1
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Oliveira-Paula GH, Liu S, Maira A, Ressa G, Ferreira GC, Quintar A, Jayakumar S, Almonte V, Parikh D, Valenta T, Basler K, Hla T, Riascos-Bernal DF, Sibinga NES. The β-catenin C terminus links Wnt and sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling pathways to promote vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadg9278. [PMID: 38478616 PMCID: PMC10936954 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Canonical Wnt and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathways are highly conserved systems that contribute to normal vertebrate development, with key consequences for immune, nervous, and cardiovascular system function; despite these functional overlaps, little is known about Wnt/β-catenin-S1P cross-talk. In the vascular system, both Wnt/β-catenin and S1P signals affect vessel maturation, stability, and barrier function, but information regarding their potential coordination is scant. We report an instance of functional interaction between the two pathways, including evidence that S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) is a transcriptional target of β-catenin. By studying vascular smooth muscle cells and arterial injury response, we find a specific requirement for the β-catenin carboxyl terminus, which acts to induce S1PR1, and show that this interaction is essential for vascular remodeling. We also report that pharmacological inhibition of the β-catenin carboxyl terminus reduces S1PR1 expression, neointima formation, and atherosclerosis. These findings provide mechanistic understanding of how Wnt/β-catenin and S1P systems collaborate during vascular remodeling and inform strategies for therapeutic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo H. Oliveira-Paula
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alishba Maira
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Gaia Ressa
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Graziele C. Ferreira
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Amado Quintar
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Smitha Jayakumar
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Almonte
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Dippal Parikh
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Hla
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dario F. Riascos-Bernal
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas E. S. Sibinga
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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2
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Tse J, O’Keefe R, Rigopolous A, Carli ALE, Waaler J, Krauss S, Ernst M, Buchert M. A Mouse Model for the Rapid and Binomial Assessment of Putative WNT/β-Catenin Signalling Inhibitors. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2719. [PMID: 37893093 PMCID: PMC10604108 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific signalling thresholds of the WNT/β-catenin pathway affect embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis in the adult, with mutations in this pathway frequently occurring in cancer. Excessive WNT/β-catenin activity inhibits murine anterior development associated with embryonic lethality and accounts for the driver event in 80% of human colorectal cancers. Uncontrolled WNT/β-catenin signalling arises primarily from impairment mutation in the tumour suppressor gene APC that otherwise prevents prolonged stabilisation of β-catenin. Surprisingly, no inhibitor compounds for WNT/β-catenin signalling have reached clinical use in part owing to the lack of specific in vivo assays that discriminate between on-target activities and dose-limiting toxicities. Here, we present a simple in vivo assay with a binary outcome whereby the administration of candidate compounds to pregnant and phenotypically normal Apcflox/flox mice can rescue in utero death of Apcmin/flox mutant conceptus without subsequent post-mortem assessment of WNT/β-catenin signalling. Indeed, the phenotypic plasticity of born Apcmin/flox conceptus enables future refinement of our assay to potentially enable dosage finding and cross-compound comparisons. Thus, we show for the first time the suitability of endogenous WNT/β-catenin signalling during embryonic development to provide an unambiguous and sensitive mammalian in vivo model to assess the efficacy and bioavailability of potential WNT/β-catenin antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janson Tse
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (M.E.)
| | - Ryan O’Keefe
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (M.E.)
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Angela Rigopolous
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
- Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Annalisa L. E. Carli
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (M.E.)
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Jo Waaler
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub-Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Stefan Krauss
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub-Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (M.E.)
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Michael Buchert
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (M.E.)
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
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3
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Liu H, Lu P, He S, Luo Y, Fang Y, Benkaci S, Wu B, Wang Y, Zhou B. β-Catenin regulates endocardial cushion growth by suppressing p21. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302163. [PMID: 37385754 PMCID: PMC10310929 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocardial cushion formation is essential for heart valve development and heart chamber separation. Abnormal endocardial cushion formation often causes congenital heart defects. β-Catenin is known to be essential for endocardial cushion formation; however, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that endothelial-specific deletion of β-catenin in mice resulted in formation of hypoplastic endocardial cushions due to reduced cell proliferation and impaired cell migration. By using a β-catenin DM allele in which the transcriptional function of β-catenin is selectively disrupted, we further reveal that β-catenin regulated cell proliferation and migration through its transcriptional and non-transcriptional function, respectively. At the molecular level, loss of β-catenin resulted in increased expression of cell cycle inhibitor p21 in cushion endocardial and mesenchymal cells in vivo. In vitro rescue experiments with HUVECs and pig aortic valve interstitial cells confirmed that β-catenin promoted cell proliferation by suppressing p21. In addition, one savvy negative observation is that β-catenin was dispensable for endocardial-to-mesenchymal fate change. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that β-catenin is essential for cell proliferation and migration but dispensable for endocardial cells to gain mesenchymal fate during endocardial cushion formation. Mechanistically, β-catenin promotes cell proliferation by suppressing p21. These findings inform the potential role of β-catenin in the etiology of congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahua Liu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pengfei Lu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Shan He
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuru Luo
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Sonia Benkaci
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Bingruo Wu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yidong Wang
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Departments of Genetics, Pediatrics (Pediatric Genetic Medicine), and Medicine (Cardiology), The Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, The Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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4
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Ebeid M, Kishimoto I, Roy P, Zaidi MAA, Cheng AG, Huh SH. β-Catenin transcriptional activity is required for establishment of inner pillar cell identity during cochlear development. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010925. [PMID: 37639482 PMCID: PMC10491406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian cochlea is composed of sensory hair cells as well as multiple different types of non-sensory supporting cells. Pillar cells are one type of supporting cell that form the tunnel of Corti and include two morphologically and functionally distinct subtypes: inner pillar cells (IPCs) and outer pillar cells (OPCs). The processes of specification and differentiation of inner versus outer pillar cells are still unclear. Here, we show that β-Catenin is required for establishing IPC identity in the mammalian cochlea. To differentiate the transcriptional and adhesion roles of β-Catenin in establishing IPC identity, we examined two different models of β-Catenin deletion; one that deletes both transcriptional and structural functions and one which retains cell adhesion function but lacks transcriptional function. Here, we show that cochleae lacking β-Catenin transcriptional function lost IPCs and displayed extranumerary OPCs, indicating its requirement for establishing IPC identity. Overexpression of β-Catenin induced proliferation within IPCs but not ectopic IPCs. Single-cell transcriptomes of supporting cells lacking β-Catenin transcriptional function show a loss of the IPC and gain of OPC signatures. Finally, targeted deletion of β-Catenin in IPCs also led to the loss of IPC identity, indicating a cell autonomous role of β-Catenin in establishing IPC identity. As IPCs have the capacity to regenerate sensory hair cells in the postnatal cochlea, our results will aid in future IPC-based hair cell regeneration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ebeid
- Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Ippei Kishimoto
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Pooja Roy
- Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Mohd Ali Abbas Zaidi
- Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Alan G. Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sung-Ho Huh
- Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, United States of America
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5
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Kim JM, Min KW, Kim YJ, Smits R, Basler K, Kim JW. Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Is Necessary for the Specification but Not the Maintenance of the Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Mol Cells 2023; 46:441-450. [PMID: 37190767 PMCID: PMC10336276 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2023.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
β-Catenin (Ctnnb1) has been shown to play critical roles in the development and maintenance of epithelial cells, including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Ctnnb1 is not only a component of intercellular junctions in the epithelium, it also functions as a transcriptional regulator in the Wnt signaling pathway. To identify which of its functional modalities is critically involved in mouse RPE development and maintenance, we varied Ctnnb1 gene content and activity in mouse RPE lineage cells and tested their impacts on mouse eye development. We found that a Ctnnb1 double mutant (Ctnnb1dm), which exhibits impaired transcriptional activity, could not replace Ctnnb1 in the RPE, whereas Ctnnb1Y654E, which has reduced affinity for the junctions, could do so. Expression of the constitutively active Ctnnb1∆ex3 mutant also suppressed the development of RPE, instead facilitating a ciliary cell fate. However, the post-mitotic or mature RPE was insensitive to the loss, inactivation, or constitutive activation of Ctnnb1. Collectively, our results suggest that Ctnnb1 should be maintained within an optimal range to specify RPE through transcriptional regulation of Wnt target genes in the optic neuroepithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Myeong Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and KAIST Stem Cell Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Kwang Wook Min
- Department of Biological Sciences and KAIST Stem Cell Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - You-Joung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and KAIST Stem Cell Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ron Smits
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jin Woo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and KAIST Stem Cell Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
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6
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Ramirez M, Robert R, Yeung J, Wu J, Abdalla-Wyse A, Goldowitz D. Identification and characterization of transcribed enhancers during cerebellar development through enhancer RNA analysis. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:351. [PMID: 37365500 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09368-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of the brain requires precise coordination of molecular processes across many cell-types. Underpinning these events are gene expression programs which require intricate regulation by non-coding regulatory sequences known as enhancers. In the context of the developing brain, transcribed enhancers (TEs) regulate temporally-specific expression of genes critical for cell identity and differentiation. Transcription of non-coding RNAs at active enhancer sequences, known as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), is tightly associated with enhancer activity and has been correlated with target gene expression. TEs have been characterized in a multitude of developing tissues, however their regulatory role has yet to be described in the context of embryonic and early postnatal brain development. In this study, eRNA transcription was analyzed to identify TEs active during cerebellar development, as a proxy for the developing brain. Cap Analysis of Gene Expression followed by sequencing (CAGE-seq) was conducted at 12 stages throughout embryonic and early postnatal cerebellar development. RESULTS Temporal analysis of eRNA transcription identified clusters of TEs that peak in activity during either embryonic or postnatal times, highlighting their importance for temporally specific developmental events. Functional analysis of putative target genes identified molecular mechanisms under TE regulation revealing that TEs regulate genes involved in biological processes specific to neurons. We validate enhancer activity using in situ hybridization of eRNA expression from TEs predicted to regulate Nfib, a gene critical for cerebellar granule cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS The results of this analysis provide a valuable dataset for the identification of cerebellar enhancers and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms critical for brain development under TE regulation. This dataset is shared with the community through an online resource ( https://goldowitzlab.shinyapps.io/trans-enh-app/ ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ramirez
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Remi Robert
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joanna Yeung
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joshua Wu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ayasha Abdalla-Wyse
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Goldowitz
