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Singh A, Chimata AV, Deshpande P, Bajpai S, Sangeeth A, Rajput M, Singh A. SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 protein triggers cell death and exacerbates amyloid β42-mediated neurodegeneration. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1385-1392. [PMID: 37905889 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.382989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202406000-00044/inline-graphic1/v/2023-10-30T152229Z/r/image-tiff
Infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus, responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, induces symptoms including increased inflammatory response, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), cognitive dysfunction like brain fog, and cardiovascular defects. Long-term effects of SARS-CoV2 COVID-19 syndrome referred to as post-COVID-19 syndrome on age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease remain understudied. Using the targeted misexpression of individual SARS-CoV2 proteins in the retinal neurons of the Drosophila
melanogaster eye, we found that misexpression of nonstructural protein 3 (Nsp3), a papain-like protease, ablates the eye and generates dark necrotic spots. Targeted misexpression of Nsp3 in the eye triggers reactive oxygen species production and leads to apoptosis as shown by cell death reporters, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and dihydroethidium staining. Furthermore, Nsp3 misexpression activates both apoptosis and autophagy mechanism(s) to regulate tissue homeostasis. Transient expression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in murine neuroblastoma, Neuro-2a cells, significantly reduced the metabolic activity of these cells and triggers cell death. Misexpression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in an Alzheimer’s disease transgenic fly eye model (glass multiple repeats [GMR]>amyloid β42) further enhances the neurodegenerative rough eye phenotype due to increased cell death. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV2 utilizes Nsp3 protein to potentiate cell death response in a neurodegenerative disease background that has high pre-existing levels of neuroinflammation and cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Soumya Bajpai
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Anjali Sangeeth
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | | | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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2
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Waghmare I, Gangwani K, Rai A, Singh A, Kango-Singh M. A Tumor-Specific Molecular Network Promotes Tumor Growth in Drosophila by Enforcing a Jun N-Terminal Kinase-Yorkie Feedforward Loop. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1768. [PMID: 38730720 PMCID: PMC11083887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091768] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells expand rapidly in response to altered intercellular and signaling interactions to achieve the hallmarks of cancer. Impaired cell polarity combined with activated oncogenes is known to promote several hallmarks of cancer, e.g., activating invasion by increased activity of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and sustained proliferative signaling by increased activity of Hippo effector Yorkie (Yki). Thus, JNK, Yki, and their downstream transcription factors have emerged as synergistic drivers of tumor growth through pro-tumor signaling and intercellular interactions like cell competition. However, little is known about the signals that converge onto JNK and Yki in tumor cells and enable tumor cells to achieve the hallmarks of cancer. Here, using mosaic models of cooperative oncogenesis (RasV12,scrib-) in Drosophila, we show that RasV12,scrib- tumor cells grow through the activation of a previously unidentified network comprising Wingless (Wg), Dronc, JNK, and Yki. We show that RasV12,scrib- cells show increased Wg, Dronc, JNK, and Yki signaling, and all these signals are required for the growth of RasV12,scrib- tumors. We report that Wg and Dronc converge onto a JNK-Yki self-reinforcing positive feedback signal-amplification loop that promotes tumor growth. We found that the Wg-Dronc-Yki-JNK molecular network is specifically activated in polarity-impaired tumor cells and not in normal cells, in which apical-basal polarity remains intact. Our findings suggest that the identification of molecular networks may provide significant insights into the key biologically meaningful changes in signaling pathways and paradoxical signals that promote tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrayani Waghmare
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Karishma Gangwani
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Computational Biology Department, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Arushi Rai
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Premedical Programs, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering Centre (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Premedical Programs, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering Centre (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
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3
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Puli OR, Gogia N, Chimata AV, Yorimitsu T, Nakagoshi H, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. Genetic mechanism regulating diversity in the placement of eyes on the head of animals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316244121. [PMID: 38588419 PMCID: PMC11032433 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316244121] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the conservation of genetic machinery involved in eye development, there is a strong diversity in the placement of eyes on the head of animals. Morphogen gradients of signaling molecules are vital to patterning cues. During Drosophila eye development, Wingless (Wg), a ligand of Wnt/Wg signaling, is expressed anterolaterally to form a morphogen gradient to determine the eye- versus head-specific cell fate. The underlying mechanisms that regulate this process are yet to be fully understood. We characterized defective proventriculus (dve) (Drosophila ortholog of human SATB1), a K50 homeodomain transcription factor, as a dorsal eye gene, which regulates Wg signaling to determine eye versus head fate. Across Drosophila species, Dve is expressed in the dorsal head vertex region where it regulates wg transcription. Second, Dve suppresses eye fate by down-regulating retinal determination genes. Third, the dve-expressing dorsal head vertex region is important for Wg-mediated inhibition of retinal cell fate, as eliminating the Dve-expressing cells or preventing Wg transport from these dve-expressing cells leads to a dramatic expansion of the eye field. Together, these findings suggest that Dve regulates Wg expression in the dorsal head vertex, which is critical for determining eye versus head fate. Gain-of-function of SATB1 exhibits an eye fate suppression phenotype similar to Dve. Our data demonstrate a conserved role for Dve/SATB1 in the positioning of eyes on the head and the interocular distance by regulating Wg. This study provides evidence that dysregulation of the Wg morphogen gradient results in developmental defects such as hypertelorism in humans where disproportionate interocular distance and facial anomalies are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
| | | | - Takeshi Yorimitsu
- Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama700-8530, Japan
| | - Hideki Nakagoshi
- Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama700-8530, Japan
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
- Integrative Science and Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
- Integrative Science and Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH45469
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN47809
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4
