1
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García-Padilla C, Lozano-Velasco E, García-López V, Aránega A, Franco D, García-Martínez V, López-Sánchez C. miR-1 as a Key Epigenetic Regulator in Early Differentiation of Cardiac Sinoatrial Region. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6608. [PMID: 38928314 PMCID: PMC11204236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126608] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A large diversity of epigenetic factors, such as microRNAs and histones modifications, are known to be capable of regulating gene expression without altering DNA sequence itself. In particular, miR-1 is considered the first essential microRNA in cardiac development. In this study, miR-1 potential role in early cardiac chamber differentiation was analyzed through specific signaling pathways. For this, we performed in chick embryos functional experiments by means of miR-1 microinjections into the posterior cardiac precursors-of both primitive endocardial tubes-committed to sinoatrial region fates. Subsequently, embryos were subjected to whole mount in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR analysis. As a relevant novelty, our results revealed that miR-1 increased Amhc1, Tbx5 and Gata4, while this microRNA diminished Mef2c and Cripto expressions during early differentiation of the cardiac sinoatrial region. Furthermore, we observed in this developmental context that miR-1 upregulated CrabpII and Rarß and downregulated CrabpI, which are three crucial factors in the retinoic acid signaling pathway. Interestingly, we also noticed that miR-1 directly interacted with Hdac4 and Calm1/Calmodulin, as well as with Erk2/Mapk1, which are three key factors actively involved in Mef2c regulation. Our study shows, for the first time, a key role of miR-1 as an epigenetic regulator in the early differentiation of the cardiac sinoatrial region through orchestrating opposite actions between retinoic acid and Mef2c, fundamental to properly assign cardiac cells to their respective heart chambers. A better understanding of those molecular mechanisms modulated by miR-1 will definitely help in fields applied to therapy and cardiac regeneration and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos García-Padilla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Molecular Pathology Biomarkers, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain; (C.G.-P.); (E.L.-V.); (V.G.-L.); (V.G.-M.)
- Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain; (A.A.); (D.F.)
| | - Estefanía Lozano-Velasco
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Molecular Pathology Biomarkers, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain; (C.G.-P.); (E.L.-V.); (V.G.-L.); (V.G.-M.)
- Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain; (A.A.); (D.F.)
- Medina Foundation, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Virginio García-López
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Molecular Pathology Biomarkers, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain; (C.G.-P.); (E.L.-V.); (V.G.-L.); (V.G.-M.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Therapeutics, Pharmacology Area, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Amelia Aránega
- Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain; (A.A.); (D.F.)
- Medina Foundation, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Diego Franco
- Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain; (A.A.); (D.F.)
- Medina Foundation, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Virginio García-Martínez
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Molecular Pathology Biomarkers, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain; (C.G.-P.); (E.L.-V.); (V.G.-L.); (V.G.-M.)
| | - Carmen López-Sánchez
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Molecular Pathology Biomarkers, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain; (C.G.-P.); (E.L.-V.); (V.G.-L.); (V.G.-M.)
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2
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Ozgun G, Senturk S, Erkek-Ozhan S. Retinoic acid signaling and bladder cancer: Epigenetic deregulation, therapy and beyond. Int J Cancer 2021; 148:2364-2374. [PMID: 33128775 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is a crucial developmental pathway involved in urothelium development, differentiation and regeneration. Deregulation of the RA signaling is highly implicated in several cancers, including bladder cancer, underlying the need to unravel the complete regulatory aspects of the retinoids in bladder tumorigenesis. Given the fact that RA receptors are transcription factors functioning at the chromatin level and act in close cooperation with chromatin modifiers, it is known that retinoids show their efficacy by changing the epigenome. Bladder cancer can be defined as a "disease of chromatin" with mutations identified in the genes involved in chromatin regulation in 80% of the patients. Therefore, a careful examination of the epigenetic backgrounds and the breakdown of the emerging and highly underexplored field of RA dependent regulation of the epigenome is essential to fully understand the retinoid-dependent effects on bladder cancer. With this motivation, in this review, we evaluate the role of RA signaling in bladder cancer with a focus on the regulatory and mutational aspects, emphasizing the deregulatory characteristics in bladder cancer and highlighting the potential treatment opportunities with the RA and derivatives alone or in combination with epigenetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Ozgun
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Dokuz Eylül University Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serif Senturk
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Dokuz Eylül University Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Izmir, Turkey
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3
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Feng CW, Burnet G, Spiller CM, Cheung FKM, Chawengsaksophak K, Koopman P, Bowles J. Identification of regulatory elements required for Stra8 expression in fetal ovarian germ cells of the mouse. Development 2021; 148:dev.194977. [PMID: 33574039 DOI: 10.1242/dev.194977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In mice, the entry of germ cells into meiosis crucially depends on the expression of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8). Stra8 is expressed specifically in pre-meiotic germ cells of females and males, at fetal and postnatal stages, respectively, but the mechanistic details of its spatiotemporal regulation are yet to be defined. In particular, there has been considerable debate regarding whether retinoic acid is required, in vivo, to initiate Stra8 expression in the mouse fetal ovary. We show that the distinctive anterior-to-posterior pattern of Stra8 initiation, characteristic of germ cells in the fetal ovary, is faithfully recapitulated when 2.9 kb of the Stra8 promoter is used to drive eGFP expression. Using in vitro transfection assays of cutdown and mutant constructs, we identified two functional retinoic acid responsive elements (RAREs) within this 2.9 kb regulatory element. We also show that the transcription factor DMRT1 enhances Stra8 expression, but only in the presence of RA and the most proximal RARE. Finally, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutation studies to demonstrate that both RAREs are required for optimal Stra8 expression levels in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Guillaume Burnet
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Cassy M Spiller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Fiona Ka Man Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kallayanee Chawengsaksophak
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i. Vídenská 1083, 4 14220 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia .,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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4
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Porcuna J, Menéndez-Gutiérrez MP, Ricote M. Molecular control of tissue-resident macrophage identity by nuclear receptors. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2020; 53:27-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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5
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Ni Q, Chen Z, Zheng Q, Xie D, Li JJ, Cheng S, Ma X. Epithelial V-like antigen 1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis via the ERBB-PI3K-AKT pathway. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:1500-1513. [PMID: 31997489 PMCID: PMC7226218 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of epithelial V‐like antigen 1 (EVA1) has been well studied in thymic development and homostasis; however, its putative relationship with cancer remains largely unknown. Therefore, here we investigated the role of EVA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Interestingly, EVA1 expression was significantly increased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and was also associated with a poor prognosis and recurrence in HCC patients. Overexpression of EVA1 promoted cell growth, invasion and migration in vitro. Consistently, knockdown of EVA1 expression inhibited proliferation and migration in vitro, while repressing metastasis of HCC cells in vivo. RNA‐seq analysis indicated that EVA1 is able to upregulate the expression of genes in the ERBB3‐PI3K pathway. Accordingly, an increased level of AKT phosphorylation was detected in HCC cells after EVA1 overexpression. LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, inhibited AKT phosphorylation and rescued the tumor‐promoting effect of EVA1 overexpression. Altogether, the present study has revealed the oncogenic role of EVA1 during HCC progression and metastasis through the ERBB‐PI3K‐AKT signaling pathway, reiterating the potential use of EVA1 as a therapeutic target and/or prognostic marker for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- QianZhi Ni
- School of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianwen Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuqun Cheng
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingyuan Ma
- School of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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6
