1
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Presman DM, Benítez B, Lafuente AL, Vázquez Lareu A. Chromatin structure and dynamics: one nucleosome at a time. Histochem Cell Biol 2024; 162:79-90. [PMID: 38607419 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-024-02281-1] [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] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes store information on many levels, including their linear DNA sequence, the posttranslational modifications of its constituents (epigenetic modifications), and its three-dimensional folding. Understanding how this information is stored and read requires multidisciplinary collaborations from many branches of science beyond biology, including physics, chemistry, and computer science. Concurrent recent developments in all these areas have enabled researchers to image the genome with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. In this review, we focus on what single-molecule imaging and tracking of individual proteins in live cells have taught us about chromatin structure and dynamics. Starting with the basics of single-molecule tracking (SMT), we describe some advantages over in situ imaging techniques and its current limitations. Next, we focus on single-nucleosome studies and what they have added to our current understanding of the relationship between chromatin dynamics and transcription. In celebration of Robert Feulgen's ground-breaking discovery that allowed us to start seeing the genome, we discuss current models of chromatin structure and future challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Belén Benítez
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina L Lafuente
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejo Vázquez Lareu
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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2
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Clarisse D, Van Moortel L, Van Leene C, Gevaert K, De Bosscher K. Glucocorticoid receptor signaling: intricacies and therapeutic opportunities. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:431-444. [PMID: 38429217 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.01.012] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a major nuclear receptor (NR) drug target for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and several cancers. Despite the effectiveness of GR ligands, their systemic action triggers a plethora of side effects, limiting long-term use. Here, we discuss new concepts of and insights into GR mechanisms of action to assist in the identification of routes toward enhanced therapeutic benefits. We zoom in on the communication between different GR domains and how this is influenced by different ligands. We detail findings on the interaction between GR and chromatin, and highlight how condensate formation and coregulator confinement can perturb GR transcriptional responses. Last, we discuss the potential of novel ligands and the therapeutic exploitation of crosstalk with other NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Clarisse
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura Van Moortel
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chloé Van Leene
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Gevaert
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Bosscher
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
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3
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Manning SA, Kroeger B, Deng Q, Brooks E, Fonseka Y, Hinde E, Harvey KF. The Drosophila Hippo pathway transcription factor Scalloped and its co-factors alter each other's chromatin binding dynamics and transcription in vivo. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00231-4. [PMID: 38670104 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.04.006] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The Hippo pathway is an important regulator of organ growth and cell fate. The major mechanism by which Hippo is known to control transcription is by dictating the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling rate of Yorkie, a transcription co-activator, which promotes transcription with the DNA binding protein Scalloped. The nuclear biophysical behavior of Yorkie and Scalloped, and whether this is regulated by the Hippo pathway, remains unexplored. Using multiple live-imaging modalities on Drosophila tissues, we found that Scalloped interacts with DNA on a broad range of timescales, and enrichment of Scalloped at sites of active transcription is mediated by longer DNA dwell times. Further, Yorkie increased Scalloped's DNA dwell time, whereas the repressors Nervous fingers 1 (Nerfin-1) and Tondu-domain-containing growth inhibitor (Tgi) decreased it. Therefore, the Hippo pathway influences transcription not only by controlling nuclear abundance of Yorkie but also by modifying the DNA binding kinetics of the transcription factor Scalloped.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Manning
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Benjamin Kroeger
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Qiji Deng
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Elliot Brooks
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Yoshana Fonseka
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Hinde
- School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Kieran F Harvey
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
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4
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Fettweis G, Johnson TA, Almeida‐Prieto B, Weller‐Pérez J, Presman DM, Hager GL, Alvarez de la Rosa D. The mineralocorticoid receptor forms higher order oligomers upon DNA binding. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4890. [PMID: 38160317 PMCID: PMC10868434 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4890] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The prevailing model of steroid hormone nuclear receptor function assumes ligand-induced homodimer formation followed by binding to DNA hormone response elements (HREs). This model has been challenged by evidence showing that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) forms tetramers upon ligand and DNA binding, which then drive receptor-mediated gene transactivation and transrepression. GR and the closely-related mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) interact to transduce corticosteroid hormone signaling, but whether they share the same quaternary arrangement is unknown. Here, we used a fluorescence imaging technique, Number & Brightness, to study oligomerization in a cell system allowing real-time analysis of receptor-DNA interactions. Agonist-bound MR forms tetramers in the nucleoplasm and higher order oligomers upon binding to HREs. Antagonists form intermediate-size quaternary arrangements, suggesting that large oligomers are essential for function. Divergence between MR and GR quaternary structure is driven by different functionality of known and new multimerization interfaces, which does not preclude formation of heteromers. Thus, influencing oligomerization may be important to selectively modulate corticosteroid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Fettweis
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene ExpressionNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
- Present address:
Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA‐Molecular Biology of DiseaseUniversity of LiègeLiègeBelgium
| | - Thomas A. Johnson
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene ExpressionNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Brian Almeida‐Prieto
- Departmento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías BiomédicasUniversidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
| | - Julián Weller‐Pérez
- Departmento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías BiomédicasUniversidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
| | - Diego M. Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET‐Universidad de Buenos AiresFacultad de Ciencias Exactas y NaturalesBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Gordon L. Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene ExpressionNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Diego Alvarez de la Rosa
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene ExpressionNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
- Departmento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías BiomédicasUniversidad de La LagunaLa LagunaSpain
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5
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Iyer-Bierhoff A, Wieczorek M, Peter SM, Ward D, Bens M, Vettorazzi S, Guehrs KH, Tuckermann JP, Heinzel T. Acetylation-induced proteasomal degradation of the activated glucocorticoid receptor limits hormonal signaling. iScience 2024; 27:108943. [PMID: 38333702 PMCID: PMC10850750 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) signaling is essential for mounting a stress response, however, chronic stress or prolonged GC therapy downregulates the GC receptor (GR), leading to GC resistance. Regulatory mechanisms that refine this equilibrium are not well understood. Here, we identify seven lysine acetylation sites in the amino terminal domain of GR, with lysine 154 (Lys154) in the AF-1 region being the dominant acetyl-acceptor. GR-Lys154 acetylation is mediated by p300/CBP in the nucleus in an agonist-dependent manner and correlates with transcriptional activity. Deacetylation by NAD+-dependent SIRT1 facilitates dynamic regulation of this mark. Notably, agonist-binding to both wild-type GR and an acetylation-deficient mutant elicits similar short-term target gene expression. In contrast, upon extended treatment, the polyubiquitination of the acetylation-deficient GR mutant is impaired resulting in higher protein stability, increased chromatin association and prolonged transactivation. Taken together, reversible acetylation fine-tunes duration of the GC response by regulating proteasomal degradation of activated GR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Iyer-Bierhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), Friedrich Schiller University, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Wieczorek
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), Friedrich Schiller University, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sina Marielle Peter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), Friedrich Schiller University, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Dima Ward
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), Friedrich Schiller University, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Bens
- Core Facility Next Generation Sequencing, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sabine Vettorazzi
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME), Ulm University, Helmholtzstrasse 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Guehrs
- Core Facility Proteomics, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jan P. Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME), Ulm University, Helmholtzstrasse 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinzel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), Friedrich Schiller University, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
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6
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Pofi R, Caratti G, Ray DW, Tomlinson JW. Treating the Side Effects of Exogenous Glucocorticoids; Can We Separate the Good From the Bad? Endocr Rev 2023; 44:975-1011. [PMID: 37253115 PMCID: PMC10638606 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
It is estimated that 2% to 3% of the population are currently prescribed systemic or topical glucocorticoid treatment. The potent anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids to deliver therapeutic benefit is not in doubt. However, the side effects associated with their use, including central weight gain, hypertension, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and osteoporosis, often collectively termed iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome, are associated with a significant health and economic burden. The precise cellular mechanisms underpinning the differential action of glucocorticoids to drive the desirable and undesirable effects are still not completely understood. Faced with the unmet clinical need to limit glucocorticoid-induced adverse effects alongside ensuring the preservation of anti-inflammatory actions, several strategies have been pursued. The coprescription of existing licensed drugs to treat incident adverse effects can be effective, but data examining the prevention of adverse effects are limited. Novel selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists and selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators have been designed that aim to specifically and selectively activate anti-inflammatory responses based upon their interaction with the glucocorticoid receptor. Several of these compounds are currently in clinical trials to evaluate their efficacy. More recently, strategies exploiting tissue-specific glucocorticoid metabolism through the isoforms of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase has shown early potential, although data from clinical trials are limited. The aim of any treatment is to maximize benefit while minimizing risk, and within this review we define the adverse effect profile associated with glucocorticoid use and evaluate current and developing strategies that aim to limit side effects but preserve desirable therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Pofi
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Giorgio Caratti
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - David W Ray
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Kavli Centre for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX37LE, UK
| | - Jeremy W Tomlinson
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
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7
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Mazaira GI, Erlejman AG, Zgajnar NR, Piwien-Pilipuk G, Galigniana MD. The transportosome system as a model for the retrotransport of soluble proteins. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 577:112047. [PMID: 37604241 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The classic model of action of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sustains that its associated heat-shock protein of 90-kDa (HSP90) favours the cytoplasmic retention of the unliganded GR, whereas the binding of steroid triggers the dissociation of HSP90 allowing the passive nuclear accumulation of GR. In recent years, it was described a molecular machinery called transportosome that is responsible for the active retrograde transport of GR. The transportosome heterocomplex includes a dimer of HSP90, the stabilizer co-chaperone p23, and FKBP52 (FK506-binding protein of 52-kDa), an immunophilin that binds dynein/dynactin motor proteins. The model shows that upon steroid binding, FKBP52 is recruited to the GR allowing its active retrograde transport on cytoskeletal tracks. Then, the entire GR heterocomplex translocates through the nuclear pore complex. The HSP90-based heterocomplex is released in the nucleoplasm followed by receptor dimerization. Subsequent findings demonstrated that the transportosome is also responsible for the retrotransport of other soluble proteins. Importantly, the disruption of this molecular oligomer leads to several diseases. In this article, we discuss the relevance of this transport machinery in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela I Mazaira
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina
| | - Alejandra G Erlejman
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina
| | - Nadia R Zgajnar
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina
| | | | - Mario D Galigniana
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina; Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina.