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Deshpande P, Chen CY, Chimata AV, Li JC, Sarkar A, Yeates C, Chen CH, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. miR-277 targets the proapoptotic gene-hid to ameliorate Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's model. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:71. [PMID: 38238337 PMCID: PMC10796706 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06361-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits reduced cognitive function with no cure to date. One of the reasons for AD is the accumulation of Amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) plaque(s) that trigger aberrant gene expression and signaling, which results in neuronal cell death by an unknown mechanism(s). Misexpression of human Aβ42 in the developing retina of Drosophila exhibits AD-like neuropathology. Small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of their target genes and thereby regulate different signaling pathways. In a forward genetic screen, we identified miR-277 (human ortholog is hsa-miR-3660) as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. Loss-of-function of miR-277 enhances the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. Whereas gain-of-function of miR-277 in the GMR > Aβ42 background downregulates cell death to maintain the number of neurons and thereby restores the retinal axonal targeting defects indicating the functional rescue. In addition, gain-of-function of miR-277 rescues the eclosion- and climbing assays defects observed in GMR > Aβ42 background. Thus, gain-of-function of miR-277 rescues both structurally as well as functionally the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we identified head involution defective (hid), an evolutionarily conserved proapoptotic gene, as one of the targets of miR-277 and validated these results using luciferase- and qPCR -assays. In the GMR > Aβ42 background, the gain-of-function of miR-277 results in the reduction of hid transcript levels to one-third of its levels as compared to GMR > Aβ42 background alone. Here, we provide a novel molecular mechanism where miR-277 targets and downregulates proapoptotic gene, hid, transcript levels to rescue Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration by blocking cell death. These studies shed light on molecular mechanism(s) that mediate cell death response following Aβ42 accumulation seen in neurodegenerative disorders in humans and provide new therapeutic targets for neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chao-Yi Chen
- Institution of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Jian-Chiuan Li
- Institution of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Catherine Yeates
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- Institution of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
- Integrative Science and Engineering (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
- Integrative Science and Engineering (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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5
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Rader AE, Bayarmagnai B, Frolov MV. Combined inactivation of RB and Hippo converts differentiating Drosophila photoreceptors into eye progenitor cells through derepression of homothorax. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2261-2274.e6. [PMID: 37848027 PMCID: PMC10842633 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.003] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma (RB) and Hippo pathways interact to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the mechanism of interaction is not fully understood. Drosophila photoreceptors with inactivated RB and Hippo pathways specify normally but fail to maintain their neuronal identity and dedifferentiate. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing to elucidate the cause of dedifferentiation and to determine the fate of these cells. We find that dedifferentiated cells adopt a progenitor-like fate due to inappropriate activation of the retinal differentiation suppressor homothorax (hth) by Yki/Sd. This results in the activation of a distinct Yki/Hth transcriptional program, driving photoreceptor dedifferentiation. We show that Rbf physically interacts with Yki and, together with the GAGA factor, inhibits the hth expression. Thus, RB and Hippo pathways cooperate to maintain photoreceptor differentiation by preventing inappropriate expression of hth in differentiating photoreceptors. Our work highlights the importance of both RB and Hippo pathway activities for maintaining the state of terminal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Rader
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Battuya Bayarmagnai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Maxim V Frolov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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6
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Pranoto IKA, Lee J, Kwon YV. The roles of the native cell differentiation program aberrantly recapitulated in Drosophila intestinal tumors. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113245. [PMID: 37837622 PMCID: PMC10872463 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113245] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Many tumors recapitulate the developmental and differentiation program of their tissue of origin, a basis for tumor cell heterogeneity. Although stem-cell-like tumor cells are well studied, the roles of tumor cells undergoing differentiation remain to be elucidated. We employ Drosophila genetics to demonstrate that the differentiation program of intestinal stem cells is crucial for enabling intestinal tumors to invade and induce non-tumor-autonomous phenotypes. The differentiation program that generates absorptive cells is aberrantly recapitulated in the intestinal tumors generated by activation of the Yap1 ortholog Yorkie. Inhibiting it allows stem-cell-like tumor cells to grow but suppresses invasiveness and reshapes various phenotypes associated with cachexia-like wasting by altering the expression of tumor-derived factors. Our study provides insight into how a native differentiation program determines a tumor's capacity to induce advanced cancer phenotypes and suggests that manipulating the differentiation programs co-opted in tumors might alleviate complications of cancer, including cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Young V Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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7
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Waghmare I, Gangwani K, Rai A, Singh A, Kango-Singh M. A Tumour-Specific Molecular Network Promotes Tumour Growth in Drosophila by Enforcing a JNK-YKI Feedforward Loop. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.18.561369. [PMID: 37904920 PMCID: PMC10614921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.561369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells expand rapidly in response to altered intercellular and signalling interactions to achieve hallmarks of cancer. Impaired cell polarity combined with activated oncogenes is known to promote several hallmarks of cancer e.g., activating invasion by increased activity of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and sustained proliferative signalling by increased activity of Hippo effector Yorkie (Yki). Thus, JNK, Yki, and their downstream transcription factors have emerged as synergistic drivers of tumour growth through pro-tumour signalling and intercellular interactions like cell-competition. However, little is known about the signals that converge onto JNK and Yki in tumour cells that enable the tumour cells to achieve hallmarks of cancer. Here, using mosaic models of cooperative oncogenesis ( Ras V12 , scrib - ) in Drosophila , we show that Ras V12 , scrib - tumour cells grow by activation of a previously unidentified network comprising Wingless (Wg), Dronc, JNK and Yki. We show that Ras V12 , scrib - cells show increased Wg, Dronc, JNK, and Yki signalling, and all of these signals are required for the growth of Ras V12 , scrib - tumours. We report that Wg and Dronc converge onto a JNK-Yki self-reinforcing positive feedback signal-amplification loop that promotes tumour growth. We found that Wg-Dronc-Yki-JNK molecular network is specifically activated in polarity-impaired tumour cells and not in normal cells where apical basal polarity is intact. Our findings suggest that identification of molecular networks may provide significant insights about the key biologically meaningful changes in signalling pathways, and paradoxical signals that promote Tumourigenesis.
