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Lopes FM, Grenier C, Jarvis BW, Al Mahdy S, Lène-McKay A, Gurney AM, Newman WG, Waddington SN, Woolf AS, Roberts NA. Human HPSE2 gene transfer ameliorates bladder pathophysiology in a mutant mouse model of urofacial syndrome. eLife 2024; 13:RP91828. [PMID: 38990208 PMCID: PMC11239176 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91828] [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: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Rare early-onset lower urinary tract disorders include defects of functional maturation of the bladder. Current treatments do not target the primary pathobiology of these diseases. Some have a monogenic basis, such as urofacial, or Ochoa, syndrome (UFS). Here, the bladder does not empty fully because of incomplete relaxation of its outflow tract, and subsequent urosepsis can cause kidney failure. UFS is associated with biallelic variants of HPSE2, encoding heparanase-2. This protein is detected in pelvic ganglia, autonomic relay stations that innervate the bladder and control voiding. Bladder outflow tracts of Hpse2 mutant mice display impaired neurogenic relaxation. We hypothesized that HPSE2 gene transfer soon after birth would ameliorate this defect and explored an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-based approach. AAV9/HPSE2, carrying human HPSE2 driven by CAG, was administered intravenously into neonatal mice. In the third postnatal week, transgene transduction and expression were sought, and ex vivo myography was undertaken to measure bladder function. In mice administered AAV9/HPSE2, the viral genome was detected in pelvic ganglia. Human HPSE2 was expressed and heparanase-2 became detectable in pelvic ganglia of treated mutant mice. On autopsy, wild-type mice had empty bladders, whereas bladders were uniformly distended in mutant mice, a defect ameliorated by AAV9/HPSE2 treatment. Therapeutically, AAV9/HPSE2 significantly ameliorated impaired neurogenic relaxation of Hpse2 mutant bladder outflow tracts. Impaired neurogenic contractility of mutant detrusor smooth muscle was also significantly improved. These results constitute first steps towards curing UFS, a clinically devastating genetic disease featuring a bladder autonomic neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa M Lopes
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Celine Grenier
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin W Jarvis
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Al Mahdy
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Lène-McKay
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alison M Gurney
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - William G Newman
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Simon N Waddington
- Maternal & Fetal Medicine, EGA Institute for Women's Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adrian S Woolf
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A Roberts
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Vlodavsky I, Hilwi M, Kayal Y, Soboh S, Ilan N. Impact of heparanase-2 (Hpa2) on cancer and inflammation: Advances and paradigms. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23670. [PMID: 38747803 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400286r] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
HPSE2, the gene-encoding heparanase 2 (Hpa2), is mutated in urofacial syndrome (UFS), a rare autosomal recessive congenital disease attributed to peripheral neuropathy. Hpa2 lacks intrinsic heparan sulfate (HS)-degrading activity, the hallmark of heparanase (Hpa1), yet it exhibits a high affinity toward HS, thereby inhibiting Hpa1 enzymatic activity. Hpa2 regulates selected genes that promote normal differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, resulting in antitumor, antiangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Importantly, stress conditions induce the expression of Hpa2, thus establishing a feedback loop, where Hpa2 enhances ER stress which, in turn, induces Hpa2 expression. In most cases, cancer patients who retain high levels of Hpa2 survive longer than patients bearing Hpa2-low tumors. Experimentally, overexpression of Hpa2 attenuates the growth of tumor xenografts, whereas Hpa2 gene silencing results in aggressive tumors. Studies applying conditional Hpa2 knockout (cHpa2-KO) mice revealed an essential involvement of Hpa2 contributed by the host in protecting against cancer and inflammation. This was best reflected by the distorted morphology of the Hpa2-null pancreas, including massive infiltration of immune cells, acinar to adipocyte trans-differentiation, and acinar to ductal metaplasia. Moreover, orthotopic inoculation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells into the pancreas of Hpa2-null vs. wild-type mice yielded tumors that were by far more aggressive. Likewise, intravenous inoculation of cancer cells into cHpa2-KO mice resulted in a dramatically increased lung colonization reflecting the involvement of Hpa2 in restricting the formation of a premetastatic niche. Elucidating Hpa2 structure-activity-relationships is expected to support the development of Hpa2-based therapies against cancer and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Maram Hilwi
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yasmin Kayal
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Soaad Soboh
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
