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Porrazzo A, Cassandri M, D'Alessandro A, Morciano P, Rota R, Marampon F, Cenci G. DNA repair in tumor radioresistance: insights from fruit flies genetics. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:717-732. [PMID: 38095764 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00906-6] [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] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiation therapy (RT) is a key anti-cancer treatment that involves using ionizing radiation to kill tumor cells. However, this therapy can lead to short- and long-term adverse effects due to radiation exposure of surrounding normal tissue. The type of DNA damage inflicted by radiation therapy determines its effectiveness. High levels of genotoxic damage can lead to cell cycle arrest, senescence, and cell death, but many tumors can cope with this damage by activating protective mechanisms. Intrinsic and acquired radioresistance are major causes of tumor recurrence, and understanding these mechanisms is crucial for cancer therapy. The mechanisms behind radioresistance involve processes like hypoxia response, cell proliferation, DNA repair, apoptosis inhibition, and autophagy. CONCLUSION Here we briefly review the role of genetic and epigenetic factors involved in the modulation of DNA repair and DNA damage response that promote radioresistance. In addition, leveraging our recent results on the effects of low dose rate (LDR) of ionizing radiation on Drosophila melanogaster we discuss how this model organism can be instrumental in the identification of conserved factors involved in the tumor resistance to RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Porrazzo
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea D'Alessandro
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Morciano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Degli Studi dell'Aquila, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
- Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), INFN, Assergi, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cenci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
- Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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Urban JM, Bateman JR, Garza KR, Borden J, Jain J, Brown A, Thach BJ, Bliss JE, Gerbi SA. Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila larvae up-regulate DNA repair pathways and down-regulate developmental regulators in response to ionizing radiation. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad208. [PMID: 38066617 PMCID: PMC10917502 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad208] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The level of resistance to radiation and the developmental and molecular responses can vary between species, and even between developmental stages of one species. For flies (order: Diptera), prior studies concluded that the fungus gnat Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila (sub-order: Nematocera) is more resistant to irradiation-induced mutations that cause visible phenotypes than the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (sub-order: Brachycera). Therefore, we characterized the effects of and level of resistance to ionizing radiation on B. coprophila throughout its life cycle. Our data show that B. coprophila embryos are highly sensitive to even low doses of gamma-irradiation, whereas late-stage larvae can tolerate up to 80 Gy (compared to 40 Gy for D. melanogaster) and still retain their ability to develop to adulthood, though with a developmental delay. To survey the genes involved in the early transcriptional response to irradiation of B. coprophila larvae, we compared larval RNA-seq profiles with and without radiation treatment. The up-regulated genes were enriched for DNA damage response genes, including those involved in DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis, whereas the down-regulated genes were enriched for developmental regulators, consistent with the developmental delay of irradiated larvae. Interestingly, members of the PARP and AGO families were highly up-regulated in the B. coprophila radiation response. We compared the transcriptome responses in B. coprophila to the transcriptome responses in D. melanogaster from 3 previous studies: whereas pathway responses are highly conserved, specific gene responses are less so. Our study lays the groundwork for future work on the radiation responses in Diptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Urban
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Laboratories, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jack R Bateman
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Kodie R Garza
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Julia Borden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Jaison Jain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Alexia Brown
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Bethany J Thach
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Jacob E Bliss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Susan A Gerbi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Xu X, An H, Wu C, Sang R, Wu L, Lou Y, Yang X, Xi Y. HR repair pathway plays a crucial role in maintaining neural stem cell fate under irradiation stress. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201802. [PMID: 37197982 PMCID: PMC10192720 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental stress can cause mutation or genomic instability in stem cells which, in some cases, leads to tumorigenesis. Mechanisms to monitor and eliminate these mutant stem cells remain elusive. Here, using the Drosophila larval brain as a model, we show that X-ray irradiation (IR) at the early larval stage leads to accumulation of nuclear Prospero (Pros), resulting in premature differentiation of neural stem cells (neuroblasts, NBs). Through NB-specific RNAi screenings, we determined that it is the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex and the homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway, rather than non-homologous end-joining pathway that plays, a dominant role in the maintenance of NBs under IR stress. The DNA damage sensor ATR/mei-41 is shown to act to prevent IR-induced nuclear Pros in a WRNexo-dependent manner. The accumulation of nuclear Pros in NBs under IR stress, leads to NB cell fate termination, rather than resulting in mutant cell proliferation. Our study reveals an emerging mechanism for the HR repair pathway in maintaining neural stem cell fate under irradiation stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xu
