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Vellingiri V, Balaji Ragunathrao VA, Joshi JC, Akhter MZ, Anwar M, Banerjee S, Dudek S, Tsukasaki Y, Pinho S, Mehta D. Endothelial ERG programs neutrophil transcriptome for sustained anti-inflammatory vascular niche. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.591799. [PMID: 38746216 PMCID: PMC11092576 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.591799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Neutrophils (PMNs) reside as a marginated pool within the vasculature, ready for deployment during infection. However, how endothelial cells (ECs) control PMN extravasation and activation to strengthen tissue homeostasis remains ill-defined. Here, we found that the vascular ETS-related gene (ERG) is a generalized mechanism regulating PMN activity in preclinical tissue injury models and human patients. We show that ERG loss in ECs rewired PMN-transcriptome, enriched for genes associated with the CXCR2-CXCR4 signaling. Rewired PMNs compromise mice survival after pneumonia and induced lung vascular inflammatory injury following adoptive transfer into naïve mice, indicating their longevity and inflammatory activity memory. Mechanistically, EC-ERG restricted PMN extravasation and activation by upregulating the deubiquitinase A20 and downregulating the NFκB-IL8 cascade. Rescuing A20 in EC-Erg -/- endothelium or suppressing PMN-CXCR2 signaling rescued EC control of PMN activation. Findings deepen our understanding of EC control of PMN-mediated inflammation, offering potential avenues for targeting various inflammatory diseases. Highlights ERG regulates trans-endothelial neutrophil (PMN) extravasation, retention, and activationLoss of endothelial (EC) ERG rewires PMN-transcriptomeAdopted transfer of rewired PMNs causes inflammation in a naïve mouse ERG transcribes A20 and suppresses CXCR2 function to inactivate PMNs. In brief/blurb The authors investigated how vascular endothelial cells (EC) control polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) extravasation, retention, and activation to strengthen tissue homeostasis. They showed that EC-ERG controls PMN transcriptome into an anti-adhesive and anti-inflammatory lineage by synthesizing A20 and suppressing PMNs-CXCR2 signaling, defining EC-ERG as a target for preventing neutrophilic inflammatory injury.
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Bahi M, Li C, Wang G, Korman BD. Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: From Bedside to Bench and Back Again. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4728. [PMID: 38731946 PMCID: PMC11084945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy, and fibrosis which affects the skin and internal organs. One key aspect of SSc vasculopathy is pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) which represents a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with SSc. The pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension is complex, with multiple vascular cell types, inflammation, and intracellular signaling pathways contributing to vascular pathology and remodeling. In this review, we focus on shared molecular features of pulmonary hypertension and those which make SSc-PAH a unique entity. We highlight advances in the understanding of the clinical and translational science pertinent to this disease. We first review clinical presentations and phenotypes, pathology, and novel biomarkers, and then highlight relevant animal models, key cellular and molecular pathways in pathogenesis, and explore emerging treatment strategies in SSc-PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benjamin D. Korman
- Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 695, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (M.B.)
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Chakraborty A, Kim A, AlAbdullatif S, Campbell JD, Alekseyev YO, Kaplan U, Dambal V, Ligresti G, Trojanowska M. Endothelial Erg Regulates Expression of Pulmonary Lymphatic Junctional and Inflammation Genes in Mouse Lungs Impacting Lymphatic Transport. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3808970. [PMID: 38343832 PMCID: PMC10854286 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3808970/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The ETS transcription factor ERG is a master regulator of endothelial gene specificity and highly enriched in the capillary, vein, and arterial endothelial cells. ERG expression is critical for endothelial barrier function, permeability, and vascular inflammation. A dysfunctional vascular endothelial ERG has been shown to impair lung capillary homeostasis, contributing to pulmonary fibrosis as previously observed in IPF lungs. Our preliminary observations indicate that lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) in the human IPF lung also lack ERG. To understand the role of ERG in pulmonary LECs, we developed LEC-specific inducible Erg-CKO and Erg-GFP-CKO conditional knockout (CKO) mice under Prox1 promoter. Whole lung microarray analysis, flow cytometry, and qPCR confirmed an inflammatory and pro-lymphvasculogenic predisposition in Erg-CKO lung. FITC-Dextran tracing analysis showed an increased pulmonary interstitial lymphatic fluid transport from the lung to the axial lymph node. Single-cell transcriptomics confirmed that genes associated with cell junction integrity were downregulated in Erg-CKO pre-collector and collector LECs. Integrating Single-cell transcriptomics and CellChatDB helped identify LEC specific communication pathways contributing to pulmonary inflammation, trans-endothelial migration, inflammation, and Endo-MT in Erg-CKO lung. Our findings suggest that downregulation of lymphatic Erg crucially affects LEC function, LEC permeability, pulmonary LEC communication pathways and lymphatic transcriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adri Chakraborty
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alex Kim
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Salam AlAbdullatif
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua D Campbell
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuriy O Alekseyev
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ulas Kaplan
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vrinda Dambal
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Yang L, Wan N, Gong F, Wang X, Feng L, Liu G. Transcription factors and potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary hypertension. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1132060. [PMID: 37009479 PMCID: PMC10064017 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1132060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a refractory and fatal disease characterized by excessive pulmonary arterial cell remodeling. Uncontrolled proliferation and hypertrophy of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), dysfunction of pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs), and abnormal perivascular infiltration of immune cells result in pulmonary arterial remodeling, followed by increased pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary pressure. Although various drugs targeting nitric oxide, endothelin-1 and prostacyclin pathways have been used in clinical settings, the mortality of pulmonary hypertension remains high. Multiple molecular abnormalities have been implicated in pulmonary hypertension, changes in numerous transcription factors have been identified as key regulators in pulmonary hypertension, and a role for pulmonary vascular remodeling has been highlighted. This review consolidates evidence linking transcription factors and their molecular mechanisms, from pulmonary vascular intima PAECs, vascular media PASMCs, and pulmonary arterial adventitia fibroblasts to pulmonary inflammatory cells. These findings will improve the understanding of particularly interactions between transcription factor-mediated cellular signaling pathways and identify novel therapies for pulmonary hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Naifu Wan
- Department of Vascular & Cardiology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanpeng Gong
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xianfeng Wang
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Lei Feng
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Guizhu Liu
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- *Correspondence: Guizhu Liu,
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5
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Chapola H, de Bastiani MA, Duarte MM, Freitas MB, Schuster JS, de Vargas DM, Klamt F. A comparative study of COVID-19 transcriptional signatures between clinical samples and preclinical cell models in the search for disease master regulators and drug repositioning candidates. Virus Res 2023; 326:199053. [PMID: 36709793 PMCID: PMC9877318 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute viral disease with millions of cases worldwide. Although the number of daily new cases and deaths has been dropping, there is still a need for therapeutic alternatives to deal with severe cases. A promising strategy to prospect new therapeutic candidates is to investigate the regulatory mechanisms involved in COVID-19 progression using integrated transcriptomics approaches. In this work, we aimed to identify COVID-19 Master Regulators (MRs) using a series of publicly available gene expression datasets of lung tissue from patients which developed the severe form of the disease. We were able to identify a set of six potential COVID-19 MRs related to its severe form, namely TAL1, TEAD4, EPAS1, ATOH8, ERG, and ARNTL2. In addition, using the Connectivity Map drug repositioning approach, we identified 52 different drugs which could be used to revert the disease signature, thus being candidates for the design of novel clinical treatments. Furthermore, we compared the identified signature and drugs with the ones obtained from the analysis of nasopharyngeal swab samples from infected patients and preclinical cell models. This comparison showed significant similarities between them, although also revealing some limitations on the overlap between clinical and preclinical data in COVID-19, highlighting the need for careful selection of the best model for each disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Chapola
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Marco Antônio de Bastiani
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; Zimmer Lab, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Mendes Duarte
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Matheus Becker Freitas
- Estacio College of Rio Grande do Sul (ESTACIO FARGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90020-060, Brazil
| | | | - Daiani Machado de Vargas
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil.
