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Hunt PR, Welch B, Camacho J, Bushana PN, Rand H, Sprando RL, Ferguson M. The worm Adult Activity Test (wAAT): A de novo mathematical model for detecting acute chemical effects in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Appl Toxicol 2023; 43:1899-1915. [PMID: 37551865 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
We have adapted a semiautomated method for tracking Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneous locomotor activity into a quantifiable assay by developing a sophisticated method for analyzing the time course of measured activity. The 16-h worm Adult Activity Test (wAAT) can be used to measure C. elegans activity levels for efficient screening for pharmacological and toxicity-induced effects. As with any apical endpoint assay, the wAAT is mode of action agnostic, allowing for detection of effects from a broad spectrum of response pathways. With caffeine as a model mild stimulant, the wAAT showed transient hyperactivity followed by reversion to baseline. Mercury chloride (HgCl2 ) produced an early dose-response hyperactivity phase followed by pronounced hypoactivity, a behavior pattern we have termed a toxicant "escape response." Methylmercury chloride (meHgCl) produced a similar pattern to HgCl2 , but at much lower concentrations, a weaker hyperactivity response, and more pronounced hypoactivity. Sodium arsenite (NaAsO2 ) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) induced hypoactivity at high concentrations. Acute toxicity, as measured by hypoactivity in C. elegans adults, was ranked: meHgCl > HgCl2 > NaAsO2 = DMA. Caffeine was not toxic with the wAAT at tested concentrations. Methods for conducting the wAAT are described, along with instructions for preparing C. elegans Habitation Medium, a liquid nutrient medium that allows for developmental timing equivalent to that found with C. elegans grown on agar with OP50 Escherichia coli feeder cultures. A de novo mathematical parametric model for adult C. elegans activity and the application of this model in ranking exposure toxicity are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piper Reid Hunt
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Bonnie Welch
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Jessica Camacho
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Priyanka N Bushana
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Washington State University - Health Science Campus, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Hugh Rand
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Staff, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert L Sprando
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Martine Ferguson
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Staff, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA
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2
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Wang M, Ge J, Ma X, Su S, Tian C, Li J, Yu F, Li H, Song C, Gao J, Xu P, Tang Y, Xu G. Exploration of the regulatory mechanisms of regeneration, anti-oxidation, anti-aging and the immune response at the post-molt stage of Eriocheir sinensis. Front Physiol 2022; 13:948511. [PMID: 36237529 PMCID: PMC9552667 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.948511] [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: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Eriocheir sinensis is widely appreciated by the surrounding population due to its culinary delicacy and rich nutrients. The E. sinensis breeding industry is very prosperous and molting is one of the important growth characteristics. Research on the regulation of molting in E. sinensis is still in the initial stages. There is currently no relevant information on the regulatory mechanisms of heart development following molting. Comparative transcriptome analysis was used to study developmental regulation mechanisms in the heart of E. sinensis at the post-molt and inter-molt stages. The results indicated that many regulatory pathways and genes involved in regeneration, anti-oxidation, anti-aging and the immune response were significantly upregulated after molting in E. sinensis. Aside from cardiac development, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were relevant to myocardial movement and neuronal signal transduction. DEGs were also related to the regulation of glutathione homeostasis and biological rhythms in regard to anti-oxidation and anti-aging, and to the regulation of immune cell development and the immune response. This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the regulation of molting in E. sinensis and in other economically important crustaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiachun Ge
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
| | - Xingkong Ma
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
| | - Shengyan Su
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
| | - Can Tian
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianlin Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
| | - Fan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
| | - Hongxia Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
| | - Changyou Song
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiancao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
| | - Pao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yongkai Tang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
- *Correspondence: Yongkai Tang, ; Gangchun Xu,
| | - Gangchun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China
- *Correspondence: Yongkai Tang, ; Gangchun Xu,
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3