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, V6H 3V5, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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7
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DeSantis DF, Neal SJ, Zhou Q, Pignoni F. Peripodial adherens junctions regulate Ajuba-Yorkie signaling to preserve fly eye morphology. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059579. [PMID: 36912729 PMCID: PMC10084860 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059579] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila eye develops from the larval eye disc, a flattened vesicle comprised of continuous retinal and peripodial epithelia (PE). The PE is an epithelium that plays a supporting role in retinal neurogenesis, but gives rise to cuticle in the adult. We report here that the PE is also necessary to preserve the morphology of the retinal epithelium. Depletion of the adherens junction (AJ) components β-Catenin (β-Cat), DE-Cadherin or α-Catenin from the PE leads to altered disc morphology, characterized by retinal displacement (RDis); so too does loss of the Ajuba protein Jub, an AJ-associated regulator of the transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki). Restoring AJs or overexpressing Yki in β-Cat deficient PE results in suppression of RDis. Additional suppressors of AJ-dependent RDis include knockdown of Rho kinase (Rok) and Dystrophin (Dys). Furthermore, knockdown of βPS integrin (Mys) from the PE results in RDis, while overexpression of Mys can suppress RDis induced by the loss of β-Cat. We thus propose that AJ-Jub-Yki signaling in PE cells regulates PE cell contractile properties and/or attachment to the extracellular matrix to promote normal eye disc morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana F. DeSantis
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Scott J. Neal
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Qingxiang Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Francesca Pignoni
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, NRB 4610, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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8
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Schäfer J, Wenck N, Janik K, Linnert J, Stingl K, Kohl S, Nagel-Wolfrum K, Wolfrum U. The Usher syndrome 1C protein harmonin regulates canonical Wnt signaling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1130058. [PMID: 36846582 PMCID: PMC9944737 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1130058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Human Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common form of hereditary combined deaf-blindness. USH is a complex genetic disorder, and the pathomechanisms underlying the disease are far from being understood, especially in the eye and retina. The USH1C gene encodes the scaffold protein harmonin which organizes protein networks due to binary interactions with other proteins, such as all USH proteins. Interestingly, only the retina and inner ear show a disease-related phenotype, although USH1C/harmonin is almost ubiquitously expressed in the human body and upregulated in colorectal cancer. We show that harmonin binds to β-catenin, the key effector of the canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling pathway. We also demonstrate the interaction of the scaffold protein USH1C/harmonin with the stabilized acetylated β-catenin, especially in nuclei. In HEK293T cells, overexpression of USH1C/harmonin significantly reduced cWnt signaling, but a USH1C-R31* mutated form did not. Concordantly, we observed an increase in cWnt signaling in dermal fibroblasts derived from an USH1C R31*/R80Pfs*69 patient compared with healthy donor cells. RNAseq analysis reveals that both the expression of genes related to the cWnt signaling pathway and cWnt target genes were significantly altered in USH1C patient-derived fibroblasts compared to healthy donor cells. Finally, we show that the altered cWnt signaling was reverted in USH1C patient fibroblast cells by the application of Ataluren, a small molecule suitable to induce translational read-through of nonsense mutations, hereby restoring some USH1C expression. Our results demonstrate a cWnt signaling phenotype in USH establishing USH1C/harmonin as a suppressor of the cWnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Schäfer
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicole Wenck
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina Janik
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Joshua Linnert
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katarina Stingl
- Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Kohl
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany,Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Uwe Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany,*Correspondence: Uwe Wolfrum,
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9
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Liu DX, Hao SL, Yang WX. Crosstalk Between β-CATENIN-Mediated Cell Adhesion and the WNT Signaling Pathway. DNA Cell Biol 2023; 42:1-13. [PMID: 36399409 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2022.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell adhesion and stable signaling regulation are fundamental ways of maintaining homeostasis. Among them, the Wnt/β-CATENIN signaling plays a key role in embryonic development and maintenance of body dynamic homeostasis. At the same time, the key signaling molecule β-CATENIN in the Wnt signaling can also function as a cytoskeletal linker protein to regulate tissue barriers, cell migration, and morphogenesis. Dysregulation of the balance between Wnt signaling and adherens junctions can lead to disease. How β-CATENIN maintains the independence of these two functions, or mediates the interaction and balance of these two functions, has been explored and debated for a long time. In this study, we will focus on five aspects of β-CATENIN chaperone molecules, phosphorylation of β-CATENIN and related proteins, epithelial mesenchymal transition, β-CATENIN homolog protein γ-CATENIN and disease, thus deepening the understanding of the Wnt/β-CATENIN signaling and the homeostasis between cell adhesion and further addressing related disease problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding-Xi Liu
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuang-Li Hao
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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10
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Maruyama T, Hasegawa D, Valenta T, Haigh J, Bouchard M, Basler K, Hsu W. GATA3 mediates nonclassical β-catenin signaling in skeletal cell fate determination and ectopic chondrogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd6172. [PMID: 36449606 PMCID: PMC9710881 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add6172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal precursors are mesenchymal in origin and can give rise to distinct sublineages. Their lineage commitment is modulated by various signaling pathways. The importance of Wnt signaling in skeletal lineage commitment has been implicated by the study of β-catenin-deficient mouse models. Ectopic chondrogenesis caused by the loss of β-catenin leads to a long-standing belief in canonical Wnt signaling that determines skeletal cell fate. As β-catenin has other functions, it remains unclear whether skeletogenic lineage commitment is solely orchestrated by canonical Wnt signaling. The study of the Wnt secretion regulator Gpr177/Wntless also raises concerns about current knowledge. Here, we show that skeletal cell fate is determined by β-catenin but independent of LEF/TCF transcription. Genomic and bioinformatic analyses further identify GATA3 as a mediator for the alternative signaling effects. GATA3 alone is sufficient to promote ectopic cartilage formation, demonstrating its essential role in mediating nonclassical β-catenin signaling in skeletogenic lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamitsu Maruyama
- Forsyth Institute, 245 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Daigaku Hasegawa
- Forsyth Institute, 245 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jody Haigh
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Maxime Bouchard
- Goodman Cancer Institute and Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Wei Hsu
- Forsyth Institute, 245 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Harvard University, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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11
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Parichha A, Datta D, Suresh V, Chatterjee M, Holtzman MJ, Tole S. Dentate gyrus morphogenesis is regulated by β-catenin function in hem-derived fimbrial glia. Development 2022; 149:277062. [PMID: 36196585 PMCID: PMC9720672 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The dentate gyrus, a gateway for input to the hippocampal formation, arises from progenitors in the medial telencephalic neuroepithelium adjacent to the cortical hem. Dentate progenitors navigate a complex migratory path guided by two cell populations that arise from the hem, the fimbrial glia and Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells. As the hem expresses multiple Wnt genes, we examined whether β-catenin, which mediates canonical Wnt signaling and also participates in cell adhesion, is necessary for the development of hem-derived lineages. We report that, in mice, the fimbrial glial scaffold is disorganized and CR cells are mispositioned upon hem-specific disruption of β-catenin. Consequently, the dentate migratory stream is severely affected, and the dentate gyrus fails to form. Using selective Cre drivers, we further determined that β-catenin function is required in the fimbrial glial scaffold, but not in the CR cells, for guiding the dentate migration. Our findings highlight a primary requirement for β-catenin for the organization of the fimbrial scaffold and a secondary role for this factor in dentate gyrus morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpan Parichha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005, India
| | - Debarpita Datta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005, India
| | - Varun Suresh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005, India
| | - Mallika Chatterjee
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neurosciences, Amity University, Noida, 201303, India
| | - Michael J. Holtzman
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shubha Tole
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005, India,Author for correspondence ()
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12
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Dong Y, Liu M, Mao Y, Wu S, Wen J, Lu J, Yang Y, Ruan S, Li L, Liu X, Zhang J, Liao S, Dong L. Discovery of 2-(isoxazol-5-yl)phenyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate as a potential inhibitor for the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Bioorg Chem 2022; 128:106116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Liu Z, Chen T, Zhang S, Yang T, Gong Y, Deng HW, Bai D, Tian W, Chen Y. Discovery and functional assessment of a novel adipocyte population driven by intracellular Wnt/β-catenin signaling in mammals. eLife 2022; 11:77740. [PMID: 35503096 PMCID: PMC9064292 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been well established as a potent inhibitor of adipogenesis. Here, we identified a population of adipocytes that exhibit persistent activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, as revealed by the Tcf/Lef-GFP reporter allele, in embryonic and adult mouse fat depots, named as Wnt+ adipocytes. We showed that this β-catenin-mediated signaling activation in these cells is Wnt ligand- and receptor-independent but relies on AKT/mTOR pathway and is essential for cell survival. Such adipocytes are distinct from classical ones in transcriptomic and genomic signatures and can be induced from various sources of mesenchymal stromal cells including human cells. Genetic lineage-tracing and targeted cell ablation studies revealed that these adipocytes convert into beige adipocytes directly and are also required for beige fat recruitment under thermal challenge, demonstrating both cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous roles in adaptive thermogenesis. Furthermore, mice bearing targeted ablation of these adipocytes exhibited glucose intolerance, while mice receiving exogenously supplied such cells manifested enhanced glucose utilization. Our studies uncover a unique adipocyte population in regulating beiging in adipose tissues and systemic glucose homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Liu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tian Chen
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sicheng Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianfang Yang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
| | - Yun Gong
- Tulane Center of Biomedical Informatics and Genomic, Deming Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
| | - Hong-Wen Deng
- Tulane Center of Biomedical Informatics and Genomic, Deming Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
| | - Ding Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weidong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - YiPing Chen
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
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14
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Endometrial epithelial cells-derived exosomes deliver microRNA-30c to block the BCL9/Wnt/CD44 signaling and inhibit cell invasion and migration in ovarian endometriosis. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:151. [PMID: 35368023 PMCID: PMC8976844 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-00941-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis (EMs) is a benign gynecological disorder showing some tumor-like migratory and invasive phenotypes. This study intended to investigate the role of microRNA-30c (miR-30c) in EMs, which is involved with B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9), an activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. EMs specimens were clinically collected for determination of miR-30c and BCL9 expression. Exosomes were isolated from endometrial epithelial cells (EECs), and the uptake of exosomes by ectopic EECs (ecto-EECs) was characterized using fluorescence staining and confocal microscopy. The binding of miR-30c to BCL9 was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Artificial modulation (up- and down-regulation) of the miR-30c/BCL9/Wnt/CD44 regulatory cascade was performed to evaluate its effect on ecto-EEC invasion and migration, as detected by Transwell and wound healing assays. A mouse model of EMs was further established for in vivo substantiation. Reduced miR-30c expression and elevated BCL9 expression was revealed in EMs ectopic tissues and ecto-EECs. Normal EECs-derived exosomes delivered miR-30c to ecto-EECs to suppress their invasive and migratory potentials. Then, miR-30c was observed to inhibit biological behaviors of ecto-EECs by targeting BCL9, and the miR-30c-induced inhibitory effect was reversed by BCL9 overexpression. Further, miR-30c diminished the invasion and migration of ecto-EECs by blocking the BCL9/Wnt/CD44 axis. Moreover, miR-30c-loaded exosomes attenuated the metastasis of ecto-EEC ectopic nodules. miR-30c delivered by EECs-derived exosomes repressed BCL9 expression to block the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thus attenuating the tumor-like behaviors of ecto-EECs in EMs.