| | - Fábio Klamt
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; Zimmer Lab, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; National Institutes of Science & Technology, Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-903, Brazil; IMMUNESHARE - MCTI Trial (CNPq/MCTI #137541939766794), Brazil
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6
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Schafer CM, Martin-Almedina S, Kurylowicz K, Dufton N, Osuna-Almagro L, Wu ML, Johnson CF, Shah AV, Haskard DO, Buxton A, Willis E, Wheeler K, Turner S, Chlebicz M, Scott RP, Kovats S, Cleuren A, Birdsey GM, Randi AM, Griffin CT. Cytokine-Mediated Degradation of the Transcription Factor ERG Impacts the Pulmonary Vascular Response to Systemic Inflammatory Challenge. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.08.527788. [PMID: 36798267 PMCID: PMC9934599 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.527788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Background During infectious diseases, pro-inflammatory cytokines transiently destabilize interactions between adjacent vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to facilitate the passage of immune molecules and cells into tissues. However, in the lung the resulting vascular hyperpermeability can lead to organ dysfunction. Previous work identified the transcription factor ERG as a master regulator of endothelial homeostasis. Here we investigate whether the sensitivity of pulmonary blood vessels to cytokine-induced destabilization is due to organotypic mechanisms affecting the ability of endothelial ERG to protect lung ECs from inflammatory injury. Methods Cytokine-dependent ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of ERG was analyzed in cultured Human Umbilical Vein ECs (HUVECs). Systemic administration of TNFα or the bacterial cell wall component lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to cause a widespread inflammatory challenge in mice; ERG protein levels were assessed by immunoprecipitation, immunoblot, and immunofluorescence. Murine Erg deletion was genetically induced in ECs ( Erg fl/fl ;Cdh5(PAC)Cre ERT2 ), and multiple organs were analyzed by histology, immunostaining, and electron microscopy. Results In vitro, TNFα promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of ERG in HUVECs, which was blocked by the proteasomal inhibitor MG132. In vivo, systemic administration of TNFα or LPS resulted in a rapid and substantial degradation of ERG within lung ECs, but not ECs of the retina, heart, liver, or kidney. Pulmonary ERG was also downregulated in a murine model of influenza infection. Erg fl/fl ;Cdh5(PAC)-Cre ERT2 mice spontaneously recapitulated aspects of inflammatory challenges, including lung-predominant vascular hyperpermeability, immune cell recruitment, and fibrosis. These phenotypes were associated with a lung-specific decrease in the expression of Tek , a gene target of ERG previously implicated in maintaining pulmonary vascular stability during inflammation. Conclusions Collectively, our data highlight a unique role for ERG in pulmonary vascular function. We propose that cytokine-induced ERG degradation and subsequent transcriptional changes in lung ECs play critical roles in the destabilization of pulmonary blood vessels during infectious diseases.
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7
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Effect and mechanism of apelin on lipopolysaccharide induced acute pulmonary vascular endothelial barrier dysfunction. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1560. [PMID: 36707689 PMCID: PMC9883263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27889-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial barrier dysfunction is the most prominent manifestation and important cause of mortality in infectious acute lung injury (ALI). Exogenous apelin is effective in ameliorating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in ALI lungs, reducing exudation of lung tissue and decreasing mortality. This study set out to investigate the association between apelin and Friend leukemia integration-1 (Fli-1) in the prevention and treatment of ALI, and to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which apelin protects the permeability of the vascular endothelial barrier. At the vivo functional level, lung wet/dry weight ratio was used to detect whole lung permeability, evans blue assay and dual fluorescent protein tracking assay were used to detect lung vascular endothelial permeability, HE staining to observe the inflammatory status of lung tissue, and immunofluorescence staining for VE-cadherin expression levels in blood vessels. The changes in inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by ELASA. Western blot was used to detect the expression level of proteins. qRT-PCR was performed to detect changes in mRNA expression of Fli-1 and adherent junction-related proteins. The correlation analysis of Fli-1 with vascular endothelial permeability and SRC showed that Fli-1 participated in the process of ALI. After preventive and therapeutic treatment of ALI mice with exogenous apelin, Fli-1, APJ, VE-cadherin, phosphorylated-VE-cadherin (p-VE-cadherin) and β-catenin were up-regulated, while SRC, phosphorylated-SRC (p-SRC), VEGF and VEGF-R were down-regulated, which indicated that the stability of vascular endothelial barrier was enhanced. With the use of Fli-1 inhibitor irinotecan, the protective effect of apelin was weakened in various functional indexes, genes and proteins. The lung was maintained at the level of the injury. Our research shows that Fli-1 is involved in the LPS-induced ALI process. The molecular mechanism for apelin in preventing endothelial barrier dysfunction in ALI is through up-regulating Fli-1, thus regulating adherens junction-related proteins, and finally recovering the endothelial barrier function.