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Ma HT, Niu CM, Xia J, Shen XY, Xia MM, Hu YQ, Zheng Y. Stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8) plays important roles in many stages of spermatogenesis. Asian J Androl 2019; 20:479-487. [PMID: 29848833 PMCID: PMC6116687 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_26_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To clarify the functions and mechanism of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8) in spermatogenesis, we analyzed the testes from Stra8 knockout and wild-type mice during the first wave of spermatogenesis. Comparisons showed no significant differences in morphology and number of germ cells at 11 days postpartum, while 21 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with spermatogenesis were identified. We speculate that Stra8 performs many functions in different phases of spermatogenesis, such as establishment of spermatogonial stem cells, spermatogonial proliferation and self-renewal, spermatogonial differentiation and meiosis, through direct or indirect regulation of these DEGs. We therefore established a preliminary regulatory network of Stra8 during spermatogenesis. These results will provide a theoretical basis for further research on the mechanism underlying the role of Stra8 in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Ma
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Chang-Min Niu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Xue-Yi Shen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Meng-Meng Xia
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Yan-Qiu Hu
- Clinicial Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Noncoding RNA Research, Yangzhou 225001, China
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7
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Melis M, Tang XH, Trasino SE, Patel VM, Stummer DJ, Jessurun J, Gudas LJ. Effects of AM80 compared to AC261066 in a high fat diet mouse model of liver disease. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211071. [PMID: 30677086 PMCID: PMC6345457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The roles of retinoids in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain unclear and a better understanding may lead to therapies that prevent or limit NAFLD progression. We examined the actions of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists- AM80 for RARα and AC261066 for RARβ2- in a murine model of NAFLD. We fed wild type C57Bl/6 mice a chow or a 45% high fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, followed by 4 additional weeks with the HFD+AM80; HFD+AC261066; or HFD. The HFD+AM80 group showed greater hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance compared to other groups. Histopathological evaluation of the livers showed the highest degree of steatosis, triglycerides levels, and inflammation, assessed by F4/80 staining, in the HFD+AM80-treated compared to the HFD, the HFD+AC261066, and chow-fed mice. Liver vitamin A (retinol (ROL)) and retinyl palmitate levels were markedly lower in all HFD groups compared to chow-fed controls. HFD+AC261066-treated mice showed higher levels of a key intracellular ROL transporter, retinol-binding protein-1 (RBP1) compared to the HFD and HFD+AM80 groups. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that the selective RARα agonist AM80 exacerbates HFD-induced NAFLD and hyperglycemia. These findings should inform future studies examining the therapeutic potential of RAR agonists in HFD-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Melis
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Xiao-Han Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Steven E Trasino
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
- School of Urban Public Health, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Viral M Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Daniel J Stummer
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jose Jessurun
- Department of Pathology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York, NY, United States of America
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8
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Orfali N, Jeyapalan JN, Woodcock CL, O'Donovan TR, Benjamin D, Cahill M, McKenna S, Gudas LJ, Mongan NP. Lentiviral-Mediated shRNA Approaches: Applications in Cellular Differentiation and Autophagy. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2019:33-49. [PMID: 31359387 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9585-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of immature white blood cell precursors in the bone marrow and peripheral circulation. In essence, leukemic cells fail to differentiate and are stalled at a particular step of hematopoietic maturation and are unable to complete their development into functional blood cells with a finite life cycle. They are thus said to possess a "differentiation block." Pharmacological override of this block is one attractive avenue of therapy, termed "differentiation therapy." The most successful example of this therapeutic strategy is the use of the physiologic retinoid all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In this chapter, we will outline the methods used to characterize the mechanisms mobilized by retinoid signaling and will use the activation of a key regulator of autophagy, ATG7, as an example of the functional characterization of a retinoid regulated gene during differentiation. We will discuss how lentiviral delivery of shRNA constructs into cultured APL cells, such as NB4, can be used to functionally deplete key proteins. We will also describe how the effect of protein knockdown on ATRA-induced differentiation and autophagy can be assessed using quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and flow cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Orfali
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Cork Cancer Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Haematology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jennie N Jeyapalan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Corinne L Woodcock
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Dalyia Benjamin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Cork Cancer Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mary Cahill
- Cork Cancer Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Haematology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sharon McKenna
- Cork Cancer Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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9
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RARα supports the development of Langerhans cells and langerin-expressing conventional dendritic cells. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3896. [PMID: 30254197 PMCID: PMC6156335 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06341-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Langerhans cells (LC) are the prototype langerin-expressing dendritic cells (DC) that reside specifically in the epidermis, but langerin-expressing conventional DCs also reside in the dermis and other tissues, yet the factors that regulate their development are unclear. Because retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) is highly expressed by LCs, we investigate the functions of RARα and retinoic acid (RA) in regulating the langerin-expressing DCs. Here we show that the development of LCs from embryonic and bone marrow-derived progenitors and langerin+ conventional DCs is profoundly regulated by the RARα-RA axis. During LC differentiation, RARα is required for the expression of a LC-promoting transcription factor Runx3, but suppresses that of LC-inhibiting C/EBPβ. RARα promotes the development of LCs and langerin+ conventional DCs only in hypo-RA conditions, a function effectively suppressed at systemic RA levels. Our findings identify positive and negative regulatory mechanisms to tightly regulate the development of the specialized DC populations. Langerhans cells (LC) and langerin-expressing conventional dendritic cells are made from distinct progenitors and enriched in the distinct microenvironments of the skin. Here the authors show that these immune cells are regulated by retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) via simultaneous induction of LC-promoting Runx3 and repression of LC-inhibiting C/EBPβ.
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10
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Laursen KB, Gudas LJ. Combinatorial knockout of RARα, RARβ, and RARγ completely abrogates transcriptional responses to retinoic acid in murine embryonic stem cells. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:11891-11900. [PMID: 29848550 PMCID: PMC6066298 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.001951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
All-trans-retinoic acid (RA), a potent inducer of cellular differentiation, functions as a ligand for retinoic acid receptors (RARα, β, and γ). RARs are activated by ligand binding, which induces transcription of direct genomic targets. However, whether embryonic stem cells respond to RA through routes that do not involve RARs is unknown. Here, we used CRISPR technology to introduce biallelic frameshift mutations in RARα, RARβ, and RARγ, thereby abrogating all RAR functions in murine embryonic stem cells. We then evaluated RA-responsiveness of the RAR-null cells using RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis. We found that the RAR-null cells display no changes in transcripts in response to RA, demonstrating that the RARs are essential for the regulation of all transcripts in murine embryonic stem cells in response to RA. Our key finding, that in embryonic stem cells the transcriptional effects of RA all depend on RARs, addresses a long-standing topic of discussion in the field of retinoic acid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- From the Departments of Pharmacology and
- Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
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11
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A Gene Implicated in Activation of Retinoic Acid Receptor Targets Is a Novel Renal Agenesis Gene in Humans. Genetics 2017; 207:215-228. [PMID: 28739660 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal agenesis (RA) is one of the more extreme examples of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). Bilateral renal agenesis is almost invariably fatal at birth, and unilateral renal agenesis can lead to future health issues including end-stage renal disease. Genetic investigations have identified several gene variants that cause RA, including EYA1, LHX1, and WT1 However, whereas compound null mutations of genes encoding α and γ retinoic acid receptors (RARs) cause RA in mice, to date there have been no reports of variants in RAR genes causing RA in humans. In this study, we carried out whole exome sequence analysis of two families showing inheritance of an RA phenotype, and in both identified a single candidate gene, GREB1L Analysis of a zebrafish greb1l loss-of-function mutant revealed defects in the pronephric kidney just prior to death, and F0 CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of Greb1l in the mouse revealed kidney agenesis phenotypes, implicating Greb1l in this disorder. GREB1L resides in a chromatin complex with RAR members, and our data implicate GREB1L as a coactivator for RARs. This study is the first to associate a component of the RAR pathway with renal agenesis in humans.