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15
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Constitutive activation of canonical Wnt signaling disrupts choroid plexus epithelial fate. Nat Commun 2022; 13:633. [PMID: 35110543 PMCID: PMC8810795 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27602-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The choroid plexus secretes cerebrospinal fluid and is critical for the development and function of the brain. In the telencephalon, the choroid plexus epithelium arises from the Wnt- expressing cortical hem. Canonical Wnt signaling pathway molecules such as nuclear β-CATENIN are expressed in the mouse and human embryonic choroid plexus epithelium indicating that this pathway is active. Point mutations in human β-CATENIN are known to result in the constitutive activation of canonical Wnt signaling. In a mouse model that recapitulates this perturbation, we report a loss of choroid plexus epithelial identity and an apparent transformation of this tissue to a neuronal identity. Aspects of this phenomenon are recapitulated in human embryonic stem cell derived organoids. The choroid plexus is also disrupted when β-Catenin is conditionally inactivated. Together, our results indicate that canonical Wnt signaling is required in a precise and regulated manner for normal choroid plexus development in the mammalian brain.
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16
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Ambrosi G, Voloshanenko O, Eckert AF, Kranz D, Nienhaus GU, Boutros M. Allele-specific endogenous tagging and quantitative analysis of β-catenin in colorectal cancer cells. eLife 2022; 11:64498. [PMID: 35014953 PMCID: PMC8752093 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling plays important roles in development, homeostasis, and tumorigenesis. Mutations in β-catenin that activate Wnt signaling have been found in colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas. However, the dynamics of wild-type and mutant forms of β-catenin are not fully understood. Here, we genome-engineered fluorescently tagged alleles of endogenous β-catenin in a colorectal cancer cell line. Wild-type and oncogenic mutant alleles were tagged with different fluorescent proteins, enabling the analysis of both variants in the same cell. We analyzed the properties of both β-catenin alleles using immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy approaches, revealing distinctly different biophysical properties. In addition, activation of Wnt signaling by treatment with a GSK3β inhibitor or a truncating APC mutation modulated the wild-type allele to mimic the properties of the mutant β-catenin allele. The one-step tagging strategy demonstrates how genome engineering can be employed for the parallel functional analysis of different genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ambrosi
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oksana Voloshanenko
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonia F Eckert
- Institute of Applied Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Dominique Kranz
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - G Ulrich Nienhaus
- Institute of Applied Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Michael Boutros
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Wolff LI, Houben A, Fabritius C, Angus-Hill M, Basler K, Hartmann C. Only the Co-Transcriptional Activity of β-Catenin Is Required for the Local Regulatory Effects in Hypertrophic Chondrocytes on Developmental Bone Modeling. J Bone Miner Res 2021; 36:2039-2052. [PMID: 34155688 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In hypertrophic chondrocytes, β-catenin has two roles. First, it locally suppresses the differentiation of osteoclasts at the chondro-osseous junction by maintaining the pro-osteoclastic factor receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) at low levels. Second, it promotes the differentiation of osteoblast-precursors from chondrocytes. Yet, β-catenin is a dual-function protein, which can either participate in cell-cell adherens junctions or serve as a transcriptional co-activator in canonical Wnt signaling interacting with T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factors. Hence, whenever studying tissue-specific requirements of β-catenin using a conventional conditional knockout approach, the functional mechanisms underlying the defects in the conditional mutants remain ambiguous. To decipher mechanistically which of the two molecular functions of β-catenin is required in hypertrophic chondrocytes, we used different approaches. We analyzed the long bones of newborn mice carrying either the null-alleles of Lef1 or Tcf7, or mice in which Tcf7l2 was conditionally deleted in the hypertrophic chondrocytes, as well as double mutants for Lef1 and Tcf7l2, and Tcf7 and Tcf7l2. Furthermore, we analyzed Ctnnb1 mutant newborns expressing a signaling-defective allele that retains the cell adhesion function in hypertrophic chondrocytes. None of the analyzed Tcf/Lef single or double mutants recapitulated the previously published phenotype upon loss of β-catenin in hypertrophic chondrocytes. However, using this particular Ctnnb1 allele, maintaining cell adhesion function, we show that it is the co-transcriptional activity of β-catenin, which is required in hypertrophic chondrocytes to suppress osteoclastogenesis and to promote chondrocyte-derived osteoblast differentiation. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena I Wolff
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Department of Bone and Skeletal Research, Medical Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Astrid Houben
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Department of Bone and Skeletal Research, Medical Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Christine Fabritius
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Department of Bone and Skeletal Research, Medical Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Hartmann
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Department of Bone and Skeletal Research, Medical Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
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18
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Vafaizadeh V, Buechel D, Rubinstein N, Kalathur RKR, Bazzani L, Saxena M, Valenta T, Hausmann G, Cantù C, Basler K, Christofori G. The interactions of Bcl9/Bcl9L with β-catenin and Pygopus promote breast cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis. Oncogene 2021; 40:6195-6209. [PMID: 34545187 PMCID: PMC8553620 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an established regulator of cellular state and its critical contributions to tumor initiation, malignant tumor progression and metastasis formation have been demonstrated in various cancer types. Here, we investigated how the binding of β-catenin to the transcriptional coactivators B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (Bcl9) and Bcl9-Like (Bcl9L) affected mammary gland carcinogenesis in the MMTV-PyMT transgenic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer. Conditional knockout of both Bcl9 and Bcl9L resulted into tumor cell death. In contrast, disrupting the interaction of Bcl9/Bcl9L with β-catenin, either by deletion of their HD2 domains or by a point mutation in the N-terminal domain of β-catenin (D164A), diminished primary tumor growth and tumor cell proliferation and reduced tumor cell invasion and lung metastasis. In comparison, the disruption of HD1 domain-mediated binding of Bcl9/Bcl9L to Pygopus had only moderate effects. Interestingly, interfering with the β-catenin-Bcl9/Bcl9L-Pygo chain of adapters only partially impaired the transcriptional response of mammary tumor cells to Wnt3a and TGFβ treatments. Together, the results indicate that Bcl9/Bcl9L modulate but are not critically required for canonical Wnt signaling in its contribution to breast cancer growth and malignant progression, a notion consistent with the “just-right” hypothesis of Wnt-driven tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vida Vafaizadeh
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - David Buechel
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Rubinstein
- Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ravi K R Kalathur
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lorenzo Bazzani
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Meera Saxena
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - George Hausmann
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Cantù
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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19
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Parsing β-catenin's cell adhesion and Wnt signaling functions in malignant mammary tumor progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020227118. [PMID: 34408016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020227118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During malignant progression, epithelial cancer cells dissolve their cell-cell adhesion and gain invasive features. By virtue of its dual function, β-catenin contributes to cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion, and it determines the transcriptional output of Wnt signaling: via its N terminus, it recruits the signaling coactivators Bcl9 and Pygopus, and via the C terminus, it interacts with the general transcriptional machinery. This duality confounds the simple loss-of-function analysis of Wnt signaling in cancer progression. In many cancer types including breast cancer, the functional contribution of β-catenin's transcriptional activities, as compared to its adhesion functions, to tumor progression has remained elusive. Employing the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-PyMT mouse model of metastatic breast cancer, we compared the complete elimination of β-catenin with the specific ablation of its signaling outputs in mammary tumor cells. Notably, the complete lack of β-catenin resulted in massive apoptosis of mammary tumor cells. In contrast, the loss of β-catenin's transcriptional activity resulted in a reduction of primary tumor growth, tumor invasion, and metastasis formation in vivo. These phenotypic changes were reflected by stalled cell cycle progression and diminished epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration of breast cancer cells in vitro. Transcriptome analysis revealed subsets of genes which were specifically regulated by β-catenin's transcriptional activities upon stimulation with Wnt3a or during TGF-β-induced EMT. Our results uncouple the signaling from the adhesion function of β-catenin and underline the importance of Wnt/β-catenin-dependent transcription in malignant tumor progression of breast cancer.