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Kayal Y, Barash U, Naroditsky I, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 (Hpa2)- a new player essential for pancreatic acinar cell differentiation. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:465. [PMID: 37491420 PMCID: PMC10368643 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05990-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Heparanase 2 (Hpa2, HPSE2) is a close homolog of heparanase. Hpa2, however, lacks intrinsic heparan sulfate (HS)-degrading activity, the hallmark of heparanase enzymatic activity. Mutations of HPSE2 were identified in patients diagnosed with urofacial syndrome (UFS), a rare genetic disorder that exhibits abnormal facial expression and bladder voiding dysfunction, leading to renal damage and eventually renal failure. In order to reveal the role of HPSE2 in tissue homeostasis, we established a conditional Hpa2-KO mouse. Interestingly, the lack of Hpa2 was associated with a marked decrease in the expression of key pancreatic transcription factors such as PTF1, GATA6, and Mist1. This was associated with a two-fold decrease in pancreas weight, increased pancreatic inflammation, and profound morphological alterations of the pancreas. These include massive accumulation of fat cells, possibly a result of acinar-to-adipocyte transdifferentiation (AAT), as well as acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), both considered to be pro-tumorigenic. Furthermore, exposing Hpa2-KO but not wild-type mice to a carcinogen (AOM) and pancreatic inflammation (cerulein) resulted in the formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), lesions that are considered to be precursors of invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC). These results strongly support the notion that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, Hpa2 is shown here for the first time to play a critical role in the exocrine aspect of the pancreas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Kayal
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Uri Barash
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Inna Naroditsky
- Department of Pathology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
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Vlodavsky I, Kayal Y, Hilwi M, Soboh S, Sanderson RD, Ilan N. Heparanase-A single protein with multiple enzymatic and nonenzymatic functions. PROTEOGLYCAN RESEARCH 2023; 1:e6. [PMID: 37547889 PMCID: PMC10398610 DOI: 10.1002/pgr2.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Heparanase (Hpa1) is expressed by tumor cells and cells of the tumor microenvironment and functions extracellularly to remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulate the bioavailability of ECM-bound factors, augmenting, among other effects, gene transcription, autophagy, exosome formation, and heparan sulfate (HS) turnover. Much of the impact of heparanase on tumor progression is related to its function in mediating tumor-host crosstalk, priming the tumor microenvironment to better support tumor growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance. The enzyme appears to fulfill some normal functions associated, for example, with vesicular traffic, lysosomal-based secretion, autophagy, HS turnover, and gene transcription. It activates cells of the innate immune system, promotes the formation of exosomes and autophagosomes, and stimulates signal transduction pathways via enzymatic and nonenzymatic activities. These effects dynamically impact multiple regulatory pathways that together drive tumor growth, dissemination, and drug resistance as well as inflammatory responses. The emerging premise is that heparanase expressed by tumor cells, immune cells, endothelial cells, and other cells of the tumor microenvironment is a key regulator of the aggressive phenotype of cancer, an important contributor to the poor outcome of cancer patients and a valid target for therapy. So far, however, antiheparanase-based therapy has not been implemented in the clinic. Unlike heparanase, heparanase-2 (Hpa2), a close homolog of heparanase (Hpa1), does not undergo proteolytic processing and hence lacks intrinsic HS-degrading activity, the hallmark of heparanase. Hpa2 retains the capacity to bind heparin/HS and exhibits an even higher affinity towards HS than heparanase, thus competing for HS binding and inhibiting heparanase enzymatic activity. It appears that Hpa2 functions as a natural inhibitor of Hpa1 regulates the expression of selected genes that maintain tissue hemostasis and normal function, and plays a protective role against cancer and inflammation, together emphasizing the significance of maintaining a proper balance between Hpa1 and Hpa2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, TechnionRappaport Faculty of MedicineHaifaIsrael
| | - Yasmin Kayal
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, TechnionRappaport Faculty of MedicineHaifaIsrael
| | - Maram Hilwi
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, TechnionRappaport Faculty of MedicineHaifaIsrael
| | - Soaad Soboh
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, TechnionRappaport Faculty of MedicineHaifaIsrael
| | - Ralph D. Sanderson
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, TechnionRappaport Faculty of MedicineHaifaIsrael
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Grenier C, Lopes FM, Cueto-González AM, Rovira-Moreno E, Gander R, Jarvis BW, McCloskey KD, Gurney AM, Beaman GM, Newman WG, Woolf AS, Roberts NA. Neurogenic Defects Occur in LRIG2-Associated Urinary Bladder Disease. Kidney Int Rep 2023; 8:1417-1429. [PMID: 37441484 PMCID: PMC10334403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Urofacial, or Ochoa, syndrome (UFS) is an autosomal recessive disease featuring a dyssynergic bladder with detrusor smooth muscle contracting against an undilated outflow tract. It also features an abnormal grimace. Half of individuals with UFS carry biallelic variants in HPSE2, whereas other rare families carry variants in LRIG2.LRIG2 is immunodetected in pelvic ganglia sending autonomic axons into the bladder. Moreover, Lrig2 mutant mice have abnormal urination and abnormally patterned bladder nerves. We hypothesized that peripheral neurogenic defects underlie LRIG2-associated bladder dysfunction. Methods We describe a new family with LRIG2-associated UFS and studied Lrig2 homozygous mutant mice with ex vivo physiological analyses. Results The index case presented antenatally with urinary tract (UT) dilatation, and postnatally had urosepsis and functional bladder outlet obstruction. He had the grimace that, together with UT disease, characterizes UFS. Although HPSE2 sequencing was normal, he carried a homozygous, predicted pathogenic, LRIG2 stop variant (c.1939C>T; p.Arg647∗). Lrig2 mutant mice had enlarged bladders. Ex vivo physiology experiments showed neurogenic smooth muscle relaxation defects in the outflow tract, containing the urethra adjoining the bladder, and in detrusor contractility. Moreover, there were nuanced differences in physiological outflow tract defects between the sexes. Conclusion Putting this family in the context of all reported UT disease-associated LRIG2 variants, the full UFS phenotype occurs with biallelic stop or frameshift variants, but missense variants lead to bladder-limited disease. Our murine observations support the hypothesis that UFS is a genetic autonomic neuropathy of the bladder affecting outflow tract and bladder body function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Grenier