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8
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Wang C, Xing Y, Zhang J, He M, Dong J, Chen S, Wu H, Huang HY, Chou CH, Bai L, He F, She J, Su A, Wang Y, Thistlethwaite PA, Huang HD, Yuan JXJ, Yuan ZY, Shyy JYJ. MED1 Regulates BMP/TGF-β in Endothelium: Implication for Pulmonary Hypertension. Circ Res 2022; 131:828-841. [PMID: 36252121 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.122.321532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysregulated BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) or TGF-β (transforming growth factor beta) signaling pathways are imperative in idiopathic and familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) as well as experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) in rodent models. MED1 (mediator complex subunit 1) is a key transcriptional co-activator and KLF4 (Krüppel-like factor 4) is a master transcription factor in endothelium. However, MED1 and KLF4 epigenetic and transcriptional regulations of the BMP/TGF-β axes in pulmonary endothelium and their dysregulations leading to PAH remain elusive. We investigate the MED1/KLF4 co-regulation of the BMP/TGF-β axes in endothelium by studying the epigenetic regulation of BMPR2 (BMP receptor type II), ETS-related gene (ERG), and TGFBR2 (TGF-β receptor 2) and their involvement in the PH. METHODS High-throughput screening involving data from RNA-seq, MED1 ChIP-seq, H3K27ac ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture together with in silico computations were used to explore the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of BMPR2, ERG, and TGFBR2 by MED1 and KLF4. In vitro experiments with cultured pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (ECs) and bulk assays were used to validate results from these in silico analyses. Lung tissue from patients with idiopathic PAH, animals with experimental PH, and mice with endothelial ablation of MED1 (EC-MED1-/-) were used to study the PH-protective effect of MED1. RESULTS Levels of MED1 were decreased in lung tissue or pulmonary arterial endothelial cells from idiopathic PAH patients and rodent PH models. Mechanistically, MED1 acted synergistically with KLF4 to transactivate BMPR2, ERG, and TGFBR2 via chromatin remodeling and enhancer-promoter interactions. EC-MED1-/- mice showed PH susceptibility. In contrast, MED1 overexpression mitigated the PH phenotype in rodents. CONCLUSIONS A homeostatic regulation of BMPR2, ERG, and TGFBR2 in ECs by MED1 synergistic with KLF4 is essential for the normal function of the pulmonary endothelium. Dysregulation of MED1 and the resulting impairment of the BMP/TGF-β signaling is implicated in the disease progression of PAH in humans and PH in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.).,Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.)
| | - Yuanming Xing
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.).,Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.)
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.).,Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.).,Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (J.Z., M.H., J.D., J.Y.-J.)
| | - Ming He
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (J.Z., M.H., J.D., J.Y.-J.)
| | - Jianjie Dong
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.).,Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.).,Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (J.Z., M.H., J.D., J.Y.-J.)
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.)
| | - Haoyu Wu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.)
| | - Hsi-Yuan Huang
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (H.-Y.H., H.-D.H.).,School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (H.-Y.H., H.-D.H.)
| | - Chih-Hung Chou
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (C.-H.C.)
| | - Liang Bai
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.)
| | - Fangzhou He
- Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.)
| | - Jianqing She
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.)
| | - Ailing Su
- Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., S.C., L.B., F.H., A.S.)
| | - Youhua Wang
- Institute of Sports and Exercise Biology, School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China (Y.W.)
| | - Patricia A Thistlethwaite
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (P.A.T.)
| | - Hsien-Da Huang
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (H.-Y.H., H.-D.H.).,School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (H.-Y.H., H.-D.H.)
| | - Jason X-J Yuan
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (J.X.-J.Y.)
| | - Zu-Yi Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China (C.W., Y.X., J.Z., J.D., H.W., L.B., J.S., Z.-Y.)
| | - John Y-J Shyy
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (J.Z., M.H., J.D., J.Y.-J.)
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9
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Gomez-Salinero JM, Itkin T, Houghton S, Badwe C, Lin Y, Kalna V, Dufton N, Peghaire CR, Yokoyama M, Wingo M, Lu TM, Li G, Xiang JZ, Hsu YMS, Redmond D, Schreiner R, Birdsey GM, Randi AM, Rafii S. Cooperative ETS Transcription Factors Enforce Adult Endothelial Cell Fate and Cardiovascular Homeostasis. NATURE CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH 2022; 1:882-899. [PMID: 36713285 PMCID: PMC7614113 DOI: 10.1038/s44161-022-00128-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Current dogma dictates that during adulthood, endothelial cells (ECs) are locked in an immutable stable homeostatic state. By contrast, herein we show that maintenance of EC fate and function are linked and active processes, which depend on the constitutive cooperativity of only two ETS-transcription factors (TFs) ERG and Fli1. While deletion of either Fli1 or ERG manifest subtle vascular dysfunction, their combined genetic deletion in adult EC results in acute vasculopathy and multiorgan failure, due to loss of EC fate and integrity, hyperinflammation, and spontaneous thrombosis, leading to death. ERG and Fli1 co-deficiency cause rapid transcriptional silencing of pan- and organotypic vascular core genes, with dysregulation of inflammation and coagulation pathways. Vascular hyperinflammation leads to impaired hematopoiesis with myeloid skewing. Accordingly, enforced ERG and FLI1 expression in adult human mesenchymal stromal cells activates vascular programs and functionality enabling engraftment of perfusable vascular network. GWAS-analysis identified vascular diseases are associated with FLI1/Erg mutations. Constitutive expression of ERG and Fli1 uphold EC fate, physiological function, and resilience in adult vasculature; while their functional loss can contribute to systemic human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus M Gomez-Salinero
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Tomer Itkin
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Sean Houghton
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Chaitanya Badwe
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Yang Lin
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Viktoria Kalna
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Human Genetics and Computational Biology GSK, UK (current address)
| | - Neil Dufton
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Microvascular Research, William Harvey Research Centre, UK (current address)
| | - Claire R Peghaire
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm UMR1034, Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Pessac, France (current address)
| | - Masataka Yokoyama
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Wingo
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Tyler M. Lu
- Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ge Li
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | | | - Yen-Michael Sheng Hsu
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (current address)
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (current address)
| | - David Redmond
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Ryan Schreiner
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Graeme M Birdsey
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anna M Randi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
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10
