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Coulleray J, Kindler A, Rima M, Cahuzac H, Rochel N, Chaubet G, Krezel W, Wagner A. Retinoids Molecular Probes by Late-stage Azide Insertion - Functional Tools to Decrypt Retinoid Metabolism. Chembiochem 2024:e202300689. [PMID: 39092796 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Studying the complex and intricate retinoids metabolic pathways by chemical biology approaches requires design and synthesis of biologically functional molecular probes. Only few of such molecular retinoid probes could be found in literature, most of them bearing a molecular structure quite different from natural retinoids. To provide close-to-native retinoid probes, we have developed a versatile late-stage method for the insertion of azide function at the C4 position of several retinoids. This one-step process opens straightforward access to different retinoid and carotenoid probes from commercially available precursors. We have further demonstrated that the different molecular probes retain ability of the original compound to activate genes' transcription, despite azide insertion, highlighting biological activities that were further validated in zebrafish in vivo model. The present work paves the way to future studies on vitamin A's metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Coulleray
- Bio-Functional Chemistry, Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Alexia Kindler
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Mohamad Rima
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Héloïse Cahuzac
- Bio-Functional Chemistry, Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Natacha Rochel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Guilhem Chaubet
- Bio-Functional Chemistry, Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Wojciech Krezel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U 1258, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
| | - Alain Wagner
- Bio-Functional Chemistry, Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400, Illkirch-Graffenstaden
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Ming S, Zhang S, Xing J, Yang G, Zeng L, Wang J, Chu B. Alphaherpesvirus manipulates retinoic acid metabolism for optimal replication. iScience 2024; 27:110144. [PMID: 38989466 PMCID: PMC11233922 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110144] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA), derived from retinol (ROL), is integral to cell growth, differentiation, and organogenesis. It is known that RA can inhibit herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication, but the interactions between alphaherpesviruses and RA metabolism are unclear. Our present study revealed that alphaherpesvirus (HSV-1 and Pseudorabies virus, PRV) infections suppressed RA synthesis from ROL by activating P53, which increased retinol reductase 3 (DHRS3) expression-an enzyme that converts retinaldehyde back to ROL. This process depended on the virus-triggered DNA damage response, the degradation of class I histone deacetylases, and the subsequent hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4. Counteracting DHRS3 or P53 enabled higher RA synthesis and reduced viral growth. RA enhanced antiviral defenses by promoting ABCA1- and ABCG1-mediated lipid efflux. Treatment with the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonist palovarotene protected mice from HSV-1 infection, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy against viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengli Ming
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Shijun Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Jiayou Xing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Guoyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Lei Zeng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
| | - Beibei Chu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Growth and Development of Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
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3
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Nguyen AT, Masuda M, Mori Y, Adachi Y, Fukuda T, Furuichi A, Takikawa M, Tsuda Y, Hamada Y, Maruyama Y, Ohminami H, Ohnishi K, Taketani Y. All-trans retinoic acid induces lipophagy through reducing Rubicon in Hepa1c1c7 cells. J Lipid Res 2024:100598. [PMID: 39032560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
All-trans retinoic acid (atRA), a metabolite of vitamin A, reduces hepatic lipid accumulation in liver steatosis model animals. Lipophagy, a new lipolysis pathway, degrades a lipid droplet (LD) via autophagy in adipose tissue and the liver. We recently found that atRA induces lipophagy in adipocytes. However, it remains unclear whether atRA induces lipophagy in hepatocytes. In this study, we investigated the effects of atRA on lipophagy in Hepa1c1c7 cells and the liver of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Firstly, we confirmed that atRA induced autophagy in Hepa1c1c7 cells by Western blotting and the GFP-LC3-mCherry probe. Next, we evaluated the lipolysis in fatty Hepa1c1c7 cells treated with the knockdown of Atg5, an essential gene in autophagy induction. Atg5-knockdown partly suppressed the atRA-induced lipolysis in fatty Hepa1c1c7 cells. We also found that atRA reduced the protein, but not mRNA, expression of Rubicon, a negative regulator of autophagy, in Hepa1c1c7 cells and the liver of HFD-fed mice. Rubicon-knockdown partly inhibited the atRA-induced lipolysis in fatty Hepa1c1c7 cells. In addition, atRA reduced hepatic Rubicon expression in young mice, but the effect of atRA on it diminished in aged mice. Lastly, we investigated the mechanism underlying reduced Rubicon protein expression by atRA in hepatocytes. A protein synthesis inhibitor, but not proteasome or lysosomal inhibitors, significantly blocked the reduction of Rubicon protein expression by atRA in Hepa1c1c7 cells. These results suggest that atRA may promote lipophagy in fatty hepatocytes by reducing hepatic Rubicon expression via inhibiting protein synthesis. (243/250 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh The Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Masashi Masuda
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
| | - Yuki Mori
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Adachi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Teppei Fukuda
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Airi Furuichi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Masaki Takikawa
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuki Tsuda
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuki Hamada
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yusuke Maruyama
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Ohminami
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kohta Ohnishi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yutaka Taketani
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushma, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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4
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Carrazana R, Espinoza F, Ávila A. Mechanistic perspective on the actions of vitamin a in autism spectrum disorder etiology. Neuroscience 2024; 554:72-82. [PMID: 39002756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Vitamin A (VA) has many functions in the body, some of which are key for the development and functioning of the nervous system, while some others might indirectly influence neural function. Both hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis A can lead to clinical manifestations of concern for individuals and for general global health. Scientific evidence on the link between VA and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing, with some clinical studies and accumulating results obtained from basic research using cellular and animal models. Remarkably, it has been shown that VA deficiency can exacerbate autistic symptomatology. In turn, VA supplementation has been shown to be able to improve autistic symptomatology in selected groups of individuals with ASD. However, it is important to recognize that ASD is a highly heterogeneous condition. Therefore, it is important to clarify how and when VA supplementation can be of benefit for affected individuals. Here we delve into the relationship between VA and ASD, discussing clinical observations and mechanistic insights obtained from research on selected autistic syndromes and laboratory models to advance in defining how the VA signaling pathway can be exploited for treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Carrazana
- Neurodevelopmental Biology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Research Laboratory, Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Francisca Espinoza
- Neurodevelopmental Biology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Research Laboratory, Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Ariel Ávila
- Neurodevelopmental Biology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Research Laboratory, Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
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5
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Mack CM, Tsui-Bowen A, Smith AR, Jensen KF, Kodavanti PRS, Moser VC, Mundy WR, Shafer TJ, Herr DW. Identification of neural-relevant toxcast high-throughput assay intended gene targets: Applicability to neurotoxicity and neurotoxicant putative molecular initiating events. Neurotoxicology 2024; 103:256-265. [PMID: 38977203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The US EPA's Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast) is a suite of high-throughput in vitro assays to screen environmental toxicants and predict potential toxicity of uncharacterized chemicals. This work examines the relevance of ToxCast assay intended gene targets to putative molecular initiating events (MIEs) of neurotoxicants. This effort is needed as there is growing interest in the regulatory and scientific communities about developing new approach methodologies (NAMs) to screen large numbers of chemicals for neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity. Assay gene function (GeneCards, NCBI-PUBMED) was used to categorize gene target neural relevance (1 = neural, 2 = neural development, 3 = general cellular process, 3 A = cellular process critical during neural development, 4 = unlikely significance). Of 481 unique gene targets, 80 = category 1 (16.6 %); 16 = category 2 (3.3 %); 303 = category 3 (63.0 %); 97 = category 3 A (20.2 %); 82 = category 4 (17.0 %). A representative list of neurotoxicants (548) was researched (ex. PUBMED, PubChem) for neurotoxicity associated MIEs/Key Events (KEs). MIEs were identified for 375 compounds, whereas only KEs for 173. ToxCast gene targets associated with MIEs were primarily neurotransmitter (ex. dopaminergic, GABA)receptors and ion channels (calcium, sodium, potassium). Conversely, numerous MIEs associated with neurotoxicity were absent. Oxidative stress (OS) mechanisms were 79.1 % of KEs. In summary, 40 % of ToxCast assay gene targets are relevant to neurotoxicity mechanisms. Additional receptor and ion channel subtypes and increased OS pathway coverage are identified for potential future assay inclusion to provide more complete coverage of neural and developmental neural targets in assessing neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cina M Mack
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
| | | | - Alicia R Smith
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.