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Filipa M. Lopes
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Anna M. Cueto-González
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Genetics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Catalonia, Spain
- Medicine Genetics Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eulàlia Rovira-Moreno
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Genetics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Catalonia, Spain
- Medicine Genetics Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Romy Gander
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Urology and Renal Transplant Unit, University Hospital Vall D'Hebron Barcelona, Hospital Vall D'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benjamin W. Jarvis
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karen D. McCloskey
- Patrick G. Johnston Center for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Alison M. Gurney
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Glenda M. Beaman
- Manchester Center for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester, UK
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - William G. Newman
- Manchester Center for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester, UK
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Adrian S. Woolf
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester, UK
| | - Neil A. Roberts
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Buijsers B, Garsen M, de Graaf M, Bakker-van Bebber M, Guo C, Li X, van der Vlag J. Heparanase-2 protein and peptides have a protective effect on experimental glomerulonephritis and diabetic nephropathy. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1098184. [PMID: 37180718 PMCID: PMC10172501 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1098184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The endothelial glycocalyx degrading enzyme heparanase-1 (HPSE1) is a major contributor to kidney diseases, such as glomerulonephritis and diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, inhibition of HPSE1 could be an interesting therapeutic strategy to treat glomerular diseases. A possible HPSE1 inhibitor is heparanase-2 (HPSE2) because HPSE2 is a structural homolog of HPSE1 without enzymatic activity. The importance of HPSE2 has been recently demonstrated in HPSE2-deficient mice, since these mice developed albuminuria and died within a few months after birth. We postulate that inhibition of HPSE1 activity by HPSE2 is a promising therapeutic strategy to target albuminuria and resulting renal failure. Methods: First, we evaluated the regulation of HPSE2 expression in anti-GBM and LPS-induced glomerulonephritis, streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy, and adriamycin nephropathy by qPCR and ELISA. Second, we measured the HPSE1 inhibiting capacity of HPSE2 protein and 30 different HPSE2 peptides and assessed their therapeutic potential in both experimental glomerulonephritis and diabetic nephropathy using kidney function and cortical mRNA expression of HPSE1 and cytokines as outcome parameters. Results: HPSE2 expression was downregulated under inflammatory and diabetic conditions, whereas this effect on HPSE2 expression was absent with HPSE1 inhibition and in HPSE1-deficient mice. Both HPSE2 protein and a mixture of the three most potent HPSE1 inhibitory HPSE2 peptides could prevent LPS and streptozotocin induced kidney injury. Discussion: Taken together, our data suggest a protective effect of HPSE2 in (experimental) glomerular diseases and support the therapeutic potential of HPSE2 as HPSE1 inhibitor in glomerular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baranca Buijsers
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Garsen
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Mark de Graaf
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marinka Bakker-van Bebber
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chunming Guo
- Departments of Urology and Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xue Li
- Departments of Urology and Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Johan van der Vlag
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Beaman GM, Lopes FM, Hofmann A, Roesch W, Promm M, Bijlsma EK, Patel C, Akinci A, Burgu B, Knijnenburg J, Ho G, Aufschlaeger C, Dathe S, Voelckel MA, Cohen M, Yue WW, Stuart HM, Mckenzie EA, Elvin M, Roberts NA, Woolf AS, Newman WG. Expanding the HPSE2 Genotypic Spectrum in Urofacial Syndrome, A Disease Featuring a Peripheral Neuropathy of the Urinary Bladder. Front Genet 2022; 13:896125. [PMID: 35812751 PMCID: PMC9259970 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.896125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Urofacial (also called Ochoa) syndrome (UFS) is an autosomal recessive congenital disorder of the urinary bladder featuring voiding dysfunction and a grimace upon smiling. Biallelic variants in HPSE2, coding for the secreted protein heparanase-2, are described in around half of families genetically studied. Hpse2 mutant mice have aberrant bladder nerves. We sought to expand the genotypic spectrum of UFS and make insights into its pathobiology. Sanger sequencing, next generation sequencing and microarray analysis were performed in four previously unreported families with urinary tract disease and grimacing. In one, the proband had kidney failure and was homozygous for the previously described pathogenic variant c.429T>A, p.(Tyr143*). Three other families each carried a different novel HPSE2 variant. One had homozygous triplication of exons 8 and 9; another had homozygous deletion of exon 4; and another carried a novel c.419C>G variant encoding the missense p.Pro140Arg in trans with c.1099-1G>A, a previously reported pathogenic splice variant. Expressing the missense heparanase-2 variant in vitro showed that it was secreted as normal, suggesting that 140Arg has aberrant functionality after secretion. Bladder autonomic neurons emanate from pelvic ganglia where resident neural cell bodies derive from migrating neural crest cells. We demonstrated that, in normal human embryos, neuronal precursors near the developing hindgut and lower urinary tract were positive for both heparanase-2 and leucine rich repeats and immunoglobulin like domains 2 (LRIG2). Indeed, biallelic variants of LRIG2 have been implicated in rare UFS families. The study expands the genotypic spectrum in HPSE2 in UFS and supports a developmental neuronal pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda M. Beaman
