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Liu J, Wang X, Jiang W, Azoitei A, Eiseler T, Eckstein M, Hartmann A, Stilgenbauer S, Elati M, Hohwieler M, Kleger A, John A, Wezel F, Zengerling F, Bolenz C, Günes C. Impairment of α-tubulin and F-actin interactions of GJB3 induces aneuploidy in urothelial cells and promotes bladder cancer cell invasion. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:94. [PMID: 38956497 PMCID: PMC11218312 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00609-2] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously identified an unsuspected role for GJB3 showing that the deficiency of this connexin protein induces aneuploidy in human and murine cells and accelerates cell transformation as well as tumor formation in xenograft models. The molecular mechanisms by which loss of GJB3 leads to aneuploidy and cancer initiation and progression remain unsolved. METHODS GJB3 expression levels were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The consequences of GJB3 knockdown on genome instability were assessed by metaphase chromosome counting, multinucleation of cells, by micronuclei formation and by the determination of spindle orientation. Interactions of GJB3 with α-tubulin and F-actin was analyzed by immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry. Consequences of GJB3 deficiency on microtubule and actin dynamics were measured by live cell imaging and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine GJB3 levels on human and murine bladder cancer tissue sections. Bladder cancer in mice was chemically induced by BBN-treatment. RESULTS We find that GJB3 is highly expressed in the ureter and bladder epithelium, but it is downregulated in invasive bladder cancer cell lines and during tumor progression in both human and mouse bladder cancer. Downregulation of GJB3 expression leads to aneuploidy and genomic instability in karyotypically stable urothelial cells and experimental modulation of GJB3 levels alters the migration and invasive capacity of bladder cancer cell lines. Importantly, GJB3 interacts both with α-tubulin and F-actin. The impairment of these interactions alters the dynamics of these cytoskeletal components and leads to defective spindle orientation. CONCLUSION We conclude that deregulated microtubule and actin dynamics have an impact on proper chromosome separation and tumor cell invasion and migration. Consequently, these observations indicate a possible role for GJB3 in the onset and spreading of bladder cancer and demonstrate a molecular link between enhanced aneuploidy and invasive capacity cancer cells during tumor cell dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junnan Liu
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Wencheng Jiang
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anca Azoitei
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tim Eiseler
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Eckstein
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Mohamed Elati
- CANTHER, ONCOLille Institute, University of Lille, CNRS, UMR 1277, Inserm U9020, 59045, Lille Cedex, France
| | - Meike Hohwieler
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel John
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Felix Wezel
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Friedemann Zengerling
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian Bolenz
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Cagatay Günes
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Helmholtzstr. 10, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Yasarbas SS, Inal E, Yildirim MA, Dubrac S, Lamartine J, Mese G. Connexins in epidermal health and diseases: insights into their mutations, implications, and therapeutic solutions. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1346971. [PMID: 38827992 PMCID: PMC11140265 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1346971] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, serves as a protective barrier against external factors. Epidermal differentiation, a tightly regulated process essential for epidermal homeostasis, epidermal barrier formation and skin integrity maintenance, is orchestrated by several players, including signaling molecules, calcium gradient and junctional complexes such as gap junctions (GJs). GJ proteins, known as connexins facilitate cell-to-cell communication between adjacent keratinocytes. Connexins can function as either hemichannels or GJs, depending on their interaction with other connexons from neighboring keratinocytes. These channels enable the transport of metabolites, cAMP, microRNAs, and ions, including Ca2+, across cell membranes. At least ten distinct connexins are expressed within the epidermis and mutations in at least five of them has been linked to various skin disorders. Connexin mutations may cause aberrant channel activity by altering their synthesis, their gating properties, their intracellular trafficking, and the assembly of hemichannels and GJ channels. In addition to mutations, connexin expression is dysregulated in other skin conditions including psoriasis, chronic wound and skin cancers, indicating the crucial role of connexins in skin homeostasis. Current treatment options for conditions with mutant or altered connexins are limited and primarily focus on symptom management. Several therapeutics, including non-peptide chemicals, antibodies, mimetic peptides and allele-specific small interfering RNAs are promising in treating connexin-related skin disorders. Since connexins play crucial roles in maintaining epidermal homeostasis as shown with linkage to a range of skin disorders and cancer, further investigations are warranted to decipher the molecular and cellular alterations within cells due to mutations or altered expression, leading to abnormal proliferation and differentiation. This would also help characterize the roles of each isoform in skin homeostasis, in addition to the development of innovative therapeutic interventions. This review highlights the critical functions of connexins in the epidermis and the association between connexins and skin disorders, and discusses potential therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Suheda Yasarbas
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir, Turkiye
| | - Ece Inal
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir, Turkiye
| | - M. Azra Yildirim
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir, Turkiye
| | - Sandrine Dubrac
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jérôme Lamartine
- Skin Functional Integrity Group, Laboratory for Tissue Biology and Therapeutics Engineering (LBTI) CNRS UMR5305, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Gulistan Mese
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir, Turkiye