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Bogomolovas J, Gravenhorst P, Mayans O. Production and analysis of titin kinase: Exploiting active/inactive kinase homologs in pseudokinase validation. Methods Enzymol 2022; 667:147-181. [PMID: 35525541 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein pseudokinases are key regulators of the eukaryotic cell. Understanding their unconventional molecular mechanisms relies on deciphering their putative potential to perform phosphotransfer, their scaffolding properties and the nature of their regulation. Titin pseudokinase (TK) is the defining member of a family of poorly characterized muscle-specific kinases thought to act as sensors and transducers of mechanical signals in the sarcomere. The functional mechanisms of TK remain obscure due to the challenges posed by its production and analysis. Here, we provide guidelines and tailored research approaches for the study of TK, including profiting from its close structure-function relationship to the catalytically active homolog twitchin kinase (TwcK) from C. elegans. We describe a methodological pipeline to produce recombinant TK and TwcK samples; design, prioritize and validate mutated and truncated variants; assess sample stability and perform activity assays. The strategy is exportable to other pseudokinase members of the TK-like kinase family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Bogomolovas
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
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Paul S, Balakrishnan S, Arumugaperumal A, Lathakumari S, Syamala SS, Vijayan V, Durairaj SCJ, Arumugaswami V, Sivasubramaniam S. Importance of clitellar tissue in the regeneration ability of earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae. Funct Integr Genomics 2022; 22:1-32. [PMID: 35416560 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-022-00849-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Among the annelids, earthworms are renowned for their phenomenal ability to regenerate the lost segments. The adult earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae contains 120 segments and the body segments of the earthworm are divided into pre-clitellar, clitellar and post-clitellar segments. The present study denoted that clitellum plays vital role in the successful regeneration of the species. We have performed histological studies to identify among the three skin layers of the earthworm, which cellular layer supports the blastema formation and regeneration of the species. The histological evidences denoted that the proliferation of the longitudinal cell layer at the amputation site is crucial for the successful regeneration of the earthworm and it takes place only in the presence of an intact clitellum. Besides we have performed clitellar transcriptome analysis of the earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae to monitor the key differentially expressed genes and their associated functions and pathways controlling the clitellar tissue changes during both anterior and posterior regeneration of the earthworm. A total of 4707 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the control clitellum and clitellum of anterior regenerated earthworms and 4343 DEGs were detected between the control clitellum and clitellum of posterior regenerated earthworms. The functional enrichment analysis confirmed the genes regulating the muscle mass shape and structure were significantly downregulated and the genes associated with response to starvation and anterior-posterior axis specification were significantly upregulated in the clitellar tissue during both anterior and posterior regeneration of the earthworm. The RNA sequencing data of clitellum and the comparative transcriptomic analysis were helpful to understand the complex regeneration process of the earthworm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayan Paul
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India.,Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, 560065, India
| | | | - Arun Arumugaperumal
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India
| | - Saranya Lathakumari
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India
| | - Sandhya Soman Syamala
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India
| | - Vijithkumar Vijayan
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India
| | - Selvan Christyraj Jackson Durairaj
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India.,Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 600 119, India
| | | | - Sudhakar Sivasubramaniam
- Department of Biotechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 627012, India.
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5
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Porto D, Matsunaga Y, Franke B, Williams RM, Qadota H, Mayans O, Benian GM, Lu H. Conformational changes in twitchin kinase in vivo revealed by FRET imaging of freely moving C. elegans. eLife 2021; 10:e66862. [PMID: 34569929 PMCID: PMC8523150 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The force-induced unfolding and refolding of proteins is speculated to be a key mechanism in the sensing and transduction of mechanical signals in the living cell. Yet, little evidence has been gathered for its existence in vivo. Prominently, stretch-induced unfolding is postulated to be the activation mechanism of the twitchin/titin family of autoinhibited sarcomeric kinases linked to the mechanical stress response of muscle. To test the occurrence of mechanical kinase activation in living working muscle, we generated transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans expressing twitchin containing FRET moieties flanking the kinase domain and developed a quantitative technique for extracting FRET signals in freely moving C. elegans, using tracking and simultaneous imaging of animals in three channels (donor fluorescence, acceptor fluorescence, and transmitted light). Computer vision algorithms were used to extract fluorescence signals and muscle contraction states in each frame, in order to obtain fluorescence and body curvature measurements with spatial and temporal precision in vivo. The data revealed statistically significant periodic changes in FRET signals during muscle activity, consistent with a periodic change in the conformation of twitchin kinase. We conclude that stretch-unfolding of twitchin kinase occurs in the active muscle, whereby mechanical activity titrates the signaling pathway of this cytoskeletal kinase. We anticipate that the methods we have developed here could be applied to obtaining in vivo evidence for force-induced conformational changes or elastic behavior of other proteins not only in C. elegans but in other animals in which there is optical transparency (e.g., zebrafish).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Porto
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Yohei Matsunaga
- Department of Pathology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Rhys M Williams
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Hang Lu