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8
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Nikolić S, Oasa S, Krmpot AJ, Terenius L, Belić MR, Rigler R, Vukojević V. Mapping the Direction of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport of Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) in Live Cells Using Two-Foci Cross-Correlation in Massively Parallel Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (mpFCS). Anal Chem 2023; 95:15171-15179. [PMID: 37782779 PMCID: PMC10585663 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01427] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Nucleocytoplasmic transport of transcription factors is vital for normal cellular function, and its breakdown is a major contributing factor in many diseases. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is an evolutionarily conserved, ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates homeostasis and response to stress and is an important target for therapeutics in inflammation and cancer. In unstimulated cells, the GR resides in the cytoplasm bound to other molecules in a large multiprotein complex. Upon stimulation with endogenous or synthetic ligands, GR translocation to the cell nucleus occurs, where the GR regulates the transcription of numerous genes by direct binding to glucocorticoid response elements or by physically associating with other transcription factors. While much is known about molecular mechanisms underlying GR function, the spatial organization of directionality of GR nucleocytoplasmic transport remains less well characterized, and it is not well understood how the bidirectional nucleocytoplasmic flow of GR is coordinated in stimulated cells. Here, we use two-foci cross-correlation in a massively parallel fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (mpFCS) system to map in live cells the directionality of GR translocation at different positions along the nuclear envelope. We show theoretically and experimentally that cross-correlation of signals from two nearby observation volume elements (OVEs) in an mpFCS setup presents a sharp peak when the OVEs are positioned along the trajectory of molecular motion and that the time position of the peak corresponds to the average time of flight of the molecule between the two OVEs. Hence, the direction and velocity of nucleocytoplasmic transport can be determined simultaneously at several locations along the nuclear envelope. We reveal that under ligand-induced GR translocation, nucleocytoplasmic import/export of GR proceeds simultaneously but at different locations in the cell nucleus. Our data show that mpFCS can characterize in detail the heterogeneity of directional nucleocytoplasmic transport in a live cell and may be invaluable for studies aiming to understand how the bidirectional flow of macromolecules through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is coordinated to avoid intranuclear transcription factor accretion/abatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanko
N. Nikolić
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute
of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
- Division
of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University
at Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sho Oasa
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aleksandar J. Krmpot
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute
of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
- Division
of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University
at Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lars Terenius
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Milivoj R. Belić
- Division
of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University
at Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rudolf Rigler
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vladana Vukojević
- Department
of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Bessonneau-Gaborit V, Cruard J, Guerin-Charbonnel C, Derrien J, Alberge JB, Douillard E, Devic M, Deshayes S, Campion L, Westermann F, Moreau P, Herrmann C, Bourdon J, Magrangeas F, Minvielle S. Exploring the impact of dexamethasone on gene regulation in myeloma cells. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302195. [PMID: 37524526 PMCID: PMC10390781 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Among glucocorticoids (GCs), dexamethasone (Dex) is widely used in treatment of multiple myelomas. However, despite a definite benefit, all patients relapse. Moreover, the molecular basis of glucocorticoid efficacy remains elusive. To determine genomic response to Dex in myeloma cells, we generated bulk and single-cell multi-omics data and high-resolution contact maps of active enhancers and target genes. We show that a minority of glucocorticoid receptor-binding sites are associated with enhancer activity gains, increased interaction loops, and transcriptional activity. We identified and characterized a predominant enhancer enriched in cohesin (RAD21) and more accessible upon Dex exposure. Analysis of four gene-specific networks revealed the importance of the CTCF-cohesin couple and the synchronization of regulatory sequence openings for efficient transcription in response to Dex. Notably, these epigenomic changes are associated with cell-to-cell transcriptional heterogeneity, in particular, lineage-specific genes. As consequences, BCL2L11-encoding BIM critical for Dex-induced apoptosis and CXCR4 protective from chemotherapy-induced apoptosis are rather up-regulated in different cells. In summary, our work provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in Dex escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Bessonneau-Gaborit
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
| | - Jonathan Cruard
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
| | - Catherine Guerin-Charbonnel
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Nantes, France
| | - Jennifer Derrien
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Alberge
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
| | - Elise Douillard
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
| | - Magali Devic
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
| | - Sophie Deshayes
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
| | - Loïc Campion
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Nantes, France
| | - Frank Westermann
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg, KITZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Phillipe Moreau
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
| | - Carl Herrmann
- Health Data Science Unit, Medical Faculty Heidelberg and BioQuant, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Florence Magrangeas
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
| | - Stéphane Minvielle
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nantes, France
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10
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Clarisse D, Prekovic S, Vlummens P, Staessens E, Van Wesemael K, Thommis J, Fijalkowska D, Acke G, Zwart W, Beck IM, Offner F, De Bosscher K. Crosstalk between glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors boosts glucocorticoid-induced killing of multiple myeloma cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:249. [PMID: 37578563 PMCID: PMC10425521 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04900-x] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a crucial drug target in multiple myeloma as its activation with glucocorticoids effectively triggers myeloma cell death. However, as high-dose glucocorticoids are also associated with deleterious side effects, novel approaches are urgently needed to improve GR action in myeloma. Here, we reveal a functional crosstalk between GR and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) that plays a role in improved myeloma cell killing. We show that the GR agonist dexamethasone (Dex) downregulates MR levels in a GR-dependent way in myeloma cells. Co-treatment of Dex with the MR antagonist spironolactone (Spi) enhances Dex-induced cell killing in primary, newly diagnosed GC-sensitive myeloma cells. In a relapsed GC-resistant setting, Spi alone induces distinct myeloma cell killing. On a mechanistic level, we find that a GR-MR crosstalk likely arises from an endogenous interaction between GR and MR in myeloma cells. Quantitative dimerization assays show that Spi reduces Dex-induced GR-MR heterodimerization and completely abolishes Dex-induced MR-MR homodimerization, while leaving GR-GR homodimerization intact. Unbiased transcriptomics analyses reveal that c-myc and many of its target genes are downregulated most by combined Dex-Spi treatment. Proteomics analyses further identify that several metabolic hallmarks are modulated most by this combination treatment. Finally, we identified a subset of Dex-Spi downregulated genes and proteins that may predict prognosis in the CoMMpass myeloma patient cohort. Our study demonstrates that GR-MR crosstalk is therapeutically relevant in myeloma as it provides novel strategies for glucocorticoid-based dose-reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Clarisse
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefan Prekovic
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Philip Vlummens
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eleni Staessens
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karlien Van Wesemael
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Thommis
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daria Fijalkowska
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Acke
- Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse M Beck
- Department of Health Sciences, Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fritz Offner
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Bosscher
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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11
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Bhimsaria D, Rodríguez-Martínez JA, Mendez-Johnson JL, Ghoshdastidar D, Varadarajan A, Bansal M, Daniels DL, Ramanathan P, Ansari AZ. Hidden modes of DNA binding by human nuclear receptors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4179. [PMID: 37443151 PMCID: PMC10345098 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39577-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human nuclear receptors (NRs) are a superfamily of ligand-responsive transcription factors that have central roles in cellular function. Their malfunction is linked to numerous diseases, and the ability to modulate their activity with synthetic ligands has yielded 16% of all FDA-approved drugs. NRs regulate distinct gene networks, however they often function from genomic sites that lack known binding motifs. Here, to annotate genomic binding sites of known and unexamined NRs more accurately, we use high-throughput SELEX to comprehensively map DNA binding site preferences of all full-length human NRs, in complex with their ligands. Furthermore, to identify non-obvious binding sites buried in DNA-protein interactomes, we develop MinSeq Find, a search algorithm based on the MinTerm concept from electrical engineering and digital systems design. The resulting MinTerm sequence set (MinSeqs) reveal a constellation of binding sites that more effectively annotate NR-binding profiles in cells. MinSeqs also unmask binding sites created or disrupted by 52,106 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with human diseases. By implicating druggable NRs as hidden drivers of multiple human diseases, our results not only reveal new biological roles of NRs, but they also provide a resource for drug-repurposing and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devesh Bhimsaria
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India.