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Caporarello N, Lee J, Pham TX, Jones DL, Guan J, Link PA, Meridew JA, Marden G, Yamashita T, Osborne CA, Bhagwate AV, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Tschumperlin DJ, Trojanowska M, Ligresti G. Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4170. [PMID: 35879310 PMCID: PMC9314350 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of chronic diseases in elderly. The contribution of the vasculature to lung repair and fibrosis is not fully understood. Here, we performed an epigenetic and transcriptional analysis of lung endothelial cells (ECs) from young and aged mice during the resolution or progression of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. We identified the transcription factor ETS-related gene (ERG) as putative orchestrator of lung capillary homeostasis and repair, and whose function is dysregulated in aging. ERG dysregulation is associated with reduced chromatin accessibility and maladaptive transcriptional responses to injury. Loss of endothelial ERG enhances paracrine fibroblast activation in vitro, and impairs lung fibrosis resolution in young mice in vivo. scRNA-seq of ERG deficient mouse lungs reveales transcriptional and fibrogenic abnormalities resembling those associated with aging and human lung fibrosis, including reduced number of general capillary (gCap) ECs. Our findings demonstrate that lung endothelial chromatin remodeling deteriorates with aging leading to abnormal transcription, vascular dysrepair, and persistent fibrosis following injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jisu Lee
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tho X Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jiazhen Guan
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick A Link
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Grace Marden
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takashi Yamashita
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Collin A Osborne
- Department of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aditya V Bhagwate
- Department of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Steven K Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Roberto F Nicosia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Maria Trojanowska
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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11
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D'Amico G, Fernandez I, Gómez-Escudero J, Kim H, Maniati E, Azman MS, Mardakheh FK, Serrels B, Serrels A, Parsons M, Squire A, Birdsey GM, Randi AM, Bolado-Carrancio A, Gangeswaran R, Reynolds LE, Bodrug N, Wang Y, Wang J, Meier P, Hodivala-Dilke KM. ERG activity is regulated by endothelial FAK coupling with TRIM25/USP9x in vascular patterning. Development 2022; 149:dev200528. [PMID: 35723257 PMCID: PMC9340553 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Precise vascular patterning is crucial for normal growth and development. The ERG transcription factor drives Delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4)/Notch signalling and is thought to act as a pivotal regulator of endothelial cell (EC) dynamics and developmental angiogenesis. However, molecular regulation of ERG activity remains obscure. Using a series of EC-specific focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-knockout (KO) and point-mutant FAK-knock-in mice, we show that loss of ECFAK, its kinase activity or phosphorylation at FAK-Y397, but not FAK-Y861, reduces ERG and DLL4 expression levels together with concomitant aberrations in vascular patterning. Rapid immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry of endogenous proteins identified that endothelial nuclear-FAK interacts with the deubiquitinase USP9x and the ubiquitin ligase TRIM25. Further in silico analysis confirms that ERG interacts with USP9x and TRIM25. Moreover, ERG levels are reduced in FAKKO ECs via a ubiquitin-mediated post-translational modification programme involving USP9x and TRIM25. Re-expression of ERG in vivo and in vitro rescues the aberrant vessel-sprouting defects observed in the absence of ECFAK. Our findings identify ECFAK as a regulator of retinal vascular patterning by controlling ERG protein degradation via TRIM25/USP9x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela D'Amico
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Isabelle Fernandez
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jesús Gómez-Escudero
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Hyojin Kim
- The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Eleni Maniati
- Centre for Cancer Genomics and Computational Biology, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Muhammad Syahmi Azman
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Faraz K. Mardakheh
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Bryan Serrels
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden G61 1QH, UK
| | - Alan Serrels
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Maddy Parsons
- Kings College London, Randall Centre of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Room 3.22B, New Hunts House, Guys Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Anthony Squire
- IMCES - Imaging Centre Essen, Institute for Experimental Immunology and Imaging, University Clinic Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Graeme M. Birdsey
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Anna M. Randi
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | | | - Rathi Gangeswaran
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Biotherapeutics, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Louise E. Reynolds
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Natalia Bodrug
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Yaohe Wang
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Biotherapeutics, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jun Wang
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Pascal Meier
- The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Kairbaan M. Hodivala-Dilke
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute – a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
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12
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Khosh Kish E, Choudhry M, Gamallat Y, Buharideen SM, D D, Bismar TA. The Expression of Proto-Oncogene ETS-Related Gene ( ERG) Plays a Central Role in the Oncogenic Mechanism Involved in the Development and Progression of Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094772. [PMID: 35563163 PMCID: PMC9105369 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ETS-related gene (ERG) is proto-oncogene that is classified as a member of the ETS transcription factor family, which has been found to be consistently overexpressed in about half of the patients with clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa). The overexpression of ERG can mostly be attributed to the fusion of the ERG and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) genes, and this fusion is estimated to represent about 85% of all gene fusions observed in prostate cancer. Clinically, individuals with ERG gene fusion are mostly documented to have advanced tumor stages, increased mortality, and higher rates of metastasis in non-surgical cohorts. In the current review, we elucidate ERG’s molecular interaction with downstream genes and the pathways associated with PCa. Studies have documented that ERG plays a central role in PCa progression due to its ability to enhance tumor growth by promoting inflammatory and angiogenic responses. ERG has also been implicated in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PCa cells, which increases the ability of cancer cells to metastasize. In vivo, research has demonstrated that higher levels of ERG expression are involved with nuclear pleomorphism that prompts hyperplasia and the loss of cell polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ealia Khosh Kish
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
| | - Muhammad Choudhry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
| | - Yaser Gamallat
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
| | - Sabrina Marsha Buharideen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
| | - Dhananjaya D
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
| | - Tarek A. Bismar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada; (E.K.K.); (M.C.); (Y.G.); (S.M.B.); (D.D.)