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20
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Herrera A, Menendez A, Torroba B, Ochoa A, Pons S. Dbnl and β-catenin promote pro-N-cadherin processing to maintain apico-basal polarity. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212044. [PMID: 33939796 PMCID: PMC8097490 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202007055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural tube forms when neural stem cells arrange into a pseudostratified, single-cell–layered epithelium, with a marked apico-basal polarity, and in which adherens junctions (AJs) concentrate in the subapical domain. We previously reported that sustained β-catenin expression promotes the formation of enlarged apical complexes (ACs), enhancing apico-basal polarity, although the mechanism through which this occurs remained unclear. Here, we show that β-catenin interacts with phosphorylated pro-N-cadherin early in its transit through the Golgi apparatus, promoting propeptide excision and the final maturation of N-cadherin. We describe a new β-catenin–dependent interaction of N-cadherin with Drebrin-like (Dbnl), an actin-binding protein that is involved in anterograde Golgi trafficking of proteins. Notably, Dbnl knockdown led to pro-N-cadherin accumulation and limited AJ formation. In brief, we demonstrate that Dbnl and β-catenin assist in the maturation of pro-N-cadherin, which is critical for AJ formation and for the recruitment AC components like aPKC and, consequently, for the maintenance of apico-basal polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Herrera
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anghara Menendez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blanca Torroba
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Ochoa
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sebastián Pons
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Borrelli C, Valenta T, Handler K, Vélez K, Gurtner A, Moro G, Lafzi A, Roditi LDV, Hausmann G, Arnold IC, Moor AE, Basler K. Differential regulation of β-catenin-mediated transcription via N- and C-terminal co-factors governs identity of murine intestinal epithelial stem cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1368. [PMID: 33649334 PMCID: PMC7921392 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeostasis of the gut epithelium relies upon continuous renewal and proliferation of crypt-resident intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs). Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for IESC maintenance, however, it remains unclear how this pathway selectively governs the identity and proliferative decisions of IESCs. Here, we took advantage of knock-in mice harboring transgenic β-catenin alleles with mutations that specifically impair the recruitment of N- or C-terminal transcriptional co-factors. We show that C-terminally-recruited transcriptional co-factors of β-catenin act as all-or-nothing regulators of Wnt-target gene expression. Blocking their interactions with β-catenin rapidly induces loss of IESCs and intestinal homeostasis. Conversely, N-terminally recruited co-factors fine-tune β-catenin's transcriptional output to ensure proper self-renewal and proliferative behaviour of IESCs. Impairment of N-terminal interactions triggers transient hyperproliferation of IESCs, eventually resulting in exhaustion of the self-renewing stem cell pool. IESC mis-differentiation, accompanied by unfolded protein response stress and immune infiltration, results in a process resembling aberrant "villisation" of intestinal crypts. Our data suggest that IESC-specific Wnt/β-catenin output requires selective modulation of gene expression by transcriptional co-factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Borrelli
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i., Prague, 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Kristina Handler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karelia Vélez
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Gurtner
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Moro
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Atefeh Lafzi
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - George Hausmann
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle C Arnold
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas E Moor
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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22
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Sinha A, Fan VB, Ramakrishnan AB, Engelhardt N, Kennell J, Cadigan KM. Repression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by SOX9 and Mastermind-like transcriptional coactivator 2. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/8/eabe0849. [PMID: 33597243 PMCID: PMC7888933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling requires inhibition of a multiprotein destruction complex that targets β-catenin for proteasomal degradation. SOX9 is a potent antagonist of the Wnt pathway and has been proposed to act through direct binding to β-catenin or the β-catenin destruction complex. Here, we demonstrate that SOX9 promotes turnover of β-catenin in mammalian cell culture, but this occurs independently of the destruction complex and the proteasome. This activity requires SOX9's ability to activate transcription. Transcriptome analysis revealed that SOX9 induces the expression of the Notch coactivator Mastermind-like transcriptional activator 2 (MAML2), which is required for SOX9-dependent Wnt/β-catenin antagonism. MAML2 promotes β-catenin turnover independently of Notch signaling, and MAML2 appears to associate directly with β-catenin in an in vitro binding assay. This work defines a previously unidentified pathway that promotes β-catenin degradation, acting in parallel to established mechanisms. SOX9 uses this pathway to restrict Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Sinha
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Vinson B Fan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Aravinda-Bharathi Ramakrishnan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nicole Engelhardt
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Jennifer Kennell
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Ken M Cadigan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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23
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van der Wal T, van Amerongen R. Walking the tight wire between cell adhesion and WNT signalling: a balancing act for β-catenin. Open Biol 2020; 10:200267. [PMID: 33292105 PMCID: PMC7776579 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CTNNB1 (catenin β-1, also known as β-catenin) plays a dual role in the cell. It is the key effector of WNT/CTNNB1 signalling, acting as a transcriptional co-activator of TCF/LEF target genes. It is also crucial for cell adhesion and a critical component of cadherin-based adherens junctions. Two functional pools of CTNNB1, a transcriptionally active and an adhesive pool, can therefore be distinguished. Whether cells merely balance the distribution of available CTNNB1 between these functional pools or whether interplay occurs between them has long been studied and debated. While interplay has been indicated upon artificial modulation of cadherin expression levels and during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, it is unclear to what extent CTNNB1 exchange occurs under physiological conditions and in response to WNT stimulation. Here, we review the available evidence for both of these models, discuss how CTNNB1 binding to its many interaction partners is controlled and propose avenues for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renée van Amerongen
- Developmental, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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24
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Söderholm S, Cantù C. The WNT/β‐catenin dependent transcription: A tissue‐specific business. WIREs Mech Dis 2020; 13:e1511. [PMID: 33085215 PMCID: PMC9285942 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
β‐catenin‐mediated Wnt signaling is an ancient cell‐communication pathway in which β‐catenin drives the expression of certain genes as a consequence of the trigger given by extracellular WNT molecules. The events occurring from signal to transcription are evolutionarily conserved, and their final output orchestrates countless processes during embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Importantly, a dysfunctional Wnt/β‐catenin pathway causes developmental malformations, and its aberrant activation is the root of several types of cancer. A rich literature describes the multitude of nuclear players that cooperate with β‐catenin to generate a transcriptional program. However, a unified theory of how β‐catenin drives target gene expression is still missing. We will discuss two types of β‐catenin interactors: transcription factors that allow β‐catenin to localize at target regions on the DNA, and transcriptional co‐factors that ultimately activate gene expression. In contrast to the presumed universality of β‐catenin's action, the ensemble of available evidence suggests a view in which β‐catenin drives a complex system of responses in different cells and tissues. A malleable armamentarium of players might interact with β‐catenin in order to activate the right “canonical” targets in each tissue, developmental stage, or disease context. Discovering the mechanism by which each tissue‐specific β‐catenin response is executed will be crucial to comprehend how a seemingly universal pathway fosters a wide spectrum of processes during development and homeostasis. Perhaps more importantly, this could ultimately inform us about which are the tumor‐specific components that need to be targeted to dampen the activity of oncogenic β‐catenin. This article is categorized under:Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Cancer > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Cancer > Stem Cells and Development
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Söderholm
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine Linköping University Linköping Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Health Science Linköping University Linköping Sweden
| | - Claudio Cantù
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine Linköping University Linköping Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Health Science Linköping University Linköping Sweden
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25
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Bisso A, Filipuzzi M, Gamarra Figueroa GP, Brumana G, Biagioni F, Doni M, Ceccotti G, Tanaskovic N, Morelli MJ, Pendino V, Chiacchiera F, Pasini D, Olivero D, Campaner S, Sabò A, Amati B. Cooperation Between MYC and β-Catenin in Liver Tumorigenesis Requires Yap/Taz. Hepatology 2020; 72:1430-1443. [PMID: 31965581 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Activation of MYC and catenin beta-1 (CTNNB1, encoding β-catenin) can co-occur in liver cancer, but how these oncogenes cooperate in tumorigenesis remains unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS We generated a mouse model allowing conditional activation of MYC and WNT/β-catenin signaling (through either β-catenin activation or loss of APC - adenomatous polyposis coli) upon expression of CRE recombinase in the liver and monitored their effects on hepatocyte proliferation, apoptosis, gene expression profiles, and tumorigenesis. Activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling strongly accelerated MYC-driven carcinogenesis in the liver. Both pathways also cooperated in promoting cellular transformation in vitro, demonstrating their cell-autonomous action. Short-term induction of MYC and β-catenin in hepatocytes, followed by RNA-sequencing profiling, allowed the identification of a "Myc/β-catenin signature," composed of a discrete set of Myc-activated genes whose expression increased in the presence of active β-catenin. Notably, this signature enriched for targets of Yes-associated protein (Yap) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (Taz), two transcriptional coactivators known to be activated by WNT/β-catenin signaling and to cooperate with MYC in mitogenic activation and liver transformation. Consistent with these regulatory connections, Yap/Taz accumulated upon Myc/β-catenin activation and were required not only for the ensuing proliferative response, but also for tumor cell growth and survival. Finally, the Myc/β-catenin signature was enriched in a subset of human hepatocellular carcinomas characterized by comparatively poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Myc and β-catenin show a strong cooperative action in liver carcinogenesis, with Yap and Taz serving as mediators of this effect. These findings warrant efforts toward therapeutic targeting of Yap/Taz in aggressive liver tumors marked by elevated Myc/β-catenin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bisso
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Giulia Brumana
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Biagioni
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Doni
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Marco Jacopo Morelli
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Vera Pendino
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Fulvio Chiacchiera
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Diego Pasini
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Campaner
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Sabò
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Bruno Amati
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO)-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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26
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Fathi Maroufi N, Hasegawa K, Vahedian V, Nazari Soltan Ahmad S, Zarebkohan A, Miresmaeili Mazrakhondi SA, Hosseini V, Rahbarghazi R. A glimpse into molecular mechanisms of embryonic stem cells pluripotency: Current status and future perspective. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:6377-6392. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nazila Fathi Maroufi
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine InstituteTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
