1
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McDuffie EL, Panettieri RA, Scott CP. G 12/13 signaling in asthma. Respir Res 2024; 25:295. [PMID: 39095798 PMCID: PMC11297630 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-024-02920-0] [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: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Shortening of airway smooth muscle and bronchoconstriction are pathognomonic for asthma. Airway shortening occurs through calcium-dependent activation of myosin light chain kinase, and RhoA-dependent calcium sensitization, which inhibits myosin light chain phosphatase. The mechanism through which pro-contractile stimuli activate calcium sensitization is poorly understood. Our review of the literature suggests that pro-contractile G protein coupled receptors likely signal through G12/13 to activate RhoA and mediate calcium sensitization. This hypothesis is consistent with the effects of pro-contractile agonists on RhoA and Rho kinase activation, actin polymerization and myosin light chain phosphorylation. Recognizing the likely role of G12/13 signaling in the pathophysiology of asthma rationalizes the effects of pro-contractile stimuli on airway hyperresponsiveness, immune activation and airway remodeling, and suggests new approaches for asthma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L McDuffie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Reynold A Panettieri
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, Child Health Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Charles P Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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2
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Lin KY, Gujar MR, Lin J, Ding WY, Huang J, Gao Y, Tan YS, Teng X, Christine LSL, Kanchanawong P, Toyama Y, Wang H. Astrocytes control quiescent NSC reactivation via GPCR signaling-mediated F-actin remodeling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl4694. [PMID: 39047090 PMCID: PMC11268418 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl4694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The transitioning of neural stem cells (NSCs) between quiescent and proliferative states is fundamental for brain development and homeostasis. Defects in NSC reactivation are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Drosophila quiescent NSCs extend an actin-rich primary protrusion toward the neuropil. However, the function of the actin cytoskeleton during NSC reactivation is unknown. Here, we reveal the fine filamentous actin (F-actin) structures in the protrusions of quiescent NSCs by expansion and super-resolution microscopy. We show that F-actin polymerization promotes the nuclear translocation of myocardin-related transcription factor, a microcephaly-associated transcription factor, for NSC reactivation and brain development. F-actin polymerization is regulated by a signaling cascade composed of G protein-coupled receptor Smog, G protein αq subunit, Rho1 guanosine triphosphatase, and Diaphanous (Dia)/Formin during NSC reactivation. Further, astrocytes secrete a Smog ligand folded gastrulation to regulate Gαq-Rho1-Dia-mediated NSC reactivation. Together, we establish that the Smog-Gαq-Rho1 signaling axis derived from astrocytes, an NSC niche, regulates Dia-mediated F-actin dynamics in NSC reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Yang Lin
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Mahekta R. Gujar
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Jiaen Lin
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Wei Yung Ding
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Jiawen Huang
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Yang Gao
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Ye Sing Tan
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Xiang Teng
- Mechanobiology Institute, Level 5, T-lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Low Siok Lan Christine
- Mechanobiology Institute, Level 5, T-lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Pakorn Kanchanawong
- Mechanobiology Institute, Level 5, T-lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Yusuke Toyama
- Mechanobiology Institute, Level 5, T-lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117411, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore
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3
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Lichner Z, Ding M, Khare T, Dan Q, Benitez R, Praszner M, Song X, Saleeb R, Hinz B, Pei Y, Szászi K, Kapus A. Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor Mediates Epithelial Fibrogenesis in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Cells 2024; 13:984. [PMID: 38891116 PMCID: PMC11172104 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110984] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is characterized by extensive cyst formation and progressive fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms whereby the loss/loss-of-function of Polycystin 1 or 2 (PC1/2) provokes fibrosis are largely unknown. The small GTPase RhoA has been recently implicated in cystogenesis, and we identified the RhoA/cytoskeleton/myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) pathway as an emerging mediator of epithelium-induced fibrogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesized that MRTF is activated by PC1/2 loss and plays a critical role in the fibrogenic reprogramming of the epithelium. The loss of PC1 or PC2, induced by siRNA in vitro, activated RhoA and caused cytoskeletal remodeling and robust nuclear MRTF translocation and overexpression. These phenomena were also manifested in PKD1 (RC/RC) and PKD2 (WS25/-) mice, with MRTF translocation and overexpression occurring predominantly in dilated tubules and the cyst-lining epithelium, respectively. In epithelial cells, a large cohort of PC1/PC2 downregulation-induced genes was MRTF-dependent, including cytoskeletal, integrin-related, and matricellular/fibrogenic proteins. Epithelial MRTF was necessary for the paracrine priming of the fibroblast-myofibroblast transition. Thus, MRTF acts as a prime inducer of epithelial fibrogenesis in PKD. We propose that RhoA is a common upstream inducer of both histological hallmarks of PKD: cystogenesis and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Lichner
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Mei Ding
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Tarang Khare
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
- Enrich Bioscience, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Qinghong Dan
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Raquel Benitez
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Mercédesz Praszner
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Xuewen Song
- Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Rola Saleeb
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty School of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Boris Hinz
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada
| | - York Pei
- Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Katalin Szászi
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty School of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | - András Kapus
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (Z.L.); (T.K.); (R.S.); (K.S.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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4
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Lin KY, Gujar MR, Lin J, Ding WY, Huang J, Gao Y, Tan YS, Teng X, Christine LSL, Kanchanawong P, Toyama Y, Wang H. Astrocytes control quiescent NSC reactivation via GPCR signaling-mediated F-actin remodeling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.11.584337. [PMID: 38903085 PMCID: PMC11188063 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.11.584337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The transitioning of neural stem cells (NSCs) between quiescent and proliferative states is fundamental for brain development and homeostasis. Defects in NSC reactivation are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Drosophila quiescent NSCs extend an actin-rich primary protrusion toward the neuropil. However, the function of the actin cytoskeleton during NSC reactivation is unknown. Here, we reveal the fine F-actin structures in the protrusions of quiescent NSCs by expansion and super-resolution microscopy. We show that F-actin polymerization promotes the nuclear translocation of Mrtf, a microcephaly-associated transcription factor, for NSC reactivation and brain development. F-actin polymerization is regulated by a signaling cascade composed of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Smog, G-protein αq subunit, Rho1 GTPase, and Diaphanous (Dia)/Formin during NSC reactivation. Further, astrocytes secrete a Smog ligand Fog to regulate Gαq-Rho1-Dia-mediated NSC reactivation. Together, we establish that the Smog-Gαq-Rho1 signaling axis derived from astrocytes, a NSC niche, regulates Dia-mediated F-actin dynamics in NSC reactivation.
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5
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Wu X, Qin B, Cheng R, Zhou R, Wang X, Zhang Z, Mao X, Xie Z, Chen M, Jiang L, Xie P, Ji J, Zhang W, Yuan S, Hu Z, Liu Q. Angiogenic and Fibrogenic Dual-effect of Gremlin1 on Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:897-915. [PMID: 38250154 PMCID: PMC10797694 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.85735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ocular angiogenic diseases, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), are often characterized by pathological new vessels and fibrosis formation. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, despite of its efficiency to inhibit new vessels, has limitations, including drug resistance and retinal fibrosis. Here, we identified that Gremlin1, a novel angiogenesis and fibrosis inducer, was secreted from Müller glial cells, and its expression increased in the vitreous fluid from patients with PDR. Mechanistically, Gremlin1 triggered angiogenesis by promoting endothelial-mesenchymal transition via the EGFR/RhoA/ROCK pathway. In addition, Gremlin1 activated microglia to present profibrotic and fibrogenic properties. Further, anti-Gremlin1 antibody inhibited ocular angiogenesis and microglia fibrosis in mouse models. Collectively, Gremlin1 could be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of ocular angiogenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjing Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Bing Qin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Suqian First People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suqian 223800, China
| | - Ruiwen Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ru Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, People's Hospital of Yangzhong City, Yangzhong 212200, China
| | - Xingxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhengyu Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiying Mao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhan Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Mingkang Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jiangdong Ji
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Songtao Yuan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zizhong Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qinghuai Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
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6
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Chaim OM, Miki S, Prager BC, Ma J, Jeong AY, Lara J, Tran NK, Smith JM, Rich JN, Gutkind JS, Miyamoto S, Furnari FB, Brown JH. Gα12 signaling regulates transcriptional and phenotypic responses that promote glioblastoma tumor invasion. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22412. [PMID: 38104152 PMCID: PMC10725435 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49164-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In silico interrogation of glioblastoma (GBM) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed upregulation of GNA12 (Gα12), encoding the alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric G-protein G12, concomitant with overexpression of multiple G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that signal through Gα12. Glioma stem cell lines from patient-derived xenografts also showed elevated levels of Gα12. Knockdown (KD) of Gα12 was carried out in two different human GBM stem cell (GSC) lines. Tumors generated in vivo by orthotopic injection of Gα12KD GSC cells showed reduced invasiveness, without apparent changes in tumor size or survival relative to control GSC tumor-bearing mice. Transcriptional profiling of GSC-23 cell tumors revealed significant differences between WT and Gα12KD tumors including reduced expression of genes associated with the extracellular matrix, as well as decreased expression of stem cell genes and increased expression of several proneural genes. Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1), one of the genes most repressed by Gα12 knockdown, was shown to be required for Gα12-mediated cell migration in vitro and for in vivo tumor invasion. Chemogenetic activation of GSC-23 cells harboring a Gα12-coupled DREADD also increased THBS1 expression and in vitro invasion. Collectively, our findings implicate Gα12 signaling in regulation of transcriptional reprogramming that promotes invasiveness, highlighting this as a potential signaling node for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Meiri Chaim
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
| | - Shunichiro Miki
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Briana C Prager
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jianhui Ma
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Y Jeong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Jacqueline Lara
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Nancy K Tran
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - J Silvio Gutkind
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shigeki Miyamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Frank B Furnari
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joan Heller Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, 9500 Gilman Drive #0636, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
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7
