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Aldrich JC, Vanderlinden LA, Jacobsen TL, Wood C, Saba LM, Britt SG. Genome-Wide Association Study and transcriptome analysis reveals a complex gene network that regulates opsin gene expression and cell fate determination in Drosophila R7 photoreceptor cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.05.606616. [PMID: 39149333 PMCID: PMC11326169 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.05.606616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Background An animal's ability to discriminate between differing wavelengths of light (i.e., color vision) is mediated, in part, by a subset of photoreceptor cells that express opsins with distinct absorption spectra. In Drosophila R7 photoreceptors, expression of the rhodopsin molecules, Rh3 or Rh4, is determined by a stochastic process mediated by the transcription factor spineless . The goal of this study was to identify additional factors that regulate R7 cell fate and opsin choice using a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) paired with transcriptome analysis via RNA-Seq. Results We examined Rh3 and Rh4 expression in a subset of fully-sequenced inbred strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel and performed a GWAS to identify 42 naturally-occurring polymorphisms-in proximity to 28 candidate genes-that significantly influence R7 opsin expression. Network analysis revealed multiple potential interactions between the associated candidate genes, spineless and its partners. GWAS candidates were further validated in a secondary RNAi screen which identified 12 lines that significantly reduce the proportion of Rh3 expressing R7 photoreceptors. Finally, using RNA-Seq, we demonstrated that all but four of the GWAS candidates are expressed in the pupal retina at a critical developmental time point and that five are among the 917 differentially expressed genes in sevenless mutants, which lack R7 cells. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggest that the relatively simple, binary cell fate decision underlying R7 opsin expression is modulated by a larger, more complex network of regulatory factors. Of particular interest are a subset of candidate genes with previously characterized neuronal functions including neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, photoreceptor development, axon growth and guidance, synaptogenesis, and synaptic function.
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2
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Sidisky JM, Winters A, Caratenuto R, Babcock DT. Synaptic defects in a drosophila model of muscular dystrophy. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1381112. [PMID: 38812789 PMCID: PMC11133739 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1381112] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a devastating class of diseases that result in a progressive loss of muscle integrity. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most prevalent form of Muscular Dystrophy, is due to the loss of functional Dystrophin. While much is known regarding destruction of muscle tissue in these diseases, much less is known regarding the synaptic defects that also occur in these diseases. Synaptic defects are also among the earliest hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, including the neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Our current study investigates synaptic defects within adult muscle tissues as well as presynaptic motor neurons in Drosophila dystrophin mutants. Here we demonstrate that the progressive, age-dependent loss of flight ability in dystrophin mutants is accompanied by disorganization of Neuromuscular Junctions (NMJs), including impaired localization of both presynaptic and postsynaptic markers. We show that these synaptic defects, including presynaptic defects within motor neurons, are due to the loss of Dystrophin specifically within muscles. These results should help to better understand the early synaptic defects preceding cell loss in neuromuscular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Sidisky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alex Winters
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Russell Caratenuto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Daniel T. Babcock
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
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3
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Koff M, Monagas-Valentin P, Novikov B, Chandel I, Panin V. Protein O-mannosylation: one sugar, several pathways, many functions. Glycobiology 2023; 33:911-926. [PMID: 37565810 PMCID: PMC10859634 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwad067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research has unveiled numerous important functions of protein glycosylation in development, homeostasis, and diseases. A type of glycosylation taking the center stage is protein O-mannosylation, a posttranslational modification conserved in a wide range of organisms, from yeast to humans. In animals, protein O-mannosylation plays a crucial role in the nervous system, whereas protein O-mannosylation defects cause severe neurological abnormalities and congenital muscular dystrophies. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying protein O-mannosylation functions and biosynthesis remain not well understood. This review outlines recent studies on protein O-mannosylation while focusing on the functions in the nervous system, summarizes the current knowledge about protein O-mannosylation biosynthesis, and discusses the pathologies associated with protein O-mannosylation defects. The evolutionary perspective revealed by studies in the Drosophila model system are also highlighted. Finally, the review touches upon important knowledge gaps in the field and discusses critical questions for future research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with protein O-mannosylation functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Koff
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Pedro Monagas-Valentin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Boris Novikov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Ishita Chandel
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Vladislav Panin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, College Station, TX 77843, United States
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4
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Carney TD, Hebalkar RY, Edeleva E, Çiçek IÖ, Shcherbata HR. Signaling through the dystrophin glycoprotein complex affects the stress-dependent transcriptome in Drosophila. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:286223. [PMID: 36594281 PMCID: PMC9922874 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficiencies in the human dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC), which links the extracellular matrix with the intracellular cytoskeleton, cause muscular dystrophies, a group of incurable disorders associated with heterogeneous muscle, brain and eye abnormalities. Stresses such as nutrient deprivation and aging cause muscle wasting, which can be exacerbated by reduced levels of the DGC in membranes, the integrity of which is vital for muscle health and function. Moreover, the DGC operates in multiple signaling pathways, demonstrating an important function in gene expression regulation. To advance disease diagnostics and treatment strategies, we strive to understand the genetic pathways that are perturbed by DGC mutations. Here, we utilized a Drosophila model to investigate the transcriptomic changes in mutants of four DGC components under temperature and metabolic stress. We identified DGC-dependent genes, stress-dependent genes and genes dependent on the DGC for a proper stress response, confirming a novel function of the DGC in stress-response signaling. This perspective yields new insights into the etiology of muscular dystrophy symptoms, possible treatment directions and a better understanding of DGC signaling and regulation under normal and stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis D. Carney