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Filipa M. Lopes
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Aybike Hofmann
- Department of Pediatric Urology, KUNO Clinic St. Hedwig Clinic, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Roesch
- Department of Pediatric Urology, KUNO Clinic St. Hedwig Clinic, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martin Promm
- Department of Pediatric Urology, KUNO Clinic St. Hedwig Clinic, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Emilia K. Bijlsma
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Chirag Patel
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Aykut Akinci
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Cebeci Children’s Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Berk Burgu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Cebeci Children’s Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jeroen Knijnenburg
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gladys Ho
- Sydney Genome Diagnostics, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Disciplines of Child and Adolescent Health and Genomic Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christina Aufschlaeger
- Department of Pediatric Urology, KUNO Clinic St. Hedwig Clinic, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Dathe
- Department of Pediatric Urology, KUNO Clinic St. Hedwig Clinic, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Städtisches Klinikum Dessau, Dessau-Roslau, Germany
| | | | - Monika Cohen
- Center for Human Genetics and Laboratory Diagnostics (AHC) Medical Labs Martinsried, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wyatt W. Yue
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Helen M. Stuart
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Edward A. Mckenzie
- Protein Expression Facility, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Elvin
- Peak Proteins Ltd., Macclesfield, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. Roberts
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian S. Woolf
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - William G. Newman
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Gross-Cohen M, Yanku Y, Kessler O, Barash U, Boyango I, Cid-Arregui A, Neufeld G, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 (Hpa2) attenuates tumor growth by inducing Sox2 expression. Matrix Biol 2021; 99:58-71. [PMID: 34004353 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The pro-tumorigenic properties of heparanase are well documented, and heparanase inhibitors are being evaluated clinically as anti-cancer therapeutics. In contrast, the role of heparanase 2 (Hpa2), a close homolog of heparanase, in cancer is largely unknown. Previously, we have reported that in head and neck cancer, high levels of Hpa2 are associated with prolonged patient survival and decreased tumor cell dissemination to regional lymph nodes, suggesting that Hpa2 functions to restrain tumorigenesis. Also, patients with high levels of Hpa2 were diagnosed as low grade and exhibited increased expression of cytokeratins, an indication that Hpa2 promotes or maintains epithelial cell differentiation and identity. To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the tumor suppressor properties of Hpa2, and its ability to induce the expression of cytokeratin, we employed overexpression as well as gene editing (Crispr) approaches, combined with gene array and RNAseq methodologies. At the top of the list of many genes found to be affected by Hpa2 was Sox2. Here we provide evidence that silencing of Sox2 resulted in bigger tumors endowed with reduced cytokeratin levels, whereas smaller tumors were developed by cells overexpressing Sox2, suggesting that in head and neck carcinoma, Sox2 functions to inhibit tumor growth. Notably, Hpa2-null cells engineered by Crispr/Cas 9, produced bigger tumors vs control cells, and rescue of Hpa2 attenuated tumor growth. These results strongly imply that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor in head and neck cancer, involving Sox2 upregulation mediated, in part, by the high-affinity interaction of Hpa2 with heparan sulfate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yifat Yanku
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ofra Kessler
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Uri Barash
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ilanit Boyango
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Gera Neufeld
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
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9
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Urofacial (ochoa) syndrome: A literature review. J Pediatr Urol 2021; 17:246-254. [PMID: 33558177 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Urofacial or Ochoa Syndrome (UFS or UFOS) is characterized by an inverted facial expression (those affected seem crying while smiling) associated with lower urinary tract dysfunction without evident obstructive or neurological cause. It is associated with autosomal recessive inheritance mutations in the HPSE2 gene, located at 10q23-q24, and the LRGI2 gene, located in 1p13.2; however, in up to 16% of patients, no associated mutations have been found. Recent evidence suggests that these genes are critical to an adequate neurological development to the lower urinary tract and that the origin of the disease seems to be due to peripheral neuropathy. There is clinical variability among patients with UFS and not all present the classic two components, and it has even been genetically confirmed in patients with a prior diagnosis of Hinman Syndrome or other bladder dysfunctions. Also, the presence of nocturnal lagophthalmos in these patients was recently described. Early recognition and timely diagnosis are critical to preventing complications such as urinary tract infections or chronic kidney disease. Next, the history of Urofacial Syndrome, the advances in its pathophysiology, and its clinical characteristics is reviewed.