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Cossard A, Stam K, Smets A, Jossin Y. MKL/SRF and Bcl6 mutual transcriptional repression safeguards the fate and positioning of neocortical progenitor cells mediated by RhoA. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd0676. [PMID: 37967194 PMCID: PMC10651131 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, multiple intricate and intertwined cellular signaling pathways coordinate cell behavior. Their slightest alterations can have dramatic consequences for the cells and the organs they form. The transcriptional repressor Bcl6 was recently found as important for brain development. However, its regulation and integration with other signals is unknown. Using in vivo functional approaches combined with molecular mechanistic analysis, we identified a reciprocal regulatory loop between B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) and the RhoA-regulated transcriptional complex megakaryoblastic leukemia/serum response factor (MKL/SRF). We show that Bcl6 physically interacts with MKL/SRF, resulting in a down-regulation of the transcriptional activity of both Bcl6 and MKL/SRF. This molecular cross-talk is essential for the control of proliferation, neurogenesis, and spatial positioning of neural progenitors. Overall, our data highlight a regulatory mechanism that controls neuronal production and neocortical development and reveal an MKL/SRF and Bcl6 interaction that may have broader implications in other physiological functions and in diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Cossard
- Laboratory of Mammalian Development and Cell Biology, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels 1200, Belgium
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8
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Kofler M, Kapus A. Nuclear Import and Export of YAP and TAZ. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4956. [PMID: 37894323 PMCID: PMC10605228 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15204956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Yes-associated Protein (YAP) and its paralog Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-binding Motif (TAZ) are major regulators of gene transcription/expression, primarily controlled by the Hippo pathway and the cytoskeleton. Integrating an array of chemical and mechanical signals, they impact growth, differentiation, and regeneration. Accordingly, they also play key roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis formation. Their activity is primarily regulated by their localization, that is, Hippo pathway- and/or cytoskeleton-controlled cytosolic or nuclear sequestration. While many details of such prevailing retention models have been elucidated, much less is known about their actual nuclear traffic: import and export. Although their size is not far from the cutoff for passive diffusion through the nuclear pore complex (NPC), and they do not contain any classic nuclear localization (NLS) or nuclear export signal (NES), evidence has been accumulating that their shuttling involves mediated and thus regulatable/targetable processes. The aim of this review is to summarize emerging information/concepts about their nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, encompassing the relevant structural requirements (NLS, NES), nuclear transport receptors (NTRs, karyophererins), and NPC components, along with the potential transport mechanisms and their regulation. While dissecting retention vs. transport is often challenging, the emerging picture suggests that YAP/TAZ shuttles across the NPC via multiple, non-exclusive, mediated mechanisms, constituting a novel and intriguing facet of YAP/TAZ biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kofler
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada;
| | - András Kapus
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada;
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
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9
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Balijepalli P, Meier KE. From outside to inside and back again: the lysophosphatidic acid-CCN axis in signal transduction. J Cell Commun Signal 2023; 17:845-849. [PMID: 36795277 PMCID: PMC10409932 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-023-00728-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
CCN1 and CCN2 are matricellular proteins that are transcriptionally induced by various stimuli, including growth factors. CCN proteins act to facilitate signaling events involving extracellular matrix proteins. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid that activates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), enhancing proliferation, adhesion, and migration in many types of cancer cells. Our group previously reported that LPA induces production of CCN1 protein in human prostate cancer cell lines within 2-4 h. In these cells, the mitogenic activity of LPA is mediated by LPA Receptor 1 (LPAR1), a GPCR. There are multiple examples of the induction of CCN proteins by LPA, and by the related lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), in various cellular models. The signaling pathways responsible for LPA/S1P-induced CCN1/2 typically involve activation of the small GTP-binding protein Rho and the transcription factor YAP. Inducible CCNs can potentially play roles in downstream signal transduction events required for LPA and S1P-induced responses. Specifically, CCNs secreted into the extracellular space can facilitate the activation of additional receptors and signal transduction pathways, contributing to the biphasic delayed responses typically seen in response to growth factors acting via GPCRs. In some model systems, CCN1 and CCN2 play key roles in LPA/S1P-induced cell migration and proliferation. In this way, an extracellular signal (LPA or S1P) can activate GPCR-mediated intracellular signaling to induce the production of extracellular modulators (CCN1 and CCN2) that in turn initiate another round of intracellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravita Balijepalli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA USA
| | - Kathryn E. Meier
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA USA
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10
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Lin WH, Feathers RW, Cooper LM, Lewis-Tuffin LJ, Chen J, Sarkaria JN, Anastasiadis PZ. A Syx-RhoA-Dia1 signaling axis regulates cell cycle progression, DNA damage, and therapy resistance in glioblastoma. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e157491. [PMID: 37427593 PMCID: PMC10371349 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157491] [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: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas (GBM) are aggressive tumors that lack effective treatments. Here, we show that the Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor Syx promotes GBM cell growth both in vitro and in orthotopic xenografts derived from patients with GBM. Growth defects upon Syx depletion are attributed to prolonged mitosis, increased DNA damage, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and cell apoptosis, mediated by altered mRNA and protein expression of various cell cycle regulators. These effects are phenocopied by depletion of the Rho downstream effector Dia1 and are due, at least in part, to increased phosphorylation, cytoplasmic retention, and reduced activity of the YAP/TAZ transcriptional coactivators. Furthermore, targeting Syx signaling cooperates with radiation treatment and temozolomide (TMZ) to decrease viability in GBM cells, irrespective of their inherent response to TMZ. The data indicate that a Syx-RhoA-Dia1-YAP/TAZ signaling axis regulates cell cycle progression, DNA damage, and therapy resistance in GBM and argue for its targeting for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Hsin Lin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Ryan W. Feathers
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Lisa M. Cooper
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Jiaxiang Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Jann N. Sarkaria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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11
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Chin IL, Amos SE, Jeong JH, Hool L, Hwang Y, Choi YS. Volume adaptation of neonatal cardiomyocyte spheroids in 3D stiffness gradient GelMA. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:801-813. [PMID: 36239543 PMCID: PMC10952714 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Present understandings of cardiomyocyte mechanobiology have primarily been developed using 2-dimensional, monocellular cell cultures, however the emergence of 3-dimensional (3D) multicellular cardiac constructs has enabled us to develop more sophisticated recapitulations of the cardiac microenvironment. Several of these strategies have illustrated that incorporating elements of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can promote greater maturation and enhance desirable cardiac functions, such as contractility, but the responses of these cardiac constructs to biophysically aberrant conditions, such as in the post-infarct heart, has remained relatively unexplored. In our study, we employ a stiffness gradient gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel platform to unpack the mechanobiology of cardiac spheroids. We encapsulated neonatal rat cardiac cell spheroids in a 4.4-18.7 kPa linear stiffness gradient up to 120 h. We found the proportion of viable cells within the spheroids increased over time, but the cell number per spheroid decreased. Spheroids expand more in softer matrices while stiffer matrices promote larger nuclei without changing nuclei shape. Volume expansion came primarily from cells expressing vimentin. We did not observe any correlations between stiffness and mechanomarker expression, however we found that after 120 h post-encapsulation, the localization of YAP, the localization of MRTF-A and the expression of Lamin-A was correlated with spheroid morphology. The same trends were not observed 24 h post-encapsulation, indicating that volume adaptation can take a relatively long time. Our data demonstrates that cardiac spheroids are mechanosensitive and that their capacity to respond to ECM-based cues depends on their capacity to adapt their volume with a 3D microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian L. Chin
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Sebastian E. Amos
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Ji Hoon Jeong
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi‐bio Science (SIMS)Soonchunhyang UniversityCheonan‐siChungnam‐doRepublic of Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical ScienceSoonchunhyang UniversityAsan‐siChungnam‐doRepublic of Korea
| | - Livia Hool
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research InstituteSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yongsung Hwang
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi‐bio Science (SIMS)Soonchunhyang UniversityCheonan‐siChungnam‐doRepublic of Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical ScienceSoonchunhyang UniversityAsan‐siChungnam‐doRepublic of Korea
| | - Yu Suk Choi
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
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12
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Chaqour B. CCN-Hippo YAP signaling in vision and its role in neuronal, glial and vascular cell function and behavior. J Cell Commun Signal 2023:10.1007/s12079-023-00759-6. [PMID: 37191840 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-023-00759-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The retina is a highly specialized tissue composed of a network of neurons, glia, and vascular and epithelial cells; all working together to coordinate and transduce visual signals to the brain. The retinal extracellular matrix (ECM) shapes the structural environment in the retina but also supplies resident cells with proper chemical and mechanical signals to regulate cell function and behavior and maintain tissue homeostasis. As such, the ECM affects virtually all aspects of retina development, function and pathology. ECM-derived regulatory cues influence intracellular signaling and cell function. Reversibly, changes in intracellular signaling programs result in alteration of the ECM and downstream ECM-mediated signaling network. Our functional studies in vitro, genetic studies in mice, and multi omics analyses have provided evidence that a subset of ECM proteins referred to as cellular communication network (CCN) affects several aspects of retinal neuronal and vascular development and function. Retinal progenitor, glia and vascular cells are major sources of CCN proteins particularly CCN1 and CCN2. We found that expression of the CCN1 and CCN2 genes is dependent on the activity of YAP, the core component of the hippo-YAP signaling pathway. Central to the Hippo pathway is a conserved cascade of inhibitory kinases that regulate the activity of YAP, the final transducer of this pathway. Reversibly, YAP expression and/or activity is dependent on CCN1 and CCN2 downstream signaling, which creates a positive or negative feedforward loop driving developmental processes (e.g., neurogenesis, gliogenesis, angiogenesis, barriergenesis) and, when dysregulated, disease progression in a range of retinal neurovascular disorders. Here we describe mechanistic hints involving the CCN-Hippo-YAP regulatory axis in retina development and function. This regulatory pathway represents an opportunity for targeted therapies in neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The CCN-YAP regulatory loop in development and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brahim Chaqour
- Department of Molecular Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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13
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Zhang R, Liu Q, Lyu C, Gao X, Ma W. Knockdown SENP1 Suppressed the Angiogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Impacting CXCR4-Regulated MRTF-A SUMOylation and CCN1 Expression. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030914. [PMID: 36979893 PMCID: PMC10046070 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The angiogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is critical for adult vascular regeneration and repair, which is regulated by various growth factors and cytokines. In the current study, we report that knockdown SUMO-specific peptidase 1 (SENP1) stimulated the SUMOylation of MRTF-A and prevented its translocation into the nucleus, leading to downregulation of the cytokine and angiogenic factor CCN1, which significantly impacted MSC-mediated angiogenesis and cell migration. Further studies showed that SENP1 knockdown also suppressed the expression of a chemokine receptor CXCR4, and overexpression of CXCR4 could partially abrogate MRTF-A SUMOylation and reestablish the CCN1 level. Mutation analysis confirmed that SUMOylation occurred on three lysine residues (Lys-499, Lys-576, and Lys-624) of MRTF-A. In addition, SENP1 knockdown abolished the synergistic co-activation of CCN1 between MRTF-A and histone acetyltransferase p300 by suppressing acetylation on histone3K9, histone3K14, and histone4. These results revealed an important signaling pathway to regulate MSC differentiation and angiogenesis by MRTF-A SUMOylation involving cytokine/chemokine activities mediated by CCN1 and CXCR4, which may potentially impact a variety of cellular processes such as revascularization, wound healing, and progression of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Qingxi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan 250200, China
- Correspondence: (Q.L.); (W.M.)