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
- Departments of Oncology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
- Tom Baker Cancer Center, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Calgary, AB T2V 1P9, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-403-943-8430; Fax: +1-403-943-3333
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13
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Manaud G, Nossent EJ, Lambert M, Ghigna MR, Boët A, Vinhas MC, Ranchoux B, Dumas SJ, Courboulin A, Girerd B, Soubrier F, Bignard J, Claude O, Lecerf F, Hautefort A, Florio M, Sun B, Nadaud S, Verleden SE, Remy S, Anegon I, Bogaard HJ, Mercier O, Fadel E, Simonneau G, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Grünberg K, Humbert M, Montani D, Dorfmüller P, Antigny F, Perros F. Comparison of Human and Experimental Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 63:118-131. [PMID: 32209028 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0015oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) occurs in humans either as a heritable form (hPVOD) due to biallelic inactivating mutations of EIF2AK4 (encoding GCN2) or as a sporadic form in older age (sPVOD). The chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin C (MMC) is a potent inducer of PVOD in humans and in rats (MMC-PVOD). Here, we compared human hPVOD and sPVOD, and MMC-PVOD pathophysiology at the histological, cellular, and molecular levels to unravel common altered pathomechanisms. MMC exposure in rats was associated primarily with arterial and microvessel remodeling, and secondarily by venous remodeling, when PVOD became symptomatic. In all forms of PVOD tested, there was convergent GCN2-dependent but eIF2α-independent pulmonary protein overexpression of HO-1 (heme oxygenase 1) and CHOP (CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein [C/EBP] homologous protein), two downstream effectors of GCN2 signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress. In human PVOD samples, CHOP immunohistochemical staining mainly labeled endothelial cells in remodeled veins and arteries. Strong HO-1 staining was observed only within capillary hemangiomatosis foci, where intense microvascular proliferation occurs. HO-1 and CHOP stainings were not observed in control and pulmonary arterial hypertension lung tissues, supporting the specificity for CHOP and HO-1 involvement in PVOD pathobiology. In vivo loss of GCN2 (EIF2AK4 mutations carriers and Eif2ak4-/- rats) or in vitro GCN2 inhibition in cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells using pharmacological and siRNA approaches demonstrated that GCN2 loss of function negatively regulates BMP (bone morphogenetic protein)-dependent SMAD1/5/9 signaling. Exogenous BMP9 was still able to reverse GCN2 inhibition-induced proliferation of pulmonary artery endothelial cells. In conclusion, we identified CHOP and HO-1 inhibition, and BMP9, as potential therapeutic options for PVOD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Manaud
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Esther J Nossent
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mélanie Lambert
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | | | - Angèle Boët
- Department of Research, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | | | - Benoit Ranchoux
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Sébastien J Dumas
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Audrey Courboulin
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Barbara Girerd
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Florent Soubrier
- INSERM UMR_S 956, Pierre and Marie Curie Université (Paris 06), Paris, France
| | - Juliette Bignard
- INSERM UMR_S 956, Pierre and Marie Curie Université (Paris 06), Paris, France
| | - Olivier Claude
- INSERM UMR_S 956, Pierre and Marie Curie Université (Paris 06), Paris, France
| | - Florence Lecerf
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Aurélie Hautefort
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Monica Florio
- Cardio-Metabolic Disorders, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California
| | - Banghua Sun
- Cardio-Metabolic Disorders, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California
| | - Sophie Nadaud
- INSERM UMR_S 956, Pierre and Marie Curie Université (Paris 06), Paris, France
| | - Stijn E Verleden
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Séverine Remy
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology-ITUN et Transgenic Rats and Immunophenomic Platform, Nantes, France; and
| | - Ignacio Anegon
- INSERM UMR 1064, Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology-ITUN et Transgenic Rats and Immunophenomic Platform, Nantes, France; and
| | - Harm Jan Bogaard
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Olaf Mercier
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and.,Service de Chirurgie Thoracique, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis Robinson, France
| | - Elie Fadel
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and.,Service de Chirurgie Thoracique, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis Robinson, France
| | - Gérald Simonneau
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Anton Vonk Noordegraaf
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Katrien Grünberg
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Humbert
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - David Montani
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Peter Dorfmüller
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and.,Department of Pathology and.,Department of Pathology, University of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, German Center for Lung Research, Giessen, Germany
| | - Fabrice Antigny
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
| | - Frédéric Perros
- Université Paris-Saclay-Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,AP-HP, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,UMRS 999, INSERM and Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire d'Excellence en Recherche sur le Médicament et l'Innovation Thérapeutique, and
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14
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Mazzotta C, Marden G, Farina A, Bujor A, Trojanowski MA, Trojanowska M. FLI1 and ERG protein degradation is regulated via Cathepsin B lysosomal pathway in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Microcirculation 2020; 28:e12660. [PMID: 32979864 PMCID: PMC7988617 DOI: 10.1111/micc.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific, important regulators of endothelial cell homeostasis, are reduced in microvascular endothelial cells in scleroderma patients, and their deficiency has been implicated in disease pathogenesis. The goal of this study was to identify the mechanisms involved in the protein turnover of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific in microvascular endothelial cells. Methods The effects of lysosome and proteosome inhibitors on friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific levels were assessed by Western blotting and capillary morphogenesis. The effect of scleroderma and control sera on the levels of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific was examined. Results The reduction in the protein levels of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific in response to interferon α or Poly:(IC) was reversed by blocking either lysosomal (leupeptin and Cathepsin B inhibitor) or proteosomal degradation (MG132). MG132, leupeptin or CTSB‐(i) also counteracted the anti‐angiogenic effects of Poly:(IC) or interferon α. Scleroderma sera reduced protein levels of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific in comparison to control sera. Treatment with CTSB(i) increased the levels of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific in a majority of serum‐treated samples. Conclusions Inhibition of cathepsin B was effective in reversing the reduction of friend leukemia integration 1 and erythroblast transformation‐specific protein levels after treatment with interferon α or scleroderma sera, suggesting that targeting cathepsin B may have a beneficial effect in SSc vascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celestina Mazzotta
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Grace Marden
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessandra Farina
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andreea Bujor
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcin A Trojanowski
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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An inhibitor of endothelial ETS transcription factors promotes physiologic and therapeutic vessel regression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26494-26502. [PMID: 33020273 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015980117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
During the progression of ocular diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity and diabetic retinopathy, overgrowth of retinal blood vessels results in the formation of pathological neovascular tufts that impair vision. Current therapeutic options for treating these diseases include antiangiogenic strategies that can lead to the undesirable inhibition of normal vascular development. Therefore, strategies that eliminate pathological neovascular tufts while sparing normal blood vessels are needed. In this study we exploited the hyaloid vascular network in murine eyes, which naturally undergoes regression after birth, to gain mechanistic insights that could be therapeutically adapted for driving neovessel regression in ocular diseases. We found that endothelial cells of regressing hyaloid vessels underwent down-regulation of two structurally related E-26 transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factors, ETS-related gene (ERG) and Friend leukemia integration 1 (FLI1), prior to apoptosis. Moreover, the small molecule YK-4-279, which inhibits the transcriptional and biological activity of ETS factors, enhanced hyaloid regression in vivo and drove Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) tube regression and apoptosis in vitro. Importantly, exposure of HUVECs to sheer stress inhibited YK-4-279-induced apoptosis, indicating that low-flow vessels may be uniquely susceptible to YK-4-279-mediated regression. We tested this hypothesis by administering YK-4-279 to mice in an oxygen-induced retinopathy model that generates disorganized and poorly perfused neovascular tufts that mimic human ocular diseases. YK-4-279 treatment significantly reduced neovascular tufts while sparing healthy retinal vessels, thereby demonstrating the therapeutic potential of this inhibitor.