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Gross-Cohen M, Feld S, Arvatz G, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Elucidating the Consequences of Heparan Sulfate Binding by Heparanase 2. Front Oncol 2021; 10:627463. [PMID: 33585253 PMCID: PMC7879983 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.627463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike the intense research effort devoted to exploring the significance of heparanase in human diseases, very little attention was given to its close homolog, heparanase 2 (Hpa2). The emerging role of Hpa2 in a rare autosomal recessive congenital disease called urofacial syndrome (UFS), clearly indicates that Hpa2 is not a pseudogene but rather a gene coding for an important protein. Hpa2 lacks the heparan sulfate (HS)-degrading activity typical of heparanase, yet exhibits high affinity to HS, affinity that is 10-fold higher than that of heparanase. The consequences of this high-affinity interaction of Hpa2 with plasma membrane HSPG has not been explored yet. Here, we used highly purified Hpa2 protein to examine this aspect. We provide evidence that cells adhere to and spread on dishes coated with Hpa2. We also show that cell migration is attenuated markedly by exogenous addition of Hpa2 to primary and transformed cells, a function that agrees with the anti-cancer properties of Hpa2. Interestingly, we found that exogenous addition of Hpa2 also disrupts the morphology of cell colonies, resulting in cell scattering. This implies that under certain conditions and experimental settings, Hpa2 may exhibit pro-tumorigenic properties. We further developed a panel of anti-Hpa2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and show that these properties of Hpa2 are prevented by some of the newly-developed mAb, thus providing new molecular tools to better appreciate the significance of Hpa2 in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sari Feld
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gil Arvatz
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
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Pinhal MAS, Melo CM, Nader HB. The Good and Bad Sides of Heparanase-1 and Heparanase-2. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1221:821-845. [PMID: 32274740 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34521-1_36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, we will emphasize the importance of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in controlling various physiological and pathological molecular mechanisms and discuss how the heparanase enzyme can modulate the effects triggered by HSPG. Additionally, we will also navigate about the existing knowledge of the possible role of heparanase-2 in biological events. Heparan sulfate is widely distributed and evolutionarily conserved, evidencing its vital importance in cell development and functions such as cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, differentiation, and angiogenesis. During remodeling of the extracellular matrix, the breakdown of heparan sulfate by heparanase results in the release of molecules containing anchored glycosaminoglycan chains of great interest in heparanase-mediated cell signaling pathways in various physiological states, tumor development, inflammation, and other diseases. Taken together, it appears that heparanase plays a key role in the maintenance of the pathology of cancer and inflammatory diseases and is a potential target for anti-cancer therapies. Therefore, heparanase inhibitors are currently being examined in clinical trials as novel cancer therapeutics. Heparanase-2 has no enzymatic activity, displays higher affinity for heparan sulfate and the coding region alignment shows 40% identity with the heparanase gene. Heparanase-2 plays an important role in embryogenic development however its mode of action and biological function remain to be elucidated. Heparanase-2 functions as an inhibitor of the heparanase-1 enzyme and also inhibits neovascularization mediated by VEGF. The HPSE2 gene is repressed by the Polycomb complex, together suggesting a role as a tumor suppressor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carina Mucciolo Melo
- Biochemistry Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Helena Bonciani Nader
- Biochemistry Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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12
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Abstract
From 1999-2003, Oxford GlycoSciences (OGS) ran a successful drug discovery oncology programme to discover small molecule inhibitors of the Heparanase I enzyme (HPSE1). HPSE1 at the time was widely regarded as being the sole mammalian enzyme capable of cleaving Heparan Sulfate (HS). A second family protein member however called Heparanase 2 (HPSE2) including splice forms was subsequently discovered by PCR analysis based on EST sequences. HPSE2 was found to be expressed mainly in smooth muscle containing tissues, particularly bladder and brain. HPSE2 is poorly expressed in haematopoietic cells and placenta which contrasts with the HPSE1 distribution pattern. HPSE2 binds more strongly to HS than HPSE1 and is believed to out compete for substrate binding and so in effect act as a tumor suppressor. So far, all attempts to show specific HPSE2 endoglycosidase activity against HS have failed suggesting that the enzyme may act as a pseudoenzyme that has evolved to retain only certain non-catalytic heparanase like functions. A breakthrough in the elucidation of functional roles for HPSE2 came about in 2010 with the linkage of HPSE2 gene deletions and mutations to the development of Ochoa/Urofacial Syndrome. Future work into the mechanistic analysis of HPSE2's role in signalling, tumor suppression and bladder/nerve functioning are needed to fully explore the role of this family of proteins.
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Heparanase 2 and Urofacial Syndrome, a Genetic Neuropathy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1221:807-819. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34521-1_35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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van der Vlag J, Buijsers B. Heparanase in Kidney Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1221:647-667. [PMID: 32274730 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34521-1_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The primary filtration of blood occurs in the glomerulus in the kidney. Destruction of any of the layers of the glomerular filtration barrier might result in proteinuric disease. The glomerular endothelial cells and especially its covering layer, the glycocalyx, play a pivotal role in development of albuminuria. One of the main sulfated glycosaminoglycans in the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx is heparan sulfate. The endoglycosidase heparanase degrades heparan sulfate, thereby affecting glomerular barrier function, immune reactivity and inflammation. Increased expression of glomerular heparanase correlates with loss of glomerular heparan sulfate in many glomerular diseases. Most importantly, heparanase knockout in mice prevented the development of albuminuria after induction of experimental diabetic nephropathy and experimental glomerulonephritis. Therefore, heparanase could serve as a pharmacological target for glomerular diseases. Several factors that regulate heparanase expression and activity have been identified and compounds aiming to inhibit heparanase activity are currently explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan van der Vlag
- Department of Nephrology (480), Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Baranca Buijsers
- Department of Nephrology (480), Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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15
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Wu L, Davies GJ. An Overview of the Structure, Mechanism and Specificity of Human Heparanase. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1221:139-167. [PMID: 32274709 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34521-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The retaining endo-β-D-glucuronidase Heparanase (HPSE) is the primary mammalian enzyme responsible for breakdown of the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS). HPSE activity is essential for regulation and turnover of HS in the extracellular matrix, and its activity affects diverse processes such as inflammation, angiogenesis and cell migration. Aberrant heparanase activity is strongly linked to cancer metastasis, due to structural breakdown of extracellular HS networks and concomitant release of sequestered HS-binding growth factors. A full appreciation of HPSE activity in health and disease requires a structural understanding of the enzyme, and how it engages with its HS substrates. This chapter summarizes key findings from the recent crystal structures of human HPSE and its proenzyme. We present details regarding the 3-dimensional protein structure of HPSE and the molecular basis for its interaction with HS substrates of varying sulfation states. We also examine HPSE in a wider context against related β-D-glucuronidases from other species, highlighting the structural features that control exo/endo - glycosidase selectivity in this family of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wu
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of York, York, UK.