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
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6
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Lesanpezeshki L, Qadota H, Darabad MN, Kashyap K, Lacerda CMR, Szewczyk NJ, Benian GM, Vanapalli SA. Investigating the correlation of muscle function tests and sarcomere organization in C. elegans. Skelet Muscle 2021; 11:20. [PMID: 34389048 PMCID: PMC8362255 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-021-00275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used as a model to study muscle structure and function. Its body wall muscle is functionally and structurally similar to vertebrate skeletal muscle with conserved molecular pathways contributing to sarcomere structure, and muscle function. However, a systematic investigation of the relationship between muscle force and sarcomere organization is lacking. Here, we investigate the contribution of various sarcomere proteins and membrane attachment components to muscle structure and function to introduce C. elegans as a model organism to study the genetic basis of muscle strength. Methods We employ two recently developed assays that involve exertion of muscle forces to investigate the correlation of muscle function to sarcomere organization. We utilized a microfluidic pillar-based platform called NemaFlex that quantifies the maximum exertable force and a burrowing assay that challenges the animals to move in three dimensions under a chemical stimulus. We selected 20 mutants with known defects in various substructures of sarcomeres and compared the physiological function of muscle proteins required for force generation and transmission. We also characterized the degree of sarcomere disorganization using immunostaining approaches. Results We find that mutants with genetic defects in thin filaments, thick filaments, and M-lines are generally weaker, and our assays are successful in detecting the functional changes in response to each sarcomere location tested. We find that the NemaFlex and burrowing assays are functionally distinct informing on different aspects of muscle physiology. Specifically, the burrowing assay has a larger bandwidth in phenotyping muscle mutants, because it could pick ten additional mutants impaired while exerting normal muscle force in NemaFlex. This enabled us to combine their readouts to develop an integrated muscle function score that was found to correlate with the score for muscle structure disorganization. Conclusions Our results highlight the suitability of NemaFlex and burrowing assays for evaluating muscle physiology of C. elegans. Using these approaches, we discuss the importance of the studied sarcomere proteins for muscle function and structure. The scoring methodology we have developed enhances the utility of C. elegans as a genetic model to study muscle function. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13395-021-00275-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Lesanpezeshki
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Karishma Kashyap
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Carla M R Lacerda
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Szewczyk
- MRC/Arthritis Research UK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom & National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK.,Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Siva A Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
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7
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Rahman M, Hewitt JE, Van-Bussel F, Edwards H, Blawzdziewicz J, Szewczyk NJ, Driscoll M, Vanapalli SA. NemaFlex: a microfluidics-based technology for standardized measurement of muscular strength of C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2187-2201. [PMID: 29892747 PMCID: PMC6057834 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00103k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Muscle strength is a functional measure of quality of life in humans. Declines in muscle strength are manifested in diseases as well as during inactivity, aging, and space travel. With conserved muscle biology, the simple genetic model C. elegans is a high throughput platform in which to identify molecular mechanisms causing muscle strength loss and to develop interventions based on diet, exercise, and drugs. In the clinic, standardized strength measures are essential to quantitate changes in patients; however, analogous standards have not been recapitulated in the C. elegans model since force generation fluctuates based on animal behavior and locomotion. Here, we report a microfluidics-based system for strength measurement that we call 'NemaFlex', based on pillar deflection as the nematode crawls through a forest of pillars. We have optimized the micropillar forest design and identified robust measurement conditions that yield a measure of strength that is independent of behavior and gait. Validation studies using a muscle contracting agent and mutants confirm that NemaFlex can reliably score muscular strength in C. elegans. Additionally, we report a scaling factor to account for animal size that is consistent with a biomechanics model and enables comparative strength studies of mutants. Taken together, our findings anchor NemaFlex for applications in genetic and drug screens, for defining molecular and cellular circuits of neuromuscular function, and for dissection of degenerative processes in disuse, aging, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
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8