| | | | | | | | - Ashwin Varadarajan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Manju Bansal
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Danette L Daniels
- Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
- Foghorn Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Parameswaran Ramanathan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Aseem Z Ansari
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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12
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Johnson TA, Fettweis G, Wagh K, Almeida-Prieto B, Krishnamurthy M, Upadhyaya A, Hager GL, Alvarez de la Rosa D. The Glucocorticoid Receptor is Required for Efficient Aldosterone-Induced Transcription by the Mineralocorticoid Receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525745. [PMID: 36789429 PMCID: PMC9928040 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR, respectively) have distinct, yet overlapping physiological and pathophysiological functions. There are indications that both receptors interact functionally and physically, but the precise role of this interdependence is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the impact of GR co-expression on MR genome-wide chromatin binding and transcriptional responses to aldosterone and glucocorticoids, both physiological ligands of this receptor. Our data show that GR co-expression alters MR genome-wide binding to consensus DNA sequences in a locus- and ligand-specific way. MR binding to consensus DNA sequences is affected by GR. Transcriptional responses of MR in the absence of GR are weak and show poor correlation with chromatin binding. In contrast, co-expression of GR potentiates MR-mediated transcription, particularly in response to aldosterone. Finally, single-molecule tracking of MR suggests that the presence of GR contributes to productive binding of MR/aldosterone complexes to chromatin. Together, our data indicate that co-expression of GR potentiates aldosterone-mediated MR transcriptional activity, even in the absence of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Johnson
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gregory Fettweis
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kaustubh Wagh
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, 4296 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Brian Almeida-Prieto
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud sn, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Manan Krishnamurthy
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Arpita Upadhyaya
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, 4296 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD, USA
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Gordon L. Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diego Alvarez de la Rosa
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 41, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud sn, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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13
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Deploey N, Van Moortel L, Rogatsky I, Peelman F, De Bosscher K. The Biologist's Guide to the Glucocorticoid Receptor's Structure. Cells 2023; 12:1636. [PMID: 37371105 PMCID: PMC10297449 DOI: 10.3390/cells12121636] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and functions as a glucocorticoid (GC)-responsive transcription factor. GR can halt inflammation and kill off cancer cells, thus explaining the widespread use of glucocorticoids in the clinic. However, side effects and therapy resistance limit GR's therapeutic potential, emphasizing the importance of resolving all of GR's context-specific action mechanisms. Fortunately, the understanding of GR structure, conformation, and stoichiometry in the different GR-controlled biological pathways is now gradually increasing. This information will be crucial to close knowledge gaps on GR function. In this review, we focus on the various domains and mechanisms of action of GR, all from a structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Deploey
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.); (L.V.M.); (F.P.)
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Translational Nuclear Receptor Research (TNRR) Laboratory, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura Van Moortel
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.); (L.V.M.); (F.P.)
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Translational Nuclear Receptor Research (TNRR) Laboratory, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Inez Rogatsky
- Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute, The David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, NY 10021, USA;
- Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Frank Peelman
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.); (L.V.M.); (F.P.)
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Bosscher
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.); (L.V.M.); (F.P.)
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Translational Nuclear Receptor Research (TNRR) Laboratory, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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14
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Fettweis G, Johnson TA, Almeida-Prieto B, Presman DM, Hager GL, Alvarez de la Rosa D. The mineralocorticoid receptor forms higher order oligomers upon DNA binding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525752. [PMID: 36789424 PMCID: PMC9928021 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The prevailing model of steroid hormone nuclear receptor function assumes ligand-induced homodimer formation followed by binding to DNA hormone response elements (HREs). This model has been challenged by evidence showing that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) forms tetramers upon ligand and DNA binding, which then drive receptor-mediated gene transactivation and transrepression. GR and the closely-related mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) interact to transduce corticosteroid hormone signaling, but whether they share the same quaternary arrangement is unknown. Here, we used a fluorescence imaging technique, Number & Brightness, to study oligomerization in a cell system allowing real-time analysis of receptor-DNA interactions. Agonist-bound MR forms tetramers in the nucleoplasm and higher order oligomers upon binding to HREs. Antagonists form intermediate quaternary arrangements, suggesting that large oligomers are essential for function. Divergence between MR and GR quaternary structure is driven by different functionality of known and new multimerization interfaces, which does not preclude formation of heteromers. Thus, influencing oligomerization may be important to selectively modulate corticosteroid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Fettweis
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5055, USA
| | - Thomas A. Johnson
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5055, USA
| | - Brian Almeida-Prieto
- Departmento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna 38200, Spain
| | - Diego M. Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Gordon L. Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5055, USA
| | - Diego Alvarez de la Rosa
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5055, USA
- Departmento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna 38200, Spain
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15
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Lee ZY, Tran T. Genomic and non-genomic effects of glucocorticoids in respiratory diseases. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2023; 98:1-30. [PMID: 37524484 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Cortisol is an endogenous steroid hormone essential for the natural resolution of inflammation. Synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) were developed and are currently amongst the most widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs in our modern clinical landscape owing to their potent anti-inflammatory activity. However, the extent of GC's effects has yet to be fully elucidated. Indeed, GCs modulate a broad spectrum of cellular activity, from their classical regulation of gene expression to acute non-genomic mechanisms of action. Furthermore, tissue specific effects, disease specific conditions, and dose-dependent responses complicate their use, with side-effects potentially plaguing their use. It is thus vital to outline and consolidate the effects of GCs, to demystify and maximize their therapeutic potential while avoiding pitfalls that would otherwise render them obsolete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Yong Lee
- Infectious Disease Translational Research Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thai Tran
- Infectious Disease Translational Research Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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16
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Postel S, Wissler L, Johansson CA, Gunnarsson A, Gordon E, Collins B, Castaldo M, Köhler C, Öling D, Johansson P, Fröderberg Roth L, Beinsteiner B, Dainty I, Delaney S, Klaholz BP, Billas IML, Edman K. Quaternary glucocorticoid receptor structure highlights allosteric interdomain communication. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:286-295. [PMID: 36747092 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00914-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that binds DNA and assembles co-regulator complexes to regulate gene transcription. GR agonists are widely prescribed to people with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Here we present high-resolution, multidomain structures of GR in complex with ligand, DNA and co-regulator peptide. The structures reveal how the receptor forms an asymmetric dimer on the DNA and provide a detailed view of the domain interactions within and across the two monomers. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange and DNA-binding experiments demonstrate that ligand-dependent structural changes are communicated across the different domains in the full-length receptor. This study demonstrates how GR forms a distinct architecture on DNA and how signal transmission can be modulated by the ligand pharmacophore, provides a platform to build a new level of understanding of how receptor modifications can drive disease progression and offers key insight for future drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Postel
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lisa Wissler
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carina A Johansson
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anders Gunnarsson
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Euan Gordon
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Barry Collins
- Bioscience COPD/IPF, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marie Castaldo
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christian Köhler
- Bioscience COPD/IPF, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Öling
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Patrik Johansson
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Brice Beinsteiner
- Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI), Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104, Illkirch, France
| | - Ian Dainty
- Bioscience COPD/IPF, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stephen Delaney
- Bioscience COPD/IPF, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bruno P Klaholz
- Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI), Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104, Illkirch, France
| | - Isabelle M L Billas
- Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI), Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104, Illkirch, France
| | - Karl Edman
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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17
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Berry KJ, Chandran U, Mu F, Deochand DK, Lei T, Pagin M, Nicolis SK, Monaghan-Nichols AP, Rogatsky I, DeFranco DB. Genomic glucocorticoid action in embryonic mouse neural stem cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 563:111864. [PMID: 36690169 PMCID: PMC10057471 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) reprograms brain development and predisposes the developing fetus towards potential adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Using a mouse model of sGC administration, previous studies show that these changes are accompanied by sexually dimorphic alterations in the transcriptome of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) derived from the embryonic telencephalon. Because cell type-specific gene expression profiles tightly regulate cell fate decisions and are controlled by a flexible landscape of chromatin domains upon which transcription factors and enhancer elements act, we multiplexed data from four genome-wide assays: RNA-seq, ATAC-seq (assay for transposase accessible chromatin followed by genome wide sequencing), dual cross-linking ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by genome wide sequencing), and microarray gene expression to identify novel relationships between gene regulation, chromatin structure, and genomic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action in NSPCs. These data reveal that GR binds preferentially to predetermined regions of accessible chromatin to influence gene programming and cell fate decisions. In addition, we identify SOX2 as a transcription factor that impacts the genomic response of select GR target genes to sGCs (i.e., dexamethasone) in NSPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Berry
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Uma Chandran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Research Computing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fangping Mu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Research Computing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dinesh K Deochand
- Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute, The David Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, USA
| | - T Lei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Miriam Pagin
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia K Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - A Paula Monaghan-Nichols
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Inez Rogatsky
- Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute, The David Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, USA; Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
| | - Donald B DeFranco
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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18
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SOX2 Modulates the Nuclear Organization and Transcriptional Activity of the Glucocorticoid Receptor. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167869. [PMID: 36309135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167869] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Steroid receptors (SRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors (TFs) relevant to key cellular processes in both physiology and pathology, including some types of cancer. SOX2 is a master TF of pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, and its dysregulation is also associated with various types of human cancers. A potential crosstalk between these TFs could be relevant in malignant cells yet, to the best of our knowledge, no formal study has been performed thus far. Here we show, by quantitative live-cell imaging microscopy, that ectopic expression of SOX2 disrupts the formation of hormone-dependent intranuclear condensates of many steroid receptors (SRs), including those formed by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). SOX2 also reduces GR's binding to specific DNA targets and modulates its transcriptional activity. SOX2-driven effects on GR condensates do not require the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of the receptor and, surprisingly, neither relies on GR/SOX2 interactions. SOX2 also alters the intranuclear dynamics and compartmentalization of the SR coactivator NCoA-2 and impairs GR/NCoA-2 interactions. These results suggest an indirect mechanism underlying SOX2-driven effects on SRs involving this coactivator. Together, these results highlight that the transcriptional program elicited by GR relies on its nuclear organization and is intimately linked to the distribution of other GR partners, such as the NCoA-2 coactivator. Abnormal expression of SOX2, commonly observed in many tumors, may alter the biological action of GR and, probably, other SRs as well. Understanding this crosstalk may help to improve steroid hormone-based therapies in cancers with elevated SOX2 expression.
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19
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Jiménez-Panizo A, Alegre-Martí A, Tettey T, Fettweis G, Abella M, Antón R, Johnson T, Kim S, Schiltz R, Núñez-Barrios I, Font-Díaz J, Caelles C, Valledor A, Pérez P, Rojas A, Fernández-Recio J, Presman D, Hager G, Fuentes-Prior P, Estébanez-Perpiñá E. The multivalency of the glucocorticoid receptor ligand-binding domain explains its manifold physiological activities. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:13063-13082. [PMID: 36464162 PMCID: PMC9825158 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that controls metabolic and homeostatic processes essential for life. Although numerous crystal structures of the GR ligand-binding domain (GR-LBD) have been reported, the functional oligomeric state of the full-length receptor, which is essential for its transcriptional activity, remains disputed. Here we present five new crystal structures of agonist-bound GR-LBD, along with a thorough analysis of previous structural work. We identify four distinct homodimerization interfaces on the GR-LBD surface, which can associate into 20 topologically different homodimers. Biologically relevant homodimers were identified by studying a battery of GR point mutants including crosslinking assays in solution, quantitative fluorescence microscopy in living cells, and transcriptomic analyses. Our results highlight the relevance of non-canonical dimerization modes for GR, especially of contacts made by loop L1-3 residues such as Tyr545. Our work illustrates the unique flexibility of GR's LBD and suggests different dimeric conformations within cells. In addition, we unveil pathophysiologically relevant quaternary assemblies of the receptor with important implications for glucocorticoid action and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregory Fettweis
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Montserrat Abella
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Antón
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas A Johnson
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Sohyoung Kim
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - R Louis Schiltz
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Israel Núñez-Barrios
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC). Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joan Font-Díaz
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Caelles
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Annabel F Valledor
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Pérez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana M Rojas
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC). Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Fernández-Recio
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV), CSIC - Universidad de La Rioja - Gobierno de La Rioja, 26007 Logroño, Spain
| | - Diego M Presman
- IFIBYNE, UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Gordon L Hager
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Gordon L. Hager. Tel: +1 240 760 6618;
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20
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Murphy MD, Heller EA. Convergent actions of stress and stimulants via epigenetic regulation of neural circuitry. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:955-967. [PMID: 36280459 PMCID: PMC9671852 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.10.001] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal striatum integrates prior and current information to guide appropriate decision-making. Chronic stress and stimulant exposure interferes with decision-making, and can confer similar cognitive and behavioral inflexibilities. This review examines the literature on acute and chronic regulation of the epigenome by stress and stimulants. Recent evidence suggests that exposures to stress and stimulants share similarities in the manners in which they regulate the dorsal striatum epigenome through DNA methylation, transposable element activity, and histone post-translational modifications. These findings suggest that chronic stress and stimulant exposure leads to the accumulation of epigenetic modifications that impair immediate and future neuron function and activity. Such epigenetic mechanisms represent potential therapeutic targets for ameliorating convergent symptoms of stress and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Murphy
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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21
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Cirstea IC, Moll HP, Tuckermann J. Glucocorticoid receptor and RAS: an unexpected couple in cancer. Trends Cell Biol 2022:S0962-8924(22)00253-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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22
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Kinetic principles underlying pioneer function of GAGA transcription factor in live cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:665-676. [PMID: 35835866 PMCID: PMC10177624 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00800-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
How pioneer factors interface with chromatin to promote accessibility for transcription control is poorly understood in vivo. Here, we directly visualize chromatin association by the prototypical GAGA pioneer factor (GAF) in live Drosophila hemocytes. Single-particle tracking reveals that most GAF is chromatin bound, with a stable-binding fraction showing nucleosome-like confinement residing on chromatin for more than 2 min, far longer than the dynamic range of most transcription factors. These kinetic properties require the full complement of GAF's DNA-binding, multimerization and intrinsically disordered domains, and are autonomous from recruited chromatin remodelers NURF and PBAP, whose activities primarily benefit GAF's neighbors such as Heat Shock Factor. Evaluation of GAF kinetics together with its endogenous abundance indicates that, despite on-off dynamics, GAF constitutively and fully occupies major chromatin targets, thereby providing a temporal mechanism that sustains open chromatin for transcriptional responses to homeostatic, environmental and developmental signals.
