1
|
Fu Y, Zhang X, Wu H, Zhang P, Liu S, Guo T, Shan H, Liang Y, Chen H, Xie J, Duan Y. HOXA3 functions as the on-off switch to regulate the development of hESC-derived third pharyngeal pouch endoderm through EPHB2-mediated Wnt pathway. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1258074. [PMID: 38259452 PMCID: PMC10800530 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1258074] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Normal commitment of the endoderm of the third pharyngeal pouch (3PP) is essential for the development and differentiation of the thymus. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of transcription factor HOXA3 in the development and differentiation of 3PP endoderm (3PPE) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Methods The 3PPE was differentiated from hESC-derived definitive endoderm (DE) by mimicking developmental queues with Activin A, WNT3A, retinoic acid and BMP4. The function of 3PPE was assessed by further differentiating into functional thymic epithelial cells (TECs). The effect of HOXA3 inhibition on cells of 3PPE was subsequently investigated. Results A highly efficient approach for differentiating 3PPE cells was developed and these cells expressed 3PPE related genes HOXA3, SIX1, PAX9 as well as EpCAM. 3PPE cells had a strong potential to develop into TECs which expressed both cortical TEC markers K8 and CD205, and medullary TEC markers K5 and AIRE, and also promoted the development and maturation of T cells. More importantly, transcription factor HOXA3 not only regulated the differentiation of 3PPE, but also had a crucial role for the proliferation and migration of 3PPE cells. Our further investigation revealed that HOXA3 controlled the commitment and function of 3PPE through the regulation of Wnt signaling pathway by activating EPHB2. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that HOXA3 functioned as the on-off switch to regulate the development of hESC-derived 3PPE through EPHB2-mediated Wnt pathway, and our findings will provide new insights into studying the development of 3PP and thymic organ in vitro and in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Fu
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueyan Zhang
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haibin Wu
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pingping Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shoupei Liu
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huanhuan Shan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Liang
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honglin Chen
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinghe Xie
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuyou Duan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institute for Clinical Medicine, the Second Affiliation Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- The Innovation Centre of Ministry of Education for Development and Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang Y, Tao G, Guan Y, Chen S, He Y, Li T, Zou S, Li Y. The role of ephrinB2-EphB4 signalling in bone remodelling during orthodontic tooth movement. Orthod Craniofac Res 2023; 26:107-116. [PMID: 35621382 DOI: 10.1111/ocr.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ephrinB2-EphB4 signalling in alveolar bone remodelling on the tension side during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). MATERIALS AND METHODS An OTM model was established on sixty 8-week-old male Wistar rats. They were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. The animals in the experimental group were administrated with subcutaneous injection of EphB4 inhibitor NVP-BHG712 every other day, whereas the control group received only the vehicle. Samples containing the maxillary first molar and the surrounding bone were collected after 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days of tooth movement. RESULTS EphrinB2-EphB4 signalling was actively expressed on the tension side during tooth movement. Micro-CT analysis showed the distance of tooth movement in the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group (P < .05) with significantly increased trabecular separation (Tb. Sp) and decreased trabecular number (Tb. N) from day 14 to day 21. The number of osteoclasts significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group after 3 and 7 days of tooth movement (P < .05). The expressions of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteopontin (OPN) were significantly reduced by inhibition of EphB4 (P < .05). CONCLUSION The inhibition of EphB4 suppressed bone formation and enhanced bone resorption activities on the tension side of tooth movement. The ephrinB2-EphB4 signalling might play an important role in alveolar bone remodelling during OTM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guiyu Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuzhe Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sirui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuying He
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiancheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shujuan Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
