some cases leads to scar formation. Regeneration, a process rather limited in mammals, is the capacity to regrow (parts of) an organ or a tissue, after damage or amputation. What are the properties of organs and the features of tissue permitting functional regrowth and repair? What are the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these processes? These questions are crucial both in fundamental and applied contexts, with important medical implications. The mechanisms and cells underlying tissue repair have thus been the focus of intense investigation. The last decades have seen rapid progress in the domain and new models emerging. Here, we review the fundamental advances and the perspectives that the use of C. elegans as a model have brought to the mechanisms of wound healing and cellular plasticity, axon regeneration and transdifferentiation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vibert
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Daulny
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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24
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Jin Y, Qi YB. Building stereotypic connectivity: mechanistic insights into structural plasticity from C. elegans. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 48:97-105. [PMID: 29182952 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability of neurons to modify or remodel their synaptic connectivity is critical for the function of neural circuitry throughout the life of an animal. Understanding the mechanisms underlying neuronal structural changes is central to our knowledge of how the nervous system is shaped for complex behaviors and how it further adapts to developmental and environmental demands. Caenorhabditis elegans provides a powerful model for examining developmental processes and for discovering mechanisms controlling neural plasticity. Recent findings have identified conserved themes underlying neural plasticity in development and under environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yishi Jin
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Yingchuan B Qi
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, China.
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25
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Piechowski J. Hypothesis about Transdifferentiation As Backbone of Malignancy. Front Oncol 2017; 7:126. [PMID: 28674676 PMCID: PMC5474902 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer is mainly watched through the prism of random mutations and related corruption of signaling pathways. However, it would seem puzzling to explain the tumor organization, pugnacity and steady evolution of the tumorous disease and, moreover, a systematic ascendancy over the healthy tissues, only through stochastic genomic alterations. Malignancy specific properties Considering the core characteristics of cancer cells, it appears that two major sets of properties are emerging, corresponding to well-identified physiological phenotypes, i.e., (1) the trophoblastic logistical functions for cell survival, protection, expansion, migration, and host-tissue conditioning for angiogenesis and immune tolerance and (2) the sexual functions for genome maintenance. To explain the resurgence of these trophoblastic and sexual phenotypes, a particular cell reprogramming, to be called “malignant transdifferentiation” in view of its key role in the precancer-to-cancer shift, appears to be a convincing hypothesis. Perspectives The concept of malignant transdifferentiation, in addition to oncogenic mutations, would determine a more rational approach of oncogenesis and would open so far unexplored ways of therapeutic actions. Indeed, the trophoblastic phenotype would be a good candidate for therapeutic purposes because, on the one hand, it covers numerous properties that all are vital for the tumor, and on the other hand, it can be targeted with potentially no risk of affecting the healthy tissues as it is not expressed there after birth.
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26
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Shen Q, Shi H, Tian C, Ghai V, Liu J. The C. elegans Spalt-like protein SEM-4 functions through the SoxC transcription factor SEM-2 to promote a proliferative blast cell fate in the postembryonic mesoderm. Dev Biol 2017; 429:335-342. [PMID: 28614700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proper development of a multicellular organism relies on well-coordinated regulation of cell fate specification, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. The C. elegans postembryonic mesoderm provides a useful system for uncovering factors involved in these processes and for further dissecting their regulatory relationships. The single Spalt-like zinc finger containing protein SEM-4/SALL is known to be involved in specifying the proliferative sex myoblast (SM) fate. We have found that SEM-4/SALL is sufficient to promote the SM fate and that it does so in a cell autonomous manner. We further showed that SEM-4/SALL acts through the SoxC transcription factor SEM-2 to promote the SM fate. SEM-2 is known to promote the SM fate by inhibiting the expression of two BWM-specifying transcription factors. In light of recent findings in mammals showing that Sall4, one of the mammalian homologs of SEM-4, contributes to pluripotency regulation by inhibiting differentiation, our work suggests that the function of SEM-4/SALL proteins in regulating pluripotency versus differentiation appears to be evolutionarily conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinfang Shen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Herong Shi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Chenxi Tian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Vikas Ghai
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.