- Hannover Medical School, Research Group Gene Expression and Signaling, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover 30625, Germany,Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Rucha Y. Hebalkar
- Hannover Medical School, Research Group Gene Expression and Signaling, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | | | | | - Halyna R. Shcherbata
- Hannover Medical School, Research Group Gene Expression and Signaling, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover 30625, Germany,Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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5
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Requena T, Keder A, zur Lage P, Albert JT, Jarman AP. A Drosophila model for Meniere's disease: Dystrobrevin is required for support cell function in hearing and proprioception. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1015651. [PMID: 36438562 PMCID: PMC9688402 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1015651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Meniere's disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder characterised by recurrent vertigo attacks associated with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. Evidence from epidemiology and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) suggests a genetic susceptibility involving multiple genes, including α-Dystrobrevin (DTNA). Here we investigate a Drosophila model. We show that mutation, or knockdown, of the DTNA orthologue in Drosophila, Dystrobrevin (Dyb), results in defective proprioception and impaired function of Johnston's Organ (JO), the fly's equivalent of the inner ear. Dyb and another component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), Dystrophin (Dys), are expressed in support cells within JO. Their specific locations suggest that they form part of support cell contacts, thereby helping to maintain the integrity of the hemolymph-neuron diffusion barrier, which is equivalent to a blood-brain barrier. These results have important implications for the human condition, and notably, we note that DTNA is expressed in equivalent cells of the mammalian inner ear.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Requena
- Biomedical Sciences: Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Division of Functional Genetics and Development, The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Sciences, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - A. Keder
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P. zur Lage
- Biomedical Sciences: Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - J. T. Albert
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A. P. Jarman
- Biomedical Sciences: Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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6
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Lange JD, Bastide H, Lack JB, Pool JE. A Population Genomic Assessment of Three Decades of Evolution in a Natural Drosophila Population. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6491261. [PMID: 34971382 PMCID: PMC8826484 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Population genetics seeks to illuminate the forces shaping genetic variation, often based on a single snapshot of genomic variation. However, utilizing multiple sampling times to study changes in allele frequencies can help clarify the relative roles of neutral and non-neutral forces on short time scales. This study compares whole-genome sequence variation of recently collected natural population samples of Drosophila melanogaster against a collection made approximately 35 years prior from the same locality—encompassing roughly 500 generations of evolution. The allele frequency changes between these time points would suggest a relatively small local effective population size on the order of 10,000, significantly smaller than the global effective population size of the species. Some loci display stronger allele frequency changes than would be expected anywhere in the genome under neutrality—most notably the tandem paralogs Cyp6a17 and Cyp6a23, which are impacted by structural variation associated with resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. We find a genome-wide excess of outliers for high genetic differentiation between old and new samples, but a larger number of adaptation targets may have affected SNP-level differentiation versus window differentiation. We also find evidence for strengthening latitudinal allele frequency clines: northern-associated alleles have increased in frequency by an average of nearly 2.5% at SNPs previously identified as clinal outliers, but no such pattern is observed at random SNPs. This project underscores the scientific potential of using multiple sampling time points to investigate how evolution operates in natural populations, by quantifying how genetic variation has changed over ecologically relevant timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D Lange
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
| | - Héloïse Bastide
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
| | - Justin B Lack
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
| | - John E Pool
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
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7
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Świątkowska-Flis B, Zdolińska-Malinowska I, Sługocka D, Boruczkowski D. The use of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with muscular dystrophies: Results from compassionate use in real-life settings. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021; 10:1372-1383. [PMID: 34313400 PMCID: PMC8459640 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.21-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are genetically determined progressive diseases with no cause‐related treatment and limited supportive treatment. Although stem cells cannot resolve the underlying genetic conditions, their wide‐ranging therapeutic properties may ameliorate the consequences of the involved mutations (oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, necrosis). In this study, we administered advanced therapy medicinal product containing umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC‐MSCs) to 22 patients with muscular dystrophies. Patients received one to five intravenous and/or intrathecal injections per treatment course in up to two courses every 2 months. Four standard doses of 10, 20, 30, or 40 × 106 UC‐MSCs per injection were used; the approximate dose per kilogram was 1 × 106 UC‐MSCs. Muscle strength was measured with a set of CQ Dynamometer computerized force meters (CQ Elektronik System, Czernica, Poland). Statistical analysis of muscle strength in the whole group showed significant improvement in the right upper limb (+4.0 N); left hip straightening (+4.5 N) and adduction (+0.5 N); right hip straightening (+1.0 N), bending (+7.5 N), and adduction (+2.5 N); right knee straightening (+8.5 N); left shoulder revocation (+13.0 N), straightening (+5.5 N), and bending (+6.5 N); right shoulder adduction (+3.0 N), revocation (+10.5 N), and bending (+5 N); and right elbow straightening (+9.5 N); all these differences were statistically significant. In six patients (27.3%) these changes led to improvement in gait analysis or movement scale result. Only one patient experienced transient headache and lower back pain after the last administration. In conclusion, UC‐MSC therapy may be considered as a therapeutic option for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Świątkowska-Flis
- Polish Center of Cell Therapy and Immunotherapy in Częstochowa, CM Klara, Częstochowa, Poland.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University of Humanities and Life Sciences, Częstochowa, Poland
| | | | - Dominika Sługocka
- Polish Center of Cell Therapy and Immunotherapy in Częstochowa, CM Klara, Częstochowa, Poland
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8