| | - Karl F Jensen
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Prasada Rao S Kodavanti
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
| | - Virginia C Moser
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
| | - William R Mundy
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
| | - Timothy J Shafer
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
| | - David W Herr
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
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Holden KI, Rintoul NE, McNamara PJ, Harting MT. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia-associated pulmonary hypertension. Semin Pediatr Surg 2024; 33:151437. [PMID: 39018718 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2024.151437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by a developmental insult which compromises cardiopulmonary embryology and results in a diaphragmatic defect, allowing abdominal organs to herniate into the hemithorax. Among the significant pathophysiologic components of this condition is pulmonary hypertension (PH), alongside pulmonary hypoplasia and cardiac dysfunction. Fetal pulmonary vascular development coincides with lung development, with the pulmonary vasculature evolving alongside lung maturation. However, in CDH, this embryologic development is impaired which, in conjunction with external compression, stifle pulmonary vascular maturation, leading to reduced lung density, increased muscularization of the pulmonary vasculature, abnormal vascular responsiveness, and altered molecular signaling, all contributing to pulmonary arterial hypertension. Understanding CDH-associated PH (CDH-PH) is crucial for development of novel approaches and effective management due to its significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Antenatal and postnatal diagnostic methods aid in CDH risk stratification and, specifically, pulmonary hypertension, including fetal imaging and gas exchange assessments. Management strategies include lung protective ventilation, fluid optimization, pharmacotherapies including pulmonary vasodilators and hemodynamic support, and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for refractory cases. Longitudinal re-evaluation is an important consideration due to the complexity and dynamic nature of CDH cardiopulmonary physiology. Emerging therapies such as fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion and pharmacological interventions targeting key CDH pathophysiological mechanisms show promise but require further investigation. The complexity of CDH-PH underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for optimal patient care and improved outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie I Holden
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natalie E Rintoul
- Department of Neonatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Patrick J McNamara
- Division of Neonatology, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Matthew T Harting
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
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Ventriglia S, Kalcheim C. From neural tube to spinal cord: The dynamic journey of the dorsal neuroepithelium. Dev Biol 2024; 511:26-38. [PMID: 38580174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
In a developing embryo, formation of tissues and organs is remarkably precise in both time and space. Through cell-cell interactions, neighboring progenitors coordinate their activities, sequentially generating distinct types of cells. At present, we only have limited knowledge, rather than a systematic understanding, of the underlying logic and mechanisms responsible for cell fate transitions. The formation of the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord is an outstanding model to tackle these dynamics, as it first generates the peripheral nervous system and is later responsible for transmitting sensory information from the periphery to the brain and for coordinating local reflexes. This is reflected first by the ontogeny of neural crest cells, progenitors of the peripheral nervous system, followed by formation of the definitive roof plate of the central nervous system and specification of adjacent interneurons, then a transformation of roof plate into dorsal radial glia and ependyma lining the forming central canal. How do these peripheral and central neural branches segregate from common progenitors? How are dorsal radial glia established concomitant with transformation of the neural tube lumen into a central canal? How do the dorsal radial glia influence neighboring cells? This is only a partial list of questions whose clarification requires the implementation of experimental paradigms in which precise control of timing is crucial. Here, we outline some available answers and still open issues, while highlighting the contributions of avian models and their potential to address mechanisms of neural patterning and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Ventriglia
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 9112102, P.O.Box 12272, Israel.
| | - Chaya Kalcheim
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 9112102, P.O.Box 12272, Israel.
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8
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Zhang H, Sen P, Hamers J, Sittig T, Woestenburg B, Moretti A, Dendorfer A, Merkus D. Retinoic acid modulation guides human-induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation towards left or right ventricle-like cardiomyocytes. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:184. [PMID: 38902843 PMCID: PMC11191368 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03741-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by traditional methods are a mix of atrial and ventricular CMs and many other non-cardiomyocyte cells. Retinoic acid (RA) plays an important role in regulation of the spatiotemporal development of the embryonic heart. METHODS CMs were derived from hiPSC (hi-PCS-CM) using different concentrations of RA (Control without RA, LRA with 0.05μM and HRA with 0.1 μM) between day 3-6 of the differentiation process. Engineered heart tissues (EHTs) were generated by assembling hiPSC-CM at high cell density in a low collagen hydrogel. RESULTS In the HRA group, hiPSC-CMs exhibited highest expression of contractile proteins MYH6, MYH7 and cTnT. The expression of TBX5, NKX2.5 and CORIN, which are marker genes for left ventricular CMs, was also the highest in the HRA group. In terms of EHT, the HRA group displayed the highest contraction force, the lowest beating frequency, and the highest sensitivity to hypoxia and isoprenaline, which means it was functionally more similar to the left ventricle. RNAsequencing revealed that the heightened contractility of EHT within the HRA group can be attributed to the promotion of augmented extracellular matrix strength by RA. CONCLUSION By interfering with the differentiation process of hiPSC with a specific concentration of RA at a specific time, we were able to successfully induce CMs and EHTs with a phenotype similar to that of the left ventricle or right ventricle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengliang Zhang
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine of Henan, University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Payel Sen
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Interfaculty Center for Endocrine and Cardiovascular Disease Network Modelling and Clinical Transfer (ICONLMU), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jules Hamers
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Interfaculty Center for Endocrine and Cardiovascular Disease Network Modelling and Clinical Transfer (ICONLMU), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Theresa Sittig
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Interfaculty Center for Endocrine and Cardiovascular Disease Network Modelling and Clinical Transfer (ICONLMU), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Brent Woestenburg
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Allessandra Moretti
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- First Department of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Cardiology, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Dendorfer
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Daphne Merkus
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine (WBex), University Clinic Munich, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Partner Site Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Interfaculty Center for Endocrine and Cardiovascular Disease Network Modelling and Clinical Transfer (ICONLMU), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Division of Experimental Cardiology, Dept of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, de Henauw S, Hirsch‐Ernst K, Knutsen HK, Maciuk A, Mangelsdorf I, McArdle HJ, Pentieva K, Siani A, Thies F, Tsabouri S, Vinceti M, Lietz G, Passeri G, Craciun I, Fabiani L, Horvath Z, Valtueña Martínez S, Naska A. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and β-carotene. EFSA J 2024; 22:e8814. [PMID: 38846679 PMCID: PMC11154838 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Following two requests from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the revision of the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for preformed vitamin A and β-carotene. Systematic reviews of the literature were conducted for priority adverse health effects of excess vitamin A intake, namely teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity and endpoints related to bone health. Available data did not allow to address whether β-carotene could potentiate preformed vitamin A toxicity. Teratogenicity was selected as the critical effect on which to base the UL for preformed vitamin A. The Panel proposes to retain the UL for preformed vitamin A of 3000 μg RE/day for adults. This UL applies to men and women, including women of child-bearing age, pregnant and lactating women and post-menopausal women. This value was scaled down to other population groups using allometric scaling (body weight0.75), leading to ULs between 600 μg RE/day (infants 4-11 months) and 2600 μg RE/day (adolescents 15-17 years). Based on available intake data, European populations are unlikely to exceed the UL for preformed vitamin A if consumption of liver, offal and products thereof is limited to once per month or less. Women who are planning to become pregnant or who are pregnant are advised not to consume liver products. Lung cancer risk was selected as the critical effect of excess supplemental β-carotene. The available data were not sufficient and suitable to characterise a dose-response relationship and identify a reference point; therefore, no UL could be established. There is no indication that β-carotene intake from the background diet is associated with adverse health effects. Smokers should avoid consuming food supplements containing β-carotene. The use of supplemental β-carotene by the general population should be limited to the purpose of meeting vitamin A requirements.
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10
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Luo Y, Yu P, Liu J. The efficiency of stem cell differentiation into functional beta cells for treating insulin-requiring diabetes: Recent advances and current challenges. Endocrine 2024:10.1007/s12020-024-03855-8. [PMID: 38730069 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-03855-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the potential of stem cells (SCs) to differentiate into various types of cells, including β-cells, has led to a significant boost in development. The efficiency of this differentiation process and the functionality of the cells post-transplantation are crucial factors for the success of stem cell therapy in diabetes. Herein, this article reviews the current advances and challenges faced by stem cell differentiation into functional β-cells for diabetes treatment. In vitro, researchers have sought to enhance the differentiation efficiency of functional β-cells by mimicking the normal pancreatic development process, using gene manipulation, pharmacological and culture conditions stimulation, three-dimensional (3D) and organoid culture, or sorting for functional β-cells based on mature islet cell markers. Furthermore, in vivo studies have also looked at suitable transplantation sites, the enhancement of the transplantation microenvironment, immune modulation, and vascular function reconstruction to improve the survival rate of functional β-cells, thereby enhancing the treatment of diabetes. Despite these advancements, developing stem cells to produce functional β-cells for efficacious diabetes treatment is a continuous research endeavor requiring significant multidisciplinary collaboration, for the stem-cell-derived beta cells to evolve into an effective cellular therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Luo
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianping Liu
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
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11
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Gerges A, Canning U. Neuroblastoma and its Target Therapies: A Medicinal Chemistry Review. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300535. [PMID: 38340043 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood malignant tumour belonging to a group of embryonic tumours originating from progenitor cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage. The heterogeneity of NB is reflected in the survival rates of those with low and intermediate risk diseases who have survival rates ranging from 85 to 90 %. However, for those identified with high-risk Stage 4 NB, the treatment options are much more limited. For this group, current treatment consists of immunotherapy (monoclonal antibodies) in combination with anti-cancer drugs and has a 40 to 50 % survival rate. The purpose of this review is to summarise NB research from a medicinal chemistry perspective and to highlight advances in targeted drug therapy in the field. The review examines the medicinal chemistry of a number of drugs tested in research, some of which are currently under clinical trial. It concludes by proposing that future medicinal chemistry research into NB should consider other possible target therapies and adopt a multi-target drug approach rather than a one-drug-one-target approach for improved efficacy and less drug-drug interaction for the treatment of NB Stage 4 (NBS4) patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gerges
- Bioscience Department, London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB, England, United Kingdom
| | - U Canning
- Bioscience Department, London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB, England, United Kingdom
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12
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Battistella ME, Freire NH, Toson B, Dalmolin M, Fernandes MAC, Tassinari ID, Jaeger M, Brunetto AT, Brunetto AL, Gregianin L, de Farias CB, Roesler R. Stemness and Cell Cycle Regulators and Their Modulation by Retinoic Acid in Ewing Sarcoma. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:3990-4003. [PMID: 38785514 PMCID: PMC11119684 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46050246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) regulates stemness and differentiation in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a pediatric tumor that may arise from the abnormal development of ESCs. Here we show that RA impairs the viability of SK-ES-1 ES cells and affects the cell cycle. Cells treated with RA showed increased levels of p21 and its encoding gene, CDKN1A. RA reduced mRNA and protein levels of SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) as well as mRNA levels of beta III Tubulin (TUBB3), whereas the levels of CD99 increased. Exposure to RA reduced the capability of SK-ES-1 to form tumorspheres with high expression of SOX2 and Nestin. Gene expression of CD99 and CDKN1A was reduced in ES tumors compared to non-tumoral tissue, whereas transcript levels of SOX2 were significantly higher in tumors. For NES and TUBB3, differences between tumors and control tissue did not reach statistical significance. Low expression of CD99 and NES, and high expression of SOX2, were significantly associated with a poorer patient prognosis indicated by shorter overall survival (OS). Our results indicate that RA may display rather complex modulatory effects on multiple target genes associated with the maintenance of stem cell's features versus their differentiation, cell cycle regulation, and patient prognosis in ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eduarda Battistella
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Natália Hogetop Freire
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre 90620-110, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Bruno Toson