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27
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Cheng Z, Liu F, Dai M, Wu J, Li X, Guo X, Tian H, Heng Z, Lu Y, Chai X, Wang Y. Identification of EmSOX2, a member of the Sox family of transcription factors, as a potential regulator of Echinococcus multilocularis germinative cells. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:625-632. [PMID: 28526606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis cause alveolar echinococcosis (AE), one of the most lethal helminthic infections in humans. The germinative cells, a population of stem cell-like cells, are considered to drive the continuous growth of the metacestodes within the host. The mechanisms and relative molecules controlling the behavior of germinative cells are poorly understood. Sox transcription factors play important roles in maintenance and regulation of stem/progenitor cells. We here describe the identification of a Sox family member in E. multilocularis, EmSOX2, as a potential regulator of germinative cells. Replacement of mouse Sox2 with EmSox2 could derive induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells, suggesting that EmSOX2 is functionally related to mammalian SOX2. EmSOX2 is actively expressed in the proliferating germinative cells in E. multilocularis, and is significantly downregulated upon specific depletion of the germinative cell population by hydroxyurea treatment. These findings suggest that EmSOX2 may play a critical role in regulating E. multilocularis germinative cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Fan Liu
- Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Mengya Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jianjian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xinrui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Huimin Tian
- Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhijie Heng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ying Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xiaoli Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yanhai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Parasitology Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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Luo S, Horvitz HR. The CDK8 Complex and Proneural Proteins Together Drive Neurogenesis from a Mesodermal Lineage. Curr Biol 2017; 27:661-672. [PMID: 28238659 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
At least some animal species can generate neurons from mesoderm or endoderm, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We screened for C. elegans mutants in which the presumptive mesoderm-derived I4 neuron adopts a muscle-like cell fate. From this screen, we identified HLH-3, the C. elegans homolog of a mammalian proneural protein (Ascl1) used for in vitro neuronal reprogramming, as required for efficient I4 neurogenesis. We discovered that the CDK-8 Mediator kinase module acts together with a second proneural protein, HLH-2, and in parallel to HLH-3 to promote I4 neurogenesis. Genetic analysis revealed that CDK-8 most likely promotes I4 neurogenesis by inhibiting the CDK-7/CYH-1 (CDK7/cyclin H) kinase module of the transcription initiation factor TFIIH. Ectopic expression of HLH-2 and HLH-3 together promoted expression of neuronal features in non-neuronal cells. These findings reveal that the Mediator CDK8 kinase module can promote non-ectodermal neurogenesis and suggest that inhibiting CDK7/cyclin H might similarly promote neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Luo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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29
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Becker SF, Jarriault S. Natural and induced direct reprogramming: mechanisms, concepts and general principles-from the worm to vertebrates. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 40:154-163. [PMID: 27690213 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the mechanisms underlying cell fate determination, cell identity maintenance and cell reprogramming in vivo is one of the main challenges in today's science. Such knowledge of fundamental importance will further provide new leads for early diagnostics and targeted therapy approaches both in regenerative medicine and cancer research. This review focuses on recent mechanistic findings and factors that influence the differentiated state of cells in direct reprogramming events, aka transdifferentiation. In particular, we will look at the mechanistic and conceptual advances brought by the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and highlight common themes across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Becker
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch Cu Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch Cu Strasbourg, France.
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30
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Piechowski J. Trophoblastic-like transdifferentiation: A key to oncogenesis. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2016; 101:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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31
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Pan ST, Qin Y, Zhou ZW, He ZX, Zhang X, Yang T, Yang YX, Wang D, Zhou SF, Qiu JX. Plumbagin suppresses epithelial to mesenchymal transition and stemness via inhibiting Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells. Drug Des Devel Ther 2015; 9:5511-51. [PMID: 26491260 PMCID: PMC4599573 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s89621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most common malignancy in oral and maxillofacial tumors with highly metastatic characteristics. Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone; PLB), a natural naphthoquinone derived from the roots of Plumbaginaceae plants, exhibits various bioactivities, including anticancer effects. However, the potential molecular targets and underlying mechanisms of PLB in the treatment of TSCC remain elusive. This study employed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomic approach to investigate the molecular interactome of PLB in human TSCC cell line SCC25 and elucidate the molecular mechanisms. The proteomic data indicated that PLB inhibited cell proliferation, activated death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathway, remodeled epithelial adherens junctions pathway, and manipulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated oxidative stress response signaling pathway in SCC25 cells with the involvement of a number of key functional proteins. Furthermore, we verified these protein targets using Western blotting assay. The verification results showed that PLB markedly induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and extrinsic apoptosis, and inhibited epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness in SCC25 cells. Of note, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and l-glutathione (GSH) abolished the effects of PLB on cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, EMT inhibition, and stemness attenuation in SCC25 cells. Importantly, PLB suppressed the translocation of Nrf2 from cytosol to nucleus, resulting in an inhibition in the expression of downstream targets. Taken together, these results suggest that PLB may act as a promising anticancer compound via inhibiting Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress signaling pathway in SCC25 cells. This study provides a clue to fully identify the molecular targets and decipher the underlying mechanisms of PLB in the treatment of TSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ting Pan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiru Qin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center and Sino-US Joint Laboratory for Medical Sciences, Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Xu He
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center and Sino-US Joint Laboratory for Medical Sciences, Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xueji Zhang
- Research Center for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tianxin Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah and Salt Lake Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Yin-Xue Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dong Wang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shu-Feng Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jia-Xuan Qiu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
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Vidal B, Santella A, Serrano-Saiz E, Bao Z, Chuang CF, Hobert O. C. elegans SoxB genes are dispensable for embryonic neurogenesis but required for terminal differentiation of specific neuron types. Development 2015; 142:2464-77. [PMID: 26153233 DOI: 10.1242/dev.125740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis involves deeply conserved patterning molecules, such as the proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Sox proteins and specifically members of the SoxB and SoxC groups are another class of conserved transcription factors with an important role in neuronal fate commitment and differentiation in various species. In this study, we examine the expression of all five Sox genes of the nematode C. elegans and analyze the effect of null mutant alleles of all members of the SoxB and SoxC groups on nervous system development. Surprisingly, we find that, unlike in other systems, neither of the two C. elegans SoxB genes sox-2 (SoxB1) and sox-3 (SoxB2), nor the sole C. elegans SoxC gene sem-2, is broadly expressed throughout the embryonic or adult nervous system and that all three genes are mostly dispensable for embryonic neurogenesis. Instead, sox-2 is required to maintain the developmental potential of blast cells that are generated in the embryo but divide only postembryonically to give rise to differentiated neuronal cell types. Moreover, sox-2 and sox-3 have selective roles in the terminal differentiation of specific neuronal cell types. Our findings suggest that the common themes of SoxB gene function across phylogeny lie in specifying developmental potential and, later on, in selectively controlling terminal differentiation programs of specific neuron types, but not in broadly controlling neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta Vidal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Esther Serrano-Saiz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chiou-Fen Chuang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Kyriakakis E, Markaki M, Tavernarakis N. Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for cancer research. Mol Cell Oncol 2015; 2:e975027. [PMID: 27308424 PMCID: PMC4905018 DOI: 10.4161/23723556.2014.975027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The term cancer describes a group of multifaceted diseases characterized by an intricate pathophysiology. Despite significant advances in the fight against cancer, it remains a key public health concern and burden on societies worldwide. Elucidation of key molecular and cellular mechanisms of oncogenic diseases will facilitate the development of better intervention strategies to counter or prevent tumor development. In vivo and in vitro models have long been used to delineate distinct biological processes involved in cancer such as apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, genome instability, and metabolism. In this review, we introduce Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging animal model for systematic dissection of the molecular basis of tumorigenesis, focusing on the well-established processes of apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, we propose that C. elegans can be used to advance our understanding of cancer progression, such as deregulation of energy metabolism, stem cell reprogramming, and host-microflora interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Kyriakakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
| | - Maria Markaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
- Department of Basic Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; University of Crete Heraklion; Crete, Greece
- Correspondence to: N. Tavernarakis;
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Uehara T, Kage-Nakadai E, Yoshina S, Imae R, Mitani S. The Tumor Suppressor BCL7B Functions in the Wnt Signaling Pathway. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1004921. [PMID: 25569233 PMCID: PMC4287490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human BCL7 gene family consists of BCL7A, BCL7B, and BCL7C. A number of clinical studies have reported that BCL7 family is involved in cancer incidence, progression, and development. Among them, BCL7B, located on chromosome 7q11.23, is one of the deleted genes in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome. Although several studies have suggested that malignant diseases occurring in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome are associated with aberrations in BCL7B, little is known regarding the function of this gene at the cellular level. In this study, we focused on bcl-7, which is the only homolog of BCL7 gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans, and analyzed bcl-7 deletion mutants. As a result, we found that bcl-7 is required for the asymmetric differentiation of epithelial seam cells, which have self-renewal properties as stem cells and divide asymmetrically through the WNT pathway. Distal tip cell development, which is regulated by the WNT pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans, was also affected in bcl-7-knockout mutants. Interestingly, bcl-7 mutants exhibited nuclear enlargement, reminiscent of the anaplastic features of malignant cells. Furthermore, in KATOIII human gastric cancer cells, BCL7B knockdown induced nuclear enlargement, promoted the multinuclei phenotype and suppressed cell death. In addition, this study showed that BCL7B negatively regulates the Wnt-signaling pathway and positively regulates the apoptotic pathway. Taken together, our data indicate that BCL7B/BCL-7 has some roles in maintaining the structure of nuclei and is involved in the modulation of multiple pathways, including Wnt and apoptosis. This study may implicate a risk of malignancies with BCL7B-deficiency, such as Williams-Beuren syndrome. BCL7B, a member of the human BCL7 gene family, is deleted in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome. Although several clinical studies have suggested that malignant diseases occurring in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome are associated with aberrations in BCL7B, little is known regarding the physiological function of this gene. Here, we show that bcl-7, the only homolog of BCL7 gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans, regulates asymmetric cell differentiation in somatic “stem-like” seam cells through at least the Wnt pathway and promotes the apoptotic pathway. In addition, bcl-7 deletion mutants show enlarged nuclei in epidermis and germ cells. Furthermore, in KATOIII human gastric cancer cells, BCL7B knockdown induces nuclear enlargement, as observed in Caenorhabditis elegans, and promotes the multinucleated phenotype, both of which are reminiscent of malignant diseases. BCL7B also negatively regulates the Wnt-signaling pathway and positively regulates the apoptotic pathway, similar to Caenorhabditis elegans. Altogether, this study may open the door for understanding the function of BCL7 family in cell differentiation and malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Uehara
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eriko Kage-Nakadai
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Yoshina
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rieko Imae
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Tokyo Women's Medical University Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
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35
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Can the ‘neuron theory’ be complemented by a universal mechanism for generic neuronal differentiation. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 359:343-84. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-2049-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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36
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Jiang J, Lau AC, Csankovszki G. Pluripotent cells will not dosage compensate. WORM 2014; 3:e29051. [PMID: 25254152 DOI: 10.4161/worm.29051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dosage compensation is the mechanism that balances gene expression levels between males and females as well as between the X chromosome and autosomes. In mammals, loss of pluripotency and differentiation are closely linked with the onset of dosage compensation. Pluripotency factors negatively regulate Xist (the non-coding RNA that triggers X chromosome inactivation) and positively regulate Tsix, a repressor of Xist, to inhibit dosage compensation. In addition, X chromosome dose also regulates exit from the pluripotent state. A double dose of X chromosomes in undifferentiated female cells inhibits the MAPK and Gsk3 signaling pathways and activates the Akt pathway, thereby blocking differentiation. Here we review our recent report, which showed that the onset of dosage compensation is also linked to the loss of pluripotency in C. elegans. We discuss these findings in light of what is known about pluripotency and differentiation in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhao Jiang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Alyssa C Lau
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Györgyi Csankovszki
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
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37
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Zuryn S, Ahier A, Portoso M, White ER, Morin MC, Margueron R, Jarriault S. Transdifferentiation. Sequential histone-modifying activities determine the robustness of transdifferentiation. Science 2014; 345:826-9. [PMID: 25124442 DOI: 10.1126/science.1255885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Natural interconversions between distinct somatic cell types have been reported in species as diverse as jellyfish and mice. The efficiency and reproducibility of some reprogramming events represent unexploited avenues in which to probe mechanisms that ensure robust cell conversion. We report that a conserved H3K27me3/me2 demethylase, JMJD-3.1, and the H3K4 methyltransferase Set1 complex cooperate to ensure invariant transdifferentiation (Td) of postmitotic Caenorhabditis elegans hindgut cells into motor neurons. At single-cell resolution, robust conversion requires stepwise histone-modifying activities, functionally partitioned into discrete phases of Td through nuclear degradation of JMJD-3.1 and phase-specific interactions with transcription factors that have conserved roles in cell plasticity and terminal fate selection. Our results draw parallels between epigenetic mechanisms underlying robust Td in nature and efficient cell reprogramming in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Zuryn
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
| | - Arnaud Ahier
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
| | - Manuela Portoso
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, 26, Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Esther Redhouse White
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
| | - Marie-Charlotte Morin
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France
| | - Raphaël Margueron
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, 26, Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- Department of Development and Stem Cells, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 7104/INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch CU Strasbourg, France.