| | - Cuicui Lyu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Xing Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan 250200, China
| | - Wenjian Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan 250200, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
- Correspondence: (Q.L.); (W.M.)
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14
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Maejima Y, Zablocki D, Nah J, Sadoshima J. The role of the Hippo pathway in autophagy in the heart. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 118:3320-3330. [PMID: 35150237 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway, an evolutionarily conserved signalling mechanism, controls organ size and tumourigenesis. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that autophagy, an important mechanism of lysosome-mediated cellular degradation, is regulated by the Hippo pathway, which thereby profoundly affects cell growth and death responses in various cell types. In the heart, Mst1, an upstream component of the Hippo pathway, not only induces apoptosis but also inhibits autophagy through phosphorylation of Beclin 1. YAP/TAZ, transcription factor co-factors and the terminal effectors of the Hippo pathway, affect autophagy through transcriptional activation of TFEB, a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis. The cellular abundance of YAP is negatively regulated by autophagy and suppression of autophagy induces accumulation of YAP, which, in turn, acts as a feedback mechanism to induce autophagosome formation. Thus, the Hippo pathway and autophagy regulate each other, thereby profoundly affecting cardiomyocyte survival and death. This review discusses the interaction between the Hippo pathway and autophagy and its functional significance during stress conditions in the heart and the cardiomyocytes therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Maejima
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., MSB G-609, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Daniela Zablocki
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., MSB G-609, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Jihoon Nah
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Junichi Sadoshima
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., MSB G-609, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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15
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Déglise S, Bechelli C, Allagnat F. Vascular smooth muscle cells in intimal hyperplasia, an update. Front Physiol 2023; 13:1081881. [PMID: 36685215 PMCID: PMC9845604 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1081881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Arterial occlusive disease is the leading cause of death in Western countries. Core contemporary therapies for this disease include angioplasties, stents, endarterectomies and bypass surgery. However, these treatments suffer from high failure rates due to re-occlusive vascular wall adaptations and restenosis. Restenosis following vascular surgery is largely due to intimal hyperplasia. Intimal hyperplasia develops in response to vessel injury, leading to inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cells dedifferentiation, migration, proliferation and secretion of extra-cellular matrix into the vessel's innermost layer or intima. In this review, we describe the current state of knowledge on the origin and mechanisms underlying the dysregulated proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in intimal hyperplasia, and we present the new avenues of research targeting VSMC phenotype and proliferation.
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16
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Daoud F, Arévalo Martínez M, Holst J, Holmberg J, Albinsson S, Swärd K. Role of smooth muscle YAP and TAZ in protection against phenotypic modulation, inflammation, and aneurysm development. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 206:115307. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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17
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Tu M, Tan VP, Yu JD, Tripathi R, Bigham Z, Barlow M, Smith JM, Brown JH, Miyamoto S. RhoA signaling increases mitophagy and protects cardiomyocytes against ischemia by stabilizing PINK1 protein and recruiting Parkin to mitochondria. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:2472-2486. [PMID: 35760846 PMCID: PMC9751115 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-01032-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitophagy, a mitochondria-specific form of autophagy, removes dysfunctional mitochondria and is hence an essential process contributing to mitochondrial quality control. PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin are critical molecules involved in stress-induced mitophagy, but the intracellular signaling mechanisms by which this pathway is regulated are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that signaling through RhoA, a small GTPase, induces mitophagy via modulation of the PINK1/Parkin pathway as a protective mechanism against ischemic stress. We demonstrate that expression of constitutively active RhoA as well as sphingosine-1-phosphate induced activation of endogenous RhoA in cardiomyocytes result in an accumulation of PINK1 at mitochondria. This is accompanied by translocation of Parkin to mitochondria and ubiquitination of mitochondrial proteins leading to recognition of mitochondria by autophagosomes and their lysosomal degradation. Expression of RhoA in cardiomyocytes confers protection against ischemia, and this cardioprotection is attenuated by siRNA-mediated PINK1 knockdown. In vivo myocardial infarction elicits increases in mitochondrial PINK1, Parkin, and ubiquitinated mitochondrial proteins. AAV9-mediated RhoA expression potentiates these responses and a concurrent decrease in infarct size is observed. Interestingly, induction of mitochondrial PINK1 accumulation in response to RhoA signaling is neither mediated through its transcriptional upregulation nor dependent on depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, the canonical mechanism for PINK1 accumulation. Instead, our results reveal that RhoA signaling inhibits PINK1 cleavage, thereby stabilizing PINK1 protein at mitochondria. We further show that active RhoA localizes at mitochondria and interacts with PINK1, and that the mitochondrial localization of RhoA is regulated by its downstream effector protein kinase D. These findings demonstrate that RhoA activation engages a unique mechanism to regulate PINK1 accumulation, induce mitophagy and protect against ischemic stress, and implicates regulation of RhoA signaling as a potential strategy to enhance mitophagy and confer protection under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Tu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Valerie P Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Justin D Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Raghav Tripathi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Zahna Bigham
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Melissa Barlow
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Joan Heller Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA
| | - Shigeki Miyamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0636, USA.