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Matheus Dalmolin
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- InovAI Lab, nPITI/IMD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment (BioME), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A. C. Fernandes
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- InovAI Lab, nPITI/IMD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment (BioME), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
- Department of Computer Engineering and Automation, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Isadora D. Tassinari
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Metabolism (NeuroMet), Department of Physiology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Physiology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Mariane Jaeger
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre 90620-110, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - André T. Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre 90620-110, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Algemir L. Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre 90620-110, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Lauro Gregianin
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Pediatric Oncology Service, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Caroline Brunetto de Farias
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre 90620-110, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Rafael Roesler
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology—INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
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13
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Yuan X, Chen L, Saffen D. Allele-Specific Regulation of the Candidate Autism Liability Gene RAI1 by the Enhancer Variant rs4925102 ( C/G). Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:460. [PMID: 38674394 PMCID: PMC11049881 DOI: 10.3390/genes15040460] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid-induced 1 (RAI1) is a dosage-sensitive gene that causes autistic phenotypes when deleted or duplicated. Observations from clinical cases and animal models also suggest that changes of RAI1 expression levels contribute to autism. Previously, we used a bioinformatic approach to identify several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within the 5'-region of RAI1 that correlate with RAI1 mRNA expression in the human brain. In particular, the SNP rs4925102 was identified as a candidate cis-acting regulatory variant, the genotype of which may affect the binding of transcription factors that influence RAI1 mRNA expression. In this study, we provide experimental evidence based on reporter gene, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and chromatin conformation capture (3C) assays that rs4925102 regulates RAI1 mRNA expression in an allele-specific manner in human cell lines, including the neuroblastoma-derived cell line SH-SY5Y. We also describe a statistically significant association between rs4925102 genotype and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in a case-control study and near-statistically significant association in an Autism Genome Project (AGP) transmission disequilibrium (TDT) study using Caucasian subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yuan
- Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China;
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - David Saffen
- Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China;
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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14
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Mori Y, Masuda M, Yoshida-Shimizu R, Aoyagi S, Adachi Y, Nguyen AT, Maruyama Y, Okumura Y, Kamei Y, Sakai M, Ohnishi K, Ohminami H, Taketani Y. All-trans retinoic acid induces lipophagy through the activation of the AMPK-Beclin1 signaling pathway and reduces Rubicon expression in adipocytes. J Nutr Biochem 2024; 126:109589. [PMID: 38295886 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2024.109589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Lipophagy is defined as a lipolysis pathway that degrades lipid droplet (LD) via autophagy. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA), a metabolite of vitamin A, stimulates lipolysis through hormone-sensitive lipase and β-oxidation. However, the regulation of lipolysis by atRA-induced autophagy in adipocytes remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of atRA on autophagy in epididymal fat of mice and the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Western blotting showed that atRA decreased the expression of p62, a cargo receptor for autophagic degradation, and increased the expression of the lipidated LC3B (LC3B-II), an autophagy marker, in epididymal fat. Next, we confirmed that atRA increased autophagic flux in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells using the GFP-LC3-RFP-LC3ΔG probe. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the colocalization of LC3B with perilipin increased in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells treated with atRA. The knockdown of Atg5, an essential gene in autophagy induction, partly suppressed the atRA-induced release of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) from LDs in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. atRA time-dependently elicited the phosphorylation of AMPK and Beclin1, autophagy-inducing factors, in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Inversely, atRA decreased the protein expression of Rubicon, an autophagy repressor, in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells and epididymal fat. Interestingly, the expression of ALDH1A1, atRA-synthesizing enzymes, increased in epididymal fat with decreased protein expression of Rubicon in aged mice. These results suggest that atRA may partially induce lipolysis through lipophagy by activating the AMPK-Beclin1 signaling pathway in the adipocytes and increased atRA levels may contribute to decreased Rubicon expression in the epididymal fat of aged mice. (248/250 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Mori
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Masashi Masuda
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
| | - Risa Yoshida-Shimizu
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Saki Aoyagi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Adachi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Anh The Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yusuke Maruyama
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yosuke Okumura
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuki Kamei
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Maiko Sakai
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kohta Ohnishi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Ohminami
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yutaka Taketani
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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15
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Belyaeva OV, Klyuyeva AV, Vyas A, Berger WK, Halasz L, Yu J, Atigadda VR, Slay A, Goggans KR, Renfrow MB, Kane MA, Nagy L, Kedishvili NY. The retinoid X receptor has a critical role in synthetic rexinoid-induced increase in cellular all-trans-retinoic acid. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301447. [PMID: 38557762 PMCID: PMC10984533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Rexinoids are agonists of nuclear rexinoid X receptors (RXR) that heterodimerize with other nuclear receptors to regulate gene transcription. A number of selective RXR agonists have been developed for clinical use but their application has been hampered by the unwanted side effects associated with the use of rexinoids and a limited understanding of their mechanisms of action across different cell types. Our previous studies showed that treatment of organotypic human epidermis with the low toxicity UAB30 and UAB110 rexinoids resulted in increased steady-state levels of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the obligatory ligand of the RXR-RAR heterodimers. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the increase in ATRA levels using a dominant negative RXRα that lacks the activation function 2 (AF-2) domain. The results demonstrated that overexpression of dnRXRα in human organotypic epidermis markedly reduced signaling by resident ATRA, suggesting the existence of endogenous RXR ligand, diminished the biological effects of UAB30 and UAB110 on epidermis morphology and gene expression, and nearly abolished the rexinoid-induced increase in ATRA levels. Global transcriptome analysis of dnRXRα-rafts in comparison to empty vector-transduced rafts showed that over 95% of the differentially expressed genes in rexinoid-treated rafts constitute direct or indirect ATRA-regulated genes. Thus, the biological effects of UAB30 and UAB110 are mediated through the AF-2 domain of RXRα with minimal side effects in human epidermis. As ATRA levels are known to be reduced in certain epithelial pathologies, treatment with UAB30 and UAB110 may represent a promising therapy for normalizing the endogenous ATRA concentration and signaling in epithelial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Belyaeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Alla V. Klyuyeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Ansh Vyas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Wilhelm K. Berger
- Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Laszlo Halasz
- Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Jianshi Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Venkatram R. Atigadda
- Department of Dermatology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Aja Slay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Kelli R. Goggans
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Matthew B. Renfrow
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Maureen A. Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Laszlo Nagy
- Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Natalia Y. Kedishvili
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
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16
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Nakano H, Nakano A. The role of metabolism in cardiac development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 156:201-243. [PMID: 38556424 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Metabolism is the fundamental process that sustains life. The heart, in particular, is an organ of high energy demand, and its energy substrates have been studied for more than a century. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding the role of metabolism in the early differentiation of pluripotent stem cells and in cancer research. Studies have revealed that metabolic intermediates from glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle act as co-factors for intracellular signal transduction, playing crucial roles in regulating cell behaviors. Mitochondria, as the central hub of metabolism, are also under intensive investigation regarding the regulation of their dynamics. The metabolic environment of the fetus is intricately linked to the maternal metabolic status, and the impact of the mother's nutrition and metabolic health on fetal development is significant. For instance, it is well known that maternal diabetes increases the risk of cardiac and nervous system malformations in the fetus. Another notable example is the decrease in the risk of neural tube defects when pregnant women are supplemented with folic acid. These examples highlight the profound influence of the maternal metabolic environment on the fetal organ development program. Therefore, gaining insights into the metabolic environment within developing fetal organs is critical for deepening our understanding of normal organ development. This review aims to summarize recent findings that build upon the historical recognition of the environmental and metabolic factors involved in the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruko Nakano
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Atsushi Nakano
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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17
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I Kutyavin V, Korn LL, Medzhitov R. Nutrient-derived signals regulate eosinophil adaptation to the small intestine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316446121. [PMID: 38271336 PMCID: PMC10835075 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316446121] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Eosinophils are well recognized as effector cells of type 2 immunity, yet they also accumulate in many tissues under homeostatic conditions. However, the processes that govern homeostatic eosinophil accumulation and tissue-specific adaptation, and their functional significance, remain poorly defined. Here, we investigated how eosinophils adapt to the small intestine (SI) microenvironment and the local signals that regulate this process. We observed that eosinophils gradually migrate along the crypt-villus axis, giving rise to a villus-resident subpopulation with a distinct transcriptional signature. Retinoic acid signaling was specifically required for maintenance of this subpopulation, while IL-5 was largely dispensable outside of its canonical role in eosinophil production. Surprisingly, we found that a high-protein diet suppressed the accumulation of villus-resident eosinophils. Purified amino acids were sufficient for this effect, which was a consequence of accelerated eosinophil turnover within the tissue microenvironment and was not due to altered development in the bone marrow. Our study provides insight into the process of eosinophil adaptation to the SI, highlighting its reliance on nutrient-derived signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassily I Kutyavin
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Lisa L Korn
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Medicine (Rheumatology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Ruslan Medzhitov
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- HHMI, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
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18
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Facey COB, Hunsu VO, Zhang C, Osmond B, Opdenaker LM, Boman BM. CYP26A1 Links WNT and Retinoic Acid Signaling: A Target to Differentiate ALDH+ Stem Cells in APC-Mutant CRC. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:264. [PMID: 38254755 PMCID: PMC10813786 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
APC mutation is the main driving mechanism of CRC development and leads to constitutively activated WNT signaling, overpopulation of ALDH+ stem cells (SCs), and incomplete differentiation. We previously reported that retinoic acid (RA) receptors are selectively expressed in ALDH+ SCs, which provides a way to target cancer SCs with retinoids to induce differentiation. Hypotheses: A functional link exists between the WNT and RA pathways, and APC mutation generates a WNT:RA imbalance that decreases retinoid-induced differentiation and increases ALDH+ SCs. Accordingly, to restore parity in WNT:RA signaling, we induce wt-APC expression in APC-mutant CRC cells, and we assess the ability of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) to induce differentiation. We found that ATRA increased expression of the WNT target gene, CYP26A1, and inducing wt-APC reduced this expression by 50%. Thus, the RA and WNT pathways crosstalk to modulate CYP26A1, which metabolizes retinoids. Moreover, inducing wt-APC augments ATRA-induced cell differentiation by: (i) decreasing cell proliferation; (ii) suppressing ALDH1A1 expression; (iii) decreasing ALDH+ SCs; and (iv) increasing neuroendocrine cell differentiation. A novel CYP26A1-based network that links WNT and RA signaling was also identified by NanoString profiling/bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, CYP26A1 inhibitors sensitized CRC cells to the anti-proliferative effect of drugs that downregulate WNT signaling. Notably, in wt-APC-CRCs, decreased CYP26A1 improved patient survival. These findings have strong potential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline O. B. Facey
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
| | - Victoria O. Hunsu
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
- Department Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
- Department Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Brian Osmond
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
- Department Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Lynn M. Opdenaker
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
| | - Bruce M. Boman
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, DE 19713, USA; (C.O.B.F.); (V.O.H.); (C.Z.); (B.O.); (L.M.O.)
