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Taraschi A, Cimini C, Colosimo A, Ramal-Sanchez M, Valbonetti L, Bernabò N, Barboni B. An interactive analysis of the mouse oviductal miRNA profiles. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1015360. [PMID: 36340025 PMCID: PMC9627480 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1015360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small non-coding molecules that control several cellular functions and act as negative post-transcriptional regulators of the mRNA. While their implication in several biological functions is already known, an important role as regulators of different physiological and pathological processes in fertilization and embryo development is currently emerging. Indeed, miRNAs have been found in the oviductal fluid packaged within the extracellular vesicles, which might act as natural nanoshuttles by transporting lipids, proteins, RNA molecules and miRNAs from the oviduct to the gametes or embryos. Here, an exhaustive bibliography search was carried out, followed by the construction of a computational model based on the networks theory in an attempt to recreate and elucidate the pathways potentially activated by the oviductal miRNA. The omics data published to date were gathered to create the Oviductal MiRNome, in which the miRNA target genes and their interactions are represented by using stringApp and the Network analyzer from Cytoscape 3.7.2. Then, the hyperlinked nodes were identified to investigate the pathways in which they are involved using the gene ontology enrichment analysis. To study the phenotypical effects after the removal of key genes on the reproductive system and embryo, knockout mouse lines for every protein-coding gene were investigated by using the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium database. The creation of the Oviductal MiRNome revealed the presence of important genes and their interactions within the network. The functional enrichment analysis revealed that the hyperlinked nodes are involved in fundamental cellular functions, both structural and regulatory/signaling, suggesting their implication in fertilization and early embryo development. This fact was as well evidenced by the effects of the gene deletion in KO mice on the reproductive system and embryo development. The present study highlights the importance of studying the miRNA profiles and their enormous potential as tools to improve the assisted reproductive techniques currently used in human and animal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Taraschi
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell’Abruzzo e Del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Costanza Cimini
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessia Colosimo
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Marina Ramal-Sanchez
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Luca Valbonetti
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (CNR-IBBC/EMMA/Infrafrontier/IMPC), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Bernabò
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (CNR-IBBC/EMMA/Infrafrontier/IMPC), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nicola Bernabò,
| | - Barbara Barboni
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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Bernabò N, Di Berardino C, Capacchietti G, Peserico A, Buoncuore G, Tosi U, Crociati M, Monaci M, Barboni B. In Vitro Folliculogenesis in Mammalian Models: A Computational Biology Study. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:737912. [PMID: 34859047 PMCID: PMC8630647 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.737912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro folliculogenesis (ivF) has been proposed as an emerging technology to support follicle growth and oocyte development. It holds a great deal of attraction from preserving human fertility to improving animal reproductive biotechnology. Despite the mice model, where live offspring have been achieved,in medium-sized mammals, ivF has not been validated yet. Thus, the employment of a network theory approach has been proposed for interpreting the large amount of ivF information collected to date in different mammalian models in order to identify the controllers of the in vitro system. The WoS-derived data generated a scale-free network, easily navigable including 641 nodes and 2089 links. A limited number of controllers (7.2%) are responsible for network robustness by preserving it against random damage. The network nodes were stratified in a coherent biological manner on three layers: the input was composed of systemic hormones and somatic-oocyte paracrine factors; the intermediate one recognized mainly key signaling molecules such as PI3K, KL, JAK-STAT, SMAD4, and cAMP; and the output layer molecules were related to functional ivF endpoints such as the FSH receptor and steroidogenesis. Notably, the phenotypes of knock-out mice previously developed for hub.BN indirectly corroborate their biological relevance in early folliculogenesis. Finally, taking advantage of the STRING analysis approach, further controllers belonging to the metabolic axis backbone were identified, such as mTOR/FOXO, FOXO3/SIRT1, and VEGF, which have been poorly considered in ivF to date. Overall, this in silico study identifies new metabolic sensor molecules controlling ivF serving as a basis for designing innovative diagnostic and treatment methods to preserve female fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Bernabò
- Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- National Research Council, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessia Peserico
- Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giorgia Buoncuore
- Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Umberto Tosi
- Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Martina Crociati
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Centre for Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Monaci
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Centre for Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Barbara Barboni
- Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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Megiorni F, Camero S, Pontecorvi P, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Anastasiadou E, Bernabò N, Perniola G, Pizzuti A, Benedetti Panici P, Tombolini V, Marchese C. OTX015 Epi-Drug Exerts Antitumor Effects in Ovarian Cancer Cells by Blocking GNL3-Mediated Radioresistance Mechanisms: Cellular, Molecular and Computational Evidence. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13071519. [PMID: 33806232 PMCID: PMC8059141 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071519] [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: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The outcome for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC), the most aggressive gynecological tumor worldwide, remains very poor. Encouraging therapeutic impact of epigenetic drugs has been suggested in a wide range of human solid tumors, including OC. The present study assessed the in vitro cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of OTX015, a pan Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif inhibitor, in human OC cells, both as single treatment and in combination with radiotherapy. Cellular, molecular and computational network analyses indicated the centrality of GNL3 downregulation in mediating the OTX015-related antitumor efficacy that blocks disease progression/maintenance and radioresistance acquisition. Our preclinical results confirm that targeted and combinatorial treatments represent effective anticancer strategies to be translated in the clinical research for improving OC patient care. Abstract Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most aggressive gynecological tumor worldwide and, notwithstanding the increment in conventional treatments, many resistance mechanisms arise, this leading to cure failure and patient death. So, the use of novel adjuvant drugs able to counteract these pathways is urgently needed to improve patient overall survival. A growing interest is focused on epigenetic drugs for cancer therapy, such as Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif inhibitors (BETi). Here, we investigate the antitumor effects of OTX015, a novel BETi, as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in OC cellular models. OTX015 treatment significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation by triggering cell cycle arrest and apoptosis that were linked to nucleolar stress and DNA damage. OTX015 impaired migration capacity and potentiated IR effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of cancer resistance mechanisms, including GNL3 gene, whose expression was found to be significantly higher in OC biopsies than in normal ovarian tissues. Gene specific knocking down and computational network analysis confirmed the centrality of GNL3 in OTX015-mediated OC antitumor effects. Altogether, our findings suggest OTX015 as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-4997-8272
| | - Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Paola Pontecorvi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Eleni Anastasiadou
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Nicola Bernabò
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Giorgia Perniola
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Pierluigi Benedetti Panici
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
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Two-Player Game in a Complex Landscape: 26S Proteasome, PKA, and Intracellular Calcium Concentration Modulate Mammalian Sperm Capacitation by Creating an Integrated Dialogue-A Computational Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176256. [PMID: 32872422 PMCID: PMC7504021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent experimental findings suggest the involvement of the 26S proteasome, the main protease active in eukaryotic cells, in the process that leads mammalian sperm to become fully fertile, so-called capacitation. Unfortunately, its role in male gametes signaling is still far from being completely understood. For this reason, here, we realized a computational model, based on network theory, with the aim of rebuilding and exploring its signaling cascade. As a result, we found that the 26S proteasome is part of a signal transduction system that recognizes the bicarbonate ion as an input terminal and two intermediate layers of information processing. The first is under the control of the 26S proteasome and protein kinase A (PKA), which are strongly interconnected, while the latter depends on intracellular calcium concentrations. Both are active in modulating sperm function by influencing the protein phosphorylation pattern and then controlling several key events in sperm capacitation, such as membrane and cytoskeleton remodeling. Then, we found different clusters of molecules possibly involved in this pathway and connecting it to the immune system. In conclusion, this work adds a piece to the puzzle of protease and kinase crosstalk involved in the physiology of sperm cells.
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Di Lollo V, Canciello A, Orsini M, Bernabò N, Ancora M, Di Federico M, Curini V, Mattioli M, Russo V, Mauro A, Cammà C, Barboni B. Transcriptomic and computational analysis identified LPA metabolism, KLHL14 and KCNE3 as novel regulators of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4180. [PMID: 32144311 PMCID: PMC7060278 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61017-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex biological program between physiology and pathology. Here, amniotic epithelial cells (AEC) were used as in vitro model of transiently inducible EMT in order to evaluate the transcriptional insights underlying this process. Therefore, RNA-seq was used to identify the differentially expressed genes and enrichment analyses were carried out to assess the intracellular pathways involved. As a result, molecules exclusively expressed in AEC that experienced EMT (GSTA1-1 and GSTM3) or when this process is inhibited (KLHL14 and KCNE3) were identified. Lastly, the network theory was used to obtain a computational model able to recognize putative controller genes involved in the induction and in the prevention of EMT. The results suggested an opposite role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) synthesis and degradation enzymes in the regulation of EMT process. In conclusion, these molecules may represent novel EMT regulators and also targets for developing new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Di Lollo
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy. .,Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
| | - A Canciello
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
| | - M Orsini
- Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - N Bernabò
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - M Ancora
- Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - M Di Federico
- Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - V Curini
- Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - M Mattioli
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - V Russo
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - A Mauro
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - C Cammà
- Molecular biology and genomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - B Barboni
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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Cyclin-CDK Complexes are Key Controllers of Capacitation-Dependent Actin Dynamics in Mammalian Spermatozoa. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20174236. [PMID: 31470670 PMCID: PMC6747110 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian spermatozoa are infertile immediately after ejaculation and need to undergo a functional maturation process to acquire the competence to fertilize the female egg. During this process, called capacitation, the actin cytoskeleton dramatically changes its organization. First, actin fibers polymerize, forming a network over the anterior part of the sperm cells head, and then it rapidly depolymerizes and disappears during the exocytosis of the acrosome content (the acrosome reaction (AR)). Here, we developed a computational model representing the actin dynamics (AD) process on mature spermatozoa. In particular, we represented all the molecular events known to be involved in AD as a network of nodes linked by edges (the interactions). After the network enrichment, using an online resource (STRING), we carried out the statistical analysis on its topology, identifying the controllers of the system and validating them in an experiment of targeted versus random attack to the network. Interestingly, among them, we found that cyclin-dependent kinase (cyclin–CDK) complexes are acting as stronger controllers. This finding is of great interest since it suggests the key role that cyclin–CDK complexes could play in controlling AD during sperm capacitation, leading us to propose a new and interesting non-genomic role for these molecules.
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