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanping An
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Biology of Hanzhong City, Hanzhong Vocational and Technique College, Hanzhong, China
| | - Cheng Wu
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rong Sang
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Litao Wu
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuhan Lou
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohang Yang
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Joint Institute of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Between Zhejiang University and University of Toronto, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongmei Xi
- The Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Development Disorders, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Shen C, Hao S, Duan W, Liu L, Wei H. Ionizing radiation alters functional neurotransmission in Drosophila larvae. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1151489. [PMID: 37484822 PMCID: PMC10357008 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1151489] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Patients undergoing cranial ionizing radiation therapy for brain malignancies are at increased risk of long-term neurocognitive decline, which is poorly understood and currently untreatable. Although the molecular pathogenesis has been intensively researched in many organisms, whether and how ionizing radiation alters functional neurotransmission remains unknown. This is the first study addressing physiological changes in neurotransmission after ionizing radiation exposure. Methods To elucidate the cellular mechanisms of radiation damage, using calcium imaging, we analyzed the effects of ionizing radiation on the neurotransmitter-evoked responses of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-releasing neurons in Drosophila larvae, which play essential roles in normal larval development. Results The neurotransmitters dopamine and tyramine decreased intracellular calcium levels of PTTH neurons in a dose-dependent manner. In gamma irradiated third-instar larvae, a dose of 25 Gy increased the sensitivity of PTTH neurons to dopamine and tyramine, and delayed development, possibly in response to abnormal functional neurotransmission. This irradiation level did not affect the viability and arborization of PTTH neurons and successful survival to adulthood. Exposure to a 40-Gy dose of gamma irradiation decreased the neurotransmitter sensitivity, physiological viability and axo-dendritic length of PTTH neurons. These serious damages led to substantial developmental delays and a precipitous reduction in the percentage of larvae that survived to adulthood. Our results demonstrate that gamma irradiation alters neurotransmitter-evoked responses, indicating synapses are vulnerable targets of ionizing radiation. Discussion The current study provides new insights into ionizing radiation-induced disruption of physiological neurotransmitter signaling, which should be considered in preventive therapeutic interventions to reduce risks of neurological deficits after photon therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics, Beijing, China
| | - Yihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Shen
- China Electronics Technology Group Corporation No. 45 Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Shun Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlan Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongying Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Wagle R, Song YH. Sensitive-stage embryo irradiation affects embryonic neuroblasts and adult motor function. Mol Cell Toxicol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13273-021-00212-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cranial radiation therapy for treating childhood malignancies in the central nervous system or accidental radiation exposure may result in neurological side effects in surviving adults. As tissue homeostasis is maintained by stem cells, understanding the effect of radiation on neural stem cells will provide clues for managing the neurological effects. Drosophila embryos were used as a model system whose sensitivity to irradiation-induced cell death changes from the sensitive to resistant stage during development.
Objective
Drosophila embryos at the radiation-sensitive stage were irradiated at various doses and the radiation sensitivity was tested regarding the appearance of apoptotic cells in the embryos and the embryonic lethality. Cell fates of the neural stem cells called neuroblasts (NBs) and adult motor function after irradiation were also investigated.
Result
Irradiation of Drosophila embryos at the radiation-sensitive stage resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the number of embryos containing apoptotic cells 75 min after treatment starting at 3 Gy. Embryonic lethality assayed by hatch rate was induced by 1 Gy irradiation, which did not induce cell death. Notably, no apoptosis was detected in NBs up to 2 h after irradiation at doses as high as 40 Gy. At 3 h after irradiation, as low as 3 Gy, the number of NBs marked by Dpn and Klu was decreased by an unidentified mechanism regardless of the cell death status of the embryo. Furthermore, embryonic irradiation at 3 Gy, but not 1 Gy, resulted in locomotor defects in surviving adults.