- Department Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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19
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Frith TJR, Briscoe J, Boezio GLM. From signalling to form: the coordination of neural tube patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:168-231. [PMID: 38729676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate spinal cord involves the formation of the neural tube and the generation of multiple distinct cell types. The process starts during gastrulation, combining axial elongation with specification of neural cells and the formation of the neuroepithelium. Tissue movements produce the neural tube which is then exposed to signals that provide patterning information to neural progenitors. The intracellular response to these signals, via a gene regulatory network, governs the spatial and temporal differentiation of progenitors into specific cell types, facilitating the assembly of functional neuronal circuits. The interplay between the gene regulatory network, cell movement, and tissue mechanics generates the conserved neural tube pattern observed across species. In this review we offer an overview of the molecular and cellular processes governing the formation and patterning of the neural tube, highlighting how the remarkable complexity and precision of vertebrate nervous system arises. We argue that a multidisciplinary and multiscale understanding of the neural tube development, paired with the study of species-specific strategies, will be crucial to tackle the open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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20
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Lozovska A, Korovesi AG, Duarte P, Casaca A, Assunção T, Mallo M. The control of transitions along the main body axis. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:272-308. [PMID: 38729678 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Although vertebrates display a large variety of forms and sizes, the mechanisms controlling the layout of the basic body plan are substantially conserved throughout the clade. Following gastrulation, head, trunk, and tail are sequentially generated through the continuous addition of tissue at the caudal embryonic end. Development of each of these major embryonic regions is regulated by a distinct genetic network. The transitions from head-to-trunk and from trunk-to-tail development thus involve major changes in regulatory mechanisms, requiring proper coordination to guarantee smooth progression of embryonic development. In this review, we will discuss the key cellular and embryological events associated with those transitions giving particular attention to their regulation, aiming to provide a cohesive outlook of this important component of vertebrate development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patricia Duarte
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Casaca
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tereza Assunção
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Moises Mallo
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, Oeiras, Portugal.
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21
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Zhang L, Huang S, Ma K, Chen Y, Wei T, Ye H, Wu J, Liu L, Deng J, Luo H, Tan C. Retinoic Acid-PPARα Mediates β-Carotene Resistance to Placental Dysfunction Induced by Deoxynivalenol. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:18696-18708. [PMID: 38012857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Deoxynivalenol (DON), one of the most polluted mycotoxins in the environment and food, has been proven to have strong embryonic and reproductive toxicities. However, the effects of DON on placental impairment and effective interventions are still unclear. This study investigated the effect of β-carotene on placental functional impairment and its underlying molecular mechanism under DON exposure. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were caused by intraperitoneal injection of DON from 13.5 to 15.5 days of gestation in mice, resulting in higher enrichment of DON in placenta than in other tissue samples. Interestingly, 0.1% β-carotene dietary supplementation could significantly alleviate DON-induced pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro placental barrier models demonstrated the association of DON-induced placental function impairment with placental permeability barrier disruption, angiogenesis impairment, and oxidative stress induction. Moreover, β-carotene regulated DON-induced placental toxicity by activating the expressions of claudin 1, zonula occludens-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A through retinoic acid-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longmiao Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Shuangbo Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Kaidi Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Yiling Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Tanghong Wei
- Dekon Food and Agriculture Group, Chengdu, Sichuan 610225, China
| | - Hongxuan Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Junyi Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Liudan Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Jinping Deng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Hefeng Luo
- Dekon Food and Agriculture Group, Chengdu, Sichuan 610225, China
| | - Chengquan Tan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
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22
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Loureiro C, Venzin OF, Oates AC. Generation of patterns in the paraxial mesoderm. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:372-405. [PMID: 38729682 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The Segmentation Clock is a tissue-level patterning system that enables the segmentation of the vertebral column precursors into transient multicellular blocks called somites. This patterning system comprises a set of elements that are essential for correct segmentation. Under the so-called "Clock and Wavefront" model, the system consists of two elements, a genetic oscillator that manifests itself as traveling waves of gene expression, and a regressing wavefront that transforms the temporally periodic signal encoded in the oscillations into a permanent spatially periodic pattern of somite boundaries. Over the last twenty years, every new discovery about the Segmentation Clock has been tightly linked to the nomenclature of the "Clock and Wavefront" model. This constrained allocation of discoveries into these two elements has generated long-standing debates in the field as what defines molecularly the wavefront and how and where the interaction between the two elements establishes the future somite boundaries. In this review, we propose an expansion of the "Clock and Wavefront" model into three elements, "Clock", "Wavefront" and signaling gradients. We first provide a detailed description of the components and regulatory mechanisms of each element, and we then examine how the spatiotemporal integration of the three elements leads to the establishment of the presumptive somite boundaries. To be as exhaustive as possible, we focus on the Segmentation Clock in zebrafish. Furthermore, we show how this three-element expansion of the model provides a better understanding of the somite formation process and we emphasize where our current understanding of this patterning system remains obscure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Loureiro
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland
| | - Olivier F Venzin
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C Oates
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland.