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12
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Kelly GM, Gatie MI. Mechanisms Regulating Stemness and Differentiation in Embryonal Carcinoma Cells. Stem Cells Int 2017; 2017:3684178. [PMID: 28373885 PMCID: PMC5360977 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3684178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Just over ten years have passed since the seminal Takahashi-Yamanaka paper, and while most attention nowadays is on induced, embryonic, and cancer stem cells, much of the pioneering work arose from studies with embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs) derived from teratocarcinomas. This original work was broad in scope, but eventually led the way for us to focus on the components involved in the gene regulation of stemness and differentiation. As the name implies, ECCs are malignant in nature, yet maintain the ability to differentiate into the 3 germ layers and extraembryonic tissues, as well as behave normally when reintroduced into a healthy blastocyst. Retinoic acid signaling has been thoroughly interrogated in ECCs, especially in the F9 and P19 murine cell models, and while we have touched on this aspect, this review purposely highlights how some key transcription factors regulate pluripotency and cell stemness prior to this signaling. Another major focus is on the epigenetic regulation of ECCs and stem cells, and, towards that end, this review closes on what we see as a new frontier in combating aging and human disease, namely, how cellular metabolism shapes the epigenetic landscape and hence the pluripotency of all stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Kelly
- Department of Biology, Molecular Genetics Unit, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Collaborative Program in Developmental Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Child Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mohamed I. Gatie
- Department of Biology, Molecular Genetics Unit, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Collaborative Program in Developmental Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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13
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Intragenic CpG islands play important roles in bivalent chromatin assembly of developmental genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E1885-E1894. [PMID: 28223506 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613300114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
CpG, 5'-C-phosphate-G-3', islands (CGIs) have long been known for their association with enhancers, silencers, and promoters, and for their epigenetic signatures. They are maintained in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in a poised but inactive state via the formation of bivalent chromatin containing both active and repressive marks. CGIs also occur within coding sequences, where their functional role has remained obscure. Intragenic CGIs (iCGIs) are largely absent from housekeeping genes, but they are found in all genes associated with organ development and cell lineage control. In this paper, we investigated the epigenetic status of iCGIs and found that they too reside in bivalent chromatin in ESCs. Cell type-specific DNA methylation of iCGIs in differentiated cells was linked to the loss of both the H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks, and disruption of physical interaction with promoter regions, resulting in transcriptional activation of key regulators of differentiation such as PAXs, HOXs, and WNTs. The differential epigenetic modification of iCGIs appears to be mediated by cell type-specific transcription factors distinct from those bound by promoter, and these transcription factors may be involved in the hypermethylation of iCGIs upon cell differentiation. iCGIs thus play a key role in the cell type-specific regulation of transcription.
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14
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Glorieux C, Sandoval JM, Fattaccioli A, Dejeans N, Garbe JC, Dieu M, Verrax J, Renard P, Huang P, Calderon PB. Chromatin remodeling regulates catalase expression during cancer cells adaptation to chronic oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med 2016; 99:436-450. [PMID: 27591797 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of ROS metabolism plays a major role in cellular adaptation to oxidative stress in cancer cells, but the molecular mechanism that regulates catalase, a key antioxidant enzyme responsible for conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional regulatory mechanism controlling catalase expression in three human mammary cell lines: the normal mammary epithelial 250MK primary cells, the breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells and an experimental model of MCF-7 cells resistant against oxidative stress resulting from chronic exposure to H2O2 (Resox), in which catalase was overexpressed. Here we identify a novel promoter region responsible for the regulation of catalase expression at -1518/-1226 locus and the key molecules that interact with this promoter and affect catalase transcription. We show that the AP-1 family member JunB and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) mediate catalase transcriptional activation and repression, respectively, by controlling chromatin remodeling through a histone deacetylases-dependent mechanism. This regulatory mechanism plays an important role in redox adaptation to chronic exposure to H2O2 in breast cancer cells. Our study suggests that cancer adaptation to oxidative stress may be regulated by transcriptional factors through chromatin remodeling, and reveals a potential new mechanism to target cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Glorieux
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Toxicology and Cancer Biology Research Group, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, 510275 Guangzhou, China.
| | - Juan Marcelo Sandoval
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Toxicology and Cancer Biology Research Group, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, 1100000 Iquique, Chile
| | - Antoine Fattaccioli
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC), NAmur Research Institute for LIfe Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Dejeans
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Toxicology and Cancer Biology Research Group, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - James C Garbe
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marc Dieu
- Mass Spectrometry University of Namur (MaSUN), University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Julien Verrax
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Toxicology and Cancer Biology Research Group, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Patricia Renard
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC), NAmur Research Institute for LIfe Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Peng Huang
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, 510275 Guangzhou, China; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pedro Buc Calderon
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Toxicology and Cancer Biology Research Group, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, 1100000 Iquique, Chile.
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15
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Minton DR, Fu L, Mongan NP, Shevchuk MM, Nanus DM, Gudas LJ. Role of NADH Dehydrogenase (Ubiquinone) 1 Alpha Subcomplex 4-Like 2 in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22:2791-801. [PMID: 26783287 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We delineated the functions of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) target NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex 4-like 2 (NDUFA4L2) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and characterized NDUFA4L2 as a novel molecular target for ccRCC treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We evaluated normal kidney and ccRCC patient microarray and RNAseq data from Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas for NDUFA4L2 mRNA levels and the clinical implications of high NDUFA4L2 expression. In addition, we examined normal kidney and ccRCC patient tissue samples, human ccRCC cell lines, and murine models of ccRCC for NDUFA4L2 mRNA and protein expression. Utilizing short hairpin RNA, we performed NDUFA4L2 knockdown experiments and analyzed the proliferation, clonogenicity, metabolite levels, cell structure, and autophagy in ccRCC cell lines in culture. RESULTS We found that NDUFA4L2 mRNA and protein are highly expressed in ccRCC samples but undetectable in normal kidney tissue samples, and that NDUFA4L2 mRNA expression correlates with tumor stage and lower overall survival. In addition, we demonstrated that NDUFA4L2 is an HIF1α target in ccRCC and that NDUFA4L2 knockdown has a profound antiproliferative effect, alters metabolic pathways, and causes major stress in cultured RCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our data show that NDUFA4L2 is a novel molecular target for ccRCC treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 22(11); 2791-801. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise R Minton
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) of Cornell University, New York, New York. Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences-Pharmacology Program, WCMC, New York, New York. Department of Pathology, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Leiping Fu
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Maria M Shevchuk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, WCMC of Cornell University, New York, New York. Meyer Cancer Center, WCMC of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - David M Nanus
- Meyer Cancer Center, WCMC of Cornell University, New York, New York. Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology of the Department of Medicine, WCMC of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) of Cornell University, New York, New York. Meyer Cancer Center, WCMC of Cornell University, New York, New York.