N'Tumba-Byn T, Yamada M, Seandel M. Loss of tyrosine kinase receptor Ephb2 impairs proliferation and stem cell activity of spermatogonia in culture†. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:950-962. [PMID: 31836902 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline stem and progenitor cells can be extracted from the adult mouse testis and maintained long-term in vitro. Yet, the optimal culture conditions for preserving stem cell activity are unknown. Recently, multiple members of the Eph receptor family were detected in murine spermatogonia, but their roles remain obscure. One such gene, Ephb2, is crucial for maintenance of somatic stem cells and was previously found enriched at the level of mRNA in murine spermatogonia. We detected Ephb2 mRNA and protein in primary adult spermatogonial cultures and hypothesized that Ephb2 plays a role in maintenance of stem cells in vitro. We employed CRISPR-Cas9 targeting and generated stable mutant SSC lines with complete loss of Ephb2. The characteristics of Ephb2-KO cells were interrogated using phenotypic and functional assays. Ephb2-KO SSCs exhibited reduced proliferation compared to wild-type cells, while apoptosis was unaffected. Therefore, we examined whether Ephb2 loss correlates with activity of canonical pathways involved in stem cell self-renewal and proliferation. Ephb2-KO cells had reduced ERK MAPK signaling. Using a lentiviral transgene, Ephb2 expression was rescued in Ephb2-KO cells, which partially restored signaling and proliferation. Transplantation analysis revealed that Ephb2-KO SSCs cultures formed significantly fewer colonies than WT, indicating a role for Ephb2 in preserving stem cell activity of cultured cells. Transcriptome analysis of wild-type and Ephb2-KO SSCs identified Dppa4 and Bnc1 as differentially expressed, Ephb2-dependent genes that are potentially involved in stem cell function. These data uncover for the first time a crucial role for Ephb2 signaling in cultured SSCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry N'Tumba-Byn
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Makiko Yamada
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Marco Seandel
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Thymus Inception: Molecular Network in the Early Stages of Thymus Organogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165765. [PMID: 32796710 PMCID: PMC7460828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus generates central immune tolerance by producing self-restricted and self-tolerant T-cells as a result of interactions between the developing thymocytes and the stromal microenvironment, mainly formed by the thymic epithelial cells. The thymic epithelium derives from the endoderm of the pharyngeal pouches, embryonic structures that rely on environmental cues from the surrounding mesenchyme for its development. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in early thymic organogenesis at stages preceding the expression of the transcription factor Foxn1, the early marker of thymic epithelial cells identity. Foxn1-independent developmental stages, such as the specification of the pharyngeal endoderm, patterning of the pouches, and thymus fate commitment are discussed, with a special focus on epithelial–mesenchymal interactions.
Collapse
|
5
|
Arthur A, Nguyen TM, Paton S, Zannettino ACW, Gronthos S. Loss of EfnB1 in the osteogenic lineage compromises their capacity to support hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell maintenance. Exp Hematol 2018; 69:43-53. [PMID: 30326247 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The bone marrow stromal microenvironment contributes to the maintenance and function of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). The Eph receptor tyrosine kinase family members have been implicated in bone homeostasis and stromal support of HSPCs. The present study examined the influence of EfnB1-expressing osteogenic lineage on HSPC function. Mice with conditional deletion of EfnB1 in the osteogenic lineage (EfnB1OB-/-), driven by the Osterix promoter, exhibited a reduced prevalence of osteogenic progenitors and osteoblasts, correlating to lower numbers of HSPCs compared with Osx:Cre mice. Long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assays confirmed that the loss of EfnB1 within bone cells hindered HSPC function, with a significant reduction in colony formation in EfnB1OB-/- mice compared with Osx:Cre mice. Human studies confirmed that activation of EPHB2 on CD34+ HSPCs via EFNB1-Fc stimulation enhanced myeloid/erythroid colony formation, whereas functional blocking of either EPHB1 or EPHB2 inhibited the maintenance of LTC-ICs. Moreover, EFNB1 reverse signaling in human and mouse stromal cells was found to be required for the activation of the HSPC-promoting factor CXCL12. Collectively, the results of this study confirm that EfnB1 contributes to the stromal support of HSPC function and maintenance and may be an important factor in regulating the HSPC niche.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Arthur
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Laboratory, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cancer Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Thao M Nguyen
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Laboratory, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cancer Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sharon Paton
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Laboratory, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cancer Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew C W Zannettino
- Cancer Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Myeloma Research Laboratory, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stan Gronthos