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8
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Chimata AV, Darnell H, Raj A, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. Transcriptional pausing factor M1BP regulates cellular homeostasis by suppressing autophagy and apoptosis in Drosophila eye. AUTOPHAGY REPORTS 2023; 2:2252307. [PMID: 37746026 PMCID: PMC10512699 DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2023.2252307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
During organogenesis cellular homeostasis plays a crucial role in patterning and growth. The role of promoter proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II, which regulates transcription of several developmental genes by GAGA factor or Motif 1 Binding Protein (M1BP), has not been fully understood in cellular homeostasis. Earlier, we reported that M1BP, a functional homolog of ZKSCAN3, regulates wingless and caspase-dependent cell death (apoptosis) in the Drosophila eye. Further, blocking apoptosis does not fully rescue the M1BPRNAi phenotype of reduced eye. Therefore, we looked for other possible mechanism(s). In a forward genetic screen, members of the Jun-amino-terminal-(NH2)-Kinase (JNK) pathway were identified. Downregulation of M1BP ectopically induces JNK, a pro-death pathway known to activate both apoptosis and caspase-independent (autophagy) cell death. Activation of JNK pathway components can enhance M1BPRNAi phenotype and vice-versa. Downregulation of M1BP ectopically induced JNK signaling, which leads to apoptosis and autophagy. Apoptosis and autophagy are regulated independently by their genetic circuitry. Here, we found that blocking either apoptosis or autophagy alone rescues the reduced eye phenotype of M1BP downregulation; whereas, blocking both apoptosis and autophagy together significantly rescues the M1BP reduced eye phenotype to near wild-type in nearly 85% progeny. This data suggests that the cellular homeostasis response demonstrated by two independent cell death mechanisms, apoptosis and autophagy, can be regulated by a common transcriptional pausing mechanism orchestrated by M1BP. Since these fundamental processes are conserved in higher organisms, this novel functional link between M1BP and regulation of both apoptosis and autophagy can be extrapolated to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Darnell
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Akanksha Raj
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration & Engineering (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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Deshpande P, Chimata AV, Snider E, Singh A, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. N-Acetyltransferase 9 ameliorates Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration in the Drosophila eye. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:478. [PMID: 37507384 PMCID: PMC10382493 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05973-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, manifests as accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques and intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that results in microtubule destabilization. Targeted expression of human Aβ42 (GMR > Aβ42) in developing Drosophila eye retinal neurons results in Aβ42 plaque(s) and mimics AD-like extensive neurodegeneration. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanism(s) for Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. To address this gap in information, we conducted a forward genetic screen, and identified N-acetyltransferase 9 (Mnat9) as a genetic modifier of GMR > Aβ42 neurodegenerative phenotype. Mnat9 is known to stabilize microtubules by inhibiting c-Jun-N- terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. We found that gain-of-function of Mnat9 rescues GMR > Aβ42 mediated neurodegenerative phenotype whereas loss-of-function of Mnat9 exhibits the converse phenotype of enhanced neurodegeneration. Here, we propose a new neuroprotective function of Mnat9 in downregulating the JNK signaling pathway to ameliorate Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration, which is independent of its acetylation activity. Transgenic flies expressing human NAT9 (hNAT9), also suppresses Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration thereby suggesting functional conservation in the interaction of fly Mnat9 or hNAT9 with JNK-mediated neurodegeneration. These studies add to the repertoire of molecular mechanisms that mediate cell death response following accumulation of Aβ42 and may provide new avenues for targeting neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emily Snider
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Aditi Singh
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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Rader AE, Bayarmagnai B, Frolov MV. Combined inactivation of RB and Hippo pathways converts differentiating photoreceptors into eye progenitor cells through derepression of homothorax. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.23.537991. [PMID: 37163078 PMCID: PMC10168227 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.23.537991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The RB and Hippo pathways interact to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. However, their mechanism of interaction is not fully understood. Drosophila photoreceptors with inactivated RB and Hippo pathways specify normally but fail to maintain neuronal identity and dedifferentiate. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing to elucidate the cause of dedifferentiation and the fate of these cells. We find that dedifferentiated cells adopt a progenitor-like fate due to inappropriate activation of the retinal differentiation suppressor homothorax (hth) by Yki/Sd. This results in activation of the Yki/Hth transcriptional program, driving photoreceptor dedifferentiation. We show that Rbf physically interacts with Yki which, together with the GAGA factor, inhibits hth expression. Thus, RB and Hippo pathways cooperate to maintain photoreceptor differentiation by preventing inappropriate expression of hth in differentiating photoreceptors. Our work accentuates the importance of both RB and Hippo pathway activity for maintaining the state of terminal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Rader
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607
| | - Battuya Bayarmagnai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607
| | - Maxim V Frolov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607
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11
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Golubev DA, Zemskaya NV, Gorbunova AA, Kukuman DV, Moskalev A, Shaposhnikov MV. Studying the Geroprotective Properties of YAP/TAZ Signaling Inhibitors on Drosophila melanogaster Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24066006. [PMID: 36983079 PMCID: PMC10058302 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24066006] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional coactivators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are the main downstream effectors of the evolutionarily conserved Hippo signaling pathway. YAP/TAZ are implicated in the transcriptional regulation of target genes that are involved in a wide range of key biological processes affecting tissue homeostasis and play dual roles in the aging process, depending on the cellular and tissue context. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether pharmacological inhibitors of Yap/Taz increase the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. Real-time qRT-PCR was performed to measure the changes in the expression of Yki (Yorkie, the Drosophila homolog of YAP/TAZ) target genes. We have revealed a lifespan-increasing effect of YAP/TAZ inhibitors that was mostly associated with decreased expression levels of the wg and E2f1 genes. However, further analysis is required to understand the link between the YAP/TAZ pathway and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis A Golubev