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23
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Regazzo D, Mondin A, Scaroni C, Occhi G, Barbot M. The Role of Glucocorticoid Receptor in the Pathophysiology of Pituitary Corticotroph Adenomas. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126469. [PMID: 35742910 PMCID: PMC9224504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare tumors characterized by autonomous ACTH secretion with a consequent increase in circulating cortisol levels. The resulting clinical picture is called Cushing’s disease (CD), a severe condition burdened with high morbidity and mortality. Apart from increased cortisol levels, CD patients exhibit a partial resistance to the negative glucocorticoid (GC) feedback, which is of paramount clinical utility, as the lack of suppression after dexamethasone administration is one of the mainstays for the differential diagnosis of CD. Since the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is the main regulator of negative feedback of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in normal conditions, its implication in the pathophysiology of ACTH-secreting pituitary tumors is highly plausible. In this paper, we review GR function and structure and the mechanisms of GC resistance in ACTH-secreting pituitary tumors and assess the effects of the available medical therapies targeting GR on tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Regazzo
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Alessandro Mondin
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Carla Scaroni
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Gianluca Occhi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy;
| | - Mattia Barbot
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence:
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24
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Strickland BA, Ansari SA, Dantoft W, Uhlenhaut NH. How to tame your genes: mechanisms of inflammatory gene repression by glucocorticoids. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:2596-2616. [PMID: 35612756 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used therapeutic agents to treat a broad range of inflammatory conditions. Their functional effects are elicited by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which regulates transcription of distinct gene networks in response to ligand. However, the mechanisms governing various aspects of undesired side effects versus beneficial immunomodulation upon GR activation remain complex and incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss emerging models of inflammatory gene regulation by GR, highlighting GR's regulatory specificity conferred by context-dependent changes in chromatin architecture and transcription factor or co-regulator dynamics. GR controls both gene activation and repression, with the repression mechanism being central to favorable clinical outcomes. We describe current knowledge about 3D genome organization and its role in spatiotemporal transcriptional control by GR. Looking beyond, we summarize the evidence for dynamics in gene regulation by GR through cooperative convergence of epigenetic modifications, transcription factor crosstalk, molecular condensate formation and chromatin looping. Further characterizing these genomic events will reframe our understanding of mechanisms of transcriptional repression by GR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Strickland
- Metabolic Programming, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Suhail A Ansari
- Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Widad Dantoft
- Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - N Henriette Uhlenhaut
- Metabolic Programming, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
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25
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Timmermans S, Vandewalle J, Libert C. Dimerization of the Glucocorticoid Receptor and Its Importance in (Patho)physiology: A Primer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040683. [PMID: 35203332 PMCID: PMC8870481 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a very versatile protein that comes in several forms, interacts with many proteins and has multiple functions. Numerous therapies are based on GRs’ actions but the occurrence of side effects and reduced responses to glucocorticoids have motivated scientists to study GRs in great detail. The notion that GRs can perform functions as a monomeric protein, but also as a homodimer has raised questions about the underlying mechanisms, structural aspects of dimerization, influencing factors and biological functions. In this review paper, we are providing an overview of the current knowledge and insights about this important aspect of GR biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Timmermans
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (S.T.); (J.V.)
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jolien Vandewalle
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (S.T.); (J.V.)
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Claude Libert
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; (S.T.); (J.V.)
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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26
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Pecci A, Ogara MF, Sanz RT, Vicent GP. Choosing the right partner in hormone-dependent gene regulation: Glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors crosstalk in breast cancer cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1037177. [PMID: 36407312 PMCID: PMC9672667 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1037177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) belong to a large family of ligand-activated nuclear receptors that share certain characteristics and possess others that make them unique. It was thought for many years that the specificity of hormone response lay in the ligand. Although this may be true for pure agonists, the natural ligands as progesterone, corticosterone and cortisol present a broader effect by simultaneous activation of several SHRs. Moreover, SHRs share structural and functional characteristics that range from similarities between ligand-binding pockets to recognition of specific DNA sequences. These properties are clearly evident in progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR); however, the biological responses triggered by each receptor in the presence of its ligand are different, and in some cases, even opposite. Thus, what confers the specificity of response to a given receptor is a long-standing topic of discussion that has not yet been unveiled. The levels of expression of each receptor, the differential interaction with coregulators, the chromatin accessibility as well as the DNA sequence of the target regions in the genome, are reliable sources of variability in hormone action that could explain the results obtained so far. Yet, to add further complexity to this scenario, it has been described that receptors can form heterocomplexes which can either compromise or potentiate the respective hormone-activated pathways with its possible impact on the pathological condition. In the present review, we summarized the state of the art of the functional cross-talk between PR and GR in breast cancer cells and we also discussed new paradigms of specificity in hormone action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adali Pecci
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Adali Pecci, ; Guillermo Pablo Vicent,
| | - María Florencia Ogara
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rosario T. Sanz
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillermo Pablo Vicent
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Adali Pecci, ; Guillermo Pablo Vicent,
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27
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Structural insights into glucocorticoid receptor function. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2333-2343. [PMID: 34709368 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a steroid hormone-activated transcription factor that binds to various glucocorticoid response elements to up- or down- regulate the transcription of thousands of genes involved in metabolism, development, stress and inflammatory responses. GR consists of two domains enabling interaction with glucocorticoids, DNA response elements and coregulators, as well as a large intrinsically disordered region that mediates condensate formation. A growing body of structural studies during the past decade have shed new light on GR interactions, providing a new understanding of the mechanisms driving context-specific GR activity. Here, we summarize the established and emerging mechanisms of action of GR, primarily from a structural perspective. This minireview also discusses how the current state of knowledge of GR function may guide future glucocorticoid design with an improved therapeutic index for different inflammatory disorders.