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Laboratory, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cancer Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kelly D, Kotliar M, Woo V, Jagannathan S, Whitt J, Moncivaiz J, Aronow BJ, Dubinsky MC, Hyams JS, Markowitz JF, Baldassano RN, Stephens MC, Walters TD, Kugathasan S, Haberman Y, Sundaram N, Rosen MJ, Helmrath M, Karns R, Barski A, Denson LA, Alenghat T. Microbiota-sensitive epigenetic signature predicts inflammation in Crohn's disease. JCI Insight 2018; 3:122104. [PMID: 30232290 PMCID: PMC6237229 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.122104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered response to the intestinal microbiota strongly associates with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, how commensal microbial cues are integrated by the host during the pathogenesis of IBD is not understood. Epigenetics represents a potential mechanism that could enable intestinal microbes to modulate transcriptional output during the development of IBD. Here, we reveal a histone methylation signature of intestinal epithelial cells isolated from the terminal ilea of newly diagnosed pediatric IBD patients. Genes characterized by significant alterations in histone H3-lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) showed differential enrichment in pathways involving immunoregulation, cell survival and signaling, and metabolism. Interestingly, a large subset of these genes was epigenetically regulated by microbiota in mice and several microbiota-sensitive epigenetic targets demonstrated altered expression in IBD patients. Remarkably though, a substantial proportion of these genes exhibited H3K4me3 levels that correlated with the severity of intestinal inflammation in IBD, despite lacking significant differential expression. Collectively, these data uncover a previously unrecognized epigenetic profile of IBD that can be primed by commensal microbes and indicate sensitive targets in the epithelium that may underlie how microbiota predispose to subsequent intestinal inflammation and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kelly
- Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
| | | | - Vivienne Woo
- Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance
| | | | - Jordan Whitt
- Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance
| | | | - Bruce J. Aronow
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Marla C. Dubinsky
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Hyams
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Robert N. Baldassano
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael C. Stephens
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Thomas D. Walters
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Subra Kugathasan
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Yael Haberman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, affiliated with the Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Nambirajan Sundaram
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, CCHMC and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Michael Helmrath
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, CCHMC and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Rebekah Karns
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
| | - Artem Barski
- Divisions of Allergy and Immunology and Human Genetics, and
| | - Lee A. Denson
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
| | - Theresa Alenghat
- Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Muñoz JJ, García-Ceca J, Montero-Herradón S, Sánchez del Collado B, Alfaro D, Zapata A. Can a Proper T-Cell Development Occur in an Altered Thymic Epithelium? Lessons From EphB-Deficient Thymi. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:135. [PMID: 29666605 PMCID: PMC5891583 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
For a long time, the effects of distinct Eph tyrosine kinase receptors and their ligands, ephrins on the structure, immunophenotype, and development of thymus and their main cell components, thymocytes (T) and thymic epithelial cells (TECs), have been studied. In recent years, the thymic phenotype of mutant mice deficient in several Ephs and ephrins B has been determined. Remarkably, thymic stroma in these animals exhibits important defects that appear early in ontogeny but little alterations in the proportions of distinct lymphoid cell populations. In the present manuscript, we summarize and extend these results discussing possible mechanisms governing phenotypical and functional thymocyte maturation in an absence of the critical T-TEC interactions, concluding that some signaling mediated by key molecules, such as MHCII, CD80, β5t, Aire, etc. could be sufficient to enable a proper maturation of thymocytes, independently of morphological alterations affecting thymic epithelium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Muñoz
- Center for Cytometry and Fluorescence Microscopy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier García-Ceca
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - David Alfaro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín Zapata
- Center for Cytometry and Fluorescence Microscopy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Targeting Eph/ephrin system in cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 142:152-162. [PMID: 28780190 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the Eph/ephrin system plays a central role in the embryonic development, with minor implications in the physiology of the adult. However, it is overexpressed and deregulated in a variety of tumors, with a primary involvement in tumorigenesis, tumor angiogenesis, metastasis development, and cancer stem cell regeneration. Targeting the Eph/ephrin system with biologicals, including antibodies and recombinant proteins, reduces tumor growth in animal models of hematological malignancies, breast, prostate, colon, head and neck cancers and glioblastoma. Currently, some of these biopharmaceutical agents are under investigations in phase I or phase II clinical trials. Peptides and small molecules targeting protein-protein-interaction (PPI) are in the late preclinical phase where they are showing promising activity in models of glioblastoma, ovarian and lung cancer. The present review summarizes the most critical findings proposing the Eph/ephrin signaling system as a new target in molecularly targeted oncology.