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23
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Kolba N, Tako E. Effective alternatives for dietary interventions for necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review of in vivo studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023:1-21. [PMID: 37971890 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2281623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates and low birth weight children in the United States. Current treatment options, such as antibiotics and intestinal resections, often result in complications related to pediatric nutrition and development. This systematic review aimed to identify alternative dietary bioactive compounds that have shown promising outcomes in ameliorating NEC in vivo studies conducted within the past six years. Following PRISMA guidelines and registering in PROSPERO (CRD42023330617), we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Our analysis included 19 studies, predominantly involving in vivo models of rats (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus). The findings revealed that various types of compounds have demonstrated successful amelioration of NEC symptoms. Specifically, six studies employed plant phenolics, seven utilized plant metabolites/cytotoxic chemicals, three explored the efficacy of vitamins, and three investigated the potential of whole food extracts. Importantly, all administered compounds exhibited positive effects in mitigating the disease. These results highlight the potential of natural cytotoxic chemicals derived from medicinal plants in identifying and implementing powerful alternative drugs and therapies for NEC. Such approaches have the capacity to impact multiple pathways involved in the development and progression of NEC symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai Kolba
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Elad Tako
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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24
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Xu T, Cao L, Duan J, Li Y, Li Y, Hu Z, Li S, Zhang M, Wang G, Guo F, Lu J. Uncovering the role of FOXA2 in the Development of Human Serotonin Neurons. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303884. [PMID: 37679064 PMCID: PMC10646255 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Directed differentiation of serotonin neurons (SNs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provides a valuable tool for uncovering the mechanism of human SN development and the associated neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies report that FOXA2 is expressed by serotonergic progenitors (SNPs) and functioned as a serotonergic fate determinant in mouse. However, in the routine differentiation experiments, it is accidentally found that less SNs and more non-neuronal cells are obtained from SNP stage with higher percentage of FOXA2-positive cells. This phenomenon prompted them to question the role of FOXA2 as an intrinsic fate determinant for human SN differentiation. Herein, by direct differentiation of engineered hPSCs into SNs, it is found that the SNs are not derived from FOXA2-lineage cells; FOXA2-knockout hPSCs can still differentiate into mature and functional SNs with typical serotonergic identity; FOXA2 overexpression suppresses the SN differentiation, indicating that FOXA2 is not intrinsically required for human SN differentiation. Furthermore, repressing FOXA2 expression by retinoic acid (RA) and dynamically modulating Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway promotes human SN differentiation. This study uncovers the role of FOXA2 in human SN development and improves the differentiation efficiency of hPSCs into SNs by repressing FOXA2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lining Cao
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jinjin Duan
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yingqi Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - You Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Zhangsen Hu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Shuanqing Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Meihui Zhang
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Guanhao Wang
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Fei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Suzhou Institute of Tongji University, Suzhou, 215101, China
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25
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Ma YQ, Zhang XY, Zhao SW, Li D, Cai MQ, Yang H, Wang XM, Xue H. Retinoic acid delays murine palatal shelf elevation by inhibiting Wnt5a-mediated noncanonical Wnt signaling and downstream Cdc-42/F-actin remodeling in mesenchymal cells. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:1658-1673. [PMID: 37675882 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian palatal shelves erupted from maxillary prominences undergo vertical extention, transient elevation, and horizontal growth to fuse. Previous studies in mice reported that the retinoic acid (RA) contributed to cleft palate in high incidence by delaying the elevating procedure, but little was known about the underlying biological mechanisms. METHODS In this study, hematoxylin-eosin and immunofluorescence staining were employed to evaluate the phenotypes and the expression of related markers in the RA-treated mice model. In situ hybridization and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of genes involved in Wnt signaling pathway. The palatal mesenchymal cells were cultured in vitro, and stimulated with RA or CASIN, and co-treated with Foxy5. Wnt5a and Ccd42 expression were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. Phalloidin was used to label the microfilament cytoskeleton (F-actin) in cultured cells. RESULTS We revealed that RA resulted in 100% incidence of cleft palate in mouse embryos, and the expression of genes responsible for Wnt5a-mediated noncanonical Wnt signal transduction were specifically downregulated in mesenchymal palatal shelves. The in vitro study of palatal mesenchymal cells indicated that RA treatment disrupted the organized remodeling of cytoskeleton, an indicative structure of cell migration regulated by the small Rho GTPase Cdc42. Moreover, we showed that the suppression of cytoskeleton and cell migration induced by RA was partially restored using the small molecule Foxy-5-mediated activation of Wnt5A, and this restoration was attenuated by CASIN (a selective GTPase Cdc42 inhibitor) again. CONCLUSIONS These data identified a crucial mechanism for Wnt5a-mediated noncanonical Wnt signaling in acting downstream of Rho GTPase Cdc42 to regulate cytoskeletal remodeling and cell migration during the process of palate elevation. Our study provided a new explanation for the cause of cleft palate induced by RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Wei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Dou Li
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Min-Qin Cai
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Dental Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Biological Intelligence Manufacturing (No: 20JR10RA653 - ZDKF20210401), School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Xue
- Department of Stomatology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
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26
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Wang W, Huang D, Yu Y, Qian H, Ma S. A Modular Approach for the Synthesis of Natural and Artificial Terpenoids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202307626. [PMID: 37439109 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202307626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Many terpenoids with isoprene unit(s) demonstrating critical biological activities have been isolated and characterized. In this study, we have developed a robust chem-stamp strategy for the construction of the key isoprene unit, which consists of two steps: one-carbon extension of aldehydes to the alkenyl boronates by the boron-Wittig reaction and the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of alkenyl boronates with 2,3-allenols to yield enals. This chem-stamp could readily be applied repeatedly and separately, enabling the modular concise synthesis of many natural and pharmaceutically active terpenoids, including retinal, β-carotene, vitamin A, tretinoin, fenretinide, acitretin, ALRT1550, nigerapyrone C, peretinoin, and lycopene. Owing to the diversified availability of the starting materials, aldehydes and 2,3-allenols, creation of new non-natural terpenoids has been realized from four dimensions: the number of isoprene units, the side chain, and the two terminal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Wang
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Dongyu Huang
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yibo Yu
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Hui Qian
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Shengming Ma
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Lu, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
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27
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Seaver AW, Weaver NS, Iovine MK. Retinoic Acid Influences connexin43 Expression During Joint Formation in the Regenerating Zebrafish Fin. Bioelectricity 2023; 5:173-180. [PMID: 37746310 PMCID: PMC10516236 DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2023.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The regenerating zebrafish fin skeleton is comprised of multiple bony fin rays, each made of alternating bony segments and fin ray joints. This pattern is regulated by the gap junction protein Connexin43 (Cx43), which provides instructional cues to skeletal precursor cells (SPCs). Elevated Cx43 favors osteoblast differentiation and disfavors joint forming cell differentiation. The goal of this article is to test if retinoic acid (RA) contributes to the regulation of cx43 expression. Materials and Methods Functional studies inhibiting the RA-synthesizing enzyme Adh1a2 were evaluated using in situ hybridization to monitor gene expression and with measurements of the length of fin ray segments to monitor impacts on SPC differentiation and joint formation. Results Aldh1a2-knockdown leads to reduced expression of cx43 and increased expression of evx1, a gene required for joint formation. Additionally, inhibition of Aldh1a2 function leads to short fin ray segments. We also find evidence for synergy between aldh1a2 and cx43, suggesting that these genes function in a common molecular pathway to regulate joint formation. Conclusions The role of RA is to promote cx43 expression in the regenerating fin to regulate joint formation and the length of bony fin ray segments. We suggest that RA signaling must coordinate with additional pathways that also regulate cx43 transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander W. Seaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Noah S. Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - M. Kathryn Iovine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
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28
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Duarte P, Brattig Correia R, Nóvoa A, Mallo M. Regulatory changes associated with the head to trunk developmental transition. BMC Biol 2023; 21:170. [PMID: 37553620 PMCID: PMC10408190 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01675-2] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Development of vertebrate embryos is characterized by early formation of the anterior tissues followed by the sequential extension of the axis at their posterior end to build the trunk and tail structures, first by the activity of the primitive streak and then of the tail bud. Embryological, molecular and genetic data indicate that head and trunk development are significantly different, suggesting that the transition into the trunk formation stage involves major changes in regulatory gene networks. RESULTS We explored those regulatory changes by generating differential interaction networks and chromatin accessibility profiles from the posterior epiblast region of mouse embryos at embryonic day (E)7.5 and E8.5. We observed changes in various cell processes, including several signaling pathways, ubiquitination machinery, ion dynamics and metabolic processes involving lipids that could contribute to the functional switch in the progenitor region of the embryo. We further explored the functional impact of changes observed in Wnt signaling associated processes, revealing a switch in the functional relevance of Wnt molecule palmitoleoylation, essential during gastrulation but becoming differentially required for the control of axial extension and progenitor differentiation processes during trunk formation. We also found substantial changes in chromatin accessibility at the two developmental stages, mostly mapping to intergenic regions and presenting differential footprinting profiles to several key transcription factors, indicating a significant switch in the regulatory elements controlling head or trunk development. Those chromatin changes are largely independent of retinoic acid, despite the key role of this factor in the transition to trunk development. We also tested the functional relevance of potential enhancers identified in the accessibility assays that reproduced the expression profiles of genes involved in the transition. Deletion of these regions by genome editing had limited effect on the expression of those genes, suggesting the existence of redundant enhancers that guarantee robust expression patterns. CONCLUSIONS This work provides a global view of the regulatory changes controlling the switch into the axial extension phase of vertebrate embryonic development. It also revealed mechanisms by which the cellular context influences the activity of regulatory factors, channeling them to implement one of several possible biological outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Duarte
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rion Brattig Correia
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Nóvoa
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Moisés Mallo
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal.
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29
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Campero-Basaldua C, Herrera-Gamboa J, Bernal-Ramírez J, Lopez-Moran S, Luévano-Martínez LA, Alves-Figueiredo H, Guerrero G, García-Rivas G, Treviño V. The retinoic acid response is a minor component of the cardiac phenotype in H9c2 myoblast differentiation. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:431. [PMID: 37533008 PMCID: PMC10394869 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09512-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The H9c2 myoblast cell line, isolated from the left ventricular tissue of rat, is currently used in vitro as a mimetic for skeletal and cardiac muscle due to its biochemical, morphological, and electrical/hormonal signaling properties. During culture, H9c2 cells acquire a myotube phenotype, where a critical component is the inclusion of retinoic acid (RA). The results from some authors on H9c2 suggested that thousands of genes respond to RA stimuli, while others report hundreds of genes responding to RA over different cell types. In this article, using a more appropriate experimental design, we first confirm the H9c2 cardiac phenotype with and without RA and report transcriptomic and physiological changes regarding calcium handling, bioenergetics, and other biological concepts. Interestingly, of the 2360 genes showing a transcriptional change, 622 genes were statistically associated with the RA response. Of these genes, only 305 were RA-specific, and the rest also showed a culture-time component. Thus, the major expression changes (from 74 to 87%) were indeed due to culture conditions over time. Unexpectedly, only a few components of the retinol pathway in KEGG responded to RA. Our results show the role of RA in the H9c2 cultures impacting the interpretation using H9c2 as an in vitro model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Campero-Basaldua
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Bioinformática, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Colonia Los Doctores, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Jessica Herrera-Gamboa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Bioinformática, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Colonia Los Doctores, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Judith Bernal-Ramírez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Silvia Lopez-Moran
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Luis-Alberto Luévano-Martínez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Hugo Alves-Figueiredo
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Guerrero
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Bioinformática, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Colonia Los Doctores, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico
| | - Gerardo García-Rivas
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro Garza García, P.C. 66278, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico.
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, The Institute for Obesity Research, Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue 2501, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 64849, Mexico.
| | - Víctor Treviño
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludCátedra de Bioinformática, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Colonia Los Doctores, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64710, Mexico.