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38
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González-Aguilera C, Palladino F, Askjaer P. C. elegans epigenetic regulation in development and aging. Brief Funct Genomics 2014; 13:223-34. [PMID: 24326118 PMCID: PMC4031453 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elt048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise developmental map of the Caenorhabditis elegans cell lineage, as well as a complete genome sequence and feasibility of genetic manipulation make this nematode species highly attractive to study the role of epigenetics during development. Genetic dissection of phenotypical traits, such as formation of egg-laying organs or starvation-resistant dauer larvae, has illustrated how chromatin modifiers may regulate specific cell-fate decisions and behavioral programs. Moreover, the transparent body of C. elegans facilitates non-invasive microscopy to study tissue-specific accumulation of heterochromatin at the nuclear periphery. We also review here recent findings on how small RNA molecules contribute to epigenetic control of gene expression that can be propagated for several generations and eventually determine longevity.
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Kipanyula MJ, Kimaro WH, Yepnjio FN, Aldebasi YH, Farahna M, Nwabo Kamdje AH, Abdel-Magied EM, Seke Etet PF. Signaling pathways bridging fate determination of neural crest cells to glial lineages in the developing peripheral nervous system. Cell Signal 2013; 26:673-82. [PMID: 24378534 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2013.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fate determination of neural crest cells is an essential step for the development of different crest cell derivatives. Peripheral glia development is marked by the choice of the neural crest cells to differentiate along glial lineages. The molecular mechanism underlying fate acquisition is poorly understood. However, recent advances have identified different transcription factors and genes required for the complex instructive signaling process that comprise both local environmental and cell intrinsic cues. Among others, at least the roles of Sox10, Notch, and neuregulin 1 have been documented in both in vivo and in vitro models. Cooperative interactions of such factors appear to be necessary for the switch from multipotent neural crest cells to glial lineage precursors in the peripheral nervous system. This review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of fate determination of neural crest cells into different glia subtypes, together with the potential implications in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulilio John Kipanyula
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3016, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania.
| | - Wahabu Hamisi Kimaro
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3016, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Faustin N Yepnjio
- Neurology Department, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 1937, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Yousef H Aldebasi
- Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452 Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Farahna
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452 Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Eltuhami M Abdel-Magied
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, 51452 Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul Faustin Seke Etet
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452 Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
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Simultaneous expression of multiple proteins under a single promoter in Caenorhabditis elegans via a versatile 2A-based toolkit. Genetics 2013; 196:605-13. [PMID: 24361941 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.113.160846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful in vivo model in which transgenesis is highly developed. However, while the analysis of biological phenomena often require the expression of more than one protein of interest, no reliable tool exists to ensure efficient concomitant and equivalent expression of more than two polypeptides from a single promoter. We report the use of viral 2A peptides, which trigger a "ribosomal-skip" or "STOP&GO" mechanism during translation, to express multiple proteins from a single vector in C. elegans. Although none of the viruses known to infect C. elegans contain 2A-like sequences, our results show that 2A peptides allow the production of separate functional proteins in all cell types and at all developmental stages tested in the worm. In addition, we constructed a toolkit including a 2A-based polycistronic plasmid and reagents to generate 2A-tagged fosmids. 2A peptides constitute an important tool to ensure the delivery of multiple polypeptides in specific cells, enabling several novel applications such as the reconstitution of multi-subunit complexes.