Collapse
|
9
|
Montero-Herradón S, García-Ceca J, Sánchez Del Collado B, Alfaro D, Zapata AG. Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions govern MTS20(+) thymic epithelial cell development. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 146:167-82. [PMID: 27060907 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Thymus development is a complex process in which cell-to-cell interactions between thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential to allow a proper maturation of both thymic cell components. Although signals that control thymocyte development are well known, mechanisms governing TEC maturation are poorly understood, especially those that regulate the maturation of immature TEC populations during early fetal thymus development. In this study, we show that EphB2-deficient, EphB2LacZ and EphB3-deficient fetal thymuses present a lower number of cells and delayed maturation of DN cell subsets compared to WT values. Moreover, deficits in the production of chemokines, known to be involved in the lymphoid seeding into the thymus, contribute in decreased proportions of intrathymic T cell progenitors (PIRA/B(+)) in the mutant thymuses from early stages of development. These features correlate with increased proportions of MTS20(+) cells but fewer MTS20(-) cells from E13.5 onward in the deficient thymuses, suggesting a delayed development of the first epithelial cells. In addition, in vitro the lack of thymocytes or the blockade of Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions between either thymocytes-TECs or TECs-TECs in E13.5 fetal thymic lobes coursed with increased proportions of MTS20(+) TECs. This confirms, for the first time, that the presence of CD45(+) cells, corresponding at these stages to DN1 and DN2 cells, and Eph/ephrin-B-mediated heterotypic or homotypic cell interactions between thymocytes and TECs, or between TECs and themselves, contribute to the early maturation of MTS20(+) TECs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier García-Ceca
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Sánchez Del Collado
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Alfaro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bryson JL, Bhandoola A. Editorial: Ephs, ephrins, and early T cell development. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:877-9. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1ce0315-132r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
|
11
|
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that in addition to having major roles in morphogenesis, in some tissues Eph receptor and ephrin signaling regulates the differentiation of cells. In one mode of deployment, cell contact dependent Eph-ephrin activation induces a distinct fate of cells at the interface of their expression domains, for example in early ascidian embryos and in the vertebrate hindbrain. In another mode, overlapping Eph receptor and ephrin expression underlies activation within a cell population, which promotes or inhibits cell differentiation in bone remodelling, neural progenitors and keratinocytes. Eph-ephrin activation also contributes to formation of the appropriate number of progenitor cells by increasing or decreasing cell proliferation. These multiple roles of Eph receptor and ephrin signaling may enable a coupling between morphogenesis and the differentiation and proliferation of cells.