Conclusion
Embryonic NBs survived irradiation at doses as high as 40 Gy, while cells in other parts of the embryos underwent apoptosis at doses higher than 3 Gy within 2 h after treatment. Three hours after exposure to a minimum dose of 3 Gy, the number of NBs marked by Dpn and Klu decreased, and the surviving adults exhibited defects in locomotor ability.
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Agrawal N, Verma K, Baghel D, Chauhan A, Prasad DN, Sharma SK, Kohli E. Effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field on different developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 97:1606-1616. [PMID: 34402374 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1969465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The model biological organism Drosophila melanogaster has been utilized to assess the effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on locomotion, longevity, developmental dynamics, cell viability and oxidative stress. MATERIALS AND METHOD Developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R strain) individually exposed to ELF-EMF (75 Hz, 550 µT) for 6 h once for acute exposure. For chronic exposure, complete life cycle of fly, that is, egg to adult fly was exposed to ELF-EMF for 6 h daily. The effect of exposure on their crawling and climbing ability, longevity, development dynamics, cellular damage and oxidative stress (generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) was evaluated. RESULTS The crawling ability of larvae was significantly (p < .05) reduced on acute (third stage instar larvae) as well as chronic exposure (F0 and F1 larvae). When locomotion of flies was tested using climbing assay, no alteration was observed in their climbing ability under both acute and chronic exposure; however, when their speed of climbing was compared, a significant decrease in speed of F1 flies was observed (p = .0027) on chronic exposure. The survivability of flies was significantly affected under chronic and acute exposure (at third stage instar larvae). In case of acute exposure of the third stage instar larvae, although all the flies were eclosed by the 17th day, there was a significant decline in the number of flies (p = .007) in comparison to control. While in case of chronic exposure apart from low number of flies eclosed in comparison to control, there was delay in eclosion by one day (p = .0004). Using trypan blue assay, the internal gut damage of third stage instar larvae was observed. Under acute exposure condition at third stage instar larvae, 30% larvae has taken up trypan blue, while only 10% larvae from acute exposure at adult stage. On chronic exposure, 50% larvae of the F1 generation have taken up trypan blue. On evaluation of oxidative stress, there is a significant rise in ROS in case of acute exposure at third stage instar larvae (p = .0004), adult fly stage (p = .0004) and chronic exposure (p = .0001). CONCLUSION ELF-EMF has maximum effects on acute exposure of third stage instar larvae and chronic exposure (egg to adult fly stage). These results suggest that electromagnetic radiations, though, have become indispensible part of our lives but they plausibly affect our health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Agrawal
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Kalyani Verma
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Doli Baghel
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Amitabh Chauhan
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Dipti N Prasad
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Sanjeev K Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Instrumentation, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
| | - Ekta Kohli
- Department of Neurobiology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi, India
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Lika J, Katzenberger RJ, Ganetzky B, Wassarman DA. Effects of blunt force injuries in third-instar Drosophila larvae persist through metamorphosis and reduce adult lifespan. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021. [PMID: 34278243 PMCID: PMC8278228 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Blunt force injuries are a significant cause of disability and death worldwide. Here, we describe a Drosophila melanogaster model of blunt force injury that can be used to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the short-term and long-term effects of injuries sustained at a juvenile stage of development. Injuries inflicted in late third-instar larvae using the spring-based High-Impact Trauma (HIT) device robustly activated the humoral defense response process of melanization and caused larval and pupal lethality. Additionally, adults that developed from injured larvae had reduced lifespans, indicating that cellular and molecular mechanisms activated by blunt force injuries in larvae persist through metamorphosis and adult development. Previously, the HIT device has been used to investigate genetic and environmental factors underlying mechanisms that contribute to consequences of blunt force injuries incurred in adult flies. This work expands use of the HIT device to a juvenile stage of development, offering the opportunity to investigate whether the consequences of blunt force injuries involve different factors and mechanisms at different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgo Lika
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Rebeccah J Katzenberger
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Barry Ganetzky
- Department of Genetics, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - David A Wassarman