| | - Gideon J Davies
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of York, York, UK
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16
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Roberts NA, Hilton EN, Lopes FM, Singh S, Randles MJ, Gardiner NJ, Chopra K, Coletta R, Bajwa Z, Hall RJ, Yue WW, Schaefer F, Weber S, Henriksson R, Stuart HM, Hedman H, Newman WG, Woolf AS. Lrig2 and Hpse2, mutated in urofacial syndrome, pattern nerves in the urinary bladder. Kidney Int 2019; 95:1138-1152. [PMID: 30885509 PMCID: PMC6481288 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2018.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in leucine-rich-repeats and immunoglobulin-like-domains 2 (LRIG2) or in heparanase 2 (HPSE2) cause urofacial syndrome, a devastating autosomal recessive disease of functional bladder outlet obstruction. It has been speculated that urofacial syndrome has a neural basis, but it is unknown whether defects in urinary bladder innervation are present. We hypothesized that urofacial syndrome features a peripheral neuropathy of the bladder. Mice with homozygous targeted Lrig2 mutations had urinary defects resembling those found in urofacial syndrome. There was no anatomical blockage of the outflow tract, consistent with a functional bladder outlet obstruction. Transcriptome analysis revealed differential expression of 12 known transcripts in addition to Lrig2, including 8 with established roles in neurobiology. Mice with homozygous mutations in either Lrig2 or Hpse2 had increased nerve density within the body of the urinary bladder and decreased nerve density around the urinary outflow tract. In a sample of 155 children with chronic kidney disease and urinary symptoms, we discovered novel homozygous missense LRIG2 variants that were predicted to be pathogenic in 2 individuals with non-syndromic bladder outlet obstruction. These observations provide evidence that a peripheral neuropathy is central to the pathobiology of functional bladder outlet obstruction in urofacial syndrome, and emphasize the importance of LRIG2 and heparanase 2 for nerve patterning in the urinary tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Roberts
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK.
| | - Emma N Hilton
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Filipa M Lopes
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Subir Singh
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Michael J Randles
- School of Allied Health Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
| | - Natalie J Gardiner
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karl Chopra
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Riccardo Coletta
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK; Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Zunera Bajwa
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Robert J Hall
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Wyatt W Yue
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Franz Schaefer
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Weber
- Pediatric Nephrology, University-Children's Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
| | - Roger Henriksson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Regional Cancer Center Stockholm/Gotland, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen M Stuart
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Håkan Hedman
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - William G Newman
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Adrian S Woolf
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK; Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
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17
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Woolf AS, Lopes FM, Ranjzad P, Roberts NA. Congenital Disorders of the Human Urinary Tract: Recent Insights From Genetic and Molecular Studies. Front Pediatr 2019; 7:136. [PMID: 31032239 PMCID: PMC6470263 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The urinary tract comprises the renal pelvis, the ureter, the urinary bladder, and the urethra. The tract acts as a functional unit, first propelling urine from the kidney to the bladder, then storing it at low pressure inside the bladder which intermittently and completely voids urine through the urethra. Congenital diseases of these structures can lead to a range of diseases sometimes associated with fetal losses or kidney failure in childhood and later in life. In some of these disorders, parts of the urinary tract are severely malformed. In other cases, the organs appear grossly intact yet they have functional deficits that compromise health. Human studies are beginning to indicate monogenic causes for some of these diseases. Here, the implicated genes can encode smooth muscle, neural or urothelial molecules, or transcription factors that regulate their expression. Furthermore, certain animal models are informative about how such molecules control the development and functional differentiation of the urinary tract. In future, novel therapies, including those based on gene transfer and stem cell technologies, may be used to treat these diseases to complement conventional pharmacological and surgical clinical therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian S Woolf
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Filipa M Lopes
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Parisa Ranjzad
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A Roberts
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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18
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Jain S, Chen F. Developmental pathology of congenital kidney and urinary tract anomalies. Clin Kidney J 2018; 12:382-399. [PMID: 31198539 PMCID: PMC6543978 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfy112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the kidneys or lower urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most common causes of renal failure in children and account for 25% of end-stage renal disease in adults. The spectrum of anomalies includes renal agenesis; hypoplasia; dysplasia; supernumerary, ectopic or fused kidneys; duplication; ureteropelvic junction obstruction; primary megaureter or ureterovesical junction obstruction; vesicoureteral reflux; ureterocele; and posterior urethral valves. CAKUT originates from developmental defects and can occur in isolation or as part of other syndromes. In recent decades, along with better understanding of the pathological features of the human congenital urinary tract defects, researchers using animal models have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of these diseases. However, the genetic causes and etiology of many CAKUT cases remain unknown, presenting challenges in finding effective treatment. Here we provide an overview of the critical steps of normal development of the urinary system, followed by a description of the pathological features of major types of CAKUT with respect to developmental mechanisms of their etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Jain
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Feng Chen
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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19