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16
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Coarfa C, Grimm SL, Katz T, Zhang Y, Jangid RK, Walker CL, Moorthy B, Lingappan K. Epigenetic response to hyperoxia in the neonatal lung is sexually dimorphic. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101718. [PMID: 32961439 PMCID: PMC7509469 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101718] [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: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex as a biological variable plays a critical role both during lung development and in modulating postnatal hyperoxic lung injury and repair. The molecular mechanisms behind these sex-specific differences need to be elucidated. Our objective was to determine if the neonatal lung epigenomic landscape reconfiguration has profound effects on gene expression and could underlie sex-biased differences in protection from or susceptibility to diseases. Neonatal male and female mice (C57BL/6) were exposed to hyperoxia (95% FiO, PND 1-5: saccular stage) or room air and euthanized on PND 7 and 21. Pulmonary gene expression was studied using RNA-seq on Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform and quantified. Epigenomic landscape was assessed using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP-Seq) of the H3K27ac histone modification mark, associated with active genes, enhancers, and super-enhancers. These data were then integrated, pathways identified and validated. Sex-biased epigenetic modulation of gene expression leads to differential regulation of biological processes in the developing lung at baseline and after exposure to hyperoxia. The female lung exhibits a more robust epigenomic response for the H3K27ac mark in response to hyperoxia. Epigenomic changes distribute over genomic and epigenomic domains in a sex-specific manner. The differential epigenomic responses also enrich for key transcription regulators crucial for lung development. In addition, by utilizing H3K27ac as the target epigenomic change we were also able to identify new epigenomic reprogramming at super-enhancers. Finally, we report for the first time that the upregulation of p21 (Cdkn1a) in the injured neonatal lung could be mediated through gain of H3K27ac. These data demonstrate that modulation of transcription via epigenomic landscape alterations may contribute to the sex-specific differences in preterm neonatal hyperoxic lung injury and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Coarfa
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
| | - Sandra L Grimm
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Tiffany Katz
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Yuhao Zhang
- Pediatrics/Neonatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Rahul K Jangid
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Cheryl L Walker
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
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17
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Marden G, Wan Q, Wilks J, Nevin K, Feeney M, Wisniacki N, Trojanowski M, Bujor A, Stawski L, Trojanowska M. The role of the oncostatin M/OSM receptor β axis in activating dermal microvascular endothelial cells in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Res Ther 2020; 22:179. [PMID: 32736577 PMCID: PMC7393919 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02266-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scleroderma (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by vascular impairment and progressive fibrosis of the skin and other organs. Oncostatin M, a member of the IL-6 family, is elevated in SSc serum and was recognized as a significant player in various stages of fibrosis. The goal of this study was to assess the contribution of the OSM/OSMRβ pathway to endothelial cell (EC) injury and activation in SSc. METHODS IHC and IF were used to assess the distribution of OSM and OSMRβ in SSc (n = 14) and healthy control (n = 7) skin biopsies. Cell culture experiments were performed in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) and included mRNA and protein analysis, and cell migration and proliferation assays. Ex vivo skin organoid culture was used to evaluate the effect of OSM on perivascular fibrosis. RESULTS OSMRβ protein was elevated in dermal ECs and in fibroblasts of SSc patients. Treatments of HDMECs with OSM or IL-6+sIL-6R have demonstrated that both cytokines similarly stimulated proinflammatory genes and genes related to endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). OSM was more effective than IL-6+sIL-6R in inducing cell migration, while both treatments similarly induced cell proliferation. The effects of OSM were mediated via OSMRβ and STAT3, while the LIFR did not contribute to these responses. Both OSM and IL-6+sIL-6R induced profibrotic gene expression in HDMECs, as well as expansion of the perivascular PDGFRβ+ cells in the ex vivo human skin culture system. Additional studies in HDMECs showed that siRNA-mediated downregulation of FLI1 and its close homolog ERG resulted in increased expression of OSMRβ in HDMECs. CONCLUSIONS This work provides new insights into the role of the OSM/OSMRβ axis in activation/injury of dermal ECs and supports the involvement of this pathway in SSc vascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Marden
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Q Wan
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - J Wilks
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - K Nevin
- Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | - M Feeney
- Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | - N Wisniacki
- Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | - M Trojanowski
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - A Bujor
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - L Stawski
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - M Trojanowska
- Arthritis Centre, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord St, E-5, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
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18
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Peghaire C, Dufton NP, Lang M, Salles-Crawley II, Ahnström J, Kalna V, Raimondi C, Pericleous C, Inuabasi L, Kiseleva R, Muzykantov VR, Mason JC, Birdsey GM, Randi AM. The transcription factor ERG regulates a low shear stress-induced anti-thrombotic pathway in the microvasculature. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5014. [PMID: 31676784 PMCID: PMC6825134 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12897-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cells actively maintain an anti-thrombotic environment; loss of this protective function may lead to thrombosis and systemic coagulopathy. The transcription factor ERG is essential to maintain endothelial homeostasis. Here, we show that inducible endothelial ERG deletion (ErgiEC-KO) in mice is associated with spontaneous thrombosis, hemorrhages and systemic coagulopathy. We find that ERG drives transcription of the anticoagulant thrombomodulin (TM), as shown by reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation. TM expression is regulated by shear stress (SS) via Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2). In vitro, ERG regulates TM expression under low SS conditions, by facilitating KLF2 binding to the TM promoter. However, ERG is dispensable for TM expression in high SS conditions. In ErgiEC-KO mice, TM expression is decreased in liver and lung microvasculature exposed to low SS but not in blood vessels exposed to high SS. Our study identifies an endogenous, vascular bed-specific anticoagulant pathway in microvasculature exposed to low SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Peghaire
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - N P Dufton
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Lang
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - I I Salles-Crawley
- Centre for Haematology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - J Ahnström
- Centre for Haematology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - V Kalna
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - C Raimondi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - C Pericleous
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - L Inuabasi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - R Kiseleva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
| | - V R Muzykantov
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
| | - J C Mason
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - G M Birdsey
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - A M Randi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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19