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16
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Natrajan MS, de la Fuente AG, Crawford AH, Linehan E, Nuñez V, Johnson KR, Wu T, Fitzgerald DC, Ricote M, Bielekova B, Franklin RJM. Retinoid X receptor activation reverses age-related deficiencies in myelin debris phagocytosis and remyelination. Brain 2015; 138:3581-97. [PMID: 26463675 PMCID: PMC4668920 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficiency of central nervous system remyelination declines with age. This is in part due to an age-associated decline in the phagocytic removal of myelin debris, which contains inhibitors of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation. In this study, we show that expression of genes involved in the retinoid X receptor pathway are decreased with ageing in both myelin-phagocytosing human monocytes and mouse macrophages using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches. Disruption of retinoid X receptor function in young macrophages, using the antagonist HX531, mimics ageing by reducing myelin debris uptake. Macrophage-specific RXRα (Rxra) knockout mice revealed that loss of function in young mice caused delayed myelin debris uptake and slowed remyelination after experimentally-induced demyelination. Alternatively, retinoid X receptor agonists partially restored myelin debris phagocytosis in aged macrophages. The agonist bexarotene, when used in concentrations achievable in human subjects, caused a reversion of the gene expression profile in multiple sclerosis patient monocytes to a more youthful profile and enhanced myelin debris phagocytosis by patient cells. These results reveal the retinoid X receptor pathway as a positive regulator of myelin debris clearance and a key player in the age-related decline in remyelination that may be targeted by available or newly-developed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muktha S Natrajan
- 1 Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK 2 Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alerie G de la Fuente
- 1 Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Abbe H Crawford
- 1 Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Eimear Linehan
- 3 Centre for Infection and Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, UK
| | - Vanessa Nuñez
- 4 Department of Cardiovascular Development and Repair, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kory R Johnson
- 2 Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tianxia Wu
- 2 Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Mercedes Ricote
- 4 Department of Cardiovascular Development and Repair, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Bibiana Bielekova
- 2 Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robin J M Franklin
- 1 Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
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17
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A spheroid toxicity assay using magnetic 3D bioprinting and real-time mobile device-based imaging. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13987. [PMID: 26365200 PMCID: PMC4568483 DOI: 10.1038/srep13987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
An ongoing challenge in biomedical research is the search for simple, yet robust assays using 3D cell cultures for toxicity screening. This study addresses that challenge with a novel spheroid assay, wherein spheroids, formed by magnetic 3D bioprinting, contract immediately as cells rearrange and compact the spheroid in relation to viability and cytoskeletal organization. Thus, spheroid size can be used as a simple metric for toxicity. The goal of this study was to validate spheroid contraction as a cytotoxic endpoint using 3T3 fibroblasts in response to 5 toxic compounds (all-trans retinoic acid, dexamethasone, doxorubicin, 5′-fluorouracil, forskolin), sodium dodecyl sulfate (+control), and penicillin-G (−control). Real-time imaging was performed with a mobile device to increase throughput and efficiency. All compounds but penicillin-G significantly slowed contraction in a dose-dependent manner (Z’ = 0.88). Cells in 3D were more resistant to toxicity than cells in 2D, whose toxicity was measured by the MTT assay. Fluorescent staining and gene expression profiling of spheroids confirmed these findings. The results of this study validate spheroid contraction within this assay as an easy, biologically relevant endpoint for high-throughput compound screening in representative 3D environments.
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18
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Yang J, Wang W, Ooi J, Campos LS, Lu L, Liu P. Signalling Through Retinoic Acid Receptors is Required for Reprogramming of Both Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cells and Epiblast Stem Cells to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cells 2015; 33:1390-404. [PMID: 25546009 PMCID: PMC4863141 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that coexpressing retinoic acid (RA) receptor gamma and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH1 or NR5A2) with OCT4, MYC, KLF4, and SOX2 (4F) rapidly reprograms mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here, we further explore the role of RA in reprogramming and report that the six factors (6F) efficiently and directly reprogram MEFs into integration-free iPSCs in defined medium (N2B27) in the absence of feeder cells. Through genetic and chemical approaches, we find that RA signalling is essential, in a highly dose-sensitive manner, for MEF reprogramming. The removal of exogenous RA from N2B27, the inhibition of endogenous RA synthesis or the expression of a dominant-negative form of RARA severely impedes reprogramming. By contrast, supplementing N2B27 with various retinoids substantially boosts reprogramming. In addition, when coexpressed with LRH1, RA receptors (RARs) can promote reprogramming in the absence of both exogenous and endogenously synthesized RA. Remarkably, the reprogramming of epiblast stem cells into embryonic stem cell-like cells also requires low levels of RA, which can modulate Wnt signalling through physical interactions of RARs with β-catenin. These results highlight the important functions of RA signalling in reprogramming somatic cells and primed stem cells to naïve pluripotency. Stem Cells 2015;33:1390-1404.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yang
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Wei Wang
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Jolene Ooi
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Lia S. Campos
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Liming Lu
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Shanghai Institute of ImmunologyShanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine280 South Chongqing RoadShanghai200025China
| | - Pentao Liu
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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19
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Imprinted genes in myeloid lineage commitment in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Leukemia 2015; 29:1233-42. [PMID: 25703588 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2015.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting is characterized by the parent-of-origin monoallelic expression of several diploid genes because of epigenetic regulation. Imprinted genes (IGs) are key factors in development, supporting the ability of a genotype to produce phenotypes in response to environmental stimuli. IGs are highly expressed during prenatal stages but are downregulated after birth. They also affect aspects of life other than growth such as cognition, behavior, adaption to novel environments, social dominance and memory consolidation. Deregulated genomic imprinting leads to developmental disorders and is associated with solid and blood cancer as well. Several data have been published highlighting the involvement of IGs in as early as the very small embryonic-like stem cells stage and further during myeloid lineage commitment in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Therefore, we have assembled the current knowledge on the topic, based mainly on recent findings, trying not to focus on a particular cluster but rather to have a global view of several different IGs in hematopoiesis.