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
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Yamashita K, Oi A, Kosakamoto H, Yamauchi T, Kadoguchi H, Kuraishi T, Miura M, Obata F. Activation of innate immunity during development induces unresolved dysbiotic inflammatory gut and shortens lifespan. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:271978. [PMID: 34448472 PMCID: PMC8405880 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life inflammatory response is associated with risks of age-related pathologies. How transient immune signalling activity during animal development influences life-long fitness is not well understood. Using Drosophila as a model, we find that activation of innate immune pathway IMD signalling in the developing larvae increases adult starvation resistance, decreases food intake, and shortens organismal lifespan. Interestingly, lifespan is shortened by the IMD activation in the larval gut and fat body, while starvation resistance and food intake are altered by that in neurons. The adult flies developed with IMD activation show sustained IMD activity in the gut, despite complete tissue renewal during metamorphosis. The larval IMD activation increases an immuno-stimulative bacterial species Gluconobacter sp. in the gut microbiome, and this dysbiosis is persistent to adulthood. Removing gut microbiota by antibiotics in adult mitigates intestinal immune activation and rescues the shortened lifespan. This study demonstrates that early-life immune activation triggers long-term physiological changes as highlighted as an irreversible gut microbiota alteration, prolonged inflammatory intestine, and concomitant shortening of the organismal lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Yamashita
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ayano Oi
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.,Laboratory for Nutritional Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hina Kosakamoto
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.,Laboratory for Nutritional Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Yamauchi
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hibiki Kadoguchi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Shizenken, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kuraishi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Shizenken, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Masayuki Miura
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Obata
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.,Laboratory for Nutritional Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology and Development, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Proshkina E, Yushkova E, Koval L, Zemskaya N, Shchegoleva E, Solovev I, Yakovleva D, Pakshina N, Ulyasheva N, Shaposhnikov M, Moskalev A. Tissue-Specific Knockdown of Genes of the Argonaute Family Modulates Lifespan and Radioresistance in Drosophila Melanogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2396. [PMID: 33673647 PMCID: PMC7957547 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small RNAs are essential to coordinate many cellular processes, including the regulation of gene expression patterns, the prevention of genomic instability, and the suppression of the mutagenic transposon activity. These processes determine the aging, longevity, and sensitivity of cells and an organism to stress factors (particularly, ionizing radiation). The biogenesis and activity of small RNAs are provided by proteins of the Argonaute family. These proteins participate in the processing of small RNA precursors and the formation of an RNA-induced silencing complex. However, the role of Argonaute proteins in regulating lifespan and radioresistance remains poorly explored. We studied the effect of knockdown of Argonaute genes (AGO1, AGO2, AGO3, piwi) in various tissues on the Drosophila melanogaster lifespan and survival after the γ-irradiation at a dose of 700 Gy. In most cases, these parameters are reduced or did not change significantly in flies with tissue-specific RNA interference. Surprisingly, piwi knockdown in both the fat body and the nervous system causes a lifespan increase. But changes in radioresistance depend on the tissue in which the gene was knocked out. In addition, analysis of changes in retrotransposon levels and expression of stress response genes allow us to determine associated molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Proshkina
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Elena Yushkova
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Liubov Koval
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Nadezhda Zemskaya
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Evgeniya Shchegoleva
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Ilya Solovev
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University, 55 Oktyabrsky Prosp., 167001 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Daria Yakovleva
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University, 55 Oktyabrsky Prosp., 167001 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Natalya Pakshina
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Natalia Ulyasheva
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Mikhail Shaposhnikov
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
| | - Alexey Moskalev
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya St., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; (E.P.); (E.Y.); (L.K.); (N.Z.); (E.S.); (I.S.); (D.Y.); (N.P.); (N.U.); (M.S.)