- Student Research CommitteeTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of MedicineTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
| | - Kouichi Hasegawa
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced StudyKyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Vahid Vahedian
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of MedicineIslamic Azad University Sari Iran
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine DepartmentRofeydeh Hospital University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science Tehran Iran
| | - Saeed Nazari Soltan Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of MedicineTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
| | - Amir Zarebkohan
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical SciencesTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
| | | | - Vahid Hosseini
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of MedicineTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
- Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research CenterTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
| | - Reza Rahbarghazi
- Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research CenterTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical SciencesTabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
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27
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Poncet N, Halley PA, Lipina C, Gierliński M, Dady A, Singer GA, Febrer M, Shi Y, Yamaguchi TP, Taylor PM, Storey KG. Wnt regulates amino acid transporter Slc7a5 and so constrains the integrated stress response in mouse embryos. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e48469. [PMID: 31789450 PMCID: PMC6944906 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Amino acids are essential for cellular metabolism, and it is important to understand how nutrient supply is coordinated with changing energy requirements during embryogenesis. Here, we show that the amino acid transporter Slc7a5/Lat1 is highly expressed in tissues undergoing morphogenesis and that Slc7a5-null mouse embryos have profound neural and limb bud outgrowth defects. Slc7a5-null neural tissue exhibited aberrant mTORC1 activity and cell proliferation; transcriptomics, protein phosphorylation and apoptosis analyses further indicated induction of the integrated stress response as a potential cause of observed defects. The pattern of stress response gene expression induced in Slc7a5-null embryos was also detected at low level in wild-type embryos and identified stress vulnerability specifically in tissues undergoing morphogenesis. The Slc7a5-null phenotype is reminiscent of Wnt pathway mutants, and we show that Wnt/β-catenin loss inhibits Slc7a5 expression and induces this stress response. Wnt signalling therefore normally supports the metabolic demands of morphogenesis and constrains cellular stress. Moreover, operation in the embryo of the integrated stress response, which is triggered by pathogen-mediated as well as metabolic stress, may provide a mechanistic explanation for a range of developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Poncet
- Division of Cell & Developmental BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
- Present address:
Institute of PhysiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Pamela A Halley
- Division of Cell & Developmental BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Christopher Lipina
- Division of Cell Signalling and ImmunologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Marek Gierliński
- Division of Computational BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Alwyn Dady
- Division of Cell & Developmental BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Gail A Singer
- Division of Cell & Developmental BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Melanie Febrer
- Sequencing FacilitySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
- Present address:
Illumina CanadaVictoriaBCCanada
| | - Yun‐Bo Shi
- Section on Molecular MorphogenesisNICHD, NIHBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Terry P Yamaguchi
- Cancer and Developmental Biology LaboratoryCenter for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute‐Frederick, NIHFrederickMDUSA
| | - Peter M Taylor
- Division of Cell Signalling and ImmunologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Kate G Storey
- Division of Cell & Developmental BiologySchool of Life SciencesUniversity of DundeeDundeeUK
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28
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Jiang M, Kang Y, Sewastianik T, Wang J, Tanton H, Alder K, Dennis P, Xin Y, Wang Z, Liu R, Zhang M, Huang Y, Loda M, Srivastava A, Chen R, Liu M, Carrasco RD. BCL9 provides multi-cellular communication properties in colorectal cancer by interacting with paraspeckle proteins. Nat Commun 2020; 11:19. [PMID: 31911584 PMCID: PMC6946813 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13842-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, which despite recent advances in treatment, remains incurable due to molecular heterogeneity of tumor cells. The B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) oncogene functions as a transcriptional co-activator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which plays critical roles in CRC pathogenesis. Here we have identified a β-catenin-independent function of BCL9 in a poor-prognosis subtype of CRC tumors characterized by expression of stromal and neural associated genes. In response to spontaneous calcium transients or cellular stress, BCL9 is recruited adjacent to the interchromosomal regions, where it stabilizes the mRNA of calcium signaling and neural associated genes by interacting with paraspeckle proteins. BCL9 subsequently promotes tumor progression and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment (TME) by sustaining the calcium transients and neurotransmitter-dependent communication among CRC cells. These data provide additional insights into the role of BCL9 in tumor pathogenesis and point towards additional avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Jiang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of General Surgery, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yue Kang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Tomasz Sewastianik
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, 02776, Poland
| | - Jiao Wang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Helen Tanton
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Keith Alder
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Peter Dennis
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yu Xin
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zhongqiu Wang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Depatment of Radiation Oncology and Cyberknife Center, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Ruiyang Liu
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mengyun Zhang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Massimo Loda
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Amitabh Srivastava
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Ruben D Carrasco
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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29
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β-Catenin is required for radial cell patterning and identity in the developing mouse cochlea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:21054-21060. [PMID: 31570588 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910223116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of multicellular organs requires the coordination of cell differentiation and patterning. Critical for sound detection, the mammalian organ of Corti contains functional units arranged tonotopically along the cochlear turns. Each unit consists of sensory hair cells intercalated by nonsensory supporting cells, both specified and radially patterned with exquisite precision during embryonic development. However, how cell identity and radial patterning are jointly controlled is poorly understood. Here we show that β-catenin is required for specification of hair cell and supporting cell subtypes and radial patterning of the cochlea in vivo. In 2 mouse models of conditional β-catenin deletion, early specification of Myosin7-expressing hair cells and Prox1-positive supporting cells was preserved. While β-catenin-deficient cochleae expressed FGF8 and FGFR3, both of which are essential for pillar cell specification, the radial patterning of organ of Corti was disrupted, revealed by aberrant expression of cadherins and the pillar cell markers P75 and Lgr6. Moreover, β-catenin ablation caused duplication of FGF8-positive inner hair cells and reduction of outer hair cells without affecting the overall hair cell density. In contrast, in another transgenic model with suppressed transcriptional activity of β-catenin but preserved cell adhesion function, both specification and radial patterning of the organ of Corti were intact. Our study reveals specific functions of β-catenin in governing cell identity and patterning mediated through cell adhesion in the developing cochlea.
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30
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Bonnefont J, Tiberi L, van den Ameele J, Potier D, Gaber ZB, Lin X, Bilheu A, Herpoel A, Velez Bravo FD, Guillemot F, Aerts S, Vanderhaeghen P. Cortical Neurogenesis Requires Bcl6-Mediated Transcriptional Repression of Multiple Self-Renewal-Promoting Extrinsic Pathways. Neuron 2019; 103:1096-1108.e4. [PMID: 31353074 PMCID: PMC6859502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During neurogenesis, progenitors switch from self-renewal to differentiation through the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic cues, but how these are integrated remains poorly understood. Here, we combine whole-genome transcriptional and epigenetic analyses with in vivo functional studies to demonstrate that Bcl6, a transcriptional repressor previously reported to promote cortical neurogenesis, acts as a driver of the neurogenic transition through direct silencing of a selective repertoire of genes belonging to multiple extrinsic pathways promoting self-renewal, most strikingly the Wnt pathway. At the molecular level, Bcl6 represses its targets through Sirt1 recruitment followed by histone deacetylation. Our data identify a molecular logic by which a single cell-intrinsic factor represses multiple extrinsic pathways that favor self-renewal, thereby ensuring robustness of neuronal fate transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Bonnefont
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luca Tiberi
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jelle van den Ameele
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Delphine Potier
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Xionghui Lin
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Angéline Bilheu
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Adèle Herpoel
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fausto D Velez Bravo
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Stein Aerts
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Welbio, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
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31
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Martowicz A, Trusohamn M, Jensen N, Wisniewska-Kruk J, Corada M, Ning FC, Kele J, Dejana E, Nyqvist D. Endothelial β-Catenin Signaling Supports Postnatal Brain and Retinal Angiogenesis by Promoting Sprouting, Tip Cell Formation, and VEGFR (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor) 2 Expression. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019; 39:2273-2288. [PMID: 31533473 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.119.312749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Activation of endothelial β-catenin signaling by neural cell-derived Norrin or Wnt ligands is vital for the vascularization of the retina and brain. Mutations in members of the Norrin/β-catenin pathway contribute to inherited blinding disorders because of defective vascular development and dysfunctional blood-retina barrier. Despite a vital role for endothelial β-catenin signaling in central nervous system health and disease, its contribution to central nervous system angiogenesis and its interactions with downstream signaling cascades remains incompletely understood. Approach and Results: Here, using genetically modified mouse models, we show that impaired endothelial β-catenin signaling caused hypovascularization of the postnatal retina and brain because of deficient endothelial cell proliferation and sprouting. Mosaic genetic analysis demonstrated that endothelial β-catenin promotes but is not required for tip cell formation. In addition, pharmacological treatment revealed that angiogenesis under conditions of inhibited Notch signaling depends upon endothelial β-catenin. Importantly, impaired endothelial β-catenin signaling abrogated the expression of the VEGFR (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor)-2 and VEGFR3 in brain microvessels but not in the lung endothelium. CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies molecular crosstalk between the Wnt/β-catenin and the Notch and VEGF-A signaling pathways and strongly suggest that endothelial β-catenin signaling supports central nervous system angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cell sprouting, tip cell formation, and VEGF-A/VEGFR2 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Martowicz
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marta Trusohamn
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina Jensen
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joanna Wisniewska-Kruk
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Monica Corada
- IFOM-The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy (M.C., E.D.)
| | - Frank Chenfei Ning
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julianna Kele
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (J.K.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisabetta Dejana
- IFOM-The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy (M.C., E.D.).,Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, University of Uppsala, Sweden (E.D.)