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20
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Laursen KB, Kashyap V, Scandura J, Gudas LJ. An alternative retinoic acid-responsive Stra6 promoter regulated in response to retinol deficiency. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:4356-66. [PMID: 25544292 PMCID: PMC4326842 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.613968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 12/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular uptake of vitamin A (retinol) is essential for many biological functions. The Stra6 protein binds the serum retinol-binding protein, RBP4, and acts in conjunction with the enzyme lecithin:retinol acyltransferase to facilitate retinol uptake in some cell types. We show that in embryonic stem (ES) cells and in some tissues, the Stra6 gene encodes two distinct mRNAs transcribed from two different promoters. Whereas both are all-trans-retinoic acid (RA)-responsive in ES cells, the downstream promoter contains a half-site RA response element (RARE) and drives an ∼ 13-fold, RA-associated increase in luciferase reporter activity. We employed CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to show that the endogenous RARE is required for RA-induced transcription of both Stra6 isoforms. We further demonstrate that in ES cells, 1) both RARγ and RXRα are present at the Stra6 RARE; 2) RA increases co-activator p300 (KAT3B) binding and histone H3 Lys-27 acetylation at both promoters; 3) RA decreases Suz12 levels and histone H3 Lys-27 trimethylation epigenetic marks at both promoters; and 4) these epigenetic changes are diminished in the absence of RARγ. In the brains of WT mice, both the longer and the shorter Stra6 transcript (Stra6L and Stra6S, respectively) are highly expressed, whereas these transcripts are found only at low levels in RARγ(-/-) mice. In the brains of vitamin A-deficient mice, both Stra6L and Stra6S levels are decreased. In contrast, in the vitamin A-deficient kidneys, the Stra6L levels are greatly increased, whereas Stra6S levels are decreased. Our data show that kidneys respond to retinol deficiency by differential Stra6 promoter usage, which may play a role in the retention of retinol when vitamin A is low.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Scandura
- the Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- From the Pharmacology Department and the Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
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21
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Choschzick I, Hirseland E, Cramer H, Schultz S, Leppert J, Tronnier V, Zechel C. Responsiveness of stem-like human glioma cells to all-trans retinoic acid and requirement of retinoic acid receptor isotypes α, β and γ. Neuroscience 2014; 279:44-64. [PMID: 25171789 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.07.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is required for development and homeostasis of the normal mammalian brain and may play a role in the initiation and progression of malignant brain tumors, such as the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and the gliosarcoma (Gsarc). The subpopulation of stem-like glioma cells (SLGCs) was shown to resist standard glioma radio-/chemotherapy and to propagate tumor regrowth. We used phenotypically distinct, self-renewing SLGC lines from six human GBMs, two Gsarcs, and two subcloned SLGC derivatives in order to investigate their responsiveness to all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) and to identify the RA-receptor (RAR) isotypes involved. In general, atRA exerted a pro-proliferative and pro-survival effect on SLGCs, though the efficacy was distinct. By means of RAR isotype-selective retinoids we disclosed that these effects were mediated by RARα and RARγ, except for one SLGC line, in which the pro-proliferative signal was induced by the RARβ-selective retinoid. Only one GBM-derived cell line (T1338) and a subpopulation of another (T1389) displayed neural differentiation in response to atRA. Differentiation of T1338 was induced by RARα and RARγ isotype-selective retinoids, associated with down-regulation of Sox2, and the failure to induce orthotopic tumors in the brains of SCID mice. The differential responsiveness of the SLGC lines appeared unrelated to the expression of RARβ, as (i) atRA augmented RAR isotype mRNA expression and particularly rarβ mRNA in all SLGC lines, (ii) rarβ promoter hypomethylation in the SLGC lines was not related to differentiation and (iii) the induction of T1338 differentiation was by RARα- and RARγ-selective ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Choschzick
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - E Hirseland
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - H Cramer
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - S Schultz
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - J Leppert
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - V Tronnier
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - C Zechel
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany.
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22
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Identification and characterization of germ cell genes expressed in the F9 testicular teratoma stem cell line. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103837. [PMID: 25153150 PMCID: PMC4143169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The F9 cell line, which was derived from a mouse testicular teratoma that originated from pluripotent germ cells, has been used as a model for differentiation. However, it is largely unknown whether F9 cells possess the characteristics of male germ cells. In the present study, we investigated spermatogenic stage- and cell type-specific gene expression in F9 cells. Analysis of previous microarray data showed that a large number of stage-regulated germ cell genes are expressed in F9 cells. Specifically, genes that are prominently expressed in spermatogonia and have transcriptional regulatory functions appear to be enriched in F9 cells. Our in silico and in vitro analyses identified several germ cell-specific or -predominant genes that are expressed in F9 cells. Among them, strong promoter activities were observed in the regions upstream of the spermatogonial genes, Dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1), Stra8 (stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8) and Tex13 (testis expressed gene 13), in F9 cells. A detailed analysis of the Tex13 promoter allowed us to identify an enhancer and a region that is implicated in germ cell-specificity. We also found that Tex13 expression is regulated by DNA methylation. Finally, analysis of GFP (green fluorescent protein) TEX13 localization revealed that the protein distributes heterogeneously in the cytoplasm and nucleus, suggesting that TEX13 shuttles between these two compartments. Taken together, our results demonstrate that F9 cells express numerous spermatogonial genes and could be used for transcriptional studies focusing on such genes. As an example of this, we use F9 cells to provide comprehensive expressional information about Tex13, and report that this gene appears to encode a germ cell-specific protein that functions in the nucleus during early spermatogenesis.