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Hsu T, Nguyen-Tran HH, Trojanowska M. Active roles of dysfunctional vascular endothelium in fibrosis and cancer. J Biomed Sci 2019; 26:86. [PMID: 31656195 PMCID: PMC6816223 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-019-0580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is the underlying pathological condition that results in fibrotic diseases. More recently, many forms of cancer have also been linked to chronic tissue inflammation. While stromal immune cells and myofibroblasts have been recognized as major contributors of cytokines and growth factors that foster the formation of fibrotic tissue, the endothelium has traditionally been regarded as a passive player in the pathogenic process, or even as a barrier since it provides a physical divide between the circulating immune cells and the inflamed tissues. Recent findings, however, have indicated that endothelial cells in fact play a crucial role in the inflammatory response. Endothelial cells can be activated by cytokine signaling and express inflammatory markers, which can sustain or exacerbate the inflammatory process. For example, the activated endothelium can recruit and activate leukocytes, thus perpetuating tissue inflammation, while sustained stimulation of endothelial cells may lead to endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition that contributes to fibrosis. Since chronic inflammation has now been recognized as a significant contributing factor to tumorigenesis, it has also emerged that activation of endothelium also occurs in the tumor microenvironment. This review summarizes recent findings characterizing the molecular and cellular changes in the vascular endothelium that contribute to tissue fibrosis, and potentially to cancer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien Hsu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, 300 Jhongda Rd, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, Republic of China. .,Center for Chronic Disease Research, National Central University, 300 Jhongda Rd, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Hieu-Huy Nguyen-Tran
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, 300 Jhongda Rd, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Arthritis Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 75 E. Newton St. Evans Building, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
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20
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Gao Y, Wu P, Ma Y, Xue Y, Liu Y, Zheng J, Liu X, He Q, Ma J, Liu L, Wang P. Circular RNA USP1 regulates the permeability of blood-tumour barrier via miR-194-5p/FLI1 axis. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 24:342-355. [PMID: 31654502 PMCID: PMC6933377 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies indicate circular RNAs are related to dysregulation of vascular endothelial cell function, yet the underlying mechanisms have remained elusive. Here, we characterized the functional role of circular RNA USP1 (circ‐USP1) in the regulation of the blood‐tumour barrier (BTB) permeability and the potential mechanisms. In the current study, the circ‐USP1 expressing level was up‐regulated in glioma cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (GECs) of the BTB model in vitro. Knockdown of circ‐USP1 disrupted the barrier integrity, increased its permeability as well as reduced tight junction‐related protein claudin‐5, occludin and ZO‐1 expressions in GECs. Bioinformatic prediction and luciferase assay indicated that circ‐USP1 bound to miR‐194‐5p and suppressed its activity. MiR‐194‐5p contributed to circ‐USP1 knockdown‐induced increase of BTB permeability via targeting and down‐regulating transcription factor FLI1. Furthermore, FLI1 regulated the expressions of claudin‐5, occludin and ZO‐1 in GECs through binding to their promoter regions. Single or combined treatment of circ‐USP1 and miR‐194‐5p effectively promoted anti‐tumour drug doxorubicin across BTB to induce apoptosis of glioma cells. Overall, this present study identified the crucial regulation of circ‐USP1 on BTB permeability via miR‐194‐5p/FLI1 axis‐mediated regulation of tight junction proteins, which might facilitate the development of therapeutics against human gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Laboratory of Digital Health, Medaxis Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Peiqi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yawen Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Clinical Medical Research Center in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang, China
| | - Yixue Xue
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yunhui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Clinical Medical Research Center in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Clinical Medical Research Center in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaobai Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Clinical Medical Research Center in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang, China
| | - Qianru He
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Libo Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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21
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Bunel V, Guyard A, Dauriat G, Danel C, Montani D, Gauvain C, Thabut G, Humbert M, Castier Y, Dorfmüller P, Mal H. Pulmonary Arterial Histologic Lesions in Patients With COPD With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension. Chest 2019; 156:33-44. [PMID: 30872017 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2019.02.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) during the course of COPD is a well-known phenomenon, with the prevalence depending on the severity of airway obstruction. When mean pulmonary pressure (mPAP) level at rest is ≥ 35 mm Hg or ≥ 25 mm Hg with low cardiac index, the term severe PH is used. For these patients, little is known on the underlying histologic lesions. Our objective was to describe these lesions. METHODS From the explants of patients undergoing lung transplantation, we compared retrospectively three groups of patients with COPD: severe PH-COPD (n = 10), moderate PH-COPD (mPAP between 25 and 34 mm Hg without low cardiac index) (n = 10), and no PH (mPAP < 25 mm Hg) (n = 10). Histologic analysis of the explanted lungs examined the wall of medium-size arteries, the remodeling of microvessels, and the pulmonary capillary density using morphometric measurements performed on three sections per patient. RESULTS Compared with the moderate PH group, the remodeling score of the microvessels was significantly higher (P = .0045) and the capillary density was lower (P = .0049) in the severe PH-COPD group. The alterations of the medium-size arteries, important in group 1 PH, seemed less discriminating. CONCLUSIONS Patients with severe PH-COPD appear to have a specific histologic pattern, different from that observed in patients with COPD with moderate PH or without PH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bunel
- Service de Pneumologie B et Transplantation Pulmonaire, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France; INSERM U1152, Département Hospitalo-Universitaire FIRE, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Alice Guyard
- Département de Pathologie, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Gaëlle Dauriat
- Service de Pneumologie B et Transplantation Pulmonaire, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France
| | - Claire Danel
- INSERM U1152, Département Hospitalo-Universitaire FIRE, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France; Département de Pathologie, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - David Montani
- Université Paris-Sud, AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire Sévère, INSERM UMR_S 999, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France
| | - Clément Gauvain
- INSERM U1152, Département Hospitalo-Universitaire FIRE, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Gabriel Thabut
- Service de Pneumologie B et Transplantation Pulmonaire, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France; INSERM U1152, Département Hospitalo-Universitaire FIRE, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Marc Humbert
- Université Paris-Sud, AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire Sévère, INSERM UMR_S 999, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France
| | - Yves Castier
- Service de Chirurgie Thoracique et Vasculaire, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Peter Dorfmüller
- Université Paris-Sud, AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire Sévère, INSERM UMR_S 999, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France; Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | - Hervé Mal
- Service de Pneumologie B et Transplantation Pulmonaire, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France; INSERM U1152, Département Hospitalo-Universitaire FIRE, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France.