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Yatsenko AS, Kucherenko MM, Xie Y, Urlaub H, Shcherbata HR. Exocyst-mediated membrane trafficking of the lissencephaly-associated ECM receptor dystroglycan is required for proper brain compartmentalization. eLife 2021; 10:63868. [PMID: 33620318 PMCID: PMC7929561 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To assemble a brain, differentiating neurons must make proper connections and establish specialized brain compartments. Abnormal levels of cell adhesion molecules disrupt these processes. Dystroglycan (Dg) is a major non-integrin cell adhesion receptor, deregulation of which is associated with dramatic neuroanatomical defects such as lissencephaly type II or cobblestone brain. The previously established Drosophila model for cobblestone lissencephaly was used to understand how Dg is regulated in the brain. During development, Dg has a spatiotemporally dynamic expression pattern, fine-tuning of which is crucial for accurate brain assembly. In addition, mass spectrometry analyses identified numerous components associated with Dg in neurons, including several proteins of the exocyst complex. Data show that exocyst-based membrane trafficking of Dg allows its distinct expression pattern, essential for proper brain morphogenesis. Further studies of the Dg neuronal interactome will allow identification of new factors involved in the development of dystroglycanopathies and advance disease diagnostics in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy S Yatsenko
- Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mariya M Kucherenko
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yuanbin Xie
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Göttingen, Bioanalytics, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
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9
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Catalani E, Bongiorni S, Taddei AR, Mezzetti M, Silvestri F, Coazzoli M, Zecchini S, Giovarelli M, Perrotta C, De Palma C, Clementi E, Ceci M, Prantera G, Cervia D. Defects of full-length dystrophin trigger retinal neuron damage and synapse alterations by disrupting functional autophagy. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 78:1615-1636. [PMID: 32749504 PMCID: PMC7904721 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03598-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dystrophin (dys) mutations predispose Duchenne muscular disease (DMD) patients to brain and retinal complications. Although different dys variants, including long dys products, are expressed in the retina, their function is largely unknown. We investigated the putative role of full-length dystrophin in the homeostasis of neuro-retina and its impact on synapsis stabilization and cell fate. Retinas of mdx mice, the most used DMD model which does not express the 427-KDa dys protein (Dp427), showed overlapped cell death and impaired autophagy. Apoptotic neurons in the outer plexiform/inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer had an impaired autophagy with accumulated autophagosomes. The autophagy dysfunction localized at photoreceptor axonal terminals and bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells. The absence of Dp427 does not cause a severe phenotype but alters the neuronal architecture, compromising mainly the pre-synaptic photoreceptor terminals and their post-synaptic sites. The analysis of two dystrophic mutants of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the homozygous DysE17 and DysEP3397, lacking functional large-isoforms of dystrophin-like protein, revealed rhabdomere degeneration. Structural damages were evident in the internal network of retina/lamina where photoreceptors make the first synapse. Both accumulated autophagosomes and apoptotic features were detected and the visual system was functionally impaired. The reactivation of the autophagosome turnover by rapamycin prevented neuronal cell death and structural changes of mutant flies and, of interest, sustained autophagy ameliorated their response to light. Overall, these findings indicate that functional full-length dystrophin is required for synapsis stabilization and neuronal survival of the retina, allowing also proper autophagy as a prerequisite for physiological cell fate and visual properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Catalani
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Silvia Bongiorni
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Section of Electron Microscopy, Great Equipment Center, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Marta Mezzetti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Federica Silvestri
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Marco Coazzoli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Zecchini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Giovarelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristiana Perrotta
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
| | - Clara De Palma
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BioMeTra), Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Vanvitelli 32, 20129 , Milano, Italy
| | - Emilio Clementi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital "Luigi Sacco"-ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy
- Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", via Don Luigi Monza 20, 23842, Bosisio Parini (LC), Italy
| | - Marcello Ceci
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Prantera
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Davide Cervia
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milano, Italy.
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10
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Nye DMR, Albertson RM, Weiner AT, Hertzler JI, Shorey M, Goberdhan DCI, Wilson C, Janes KA, Rolls MM. The receptor tyrosine kinase Ror is required for dendrite regeneration in Drosophila neurons. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000657. [PMID: 32163406 PMCID: PMC7067388 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While many regulators of axon regeneration have been identified, very little is known about mechanisms that allow dendrites to regenerate after injury. Using a Drosophila model of dendrite regeneration, we performed a candidate screen of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and found a requirement for RTK-like orphan receptor (Ror). We confirmed that Ror was required for regeneration in two different neuron types using RNA interference (RNAi) and mutants. Ror was not required for axon regeneration or normal dendrite development, suggesting a specific role in dendrite regeneration. Ror can act as a Wnt coreceptor with frizzleds (fzs) in other contexts, so we tested the involvement of Wnt signaling proteins in dendrite regeneration. We found that knockdown of fz, dishevelled (dsh), Axin, and gilgamesh (gish) also reduced dendrite regeneration. Moreover, Ror was required to position dsh and Axin in dendrites. We recently found that Wnt signaling proteins, including dsh and Axin, localize microtubule nucleation machinery in dendrites. We therefore hypothesized that Ror may act by regulating microtubule nucleation at baseline and during dendrite regeneration. Consistent with this hypothesis, localization of the core nucleation protein γTubulin was reduced in Ror RNAi neurons, and this effect was strongest during dendrite regeneration. In addition, dendrite regeneration was sensitive to partial reduction of γTubulin. We conclude that Ror promotes dendrite regeneration as part of a Wnt signaling pathway that regulates dendritic microtubule nucleation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek M. R. Nye
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- MSTP Program, Milton S. Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Richard M. Albertson
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- MSTP Program, Milton S. Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alexis T. Weiner
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - J. Ian Hertzler
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew Shorey
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Clive Wilson
- Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin A. Janes
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Melissa M. Rolls