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23
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Hou N, Ren L, Gong M, Bi Y, Gu Y, Dong Z, Liu Y, Chen J, Li T. Vitamin A deficiency impairs spatial learning and memory: the mechanism of abnormal CBP-dependent histone acetylation regulated by retinoic acid receptor alpha. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:633-47. [PMID: 24859384 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8741-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin A (VA) is an essential micronutrient. Numerous studies have confirmed that VA deficiency (VAD) leads to a decline in learning and memory function. Our previous studies have demonstrated that retinoic acid nuclear receptor α (RARα) in the hippocampus plays a crucial role in learning and memory, but the exact mechanism for this process is unclear. Epigenetic modifications, particularly histone acetylation, are involved in nervous system development, learning and memory function, and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs), such as CREB-binding protein (CBP), E1A-binding protein p300 (p300), and p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), are critical for regulating memory function. The current study uses RARα and CBP as examples to study the connections between the RA signaling pathway and histone acetylation modification and to reveal the epigenetic mechanism in VAD-induced learning and memory impairment. This study examined the expression of RARα, HATs, acetylated histone H3/H4, and memory-related genes (Zif268, cFos, FosB), as well as the interaction of RARα and CBP in the hippocampus of 8-week-old rats. Additionally, the changes shown in vivo were further assessed in primary cultured neurons with the inhibition or overexpression of RARα. We found significantly lower levels of histone acetylation in the VAD rats. Furthermore, this downregulation, which impairs learning and memory, is induced by the dysregulation of CBP-dependent histone acetylation that is mediated by RARα. This work provides a solid theoretical foundation and experimental basis for the importance of ensuring sufficient nutritional VA during pregnancy and early life to prevent impairments of learning and memory in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nali Hou
- Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
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24
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Guo Y, Lee YC, Brown C, Zhang W, Usherwood E, Noelle RJ. Dissecting the role of retinoic acid receptor isoforms in the CD8 response to infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2014; 192:3336-44. [PMID: 24610012 PMCID: PMC4648262 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1301949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency leads to increased susceptibility to a spectrum of infectious diseases. The studies presented dissect the intrinsic role of each of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isoforms in the clonal expansion, differentiation, and survival of pathogen-specific CD8 T cells in vivo. The data show that RARα is required for the expression of gut-homing receptors on CD8(+) T cells and survival of CD8(+) T cells in vitro. Furthermore, RARα is essential for survival of CD8(+) T cells in vivo following Listeria monocytogenes infection. In contrast, RARβ deletion leads to modest deficiency in Ag-specific CD8(+) T cell expansion during infection. The defective survival of RARα-deficient CD8(+) T cells leads to a deficiency in control of L. monocytogenes expansion in the spleen. To our knowledge, these are the first comparative studies of the role of RAR isoforms in CD8(+) T cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Yu-Chi Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Chrysothemis Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Transplantation, Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Weijun Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Edward Usherwood
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Randolph J. Noelle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
- Medical Research Council Centre for Transplantation, Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
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25
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Orfali N, McKenna SL, Cahill MR, Gudas LJ, Mongan NP. Retinoid receptor signaling and autophagy in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Exp Cell Res 2014; 324:1-12. [PMID: 24694321 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Retinoids are a family of signaling molecules derived from vitamin A with well established roles in cellular differentiation. Physiologically active retinoids mediate transcriptional effects on cells through interactions with retinoic acid (RARs) and retinoid-X (RXR) receptors. Chromosomal translocations involving the RARα gene, which lead to impaired retinoid signaling, are implicated in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), alone and in combination with arsenic trioxide (ATO), restores differentiation in APL cells and promotes degradation of the abnormal oncogenic fusion protein through several proteolytic mechanisms. RARα fusion-protein elimination is emerging as critical to obtaining sustained remission and long-term cure in APL. Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway involved in protein turnover. Both ATRA and ATO also induce autophagy in APL cells. Enhancing autophagy may therefore be of therapeutic benefit in resistant APL and could broaden the application of differentiation therapy to other cancers. Here we discuss retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis, leukemogenesis, and APL treatment. We highlight autophagy as a potential important regulator in anti-leukemic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Orfali
- Cork Cancer Research Center, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sharon L McKenna
- Cork Cancer Research Center, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mary R Cahill
- Department of Hematology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Lorraine J Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA..
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA..
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26
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Al Tanoury Z, Piskunov A, Andriamoratsiresy D, Gaouar S, Lutzing R, Ye T, Jost B, Keime C, Rochette-Egly C. Genes involved in cell adhesion and signaling: a new repertoire of retinoic acid receptor target genes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. J Cell Sci 2014; 127:521-33. [PMID: 24357724 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.131946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear retinoic acid (RA) receptors (RARα, β and γ) are ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate the expression of a battery of genes involved in cell differentiation and proliferation. They are also phosphoproteins and we previously showed the importance of their phosphorylation in their transcriptional activity. In the study reported here, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the genes that are regulated by RARs in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) by comparing wild-type MEFs to MEFs lacking the three RARs. We found that in the absence of RA, RARs control the expression of several gene transcripts associated with cell adhesion. Consequently the knockout MEFs are unable to adhere and to spread on substrates and they display a disrupted network of actin filaments, compared with the WT cells. In contrast, in the presence of the ligand, RARs control the expression of other genes involved in signaling and in RA metabolism. Taking advantage of rescue cell lines expressing the RARα or RARγ subtypes (either wild-type or mutated at the N-terminal phosphorylation sites) in the null background, we found that the expression of RA-target genes can be controlled either by a specific single RAR or by a combination of RAR isotypes, depending on the gene. We also selected genes that require the phosphorylation of the receptors for their regulation by RA. Our results increase the repertoire of genes that are regulated by RARs and highlight the complexity and diversity of the transcriptional programs regulated by RARs, depending on the gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziad Al Tanoury
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
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27
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Retinoic acid receptor alpha is associated with tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. Nat Commun 2014; 4:2175. [PMID: 23868472 PMCID: PMC3759040 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
About one-third of oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen relapse. Here we identify the nuclear receptor retinoic acid receptor alpha as a marker of tamoxifen resistance. Using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we show that retinoic acid receptor alpha protein networks and levels differ in a tamoxifen-sensitive (MCF7) and a tamoxifen-resistant (LCC2) cell line. High intratumoural retinoic acid receptor alpha protein levels also correlate with reduced relapse-free survival in oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen solely. A similar retinoic acid receptor alpha expression pattern is seen in a comparable independent patient cohort. An oestrogen receptor alpha and retinoic acid receptor alpha ligand screening reveals that tamoxifen-resistant LCC2 cells have increased sensitivity to retinoic acid receptor alpha ligands and are less sensitive to oestrogen receptor alpha ligands compared with MCF7 cells. Our data indicate that retinoic acid receptor alpha may be a novel therapeutic target and a predictive factor for oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen.
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28
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Abstract
Retinoids and rexinoids, as all other ligands of the nuclear receptor (NR) family, act as ligand-regulated trans-acting transcription factors that bind to cis-acting DNA regulatory elements in the promoter regions of target genes (for reviews see [12, 22, 23, 26, 36]). Ligand binding modulates the communication functions of the receptor with the intracellular environment, which essentially entails receptor-protein and receptor-DNA or receptor-chromatin interactions. In this communication network, the receptor simultaneously serves as both intracellular sensor and regulator of cell/organ functions. Receptors are "intelligent" mediators of the information encoded in the chemical structure of a nuclear receptor ligand, as they interpret this information in the context of cellular identity and cell-physiological status and convert it into a dynamic chain of receptor-protein and receptor-DNA interactions. To process input and output information, they are composed of a modular structure with several domains that have evolved to exert particular molecular recognition functions. As detailed in other chapters in this volume, the main functional domains are the DNA-binding (DBD) and ligand-binding (LBD) [5-7, 38, 56, 71]. The LBD serves as a dual input-output information processor. Inputs, such as ligand binding or receptor phosphorylations, induce allosteric changes in receptor surfaces that serve as docking sites for outputs, such as subunits of transcription and epigenetic machineries or enzyme complexes. The complexity of input and output signals and their interdependencies is far from being understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco-Antonio Mendoza-Parra
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS, INSERM, Université de Strasbourg, BP 10142, 67404, Illkirch Cedex, France
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29
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Abstract
Epigenetics is "the branch of biology which studies the causal interactions between genes and their products which bring the phenotype into being" as defined by Conrad Waddington in 1942 in a discussion of the mechanisms of cell differentiation. More than seven decades later we know that these mechanisms include histone tail post-translational modifications, DNA methylation, ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA pathways. Epigenetic modifications are powerful drugs targets, and combined targeting of multiple pathways is expected to significantly advance cancer therapy.