Collapse
Key Words
- Eph receptor
- Eph receptor, Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma cell receptor
- FGF, Fibroblast growth factor
- IGF-1, Insulin-like growth factor-1
- JNK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase
- MAPK, Mitogen activated protein kinase
- NFAT, Nuclear factor of activated T-cells
- RGS3, Regulator of G-protein signaling 3
- STAT3, Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3
- TAZ, Tafazzin
- TCR, T cell receptor
- TEC, Thymic epithelial cell
- TGF, Transforming growth factor
- ZHX2, Zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2
- ascidian development
- bone
- cell proliferation
- differentiation
- ephrin
- ephrin, Eph receptor interacting protein
- hindbrain
- keratinocytes
- neural progenitors
- p120GAP, GTPase activating protein
- thymocytes
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David G Wilkinson
- a Division of Developmental Neurobiology; MRC National Institute for Medical Research ; London , UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
García-Ceca J, Alfaro D, Montero-Herradón S, Tobajas E, Muñoz JJ, Zapata AG. Eph/Ephrins-Mediated Thymocyte-Thymic Epithelial Cell Interactions Control Numerous Processes of Thymus Biology. Front Immunol 2015; 6:333. [PMID: 26167166 PMCID: PMC4481163 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies emphasize the relevance of thymocyte-thymic epithelial cell (TECs) interactions for the functional maturation of intrathymic T lymphocytes. The tyrosine kinase receptors, Ephs (erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte kinases) and their ligands, ephrins (Eph receptor interaction proteins), are molecules known to be involved in the regulation of numerous biological systems in which cell-to-cell interactions are particularly relevant. In the last years, we and other authors have demonstrated the importance of these molecules in the thymic functions and the T-cell development. In the present report, we review data on the effects of Ephs and ephrins in the functional maturation of both thymic epithelial microenvironment and thymocyte maturation as well as on their role in the lymphoid progenitor recruitment into the thymus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Ceca
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Alfaro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Tobajas
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Muñoz
- Cytometry and Fluorescence Microscopy Center, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G. Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Cytometry and Fluorescence Microscopy Center, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Alfaro D, García-Ceca J, Farias-de-Oliveira DA, Terra-Granado E, Montero-Herradón S, Cotta-de-Almeida V, Savino W, Zapata A. EphB2 and EphB3 play an important role in the lymphoid seeding of murine adult thymus. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:883-96. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1hi1114-568r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
|
14
|
Conditioned deletion of ephrinB1 and/or ephrinB2 in either thymocytes or thymic epithelial cells alters the organization of thymic medulla and favors the appearance of thymic epithelial cysts. Histochem Cell Biol 2014; 143:517-29. [PMID: 25417117 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1296-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding about medullary compartment, its niches composition and formation is still limited. Previous studies using EphB2 and/or EphB3 knockout mice showed an abnormal thymic development that affects mainly to the epithelial component, including the cortex/medulla distribution, thymic epithelial cell (TEC) morphology and different epithelial-specific marker expression. We have already demonstrated that the lack of ephrinB1 and/or ephrinB2, either on thymocytes or on TECs, alters the cell intermingling processes necessary for thymus organization and affect cortical TEC subpopulations. In the present work, we have used the Cre-LoxP model to selectively delete ephrinB1 and/or ephrinB2 in thymocytes (EfnB1(thy/thy), EfnB2(thy/thy), EfnB1(thy/thy)EfnB2(thy/thy) mice) or TECs (EfnB1(tec/tec), EfnB2(tec/tec), EfnB1(tec/tec)EfnB2(tec/tec) mice) and have analyzed their role on the medullary compartment. In all the studied mutants, medullary areas are smaller and more compact than in the wt thymuses. In most of them, we observe abundant big cysts and a higher proportion of UEA(hi)MTS10(-) cells than in wt mice, which are often forming small cysts. On EfnB1(tec/tec)EfnB2(tec/tec), changes affecting organ size and medullary compartment start at perinatal stage. Our data shed some light on knowledge about wt medulla histological structure and cysts meaning and formation process and on the role played by ephrinB in them.