| | - Daniel Nyqvist
- From the Division of Vascular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (A.M., M.T., N.J., J.W.-K., F.C.N., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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32
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Duval N, Vaslin C, Barata TC, Frarma Y, Contremoulins V, Baudin X, Nedelec S, Ribes VC. BMP4 patterns Smad activity and generates stereotyped cell fate organization in spinal organoids. Development 2019; 146:dev.175430. [PMID: 31239243 DOI: 10.1242/dev.175430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are secreted regulators of cell fate in several developing tissues. In the embryonic spinal cord, they control the emergence of the neural crest, roof plate and distinct subsets of dorsal interneurons. Although a gradient of BMP activity has been proposed to determine cell type identity in vivo, whether this is sufficient for pattern formation in vitro is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that exposure to BMP4 initiates distinct spatial dynamics of BMP signalling within the self-emerging epithelia of both mouse and human pluripotent stem cell-derived spinal organoids. The pattern of BMP signalling results in the stereotyped spatial arrangement of dorsal neural tube cell types, and concentration, timing and duration of BMP4 exposure modulate these patterns. Moreover, differences in the duration of competence time-windows between mouse and human account for the species-specific tempo of neural differentiation. Together, this study describes efficient methods for generating patterned subsets of dorsal interneurons in spinal organoids and supports the conclusion that graded BMP activity orchestrates the spatial organization of the dorsal neural tube cellular diversity in mouse and human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Duval
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France.,Institut Pasteur, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS URA 2578, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Célia Vaslin
- Inserm, UMR-S 1270, 75005 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, Science and Engineering Faculty, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Tiago C Barata
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Youcef Frarma
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Vincent Contremoulins
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Xavier Baudin
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France.,ImagoSeine core facility of Institut Jacques Monod and member of France-BioImaging
| | - Stéphane Nedelec
- Inserm, UMR-S 1270, 75005 Paris, France .,Sorbonne Université, Science and Engineering Faculty, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vanessa C Ribes
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
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Jensen LD, Hot B, Ramsköld D, Germano RFV, Yokota C, Giatrellis S, Lauschke VM, Hubmacher D, Li MX, Hupe M, Arnold TD, Sandberg R, Frisén J, Trusohamn M, Martowicz A, Wisniewska-Kruk J, Nyqvist D, Adams RH, Apte SS, Vanhollebeke B, Stenman JM, Kele J. Disruption of the Extracellular Matrix Progressively Impairs Central Nervous System Vascular Maturation Downstream of β-Catenin Signaling. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019; 39:1432-1447. [PMID: 31242033 PMCID: PMC6597191 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.119.312388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objective— The Wnt/β-catenin pathway orchestrates development of the blood-brain barrier, but the downstream mechanisms involved at different developmental windows and in different central nervous system (CNS) tissues have remained elusive. Approach and Results— Here, we create a new mouse model allowing spatiotemporal investigations of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by induced overexpression of Axin1, an inhibitor of β-catenin signaling, specifically in endothelial cells (Axin1iEC−OE). AOE (Axin1 overexpression) in Axin1iEC−OE mice at stages following the initial vascular invasion of the CNS did not impair angiogenesis but led to premature vascular regression followed by progressive dilation and inhibition of vascular maturation resulting in forebrain-specific hemorrhage 4 days post-AOE. Analysis of the temporal Wnt/β-catenin driven CNS vascular development in zebrafish also suggested that Axin1iEC−OE led to CNS vascular regression and impaired maturation but not inhibition of ongoing angiogenesis within the CNS. Transcriptomic profiling of isolated, β-catenin signaling-deficient endothelial cells during early blood-brain barrier–development (E11.5) revealed ECM (extracellular matrix) proteins as one of the most severely deregulated clusters. Among the 20 genes constituting the forebrain endothelial cell-specific response signature, 8 (Adamtsl2, Apod, Ctsw, Htra3, Pglyrp1, Spock2, Ttyh2, and Wfdc1) encoded bona fide ECM proteins. This specific β-catenin-responsive ECM signature was also repressed in Axin1iEC−OE and endothelial cell-specific β-catenin–knockout mice (Ctnnb1-KOiEC) during initial blood-brain barrier maturation (E14.5), consistent with an important role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in orchestrating the development of the forebrain vascular ECM. Conclusions— These results suggest a novel mechanism of establishing a CNS endothelium-specific ECM signature downstream of Wnt-β-catenin that impact spatiotemporally on blood-brain barrier differentiation during forebrain vessel development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse D Jensen
- From the Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden (L.D.J.)
| | - Belma Hot
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (B.H., V.M.L., J.K.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.)
| | - Daniel Ramsköld
- Department of Medicine, Solna (D.R.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (D.R., S.G., R.S., J.F.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.)
| | - Raoul F V Germano
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium (R.F.V.G., B.V.)
| | - Chika Yokota
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.).,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden (C.Y.)
| | - Sarantis Giatrellis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (D.R., S.G., R.S., J.F.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Volker M Lauschke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (B.H., V.M.L., J.K.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dirk Hubmacher
- Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY (D.H.)
| | - Minerva X Li
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.).,Department of Clinical Sciences, Lunds Universitet, Sweden (M.X.L.)
| | - Mike Hupe
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.).,Developmental Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute (Biocenter), University of Wuerzburg, Germany (M.H.)
| | - Thomas D Arnold
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco (T.D.A.)
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (D.R., S.G., R.S., J.F.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.)
| | - Jonas Frisén
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (D.R., S.G., R.S., J.F.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marta Trusohamn
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (M.T., A.M., J.W.-K., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agnieszka Martowicz
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (M.T., A.M., J.W.-K., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joanna Wisniewska-Kruk
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (M.T., A.M., J.W.-K., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Nyqvist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (M.T., A.M., J.W.-K., D.N.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ralf H Adams
- Department of Tissue Morphogenesis Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, University of Münster, Faculty of Medicine, Germany (R.H.A.)
| | - Suneel S Apte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation (S.S.A.)
| | - Benoit Vanhollebeke
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Department of Molecular Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium (R.F.V.G., B.V.).,Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Belgium (B.V.)
| | - Jan M Stenman
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.)
| | - Julianna Kele
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (B.H., V.M.L., J.K.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd, Stockholm, Sweden (B.H., D.R., C.Y., M.X.L., M.H., R.S., J.M.S., J.K.)
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34
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Hou Z, Wu Q, Sun X, Chen H, Li Y, Zhang Y, Mori M, Yang Y, Que J, Jiang M. Wnt/Fgf crosstalk is required for the specification of basal cells in the mouse trachea. Development 2019; 146:dev.171496. [PMID: 30696710 PMCID: PMC6382003 DOI: 10.1242/dev.171496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Basal progenitor cells are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the tracheal epithelium. However, it remains unclear how these progenitor cells are specified during foregut development. Here, we found that ablation of the Wnt chaperone protein Gpr177 (also known as Wntless) in mouse tracheal epithelium causes a significant reduction in the number of basal progenitor cells accompanied by cartilage loss in Shh-Cre;Gpr177loxp/loxp mutants. Consistent with the association between cartilage and basal cell development, Nkx2.1+p63+ basal cells are co-present with cartilage nodules in Shh-Cre;Ctnnb1DM/loxp mutants, which maintain partial cell-cell adhesion but not the transcription regulation function of β-catenin. More importantly, deletion of Ctnnb1 in the mesenchyme leads to the loss of basal cells and cartilage, concomitant with reduced transcript levels of Fgf10 in Dermo1-Cre;Ctnnb1loxp/loxp mutants. Furthermore, deletion of Fgf receptor 2 (Fgfr2) in the epithelium also leads to significantly reduced numbers of basal cells, supporting the importance of Wnt/Fgf crosstalk in early tracheal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Hou
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
- Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
- Haihe Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 301700, P.R. China
| | - Qi Wu
- Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Xin Sun
- Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | | | - Yu Li
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
- Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Yongchun Zhang
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
| | - Munemasa Mori
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ying Yang
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jianwen Que
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ming Jiang
- Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, NY 10032, USA
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35
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Yan L, Chen J, Zhu X, Sun J, Wu X, Shen W, Zhang W, Tao Q, Meng A. Maternal Huluwa dictates the embryonic body axis through β-catenin in vertebrates. Science 2018; 362:362/6417/eaat1045. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aat1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate body is formed by cell movements and shape change during embryogenesis. It remains undetermined which maternal signals govern the formation of the dorsal organizer and the body axis. We found that maternal depletion of huluwa, a previously unnamed gene, causes loss of the dorsal organizer, the head, and the body axis in zebrafish and Xenopus embryos. Huluwa protein is found on the plasma membrane of blastomeres in the future dorsal region in early zebrafish blastulas. Huluwa has strong dorsalizing and secondary axis–inducing activities, which require β-catenin but can function independent of Wnt ligand/receptor signaling. Mechanistically, Huluwa binds to and promotes the tankyrase-mediated degradation of Axin. Therefore, maternal Huluwa is an essential determinant of the dorsal organizer and body axis in vertebrate embryos.
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36
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Wang Y, Lu P, Wu B, Riascos-Bernal DF, Sibinga NES, Valenta T, Basler K, Zhou B. Myocardial β-Catenin-BMP2 signaling promotes mesenchymal cell proliferation during endocardial cushion formation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2018; 123:150-158. [PMID: 30201295 PMCID: PMC10662972 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal endocardial cushion formation is a major cause of congenital heart valve disease, which is a common birth defect with significant morbidity and mortality. Although β-catenin and BMP2 are two well-known regulators of endocardial cushion formation, their interaction in this process is largely unknown. Here, we report that deletion of β-catenin in myocardium results in formation of hypoplastic endocardial cushions accompanying a decrease of mesenchymal cell proliferation. Loss of β-catenin reduced Bmp2 expression in myocardium and SMAD signaling in cushion mesenchyme. Exogenous BMP2 recombinant proteins fully rescued the proliferation defect of mesenchymal cells in cultured heart explants from myocardial β-catenin knockout embryos. Using a canonical WNT signaling reporter mouse line, we showed that cushion myocardium exhibited high WNT/β-catenin activities during endocardial cushion growth. Selective disruption of the signaling function of β-catenin resulted in a cushion growth defect similar to that caused by the complete loss of β-catenin. Together, these observations demonstrate that myocardial β-catenin signaling function promotes mesenchymal cell proliferation and endocardial cushion expansion through inducing BMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States.