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, The Institute for Obesity Research, Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue 2501, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 64849, Mexico.
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30
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Samrani LMM, Dumont F, Hallmark N, Bars R, Tinwell H, Pallardy M, Piersma AH. Nervous system development related gene expression regulation in the zebrafish embryo after exposure to valproic acid and retinoic acid: A genome wide approach. Toxicol Lett 2023; 384:96-104. [PMID: 37451652 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The evaluation of chemical and pharmaceutical safety for humans is moving from animal studies to New Approach Methodologies (NAM), reducing animal use and focusing on mechanism of action, whilst enhancing human relevance. In developmental toxicology, the mechanistic approach is facilitated by the assessment of predictive biomarkers, which allow mechanistic pathways perturbation monitoring at the basis of human hazard assessment. In our search for biomarkers of maldevelopment, we focused on chemically-induced perturbation of the retinoic acid signaling pathway (RA-SP), a major pathway implicated in a plethora of developmental processes. A genome-wide expression screening was performed on zebrafish embryos treated with two teratogens, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and valproic acid (VPA), and a non-teratogen reference compound, folic acid (FA). Each compound was found to have a specific mRNA expression profile with 248 genes commonly dysregulated by both teratogenic compounds but not by FA. These genes were implicated in several developmental processes (e.g., the circulatory and nervous system). Given the prominent response of neurodevelopmental gene sets, and the crucial need to better understand developmental neurotoxicity, our study then focused on nervous system development. We found 62 genes that are potential early neurodevelopmental toxicity biomarker candidates. These results advance NAM-based safety assessment evaluation by highlighting the usefulness of the RA-SP in providing early toxicity biomarker candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M M Samrani
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Université Paris-Saclay, Inflammation, Microbiome and Immunosurveillance, INSERM, Faculté Pharmacie, 91104 Orsay, France; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | - Marc Pallardy
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inflammation, Microbiome and Immunosurveillance, INSERM, Faculté Pharmacie, 91104 Orsay, France
| | - Aldert H Piersma
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, the Netherlands
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31
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Brown G. Deregulation of All- Trans Retinoic Acid Signaling and Development in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12089. [PMID: 37569466 PMCID: PMC10419198 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells are the root cause of cancer, which, in essence, is a developmental disorder. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) signaling via ligand-activation of the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) plays a crucial role in tissue patterning and development during mammalian embryogenesis. In adults, active RARγ maintains the pool of hematopoietic stem cells, whereas active RARα drives myeloid cell differentiation. Various findings have revealed that ATRA signaling is deregulated in many cancers. The enzymes for ATRA synthesis are downregulated in colorectal, gastric, lung, and oropharyngeal cancers. ATRA levels within breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and renal cancer cells were lower than within their normal counterpart cells. The importance is that 0.24 nM ATRA activates RARγ (for stem cell stemness), whereas 100 times more is required to activate RARα (for differentiation). Moreover, RARγ is an oncogene regarding overexpression within colorectal, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular, ovarian, pancreatic, and renal cancer cells. The microRNA (miR) 30a-5p downregulates expression of RARγ, and miR-30a/miR-30a-5p is a tumor suppressor for breast, colorectal, gastric, hepatocellular, lung, oropharyngeal, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and renal cancer. These complementary findings support the view that perturbations to ATRA signaling play a role in driving the abnormal behavior of cancer stem cells. Targeting ATRA synthesis and RARγ has provided promising approaches to eliminating cancer stem cells because such agents have been shown to drive cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Brown
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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32
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Wang B, Du M. Increasing adipocyte number and reducing adipocyte size: the role of retinoids in adipose tissue development and metabolism. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37427553 PMCID: PMC10776826 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2227258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The rising prevalence of obesity is a grave public health threat. In response to excessive energy intake, adipocyte hypertrophy impairs cellular function and leads to metabolic dysfunctions while de novo adipogenesis leads to healthy adipose tissue expansion. Through burning fatty acids and glucose, the thermogenic activity of brown/beige adipocytes can effectively reduce the size of adipocytes. Recent studies show that retinoids, especially retinoic acid (RA), promote adipose vascular development which in turn increases the number of adipose progenitors surrounding the vascular vessels. RA also promotes preadipocyte commitment. In addition, RA promotes white adipocyte browning and stimulates the thermogenic activity of brown/beige adipocytes. Thus, vitamin A is a promising anti-obesity micronutrient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Min Du
- Laboratory of Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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33
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Petrelli B, Oztürk A, Pind M, Ayele H, Fainsod A, Hicks GG. Genetically programmed retinoic acid deficiency during gastrulation phenocopies most known developmental defects due to acute prenatal alcohol exposure in FASD. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1208279. [PMID: 37397253 PMCID: PMC10311642 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1208279] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) arises from maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy affecting 2%-5% of the Western population. In Xenopus laevis studies, we showed that alcohol exposure during early gastrulation reduces retinoic acid (RA) levels at this critical embryonic stage inducing craniofacial malformations associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. A genetic mouse model that induces a transient RA deficiency in the node during gastrulation is described. These mice recapitulate the phenotypes characteristic of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) suggesting a molecular etiology for the craniofacial malformations seen in children with FASD. Gsc +/Cyp26A1 mouse embryos have a reduced RA domain and expression in the developing frontonasal prominence region and delayed HoxA1 and HoxB1 expression at E8.5. These embryos also show aberrant neurofilament expression during cranial nerve formation at E10.5 and have significant FASD sentinel-like craniofacial phenotypes at E18.5. Gsc +/Cyp26A1 mice develop severe maxillary malocclusions in adulthood. Phenocopying the PAE-induced developmental malformations with a genetic model inducing RA deficiency during early gastrulation strongly supports the alcohol/vitamin A competition model as a major molecular etiology for the neurodevelopmental defects and craniofacial malformations seen in children with FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Petrelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - A. Oztürk
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - M. Pind
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - H. Ayele
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - A. Fainsod
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel–Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - G. G. Hicks
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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34
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Cooper RL, Milinkovitch MC. Transient agonism of the sonic hedgehog pathway triggers a permanent transition of skin appendage fate in the chicken embryo. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg9619. [PMID: 37196093 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate skin appendage early development is mediated by conserved molecular signaling composing a dynamical reaction-diffusion-like system. Variations to such systems contribute to the remarkable diversity of skin appendage forms within and among species. Here, we demonstrate that stage-specific transient agonism of sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway signaling in chicken triggers a complete and permanent transition from reticulate scales to feathers on the ventral surfaces of the foot and digits. Resulting ectopic feathers are developmentally comparable to feathers adorning the body, with down-type feathers transitioning into regenerative, bilaterally symmetric contour feathers in adult chickens. Crucially, this spectacular transition of skin appendage fate (from nodular reticulate scales to bona fide adult feathers) does not require sustained treatment. Our RNA sequencing analyses confirm that smoothened agonist treatment specifically promotes the expression of key Shh pathway-associated genes. These results indicate that variations in Shh pathway signaling likely contribute to the natural diversity and regionalization of avian integumentary appendages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory L Cooper
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michel C Milinkovitch
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
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35
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Afzal Z, Lange JJ, Nolte C, McKinney S, Wood C, Paulson A, De Kumar B, Unruh J, Slaughter BD, Krumlauf R. Shared retinoic acid responsive enhancers coordinately regulate nascent transcription of Hoxb coding and non-coding RNAs in the developing mouse neural tube. Development 2023; 150:dev201259. [PMID: 37102683 PMCID: PMC10233718 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201259] [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: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Signaling pathways regulate the patterns of Hox gene expression that underlie their functions in the specification of axial identity. Little is known about the properties of cis-regulatory elements and underlying transcriptional mechanisms that integrate graded signaling inputs to coordinately control Hox expression. Here, we optimized a single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) technique with probes spanning introns to evaluate how three shared retinoic acid response element (RARE)-dependent enhancers in the Hoxb cluster regulate patterns of nascent transcription in vivo at the level of single cells in wild-type and mutant embryos. We predominately detect nascent transcription of only a single Hoxb gene in each cell, with no evidence for simultaneous co-transcriptional coupling of all or specific subsets of genes. Single and/or compound RARE mutations indicate that each enhancer differentially impacts global and local patterns of nascent transcription, suggesting that selectivity and competitive interactions between these enhancers is important to robustly maintain the proper levels and patterns of nascent Hoxb transcription. This implies that rapid and dynamic regulatory interactions potentiate transcription of genes through combined inputs from these enhancers in coordinating the retinoic acid response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Afzal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christopher Wood
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Ariel Paulson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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36
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Kataoka M, Sahashi K, Tsujikawa K, Takeda JI, Hirunagi T, Iida M, Katsunoa M. Dysregulation of Aldh1a2 underlies motor neuron degeneration in spinal muscular atrophy. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00090-1. [PMID: 37146794 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Lower motor neuron degeneration is the pathological hallmark of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a hereditary motor neuron disease caused by loss of the SMN1 gene and the resulting deficiency of ubiquitously expressed SMN protein. The molecular mechanisms underlying motor neuron degeneration, however, remain elusive. To clarify the cell-autonomous defect in developmental processes, we here performed transcriptome analyses of isolated embryonic motor neurons of SMA model mice to explore mechanisms of dysregulation of cell-type-specific gene expression. Of 12 identified genes that were differentially expressed between the SMA and control motor neurons, we focused on Aldh1a2, an essential gene for lower motor neuron development. In primary spinal motor neuron cultures, knockdown of Aldh1a2 led to the formation of axonal spheroids and neurodegeneration, reminiscent of the histopathological changes observed in human and animal cellular models. Conversely, Aldh1a2 rescued these pathological features in spinal motor neurons derived from SMA mouse embryos. Our findings suggest that developmental defects due to Aldh1a2 dysregulation enhances lower motor neuron vulnerability in SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Kataoka
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan.
| | - Koyo Tsujikawa
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Takeda
- Division of Neurogenetics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan
| | - Tomoki Hirunagi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan
| | - Madoka Iida
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsunoa
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan; Department of Clinical Research Education, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550 Japan.