- Laboratory of Post-Genomic Research, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
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10
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Lee HJ, Lee SH, Lee JH, Kim Y, Seong KM, Jin YW, Min KJ. Role of Commensal Microbes in the γ-Ray Irradiation-Induced Physiological Changes in Drosophila melanogaster. Microorganisms 2020; 9:microorganisms9010031. [PMID: 33374132 PMCID: PMC7824294 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation induces biological/physiological changes and affects commensal microbes, but few studies have examined the relationship between the physiological changes induced by irradiation and commensal microbes. This study investigated the role of commensal microbes in the γ-ray irradiation-induced physiological changes in Drosophila melanogaster. The bacterial load was increased in 5 Gy irradiated flies, but irradiation decreased the number of operational taxonomic units. The mean lifespan of conventional flies showed no significant change by irradiation, whereas that of axenic flies was negatively correlated with the radiation dose. γ-Ray irradiation did not change the average number of eggs in both conventional and axenic flies. Locomotion of conventional flies was decreased after 5 Gy radiation exposure, whereas no significant change in locomotion activity was detected in axenic flies after irradiation. γ-Ray irradiation increased the generation of reactive oxygen species in both conventional and axenic flies, but the increase was higher in axenic flies. Similarly, the amounts of mitochondria were increased in irradiated axenic flies but not in conventional flies. These results suggest that axenic flies are more sensitive in their mitochondrial responses to radiation than conventional flies, and increased sensitivity leads to a reduced lifespan and other physiological changes in axenic flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwa-Jin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea; (H.-J.L.); (S.-H.L.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Shin-Hae Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea; (H.-J.L.); (S.-H.L.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Ji-Hyeon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea; (H.-J.L.); (S.-H.L.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Yongjoong Kim
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul 01812, Korea; (Y.K.); (K.M.S.); (Y.W.J.)
| | - Ki Moon Seong
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul 01812, Korea; (Y.K.); (K.M.S.); (Y.W.J.)
| | - Young Woo Jin
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul 01812, Korea; (Y.K.); (K.M.S.); (Y.W.J.)
| | - Kyung-Jin Min
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea; (H.-J.L.); (S.-H.L.); (J.-H.L.)
- Correspondence:
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11
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Nakajima K, Gao T, Kume K, Iwata H, Hirai S, Omachi C, Tomita J, Ogino H, Naito M, Shibamoto Y. Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as an In Vivo Tool to Study the Biological Effects of Proton Irradiation. Radiat Res 2020; 194:143-152. [PMID: 32845992 DOI: 10.1667/rade-20-00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The clinical superiority of proton therapy over photon therapy has recently gained recognition; however, the biological effects of proton therapy remain poorly understood. The lack of in vivo evidence is especially important. Therefore, the goal of this study was to validate the usefulness of Drosophila melanogaster as an alternative tool in proton radiobiology. To determine whether the comparative biological effects of protons and X rays are detectable in Drosophila, we assessed their influence on survival and mRNA expression. Postirradiation observation revealed that protons inhibited their development and reduced the overall survival rates more effectively than X rays. The relative biological effectiveness of the proton beams compared to the X rays estimated from the 50% lethal doses was 1.31. At 2 or 24 h postirradiation, mRNA expression analysis demonstrated that the expression patterns of several genes (such as DNA-repair-, apoptosis- and angiogenesis-related genes) followed different time courses depending on radiation type. Moreover, our trials suggested that the knockdown of individual genes by the GAL4/UAS system changes the radiosensitivity in a radiation type-specific manner. We confirmed this Drosophila model to be considerably useful to evaluate the findings from in vitro studies in an in vivo system. Furthermore, this model has a potential to elucidate more complex biological mechanisms underlying proton irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Nakajima
- Departments of Radiation Oncology.,Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - TianXiang Gao
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Kume
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Iwata
- Departments of Radiation Oncology.,Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shuichi Hirai
- Department of Anatomy, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Chihiro Omachi
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Proton Therapy Physics, Nagoya Proton Therapy Center, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Jun Tomita