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Nadezhda V Zemskaya
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Anastasia A Gorbunova
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Daria V Kukuman
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Alexey Moskalev
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Mikhail V Shaposhnikov
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia
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12
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Zhao H, Moberg KH, Veraksa A. Hippo pathway and Bonus control developmental cell fate decisions in the Drosophila eye. Dev Cell 2023; 58:416-434.e12. [PMID: 36868234 PMCID: PMC10023510 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.02.005] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
The canonical function of the Hippo signaling pathway is the regulation of organ growth. How this pathway controls cell-fate determination is less well understood. Here, we identify a function of the Hippo pathway in cell-fate decisions in the developing Drosophila eye, exerted through the interaction of Yorkie (Yki) with the transcriptional regulator Bonus (Bon), an ortholog of mammalian transcriptional intermediary factor 1/tripartite motif (TIF1/TRIM) family proteins. Instead of controlling tissue growth, Yki and Bon promote epidermal and antennal fates at the expense of the eye fate. Proteomic, transcriptomic, and genetic analyses reveal that Yki and Bon control these cell-fate decisions by recruiting transcriptional and post-transcriptional co-regulators and by repressing Notch target genes and activating epidermal differentiation genes. Our work expands the range of functions and regulatory mechanisms under Hippo pathway control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heya Zhao
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Alexey Veraksa
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
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13
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Mehta AS, Deshpande P, Chimata AV, Tsonis PA, Singh A. Newt regeneration genes regulate Wingless signaling to restore patterning in Drosophila eye. iScience 2021; 24:103166. [PMID: 34746690 PMCID: PMC8551474 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Newts utilize their unique genes to restore missing parts by strategic regulation of conserved signaling pathways. Lack of genetic tools poses challenges to determine the function of such genes. Therefore, we used the Drosophila eye model to demonstrate the potential of 5 unique newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) gene(s), viropana1-viropana5 (vna1-vna5), which were ectopically expressed in L 2 mutant and GMR-hid, GMR-GAL4 eye. L 2 exhibits the loss of ventral half of early eye and head involution defective (hid) triggers cell-death during later eye development. Surprisingly, newt genes significantly restore missing photoreceptor cells both in L 2 and GMR>hid background by upregulating cell-proliferation and blocking cell-death, regulating evolutionarily conserved Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signaling pathway and exhibit non-cell-autonomous rescues. Further, Wg/Wnt signaling acts downstream of newt genes. Our data highlights that unique newt proteins can regulate conserved pathways to trigger a robust restoration of missing photoreceptor cells in Drosophila eye model with weak restoration capability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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14
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Gogia N, Chimata AV, Deshpande P, Singh A, Singh A. Hippo signaling: bridging the gap between cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:643-652. [PMID: 33063715 PMCID: PMC8067938 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.295273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, regulation of organ size requires a balance between cell proliferation, growth and cell death. Dysregulation of these fundamental processes can cause a variety of diseases. Excessive cell proliferation results in cancer whereas excessive cell death results in neurodegenerative disorders. Many signaling pathways known-to-date have a role in growth regulation. Among them, evolutionarily conserved Hippo signaling pathway is unique as it controls both cell proliferation and cell death by a variety of mechanisms during organ sculpture and development. Neurodegeneration, a complex process of progressive death of neuronal population, results in fatal disorders with no available cure to date. During normal development, cell death is required for sculpting of an organ. However, aberrant cell death in neuronal cell population can result in neurodegenerative disorders. Hippo pathway has gathered major attention for its role in growth regulation and cancer, however, other functions like its role in neurodegeneration are also emerging rapidly. This review highlights the role of Hippo signaling in cell death and neurodegenerative diseases and provide the information on the chemical inhibitors employed to block Hippo pathway. Understanding Hippo mediated cell death mechanisms will aid in development of reliable and effective therapeutic strategies in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Aditi Singh
- Medical Candidate, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology; Premedical Program; Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND); The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH; Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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15
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Parra AS, Johnston CA. Mud Loss Restricts Yki-Dependent Hyperplasia in Drosophila Epithelia. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:E34. [PMID: 33322177 PMCID: PMC7768408 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue development demands precise control of cell proliferation and organization, which is achieved through multiple conserved signaling pathways and protein complexes in multicellular animals. Epithelia are a ubiquitous tissue type that provide diverse functions including physical protection, barrier formation, chemical exchange, and secretory activity. However, epithelial cells are also a common driver of tumorigenesis; thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms that control their growth dynamics is important in understanding not only developmental mechanisms but also disease. One prominent pathway that regulates epithelial growth is the conserved Hippo/Warts/Yorkie network. Hippo/Warts inactivation, or activating mutations in Yorkie that prevent its phosphorylation (e.g., YkiS168A), drive hyperplastic tissue growth. We recently reported that loss of Mushroom body defect (Mud), a microtubule-associated protein that contributes to mitotic spindle function, restricts YkiS168A-mediated growth in Drosophila imaginal wing disc epithelia. Here we show that Mud loss alters cell cycle progression and triggers apoptosis with accompanying Jun kinase (JNK) activation in YkiS168A-expressing discs. To identify additional molecular insights, we performed RNAseq and differential gene expression profiling. This analysis revealed that Mud knockdown in YkiS168A-expressing discs resulted in a significant downregulation in expression of core basement membrane (BM) and extracellular matrix (ECM) genes, including the type IV collagen gene viking. Furthermore, we found that YkiS168A-expressing discs accumulated increased collagen protein, which was reduced following Mud knockdown. Our results suggest that ECM/BM remodeling can limit untoward growth initiated by an important driver of tumor growth and highlight a potential regulatory link with cytoskeleton-associated genes.