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28
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Casey T, Suarez-Trujillo A, Cummings S, Huff K, Crodian J, Bhide K, Aduwari C, Teeple K, Shamay A, Mabjeesh SJ, San Miguel P, Thimmapuram J, Plaut K. Core circadian clock transcription factor BMAL1 regulates mammary epithelial cell growth, differentiation, and milk component synthesis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248199. [PMID: 34415905 PMCID: PMC8378744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The role the mammary epithelial circadian clock plays in gland development and lactation is unknown. We hypothesized that mammary epithelial clocks function to regulate mammogenesis and lactogenesis, and propose the core clock transcription factor BMAL1:CLOCK regulates genes that control mammary epithelial development and milk synthesis. Our objective was to identify transcriptional targets of BMAL1 in undifferentiated (UNDIFF) and lactogen differentiated (DIFF) mammary epithelial cells (HC11) using ChIP-seq. Ensembl gene IDs with the nearest transcriptional start site to ChIP-seq peaks were explored as potential targets, and represented 846 protein coding genes common to UNDIFF and DIFF cells and 2773 unique to DIFF samples. Genes with overlapping peaks between samples (1343) enriched cell-cell adhesion, membrane transporters and lipid metabolism categories. To functionally verify targets, an HC11 line with Bmal1 gene knocked out (BMAL1-KO) using CRISPR-CAS was created. BMAL1-KO cultures had lower cell densities over an eight-day growth curve, which was associated with increased (p<0.05) levels of reactive oxygen species and lower expression of superoxide dismutase 3 (Sod3). RT-qPCR analysis also found lower expression of the putative targets, prolactin receptor (Prlr), Ppara, and beta-casein (Csn2). Findings support our hypothesis and highlight potential importance of clock in mammary development and substrate transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Casey
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Aridany Suarez-Trujillo
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Shelby Cummings
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Katelyn Huff
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Crodian
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Ketaki Bhide
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Clare Aduwari
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Kelsey Teeple
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Avi Shamay
- Animal Science Institute, Agriculture Research Origination, The Volcani Center, Rishon Letsiyon, Israel
| | - Sameer J. Mabjeesh
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Phillip San Miguel
- Genomics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Jyothi Thimmapuram
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Karen Plaut
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
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29
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Clarisse D, De Bosscher K. How the glucocorticoid receptor contributes to platinum-based therapy resistance in solid cancer. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4959. [PMID: 34400619 PMCID: PMC8367998 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24847-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic glucocorticoids serve as co-medication against solid malignant tumors. However, glucocorticoid receptor activation may promote unsolicited cancer resistance to chemotherapy. The Kang team elucidated a glucocorticoid receptor-centred chemotherapy-resistance mechanism to cisplatin and characterized avenues towards a viable escape strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Clarisse
- Translational Nuclear Receptor Research, UGent Department of Biomolecular Medicine, VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Bosscher
- Translational Nuclear Receptor Research, UGent Department of Biomolecular Medicine, VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium.
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30
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Paakinaho V, Palvimo JJ. Genome-wide crosstalk between steroid receptors in breast and prostate cancers. Endocr Relat Cancer 2021; 28:R231-R250. [PMID: 34137734 PMCID: PMC8345902 DOI: 10.1530/erc-21-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Steroid receptors (SRs) constitute an important class of signal-dependent transcription factors (TFs). They regulate a variety of key biological processes and are crucial drug targets in many disease states. In particular, estrogen (ER) and androgen receptors (AR) drive the development and progression of breast and prostate cancer, respectively. Thus, they represent the main specific drug targets in these diseases. Recent evidence has suggested that the crosstalk between signal-dependent TFs is an important step in the reprogramming of chromatin sites; a signal-activated TF can expand or restrict the chromatin binding of another TF. This crosstalk can rewire gene programs and thus alter biological processes and influence the progression of disease. Lately, it has been postulated that there may be an important crosstalk between the AR and the ER with other SRs. Especially, progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) can reprogram chromatin binding of ER and gene programs in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, GR can take the place of AR in antiandrogen-resistant prostate cancer cells. Here, we review the current knowledge of the crosstalk between SRs in breast and prostate cancers. We emphasize how the activity of ER and AR on chromatin can be modulated by other SRs on a genome-wide scale. We also highlight the knowledge gaps in the interplay of SRs and their complex interactions with other signaling pathways and suggest how to experimentally fill in these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Paakinaho
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jorma J Palvimo
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Correspondence should be addressed to J J Palvimo:
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31
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Vettorazzi S, Nalbantoglu D, Gebhardt JCM, Tuckermann J. A guide to changing paradigms of glucocorticoid receptor function-a model system for genome regulation and physiology. FEBS J 2021; 289:5718-5743. [PMID: 34213830 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a bona fide ligand-regulated transcription factor. Cloned in the 80s, the GR has become one of the best-studied and clinically most relevant members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Cooperative activity of GR with other transcription factors and a plethora of coregulators contribute to the tissue- and context-specific response toward the endogenous and pharmacological glucocorticoids (GCs). Furthermore, nontranscriptional activities in the cytoplasm are emerging as an additional function of GR. Over the past 40 years, the concepts of GR mechanisms of action had been constantly changing. Different methodologies in the pregenomic and genomic era of molecular biological research and recent cutting-edge technology in single-cell and single-molecule analysis are steadily evolving the views, how the GR in particular and transcriptional regulation in general act in physiological and pathological processes. In addition to the development of technologies for GR analysis, the use of model organisms provides insights how the GR in vivo executes GC action in tissue homeostasis, inflammation, and energy metabolism. The model organisms, namely the mouse, but also rats, zebrafish, and recently fruit flies carrying mutations of the GR became a major driving force to analyze the molecular function of GR in disease models. This guide provides an overview of the exciting research and paradigm shifts in the GR field from past to present with a focus on GR transcription factor networks, GR DNA-binding and single-cell analysis, and model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Vettorazzi
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME), Ulm University, Germany
| | - Denis Nalbantoglu
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME), Ulm University, Germany
| | | | - Jan Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME), Ulm University, Germany
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32
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Repression of transcription by the glucocorticoid receptor: A parsimonious model for the genomics era. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100687. [PMID: 33891947 PMCID: PMC8141881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are potent anti-inflammatory drugs that are used to treat an extraordinary range of human disease, including COVID-19, underscoring the ongoing importance of understanding their molecular mechanisms. Early studies of GR signaling led to broad acceptance of models in which glucocorticoid receptor (GR) monomers tether repressively to inflammatory transcription factors, thus abrogating inflammatory gene expression. However, newer data challenge this core concept and present an exciting opportunity to reframe our understanding of GR signaling. Here, we present an alternate, two-part model for transcriptional repression by glucocorticoids. First, widespread GR-mediated induction of transcription results in rapid, primary repression of inflammatory gene transcription and associated enhancers through competition-based mechanisms. Second, a subset of GR-induced genes, including targets that are regulated in coordination with inflammatory transcription factors such as NF-κB, exerts secondary repressive effects on inflammatory gene expression. Within this framework, emerging data indicate that the gene set regulated through the cooperative convergence of GR and NF-κB signaling is central to the broad clinical effectiveness of glucocorticoids in terminating inflammation and promoting tissue repair.
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33
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Ricci A, Biancucci F, Magnani M, Menotta M. Transcriptomic profile of ataxia telangiectasia cells treated for 30 days with a low dose of dexamethasone. ALL LIFE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/26895293.2021.1911863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Ricci
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
| | - Federica Biancucci
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
| | - Mauro Magnani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
| | - Michele Menotta
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
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Genome-wide binding potential and regulatory activity of the glucocorticoid receptor's monomeric and dimeric forms. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1987. [PMID: 33790284 PMCID: PMC8012360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22234-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A widely regarded model for glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action postulates that dimeric binding to DNA regulates unfavorable metabolic pathways while monomeric receptor binding promotes repressive gene responses related to its anti-inflammatory effects. This model has been built upon the characterization of the GRdim mutant, reported to be incapable of DNA binding and dimerization. Although quantitative live-cell imaging data shows GRdim as mostly dimeric, genomic studies based on recovery of enriched half-site response elements suggest monomeric engagement on DNA. Here, we perform genome-wide studies on GRdim and a constitutively monomeric mutant. Our results show that impairing dimerization affects binding even to open chromatin. We also find that GRdim does not exclusively bind half-response elements. Our results do not support a physiological role for monomeric GR and are consistent with a common mode of receptor binding via higher order structures that drives both the activating and repressive actions of glucocorticoids.