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ogino
- Departments of Radiation Oncology.,Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Munekazu Naito
- Department of Anatomy, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Yuta Shibamoto
- Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
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12
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Hu X, Fu W, Yang X, Mu Y, Gu W, Zhang M. Effects of cadmium on fecundity and defence ability of Drosophila melanogaster. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 171:871-877. [PMID: 30665104 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (chemical symbol, Cd) is an extremely common pollutant that poses a toxicity threat to organisms. Therefore, we tested Drosophila melanogaster fecundity, Cd accumulation, and activity of two enzymes following Cd stress and used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the mRNA expression levels of several genes involved in fecundity and defence. D. melanogaster was placed in a medium containing different concentrations of Cd (13, 26, and 52 mg L-1), following which, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy showed that Cd accumulation in Drosophila increased with the increase in its dietary intake. We also observed that Cd at these concentrations significantly prolonged the mating latency in females and reduced the number of eggs laid. However, the same Cd concentrations did not affect male fecundity. Acetylcholinesterase activity was only detected at 52 mg L-1 Cd in both sexes, whereas glutathione S-transferase activity was inhibited at 26 and 52 mg L-1 Cd in females. The results of qPCR indicated that exposure to 13-52 mg L-1 Cd affected the expression of reproduction-related genes, including downregulation of enok and upregulation of dally and dpp. The same level of exposure also induced transcriptional responses from three defence-related genes (hsp70, gstd2, and gstd6). Taken together, the results revealed that Cd exposure might negatively affect the expression of genes associated with D. melanogaster reproduction and trigger the transcription of defence-related genes. We suggest that further analyses of fecundity and defence responses may help develop indicators of Cd toxicity and improve our understanding of antitoxin defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Weili Fu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Xingran Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Yun Mu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Wei Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Min Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
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13
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Bhukel A, Beuschel CB, Maglione M, Lehmann M, Juhász G, Madeo F, Sigrist SJ. Autophagy within the mushroom body protects from synapse aging in a non-cell autonomous manner. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1318. [PMID: 30899013 PMCID: PMC6428838 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09262-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular maintenance program, meant to protect the brain from premature aging and neurodegeneration. How neuronal autophagy, usually loosing efficacy with age, intersects with neuronal processes mediating brain maintenance remains to be explored. Here, we show that impairing autophagy in the Drosophila learning center (mushroom body, MB) but not in other brain regions triggered changes normally restricted to aged brains: impaired associative olfactory memory as well as a brain-wide ultrastructural increase of presynaptic active zones (metaplasticity), a state non-compatible with memory formation. Mechanistically, decreasing autophagy within the MBs reduced expression of an NPY-family neuropeptide, and interfering with autocrine NPY signaling of the MBs provoked similar brain-wide metaplastic changes. Our results in an exemplary fashion show that autophagy-regulated signaling emanating from a higher brain integration center can execute high-level control over other brain regions to steer life-strategy decisions such as whether or not to form memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Bhukel
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure, Charité, Charitéplatz 1, 11007, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Brigitte Beuschel
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure, Charité, Charitéplatz 1, 11007, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Maglione
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure, Charité, Charitéplatz 1, 11007, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Lehmann
- Leibniz Forschungsinstitut Für Molecular Pharmakologie, Campus Berlin-Buch, Robert-Roessle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabor Juhász
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány, s. 1/C. 6.520, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Frank Madeo
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50/EG, 8010, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- NeuroCure, Charité, Charitéplatz 1, 11007, Berlin, Germany.