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Yatsenko AS, Kucherenko MM, Xie Y, Aweida D, Urlaub H, Scheibe RJ, Cohen S, Shcherbata HR. Profiling of the muscle-specific dystroglycan interactome reveals the role of Hippo signaling in muscular dystrophy and age-dependent muscle atrophy. BMC Med 2020; 18:8. [PMID: 31959160 PMCID: PMC6971923 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1478-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dystroglycanopathies are a group of inherited disorders characterized by vast clinical and genetic heterogeneity and caused by abnormal functioning of the ECM receptor dystroglycan (Dg). Remarkably, among many cases of diagnosed dystroglycanopathies, only a small fraction can be linked directly to mutations in Dg or its regulatory enzymes, implying the involvement of other, not-yet-characterized, Dg-regulating factors. To advance disease diagnostics and develop new treatment strategies, new approaches to find dystroglycanopathy-related factors should be considered. The Dg complex is highly evolutionarily conserved; therefore, model genetic organisms provide excellent systems to address this challenge. In particular, Drosophila is amenable to experiments not feasible in any other system, allowing original insights about the functional interactors of the Dg complex. METHODS To identify new players contributing to dystroglycanopathies, we used Drosophila as a genetic muscular dystrophy model. Using mass spectrometry, we searched for muscle-specific Dg interactors. Next, in silico analyses allowed us to determine their association with diseases and pathological conditions in humans. Using immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic interaction approaches followed by the detailed analysis of the muscle tissue architecture, we verified Dg interaction with some of the discovered factors. Analyses of mouse muscles and myocytes were used to test if interactions are conserved in vertebrates. RESULTS The muscle-specific Dg complexome revealed novel components that influence the efficiency of Dg function in the muscles. We identified the closest human homologs for Dg-interacting partners, determined their significant enrichment in disease-associations, and verified some of the newly identified Dg interactions. We found that Dg associates with two components of the mechanosignaling Hippo pathway: the WW domain-containing proteins Kibra and Yorkie. Importantly, this conserved interaction manages adult muscle size and integrity. CONCLUSIONS The results presented in this study provide a new list of muscle-specific Dg interactors, further analysis of which could aid not only in the diagnosis of muscular dystrophies, but also in the development of new therapeutics. To regulate muscle fitness during aging and disease, Dg associates with Kibra and Yorkie and acts as a transmembrane Hippo signaling receptor that transmits extracellular information to intracellular signaling cascades, regulating muscle gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy S Yatsenko
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mariya M Kucherenko
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Present Address: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Center Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Physiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuanbin Xie
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Present Address: University Medical Center, Centre for Anatomy, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dina Aweida
- Faculty of Biology, Technion, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Bioanalytics Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Renate J Scheibe
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. .,Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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12
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Kacsoh BZ, Barton S, Jiang Y, Zhou N, Mooney SD, Friedberg I, Radivojac P, Greene CS, Bosco G. New Drosophila Long-Term Memory Genes Revealed by Assessing Computational Function Prediction Methods. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:251-267. [PMID: 30463884 PMCID: PMC6325913 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A major bottleneck to our understanding of the genetic and molecular foundation of life lies in the ability to assign function to a gene and, subsequently, a protein. Traditional molecular and genetic experiments can provide the most reliable forms of identification, but are generally low-throughput, making such discovery and assignment a daunting task. The bottleneck has led to an increasing role for computational approaches. The Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA) effort seeks to measure the performance of computational methods. In CAFA3, we performed selected screens, including an effort focused on long-term memory. We used homology and previous CAFA predictions to identify 29 key Drosophila genes, which we tested via a long-term memory screen. We identify 11 novel genes that are involved in long-term memory formation and show a high level of connectivity with previously identified learning and memory genes. Our study provides first higher-order behavioral assay and organism screen used for CAFA assessments and revealed previously uncharacterized roles of multiple genes as possible regulators of neuronal plasticity at the boundary of information acquisition and memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balint Z Kacsoh
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Stephen Barton
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Yuxiang Jiang
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
| | - Naihui Zhou
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Sean D Mooney
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Iddo Friedberg
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Predrag Radivojac
- College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
| | - Casey S Greene
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 19104
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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13
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Nickolls AR, Bönnemann CG. The roles of dystroglycan in the nervous system: insights from animal models of muscular dystrophy. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:11/12/dmm035931. [PMID: 30578246 PMCID: PMC6307911 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.035931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystroglycan is a cell membrane protein that binds to the extracellular matrix in a variety of mammalian tissues. The α-subunit of dystroglycan (αDG) is heavily glycosylated, including a special O-mannosyl glycoepitope, relying upon this unique glycosylation to bind its matrix ligands. A distinct group of muscular dystrophies results from specific hypoglycosylation of αDG, and they are frequently associated with central nervous system involvement, ranging from profound brain malformation to intellectual disability without evident morphological defects. There is an expanding literature addressing the function of αDG in the nervous system, with recent reports demonstrating important roles in brain development and in the maintenance of neuronal synapses. Much of these data are derived from an increasingly rich array of experimental animal models. This Review aims to synthesize the information from such diverse models, formulating an up-to-date understanding about the various functions of αDG in neurons and glia of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Where possible, we integrate these data with our knowledge of the human disorders to promote translation from basic mechanistic findings to clinical therapies that take the neural phenotypes into account. Summary: Dystroglycan is a ubiquitous matrix receptor linked to brain and muscle disease. Unraveling the functions of this protein will inform basic and translational research on neural development and muscular dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec R Nickolls