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18
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Sawma T, Shaito A, Najm N, Sidani M, Orekhov A, El-Yazbi AF, Iratni R, Eid AH. Role of RhoA and Rho-associated kinase in phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells: Implications for vascular function. Atherosclerosis 2022; 358:12-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Drake KA, Chaney C, Patel M, Das A, Bittencourt J, Cohn M, Carroll TJ. Transcription Factors YAP/TAZ and SRF Cooperate To Specify Renal Myofibroblasts in the Developing Mouse Kidney. J Am Soc Nephrol 2022; 33:1694-1707. [PMID: 35918150 PMCID: PMC9529188 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2021121559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The embryonic renal stroma consists of multiple molecularly distinct cell subpopulations, the functional significance of which is largely unknown. Previous work has demonstrated that the transcription factors YAP and TAZ play roles in the development and morphogenesis of the nephrons, collecting ducts, and nephron progenitor cells. METHODS In embryonic mouse kidneys, we identified a subpopulation of stromal cells with enriched activity in YAP and TAZ. To evaluate the function of these cell types, we genetically ablated both Yap and Taz from the stromal progenitor population and examined how gene activity and development of YAP/TAZ mutant kidneys are affected over a developmental time course. RESULTS We found that YAP and TAZ are active in a subset of renal interstitium and that stromal-specific coablation of YAP/TAZ disrupts cortical fibroblast, pericyte, and myofibroblast development, with secondary effects on peritubular capillary differentiation. We also demonstrated that the transcription factor SRF cooperates with YAP/TAZ to drive expression of at least a subset of renal myofibroblast target genes and to specify myofibroblasts but not cortical fibroblasts or pericytes. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal a critical role for YAP/TAZ in specific embryonic stromal cells and suggest that interaction with cofactors, such as SRF, influence the expression of cell type-specific target genes, thus driving stromal heterogeneity. Further, this work reveals functional roles for renal stroma heterogeneity in creating unique microenvironments that influence the differentiation and maintenance of the renal parenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri A Drake
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Christopher Chaney
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Mohita Patel
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Amrita Das
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Julia Bittencourt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Martin Cohn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Thomas J Carroll
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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20
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Burgos Villar KN, Liu X, Small EM. Transcriptional regulation of cardiac fibroblast phenotypic plasticity. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 28:100556. [PMID: 36777260 PMCID: PMC9915012 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2022.100556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts play critical roles in the maintenance of cardiac structure and the response to cardiac insult. Extracellular matrix deposition by activated resident cardiac fibroblasts, called myofibroblasts, is an essential wound healing response. However, persistent fibroblast activation contributes to pathological fibrosis and cardiac chamber stiffening, which can cause diastolic dysfunction, heart failure, and initiate lethal arrhythmias. The dynamic and phenotypically plastic nature of cardiac fibroblasts is governed in part by the transcriptional regulation of genes encoding extracellular matrix molecules. Understanding how fibroblasts integrate various biomechanical cues into a precise transcriptional response may uncover therapeutic strategies to prevent fibrosis. Here, we provide an overview of the recent literature on transcriptional control of cardiac fibroblast plasticity and fibrosis, with a focus on canonical and non-canonical TGF-β signaling, biomechanical regulation of Hippo/YAP and Rho/MRTF signaling, and metabolic and epigenetic control of fibroblast activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly N. Burgos Villar
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pathology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Liu
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Eric M. Small
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA,Correspondence:
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21
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Goulet MR, Hutchings D, Donahue J, Elder D, Tsang PCW. Regulation of cellular communication network factor 1 by Ras homolog family member A in bovine steroidogenic luteal cells. J Anim Sci 2022; 100:6620789. [PMID: 35772754 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of the corpus luteum (CL) requires the growth of a new capillary network from preexisting vasculature, a process known as angiogenesis. Successful building of this capillary network occurs through a sequence of cellular events-differentiation, proliferation, migration, and adhesion-which are regulated by a suite of angiogenic proteins that includes cellular communication network factor 1 (CCN1). We previously reported that the expression of CCN1 was highest in luteal tissue obtained from the early-cycle, 4-d-old bovine CL (i.e., corpus hemorrhagicum) compared to the mid- and late-cycle CL. In the present study, we treated steroidogenic bovine luteal cells from early-cycle CL with luteinizing hormone (LH), but it had no effect on CCN1 expression. Direct stimulation of the canonical LH pathway with forskolin and dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), however, inhibited CCN1 mRNA expression. In endothelial cells, stimulation of Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) induces CCN1 expression, whereas RhoA inactivation inhibits it. Yet, it is unknown if regulation of CCN1 in steroidogenic luteal cells works likewise. We hypothesized that a similar mechanism of CCN1 regulation exists in bovine luteal cells and that thrombin, a known RhoA activator, may be a physiologic trigger for this mechanism in the early-cycle CL. To test this hypothesis, ovaries were collected from lactating dairy cows on days 3 or 4 of the estrous cycle, and corpora lutea were dissected and dissociated. Steroidogenic luteal cells were suspended in defined Ham's F12 medium, supplemented with insulin/transferrin/selenium and gentamicin, and seeded into 6-well plates. After 24 h, spent medium was replaced with fresh Ham's F12, and the cells were cultured for 24 to 48 h. Cells were treated for 2 h with defined medium, 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), thrombin (1, 5, 10 U/mL), or Rho Activator II (0.25, 1, 2 μg/mL). Cells were then lysed for RNA extraction, followed by cDNA generation, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Thrombin (1, 5, 10 U/mL; n = 3) and Rho Activator II (0.25, 1, 2 μg/mL; n = 6) increased (P < 0.05) CCN1 mRNA expression. In summary, CCN1 in bovine steroidogenic luteal cells was induced by thrombin and appeared to be regulated in a Rho-dependent manner. Future work will elucidate the signaling partners downstream of Rho which leads to CCN1 gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Goulet
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Donnelly Hutchings
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Jacob Donahue
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Dean Elder
- Animal Resource Office, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Paul C W Tsang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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22
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Guo T, He C, Venado A, Zhou Y. Extracellular Matrix Stiffness in Lung Health and Disease. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:3523-3558. [PMID: 35766837 PMCID: PMC10088466 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c210032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support and imparts a wide variety of environmental cues to cells. In the past decade, a growing body of work revealed that the mechanical properties of the ECM, commonly known as matrix stiffness, regulate the fundamental cellular processes of the lung. There is growing appreciation that mechanical interplays between cells and associated ECM are essential to maintain lung homeostasis. Dysregulation of ECM-derived mechanical signaling via altered mechanosensing and mechanotransduction pathways is associated with many common lung diseases. Matrix stiffening is a hallmark of lung fibrosis. The stiffened ECM is not merely a sequelae of lung fibrosis but can actively drive the progression of fibrotic lung disease. In this article, we provide a comprehensive view on the role of matrix stiffness in lung health and disease. We begin by summarizing the effects of matrix stiffness on the function and behavior of various lung cell types and on regulation of biomolecule activity and key physiological processes, including host immune response and cellular metabolism. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which cells probe matrix stiffness and convert mechanical signals to regulate gene expression. We highlight the factors that govern matrix stiffness and outline the role of matrix stiffness in lung development and the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. We envision targeting of deleterious matrix mechanical cues for treatment of fibrotic lung disease. Advances in technologies for matrix stiffness measurements and design of stiffness-tunable matrix substrates are also explored. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:3523-3558, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Guo
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chao He
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Aida Venado
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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23
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Wu Q, Xu X, Miao X, Bao X, Li X, Xiang L, Wang W, Du S, Lu Y, Wang X, Yang D, Zhang J, Shen X, Li F, Lu S, Fan Y, Xu S, Chen Z, Wang Y, Teng H, Huang Z. YAP signaling in horizontal basal cells promotes the regeneration of olfactory epithelium after injury. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:664-677. [PMID: 35148842 PMCID: PMC9039758 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The horizontal basal cells (HBCs) of olfactory epithelium (OE) serve as reservoirs for stem cells during OE regeneration, through proliferation and differentiation, which is important in recovery of olfactory function. However, the molecular mechanism of regulation of HBC proliferation and differentiation after injury remains unclear. Here, we found that yes-associated protein (YAP) was upregulated and activated in HBCs after OE injury. Deletion of YAP in HBCs led to impairment in OE regeneration and functional recovery of olfaction after injury. Mechanically, YAP was activated by S1P/S1PR2 signaling, thereby promoting the proliferation of HBCs and OE regeneration after injury. Finally, activation of YAP signaling enhanced the proliferation of HBCs and improved functional recovery of olfaction after OE injury or in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Taken together, these results reveal an S1P/S1PR2/YAP pathway in OE regeneration in response to injury, providing a promising therapeutic strategy for OE injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xingxing Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xuemeng Miao
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xiaomei Bao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xiuchun Li
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Ludan Xiang
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Siyu Du
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xiwu Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Danlu Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xiya Shen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Fayi Li
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Sheng Lu
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yiren Fan
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Shujie Xu
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Zihao Chen
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China.
| | - Honglin Teng
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
| | - Zhihui Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junichi Sadoshima
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave G609, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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Takata T, Matsumura M. The LINC Complex Assists the Nuclear Import of Mechanosensitive Transcriptional Regulators. Results Probl Cell Differ 2022; 70:315-337. [PMID: 36348113 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-06573-6_11] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical forces play pivotal roles in directing cell functions and fate. To elicit gene expression, either intrinsic or extrinsic mechanical information are transmitted into the nucleus beyond the nuclear envelope via at least two distinct pathways, possibly more. The first and well-known pathway utilizes the canonical nuclear transport of mechanoresponsive transcriptional regulators through the nuclear pore complex, which is an exclusive route for macromolecular trafficking between the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. The second pathway depends on the linker of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex, which is a molecular bridge traversing the nuclear envelope between the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton. This protein complex is a central component in mechanotransduction at the nuclear envelope that transmits mechanical information from the cytoskeleton into the nucleus to influence the nuclear structure, nuclear stiffness, chromatin organization, and gene expression. Besides the mechanical force transducing function, recent increasing evidence shows that the LINC complex plays a role in controlling nucleocytoplasmic transport of mechanoresponsive transcriptional regulators. Here we discuss recent findings regarding the contribution of the LINC complex to the regulation of intracellular localization of the most-notable mechanosensitive transcriptional regulators, β-catenin, YAP, and TAZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Takata
- Ehime Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Tobe, Ehime, Japan
| | - Miki Matsumura
- Ehime Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Tobe, Ehime, Japan.