Collapse
|
15
|
Therapeutic perspectives of Eph-ephrin system modulation. Drug Discov Today 2013; 19:661-9. [PMID: 24291785 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2013.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Eph receptors are the largest class of kinase receptors and, together with their ligands ephrins, they have a primary role in embryogenesis. Their expression has been found deregulated in several cancer tissues and, in many cases, abnormal levels of these proteins have been correlated to a poor prognosis. Recently, the Eph-ephrin system was found to be deregulated in other pathological processes, involving the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The increasing body of evidence supports the Eph-ephrin system as a target not only for the treatment of solid tumors, but also to face other critical diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and diabetes driving current efforts toward the development of pharmacological tools potentially able to treat these pathologies.
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
The continuous production of T lymphocytes requires that hematopoietic progenitors developing in the bone marrow migrate to the thymus. Rare progenitors egress from the bone marrow into the circulation, then traffic via the blood to the thymus. It is now evident that thymic settling is tightly regulated by selectin ligands, chemokine receptors, and integrins, among other factors. Identification of these signals has enabled progress in identifying specific populations of hematopoietic progenitors that can settle the thymus. Understanding the nature of progenitor cells and the molecular mechanisms involved in thymic settling may allow for therapeutic manipulation of this process, and improve regeneration of the T lineage in patients with impaired T cell numbers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shirley L Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 264 John Morgan Building 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Eph/ephrinB signalling is involved in the survival of thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Cell Biol 2012; 91:130-8. [PMID: 23146940 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2012.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The signals that determine the survival/death of the thymic epithelial cells (TECs) component during embryonic development of the thymus are largely unknown. In this study, we combine different in vivo and in vitro experimental approaches to define the role played by the tyrosine kinase receptors EphB2 and EphB3 and their ligands, ephrinsB, in the survival of embryonic and newborn (NB) TECs. Our results conclude that EphB2 and EphB3 are involved in the control of TEC survival and that the absence of these molecules causes increased apoptotic TEC proportions that result in decreased numbers of thymic cells and a smaller-sized gland. Furthermore, in vitro studies using either EphB2-Fc or ephrinB1-Fc fusion proteins demonstrate that the blockade of Eph/ephrinB signalling increases TEC apoptosis, whereas its activation rescues TECs from cell death. In these assays, both heterotypic thymocyte-TEC and homotypic TEC-TEC interactions are important for Eph/ephrinB-mediated TEC survival.
Collapse
|
18
|
Coulthard MG, Morgan M, Woodruff TM, Arumugam TV, Taylor SM, Carpenter TC, Lackmann M, Boyd AW. Eph/Ephrin signaling in injury and inflammation. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2012; 181:1493-503. [PMID: 23021982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2012.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Eph/ephrin receptor-ligand system plays an important role in embryogenesis and adult life, principally by influencing cell behavior through signaling pathways, resulting in modification of the cell cytoskeleton and cell adhesion. There are 10 EphA receptors, and six EphB receptors, distinguished on sequence difference and binding preferences, that interact with the six glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked ephrin-A ligands and the three transmembrane ephrin-B ligands, respectively. The Eph/ephrin proteins, originally described as developmental regulators that are expressed at low levels postembryonically, are re-expressed after injury to the optic nerve, spinal cord, and brain in fish, amphibians, rodents, and humans. In rodent spinal cord injury, the up-regulation of EphA4 prevents recovery by inhibiting axons from crossing the injury site. Eph/ephrin proteins may be partly responsible for the phenotypic changes to the vascular endothelium in inflammation, which allows fluid and inflammatory cells to pass from the vascular space into the interstitial tissues. Specifically, EphA2/ephrin-A1 signaling in the lung may be responsible for pulmonary inflammation in acute lung injury. A role in T-cell maturation and chronic inflammation (heart failure, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis) is also reported. Although there remains much to learn about Eph/ephrin signaling in human disease, and specifically in injury and inflammation, this area of research raises the exciting prospect that novel therapies will be developed that precisely target these pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Coulthard
- Academic Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Queensland, Royal Children's Hospital, Herston, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|