| | - Pengfei Lu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Bingruo Wu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Dario F Riascos-Bernal
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Nicholas E S Sibinga
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Bin Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States; Department of Genetics, Pediatrics, and Medicine (Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States; Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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37
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Li G, Khandekar A, Yin T, Hicks SC, Guo Q, Takahashi K, Lipovsky CE, Brumback BD, Rao PK, Weinheimer CJ, Rentschler SL. Differential Wnt-mediated programming and arrhythmogenesis in right versus left ventricles. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2018; 123:92-107. [PMID: 30193957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Several inherited arrhythmias, including Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, primarily affect the right ventricle and can lead to sudden cardiac death. Among many differences, right and left ventricular cardiomyocytes derive from distinct progenitors, prompting us to investigate how embryonic programming may contribute to chamber-specific conduction and arrhythmia susceptibility. Here, we show that developmental perturbation of Wnt signaling leads to chamber-specific transcriptional regulation of genes important in cardiac conduction that persists into adulthood. Transcriptional profiling of right versus left ventricles in mice deficient in Wnt transcriptional activity reveals global chamber differences, including genes regulating cardiac electrophysiology such as Gja1 and Scn5a. In addition, the transcriptional repressor Hey2, a gene associated with Brugada syndrome, is a direct target of Wnt signaling in the right ventricle only. These transcriptional changes lead to perturbed right ventricular cardiac conduction and cellular excitability. Ex vivo and in vivo stimulation of the right ventricle is sufficient to induce ventricular tachycardia in Wnt transcriptionally inactive hearts, while left ventricular stimulation has no effect. These data show that embryonic perturbation of Wnt signaling in cardiomyocytes leads to right ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility in the adult heart through chamber-specific regulation of genes regulating cellular electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Li
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aditi Khandekar
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tiankai Yin
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stephanie C Hicks
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Qiusha Guo
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kentaro Takahashi
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Catherine E Lipovsky
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Brittany D Brumback
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Praveen K Rao
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carla J Weinheimer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stacey L Rentschler
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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38
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Yang LM, Huh SH, Ornitz DM. FGF20-Expressing, Wnt-Responsive Olfactory Epithelial Progenitors Regulate Underlying Turbinate Growth to Optimize Surface Area. Dev Cell 2018; 46:564-580.e5. [PMID: 30100263 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory epithelium (OE) is a neurosensory organ required for the sense of smell. Turbinates, bony projections from the nasal cavity wall, increase the surface area within the nasal cavity lined by the OE. Here, we use engineered fibroblast growth factor 20 (Fgf20) knockin alleles to identify a population of OE progenitor cells that expand horizontally during development to populate all lineages of the mature OE. We show that these Fgf20-positive epithelium-spanning progenitor (FEP) cells are responsive to Wnt/β-Catenin signaling. Wnt signaling suppresses FEP cell differentiation into OE basal progenitors and their progeny and positively regulates Fgf20 expression. We further show that FGF20 signals to the underlying mesenchyme to regulate the growth of turbinates. These studies thus identify a population of OE progenitor cells that function to scale OE surface area with the underlying turbinates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu M Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sung-Ho Huh
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David M Ornitz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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39
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Zingg D, Debbache J, Peña-Hernández R, Antunes AT, Schaefer SM, Cheng PF, Zimmerli D, Haeusel J, Calçada RR, Tuncer E, Zhang Y, Bossart R, Wong KK, Basler K, Dummer R, Santoro R, Levesque MP, Sommer L. EZH2-Mediated Primary Cilium Deconstruction Drives Metastatic Melanoma Formation. Cancer Cell 2018; 34:69-84.e14. [PMID: 30008323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Human melanomas frequently harbor amplifications of EZH2. However, the contribution of EZH2 to melanoma formation has remained elusive. Taking advantage of murine melanoma models, we show that EZH2 drives tumorigenesis from benign BrafV600E- or NrasQ61K-expressing melanocytes by silencing of genes relevant for the integrity of the primary cilium, a signaling organelle projecting from the surface of vertebrate cells. Consequently, gain of EZH2 promotes loss of primary cilia in benign melanocytic lesions. In contrast, blockade of EZH2 activity evokes ciliogenesis and cilia-dependent growth inhibition in malignant melanoma. Finally, we demonstrate that loss of cilia enhances pro-tumorigenic WNT/β-catenin signaling, and is itself sufficient to drive metastatic melanoma in benign cells. Thus, primary cilia deconstruction is a key process in EZH2-driven melanomagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zingg
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julien Debbache
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo Peña-Hernández
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Molecular Life Science PhD Program, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ana T Antunes
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Schaefer
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Phil F Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 31, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Zimmerli
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Haeusel
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raquel R Calçada
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Cancer Biology PhD Program, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eylul Tuncer
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yudong Zhang
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Cancer Biology PhD Program, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Bossart
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, 522 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 31, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raffaella Santoro
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 31, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Sommer
- Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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40
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Zhang M, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Guo W, Ji H. Structure-Based Optimization of Small-Molecule Inhibitors for the β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Protein-Protein Interaction. J Med Chem 2018; 61:2989-3007. [PMID: 29566337 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Structure-based optimization was conducted to improve the potency, selectivity, and cell-based activities of β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) inhibitors based on the 4'-fluoro- N-phenyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide scaffold, which was designed to mimic the side chains of the hydrophobic α-helical hot spots at positions i, i + 3, and i + 7. Compound 29 was found to disrupt the β-catenin/BCL9 protein-protein interaction (PPI) with a Ki of 0.47 μM and >1900-fold selectivity for β-catenin/BCL9 over β-catenin/E-cadherin PPIs. The proposed binding mode of new inhibitors was consistent with the results of site-directed mutagenesis and structure-activity relationship studies. Cell-based studies indicated that 29 disrupted the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction without affecting the β-catenin/E-cadherin interaction, selectively suppressed transactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, downregulated expression of Wnt target genes, and inhibited viability of Wnt/β-catenin-dependent cancer cells in dose-dependent manners. A comparison of the biochemical and cell-based assay results offered the directions for future inhibitor optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department , H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute , Tampa , Florida 33612 , United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida 33620 , United States
| | - Zhen Wang
- Drug Discovery Department , H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute , Tampa , Florida 33612 , United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida 33620 , United States
| | - Yongqiang Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department , H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute , Tampa , Florida 33612 , United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida 33620 , United States
| | - Wenxing Guo
- Drug Discovery Department , H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute , Tampa , Florida 33612 , United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida 33620 , United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department , H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute , Tampa , Florida 33612 , United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida 33620 , United States
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41
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Abstract
Nuclear activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for cell proliferation in inflammation and cancer. Studies from our group indicate that β-catenin activation in colitis and colorectal cancer (CRC) correlates with increased nuclear levels of β-catenin phosphorylated at serine 552 (pβ-Cat552). Biochemical analysis of nuclear extracts from cancer biopsies revealed the existence of low molecular weight (LMW) pβ-Cat552, increased to the exclusion of full size (FS) forms of β-catenin. LMW β-catenin lacks both termini, leaving residues in the armadillo repeat intact. Further experiments showed that TCF4 predominantly binds LMW pβ-Cat552 in the nucleus of inflamed and cancerous cells. Nuclear chromatin bound localization of LMW pβ-Cat552 was blocked in cells by inhibition of proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity but not by other protease inhibitors. K48 polyubiquitinated FS and LMW β-catenin were increased by treatment with bortezomib. Overexpressed in vitro double truncated β-catenin increased transcriptional activity, cell proliferation and growth of tumor xenografts compared to FS β-catenin. Serine 552-> alanin substitution abrogated K48 polyubiquitination, β-catenin nuclear translocation and tumor xenograft growth. These data suggest that a novel proteasome-dependent posttranslational modification of β-catenin enhances transcriptional activation. Discovery of this pathway may be helpful in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools in colitis and cancer.