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16
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Raj A, Chimata AV, Singh A. Motif 1 Binding Protein suppresses wingless to promote eye fate in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17221. [PMID: 33057115 PMCID: PMC7560846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73891-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pausing at transcription start site (TSS) is one of the key rate-limiting steps in regulating genome-wide gene expression. In Drosophila embryo, Pol II pausing is known to regulate the developmental control genes expression, however, the functional implication of Pol II pausing during later developmental time windows remains largely unknown. A highly conserved zinc finger transcription factor, Motif 1 Binding Protein (M1BP), is known to orchestrate promoter-proximal pausing. We found a new role of M1BP in regulating Drosophila eye development. Downregulation of M1BP function suppresses eye fate resulting in a reduced eye or a "no-eye" phenotype. The eye suppression function of M1BP has no domain constraint in the developing eye. Downregulation of M1BP results in more than two-fold induction of wingless (wg) gene expression along with robust induction of Homothorax (Hth), a negative regulator of eye fate. The loss-of-eye phenotype of M1BP downregulation is dependent on Wg upregulation as downregulation of both M1BP and wg, by using wgRNAi, shows a significant rescue of a reduced eye or a "no-eye" phenotype, which is accompanied by normalizing of wg and hth expression levels in the eye imaginal disc. Ectopic induction of Wg is known to trigger developmental cell death. We found that upregulation of wg as a result of downregulation of M1BP also induces apoptotic cell death, which can be significantly restored by blocking caspase-mediated cell death. Our data strongly imply that transcriptional regulation of wg by Pol II pausing factor M1BP may be one of the important regulatory mechanism(s) during Drosophila eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Raj
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | | | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA. .,Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA. .,Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA. .,Integrative Science and Engineering (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA. .,Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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17
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Tare M, Chimata AV, Gogia N, Narwal S, Deshpande P, Singh A. An E3 ubiquitin ligase, cullin-4 regulates retinal differentiation in Drosophila eye. Genesis 2020; 58:e23395. [PMID: 32990387 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23395] [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: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
During organogenesis, cell proliferation is followed by the differentiation of specific cell types to form an organ. Any aberration in differentiation can result in developmental defects, which can result in a partial to a near-complete loss of an organ. We employ the Drosophila eye model to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in the process of differentiation. In a forward genetic screen, we identified, cullin-4 (cul-4), which encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase, to play an important role in retinal differentiation. During development, cul-4 is known to be involved in protein degradation, regulation of genomic stability, and regulation of cell cycle. Previously, we have reported that cul-4 regulates cell death during eye development by downregulating Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signaling pathway. We found that loss-of-function of cul-4 results in a reduced eye phenotype, which can be due to onset of cell death. However, we found that loss-of-function of cul-4 also affects retinal development by downregulating retinal determination (RD) gene expression. Early markers of retinal differentiation are dysregulated in cul-4 loss of function conditions, indicating that cul-4 is necessary for differentiation. Furthermore, loss-of-function of cul-4 ectopically induces expression of negative regulators of eye development like Wg and Homothorax (Hth). During eye development, Wg is known to block the progression of a synchronous wave of differentiation referred to as Morphogenetic furrow (MF). In cul-4 loss-of-function background, expression of dpp-lacZ, a MF marker, is significantly downregulated. Our data suggest a new role of cul-4 in retinal differentiation. These studies may have significant bearings on our understanding of early eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghana Tare
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Pilani, India
| | | | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Sonia Narwal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Pilani, India
| | | | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.,Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.,Center for Tissue Regeneration & Engineering (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.,The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.,Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA
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18
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Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE This study shows that nonvisual mechanism(s) can guide chick eyes to recover from myopia or hyperopia bidirectionally to regain their age-matched length. Because eye growth control is phylogenetically conserved across many species, it is possible that, in general, emmetropization mechanisms are not exclusively based on a local visual feedback system. PURPOSE Across species, growing eyes compensate for imposed defocus by modifying their growth, showing the visual controls on eye growth and emmetropization. When the spectacle lens is removed, the eyes rapidly recover back to a normal size similar to that in the untreated eyes. We asked whether this recovery process was dependent on visual feedback or whether it might be guided by intrinsic nonvisual mechanisms. METHODS Chicks wore either a +7 (n = 16) or -7 D (n = 16) lens over one eye for 4 to 7 days; the fellow eye was left untreated. After lens removal, half were recovered in darkness and half in white light. Refractive error and ocular dimensions were measured before and after lens treatment and after recovery with a Hartinger refractometer and A-scan biometer, respectively. RESULTS Whereas chick eyes completely recovered from prior lens treatment under normal light after 2 days, they also partially recovered from prior hyperopia (by 60%) and myopia (by 69%) after being kept in darkness for 3 days: a +7 and -7 D lens induced a difference between the eyes of +7.08 and -4.69 D, respectively. After recovery in darkness, the eyes recovered by 3.18 and 2.88 D, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In the absence of visual cues, anisometropic eyes can modify and reverse their growth to regain a similar length to their fellow untreated eye. Because eye growth control is phylogenetically conserved across many species, it is possible that nonvisual mechanisms may contribute more generally to emmetropization and that recovery from anisometropic refractive errors may not be wholly visually controlled.
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19
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DeAngelis MW, McGhie EW, Coolon JD, Johnson RI. Mask, a component of the Hippo pathway, is required for Drosophila eye morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2020; 464:53-70. [PMID: 32464117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Hippo signaling is an important regulator of tissue size, but it also has a lesser-known role in tissue morphogenesis. Here we use the Drosophila pupal eye to explore the role of the Hippo effector Yki and its cofactor Mask in morphogenesis. We found that Mask is required for the correct distribution and accumulation of adherens junctions and appropriate organization of the cytoskeleton. Accordingly, disrupting mask expression led to severe mis-patterning and similar defects were observed when yki was reduced or in response to ectopic wts. Further, the patterning defects generated by reducing mask expression were modified by Hippo pathway activity. RNA-sequencing revealed a requirement for Mask for appropriate expression of numerous genes during eye morphogenesis. These included genes implicated in cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organization, a comprehensive set of genes that promote cell survival, and numerous signal transduction genes. To validate our transcriptome analyses, we then considered two loci that were modified by Mask activity: FER and Vinc, which have established roles in regulating adhesion. Modulating the expression of either locus modified mask mis-patterning and adhesion phenotypes. Further, expression of FER and Vinc was modified by Yki. It is well-established that the Hippo pathway is responsive to changes in cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton, but our data indicate that Hippo signaling also regulates these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles W DeAngelis
- Wesleyan University Department of Biology, Middletown CT, 06457, USA.
| | - Emily W McGhie
- Wesleyan University Department of Biology, Middletown CT, 06457, USA.
| | - Joseph D Coolon
- Wesleyan University Department of Biology, Middletown CT, 06457, USA.
| | - Ruth I Johnson
- Wesleyan University Department of Biology, Middletown CT, 06457, USA.