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37
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Hawkins MR, Wingert RA. Zebrafish as a Model to Study Retinoic Acid Signaling in Development and Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041180. [PMID: 37189798 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is a metabolite of vitamin A (retinol) that plays various roles in development to influence differentiation, patterning, and organogenesis. RA also serves as a crucial homeostatic regulator in adult tissues. The role of RA and its associated pathways are well conserved from zebrafish to humans in both development and disease. This makes the zebrafish a natural model for further interrogation into the functions of RA and RA-associated maladies for the sake of basic research, as well as human health. In this review, we explore both foundational and recent studies using zebrafish as a translational model for investigating RA from the molecular to the organismal scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Hawkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Rebecca A Wingert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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38
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Pugnaloni F, Capolupo I, Patel N, Giliberti P, Dotta A, Bagolan P, Kipfmueller F. Role of microRNAs in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076656. [PMID: 37047629 PMCID: PMC10095389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have a key role in modulating several gene expression pathways and have a role both in lung development and function. One of the main pathogenetic determinants in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is directly related to smaller lung size and pulmonary microarchitecture alterations. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of miRNAs in CDH-related PH and to summarize the results covering this topic in animal and human CDH studies. The focus on epigenetic modulators of CDH-PH offers the opportunity to develop innovative diagnostic tools and novel treatment modalities, and provides a great potential to increase researchers’ understanding of the pathophysiology of CDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flaminia Pugnaloni
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Instituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scietifico (IRCCS), 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Irma Capolupo
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Instituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scietifico (IRCCS), 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Neil Patel
- Department of Neonatology, The Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK
| | - Paola Giliberti
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Instituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scietifico (IRCCS), 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Dotta
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Instituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scietifico (IRCCS), 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Bagolan
- Area of Fetal, Neonatal and Cardiological Sciences Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesù-Research Institute, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Florian Kipfmueller
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Children’s Hospital, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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Kubickova B, Martinkova S, Bohaciakova D, Nezvedova M, Liu R, Brozman O, Spáčil Z, Hilscherova K. Effects of all-trans and 9-cis retinoic acid on differentiating human neural stem cells in vitro. Toxicology 2023; 487:153461. [PMID: 36805303 PMCID: PMC10019519 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms are known sources of environmentally-occurring retinoid compounds, including all-trans and 9-cis retinoic acids (RAs). The developmental hazard for aquatic organisms has been described, while the implications for human health hazard assessment are not yet sufficiently characterized. Here, we employ a human neural stem cell model that can differentiate in vitro into a mixed culture of neurons and glia. Cells were exposed to non-cytotoxic 8-1000 nM all-trans or 9-cis RA for 9-18 days (DIV13 and DIV22, respectively). Impact on biomarkers was analyzed on gene expression (RT-qPCR) and protein level (western blot and proteomics) at both time points; network patterning (immunofluorescence) on DIV22. RA exposure significantly concentration-dependently increased gene expression of retinoic acid receptors and the metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1, confirming the chemical-specific response of the model. Expression of thyroid hormone signaling-related genes remained mostly unchanged. Markers of neural progenitors/stem cells (PAX6, SOX1, SOX2, NESTIN) were decreased with increasing RA concentrations, though a basal population remained. Neural markers (DCX, TUJ1, MAP2, NeuN, SYP) remained unchanged or were decreased at high concentrations (200-1000 nM). Conversely, (astro-)glial marker S100β was increased concentration-dependently on DIV22. Together, the biomarker analysis indicates an RA-dependent promotion of glial cell fates over neural differentiation, despite the increased abundance of neural protein biomarkers during differentiation. Interestingly, RA exposure induced substantial changes to the cell culture morphology: while low concentrations resulted in a network-like differentiation pattern, high concentrations (200-1000 nM RA) almost completely prevented such network patterning. After functional confirmation for implications in network function, such morphological features could present a proxy for network formation assessment, an apical key event in (neuro-)developmental Adverse Outcome Pathways. The described application of a human in vitro model for (developmental) neurotoxicity to emerging environmentally-relevant retinoids contributes to the evidence-base for the use of differentiating human in vitro models for human health hazard and risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Kubickova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Sarka Martinkova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Dasa Bohaciakova
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kamenice 3, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Marketa Nezvedova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Runze Liu
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ondrej Brozman
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Zdeněk Spáčil
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Klara Hilscherova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Burganova G, Schonblum A, Sakhneny L, Epshtein A, Wald T, Tzaig M, Landsman L. Pericytes modulate islet immune cells and insulin secretion through Interleukin-33 production in mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1142988. [PMID: 36967785 PMCID: PMC10034381 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1142988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immune cells were recently shown to support β-cells and insulin secretion. However, little is known about how islet immune cells are regulated to maintain glucose homeostasis. Administration of various cytokines, including Interleukin-33 (IL-33), was shown to influence β-cell function. However, the role of endogenous, locally produced IL-33 in pancreatic function remains unknown. Here, we show that IL-33, produced by pancreatic pericytes, is required for glucose homeostasis. Methods To characterize pancreatic IL-33 production, we employed gene expression, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence analyses. To define the role of this cytokine, we employed transgenic mouse systems to delete the Il33 gene selectively in pancreatic pericytes, in combination with the administration of recombinant IL-33. Glucose response was measured in vivo and in vitro, and morphometric and molecular analyses were used to measure β-cell mass and gene expression. Immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Resuts Our results show that pericytes are the primary source of IL-33 in the pancreas. Mice lacking pericytic IL-33 were glucose intolerant due to impaired insulin secretion. Selective loss of pericytic IL-33 was further associated with reduced T and dendritic cell numbers in the islets and lower retinoic acid production by islet macrophages. Discussion Our study demonstrates the importance of local, pericytic IL-33 production for glucose regulation. Additionally, it proposes that pericytes regulate islet immune cells to support β-cell function in an IL-33-dependent manner. Our study reveals an intricate cellular network within the islet niche.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Limor Landsman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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41
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Brown G. Targeting the Retinoic Acid Pathway to Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032373. [PMID: 36768694 PMCID: PMC9916838 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
All-trans retinoic acid is a morphogen during embryogenesis and a teratogen. Cancer is an error of development, and the retinoic acid receptors (RAR) for all-trans retinoic acid play a role in cancer. Expression of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases, which mediate the last step to the synthesis of all-trans retinoic acid, is deregulated in various human cancers. Inhibiting these enzymes using a variety of agents reduced the proliferation of lung cancer cells, reduced the proliferation and induced apoptosis of ovarian, prostate, squamous, and uterine cancer cells, and sensitised breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. RARγ is an oncogene within some cases of AML, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. Pan-RAR and RARγ antagonist inhibition of the action of RARγ led to necroptosis of human prostate and pediatric brain tumour cancer stem cells. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with the flavenoid acacetin, which interferes with the action of RARγ, decreased cell growth and induced apoptosis. Targeting the retinoic acid pathway is promising regarding the development of new drugs to eradicate cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Brown
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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42
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Bahmanpour S, Moasses Z, Zarei-Fard N. Comparative effects of retinoic acid, granulosa cells conditioned medium or forskolin in combination with granulosa cell co-culturing on mouse germ cell differentiation. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:631-640. [PMID: 36371553 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07920-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Devising of an appropriate in vitro culture method for germ cells differentiation in the presence of soluble factors has attracted considerable attention, which results will provide new insight into reproductive biology. In this study, we compared the effects of forskolin, retinoic acid (RA) or granulosa cell-conditioned medium in the presence or absence of granulosa cell co-culturing on germ cell differentiation from embryonic stem cells (ESCs). METHODS AND RESULTS Embryonic stem cells were differentiated using embryoid bodies (EBs) for 5 days, and then EB-derived cells were co-cultured with or without adult mouse granulosa cells using monolayer protocol and treated with 50 µM forskolin, 1 µM RA and 50% granulosa cell-conditioned medium for 4 days. Granulosa cell-conditioned medium significantly increased the levels of Scp3, Rec8, Mvh and Gdf9 expression in the granulosa cell co-culture method compared to untreated cells. A significant elevation of Stra8, Rec8 and Mvh was observed after treatment with RA in the absence of granulosa cells and there was no significant increase in the levels of expression of germ cell-specific genes after treatment with forskolin compared to control. Furthermore, forskolin and RA significantly increased viability and proliferation of germ-like cells, compared with granulosa cell-conditioned medium. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed that granulosa cell-conditioned medium and RA effectively can induce germ cell differentiation from ESCs, however combined application of granulosa cell-conditioned medium and co-culturing with granulosa cells had synergic effect on germ cell development in vitro as optimized protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soghra Bahmanpour
- Laboratory for stem cell research, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zia Moasses
- Laboratory for stem cell research, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nehleh Zarei-Fard