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Williams RM, Franke B, Wilkinson M, Fleming JR, Rigden DJ, Benian GM, Eyers PA, Mayans O. Autophosphorylation Is a Mechanism of Inhibition in Twitchin Kinase. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:793-805. [PMID: 29408381 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Titin-like kinases are muscle-specific kinases that regulate mechanical sensing in the sarcomere. Twitchin kinase (TwcK) is the best-characterized member of this family, both structurally and enzymatically. TwcK activity is auto-inhibited by a dual intrasteric mechanism, in which N- and C-terminal tail extensions wrap around the kinase domain, blocking the hinge region, the ATP binding pocket and the peptide substrate binding groove. Physiologically, kinase activation is thought to occur by a stretch-induced displacement of the inhibitory tails from the kinase domain. Here, we now show that TwcK inhibits its catalysis even in the absence of regulatory tails, by undergoing auto-phosphorylation at mechanistically important elements of the kinase fold. Using mass spectrometry, site-directed mutagenesis and catalytic assays on recombinant samples, we identify residues T212, T301, T316 and T401 as primary auto-phosphorylation sites in TwcK in vitro. Taken together, our results suggest that residue T316, located in the peptide substrate binding P+1 loop, is the dominantly regulatory site in TwcK. Based on these findings, we conclude that TwcK is regulated through a triple-inhibitory mechanism consisting of phosphorylation and intrasteric blockage, which is responsive not only to mechanical cues but also to biochemical modulation. This implies that mechanically stretched conformations of TwcK do not necessarily correspond to catalytically active states, as previously postulated. This further suggests a phosphorylation-dependent desensitization of the TwcK-mediated mechanoresponse of the sarcomere in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys M Williams
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | | | - Daniel J Rigden
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Patrick A Eyers
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
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9
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Development of siRNA mediated RNA interference and functional analysis of novel parasitic nematode-specific protein of Setaria digitata. Exp Parasitol 2018; 186:42-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Matsunaga Y, Hwang H, Franke B, Williams R, Penley M, Qadota H, Yi H, Morran LT, Lu H, Mayans O, Benian GM. Twitchin kinase inhibits muscle activity. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:1591-1600. [PMID: 28428253 PMCID: PMC5469603 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-10-0707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Muscles express giant polypeptides with kinase domains, but the in vivo significance of their catalytic activity has been unknown. Analysis of a mutant nematode that expresses the giant protein twitchin with a catalytically inactive kinase indicates that twitchin kinase inhibits muscle activity and is favored by selection. Muscle sarcomeres contain giant polypeptides composed of multiple immunoglobulin and fibronectin domains and one or two protein kinase domains. Although binding partners for a number of this family’s kinase domains have been identified, the catalytic necessity of these kinase domains remains unknown. In addition, various members of this kinase family are suspected pseudokinases with no or little activity. Here we address catalytic necessity for the first time, using the prototypic invertebrate representative twitchin (UNC-22) from Caenorhabditis elegans. In in vitro experiments, change of a conserved lysine (K) that is involved in ATP coordination to alanine (A) resulted in elimination of kinase activity without affecting the overall structure of the kinase domain. The same mutation, unc-22(sf21), was generated in the endogenous twitchin gene. The unc-22(sf21) worms have well-organized sarcomeres. However, unc-22(sf21) mutants move faster than wild-type worms and, by optogenetic experiments, contract more. Wild-type nematodes exhibited greater competitive fitness than unc-22(sf21) mutants. Thus the catalytic activity of twitchin kinase has a role in vivo, where it inhibits muscle activity and is likely maintained by selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Matsunaga
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Hyundoo Hwang
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Rhys Williams
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - McKenna Penley
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Hong Yi
- Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Levi T Morran
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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11
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Hwang H, Barnes DE, Matsunaga Y, Benian GM, Ono S, Lu H. Muscle contraction phenotypic analysis enabled by optogenetics reveals functional relationships of sarcomere components in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19900. [PMID: 26822332 PMCID: PMC4731793 DOI: 10.1038/srep19900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The sarcomere, the fundamental unit of muscle contraction, is a highly-ordered complex of hundreds of proteins. Despite decades of genetics work, the functional relationships and the roles of those sarcomeric proteins in animal behaviors remain unclear. In this paper, we demonstrate that optogenetic activation of the motor neurons that induce muscle contraction can facilitate quantitative studies of muscle kinetics in C. elegans. To increase the throughput of the study, we trapped multiple worms in parallel in a microfluidic device and illuminated for photoactivation of channelrhodopsin-2 to induce contractions in body wall muscles. Using image processing, the change in body size was quantified over time. A total of five parameters including rate constants for contraction and relaxation were extracted from the optogenetic assay as descriptors of sarcomere functions. To potentially relate the genes encoding the sarcomeric proteins functionally, a hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted on the basis of those parameters. Because it assesses physiological output different from conventional assays, this method provides a complement to the phenotypic analysis of C. elegans muscle mutants currently performed in many labs; the clusters may provide new insights and drive new hypotheses for functional relationships among the many sarcomere components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyundoo Hwang
- School of Chemical &Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dawn E Barnes
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shoichiro Ono
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical &Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Interdisciplinary Program of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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