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14
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Park J, Ahn HM, Kwon T, Seo S, Park S, Jin YW, Seong KM. Epithelial cell shape change of Drosophila as a biomonitoring model for the dose assessment of environmental radiation. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 157:292-299. [PMID: 29627413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Inevitable exposure to ionizing radiation from natural and human-made sources has been increasing over time. After nuclear disasters, such as the Fukushima accident, the public concerns on health risk of radiation exposure because of radioactive contamination of the environment have increased. However, it is very difficult to assess the biological effects of exposure caused by environmental radiation. A reliable and rapid bioassay to monitor the physiological effects of radiation exposure is therefore needed. Here, we quantitatively analyzed the changes in cell shape in Drosophila epidermis after irradiation as a model for biomonitoring of radiation. Interestingly, the number of irregularly shaped epithelial cells was increased by irradiation in a dose-dependent manner. A dose-response curve constructed with the obtained data suggests that the measurement of the number of irregular shaped cell in the epidermis is useful for the assessment of radiation dose. In addition, a comparison of the variation in the different samples and the data scored by different observers showed that our evaluation for cellular morphology was highly reliable and accurate and would, therefore, have immense practical application. Overall, our study suggests that detection of morphological changes in the epithelial cells is one of the efficient ways to quantify the levels of exposure to radioactive radiation from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jina Park
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyo Min Ahn
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - TaeWoo Kwon
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Songwon Seo
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sunhoo Park
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea; Departments of Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Woo Jin
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ki Moon Seong
- Laboratory of Low Dose Risk Assessment, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
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15
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Morciano P, Cipressa F, Porrazzo A, Esposito G, Tabocchini MA, Cenci G. Fruit Flies Provide New Insights in Low-Radiation Background Biology at the INFN Underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS). Radiat Res 2018; 190:217-225. [PMID: 29863430 DOI: 10.1667/rr15083.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Deep underground laboratories (DULs) were originally created to host particle, astroparticle or nuclear physics experiments requiring a low-background environment with vastly reduced levels of cosmic-ray particle interference. More recently, the range of science projects requiring an underground experiment site has greatly expanded, thus leading to the recognition of DULs as truly multidisciplinary science sites that host important studies in several fields, including geology, geophysics, climate and environmental sciences, technology/instrumentation development and biology. So far, underground biology experiments are ongoing or planned in a few of the currently operating DULs. Among these DULs is the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), where the majority of radiobiological data have been collected. Here we provide a summary of the current scenario of DULs around the world, as well as the specific features of the LNGS and a summary of the results we obtained so far, together with other findings collected in different underground laboratories. In particular, we focus on the recent results from our studies of Drosophila melanogaster, which provide the first evidence of the influence of the radiation environment on life span, fertility and response to genotoxic stress at the organism level. Given the increasing interest in this field and the establishment of new projects, it is possible that in the near future more DULs will serve as sites of radiobiology experiments, thus providing further relevant biological information at extremely low-dose-rate radiation. Underground experiments can be nicely complemented with above-ground studies at increasing dose rate. A systematic study performed in different exposure scenarios provides a potential opportunity to address important radiation protection questions, such as the dose/dose-rate relationship for cancer and non-cancer risk, the possible existence of dose/dose-rate threshold(s) for different biological systems and/or end points and the possible role of radiation quality in triggering the biological response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Morciano
- a Dipartimento Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", SAPIENZA Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Cipressa
- a Dipartimento Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", SAPIENZA Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.,c Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Porrazzo
- a Dipartimento Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", SAPIENZA Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Esposito
- b Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS) and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonella Tabocchini
- b Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS) and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione Roma 1, Rome, Italy.,c Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cenci
- a Dipartimento Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", SAPIENZA Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.,c Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy
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16
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Persistent Activation of the Innate Immune Response in Adult Drosophila Following Radiation Exposure During Larval Development. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2015; 5:2299-306. [PMID: 26333838 PMCID: PMC4632050 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.021782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cranial radiation therapy (CRT) is an effective treatment for pediatric central nervous system malignancies, but survivors often suffer from neurological and neurocognitive side effects that occur many years after radiation exposure. Although the biological mechanisms underlying these deleterious side effects are incompletely understood, radiation exposure triggers an acute inflammatory response that may evolve into chronic inflammation, offering one avenue of investigation. Recently, we developed a Drosophila model of the neurotoxic side effects of radiation exposure. Here we use this model to investigate the role of the innate immune system in response to radiation exposure. We show that the innate immune response and NF-ĸB target gene expression is activated in the adult Drosophila brain following radiation exposure during larval development, and that this response is sustained in adult flies weeks after radiation exposure. We also present preliminary data suggesting that innate immunity is radioprotective during Drosophila development. Together our data suggest that activation of the innate immune response may be beneficial initially for survival following radiation exposure but result in long-term deleterious consequences, with chronic inflammation leading to impaired neuronal function and viability at later stages. This work lays the foundation for future studies of how the innate immune response is triggered by radiation exposure and its role in mediating the biological responses to radiation. These studies may facilitate the development of strategies to reduce the deleterious side effects of CRT.
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