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26
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Yeh CF, Chou C, Yang KC. Mechanotransduction in fibrosis: Mechanisms and treatment targets. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2021; 87:279-314. [PMID: 34696888 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
To perceive and integrate the environmental cues, cells and tissues sense and interpret various physical forces like shear, tensile, and compression stress. Mechanotransduction involves the sensing and translation of mechanical forces into biochemical and mechanical signals to guide cell fate and achieve tissue homeostasis. Disruption of this mechanical homeostasis by tissue injury elicits multiple cellular responses leading to pathological matrix deposition and tissue stiffening, and consequent evolution toward pro-inflammatory/pro-fibrotic phenotypes, leading to tissue/organ fibrosis. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms linking mechanotransduction to fibrosis and uncovers the potential therapeutic targets to halt or resolve fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Fan Yeh
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Caroline Chou
- Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kai-Chien Yang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center for Developmental Biology & Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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27
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Chin IL, Hool L, Choi YS. Interrogating cardiac muscle cell mechanobiology on stiffness gradient hydrogels. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:6795-6806. [PMID: 34542112 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01061a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is a major facet of cardiac development and disease, yet our understanding of cardiomyocyte mechanotransduction remains limited. To enhance our understanding of cardiomyocyte mechanosensation, we studied stiffness-driven changes to cell morphology and mechanomarker expression in H9C2 cells and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs). Linear stiffness gradient polyacrylamide hydrogels (2-33 kPa) coated with ECM proteins including Collagen I (Col), Fibronectin (Fn) or Laminin (Ln) were used to represent necrotic, healthy, and infarcted cardiac tissue on a continuous stiffness gradient. Cell size, cell shape and nuclear size were found to be mechanosensitive in H9C2 cells, as was the expression or nuclear translocalization of the mechanomarkers Lamin-A, YAP, and MRTF-A. Minor differences were observed between the different ECM coatings, with the same overarching stiffness-dependent trends being observed across Col, Fn and Ln coated hydrogels. Inhibition of mechanotransduction in H9C2 cells using blebbistatin or Y27632 resulted in disruptions to cell shape, nuclear shape, and nuclear size, however, trends in cell size and mechanomarker expression were not significantly attenuated. Mechanosensation in NRCMs was much less marked, with no significant changes in cell morphology being detected, although YAP did become increasingly nuclear localized with increasing stiffness. In α-actinin positive cells, striations formed with regular structure and frequency at all stiffnesses for Col and Fn coated hydrogels, but not Ln coated gels. In this study, we used our stiffness gradient hydrogels to comprehensively map the relationship between ECM stiffness and cardiac cell phenotype and found that less mature H9C2 cardiac cells are more sensitive to ECM changes than the more developed neonatal cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian L Chin
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Livia Hool
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. .,Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yu Suk Choi
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
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28
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Du F, Qi X, Zhang A, Sui F, Wang X, Proud CG, Lin C, Fan X, Li J. MRTF-A-NF-κB/p65 axis-mediated PDL1 transcription and expression contributes to immune evasion of non-small-cell lung cancer via TGF-β. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:1366-1378. [PMID: 34548615 PMCID: PMC8492728 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00670-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PD-L1 is abnormally regulated in many cancers and is critical for immune escape. Fully understanding the regulation of PD-L1 expression is vital for improving the clinical efficacy of relevant anticancer agents. TGF-β plays an important role in the low reactivity of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody immunotherapy. However, it is not very clear whether and how TGF-β affects PD-L1 expression. In the present study, we show that TGF-β upregulates the expression of the transcriptional coactivator MRTF-A in non-small-cell lung cancer cells, which subsequently interacts with NF-κB/p65 rather than SRF to facilitate the binding of NF-κB/p65 to the PDL1 promoter, thereby activating the transcription and expression of PD-L1. This leads to the immune escape of NSCLC cells. This process is dependent on the activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway. In vivo, inhibition of MRTF-A effectively suppresses the growth of lung tumor syngrafts with enrichment of NK and T cells in tumor tissue. Our study defines a new signaling pathway that regulates the transcription and expression of PD-L1 upon TGF-β treatment, which may have a significant impact on research into the application of immunotherapy in treating lung cancer. Better understanding how a critical protein to allow cancer cells to escape immune system may aid in development of improved immunotherapies for lung cancer. The membrane protein PD-L1, expressed on tumor cells, helps them to evade the immune surveillance; existing treatments that block PD-L1 have very low efficacy for some patient partly due to re-expression of PD-L1. Jing Li at Ocean University of China in Qingdao and co-workers found that TGF-β up-regulated in tumor microenvironment boosts PD-L1 transcription and expression in an unusual way, namely, via MRTF-A-NF-κB/p65 axis. Blocking MRTF-A in a mouse model remarkably increased levels of immune cells targeting the tumor and slowed lung tumor growth. These results illuminate the mechanism of immune escape in lung cancers upon TGF-β, which may contribute to develop new treatment to synergize PD-L1 antibody therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu Du
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Aotong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Fanfan Sui
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemin Wang
- South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Christopher G Proud
- South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Cunzhi Lin
- Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266555, China
| | - Xinglong Fan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266035, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China. .,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China. .,Open Studio for Drug Research on Marine Natural Products, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
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29
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Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of the Mechanosensitive Transcription Factors MRTF and YAP /TAZ. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2299:197-216. [PMID: 34028745 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1382-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) and the paralogous Hippo pathway effectors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are transcriptional co-activators that play pivotal roles in myofibroblast generation and activation, and thus the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis. They are regulated by a variety of chemical and mechanical fibrogenic stimuli, primarily at the level of their nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. In this chapter we describe the tools and protocols that allow for exact, quantitative, and automated determination and analysis of the nucleocytoplasmic distribution of endogenous or heterologously expressed MRTF and YAP/TAZ, measured in large cell populations. Dynamic monitoring of nucleocytoplasmic ratios of transcription factors is a novel and important approach, suitable to address both the structural requirements and the regulatory mechanisms underlying transcription factor traffic and the consequent reprogramming of gene expression during fibrogenesis.
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30
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Miranda MZ, Lichner Z, Szászi K, Kapus A. MRTF: Basic Biology and Role in Kidney Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116040. [PMID: 34204945 PMCID: PMC8199744 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A lesser known but crucially important downstream effect of Rho family GTPases is the regulation of gene expression. This major role is mediated via the cytoskeleton, the organization of which dictates the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of a set of transcription factors. Central among these is myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF), which upon actin polymerization translocates to the nucleus and binds to its cognate partner, serum response factor (SRF). The MRTF/SRF complex then drives a large cohort of genes involved in cytoskeleton remodeling, contractility, extracellular matrix organization and many other processes. Accordingly, MRTF, activated by a variety of mechanical and chemical stimuli, affects a plethora of functions with physiological and pathological relevance. These include cell motility, development, metabolism and thus metastasis formation, inflammatory responses and—predominantly-organ fibrosis. The aim of this review is twofold: to provide an up-to-date summary about the basic biology and regulation of this versatile transcriptional coactivator; and to highlight its principal involvement in the pathobiology of kidney disease. Acting through both direct transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms, MRTF plays a key (yet not fully appreciated) role in the induction of a profibrotic epithelial phenotype (PEP) as well as in fibroblast-myofibroblast transition, prime pathomechanisms in chronic kidney disease and renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Zena Miranda
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada; (M.Z.M.); (Z.L.); (K.S.)
| | - Zsuzsanna Lichner
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada; (M.Z.M.); (Z.L.); (K.S.)
| | - Katalin Szászi
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada; (M.Z.M.); (Z.L.); (K.S.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | - András Kapus
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada; (M.Z.M.); (Z.L.); (K.S.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Correspondence:
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31
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A spatial model of YAP/TAZ signaling reveals how stiffness, dimensionality, and shape contribute to emergent outcomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021571118. [PMID: 33990464 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021571118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
YAP/TAZ is a master regulator of mechanotransduction whose functions rely on translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in response to diverse physical cues. Substrate stiffness, substrate dimensionality, and cell shape are all input signals for YAP/TAZ, and through this pathway, regulate critical cellular functions and tissue homeostasis. Yet, the relative contributions of each biophysical signal and the mechanisms by which they synergistically regulate YAP/TAZ in realistic tissue microenvironments that provide multiplexed input signals remain unclear. For example, in simple two-dimensional culture, YAP/TAZ nuclear localization correlates strongly with substrate stiffness, while in three-dimensional (3D) environments, YAP/TAZ translocation can increase with stiffness, decrease with stiffness, or remain unchanged. Here, we develop a spatial model of YAP/TAZ translocation to enable quantitative analysis of the relationships between substrate stiffness, substrate dimensionality, and cell shape. Our model couples cytosolic stiffness to nuclear mechanics to replicate existing experimental trends, and extends beyond current data to predict that increasing substrate activation area through changes in culture dimensionality, while conserving cell volume, forces distinct shape changes that result in nonlinear effect on YAP/TAZ nuclear localization. Moreover, differences in substrate activation area versus total membrane area can account for counterintuitive trends in YAP/TAZ nuclear localization in 3D culture. Based on this multiscale investigation of the different system features of YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation, we predict that how a cell reads its environment is a complex information transfer function of multiple mechanical and biochemical factors. These predictions reveal a few design principles of cellular and tissue engineering for YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction.