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Lucaciu SA, Figliuzzi R, Neumann R, Nazarali S, Del Sordo L, Leighton SE, Hauser A, Shao Q, Johnston D, Bai D, Laird DW. GJB4 variants linked to skin disease exhibit a trafficking deficiency en route to gap junction formation that can be restored by co-expression of select connexins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1073805. [PMID: 36861039 PMCID: PMC9968944 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1073805] [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: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidermal keratinocytes are enriched with at least nine connexins that are key regulators of epidermal homeostasis. The role of Cx30.3 in keratinocytes and epidermal health became evident when fourteen autosomal dominant mutations in the Cx30.3-encoding GJB4 gene were linked to a rare and incurable skin disorder called erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva (EKVP). While these variants are linked to EKVP, they remain largely uncharacterized hindering therapeutic options. In this study, we characterize the expression and functional status of three EKVP-linked Cx30.3 mutants (G12D, T85P, and F189Y) in tissue-relevant and differentiation-competent rat epidermal keratinocytes. We found that GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants were non-functional likely due to their impaired trafficking and primary entrapment within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, all mutants failed to increase BiP/GRP78 levels suggesting they were not inducing an unfolded protein response. FLAG-tagged Cx30.3 mutants were also trafficking impaired yet occasionally exhibited some capacity to assemble into gap junctions. The pathological impact of these mutants may extend beyond their trafficking deficiencies as keratinocytes expressing FLAG-tagged Cx30.3 mutants exhibited increased propidium iodide uptake in the absence of divalent cations. Attempts to rescue the delivery of trafficking impaired GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions by chemical chaperone treatment were ineffective. However, co-expression of wild type Cx30.3 greatly enhanced the assembly of Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions, although endogenous levels of Cx30.3 do not appear to prevent the skin pathology found in patients harboring these autosomal dominant mutations. In addition, a spectrum of connexin isoforms (Cx26, Cx30, and Cx43) exhibited the differential ability to trans-dominantly rescue the assembly of GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions suggesting a broad range of connexins found in keratinocytes may favourably interact with Cx30.3 mutants. We conclude that selective upregulation of compatible wild type connexins in keratinocytes may have potential therapeutic value in rescuing epidermal defects invoked by Cx30.3 EKVP-linked mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiu A. Lucaciu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Rhett Figliuzzi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth Neumann
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Samina Nazarali
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Luigi Del Sordo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie E. Leighton
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Hauser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Danielle Johnston
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Donglin Bai
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Dale W. Laird,
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Zhang X, Xu P, Lu J, Ding Y, Gu J, Shi Y. Erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva due to a novel mutation in GJB4. Exp Dermatol 2021; 31:594-599. [PMID: 34717022 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva (EKVP) is a rare genodermatosis of clinical and genetic heterogeneity, characterized by the manifestations of localized or disseminated persistent hyperkeratotic plagues and stationary to migratory transient erythematous patches. The majority of EKVP cases display an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance, although recessive transmission has also been described. Mutations associated with EKVP have been primarily detected in connexin (Cx) genes. We herein reported a Chinese sporadic case of late-onset EKVP with a novel heterozygous missense mutation c.109G>A (p.V37M) in GJB4 (Cx30.3) gene, which resulted in a significant reduction of GJB4 expression in the epidermis of the patient. In accordance, while wild-type GJB4 localized at the cell membrane of HeLa cells forming intercellular junctions and intracellular puncta, V37M mutant variant was diffusely expressed within HeLa cells at a considerably lower level. Our findings reveal an essential role of GJB4 in the pathogenesis of EKVP and provides insights into the therapeutic potential of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilin Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajing Lu
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangfeng Ding
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Gu
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuling Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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Easton JA, Albuloushi AK, Kamps MAF, Brouns GHMR, Broers JLV, Coull BJ, Oji V, van Geel M, van Steensel MAM, Martin PE. A rare missense mutation in GJB3
(Cx31G45E) is associated with a unique cellular phenotype resulting in necrotic cell death. Exp Dermatol 2018; 28:1106-1113. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.13542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Easton
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Ahmad K. Albuloushi
- Department of Life Sciences; School of Health and Life Sciences; Glasgow Caledonian University; Glasgow UK
| | - Miriam A. F. Kamps
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Gladys H. M. R. Brouns
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Jos L. V. Broers
- GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Barry J. Coull
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery; College of Life Sciences; University of Dundee; Dundee UK
| | - Vincent Oji
- Department of Dermatology; University Hospital Münster; Münster Germany
| | - Michel van Geel
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Maurice A. M. van Steensel
- Department of Dermatology; Maastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore; Institute of Medical Biology, Immunos; Singapore
| | - Patricia E. Martin
- Department of Life Sciences; School of Health and Life Sciences; Glasgow Caledonian University; Glasgow UK
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6
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Ishida-Yamamoto A. Erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva. J Dermatol 2016; 43:280-5. [DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.13220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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7
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Boada LD, Henríquez-Hernández LA, Zumbado M, Almeida-González M, Álvarez-León EE, Navarro P, Luzardo OP. Organochlorine Pesticides Exposure and Bladder Cancer: Evaluation from a Gene-Environment Perspective in a Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in the Canary Islands (Spain). J Agromedicine 2015; 21:34-42. [DOI: 10.1080/1059924x.2015.1106374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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