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Carsten G Bönnemann
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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14
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Nithianandam V, Chien CT. Actin blobs prefigure dendrite branching sites. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:3731-3746. [PMID: 30042190 PMCID: PMC6168249 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201711136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Nithianandam and Chien show via in vivo imaging that a dynamic population of F-actin termed actin blobs propagates bidirectionally in dendrites and stalls at future branching sites. The F-actin–severing protein Tsr/cofilin is a regulator of actin blob dynamics and dendrite branching. The actin cytoskeleton provides structural stability and adaptability to the cell. Neuronal dendrites frequently undergo morphological changes by emanating, elongating, and withdrawing branches. However, the knowledge about actin dynamics in dendrites during these processes is limited. By performing in vivo imaging of F-actin markers, we found that F-actin was highly dynamic and heterogeneously distributed in dendritic shafts with enrichment at terminal dendrites. A dynamic F-actin population that we named actin blobs propagated bidirectionally at an average velocity of 1 µm/min. Interestingly, these actin blobs stalled at sites where new dendrites would branch out in minutes. Overstabilization of F-actin by the G15S mutant abolished actin blobs and dendrite branching. We identified the F-actin–severing protein Tsr/cofilin as a regulator of dynamic actin blobs and branching activity. Hence, actin blob localization at future branching sites represents a dendrite-branching mechanism to account for highly diversified dendritic morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanitha Nithianandam
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ting Chien
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan .,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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15
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Hunter DD, Manglapus MK, Bachay G, Claudepierre T, Dolan MW, Gesuelli KA, Brunken WJ. CNS synapses are stabilized trans-synaptically by laminins and laminin-interacting proteins. J Comp Neurol 2017; 527:67-86. [PMID: 29023785 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The retina expresses several laminins in the outer plexiform layer (OPL), where they may provide an extracellular scaffold for synapse stabilization. Mice with a targeted deletion of the laminin β2 gene (Lamb2) exhibit retinal disruptions: photoreceptor synapses in the OPL are disorganized and the retinal physiological response is attenuated. We hypothesize that laminins are required for proper trans-synaptic alignment. To test this, we compared the distribution, expression, association and modification of several pre- and post-synaptic elements in wild-type and Lamb2-null retinae. A potential laminin receptor, integrin α3, is at the presynaptic side of the wild-type OPL. Another potential laminin receptor, dystroglycan, is at the post-synaptic side of the wild-type OPL. Integrin α3 and dystroglycan can be co-immunoprecipitated with the laminin β2 chain, demonstrating that they may bind laminins. In the absence of the laminin β2 chain, the expression of many pre-synaptic components (bassoon, kinesin, among others) is relatively undisturbed although their spatial organization and anchoring to the membrane is disrupted. In contrast, in the Lamb2-null, β-dystroglycan (β-DG) expression is altered, co-localization of β-DG with dystrophin and the glutamate receptor mGluR6 is disrupted, and the post-synaptic bipolar cell components mGluR6 and GPR179 become dissociated, suggesting that laminins mediate scaffolding of post-synaptic components. In addition, although pikachurin remains associated with β-DG, pikachurin is no longer closely associated with mGluR6 or α-DG in the Lamb2-null. These data suggest that laminins act as links among pre- and post-synaptic laminin receptors and α-DG and pikachurin in the synaptic space to maintain proper trans-synaptic alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale D Hunter
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University and Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Ophthalmology and the SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Mary K Manglapus
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University and Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Galina Bachay
- Department of Ophthalmology and the SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Thomas Claudepierre
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University and Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael W Dolan
- Department of Ophthalmology and the SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Kelly-Ann Gesuelli
- Department of Ophthalmology and the SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - William J Brunken
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University and Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Ophthalmology and the SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
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16
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Positive diversifying selection is a pervasive adaptive force throughout the Drosophila radiation. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 112:230-243. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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17
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Lombardi L, Persiconi I, Gallo A, Hoogenraad CC, De Stefano ME. NGF-dependent axon growth and regeneration are altered in sympathetic neurons of dystrophic mdx mice. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 80:1-17. [PMID: 28161362 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal disease, determined by lack of dystrophin (Dp427), a muscular cytoskeletal protein also expressed by selected neuronal populations. Consequently, besides muscular wasting, both human patients and DMD animal models suffer several neural disorders. In previous studies on the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of wild type and dystrophic mdx mice (Lombardi et al. 2008), we hypothesized that Dp427 could play some role in NGF-dependent axonal growth, both during development and adulthood. To address this issue, we first analyzed axon regeneration potentials of SCG neurons of both genotypes after axotomy in vivo. While noradrenergic innervation of mdx mouse submandibular gland, main source of nerve growth factor (NGF), recovered similarly to wild type, iris innervation (muscular target) never did. We, therefore, evaluated whether dystrophic SCG neurons were poorly responsive to NGF, especially at low concentration. Following in vitro axotomy in the presence of either 10 or 50ng/ml NGF, the number of regenerated axons in mdx mouse neuron cultures was indeed reduced, compared to wild type, at the lower concentration. Neurite growth parameters (i.e. number, length), growth cone dynamics and NGF/TrkA receptor signaling in differentiating neurons (not injured) were also significantly reduced when cultured with 10ng/ml NGF, but also with higher NGF concentrations. In conclusion, we propose a role for Dp427 in NGF-dependent cytoskeletal dynamics associated to growth cone advancement, possibly through indirect stabilization of TrkA receptors. Considering NGF activity in nervous system development/remodeling, this aspect could concur in some of the described DMD-associated neural dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Lombardi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Irene Persiconi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gallo
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Casper C Hoogenraad
- Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Egle De Stefano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy; Center for Research in Neurobiology "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy.