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32
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Appleton KM, Palsuledesai CC, Misek SA, Blake M, Zagorski J, Gallo KA, Dexheimer TS, Neubig RR. Inhibition of the Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor Pathway Increases Efficacy of Trametinib in NRAS-Mutant Melanoma Cell Lines. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092012. [PMID: 33921974 PMCID: PMC8122681 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer, and treatment is often ineffective due to the development of resistance to targeted therapeutic agents. The most prevalent form of melanoma with a mutated BRAF gene has an effective treatment, but the second most common mutation in melanoma (NRAS) leads to tumors that lack targeted therapies. In this study, we show that NRAS mutant human melanoma cells that are most resistant to inhibition of the oncogenic pathway have a second activated pathway (Rho). Inhibiting that pathway at one of several points can produce more effective cell killing than inhibition of the NRAS pathway alone. This raises the possibility that such a combination treatment could prove effective in those melanomas that fail to respond to existing targeted therapies such as vemurafenib and trametinib. Abstract The Ras/MEK/ERK pathway has been the primary focus of targeted therapies in melanoma; it is aberrantly activated in almost 80% of human cutaneous melanomas (≈50% BRAFV600 mutations and ≈30% NRAS mutations). While drugs targeting the MAPK pathway have yielded success in BRAFV600 mutant melanoma patients, such therapies have been ineffective in patients with NRAS mutant melanomas in part due to their cytostatic effects and primary resistance. Here, we demonstrate that increased Rho/MRTF-pathway activation correlates with high intrinsic resistance to the MEK inhibitor, trametinib, in a panel of NRAS mutant melanoma cell lines. A combination of trametinib with the Rho/MRTF-pathway inhibitor, CCG-222740, synergistically reduced cell viability in NRAS mutant melanoma cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, the combination of CCG-222740 with trametinib induced apoptosis and reduced clonogenicity in SK-Mel-147 cells, which are highly resistant to trametinib. These findings suggest a role of the Rho/MRTF-pathway in intrinsic trametinib resistance in a subset of NRAS mutant melanoma cell lines and highlight the therapeutic potential of concurrently targeting the Rho/MRTF-pathway and MEK in NRAS mutant melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Appleton
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
| | - Charuta C. Palsuledesai
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
| | - Sean A. Misek
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (S.A.M.); (K.A.G.)
| | - Maja Blake
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
| | - Joseph Zagorski
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
| | - Kathleen A. Gallo
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (S.A.M.); (K.A.G.)
| | - Thomas S. Dexheimer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
| | - Richard R. Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.M.A.); (C.C.P.); (M.B.); (J.Z.); (T.S.D.)
- Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-517-353-7145
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33
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Talwar S, Kant A, Xu T, Shenoy VB, Assoian RK. Mechanosensitive smooth muscle cell phenotypic plasticity emerging from a null state and the balance between Rac and Rho. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109019. [PMID: 33882318 PMCID: PMC8142933 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reversible differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a critical role in vascular biology and disease. Changes in VSMC differentiation correlate with stiffness of the arterial extracellular matrix (ECM), but causal relationships remain unclear. We show that VSMC plasticity is mechanosensitive and that both the de-differentiated and differentiated fates are promoted by the same ECM stiffness. Differential equations developed to model this behavior predicted that a null VSMC state generates the dual fates in response to ECM stiffness. Direct measurements of cellular forces, proliferation, and contractile gene expression validated these predictions and showed that fate outcome is mediated by Rac-Rho homeostasis. Rac, through distinct effects on YAP and TAZ, is required for both fates. Rho drives the contractile state alone, so its level of activity, relative to Rac, drives phenotypic choice. Our results show how the cellular response to a single ECM stiffness generates bi-stability and VSMC plasticity. Reversible differentiation/de-differentiation of smooth muscle cells plays a critical role in vascular biology and disease. Talwar et al. show that these differentiated and de-differentiated phenotypes emerge from a null state that is regulated by ECM stiffness and bidirectional effects of Rac on YAP and TAZ transcriptional coregulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Talwar
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Departments of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aayush Kant
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tina Xu
- Departments of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Vivek B Shenoy
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richard K Assoian
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Departments of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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34
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Maziarz M, Federico A, Zhao J, Dujmusic L, Zhao Z, Monti S, Varelas X, Garcia-Marcos M. Naturally occurring hotspot cancer mutations in Gα 13 promote oncogenic signaling. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:16897-16904. [PMID: 33109615 PMCID: PMC7864081 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ac120.014698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-proteins are signaling switches broadly divided into four families based on the sequence and functional similarity of their Gα subunits: Gs, Gi/o, Gq/11, and G12/13 Artificial mutations that activate Gα subunits of each of these families have long been known to induce oncogenic transformation in experimental systems. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, activating hotspot mutations in Gs, Gi/o, or Gq/11 proteins have also been identified in patient tumor samples. In contrast, patient tumor-associated G12/13 mutations characterized to date lead to inactivation rather than activation. By using bioinformatic pathway analysis and signaling assays, here we identified cancer-associated hotspot mutations in Arg-200 of Gα13 (encoded by GNA13) as potent activators of oncogenic signaling. First, we found that components of a G12/13-dependent signaling cascade that culminates in activation of the Hippo pathway effectors YAP and TAZ is frequently altered in bladder cancer. Up-regulation of this signaling cascade correlates with increased YAP/TAZ activation transcriptional signatures in this cancer type. Among the G12/13 pathway alterations were mutations in Arg-200 of Gα13, which we validated to promote YAP/TAZ-dependent (TEAD) and MRTF-A/B-dependent (SRE.L) transcriptional activity. We further showed that this mechanism relies on the same RhoGEF-RhoGTPase cascade components that are up-regulated in bladder cancers. Moreover, Gα13 Arg-200 mutants induced oncogenic transformation in vitro as determined by focus formation assays. In summary, our findings on Gα13 mutants establish that naturally occurring hotspot mutations in Gα subunits of any of the four families of heterotrimeric G-proteins are putative cancer drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Maziarz
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anthony Federico
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jingyi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lorena Dujmusic
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zhiming Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stefano Monti
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xaralabos Varelas
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mikel Garcia-Marcos
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Daoud F, Holmberg J, Alajbegovic A, Grossi M, Rippe C, Swärd K, Albinsson S. Inducible Deletion of YAP and TAZ in Adult Mouse Smooth Muscle Causes Rapid and Lethal Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 11:623-637. [PMID: 32992050 PMCID: PMC7806867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS YAP (Yap1) and TAZ (Wwtr1) are transcriptional co-activators and downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, which play crucial roles in organ size control and cancer pathogenesis. Genetic deletion of YAP/TAZ has shown their critical importance for embryonic development of the heart, vasculature, and gastrointestinal mesenchyme. The aim of this study was to determine the functional role of YAP/TAZ in adult smooth muscle cells in vivo. METHODS Because YAP and TAZ are mutually redundant, we used YAP/TAZ double-floxed mice crossed with mice that express tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 recombinase driven by the smooth muscle-specific myosin heavy chain promoter. RESULTS Double-knockout of YAP/TAZ in adult smooth muscle causes lethality within 2 weeks, mainly owing to colonic pseudo-obstruction, characterized by severe distension and fecal impaction. RNA sequencing in colon and urinary bladder showed that smooth muscle markers and muscarinic receptors were down-regulated in the YAP/TAZ knockout. The same transcripts also correlated with YAP/TAZ in the human colon. Myograph experiments showed reduced contractility to depolarization by potassium chloride and a nearly abolished muscarinic contraction and spontaneous activity in colon rings of YAP/TAZ knockout. CONCLUSIONS YAP and TAZ in smooth muscle are guardians of colonic contractility and control expression of contractile proteins and muscarinic receptors. The knockout model has features of human chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction and may be useful for studying this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sebastian Albinsson
- Correspondence Address correspondence to: Sebastian Albinsson, PhD, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC D12, SE-221 84 Lund, Sweden.
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36
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Francisco J, Zhang Y, Jeong JI, Mizushima W, Ikeda S, Ivessa A, Oka S, Zhai P, Tallquist MD, Del Re DP. Blockade of Fibroblast YAP Attenuates Cardiac Fibrosis and Dysfunction Through MRTF-A Inhibition. JACC Basic Transl Sci 2020; 5:931-945. [PMID: 33015415 PMCID: PMC7524792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
Fibrotic remodeling of the heart in response to injury contributes to heart failure, yet therapies to treat fibrosis remain elusive. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is activated in cardiac fibroblasts by myocardial infarction, and genetic inhibition of fibroblast YAP attenuates myocardial infarction-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis. YAP promotes myofibroblast differentiation and associated extracellular matrix gene expression through engagement of TEA domain transcription factor 1 and subsequent de novo expression of myocardin-related transcription factor A. Thus, fibroblast YAP is a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrotic remodeling and heart failure.