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42
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Su H, Sureda-Gomez M, Rabaneda-Lombarte N, Gelabert M, Xie J, Wu W, Adell T. A C-terminally truncated form of β-catenin acts as a novel regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in planarians. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007030. [PMID: 28976975 PMCID: PMC5643146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
β-Catenin, the core element of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, is a multifunctional and evolutionarily conserved protein which performs essential roles in a variety of developmental and homeostatic processes. Despite its crucial roles, the mechanisms that control its context-specific functions in time and space remain largely unknown. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been extensively studied in planarians, flatworms with the ability to regenerate and remodel the whole body, providing a ‘whole animal’ developmental framework to approach this question. Here we identify a C-terminally truncated β-catenin (β-catenin4), generated by gene duplication, that is required for planarian photoreceptor cell specification. Our results indicate that the role of β-catenin4 is to modulate the activity of β-catenin1, the planarian β-catenin involved in Wnt signal transduction in the nucleus, mediated by the transcription factor TCF-2. This inhibitory form of β-catenin, expressed in specific cell types, would provide a novel mechanism to modulate nuclear β-catenin signaling levels. Genomic searches and in vitro analysis suggest that the existence of a C-terminally truncated form of β-catenin could be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to achieve a fine-tuned regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in specific cellular contexts. The Wnt signaling pathway is essential for proper intercellular communication in every developmental process since it controls basic cellular events as cell fate or proliferation. The key element of the Wnt signaling is β-catenin, which controls the transcription of multiple genes in the Wnt receiving cell. A main level of regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling occurs in the cytoplasm, where β-catenin protein levels depend on the activity of the β-catenin destruction complex. However, once it reaches the nucleus, β-catenin transcriptional activity requires a fine-tuned regulation to enable the multiple context-specific responses that it performs. These nuclear mechanisms that regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling remain poorly understood. Here we report the existence of C-terminal truncated forms of β-catenin in planarians (β-cat3 and 4), which, in vitro, do not show transactivation activity and compete with the canonical planarian β-catenin (β-cat1), thus acting as competitor inhibitors. Functional analyses in planarians indicate that β-cat4 acts as a negative regulator of β-cat1 during planarian eye photoreceptor specification. We provide evidence to suggest that this novel mechanism for the regulation of nuclear β-catenin activity could be conserved across animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanxia Su
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Miquel Sureda-Gomez
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística,Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Neus Rabaneda-Lombarte
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística,Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Maria Gelabert
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística,Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Jianlei Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Teresa Adell
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística,Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
- * E-mail:
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43
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Haraguchi R, Kitazawa R, Murashima A, Yamada G, Kitazawa S. Developmental Contribution of Wnt-signal-responsive Cells to Mouse Reproductive Tract Formation. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2017; 50:127-133. [PMID: 28928542 PMCID: PMC5593815 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.17017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, the müllerian duct (MD) is an embryonic tubular structure that gives rise to the female reproductive tract (FRT). The MD originates from the coelomic epithelium (CoE) and takes on a rostral to caudal shape to establish the primary structure of the FRT under the regulation of morphogenetic signals. During these developmental processes, the MD and its derivatives require proper regulation of the Wnt-signaling-pathway. Here, to investigate the developmental contribution of FRT primordia under the influence of the Wnt-signaling, genetic lineage tracing was carried out using TopCreER/Rosa-LacZ mice to follow the fate of Wnt-signal-responsive cells during reproductive tract formation. TopCreER-marked-LacZ+ cells, arising from the Wnt-signal-responsive progenitors in CoE, give rise to spatially restricted MD and the uterine luminal epithelium. Similarly, the progeny from LacZ+ mesenchymal cells surrounding the MD contribute to both the uterine smooth muscle and stroma. Furthermore, in males, the Wnt-signal-responsive MD mesenchyme develops into the epididymis. These results show, for the first time, evidence of the sequential involvement of reproductive tract progenitors under the influence of Wnt-signal throughout the developmental term. This study provides a precise outline for assessing the lineage relation between the reproductive tract and the cell fate of its primordia in a temporally regulated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuma Haraguchi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Riko Kitazawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Ehime University Hospital
| | - Aki Murashima
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Wakayama Medical University
- Department of Anatomy, Iwate Medical University
| | - Gen Yamada
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Wakayama Medical University
| | - Sohei Kitazawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
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44
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Gentzel M, Schambony A. Dishevelled Paralogs in Vertebrate Development: Redundant or Distinct? Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 5:59. [PMID: 28603713 PMCID: PMC5445114 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2017.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dishevelled (DVL) proteins are highly conserved in the animal kingdom and are important key players in β-Catenin-dependent and -independent Wnt signaling pathways. Vertebrate genomes typically comprise three DVL genes, DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3. Expression patterns and developmental functions of the three vertebrate DVL proteins however, are only partially redundant in any given species. Moreover, expression and function of DVL isoforms have diverged between different vertebrate species. All DVL proteins share basic functionality in Wnt signal transduction. Additional, paralog-specific interactions and functions combined with context-dependent availability of DVL isoforms may play a central role in defining Wnt signaling specificity and add selectivity toward distinct downstream pathways. In this review, we recapitulate briefly cellular functions of DVL paralogs, their role in vertebrate embryonic development and congenital disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Gentzel
- Molecular Analysis-Mass Spectrometry, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), TU DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schambony
- Developmental Biology, Biology Department, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-NurembergErlangen, Germany
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45
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Cantù C, Pagella P, Shajiei TD, Zimmerli D, Valenta T, Hausmann G, Basler K, Mitsiadis TA. A cytoplasmic role of Wnt/β-catenin transcriptional cofactors Bcl9, Bcl9l, and Pygopus in tooth enamel formation. Sci Signal 2017; 10:10/465/eaah4598. [PMID: 28174279 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aah4598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Wnt-stimulated β-catenin transcriptional regulation is necessary for the development of most organs, including teeth. Bcl9 and Bcl9l are tissue-specific transcriptional cofactors that cooperate with β-catenin. In the nucleus, Bcl9 and Bcl9l simultaneously bind β-catenin and the transcriptional activator Pygo2 to promote the transcription of a subset of Wnt target genes. We showed that Bcl9 and Bcl9l function in the cytoplasm during tooth enamel formation in a manner that is independent of Wnt-stimulated β-catenin-dependent transcription. Bcl9, Bcl9l, and Pygo2 localized mainly to the cytoplasm of the epithelial-derived ameloblasts, the cells responsible for enamel production. In ameloblasts, Bcl9 interacted with proteins involved in enamel formation and proteins involved in exocytosis and vesicular trafficking. Conditional deletion of both Bcl9 and Bcl9l or both Pygo1 and Pygo2 in mice produced teeth with defective enamel that was bright white and deficient in iron, which is reminiscent of human tooth enamel pathologies. Overall, our data revealed that these proteins, originally defined through their function as β-catenin transcriptional cofactors, function in odontogenesis through a previously uncharacterized cytoplasmic mechanism, revealing that they have roles beyond that of transcriptional cofactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Cantù
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pierfrancesco Pagella
- Orofacial Development and Regeneration, Institute of Oral Biology, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tania D Shajiei
- Orofacial Development and Regeneration, Institute of Oral Biology, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Zimmerli
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - George Hausmann
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Thimios A Mitsiadis
- Orofacial Development and Regeneration, Institute of Oral Biology, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
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46
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Cho IT, Lim Y, Golden JA, Cho G. Aristaless Related Homeobox (ARX) Interacts with β-Catenin, BCL9, and P300 to Regulate Canonical Wnt Signaling. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170282. [PMID: 28103279 PMCID: PMC5245867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Aristaless Related Homeobox (ARX) gene are associated with a spectrum of structural (lissencephaly) and functional (epilepsy and intellectual disabilities) neurodevelopmental disorders. How mutations in this single transcription factor can result in such a broad range of phenotypes remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that ARX functions through distinct interactions with specific transcription factors/cofactors to regulate unique target genes in different cell types. To identify ARX interacting proteins, we performed an unbiased proteomics screen and identified several components of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, including β-catenin (CTNNB1), B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (BCL9) and leucine rich repeat flightless interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2), in cortical progenitor cells. Our data show that ARX positively regulates Wnt/ β-catenin signaling and that the C-terminal domain of ARX interacts with the armadillo repeats in β-catenin to promote Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In addition, we found BCL9 and P300 also interact with ARX to modulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling. These data provide new insights into how ARX can uniquely regulate cortical neurogenesis, and connect the function of ARX with Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Taeg Cho
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Youngshin Lim
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Golden
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ginam Cho
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Cooperation Between T-Box Factors Regulates the Continuous Segregation of Germ Layers During Vertebrate Embryogenesis. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 122:117-159. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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48
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Cheong JK, Virshup DM. CK1δ: a pharmacologically tractable Achilles' heel of Wnt-driven cancers? ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2016; 4:433. [PMID: 27942524 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2016.11.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant Wnt signaling has been widely accepted to be a key driver of a subset of human cancers and a heavily scrutinized molecular pathway for the development of personalized medicine. In a recently published issue of Science Translational Medicine, Rosenberg and coworkers reported that the delta isoform of the CK1 family of serine/threonine kinases (CK1δ), an important mediator of intracellular Wnt signaling, is amplified and overexpressed in human breast tumors. They further demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of CK1δ is efficacious for these cancers and implicate β-catenin signaling as a key target of CK1δ. In this perspective, we will discuss the salient features of this novel anti-cancer therapeutic approach and the challenges that lie ahead to translate it into a viable treatment option for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jit Kong Cheong
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - David M Virshup
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; ; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore; ; Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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49
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Riascos-Bernal DF, Chinnasamy P, Cao LL, Dunaway CM, Valenta T, Basler K, Sibinga NES. β-Catenin C-terminal signals suppress p53 and are essential for artery formation. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12389. [PMID: 27499244 PMCID: PMC4979065 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased activity of the tumour suppressor p53 is incompatible with embryogenesis, but how p53 is controlled is not fully understood. Differential requirements for p53 inhibitors Mdm2 and Mdm4 during development suggest that these control mechanisms are context-dependent. Artery formation requires investment of nascent endothelial tubes by smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Here, we find that embryos lacking SMC β-catenin suffer impaired arterial maturation and die by E12.5, with increased vascular wall p53 activity. β-Catenin-deficient SMCs show no change in p53 levels, but greater p53 acetylation and activity, plus impaired growth and survival. In vivo, SMC p53 inactivation suppresses phenotypes caused by loss of β-catenin. Mechanistically, β-catenin C-terminal interactions inhibit Creb-binding protein-dependent p53 acetylation and p53 transcriptional activity, and are required for artery formation. Thus in SMCs, the β-catenin C-terminus indirectly represses p53, and this function is essential for embryogenesis. These findings have implications for angiogenesis, tissue engineering and vascular disease. How p53 is restrained in arterial maturation during embryonic development is unclear. Here, the authors show that β-catenin C-terminal interactions inhibit CREB binding protein-mediated acetylation and activation of p53 in smooth muscle cells, and that this function is essential for artery formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario F Riascos-Bernal
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Prameladevi Chinnasamy
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Longyue Lily Cao
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Charlene M Dunaway
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas E S Sibinga
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division), Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
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50
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Lum L, Chen C. Chemical Disruption of Wnt-dependent Cell Fate Decision-making Mechanisms in Cancer and Regenerative Medicine. Curr Med Chem 2016; 22:4091-103. [PMID: 26310918 DOI: 10.2174/0929867322666150827094015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell signaling molecules such as the Wnt proteins that directly influence the expression of cell-type specific transcriptional programs are essential for tissue generation in metazoans. The mechanisms supporting cellular responses to these molecules represent potential points of intervention for directing cell fate outcomes in therapeutic contexts. Small molecules that modulate Wnt-mediated cellular responses have proven to be powerful probes for Wnt protein function in diverse biological settings including cancer, development, and regeneration. Whereas efforts to develop these chemicals as therapeutic agents have dominated conversation, the unprecedented modes-of-action associated with these molecules and their implications for drug development deserve greater examination. In this review, we will discuss how medicinal chemistry efforts focused on first in class small molecules targeting two Wnt pathway components--the polytopic Porcupine (Porcn) acyltransferase and the cytoplasmic Tankyrase (Tnks) poly-ADP-ribosylases--have contributed to our understanding of the druggable genome and expanded the armamentarium of chemicals that can be used to influence cell fate decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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