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20
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Gogia N, Sarkar A, Mehta AS, Ramesh N, Deshpande P, Kango-Singh M, Pandey UB, Singh A. Inactivation of Hippo and cJun-N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling mitigate FUS mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 140:104837. [PMID: 32199908 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the central nervous system, has no known cure to-date. Disease causing mutations in human Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) leads to aggressive and juvenile onset of ALS. FUS is a well-conserved protein across different species, which plays a crucial role in regulating different aspects of RNA metabolism. Targeted misexpression of FUS in Drosophila model recapitulates several interesting phenotypes relevant to ALS including cytoplasmic mislocalization, defects at the neuromuscular junction and motor dysfunction. We screened for the genetic modifiers of human FUS-mediated neurodegenerative phenotype using molecularly defined deficiencies. We identified hippo (hpo), a component of the evolutionarily conserved Hippo growth regulatory pathway, as a genetic modifier of FUS mediated neurodegeneration. Gain-of-function of hpo triggers cell death whereas its loss-of-function promotes cell proliferation. Downregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway, using mutants of Hippo signaling, exhibit rescue of FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in the Drosophila eye, as evident from reduction in the number of TUNEL positive nuclei as well as rescue of axonal targeting from the retina to the brain. The Hippo pathway activates c-Jun amino-terminal (NH2) Kinase (JNK) mediated cell death. We found that downregulation of JNK signaling is sufficient to rescue FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in the Drosophila eye. Our study elucidates that Hippo signaling and JNK signaling are activated in response to FUS accumulation to induce neurodegeneration. These studies will shed light on the genetic mechanism involved in neurodegeneration observed in ALS and other associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | | | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA
| | | | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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21
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Irwin M, Tare M, Singh A, Puli OR, Gogia N, Riccetti M, Deshpande P, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. A Positive Feedback Loop of Hippo- and c-Jun-Amino-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathways Regulates Amyloid-Beta-Mediated Neurodegeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:117. [PMID: 32232042 PMCID: PMC7082232 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD, OMIM: 104300) is an age-related disorder that affects millions of people. One of the underlying causes of AD is generation of hydrophobic amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) peptides that accumulate to form amyloid plaques. These plaques induce oxidative stress and aberrant signaling, which result in the death of neurons and other pathologies linked to neurodegeneration. We have developed a Drosophila eye model of AD by targeted misexpression of human Aβ42 in the differentiating retinal neurons, where an accumulation of Aβ42 triggers a characteristic neurodegenerative phenotype. In a forward deficiency screen to look for genetic modifiers, we identified a molecularly defined deficiency, which suppresses Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. This deficiency uncovers hippo (hpo) gene, a member of evolutionarily conserved Hippo signaling pathway that regulates growth. Activation of Hippo signaling causes cell death, whereas downregulation of Hippo signaling triggers cell proliferation. We found that Hippo signaling is activated in Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. Downregulation of Hippo signaling rescues the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration, whereas upregulation of Hippo signaling enhances the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration phenotypes. It is known that c-Jun-amino-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is upregulated in AD. We found that activation of JNK signaling enhances the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration, whereas downregulation of JNK signaling rescues the Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. We tested the nature of interactions between Hippo signaling and JNK signaling in Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration using genetic epistasis approach. Our data suggest that Hippo signaling and JNK signaling, two independent signaling pathways, act synergistically upon accumulation of Aβ42 plaques to trigger cell death. Our studies demonstrate a novel role of Hippo signaling pathway in Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Irwin
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Meghana Tare
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Aditi Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Oorvashi Roy Puli
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Matthew Riccetti
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | | | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, United States
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22
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Mehta AS, Luz-Madrigal A, Li JL, Tsonis PA, Singh A. Comparative transcriptomic analysis and structure prediction of novel Newt proteins. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220416. [PMID: 31419228 PMCID: PMC6697330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Notophthalmus viridescens (Red-spotted Newt) possess amazing capabilities to regenerate their organs and other tissues. Previously, using a de novo assembly of the newt transcriptome combined with proteomic validation, our group identified a novel family of five protein members expressed in adult tissues during regeneration in Notophthalmus viridescens. The presence of a putative signal peptide suggests that all these proteins are secretory in nature. Here we employed iterative threading assembly refinement (I-TASSER) server to generate three-dimensional structure of these novel Newt proteins and predicted their function. Our data suggests that these proteins could act as ion transporters, and be involved in redox reaction(s). Due to absence of transgenic approaches in N. viridescens, and conservation of genetic machinery across species, we generated transgenic Drosophila melanogaster to misexpress these genes. Expression of 2775 transcripts were compared between these five newly identified Newt genes. We found that genes involved in the developmental process, cell cycle, apoptosis, and immune response are among those that are highly enriched. To validate the RNA Seq. data, expression of six highly regulated genes were verified using real time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). These graded gene expression patterns provide insight into the function of novel protein family identified in Newt, and layout a map for future studies in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abijeet Singh Mehta
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Agustin Luz-Madrigal
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jian-Liang Li
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Panagiotis A Tsonis
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
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23