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30
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Genome-wide studies of nuclear receptors in cell fate decisions. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2013; 24:706-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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31
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Ricard MJ, Gudas LJ. Cytochrome p450 cyp26a1 alters spinal motor neuron subtype identity in differentiating embryonic stem cells. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:28801-13. [PMID: 23946489 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.474254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to differentiate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into specific cell types is critical for improved regenerative medicine strategies, cancer chemotherapeutic approaches, and regimens to combat chronic diseases associated with aging. Subclasses of motor neurons (MNs) are generated at different positions along the rostrocaudal axis of the spinal cord, and the signals that specify MN subtype fates remain poorly defined. We show here that the cytochrome P450 enzyme Cyp26a1, which metabolizes all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and thereby reduces RA levels, plays a crucial role in specifying MN columnar subtypes. Lack of Cyp26a1 in ESCs during differentiation to spinal MNs increases Aldh1a2 (RALDH2) and Hoxc6, markers of the Hox-dependent, lateral motor column (LMC) subtype identity. In contrast, Lhx3, a marker for median motor column identity, showed lower expression in Cyp26a1(-/-)-derived MNs compared with WT. Without Cyp26a1, an increase in intracellular RA concentration plus sonic hedgehog agonist treatment confer an LMC fate on differentiating MNs. Our data suggest a strategy for increasing LMC-type MNs from ESCs by blocking Cyp26a1 in cell replacement/ESC differentiation therapy to treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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32
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Pérez RJ, Benoit YD, Gudas LJ. Deletion of retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ) impairs pancreatic endocrine differentiation. Exp Cell Res 2013; 319:2196-204. [PMID: 23756134 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2013.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
All-trans retinoic acid (RA) signals via binding to retinoic acid receptors (RARs α, β, and γ). RA directly influences expression of Pdx1, a transcription factor essential for pancreatic development and beta-cell (β-cell) maturation. In this study we follow the differentiation of cultured wild-type (WT) vs. RARβ knockout (KO) embryonic stem (ES) cells into pancreatic islet cells. We found that RARβ KO ES cells show greatly reduced expression of some important endocrine markers of differentiated islet cells, such as glucagon, islet amyloid polypeptide (Iapp), and insulin 1 (Ins1) relative to WT. We conclude that RARβ activity is essential for proper differentiation of ES cells to pancreatic endocrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald J Pérez
- Pharmacology Department, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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33
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Benoit YD, Laursen KB, Witherspoon MS, Lipkin SM, Gudas LJ. Inhibition of PRC2 histone methyltransferase activity increases TRAIL-mediated apoptosis sensitivity in human colon cancer cells. J Cell Physiol 2013; 228:764-72. [PMID: 23001792 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is ranked among the top leading causes of cancer death in industrialized populations. Polycomb group proteins, including Suz12 and Ezh2, are epigenetic regulatory proteins that act as transcriptional repressors of many differentiation-associated genes and are overexpressed in a large subset of colorectal cancers. Retinoic acid (RA) acts as a negative regulator of PcG actions in stem cells, but has shown limited therapeutic potential in some solid tumors, including colorectal cancer, in part because of retinoic acid receptor β silencing. Through treatment with RA, Suz12 shRNA knockdown, or Ezh2 pharmacological inhibition with 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), we increased TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cell lines. This increased apoptosis in human colon cancer cells after RA or DZNep treatment was associated with a ~2.5-fold increase in TNFRSF10B (DR5) transcript levels and a 42% reduction in the H3K27me3 epigenetic mark at the TNFRSF10B promoter after DZNep addition. Taken together, our findings indicate that pharmacological inhibition of Polycomb repressive complex 2 histone methyltransferase activity may constitute a new epigenetic therapeutic strategy to overcome RA non-responsiveness in a subset of colorectal tumors by increasing TRAIL-mediated apoptosis sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick D Benoit
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
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34
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Laursen KB, Mongan NP, Zhuang Y, Ng MM, Benoit YD, Gudas LJ. Polycomb recruitment attenuates retinoic acid-induced transcription of the bivalent NR2F1 gene. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:6430-43. [PMID: 23666625 PMCID: PMC3905905 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb proteins play key roles in mediating epigenetic modifications that occur during cell differentiation. The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) mediates the tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3). In this study, we identify a distinguishing feature of two classes of PRC2 target genes, represented by the Nr2F1 (Coup-TF1) and the Hoxa5 gene, respectively. Both genes are transcriptionally activated by all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and display increased levels of the permissive H3K9/K14ac and tri-methylated histone H3 lysine 4 epigenetic marks in response to RA. However, while in response to RA the PRC2 and H3K27me3 marks are greatly decreased at the Hoxa5 promoter, these marks are initially increased at the Nr2F1 promoter. Functional depletion of the essential PRC2 protein Suz12 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology enhanced the RA-associated transcription of Nr2F1, Nr2F2, Meis1, Sox9 and BMP2, but had no effect on the Hoxa5, Hoxa1, Cyp26a1, Cyp26b1 and RARβ2 transcript levels in wild-type embryonic stem cells. We propose that PRC2 recruitment attenuates the RA-associated transcriptional activation of a subset of genes. Such a mechanism would permit the fine-tuning of transcriptional networks during differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian B Laursen
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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35
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Hedblom A, Laursen KB, Miftakhova R, Sarwar M, Anagnostaki L, Bredberg A, Mongan NP, Gudas LJ, Persson JL. CDK1 interacts with RARγ and plays an important role in treatment response of acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Cycle 2013; 12:1251-66. [PMID: 23518499 PMCID: PMC3674090 DOI: 10.4161/cc.24313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in cell cycle pathways and retinoic acid signaling are implicated in leukemogenesis. However, little is known about the roles of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in treatment response of leukemia. In this study, we observed that CDK1 expression was significantly higher in bone marrow from 42 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at recurrence than that at first diagnosis (p = 0.04). AML patients had higher level of nuclear CDK1 in their leukemic blasts tended to have poorer clinical outcome compared with those with lower levels. We showed that CDK1 function is required for all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) to achieve the optimal effect in U-937 human leukemic cells. CDK1 modulates the levels of P27(kip) and AKT phosphorylation in response to ATRA treatment. Further, we show, for the first time, that RARγ in concert with ATRA regulates protein levels of CDK1 and its subcellular localization. The regulation of the subcellular content of CDK1 and RARγ by ATRA is an important process for achieving an effective response in treatment of leukemia. RARγ and CDK1 form a reciprocal regulatory circuit in the nucleus and influence the function and protein stability of each other and the level of P27(kip) protein. In addition, expression of wee1 kinase and Cdc25A/C phosphatases also coincide with CDK1 expression and its subcellular localization in response to ATRA treatment. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which CDK1 and RARγ coordinate with ATRA to influence cell cycle progression and cellular differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hedblom
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Division of Experimental Cancer Research; Clinical Research Center; Lund University; Malmö, Sweden
| | | | - Regina Miftakhova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Division of Experimental Cancer Research; Clinical Research Center; Lund University; Malmö, Sweden
| | - Martuza Sarwar
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Division of Experimental Cancer Research; Clinical Research Center; Lund University; Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lola Anagnostaki
- Department of Pathology; Lund University; Skåne University Hospital; Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anders Bredberg
- Department of Clinical Microbiology; Lund University; Skåne University Hospital; Malmö, Sweden
| | - Nigel P. Mongan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences; University of Nottingham; Leicestershire, UK
| | - Lorraine J. Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology; Weill Cornell Medical College; New York, NY USA
| | - Jenny L. Persson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Division of Experimental Cancer Research; Clinical Research Center; Lund University; Malmö, Sweden
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36
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Benoit YD, Witherspoon MS, Laursen KB, Guezguez A, Beauséjour M, Beaulieu JF, Lipkin SM, Gudas LJ. Pharmacological inhibition of polycomb repressive complex-2 activity induces apoptosis in human colon cancer stem cells. Exp Cell Res 2013; 319:1463-70. [PMID: 23588203 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2013.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Revised: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is among the leading causes of cancer death in the USA. The polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), including core components SUZ12 and EZH2, represents a key epigenetic regulator of digestive epithelial cell physiology and was previously shown to promote deleterious effects in a number of human cancers, including colon. Using colon cancer stem cells (CCSC) isolated from human primary colorectal tumors, we demonstrate that SUZ12 knockdown and treatment with DZNep, one of the most potent EZH2 inhibitors, increase apoptosis levels, marked by decreased Akt phosphorylation, in CCSCs, while embryonic stem (ES) cell survival is not affected. Moreover, DZNep treatments lead to increased PTEN expression in these highly tumorigenic cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of PRC2 histone methyltransferase activity may constitute a new, epigenetic therapeutic strategy to target highly tumorigenic and metastatic colon cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick D Benoit
- Pharmacology Department, Weill Cornell Medical College, NY 10065, USA.