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Key Words
- AngII, angiotensin II
- Hippo signaling
- MCM, Mer-Cre-Mer
- MI, myocardial infarction
- MRTF-A, myocardin-related transcription factor A
- Mkl1, megakaryoblastic leukemia 1
- NRCF, neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast
- PDGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor
- PE, phenylephrine
- SMA, smooth muscle actin
- TEAD, TEA domain transcription factor
- TGF, transforming growth factor
- YAP
- YAP, yes-associated protein
- cardiac fibrosis
- heart failure
- mRNA, messenger ribonucleic acid
- myocardial infarction
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Francisco
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Jae Im Jeong
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Wataru Mizushima
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Shohei Ikeda
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Andreas Ivessa
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Shinichi Oka
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Peiyong Zhai
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Michelle D Tallquist
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Dominic P Del Re
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
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37
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Chen X, Yuan W, Li Y, Luo J, Hou N. Role of Hippo-YAP1/TAZ pathway and its crosstalk in cardiac biology. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:2454-2463. [PMID: 32760212 PMCID: PMC7378646 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.47142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway undertakes a pivotal role in organ size control and the process of physiology and pathology in tissue. Its downstream effectors YAP1 and TAZ receive upstream stimuli and exert transcription activity to produce biological output. Studies have demonstrated that the Hippo pathway contributes to maintenance of cardiac homeostasis and occurrence of cardiac disease. And these cardiac biological events are affected by crosstalk among Hippo-YAP1/TAZ, Wnt/β-catenin, Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, which provides new insights into the Hippo pathway in heart. This review delineates the interaction among Hippo, Wnt, BMP and GPCR pathways and discusses the effects of these pathways in cardiac biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Wenchang Yuan
- KingMed School of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Yilang Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Jiandong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Ning Hou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
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38
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Riboni L, Abdel Hadi L, Navone SE, Guarnaccia L, Campanella R, Marfia G. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate in the Tumor Microenvironment: A Signaling Hub Regulating Cancer Hallmarks. Cells 2020; 9:E337. [PMID: 32024090 PMCID: PMC7072483 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As a key hub of malignant properties, the cancer microenvironment plays a crucial role intimately connected to tumor properties. Accumulating evidence supports that the lysophospholipid sphingosine-1-phosphate acts as a key signal in the cancer extracellular milieu. In this review, we have a particular focus on glioblastoma, representative of a highly aggressive and deleterious neoplasm in humans. First, we highlight recent advances and emerging concepts for how tumor cells and different recruited normal cells contribute to the sphingosine-1-phosphate enrichment in the cancer microenvironment. Then, we describe and discuss how sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling contributes to favor cancer hallmarks including enhancement of proliferation, stemness, invasion, death resistance, angiogenesis, immune evasion and, possibly, aberrant metabolism. We also discuss the potential of how sphingosine-1-phosphate control mechanisms are coordinated across distinct cancer microenvironments. Further progress in understanding the role of S1P signaling in cancer will depend crucially on increasing knowledge of its participation in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Riboni
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, LITA-Segrate, University of Milan, via Fratelli Cervi, 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Loubna Abdel Hadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, LITA-Segrate, University of Milan, via Fratelli Cervi, 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Elena Navone
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurosurgery and Cell Therapy, Neurosurgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy (L.G.)
| | - Laura Guarnaccia
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurosurgery and Cell Therapy, Neurosurgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy (L.G.)
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy
| | - Rolando Campanella
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurosurgery and Cell Therapy, Neurosurgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy (L.G.)
| | - Giovanni Marfia
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurosurgery and Cell Therapy, Neurosurgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy (L.G.)
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Haak AJ, Ducharme MT, Diaz Espinosa AM, Tschumperlin DJ. Targeting GPCR Signaling for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Therapies. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2020; 41:172-182. [PMID: 32008852 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A variety of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, largely through their promotion of profibrotic fibroblast activation. By contrast, recent work has highlighted the beneficial effects of Gαs-coupled GPCRs on reducing fibroblast activation and fibrosis. This review highlights how fibrosis-promoting and -inhibiting GPCR signaling converges on downstream signaling and transcriptional effectors, and how the diversity and dynamics of GPCR expression challenge efforts to identify effective therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Next-generation strategies to overcome these challenges, focusing on target selection, polypharmacology, and personalized medicine approaches, are discussed as a path towards more effective GPCR-targeted therapies for pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Merrick T Ducharme
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ana M Diaz Espinosa
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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40
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Hoffman LM, Smith MA, Jensen CC, Yoshigi M, Blankman E, Ullman KS, Beckerle MC. Mechanical stress triggers nuclear remodeling and the formation of transmembrane actin nuclear lines with associated nuclear pore complexes. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1774-1787. [PMID: 31967947 PMCID: PMC7521858 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-01-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical stimulation of fibroblasts induces changes in the actin cytoskeleton including stress fiber (SF) reinforcement and realignment. Here we characterize the nuclear response to mechanical stimulation (uniaxial cyclic stretch). Using fluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analysis we find that stretch-induced nuclear elongation and alignment perpendicular to the stretch vector are dependent on formin-regulated actin polymerization. The mechanosensitive transcription factors Yes-associated protein/Transcriptional coactivator with PDZ domain (YAP/TAZ) and myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF-A, also known as MKL1 and MAL1) accumulate in the nucleus and activate their target genes in response to uniaxial cyclic stretch. We show that transmembrane actin nuclear (TAN) lines are induced by stretch stimulation and nuclear envelope (NE) proteins including nesprins, SUN2, and lamins form Linkers of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes aligned with actin SFs. These NE structures are altered by pharmacological treatments (Cytochalasin D and Jasplakinolide) or genetic disruption (zyxin gene deletion) that alter actin, and their persistence requires maintenance of stretch stimulation. Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) accumulate at TAN lines providing a potential mechanism for linking mechanical cues to NPC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Hoffman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Mark A Smith
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | | | - Masaaki Yoshigi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | | | - Katharine S Ullman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Mary C Beckerle
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
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41
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Yu B, Sladojevic N, Blair JE, Liao JK. Targeting Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) in cardiovascular fibrosis and stiffening. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:47-62. [PMID: 31906742 PMCID: PMC7662835 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1712593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Pathological cardiac fibrosis, through excessive extracellular matrix protein deposition from fibroblasts and pro-fibrotic immune responses and vascular stiffening is associated with most forms of cardiovascular disease. Pathological cardiac fibrosis and stiffening can lead to heart failure and arrythmias and vascular stiffening may lead to hypertension. ROCK, a serine/threonine kinase downstream of the Rho-family of GTPases, may regulate many pro-fibrotic and pro-stiffening signaling pathways in numerous cell types.Areas covered: This article outlines the molecular mechanisms by which ROCK in fibroblasts, T helper cells, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and macrophages mediate fibrosis and stiffening. We speculate on how ROCK could be targeted to inhibit cardiovascular fibrosis and stiffening.Expert opinion: Critical gaps in knowledge must be addressed if ROCK inhibitors are to be used in the clinic. Numerous studies indicate that each ROCK isoform may play differential roles in regulating fibrosis and may have opposing roles in specific tissues. Future work needs to highlight the isoform- and tissue-specific contributions of ROCK in fibrosis, and how isoform-specific ROCK inhibitors in murine models and in clinical trials affect the pathophysiology of cardiac fibrosis and stiffening. This could progress knowledge regarding new treatments for heart failure, arrythmias and hypertension and the repair processes after myocardial infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Yu
- Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nikola Sladojevic
- Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John E Blair
- Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James K Liao
- Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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42
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CCN1-Yes-Associated Protein Feedback Loop Regulates Physiological and Pathological Angiogenesis. Mol Cell Biol 2019; 39:MCB.00107-19. [PMID: 31262999 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00107-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular communication network factor 1 (CCN1) is a dynamically expressed, matricellular protein required for vascular development and tissue repair. The CCN1 gene is a presumed target of Yes-associated protein (YAP), a transcriptional coactivator that regulates cell growth and organ size. Herein, we demonstrate that the CCN1 promoter is indeed a direct genomic target of YAP in endothelial cells (ECs) of new blood vessel sprouts and that YAP deficiency in mice downregulates CCN1 and alters cytoskeletal and mitogenic gene expression. Interestingly, CCN1 overexpression in cultured ECs inactivates YAP in a negative feedback and causes its nuclear exclusion. Accordingly, EC-specific deletion of the CCN1 gene in mice mimics a YAP gain-of-function phenotype, characterized by EC hyperproliferation and blood vessel enlargement. CCN1 brings about its effect by providing cells with a soft compliant matrix that creates YAP-repressive cytoskeletal states. Concordantly, pharmacological inhibition of cell stiffness recapitulates the CCN1 deletion vascular phenotype. Furthermore, adeno-associated virus-mediated expression of CCN1 reversed the pathology of YAP hyperactivation and the subsequent aberrant growth of blood vessels in mice with ischemic retinopathy. Our studies unravel a new paradigm of functional interaction between CCN1 and YAP and underscore the significance of their interplay in the pathogenesis of neovascular diseases.