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Bianchetti L, Sinar D, Depenveiller C, Dejaegere A. Insights into mineralocorticoid receptor homodimerization from a combined molecular modeling and bioinformatics study. Proteins 2021; 89:952-965. [PMID: 33713045 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a steroid-activated nuclear receptor (NR) that plays essential roles in water-electrolyte balance and blood pressure homeostasis. It belongs to the group of oxo-steroidian NRs, together with the glucocorticoid (GR), progesterone (PR), and androgen (AR) receptors. Classically, these oxo-steroidian NRs homodimerize and bind to specific genomic sequences to activate gene expression. NRs are multi-domain proteins, and dimerization is mediated by both the DNA (DBD) and ligand binding domains (LBDs), with the latter thought to provide the largest dimerization interface. However, at the structural level, the dimerization of oxo-steroidian receptors LBDs has remained largely a matter of debate and, despite their sequence homology, there is currently no consensus on a common homodimer assembly across the four receptors, that is, GR, PR, AR, and MR. Here, we examined all available MR LBD crystals using different computational methods (protein common interface database, proteins, interfaces, structures and assemblies, protein-protein interaction prediction by structural matching, and evolutionary protein-protein interface classifier, and the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area method). A consensus is reached by all methods and singles out an interface mediated by helices H9, H10 and the C-terminal F domain as having characteristics of a biologically relevant assembly. Interestingly, a similar assembly was previously identified for GRα, MR closest homolog. Alternative architectures that were proposed for GRα were not observed for MR. These data call for further experimental investigations of oxo-steroid dimer architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Bianchetti
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biophysique de la Signalisation de la Transcription, Département de Biologie Structurale Intégrative, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Deniz Sinar
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biophysique de la Signalisation de la Transcription, Département de Biologie Structurale Intégrative, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Camille Depenveiller
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biophysique de la Signalisation de la Transcription, Département de Biologie Structurale Intégrative, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Annick Dejaegere
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biophysique de la Signalisation de la Transcription, Département de Biologie Structurale Intégrative, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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Wang HQ, Wang ZZ, Chen NH. The receptor hypothesis and the pathogenesis of depression: Genetic bases and biological correlates. Pharmacol Res 2021; 167:105542. [PMID: 33711432 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Depression has become one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by anhedonia, anxiety, pessimism, or even suicidal thoughts. Receptor theory has been pointed out to explain the pathogenesis of depression, while it is still subject to debate. Additionally, gene abnormality accounts for nearly 40-50% of depression risk, which is a significant factor contributing to the onset of depression. Accordingly, studying on receptors and their gene abnormality are critical parts of the research on internal causes of depression. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of depression from six of the most related receptors and their associated genes, including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor, GABAA receptor α2, and dopamine receptor; and several "non-classic" receptors, such as metabotropic glutamate receptor, opioid receptor, and insulin receptor. These receptors have received considerable critical attention and are highly implicated in the onset of depression. We begin by providing the biological mechanisms of action of these receptors on the pathogenesis of depression. Then we review the historical and social context about these receptors. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the current state of knowledge and outline insights on future research directions, aiming to provide more novel targets and theoretical basis for the early prevention, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Qin Wang
- Hunan University of Chinese Medicine & Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Zhen-Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Nai-Hong Chen
- Hunan University of Chinese Medicine & Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
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HUZARD D, RAPPENEAU V, MEIJER OC, TOUMA C, ARANGO-LIEVANO M, GARABEDIAN MJ, JEANNETEAU F. Experience and activity-dependent control of glucocorticoid receptors during the stress response in large-scale brain networks. Stress 2021; 24:130-153. [PMID: 32755268 PMCID: PMC7907260 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1806226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of actions of the glucocorticoid stress hormones among individuals and within organs, tissues and cells is shaped by age, gender, genetics, metabolism, and the quantity of exposure. However, such factors cannot explain the heterogeneity of responses in the brain within cells of the same lineage, or similar tissue environment, or in the same individual. Here, we argue that the stress response is continuously updated by synchronized neural activity on large-scale brain networks. This occurs at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels by crosstalk communication between activity-dependent and glucocorticoid signaling pathways, which updates the diversity of responses based on prior experience. Such a Bayesian process determines adaptation to the demands of the body and external world. We propose a framework for understanding how the diversity of glucocorticoid actions throughout brain networks is essential for supporting optimal health, while its disruption may contribute to the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders, such as major depression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien HUZARD
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie RAPPENEAU
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onno C. MEIJER
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chadi TOUMA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Margarita ARANGO-LIEVANO
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Freddy JEANNETEAU
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author:
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Paakinaho V, Lempiäinen JK, Sigismondo G, Niskanen EA, Malinen M, Jääskeläinen T, Varjosalo M, Krijgsveld J, Palvimo J. SUMOylation regulates the protein network and chromatin accessibility at glucocorticoid receptor-binding sites. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:1951-1971. [PMID: 33524141 PMCID: PMC7913686 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is an essential transcription factor (TF), controlling metabolism, development and immune responses. SUMOylation regulates chromatin occupancy and target gene expression of GR in a locus-selective manner, but the mechanism of regulation has remained elusive. Here, we identify the protein network around chromatin-bound GR by using selective isolation of chromatin-associated proteins and show that the network is affected by receptor SUMOylation, with several nuclear receptor coregulators and chromatin modifiers preferring interaction with SUMOylation-deficient GR and proteins implicated in transcriptional repression preferring interaction with SUMOylation-competent GR. This difference is reflected in our chromatin binding, chromatin accessibility and gene expression data, showing that the SUMOylation-deficient GR is more potent in binding and opening chromatin at glucocorticoid-regulated enhancers and inducing expression of target loci. Blockage of SUMOylation by a SUMO-activating enzyme inhibitor (ML-792) phenocopied to a large extent the consequences of GR SUMOylation deficiency on chromatin binding and target gene expression. Our results thus show that SUMOylation modulates the specificity of GR by regulating its chromatin protein network and accessibility at GR-bound enhancers. We speculate that many other SUMOylated TFs utilize a similar regulatory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Paakinaho
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | | | - Einari A Niskanen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Marjo Malinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Tiina Jääskeläinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jeroen Krijgsveld
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jorma J Palvimo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Garcia DA, Johnson TA, Presman DM, Fettweis G, Wagh K, Rinaldi L, Stavreva DA, Paakinaho V, Jensen RAM, Mandrup S, Upadhyaya A, Hager GL. An intrinsically disordered region-mediated confinement state contributes to the dynamics and function of transcription factors. Mol Cell 2021; 81:1484-1498.e6. [PMID: 33561389 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression by binding to specific consensus motifs within the local chromatin context. The mechanisms by which TFs navigate the nuclear environment as they search for binding sites remain unclear. Here, we used single-molecule tracking and machine-learning-based classification to directly measure the nuclear mobility of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in live cells. We revealed two distinct and dynamic low-mobility populations. One accounts for specific binding to chromatin, while the other represents a confinement state that requires an intrinsically disordered region (IDR), implicated in liquid-liquid condensate subdomains. Further analysis showed that the dwell times of both subpopulations follow a power-law distribution, consistent with a broad distribution of affinities on the GR cistrome and interactome. Together, our data link IDRs with a confinement state that is functionally distinct from specific chromatin binding and modulates the transcriptional output by increasing the local concentration of TFs at specific sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Garcia
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Thomas A Johnson
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA
| | - Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gregory Fettweis
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA
| | - Kaustubh Wagh
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Lorenzo Rinaldi
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA
| | - Diana A Stavreva
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA
| | - Ville Paakinaho
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Rikke A M Jensen
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Susanne Mandrup
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Arpita Upadhyaya
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Gordon L Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20893, USA.
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40
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Phasing the intranuclear organization of steroid hormone receptors. Biochem J 2021; 478:443-461. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Steroid receptors (SRs) encompass a family of transcription factors that regulate the expression of thousands of genes upon binding to steroid hormones and include the glucocorticoid, androgen, progesterone, estrogen and mineralocorticoid receptors. SRs control key physiological and pathological processes, thus becoming relevant drug targets. As with many other nuclear proteins, hormone-activated SRs concentrate in multiple discrete foci within the cell nucleus. Even though these foci were first observed ∼25 years ago, their exact structure and function remained elusive. In the last years, new imaging methodologies and theoretical frameworks improved our understanding of the intranuclear organization. These studies led to a new paradigm stating that many membraneless nuclear compartments, including transcription-related foci, form through a liquid–liquid phase separation process. These exciting ideas impacted the SR field by raising the hypothesis of SR foci as liquid condensates involved in transcriptional regulation. In this work, we review the current knowledge about SR foci formation under the light of the condensate model, analyzing how these structures may impact SR function. These new ideas, combined with state-of-the-art techniques, may shed light on the biophysical mechanisms governing the formation of SR foci and the biological function of these structures in normal physiology and disease.