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18
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220th ENMC workshop: Dystroglycan and the dystroglycanopathies Naarden, The Netherlands, 27-29 May 2016. Neuromuscul Disord 2016; 27:387-395. [PMID: 28089719 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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19
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Transgenic Rescue of the LARGEmyd Mouse: A LARGE Therapeutic Window? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159853. [PMID: 27467128 PMCID: PMC4965172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
LARGE is a glycosyltransferase involved in glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Absence of this protein in the LARGEmyd mouse results in α-DG hypoglycosylation, and is associated with central nervous system abnormalities and progressive muscular dystrophy. Up-regulation of LARGE has previously been proposed as a therapy for the secondary dystroglycanopathies: overexpression in cells compensates for defects in multiple dystroglycanopathy genes. Counterintuitively, LARGE overexpression in an FKRP-deficient mouse exacerbates pathology, suggesting that modulation of α-DG glycosylation requires further investigation. Here we demonstrate that transgenic expression of human LARGE (LARGE-LV5) in the LARGEmyd mouse restores α-DG glycosylation (with marked hyperglycosylation in muscle) and that this corrects both the muscle pathology and brain architecture. By quantitative analyses of LARGE transcripts we also here show that levels of transgenic and endogenous LARGE in the brains of transgenic animals are comparable, but that the transgene is markedly overexpressed in heart and particularly skeletal muscle (20–100 fold over endogenous). Our data suggest LARGE overexpression may only be deleterious under a forced regenerative context, such as that resulting from a reduction in FKRP: in the absence of such a defect we show that systemic expression of LARGE can indeed act therapeutically, and that even dramatic LARGE overexpression is well-tolerated in heart and skeletal muscle. Moreover, correction of LARGEmyd brain pathology with only moderate, near-physiological LARGE expression suggests a generous therapeutic window.
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20
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Cvrčková F, Žárský V, Markoš A. Plant Studies May Lead Us to Rethink the Concept of Behavior. Front Psychol 2016; 7:622. [PMID: 27242570 PMCID: PMC4874364 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Cvrčková
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Žárský
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anton Markoš
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague Prague, Czech Republic
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21
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Adams JC, Brancaccio A. The evolution of the dystroglycan complex, a major mediator of muscle integrity. Biol Open 2015; 4:1163-79. [PMID: 26319583 PMCID: PMC4582122 DOI: 10.1242/bio.012468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Basement membrane (BM) extracellular matrices are crucial for the coordination of different tissue layers. A matrix adhesion receptor that is important for BM function and stability in many mammalian tissues is the dystroglycan (DG) complex. This comprises the non-covalently-associated extracellular α-DG, that interacts with laminin in the BM, and the transmembrane β-DG, that interacts principally with dystrophin to connect to the actin cytoskeleton. Mutations in dystrophin, DG, or several enzymes that glycosylate α-DG underlie severe forms of human muscular dystrophy. Nonwithstanding the pathophysiological importance of the DG complex and its fundamental interest as a non-integrin system of cell-ECM adhesion, the evolution of DG and its interacting proteins is not understood. We analysed the phylogenetic distribution of DG, its proximal binding partners and key processing enzymes in extant metazoan and relevant outgroups. We identify that DG originated after the divergence of ctenophores from porifera and eumetazoa. The C-terminal half of the DG core protein is highly-conserved, yet the N-terminal region, that includes the laminin-binding region, has undergone major lineage-specific divergences. Phylogenetic analysis based on the C-terminal IG2_MAT_NU region identified three distinct clades corresponding to deuterostomes, arthropods, and mollusks/early-diverging metazoans. Whereas the glycosyltransferases that modify α-DG are also present in choanoflagellates, the DG-binding proteins dystrophin and laminin originated at the base of the metazoa, and DG-associated sarcoglycan is restricted to cnidarians and bilaterians. These findings implicate extensive functional diversification of DG within invertebrate lineages and identify the laminin-DG-dystrophin axis as a conserved adhesion system that evolved subsequent to integrin-ECM adhesion, likely to enhance the functional complexity of cell-BM interactions in early metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine C Adams
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Andrea Brancaccio
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR, Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, Roma 00168, Italy
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22
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Dystrophin induced cognitive impairment: mechanisms, models and therapeutic strategies. Ann Neurosci 2015; 22:108-18. [PMID: 26130916 PMCID: PMC4480258 DOI: 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.221210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Existence of conserved domains in dystrophin and its associated complexes provide an opportunity to understand the role of dystrophin associated signalling and its association with neuronal metabolism in a variety of model organisms. We critically reviewed the studies till 2013 through established search engines and databases. Thus, we review the role of dystrophin and its isoforms in different animal models at developmental stages in the neuronal metabolism to enhance the therapeutic strategies. Dystrophin interacts with other proteins in such a way that, when affected, it results in co-morbidities including autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders. It is speculated that various signalling molecules may converge to disrupt neuronal metabolism not adequately studied. TGF-β, RhoGAP and CAM mediated signalling molecules are the chief cause of mortalities due to respiratory and cardiac involvement but remain underevaluated targets for cognitive impairment in DMD/BMD. Manipulation of these signalling pathways could be potent intervention in dystrophin induced cognitive impairment while complementary therapeutic approaches may also be helpful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with DMD/BMD.