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Singh A, Gogia N, Chang CY, Sun YH. Proximal fate marker homothorax marks the lateral extension of stalk-eyed fly Cyrtodopsis whitei. Genesis 2019; 57:e23309. [PMID: 31162816 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The placement of eyes on insect head is an important evolutionary trait. The stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodopsis whitei, exhibits a hypercephaly phenotype where compound eyes are located on lateral extension from the head while the antennal segments are placed inwardly on this stalk. This stalk-eyed phenotype is characteristic of the family Diopsidae in the Diptera order and dramatically deviates from other dipterans, such as Drosophila. Like other insects, the adult eye and antenna of stalk-eyed fly develop from a complex eye-antennal imaginal disc. We analyzed the markers involved in proximo-distal (PD) axis of the developing eye imaginal disc of the stalk-eyed flies. We used homothorax (hth) and distalless (dll), two highly conserved genes as the marker for proximal and distal fate, respectively. We found that lateral extensions between eye and antennal field of the stalk-eyed fly's eye-antennal imaginal disc exhibit robust Hth expression. Hth marks the head specific fate in the eye- and proximal fate in the antenna-disc. Thus, the proximal fate marker Hth expression evolves in the stalk-eyed flies to generate lateral extensions for the placement of the eye on the head. Moreover, during pupal eye metamorphosis, the lateral extension folds back on itself to place the antenna inside and the adult compound eye on the distal tip. Interestingly, the compound eye in other insects does not have a prominent PD axis as observed in the stalk-eyed fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.,Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
| | - Chia-Yu Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi Henry Sun
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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24
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Jones MK, Lu B, Chen DZ, Spivia WR, Mercado AT, Ljubimov AV, Svendsen CN, Van Eyk JE, Wang S. In Vitro and In Vivo Proteomic Comparison of Human Neural Progenitor Cell-Induced Photoreceptor Survival. Proteomics 2019; 19:e1800213. [PMID: 30515959 PMCID: PMC6422354 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201800213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases lead to blindness with few treatments. Various cell-based therapies are aimed to slow the progression of vision loss by preserving light-sensing photoreceptor cells. A subretinal injection of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) into the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat model of retinal degeneration has aided in photoreceptor survival, though the mechanisms are mainly unknown. Identifying the retinal proteomic changes that occur following hNPC treatment leads to better understanding of neuroprotection. To mimic the retinal environment following hNPC injection, a co-culture system of retinas and hNPCs is developed. Less cell death occurs in RCS retinal tissue co-cultured with hNPCs than in retinas cultured alone, suggesting that hNPCs provide retinal protection in vitro. Comparison of ex vivo and in vivo retinas identifies nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) mediated oxidative response signaling as an hNPC-induced pathway. This is the first study to compare proteomic changes following treatment with hNPCs in both an ex vivo and in vivo environment, further allowing the use of ex vivo modeling for mechanisms of retinal preservation. Elucidation of the protein changes in the retina following hNPC treatment may lead to the discovery of mechanisms of photoreceptor survival and its therapeutic for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K. Jones
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
| | - Bin Lu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
| | - Dawn Z. Chen
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Weston R. Spivia
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
| | - Augustus T. Mercado
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
| | - Alexander V. Ljubimov
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Clive N. Svendsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
| | - Jennifer E. Van Eyk
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Shaomei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
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25
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Hall ET, Hoesing E, Sinkovics E, Verheyen EM. Actomyosin contractility modulates Wnt signaling through adherens junction stability. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 30:411-426. [PMID: 30540525 PMCID: PMC6589568 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-06-0345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin contractility can influence the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in processes like mesoderm differentiation and tissue stiffness during tumorigenesis. We identified that increased nonmuscle myosin II activation and cellular contraction inhibited Wnt target gene transcription in developing Drosophila imaginal disks. Genetic interactions studies were used to show that this effect was due to myosin-induced accumulation of cortical F-actin resulting in clustering and accumulation of E-cadherin to the adherens junctions. This results in E-cadherin titrating any available β-catenin, the Wnt pathway transcriptional coactivator, to the adherens junctions in order to maintain cell-cell adhesion under contraction. We show that decreased levels of cytoplasmic β-catenin result in insufficient nuclear translocation for full Wnt target gene transcription. Previous studies have identified some of these interactions, but we present a thorough analysis using the wing disk epithelium to show the consequences of modulating myosin phosphatase. Our work elucidates a mechanism in which the dynamic promotion of actomyosin contractility refines patterning of Wnt transcription during development and maintenance of epithelial tissue in organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T Hall
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Hoesing
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Endre Sinkovics
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Esther M Verheyen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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26
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Sarkar A, Gogia N, Glenn N, Singh A, Jones G, Powers N, Srivastava A, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. A soy protein Lunasin can ameliorate amyloid-beta 42 mediated neurodegeneration in Drosophila eye. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13545. [PMID: 30202077 PMCID: PMC6131139 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31787-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder, also results from accumulation of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) plaques. These Aβ42 plaques trigger oxidative stress, abnormal signaling, which results in neuronal death by unknown mechanism(s). We misexpress high levels of human Aβ42 in the differentiating retinal neurons of the Drosophila eye, which results in the Alzheimer's like neuropathology. Using our transgenic model, we tested a soy-derived protein Lunasin (Lun) for a possible role in rescuing neurodegeneration in retinal neurons. Lunasin is known to have anti-cancer effect and reduces stress and inflammation. We show that misexpression of Lunasin by transgenic approach can rescue Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration by blocking cell death in retinal neurons, and results in restoration of axonal targeting from retina to brain. Misexpression of Lunasin downregulates the highly conserved cJun-N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Activation of JNK signaling can prevent neuroprotective role of Lunasin in Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. This neuroprotective function of Lunasin is not dependent on retinal determination gene cascade in the Drosophila eye, and is independent of Wingless (Wg) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling pathways. Furthermore, Lunasin can significantly reduce mortality rate caused by misexpression of human Aβ42 in flies. Our studies identified the novel neuroprotective role of Lunasin peptide, a potential therapeutic agent that can ameliorate Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration by downregulating JNK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Neil Glenn
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Aditi Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Gillian Jones
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Nathan Powers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Ajay Srivastava
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Center, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard, TCCW 351, Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA.
- Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
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27
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Zhu JY, Lin S, Ye J. YAP and TAZ, the conductors that orchestrate eye development, homeostasis, and disease. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:246-258. [PMID: 30094836 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are transcriptional coactivators established as a nexus in numerous signaling pathways, notably in Hippo signaling. Previous research revealed multifarious function of YAP and TAZ in oncology and cardiovasology. Recently, the focus has been laid on their pivotal role in eye morphogenesis and homeostasis. In this review, we synthesize advances of YAP and TAZ function during eye development in different model organisms, introduce their function in different ocular tissues and eye diseases, and highlight the potential for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Yi Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sen Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian Ye
- Department of Ophthalmology and Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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28
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Wang GN, Zhong M, Chen Y, Ji J, Gao XQ, Wang TF. Expression of WNT1 in ameloblastoma and its significance. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:1507-1512. [PMID: 30008830 PMCID: PMC6036424 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to measure the expression of WNT1 in ameloblastoma (AB). Immunohistochemistry was used to observe changes in WNT1 expression in 80 AB samples, 10 keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) samples and 10 normal oral mucosa (NOM) samples. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to measure WNT1 protein and mRNA expression, respectively, in 30 AB samples, 5 KCOT samples, 5 NOM samples and 3 tooth germ samples. Ectopic cytoplasmic expression of WNT1 was detected in AB; 88.8% (71/80) of the samples were WNT1-positive. The western blotting results demonstrated that compared with NOM (0.57±0.05), WNT1 expression was significantly higher in AB tissue (1.74±0.36, P<0.05), whereas it was not significantly different between AB and KCOT samples (0.80±0.06, P>0.05). RT-qPCR revealed that the level of WNT1 gene expression in AB was increased 2.43-fold compared with normal mucosa, and 1.77-fold compared with tooth germ tissue. In conclusion, WNT1 protein and mRNA expression were increased in AB, and there was ectopic cytoplasmic expression. This indicates that WNT1 may serve an important role in AB occurrence and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Nan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Stomatological Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, P.R. China.,Basic Medicine College, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Stomatological Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, P.R. China
| | - Yv Chen
- Department of Pathology, Stomatological Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, P.R. China
| | - Jia Ji
- Department of Pathology, Stomatological Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, P.R. China
| | - Xiu-Qiu Gao
- Department of Oral Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China
| | - Tian-Fu Wang
- Liaoning Railway Vocational and Technical College, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China
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29
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Sarkar A, Gogia N, Farley K, Payton L, Singh A. Characterization of a morphogenetic furrow specific Gal4 driver in the developing Drosophila eye. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196365. [PMID: 29702674 PMCID: PMC5922546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to express a gene of interest in a spatio-temporal manner using Gal4-UAS system has allowed the use of Drosophila model to study various biological phenomenon. During Drosophila eye development, a synchronous wave of differentiation called Morphogenetic furrow (MF) initiates at the posterior margin resulting in differentiation of retinal neurons. This synchronous differentiation is also observed in the differentiating retina of vertebrates. Since MF is highly dynamic, it can serve as an excellent model to study patterning and differentiation. However, there are not any Gal4 drivers available to observe the gain- of- function or loss- of- function of a gene specifically along the dynamic MF. The decapentaplegic (dpp) gene encodes a secreted protein of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily that expresses at the posterior margin and then moves with the MF. However, unlike the MF associated pattern of dpp gene expression, the targeted dpp-Gal4 driver expression is restricted to the posterior margin of the developing eye disc. We screened GMR lines harboring regulatory regions of dpp fused with Gal4 coding region to identify MF specific enhancer of dpp using a GFP reporter gene. We employed immuno-histochemical approaches to detect gene expression. The rationale was that GFP reporter expression will correspond to the dpp expression domain in the developing eye. We identified two new dpp-Gal4 lines, viz., GMR17E04-Gal4 and GMR18D08-Gal4 that carry sequences from first intron region of dpp gene. GMR17E04-Gal4 drives expression along the MF during development and later in the entire pupal retina whereas GMR18D08-Gal4 drives expression of GFP transgene in the entire developing eye disc, which later drives expression only in the ventral half of the pupal retina. Thus, GMR18D08-Gal4 will serve as a new reagent for targeting gene expression in the ventral half of the pupal retina. We compared misexpression phenotypes of Wg, a negative regulator of eye development, using GMR17E04-Gal4, GMR18D08-Gal4 with existing dpp-Gal4 driver. The eye phenotypes generated by using our newly identified MF specific driver are not similar to the ones generated by existing dpp-Gal4 driver. It suggests that misexpression studies along MF needs revisiting using the new Gal4 drivers generated in our studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
| | - Kevin Farley
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
| | - Lydia Payton
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
- Premedical Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
- Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
- The Integrative Science and Engineering Center, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States of America
- Affiliate Member, Center for Genome Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, United States of America
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30
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Jahanshahi M, Hsiao K, Jenny A, Pfleger CM. The Hippo Pathway Targets Rae1 to Regulate Mitosis and Organ Size and to Feed Back to Regulate Upstream Components Merlin, Hippo, and Warts. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006198. [PMID: 27494403 PMCID: PMC4975479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippo signaling acts as a master regulatory pathway controlling growth, proliferation, and apoptosis and also ensures that variations in proliferation do not alter organ size. How the pathway coordinates restricting proliferation with organ size control remains a major unanswered question. Here we identify Rae1 as a highly-conserved target of the Hippo Pathway integrating proliferation and organ size. Genetic and biochemical studies in Drosophila cells and tissues and in mammalian cells indicate that Hippo signaling promotes Rae1 degradation downstream of Warts/Lats. In proliferating cells, Rae1 loss restricts cyclin B levels and organ size while Rae1 over-expression increases cyclin B levels and organ size, similar to Hippo Pathway over-activation or loss-of-function, respectively. Importantly, Rae1 regulation by the Hippo Pathway is crucial for its regulation of cyclin B and organ size; reducing Rae1 blocks cyclin B accumulation and suppresses overgrowth caused by Hippo Pathway loss. Surprisingly, in addition to suppressing overgrowth, reducing Rae1 also compromises survival of epithelial tissue overgrowing due to loss of Hippo signaling leading to a tissue “synthetic lethality” phenotype. Excitingly, Rae1 plays a highly conserved role to reduce the levels and activity of the Yki/YAP oncogene. Rae1 increases activation of the core kinases Hippo and Warts and plays a post-transcriptional role to increase the protein levels of the Merlin, Hippo, and Warts components of the pathway; therefore, in addition to Rae1 coordinating organ size regulation with proliferative control, we propose that Rae1 also acts in a feedback circuit to regulate pathway homeostasis. Exquisite control of organ size is critical during animal development and its loss results in pathological conditions. The Hippo Tumor Suppressor Pathway coordinates regulation of proliferation, growth, apoptosis, and autophagy to determine and maintain precise control of organ size. However, the genes responsible for Hippo-mediated regulation of mitosis or coordination of proliferation within organ size control have evaded characterization. Here, we describe Rae1, an essential WD-repeat containing protein, as a new organ size regulator. By genetic analysis, we show that Rae1 acts downstream of the Hippo Pathway to regulate mitotic cyclins and organ size. In contexts where organ size control is lost by compromised Hippo signaling, we show that there is a requirement for Rae1 that is distinct from the requriement for Yki: reducing Yki levels causes suppression of overgrowth, while reducing Rae1 levels dramatically compromises the survival of Hippo-deficient tissue. Lastly, our studies of Rae1 uncovered a potential post-transcriptional feedback loop that reinforces Yorkie-mediated transcriptional feedback for the Hippo Pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Jahanshahi
- Department of Oncological Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kuangfu Hsiao
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Andreas Jenny
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Cathie M. Pfleger
- Department of Oncological Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Wittkorn E, Sarkar A, Garcia K, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. The Hippo pathway effector Yki downregulates Wg signaling to promote retinal differentiation in the Drosophila eye. J Cell Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.174706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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