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41
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Li Z, Kanitz E, Tuchscherer M, Tuchscherer A, Metges CC, Trakooljul N, Wimmers K, Murani E. A natural Ala610Val substitution causing glucocorticoid receptor hypersensitivity aggravates consequences of endotoxemia. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 90:174-183. [PMID: 32795657 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the crucial role of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in proper immune responses, the effect of GR hypersensitivity on inflammation is rarely reported. To fill this knowledge gap, we exploited the natural gain-of-function substitution in the porcine glucocorticoid receptor (GRAla610Val) and challenged pigs carrying normal or hypersensitive GR using 50 µg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following pretreatment with either saline or single bolus of 60 µg/kg dexamethasone (DEX). The GRAla610Val substitution reduced baseline cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and triglyceride concentration and granulocyte proportion whereas baseline platelet counts were elevated. Val-carriers, i.e. AlaVal as well as ValVal pigs, showed less LPS-induced cortisol rise but the cortisol fold change was similar in all genotypes. Differently, ACTH response to LPS was most significant in GRAla610Val heterozygotes (AlaVal). LPS-induced disorders, including sickness behaviors, anorexia, thrombocytopenia, cytokine production, and metabolic alterations were more intense in Val-carriers. On the other hand, Val-carriers were more sensitive to DEX effect than wild types (AlaAla) during endotoxemia, but not under unchallenged conditions. This is the first report revealing aggravated responses to endotoxemia by GR gain-of-function. Together, these results imply that GR hypersensitivity is difficult to diagnose but may represent a risk factor for endotoxemia and sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Li
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Ellen Kanitz
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Margret Tuchscherer
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Armin Tuchscherer
- Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Cornelia C Metges
- Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Nares Trakooljul
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Eduard Murani
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
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42
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Paakinaho V, Swinstead EE, Presman DM, Grøntved L, Hager GL. Meta-analysis of Chromatin Programming by Steroid Receptors. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3523-3534.e2. [PMID: 31553919 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) must access chromatin to bind to their response elements and regulate gene expression. A widely accepted model proposes that only a special subset of TFs, pioneer factors, can associate with condensed chromatin and initiate chromatin opening. We previously reported that steroid receptors (SRs), not considered pioneer factors, can assist the binding of an archetypal pioneer, the forkhead box protein 1 (FOXA1), at a subset of receptor-activated enhancers. These findings have been challenged recently, with the suggestion that newly acquired data fully support the prevailing pioneer model. Here, we reexamine our results and confirm the original conclusions. We also analyze and discuss a number of available datasets relevant to chromatin penetration by SRs and find a general consensus supporting our original observations. Hence, we propose that chromatin opening at some sites can be initiated by SRs, with a parallel recruitment of factors often treated as having a unique pioneer function. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Glont et al. (2019), published in Cell Reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Paakinaho
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Erin E Swinstead
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Lars Grøntved
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Gordon L Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA.
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Kershaw S, Morgan DJ, Boyd J, Spiller DG, Kitchen G, Zindy E, Iqbal M, Rattray M, Sanderson CM, Brass A, Jorgensen C, Hussell T, Matthews LC, Ray DW. Glucocorticoids rapidly inhibit cell migration through a novel, non-transcriptional HDAC6 pathway. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs242842. [PMID: 32381682 PMCID: PMC7295589 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.242842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) act through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR, also known as NR3C1) to regulate immunity, energy metabolism and tissue repair. Upon ligand binding, activated GR mediates cellular effects by regulating gene expression, but some GR effects can occur rapidly without new transcription. Here, we show that GCs rapidly inhibit cell migration, in response to both GR agonist and antagonist ligand binding. The inhibitory effect on migration is prevented by GR knockdown with siRNA, confirming GR specificity, but not by actinomycin D treatment, suggesting a non-transcriptional mechanism. We identified a rapid onset increase in microtubule polymerisation following GC treatment, identifying cytoskeletal stabilisation as the likely mechanism of action. HDAC6 overexpression, but not knockdown of αTAT1, rescued the GC effect, implicating HDAC6 as the GR effector. Consistent with this hypothesis, ligand-dependent cytoplasmic interaction between GR and HDAC6 was demonstrated by quantitative imaging. Taken together, we propose that activated GR inhibits HDAC6 function, and thereby increases the stability of the microtubule network to reduce cell motility. We therefore report a novel, non-transcriptional mechanism whereby GCs impair cell motility through inhibition of HDAC6 and rapid reorganization of the cell architecture.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Kershaw
- Systems Oncology, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Manchester, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - David J Morgan
- Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - James Boyd
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - David G Spiller
- Platform Sciences, Enabling Technologies, and Infrastructure, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Gareth Kitchen
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Gastroenterology, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Egor Zindy
- Division of Informatics, Imaging, and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Mudassar Iqbal
- Division of Informatics, Imaging, and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Magnus Rattray
- Division of Informatics, Imaging, and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christopher M Sanderson
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Andrew Brass
- Division of Informatics, Imaging, and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Claus Jorgensen
- Systems Oncology, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Manchester, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Tracy Hussell
- Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Laura C Matthews
- Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David W Ray
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Gastroenterology, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), University of Oxford, OX3 7LE, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
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44
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Stortz M, Pecci A, Presman DM, Levi V. Unraveling the molecular interactions involved in phase separation of glucocorticoid receptor. BMC Biol 2020; 18:59. [PMID: 32487073 PMCID: PMC7268505 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00788-2] [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: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional compartmentalization has emerged as an important factor modulating the kinetics and specificity of biochemical reactions in the nucleus, including those involved in transcriptional regulation. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that translocates to the nucleus upon hormone stimulation and distributes between the nucleoplasm and membraneless compartments named nuclear foci. While a liquid-liquid phase separation process has been recently proposed to drive the formation of many nuclear compartments, the mechanisms governing the heterogeneous organization of GR in the nucleus and the functional relevance of foci formation remain elusive. RESULTS We dissected some of the molecular interactions involved in the formation of GR condensates and analyzed the GR structural determinants relevant to this process. We show that GR foci present properties consistent with those expected for biomolecular condensates formed by a liquid-liquid phase separation process in living human cells. Their formation requires an initial interaction of GR with certain chromatin regions at specific locations within the nucleus. Surprisingly, the intrinsically disordered region of GR is not essential for condensate formation, in contrast to many nuclear proteins that require disordered regions to phase separate, while the ligand-binding domain seems essential for that process. We finally show that GR condensates include Mediator, a protein complex involved in transcription regulation. CONCLUSIONS We show that GR foci have properties of liquid condensates and propose that active GR molecules interact with chromatin and recruit multivalent cofactors whose interactions with additional molecules lead to the formation of a focus. The biological relevance of the interactions occurring in GR condensates supports their involvement in transcription regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stortz
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Adali Pecci
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Valeria Levi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Hoffman JA, Papas BN, Trotter KW, Archer TK. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals a heterogeneous response to Glucocorticoids in breast cancer cells. Commun Biol 2020; 3:126. [PMID: 32170217 PMCID: PMC7070043 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormone receptors such as the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) mediate transcriptional responses to hormones and are frequently targeted in the treatment of human diseases. Experiments using bulk populations of cells have provided a detailed picture of the global transcriptional hormone response but are unable to interrogate cell-to-cell transcriptional heterogeneity. To examine the glucocorticoid response in individual cells, we performed single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) in a human breast cancer cell line. The transcriptional response to hormone was robustly detected in individual cells and scRNAseq provided additional statistical power to identify over 100 GR-regulated genes that were not detected in bulk RNAseq. scRNAseq revealed striking cell-to-cell variability in the hormone response. On average, individual hormone-treated cells showed a response at only 30% of the total set of GR target genes. Understanding the basis of this heterogeneity will be critical for the development of more precise models of steroid hormone signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson A Hoffman
- Chromatin and Gene Expression Section, Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian N Papas
- Integrative Bioinformatics, Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kevin W Trotter
- Chromatin and Gene Expression Section, Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Trevor K Archer
- Chromatin and Gene Expression Section, Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA.
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