- Laboratory for stem cell research, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. .,Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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Samrani LMM, Pennings JLA, Hallmark N, Bars R, Tinwell H, Pallardy M, Piersma AH. Dynamic regulation of gene expression and morphogenesis in the zebrafish embryo test after exposure to all-trans retinoic acid. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 115:8-16. [PMID: 36375755 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) is widely used in developmental toxicology. The analysis of gene expression regulation in ZET after chemical exposure provides mechanistic information about the effects of chemicals on morphogenesis in the test. The gene expression response magnitude has been shown to change with exposure duration. The objective of this work is to study the effect of the exposure duration on the magnitude of gene expression changes in the all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) signaling pathway in the ZET. Retinoic acid regulation is a key driver of morphogenesis and is therefore employed here as an indicator for the regulation of developmental genes. A teratogenic concentration of 7.5 nM of ATRA was given at 3 hrs post fertilization (hpf) for a range of exposure durations until 120 hrs of development. The expression of a selection of genes related to ATRA signaling and downstream developmental genes was determined. The highest magnitudes of gene expression regulation were observed after 2-24 hrs exposure with an optimal response after 4 hrs. Longer exposures showed a decrease in the gene expression response, although continued exposure to 120 hpf caused malformations and lethality. This study shows that assessment of gene expression regulation at early time points after the onset of exposure in the ZET may be optimal for the prediction of developmental toxicity. We believe these results could help optimize sensitivity in future studies with ZET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M M Samrani
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Université Paris-Saclay, Inflammation, Microbiome and Immunosurveillance, INSERM, Faculté Pharmacie, Châtenay-Malabry 92296, France; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
| | - Jeroen L A Pennings
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Marc Pallardy
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inflammation, Microbiome and Immunosurveillance, INSERM, Faculté Pharmacie, Châtenay-Malabry 92296, France
| | - Aldert H Piersma
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, the Netherlands
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44
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Saito M, Subbanna S, Zhang X, Canals-Baker S, Smiley JF, Wilson DA, Das BC. Effects of retinoic acid receptor α modulators on developmental ethanol-induced neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1170259. [PMID: 37205047 PMCID: PMC10187544 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1170259] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethanol exposure in neonatal mice induces acute neurodegeneration followed by long-lasting glial activation and GABAergic cell deficits along with behavioral abnormalities, providing a third trimester model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Retinoic acid (RA), the active form of vitamin A, regulates transcription of RA-responsive genes and plays essential roles in the development of embryos and their CNS. Ethanol has been shown to disturb RA metabolism and signaling in the developing brain, which may be a cause of ethanol toxicity leading to FASD. Using an agonist and an antagonist specific to RA receptor α (RARα), we studied how RA/RARα signaling affects acute and long-lasting neurodegeneration and activation of phagocytic cells and astrocytes caused by ethanol administered to neonatal mice. We found that an RARα antagonist (BT382) administered 30 min before ethanol injection into postnatal day 7 (P7) mice partially blocked acute neurodegeneration as well as elevation of CD68-positive phagocytic cells in the same brain area. While an RARα agonist (BT75) did not affect acute neurodegeneration, BT75 given either before or after ethanol administration ameliorated long-lasting astrocyte activation and GABAergic cell deficits in certain brain regions. Our studies using Nkx2.1-Cre;Ai9 mice, in which major GABAergic neurons and their progenitors in the cortex and the hippocampus are labeled with constitutively expressed tdTomato fluorescent protein, indicate that the long-lasting GABAergic cell deficits are mainly caused by P7 ethanol-induced initial neurodegeneration. However, the partial reduction of prolonged GABAergic cell deficits and glial activation by post-ethanol BT75 treatment suggests that, in addition to the initial cell death, there may be delayed cell death or disturbed development of GABAergic cells, which is partially rescued by BT75. Since RARα agonists including BT75 have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects, BT75 may rescue GABAergic cell deficits by reducing glial activation/neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Mariko Saito,
| | - Shivakumar Subbanna
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Stefanie Canals-Baker
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - John F. Smiley
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Donald A. Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bhaskar C. Das
- Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Bhaskar C. Das,
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45
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Baldwin C, Kim J, Sivaraman S, Rao RR. Stem cell-based strategies for skeletal muscle tissue engineering. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2022; 16:1061-1068. [PMID: 36223074 DOI: 10.1002/term.3355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle tissue engineering has been a key area of focus over the years and has been of interest for developing regenerative strategies for injured or degenerative skeletal muscle tissue. Stem cells have gained increased attention as sources for developing skeletal muscle tissue for subsequent studies or potential treatments. Focus has been placed on understanding the molecular pathways that govern skeletal muscle formation in development to advance differentiation of stem cells towards skeletal muscle fates in vitro. Use of growth factors and transcription factors have long been the method for guiding skeletal muscle differentiation in vitro. However, further research in small molecule induced differentiation offers a xeno-free option that could result from use of animal derived factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christofer Baldwin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Johntaehwan Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Srikanth Sivaraman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Raj R Rao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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Yamakawa S, Hayashi Y, Kako K, Sasakura Y, Morino Y, Wada H. Mechanism underlying retinoic acid-dependent metamorphosis in the starfish. Dev Biol 2022; 492:119-125. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Roa Fuentes LA, Bloemen M, Carels CE, Wagener FA, Von den Hoff JW. Retinoic acid effects on in vitro palatal fusion and WNT signaling. Eur J Oral Sci 2022; 130:e12899. [PMID: 36303276 PMCID: PMC10092745 DOI: 10.1111/eos.12899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid is the main active vitamin A derivate and a key regulator of embryonic development. Excess of retinoic acid can disturb palate development in mice leading to cleft palate. WNT signaling is one of the main pathways in palate development. We evaluated the effects of retinoic acid on palate fusion and WNT signaling in in vitro explant cultures. Unfused palates from E13.5 mouse embryos were cultured for 4 days with 0.5 μM, 2 μM or without retinoic acid. Apoptosis, proliferation, WNT signaling and bone formation were analyzed by histology and quantitative PCR. Retinoic acid treatment with 0.5 and 2.0 μM reduced palate fusion from 84% (SD 6.8%) in the controls to 56% (SD 26%) and 16% (SD 19%), respectively. Additionally, 2 μM retinoic acid treatment increased Axin2 expression. Retinoic acid also increased the proliferation marker Pcna as well as the number of Ki-67-positive cells in the palate epithelium. At the same time, the WNT inhibitors Dkk1, Dkk3, Wif1 and Sfrp1 were downregulated at least two-fold. Retinoic acid also down-regulated Alpl and Col1a2 gene expression. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was notably reduced in the osteogenic areas of the retinoic acid- treated palates. Our data suggest that retinoic acid impairs palate fusion and bone formation by upregulation of WNT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laury Amelia Roa Fuentes
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Department of Instructive Biomaterial Engineering (IBE), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marjon Bloemen
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Carine El Carels
- Department of Human Genetics, KU University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frank Adtg Wagener
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes W Von den Hoff
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Burns NG, Kardon G. The role of genes and environment in the etiology of congenital diaphragmatic hernias. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 152:115-138. [PMID: 36707209 PMCID: PMC10923182 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Structural birth defects are a common cause of abnormalities in newborns. While there are cases of structural birth defects arising due to monogenic defects or environmental exposures, many birth defects are likely caused by a complex interaction between genes and the environment. A structural birth defect with complex etiology is congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH), a common and often lethal disruption in diaphragm development. Mutations in more than 150 genes have been implicated in CDH pathogenesis. Although there is generally less evidence for a role for environmental factors in the etiology of CDH, deficiencies in maternal vitamin A and its derivative embryonic retinoic acid are strongly associated with CDH. However, the incomplete penetrance of CDH-implicated genes and environmental factors such as vitamin A deficiency suggest that interactions between genes and environment may be necessary to cause CDH. In this review, we examine the genetic and environmental factors implicated in diaphragm and CDH development. In addition, we evaluate the potential for gene-environment interactions in CDH etiology, focusing on the potential interactions between the CDH-implicated gene, Gata4, and maternal vitamin A deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan G Burns
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Gabrielle Kardon
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
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Bandara S, von Lintig J. Aster la vista: Unraveling the biochemical basis of carotenoid homeostasis in the human retina. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200133. [PMID: 36127289 PMCID: PMC10044510 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids play pivotal roles in vision as light filters and precursor of chromophore. Many vertebrates also display the colorful pigments as ornaments in bare skin parts and feathers. Proteins involved in the transport and metabolism of these lipids have been identified including class B scavenger receptors and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. Recent research implicates members of the Aster protein family, also known as GRAM domain-containing (GRAMD), in carotenoid metabolism. These multi-domain proteins facilitate the intracellular movement of carotenoids from their site of cellular uptake by scavenger receptors to the site of their metabolic processing by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. We provide a model how the coordinated interplay of these proteins and their differential expression establishes carotenoid distribution patterns and function in tissues, with particular emphasis on the human retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Johannes von Lintig
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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50
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Abstract
Vitamin A (retinol) is an important nutrient for embryonic development and adult health. Early studies identified retinoic acid (RA) as a metabolite of retinol, however, its importance was not apparent. Later, it was observed that RA treatment of vertebrate embryos had teratogenic effects on limb development. Subsequently, the discovery of nuclear RA receptors (RARs) revealed that RA controls gene expression directly at the transcriptional level through a process referred to as RA signaling. This important discovery led to further studies demonstrating that RA and RARs are required for normal embryonic development. The determination of RA function during normal development has been challenging as RA gain-of-function studies often lead to conclusions about normal development that conflict with RAR or RA loss-of-function studies. However, genetic loss-of-function studies have identified direct target genes of endogenous RA/RAR that are required for normal development of specific tissues. Thus, genetic loss-of-function studies that eliminate RARs or RA-generating enzymes have been instrumental in revealing that RA signaling is required for normal early development of many organs and tissues, including the hindbrain, posterior body axis, somites, spinal cord, forelimbs, heart, and eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Berenguer
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gregg Duester
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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