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37
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Kashyap V, Laursen KB, Brenet F, Viale AJ, Scandura JM, Gudas LJ. RARγ is essential for retinoic acid induced chromatin remodeling and transcriptional activation in embryonic stem cells. J Cell Sci 2013; 126:999-1008. [PMID: 23264745 PMCID: PMC3625813 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.119701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We have utilized retinoic acid receptor γ (gamma) knockout (RARγ(-/-)) embryonic stem (ES) cells as a model system to analyze RARγ mediated transcriptional regulation of stem cell differentiation. Most of the transcripts regulated by all-trans retinoic acid (RA) in ES cells are dependent upon functional RARγ signaling. Notably, many of these RA-RARγ target genes are implicated in retinoid uptake and metabolism. For instance, Lrat (lecithin:retinol acyltransferase), Stra6 (stimulated by retinoic acid 6), Crabp2 (cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2), and Cyp26a1 (cytochrome p450 26a1) transcripts are induced in wild type (WT), but not in RARγ(-/-) cells. Transcripts for the transcription factors Pbx1 (pre-B cell leukemia homeobox-1), Wt1 (Wilm's tumor gene-1), and Meis1 (myeloid ecotropic viral integration site-1) increase upon RA treatment of WT, but not RARγ(-/-) cells. In contrast, Stra8, Dleu7, Leftb, Pitx2, and Cdx1 mRNAs are induced by RA even in the absence of RARγ. Mapping of the epigenetic signature of Meis1 revealed that RA induces a rapid increase in the H3K9/K14ac epigenetic mark at the proximal promoter and at two sites downstream of the transcription start site in WT, but not in RARγ(-/-) cells. Thus, RA-associated increases in H3K9/K14ac epigenetic marks require RARγ and are associated with increased Meis1 transcript levels, whereas H3K4me3 is present at the Meis1 proximal promoter even in the absence of RARγ. In contrast, at the Lrat proximal promoter primarily the H3K4me3 mark, and not the H3K9/K14ac mark, increases in response to RA, independently of the presence of RARγ. Our data show major epigenetic changes associated with addition of the RARγ agonist RA in ES cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasundhra Kashyap
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kristian B. Laursen
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fabienne Brenet
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Agnes J. Viale
- Genomics Core Laboratory, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Joseph M. Scandura
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lorraine J. Gudas
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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38
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Gurevich I, Zhang C, Francis N, Struzynsky CP, Livings SE, Aneskievich BJ. Human TNFα-induced protein 3-interacting protein 1 (TNIP1) promoter activation is regulated by retinoic acid receptors. Gene 2012; 515:42-8. [PMID: 23228856 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Revised: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Coregulator proteins play key roles in transcriptional control by members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Previously, we demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced protein 3-interacting protein 1 (TNIP1) is a corepressor of agonist-bound retinoic acid receptors (RARs). Additionally, TNIP1 has been shown to repress peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) and NF-κB activity and interact with HIV proteins nef and matrix. TNIP1 transcriptional regulation, however, is under studied. Here we show that under permissive epigenetic conditions, TNIP1 expression is induced by all trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Within a 6000 bp region of the human TNIP1 promoter we cloned, both proximal and distal promoter regions are RAR responsive with the latter having RA response elements (RAREs) recognizable by their sequence and functionality in native promoter and synthetic RARE luciferase constructs, EMSA, and ChIP assays. These findings suggest a feedback loop whereby RARs activate expression of TNIP1, which then attenuates their activity. Together with anticipated constitutive transcription factors and the previously described NF-κB-responsiveness of the proximal TNIP1 promoter, the expected combinatorial control of TNIP1 expression could likely modulate TNIP1's impact in any of its target pathways. The degree of control by RARs or other transcription factors would in turn depend on their cell-specific level of expression and/or activation from signals in the environment such as ATRA and TNFα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Gurevich
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3092, USA.
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39
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Abstract
C57BL/6 mice develop dermatitis and scarring alopecia resembling human cicatricial alopecias (CA), particularly the central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) type. To evaluate the role of retinoids in CA, expression of retinoid metabolism components were examined in these mice with mild, moderate, or severe CA compared to hair cycle matched mice with no disease. Two feeding studies were performed with dams fed either NIH 31 diet (study 1) or AIN93G diet (study 2). Adult mice were fed AIN93M diet with 4 (recommended), 28, or 56 IU vitamin A/g diet. Feeding the AIN93M diet to adults increased CA frequency over NIH 31 fed mice. Increased follicular dystrophy was seen in study 1 and increased dermal scars in study 2 in mice fed the 28 IU diet. These results indicate that retinoid metabolism is altered in CA in C57BL/6J mice that require precise levels of dietary vitamin A. Human patients with CCCA, pseudopelade (end stage scarring), and controls with no alopecia were also studied. Many retinoid metabolism proteins were increased in mild CCCA, but were undetectable in pseudopelade. Studies to determine if these dietary alterations in retinoid metabolism seen in C57BL/6J mice are also involved in different types of human CA are needed.
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40
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Shearer KD, Stoney PN, Morgan PJ, McCaffery PJ. A vitamin for the brain. Trends Neurosci 2012; 35:733-41. [PMID: 22959670 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS) the function of retinoic acid, the active metabolite of vitamin A, is best understood from its action in guiding embryonic development; as development comes to completion, retinoic acid signaling declines. However, it is increasingly recognized that this signaling mechanism does not disappear in the adult brain but becomes more regionally focused and takes on new roles. These functions are often tied to processes of neural plasticity whether in the hippocampus, through homeostatic neural plasticity, the olfactory bulb or the hypothalamus. The role of retinoic acid in the control of plastic processes has led to suggestions of its involvement in neural disorders, both degenerative and psychiatric. This review presents a snapshot of developments in these areas over recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty D Shearer
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
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41
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DNA Hypomethylation and Hemimethylation in Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 754:31-56. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-9967-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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