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41
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Zuryn S, Jarriault S. Deep sequencing strategies for mapping and identifying mutations from genetic screens. WORM 2013; 2:e25081. [PMID: 24778934 PMCID: PMC3875646 DOI: 10.4161/worm.25081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The development of next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled rapid and cost effective whole genome sequencing. This technology has allowed researchers to shortcut time-consuming and laborious methods used to identify nucleotide mutations in forward genetic screens in model organisms. However, causal mutations must still be mapped to a region of the genome so as to aid in their identification. This can be achieved simultaneously with deep sequencing through various methods. Here we discuss alternative deep sequencing strategies for simultaneously mapping and identifying causal mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans from mutagenesis screens. Focusing on practical considerations, such as the particular mutant phenotype obtained, this review aims to aid the reader in choosing which strategy to adopt to successfully clone their mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Zuryn
- Institut de GA(c)nA(c)tique et de Biologie MolA(c)culaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC); Institut National de la SantA(c) et de la Recherche MA(c)dicale (INSERM) U964/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 1704/UniversitA(c) de Strasbourg; Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- Institut de GA(c)nA(c)tique et de Biologie MolA(c)culaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC); Institut National de la SantA(c) et de la Recherche MA(c)dicale (INSERM) U964/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 1704/UniversitA(c) de Strasbourg; Strasbourg, France
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42
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Sharma R, Meister P. Nuclear organization in the nematode C. elegans. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2013; 25:395-402. [PMID: 23481208 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
With its invariant cell lineage, easy genetics and small genome, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as one of the prime models in developmental biology over the last 50 years. Surprisingly however, until a decade ago very little was known about nuclear organization in worms, even though it is an ideal model system to explore the link between nuclear organization and cell fate determination. Here, we review the latest findings that exploit the repertoire of genetic tools developed in worms, leading to the identification of important sequences and signals governing the changes in chromatin tridimensional architecture. We also highlight parallels and differences to other model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Sharma
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract
The crucial facts underlying the low efficiency of cellular reprogramming are poorly understood. Cellular reprogramming occurs in nuclear transfer, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) formation, cell fusion, and lineage-switching experiments. Despite these advances, there are three fundamental problems to be addressed: (1) the majority of cells cannot be reprogrammed, (2) the efficiency of reprogramming cells is usually low, and (3) the reprogrammed cells developed from a patient's own cells activate immune responses. These shortcomings present major obstacles for using reprogramming approaches in customised cell therapy. In this Perspective, the author synthesises past and present observations in the field of cellular reprogramming to propose a theoretical picture of the cellular memory disc. The current hypothesis is that all cells undergo an endogenous and exogenous holographic memorisation such that parts of the cellular memory dramatically decrease the efficiency of reprogramming cells, act like a barrier against reprogramming in the majority of cells, and activate immune responses. Accordingly, the focus of this review is mainly to describe the cellular memory disc (CMD). Based on the present theory, cellular memory includes three parts: a reprogramming-resistance memory (RRM), a switch-promoting memory (SPM) and a culture-induced memory (CIM). The cellular memory arises genetically, epigenetically and non-genetically and affects cellular behaviours. [corrected].
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Hadi Anjamrooz
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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Xu X, Kim SK. The GATA transcription factor egl-27 delays aging by promoting stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1003108. [PMID: 23271974 PMCID: PMC3521710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a fundamental aspect of aging, as accumulated damage from a lifetime of stress can limit lifespan and protective responses to stress can extend lifespan. In this study, we identify a conserved Caenorhabditis elegans GATA transcription factor, egl-27, that is involved in several stress responses and aging. We found that overexpression of egl-27 extends the lifespan of wild-type animals. Furthermore, egl-27 is required for the pro-longevity effects from impaired insulin/IGF-1 like signaling (IIS), as reduced egl-27 activity fully suppresses the longevity of worms that are mutant for the IIS receptor, daf-2. egl-27 expression is inhibited by daf-2 and activated by pro-longevity factors daf-16/FOXO and elt-3/GATA, suggesting that egl-27 acts at the intersection of IIS and GATA pathways to extend lifespan. Consistent with its role in IIS signaling, we found that egl-27 is involved in stress response pathways. egl-27 expression is induced in the presence of multiple stresses, its targets are significantly enriched for many types of stress genes, and altering levels of egl-27 itself affects survival to heat and oxidative stress. Finally, we found that egl-27 expression increases between young and old animals, suggesting that increased levels of egl-27 in aged animals may act to promote stress resistance. These results identify egl-27 as a novel factor that links stress and aging pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xu
- Cancer Biology Program and Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stuart K. Kim
- Cancer Biology Program and Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Tursun B. Cellular reprogramming processes in Drosophila and C. elegans. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2012; 22:475-84. [PMID: 23063246 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2012.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2012] [Revised: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The identity of individual cell types in a multicellular organism appears to be continuously maintained through active processes but is not irreversible. Changes in the identity of individual cell types can be brought about through ectopic mis-expression of regulatory factors, but in a number of cases also occurs in normal development. I will review here these natural cellular reprogramming processes occurring in the invertebrate model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, I will discuss the issue of why only certain cell types can be converted during induced reprogramming processes evoked by ectopic expression of regulatory factors and how recent work in model systems have shown that this cellular context-dependency can be manipulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baris Tursun
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology at Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, Berlin 13125, Germany.
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