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22
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Nagai N, Ohguchi H, Nakaki R, Matsumura Y, Kanki Y, Sakai J, Aburatani H, Minami T. Downregulation of ERG and FLI1 expression in endothelial cells triggers endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007826. [PMID: 30500808 PMCID: PMC6291168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cell (EC) plasticity in pathological settings has recently been recognized as a driver of disease progression. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), in which ECs acquire mesenchymal properties, has been described for a wide range of pathologies, including cancer. However, the mechanism regulating EndMT in the tumor microenvironment and the contribution of EndMT in tumor progression are not fully understood. Here, we found that combined knockdown of two ETS family transcription factors, ERG and FLI1, induces EndMT coupled with dynamic epigenetic changes in ECs. Genome-wide analyses revealed that ERG and FLI1 are critical transcriptional activators for EC-specific genes, among which microRNA-126 partially contributes to blocking the induction of EndMT. Moreover, we demonstrated that ERG and FLI1 expression is downregulated in ECs within tumors by soluble factors enriched in the tumor microenvironment. These data provide new insight into the mechanism of EndMT, functions of ERG and FLI1 in ECs, and EC behavior in pathological conditions. Differentiated cells possess unique characteristics to maintain vital activities. However, cells occasionally show abnormal behavior in pathological settings due to dysregulated gene expression. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a phenomenon in which endothelial cells lose their characteristics and acquire mesenchymal-like properties. Although EndMT is observed in various diseases including cancer, and augments fibrosis and vascular defects, the mechanism of EndMT induction is not fully understood. Here, we show that EndMT is triggered via reduced expression of ERG and FLI1, which have recently been recognized as pivotal transcription factors in endothelial cells (ECs). Mechanistically, ERG and FLI1 activate EC-specific genes and repress mesenchymal-like genes via epigenetic regulation to prevent EndMT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that microRNA-126, which is specifically expressed in ECs, is the key downstream target of ERG/FLI1 for regulating EndMT. Finally, we show that ERG and FLI1 expression is decreased in ECs within tumors, suggesting that EndMT is induced in the tumor microenvironment. Collectively, these findings indicate that loss of ERG and FLI1 leads to the aberrant behavior of ECs in pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Nagai
- Division of Molecular and Vascular Biology, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Ohguchi
- Division of Disease Epigenetics, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakaki
- Division of Genome Sciences, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Matsumura
- Division of Metabolic Medicine, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Kanki
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Juro Sakai
- Division of Metabolic Medicine, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Aburatani
- Division of Genome Sciences, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Minami
- Division of Molecular and Vascular Biology, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
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23
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Thistlethwaite PA. Linking Vascular Remodeling and Inflammation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Is There a Common Root Cause? Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2018; 57:15-17. [PMID: 28665225 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2017-0102ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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24
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Stawski L, Marden G, Trojanowska M. The Activation of Human Dermal Microvascular Cells by Poly(I:C), Lipopolysaccharide, Imiquimod, and ODN2395 Is Mediated by the Fli1/FOXO3A Pathway. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 200:248-259. [PMID: 29141862 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction has been associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases; however, the factors contributing to this dysfunction have not been fully explored. Because activation of TLRs has been implicated in autoimmune diseases, the goal of this study was to determine the effects of TLR ligands on EC function. Human dermal microvascular ECs (HDMECs) treated with TLR3 [Poly(I:C)], TLR4 (LPS), and TLR7 (imiquimod) agonists showed decreased proliferation and a reduced total number of branching tubules in three-dimensional human dermal organoid ex vivo culture. In contrast, the TLR9 ligand class C, ODN2395, increased angiogenesis. The antiproliferative effects of TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 ligands correlated with significant downregulation of a key regulator of vascular homeostasis, Fli1, whereas TLR9 increased Fli1 levels. Furthermore, Poly(I:C) and LPS induced endothelial to mesenchymal transition that was reversed by the pretreatment with TGF-β neutralizing Ab or re-expression of Fli1. We showed that Fli1 was required for the HDMEC proliferation by transcriptionally repressing FOXO3A. In contrast to TLR9, which suppressed activation of the FOXO3A pathway, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 ligands activated FOXO3A as indicated by decreased phosphorylation and increased nuclear accumulation. The inverse correlation between Fli1 and FOXO3A was also observed in the vasculature of scleroderma patients. This work revealed opposing effects of TLR9 and TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 on the key angiogenic pathways, Fli1 and FOXO3A. Our results provide a mechanistic insight into the regulation of angiogenesis by TLRs and confirm a central role of Fli1 in regulating vascular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Stawski
- Section of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Grace Marden
- Section of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Section of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118
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Wu X, Fan R. Identifications of potential therapeutic targets and drugs in angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96:e8501. [PMID: 29145252 PMCID: PMC5704797 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000008501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the underlying therapeutic targets of angiotensin II (AngII)-induced hypertension, and screen the related drugs.The gene expression profiles of GSE93579 and GSE75815 were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AngII-induced hypertension and control samples based on meta-analysis. These DEGs were analyzed using Gene-Ontology (GO) function and pathway enrichment methods. Subsequently, the weighed gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA)-based meta-analysis was applied to determine transcriptional signature with DEGs. Additionally, the functions of the modules were analyzed based on the network, and miRNAs were identified. Finally, small molecule drugs correlation with DEGs was identified.In total, 346 upregulated DEGs (e.g., Rgs7 bp) and 360 downregulated DEGs (e.g., Ebf3) were identified between AngII and control samples. In addition, a total of 150 DEGs in the brown, red, and yellow modules with higher correlation coefficient according to WGCNA, were used to construct the coexpression network, including Rgs7 bp and Ebf3, etc. in brown modules. Besides, 3 modules were obtained after the functions of the modules analysis. Moreover, 5 miRNAs were integrated in modules, including miR-124A, miR-524, miR-493, miR-323, and miR-203. Finally, anisomycin was the highest correlation with DEGs.MiR-124a might be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension via targeting Ebf3 and Rgs7 bp, which possibly represent a novel and effective strategy for treatment of hypertension. Anisomycin might be performed to reduce blood pressure by blocking MAPK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruihua Fan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Huai’an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an, Jiangsu, China
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Pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis: recent insights of molecular and cellular mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. JOURNAL OF SCLERODERMA AND RELATED DISORDERS 2017. [DOI: 10.5301/jsrd.5000249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex disease characterized by early microvascular abnormalities, immune dysregulation and chronic inflammation, and subsequent fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Excessive fibrosis, distinguishing hallmark of SSc, is the end result of a complex series of interlinked vascular injury and immune activation, and represents a maladaptive repair process. Activated vascular, epithelial, and immune cells generate pro-fibrotic cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, lipid mediators, autoantibodies, and reactive oxygen species. These paracrine and autocrine cues in turn induce activation, differentiation, and survival of mesenchymal cells, ensuing tissue fibrosis through increased collagen synthesis, matrix deposition, tissue rigidity and remodeling, and vascular rarefaction. This review features recent insights of the pathogenic process of SSc, highlighting three major characteristics of SSc, microvasculopathy, excessive fibrosis, and immune dysregulation, and sheds new light on the understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of SSc and providing novel avenues for targeted therapies.
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