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23
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Beaven R, Dzhindzhev NS, Qu Y, Hahn I, Dajas-Bailador F, Ohkura H, Prokop A. Drosophila CLIP-190 and mammalian CLIP-170 display reduced microtubule plus end association in the nervous system. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:1491-508. [PMID: 25694447 PMCID: PMC4395129 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-06-1083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Usually, CLIPs promote microtubule growth by binding their plus ends. However, in neurons, mouse CLIP-170 and fly CLIP-190 are weak end binders, instead forming actin/myosin VI–dependent patches in the center of growth cones. Total CLIP-190 loss, even together with four other plus end binders, reveals no role in neuronal MT regulation. Axons act like cables, electrically wiring the nervous system. Polar bundles of microtubules (MTs) form their backbones and drive their growth. Plus end–tracking proteins (+TIPs) regulate MT growth dynamics and directionality at their plus ends. However, current knowledge about +TIP functions, mostly derived from work in vitro and in nonneuronal cells, may not necessarily apply to the very different context of axonal MTs. For example, the CLIP family of +TIPs are known MT polymerization promoters in nonneuronal cells. However, we show here that neither Drosophila CLIP-190 nor mammalian CLIP-170 is a prominent MT plus end tracker in neurons, which we propose is due to low plus end affinity of the CAP-Gly domain–containing N-terminus and intramolecular inhibition through the C-terminus. Instead, both CLIP-190 and CLIP-170 form F-actin–dependent patches in growth cones, mediated by binding of the coiled-coil domain to myosin-VI. Because our loss-of-function analyses in vivo and in culture failed to reveal axonal roles for CLIP-190, even in double-mutant combinations with four other +TIPs, we propose that CLIP-190 and -170 are not essential axon extension regulators. Our findings demonstrate that +TIP functions known from nonneuronal cells do not necessarily apply to the regulation of the very distinct MT networks in axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Beaven
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Nikola S Dzhindzhev
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom
| | - Yue Qu
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Ines Hahn
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hiroyuki Ohkura
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Prokop
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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24
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miRNA-based buffering of the cobblestone-lissencephaly-associated extracellular matrix receptor dystroglycan via its alternative 3'-UTR. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4906. [PMID: 25232965 PMCID: PMC4199286 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Many proteins are expressed dynamically during different stages of cellular life and the accuracy of protein amounts is critical for cell endurance. Therefore, cells should have a perceptive system that notifies about fluctuations in the amounts of certain components and an executive system that efficiently restores their precise levels. At least one mechanism that evolution has employed for this task is regulation of 3'-UTR length for microRNA targeting. Here we show that in Drosophila the microRNA complex miR-310s acts as an executive mechanism to buffer levels of the muscular dystrophy-associated extracellular matrix receptor dystroglycan via its alternative 3'-UTR. miR-310s gene expression fluctuates depending on dystroglycan amounts and nitric oxide signalling, which perceives dystroglycan levels and regulates microRNA gene expression. Aberrant levels of dystroglycan or deficiencies in miR-310s and nitric oxide signalling result in cobblestone brain appearance, resembling human lissencephaly type II phenotype.
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Reinhardt JA, Brand CL, Paczolt KA, Johns PM, Baker RH, Wilkinson GS. Meiotic drive impacts expression and evolution of x-linked genes in stalk-eyed flies. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004362. [PMID: 24832132 PMCID: PMC4022487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sex chromosome meiotic drive has been observed in a variety of species for over 50 years, the genes causing drive are only known in a few cases, and none of these cases cause distorted sex-ratios in nature. In stalk-eyed flies (Teleopsis dalmanni), driving X chromosomes are commonly found at frequencies approaching 30% in the wild, but the genetic basis of drive has remained elusive due to reduced recombination between driving and non-driving X chromosomes. Here, we used RNAseq to identify transcripts that are differentially expressed between males carrying either a driving X (XSR) or a standard X chromosome (XST), and found hundreds of these, the majority of which are X-linked. Drive-associated transcripts show increased levels of sequence divergence (dN/dS) compared to a control set, and are predominantly expressed either in testes or in the gonads of both sexes. Finally, we confirmed that XSR and XST are highly divergent by estimating sequence differentiation between the RNAseq pools. We found that X-linked transcripts were often strongly differentiated (whereas most autosomal transcripts were not), supporting the presence of a relatively large region of recombination suppression on XSR presumably caused by one or more inversions. We have identified a group of genes that are good candidates for further study into the causes and consequences of sex-chromosome drive, and demonstrated that meiotic drive has had a profound effect on sequence evolution and gene expression of X-linked genes in this species. Sex chromosome meiotic drive causes changes in the sex-ratios of natural populations, and may even lead to extinction if the driving element reaches high frequency. However, very little is known about the genes that cause sex-ratio drive, and no causal gene has been identified in a species that consistently exhibits distorted sex ratios in natural populations. Several species of stalk-eyed flies in southeast Asia – genus Teleopsis – express X chromosome drive, but the genes underlying drive have been difficult to locate due to reduced recombination between drive and standard X chromosomes presumably caused by the presence of a large inversion. Here, we use high throughput RNA sequencing to identify over 500 transcripts that are differentially expressed in the testes due to the effects of a driving X chromosome (XSR) in T. dalmanni. Most of these are X-linked, evolve more rapidly than control genes, and exhibit elevated expression in the gonads. Finally, XSR has become genetically differentiated from standard X chromosomes – using the RNA sequence data, we found nearly 1000 sites in X-linked transcripts and only a handful in autosomal transcripts where there was a fixed nucleotide difference. We conclude that XSR has led to widespread sequence and expression divergence on the X chromosome in T. dalmanni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine A. Reinhardt
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cara L. Brand
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Kimberly A. Paczolt
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Philip M. Johns