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43
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Chin IL, Hool L, Choi YS. A Review of in vitro Platforms for Understanding Cardiomyocyte Mechanobiology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:133. [PMID: 31231644 PMCID: PMC6560053 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanobiology—a cell's interaction with its physical environment—can influence a myriad of cellular processes including how cells migrate, differentiate and proliferate. In many diseases, remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is observed such as tissue stiffening in rigid scar formation after myocardial infarct. Utilizing knowledge of cell mechanobiology in relation to ECM remodeling during pathogenesis, elucidating the role of the ECM in the progression—and perhaps regression—of disease is a primary focus of the field. Although the importance of mechanical signaling in the cardiac cell is well-appreciated, our understanding of how these signals are sensed and transduced by cardiomyocytes is limited. To overcome this limitation, recently developed tools and resources have provided exciting opportunities to further our understandings by better recapitulating pathological spatiotemporal ECM stiffness changes in an in vitro setting. In this review, we provide an overview of a conventional model of mechanotransduction and present understandings of cardiomyocyte mechanobiology, followed by a review of emerging tools and resources that can be used to expand our knowledge of cardiomyocyte mechanobiology toward more clinically relevant applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian L Chin
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Livia Hool
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yu Suk Choi
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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A non-autonomous role of MKL1 in the activation of hepatic stellate cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:609-618. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Sidorenko E, Vartiainen MK. Nucleoskeletal regulation of transcription: Actin on MRTF. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019; 244:1372-1381. [PMID: 31142145 DOI: 10.1177/1535370219854669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A) and serum response factor (SRF) form an essential transcriptional complex that regulates the expression of many cytoskeletal genes in response to dynamic changes in the actin cytoskeleton. The nucleoskeleton, a “dynamic network of networks,” consists of numerous proteins that contribute to nuclear shape and to its various functions, including gene expression. In this review, we will discuss recent work that has identified many nucleoskeletal proteins, such as nuclear lamina and lamina-associated proteins, nuclear actin, and the linker of the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton complex as important regulators of MRTF-A/SRF transcriptional activity, especially in the context of mechanical control of transcription. Impact statement Regulation of gene expression is a fundamental cellular process that ensures the appropriate response of a cell to its surroundings. Alongside biochemical signals, mechanical cues, such as substrate rigidity, have been recognized as key regulators of gene expression. Nucleoskeletal components play an important role in mechanoresponsive transcription, particularly in controlling the activity of MRTF-A/SRF transcription factors. This ensures that the cell can balance the internal and external mechanical forces by fine-tuning the expression of cytoskeletal genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Sidorenko
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Maria K Vartiainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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46
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Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in tissue size regulation and tumorigenesis. Genetic deletion or aberrant expression of some Hippo pathway genes lead to enhanced cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, and cancer metastasis. Recently, multiple studies have identified a wide range of upstream regulators of the Hippo pathway, including mechanical cues and ligands of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Through the activation related G proteins and possibly rearrangements of actin cytoskeleton, GPCR signaling can potently modulate the phosphorylation states and activity of YAP and TAZ, two homologous oncogenic transcriptional co-activators, and major effectors of the Hippo pathway. Herein, we summarize the network, regulation, and functions of GPCR-Hippo signaling, and we will also discuss potential anti-cancer therapies targeting GPCR-YAP signaling.
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47
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Ho LTY, Skiba N, Ullmer C, Rao PV. Lysophosphatidic Acid Induces ECM Production via Activation of the Mechanosensitive YAP/TAZ Transcriptional Pathway in Trabecular Meshwork Cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:1969-1984. [PMID: 29677358 PMCID: PMC5896423 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-23702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive lipid, has been shown to increase resistance to aqueous humor outflow (AH) through the trabecular meshwork (TM). The molecular basis for this response of the TM to LPA, however, is not completely understood. In this study, we explored the possible involvement of mechanosensitive Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralog, transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding domain (TAZ), transcriptional activation in extracellular matrix (ECM) production by LPA-induced contractile activity in human TM cells (HTM). Methods The responsiveness of genes encoding LPA receptors (LPARs), LPA hydrolyzing lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs), and the LPA-generating autotaxin (ATX) to cyclic mechanical stretch in HTM cells, was evaluated by RT-quantitative (q)PCR. The effects of LPA and LPA receptor antagonists on actomyosin contractile activity, activation of YAP/TAZ, and levels of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Cyr61 and ECM proteins in HTM cells were determined by immunoblotting, mass spectrometry, and immunofluorescence analyses. Results Cyclic mechanical stretch significantly increased the expression of several types of LPARs, LPP1, and ATX in HTM cells. LPA and LPA receptor–dependent contractile activity led to increases in both, the protein levels and activation of YAP/TAZ, and increased the levels of CTGF, Cyr61, α-smooth muscle actin (α–SMA), and ECM proteins in HTM cells. Conclusions The results of this study reveal that LPA and its receptors stimulate YAP/TAZ transcriptional activity in HTM cells by modulating cellular contractile tension, and augment expression of CTGF that in turn leads to increased production of ECM. Therefore, YAP/TAZ-induced increases in CTGF and ECM production could be an important molecular mechanism underlying LPA-induced resistance to AH outflow and ocular hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona T Y Ho
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Nikolai Skiba
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Christoph Ullmer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ponugoti Vasantha Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
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48
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Ngai D, Lino M, Bendeck MP. Cell-Matrix Interactions and Matricrine Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Vascular Calcification. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:174. [PMID: 30581820 PMCID: PMC6292870 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular calcification is a complex pathological process occurring in patients with atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. The extracellular matrix, via matricrine-receptor signaling plays important roles in the pathogenesis of calcification. Calcification is mediated by osteochondrocytic-like cells that arise from transdifferentiating vascular smooth muscle cells. Recent advances in our understanding of the plasticity of vascular smooth muscle cell and other cells of mesenchymal origin have furthered our understanding of how these cells transdifferentiate into osteochondrocytic-like cells in response to environmental cues. In the present review, we examine the role of the extracellular matrix in the regulation of cell behavior and differentiation in the context of vascular calcification. In pathological calcification, the extracellular matrix not only provides a scaffold for mineral deposition, but also acts as an active signaling entity. In recent years, extracellular matrix components have been shown to influence cellular signaling through matrix receptors such as the discoidin domain receptor family, integrins, and elastin receptors, all of which can modulate osteochondrocytic differentiation and calcification. Changes in extracellular matrix stiffness and composition are detected by these receptors which in turn modulate downstream signaling pathways and cytoskeletal dynamics, which are critical to osteogenic differentiation. This review will focus on recent literature that highlights the role of cell-matrix interactions and how they influence cellular behavior, and osteochondrocytic transdifferentiation in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular calcification.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ngai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marsel Lino
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle P Bendeck
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Yu OM, Benitez JA, Plouffe SW, Ryback D, Klein A, Smith J, Greenbaum J, Delatte B, Rao A, Guan KL, Furnari FB, Chaim OM, Miyamoto S, Brown JH. YAP and MRTF-A, transcriptional co-activators of RhoA-mediated gene expression, are critical for glioblastoma tumorigenicity. Oncogene 2018; 37:5492-5507. [PMID: 29887596 PMCID: PMC6195840 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0301-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The role of YAP (Yes-associated protein 1) and MRTF-A (myocardin-related transcription factor A), two transcriptional co-activators regulated downstream of GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors) and RhoA, in the growth of glioblastoma cells and in vivo glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor development was explored using human glioblastoma cell lines and tumor-initiating cells derived from patient-derived xenografts (PDX). Knockdown of these co-activators in GSC-23 PDX cells using short hairpin RNA significantly attenuated in vitro self-renewal capability assessed by limiting dilution, oncogene expression, and neurosphere formation. Orthotopic xenografts of the MRTF-A and YAP knockdown PDX cells formed significantly smaller tumors and were of lower morbidity than wild-type cells. In vitro studies used PDX and 1321N1 glioblastoma cells to examine functional responses to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a GPCR agonist that activates RhoA signaling, demonstrated that YAP signaling was required for cell migration and invasion, whereas MRTF-A was required for cell adhesion; both YAP and MRTF-A were required for proliferation. Gene expression analysis by RNA-sequencing of S1P-treated MRTF-A or YAP knockout cells identified 44 genes that were induced through RhoA and highly dependent on YAP, MRTF-A, or both. Knockdown of F3 (tissue factor (TF)), a target gene regulated selectively through YAP, blocked cell invasion and migration, whereas knockdown of HBEGF (heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor), a gene selectively induced through MRTF-A, prevented cell adhesion in response to S1P. Proliferation was sensitive to knockdown of target genes regulated through either or both YAP and MRTF-A. Expression of TF and HBEGF was also selectively decreased in tumors from PDX cells lacking YAP or MRTF-A, indicating that these transcriptional pathways are regulated in preclinical GBM models and suggesting that their activation through GPCRs and RhoA contributes to growth and maintenance of human GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jorge A Benitez
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Steven W Plouffe
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Ryback
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Klein
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jeff Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jason Greenbaum
- Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin Delatte
- Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anjana Rao
- Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kun-Liang Guan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Frank B Furnari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Olga Meiri Chaim
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Shigeki Miyamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Joan Heller Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Dieffenbach PB, Maracle M, Tschumperlin DJ, Fredenburgh LE. Mechanobiological Feedback in Pulmonary Vascular Disease. Front Physiol 2018; 9:951. [PMID: 30090065 PMCID: PMC6068271 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular stiffening in the pulmonary arterial bed is increasingly recognized as an early disease marker and contributor to right ventricular workload in pulmonary hypertension. Changes in pulmonary artery stiffness throughout the pulmonary vascular tree lead to physiologic alterations in pressure and flow characteristics that may contribute to disease progression. These findings have led to a greater focus on the potential contributions of extracellular matrix remodeling and mechanical signaling to pulmonary hypertension pathogenesis. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the cellular response to vascular stiffness includes upregulation of signaling pathways that precipitate further vascular remodeling, a process known as mechanobiological feedback. The extracellular matrix modifiers, mechanosensors, and mechanotransducers responsible for this process have become increasingly well-recognized. In this review, we discuss the impact of vascular stiffening on pulmonary hypertension morbidity and mortality, evidence in favor of mechanobiological feedback in pulmonary hypertension pathogenesis, and the major contributors to mechanical signaling in the pulmonary vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Dieffenbach
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marcy Maracle
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Laura E Fredenburgh
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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