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Hill WG, Zeidel ML, Bjorling DE, Vezina CM. Void spot assay: recommendations on the use of a simple micturition assay for mice. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2018; 315:F1422-F1429. [PMID: 30156116 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00350.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigators have for decades used mouse voiding patterns as end points for studying behavioral biology. It is only recently that mouse voiding patterns were adopted for study of lower urinary tract physiology. The spontaneous void spot assay (VSA), a popular micturition assessment tool, involves placing a mouse in an enclosure lined by filter paper and quantifying the resulting urine spot pattern. The VSA has advantages of being inexpensive and noninvasive, but some investigators challenge its ability to distinguish lower urinary tract function from behavioral voiding. A consensus group of investigators who regularly use the VSA was established by the National Institutes of Health in 2015 to address the strengths and weaknesses of the assay, determine whether it can be standardized across laboratories, and determine whether it can be used as a surrogate for evaluating urinary function. Here we leverage experience from the consensus group to review the history of the VSA and its uses, summarize experiments to optimize assay design for urinary physiology assessment, and make best practice recommendations for performing the assay and analyzing its results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren G Hill
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark L Zeidel
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dale E Bjorling
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.,University of Wisconsin-Madison/University of Massachusetts-Boston, George M. O'Brien Center for Benign Urologic Research, Madison, Wisconsin and Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chad M Vezina
- University of Wisconsin-Madison/University of Massachusetts-Boston, George M. O'Brien Center for Benign Urologic Research, Madison, Wisconsin and Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin
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20
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Zhou Z, Wang J, Guo C, Chang W, Zhuang J, Zhu P, Li X. Temporally Distinct Six2-Positive Second Heart Field Progenitors Regulate Mammalian Heart Development and Disease. Cell Rep 2017; 18:1019-1032. [PMID: 28122228 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The embryonic process of forming a complex structure such as the heart remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Six2 marks a dynamic subset of second heart field progenitors. Six2-positive (Six2+) progenitors are rapidly recruited and assigned, and their descendants are allocated successively to regions of the heart from the right ventricle (RV) to the pulmonary trunk. Global ablation of Six2+ progenitors resulted in RV hypoplasia and pulmonary atresia. An early stage-specific ablation of a small subset of Six2+ progenitors did not cause any apparent structural defect at birth but rather resulted in adult-onset cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. Furthermore, Six2 expression depends in part on Shh signaling, and Shh deletion resulted in severe deficiency of Six2+ progenitors. Collectively, these findings unveil the chronological features of cardiogenesis, in which the mammalian heart is built sequentially by temporally distinct populations of cardiac progenitors, and provide insights into late-onset congenital heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengfang Zhou
- Departments of Urology and Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510100, China
| | - Jingying Wang
- Departments of Urology and Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chaoshe Guo
- Departments of Urology and Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Weiting Chang
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jian Zhuang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510100, China
| | - Ping Zhu
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510100, China.
| | - Xue Li
- Departments of Urology and Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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21
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Gross-Cohen M, Feld S, Naroditsky I, Nativ O, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 expression inversely correlates with bladder carcinoma grade and stage. Oncotarget 2017; 7:22556-65. [PMID: 26968815 PMCID: PMC5008381 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While the pro-tumorigenic function of heparanase is well taken, the role of its close homolog, heparanase 2 (Hpa2) in cancer is by far less investigated. Utilizing immunohistochemical analysis we found that Hpa2 is expressed by normal bladder transitional epithelium and its levels are decreased substantially in bladder cancer. Notably, tumors that retain high levels of Hpa2 were diagnosed as low grade (p=0.001) and low stage (p=0.002), suggesting that Hpa2 is required to preserve cell differentiation and halt cell motility. Indeed, migration of 5637 bladder carcinoma cells was attenuated significantly by exogenous addition of purified Hpa2, and over expression of Hpa2 in 5637 cells resulted in smaller tumors that were diagnosed as low grade. We also noted that tumors produced by Hpa2 over expressing cells are abundantly decorated with stromal cells and collagen deposition evident by Masson's/Trichrome staining, correlating with a marked increase in lysyl oxidase (LOX) staining. The association between Hpa2 and LOX was further confirmed clinically, because of the 16 cases that exhibited strong staining of Hpa2, 14 (87.5%) were also stained strongly for LOX (p=0.05). Collectively, our results suggest that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor in bladder cancer, maintaining cellular differentiation and decreasing cell motility in a manner that appears to be independent of regulating heparanase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sari Feld
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Inna Naroditsky
- Department of Pathology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ofer Nativ
- Department of Urology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
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22
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Vlodavsky I, Gross-Cohen M, Weissmann M, Ilan N, Sanderson RD. Opposing Functions of Heparanase-1 and Heparanase-2 in Cancer Progression. Trends Biochem Sci 2017; 43:18-31. [PMID: 29162390 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Heparanase, the sole heparan sulfate (HS)-degrading endoglycosidase, regulates multiple biological activities that enhance tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Heparanase accomplishes this by degrading HS and thereby regulating the bioavailability of heparin-binding proteins; priming the tumor microenvironment; mediating tumor-host crosstalk; and inducing gene transcription, signaling pathways, exosome formation, and autophagy that together promote tumor cell performance and chemoresistance. By contrast, heparanase-2, a close homolog of heparanase, lacks enzymatic activity, inhibits heparanase activity, and regulates selected genes that promote normal differentiation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, tumor fibrosis, and apoptosis, together resulting in tumor suppression. The emerging premise is that heparanase is a master regulator of the aggressive phenotype of cancer, while heparanase-2 functions as a tumor suppressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel.
| | - Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Marina Weissmann
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Ralph D Sanderson
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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23
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Neben CL, Lo M, Jura N, Klein OD. Feedback regulation of RTK signaling in development. Dev Biol 2017; 447:71-89. [PMID: 29079424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Precise regulation of the amplitude and duration of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is critical for the execution of cellular programs and behaviors. Understanding these control mechanisms has important implications for the field of developmental biology, and in recent years, the question of how augmentation or attenuation of RTK signaling via feedback loops modulates development has become of increasing interest. RTK feedback regulation is also important for human disease research; for example, germline mutations in genes that encode RTK signaling pathway components cause numerous human congenital syndromes, and somatic alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancers. In this review, we survey regulators of RTK signaling that tune receptor activity and intracellular transduction cascades, with a focus on the roles of these genes in the developing embryo. We detail the diverse inhibitory mechanisms utilized by negative feedback regulators that, when lost or perturbed, lead to aberrant increases in RTK signaling. We also discuss recent biochemical and genetic insights into positive regulators of RTK signaling and how these proteins function in tandem with negative regulators to guide embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Neben
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA
| | - Megan Lo
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Natalia Jura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA.
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24
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Gross-Cohen M, Feld S, Doweck I, Neufeld G, Hasson P, Arvatz G, Barash U, Naroditsky I, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 Attenuates Head and Neck Tumor Vascularity and Growth. Cancer Res 2016; 76:2791-801. [PMID: 27013193 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-1975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The endoglycosidase heparanase specifically cleaves the heparan sulfate (HS) side chains on proteoglycans, an activity that has been implicated strongly in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Heparanase-2 (Hpa2) is a close homolog of heparanase that lacks intrinsic HS-degrading activity but retains the capacity to bind HS with high affinity. In head and neck cancer patients, Hpa2 expression was markedly elevated, correlating with prolonged time to disease recurrence and inversely correlating with tumor cell dissemination to regional lymph nodes, suggesting that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor. The molecular mechanism associated with favorable prognosis following Hpa2 induction is unclear. Here we provide evidence that Hpa2 overexpression in head and neck cancer cells markedly reduces tumor growth. Restrained tumor growth was associated with a prominent decrease in tumor vascularity (blood and lymph vessels), likely due to reduced Id1 expression, a transcription factor highly implicated in VEGF-A and VEGF-C gene regulation. We also noted that tumors produced by Hpa2-overexpressing cells are abundantly decorated with stromal cells and collagen deposition, correlating with a marked increase in lysyl oxidase expression. Notably, heparanase enzymatic activity was unimpaired in cells overexpressing Hpa2, suggesting that reduced tumor growth is not caused by heparanase regulation. Moreover, growth of tumor xenografts by Hpa2-overexpressing cells was unaffected by administration of a mAb that targets the heparin-binding domain of Hpa2, implying that Hpa2 function does not rely on heparanase or heparan sulfate. Cancer Res; 76(9); 2791-801. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sari Feld
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ilana Doweck
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gera Neufeld
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Peleg Hasson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gil Arvatz
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Uri Barash
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Inna Naroditsky
- Department of Pathology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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25
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Roberts NA, Hilton EN, Woolf AS. From gene discovery to new biological mechanisms: heparanases and congenital urinary bladder disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2015; 31:534-40. [PMID: 26315301 PMCID: PMC4805131 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfv309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a scientific investigation into the pathogenesis of a urinary bladder disease. The disease in question is called urofacial syndrome (UFS), a congenital condition inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. UFS features incomplete urinary bladder emptying and vesicoureteric reflux, with a high risk of recurrent urosepsis and end-stage renal disease. The story starts from a human genomic perspective, then proceeds through experiments that seek to determine the roles of the implicated molecules in embryonic frogs and newborn mice. A future aim would be to use such biological knowledge to intelligently choose novel therapies for UFS. We focus on heparanase proteins and the peripheral nervous system, molecules and tissues that appear to be key players in the pathogenesis of UFS and therefore must also be critical for functional differentiation of healthy bladders. These considerations allow the envisioning of novel biological treatments, although the potential difficulties of targeting the developing bladder in vivo should not be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Roberts
- Institute of Human Development, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
| | - Emma N Hilton
- Institute of Human Development, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
| | - Adrian S Woolf
- Institute of Human Development, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
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