- Bard College, Annadale-on-Hudson, New York, United States of America
| | - Richard H. Baker
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gerald S. Wilkinson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Yatsenko AS, Shcherbata HR. Drosophila miR-9a targets the ECM receptor Dystroglycan to canalize myotendinous junction formation. Dev Cell 2014; 28:335-48. [PMID: 24525189 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Establishment of intercellular interactions between various cell types of different origin is vital for organism development and tissue maintenance. Therefore, precise timing, expression pattern, and amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins must be tightly regulated. Particularly, the ECM is important for the development and function of myotendinous junctions (MTJs). We find that precise levels of the ECM receptor Dystroglycan (Dg) are required for MTJ formation in Drosophila and that Dg levels in this process are controlled by miR-9a. In the embryo, Dg is enriched at the termini of the growing muscles facing the tendon matrix and absent from miR-9a-expressing tendons. This gradient of Dg expression is crucial for proper muscle-tendon attachments and is adjusted by miR-9a. In addition to Dg, miR-9a regulates the expression of several other critical muscle genes, and we therefore propose that during embryogenesis, miR-9a specifically controls the expression of mesodermal genes to canalize MTJ morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy S Yatsenko
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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Drosophila models of early onset cognitive disorders and their clinical applications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 2:326-42. [PMID: 24661984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The number of genes known to cause human monogenic diseases is increasing rapidly. For the extremely large, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of intellectual disability (ID) disorders, more than 600 causative genes have been identified to date. However, knowledge about the molecular mechanisms and networks disrupted by these genetic aberrations is lagging behind. The fruit fly Drosophila has emerged as a powerful model organism to close this knowledge gap. This review summarizes recent achievements that have been made in this model and envisions its future contribution to our understanding of ID genetics and neuropathology. The available resources and efficiency of Drosophila place it in a position to tackle the main challenges in the field: mapping functional modules of ID genes to provide conceptually novel insights into the genetic control of cognition, tailored functional studies to improve 'next-generation' diagnostics, and identification of reversible ID phenotypes and medication. Drosophila's behavioral repertoire and powerful genetics also open up perspectives for modeling genetically complex forms of ID and neuropsychiatric disorders, which overlap in their genetic etiologies. In conclusion, Drosophila provides many opportunities to advance future medical genomics of early onset cognitive disorders.
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Edeleva EV, Shcherbata HR. Stress-induced ECM alteration modulates cellular microRNAs that feedback to readjust the extracellular environment and cell behavior. Front Genet 2013; 4:305. [PMID: 24427166 PMCID: PMC3876577 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular environment is a complex entity comprising of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulatory molecules. It is highly dynamic and under cell-extrinsic stress, transmits the stressed organism’s state to each individual ECM-connected cell. microRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory molecules involved in virtually all the processes in the cell, especially under stress. In this review, we analyse how miRNA expression is regulated downstream of various signal transduction pathways induced by changes in the extracellular environment. In particular, we focus on the muscular dystrophy-associated cell adhesion molecule dystroglycan capable of signal transduction. Then we show how exactly the same miRNAs feedback to regulate the extracellular environment. The ultimate goal of this bi-directional signal transduction process is to change cell behavior under cell-extrinsic stress in order to respond to it accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia V Edeleva
- Max Planck Research Group for Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Göttingen, Germany
| | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Max Planck Research Group for Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Göttingen, Germany
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Marrone AK, Edeleva EV, Kucherenko MM, Hsiao NH, Shcherbata HR. Dg-Dys-Syn1 signaling in Drosophila regulates the microRNA profile. BMC Cell Biol 2012; 13:26. [PMID: 23107381 PMCID: PMC3551632 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2121-13-26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Dystrophin Glycoprotein Complex (DGC) is at the center of significant inheritable diseases, such as muscular dystrophies that can be fatal and impair neuronal function in addition to muscle degeneration. Recent evidence has shown that it can control cellular homeostasis and work via Dystrophin signaling to regulate microRNA gene expression which implies that disease phenotypes hide an entourage of regulatory and homeostatic anomalies. Uncovering these hidden processes could shed new light on the importance of proper DGC function for an organism’s overall welfare and bring forth new ideas for treatments. Results To better understand a role for the DGC in these processes, we used the genetically advantageous Drosophila muscular dystrophy model to conduct a whole animal microarray screen. Since we have recently found that dystrophic symptoms can be caused by stress even in wild type animals and are enhanced in mutants, we screened stressed animals for microRNA misregulation as well. We were able to define microRNAs misregulated due to stress and/or dystrophy. Our results support the hypothesis that there is a Dystrophin and Dystroglycan dependent circuitry of processes linking stress response, dystrophic conditions and cellular signaling and that microRNAs play an important role in this network. Verification of a subset of our results was conducted via q-PCR and revealed that miR-956, miR-980 and miR-252 are regulated via a Dystroglycan-Dystrophin-Syntrophin dependent pathway. Conclusions The results presented in this study support the hypothesis that there is a Dystrophin and Dystroglycan dependent circuitry of processes that includes regulation of microRNAs. Dystrophin signaling has already been found to occur in mammalian musculature; however, our data reveals that this regulation is evolutionarily conserved and also present in at least neuronal tissues. Our data imply that Dystroglycan-Dystrophin-Syntrophin signaling through control of multiple microRNAs is involved in highly managed regulation of gene expression required to adapt cellular homeostasis that is compromised under stress and dystrophic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- April K Marrone
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for biophysical chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, Goettingen 37077, Germany
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