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Morgan MB, Williams J, Breeze B, English N, Higdon N, Onthank K, Qualley DF. Synergistic and antagonistic interactions of oxybenzone and ocean acidification: new insight into vulnerable cellular processes in non-calcifying anthozoans. Front Physiol 2024; 14:1332446. [PMID: 38274044 PMCID: PMC10808722 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1332446] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians face significant threats from ocean acidification (OA) and anthropogenic pollutants such as oxybenzone (BP-3). The convergence of threats from multiple stressors is an important area to investigate because of potential significant synergistic or antagonistic interactions. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to characterize the expression profiles of twenty-two genes of interest (GOI) in sea anemones (Exaiptasia diaphana) exposed to one of four treatments: 1) 96 h of OA conditions followed by a 4 h exposure to 20 ppb BP-3; 2) Exposure to 4 h 20 ppb BP-3 without 96 h of OA; 3) Exposure to 96 h of OA alone; or 4) laboratory conditions with no exposure to BP-3 and/or OA. These 22 GOIs represent cellular processes associated with proton-dependent transport, sodium-dependent transport, metal cation binding/transport, extracellular matrix, amino acid metabolism/transport, immunity, and/or steroidogenesis. These 22 GOIs provide new insight into vulnerable cellular processes in non-calcifying anthozoans exposed to OA and BP-3. Expression profiles were categorized as synergistic, antagonistic, or additive of BP-3 in the presence of OA. Two GOIs were synergistic. Fifteen GOIs were antagonistic and the remaining five GOIs were additive in response to BP-3 in acidified seawater. A subset of these GOIs appear to be candidate biomarkers for future in situ investigations. In human health, proton-dependent monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are promising pharmacological targets and recognized as potential biomarkers. By comparison, these same MCTs appear to be targets of xenobiotic chemical pollutants in cnidarian physiology. In the presence of BP-3, a network of collagen synthesis genes are upregulated and antagonistic in their expression profiles. Cytochrome b561 is a critical protein required for collagen synthesis and in silico modeling demonstrates BP-3 binds in the pocket of cytochrome b561. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of "drug-like" compounds such as BP-3 may lead to a more comprehensive interpretation of transcriptional expression profiles. The collective antagonistic responses of GOIs associated with collagen synthesis strongly suggests these GOIs should be considered candidate biomarkers of effect. GOIs with synergistic and additive responses represent candidate biomarkers of exposure. Results show the effects of OA and BP-3 are interactive with respect to their impact on cnidarians. This investigation offers mechanistic data that supports the expression profiles and underpins higher order physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B. Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Jacob Williams
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Barrett Breeze
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Nicholas English
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Nathaniel Higdon
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Kirt Onthank
- Department of Biology, Walla Walla University, College Place, WA, United States
| | - Dominic F. Qualley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
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2
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A novel regulatory gene promotes novel cell fate by suppressing ancestral fate in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113701119. [PMID: 35500123 PMCID: PMC9172639 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113701119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we demonstrate how a new cell type can arise through duplication of an ancestral cell type followed by functional divergence of the new daughter cell. Specifically, we show that stinging cells in a cnidarian (namely, a sea anemone) emerged by duplication of an ancestral neuron followed by inhibition of the RFamide neuropeptide it once secreted. This finding is evidence that stinging cells evolved from a specific subtype of neurons and suggests other neuronal subtypes may have been coopted for other novel secretory functions. Cnidocytes (i.e., stinging cells) are an unequivocally novel cell type used by cnidarians (i.e., corals, jellyfish, and their kin) to immobilize prey. Although they are known to share a common evolutionary origin with neurons, the developmental program that promoted the emergence of cnidocyte fate is not known. Using functional genomics in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, we show that cnidocytes develop by suppression of neural fate in a subset of neurons expressing RFamide. We further show that a single regulatory gene, a C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor (ZNF845), coordinates both the gain of novel (cnidocyte-specific) traits and the inhibition of ancestral (neural) traits during cnidocyte development and that this gene arose by domain shuffling in the stem cnidarian. Thus, we report a mechanism by which a truly novel regulatory gene (ZNF845) promotes the development of a truly novel cell type (cnidocyte) through duplication of an ancestral cell lineage (neuron) and inhibition of its ancestral identity (RFamide).
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Erofeeva TV, Grigorenko AP, Gusev FE, Kosevich IA, Rogaev EI. Studying of Molecular Regulation of Developmental Processes of Lower Metazoans Exemplified by Cnidaria Using High-Throughput Sequencing. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:269-293. [PMID: 35526848 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922030075] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A unique set of features and characteristics of species of the Cnidaria phylum is the one reason that makes them a model for a various studies. The plasticity of a life cycle and the processes of cell differentiation and development of an integral multicellular organism associated with it are of a specific scientific interest. A new stage of development of molecular genetic methods, including methods for high-throughput genome, transcriptome, and epigenome sequencing, both at the level of the whole organism and at the level of individual cells, makes it possible to obtain a detailed picture of the development of these animals. This review examines some modern approaches and advances in the reconstruction of the processes of ontogenesis of cnidarians by studying the regulatory signal transduction pathways and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisia V Erofeeva
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anastasia P Grigorenko
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia.
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Fedor E Gusev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Igor A Kosevich
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Evgeny I Rogaev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA
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4
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Morgan MB, Ross J, Ellwanger J, Phrommala RM, Youngblood H, Qualley D, Williams J. Sea Anemones Responding to Sex Hormones, Oxybenzone, and Benzyl Butyl Phthalate: Transcriptional Profiling and in Silico Modelling Provide Clues to Decipher Endocrine Disruption in Cnidarians. Front Genet 2022; 12:793306. [PMID: 35087572 PMCID: PMC8787064 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.793306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disruption is suspected in cnidarians, but questions remain how occurs. Steroid sex hormones are detected in corals and sea anemones even though these animals do not have estrogen receptors and their repertoire of steroidogenic enzymes appears to be incomplete. Pathways associated with sex hormone biosynthesis and sterol signaling are an understudied area in cnidarian biology. The objective of this study was to identify a suite of genes that can be linked to exposure of endocrine disruptors. Exaiptasia diaphana were exposed to nominal 20ppb concentrations of estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), cholesterol, oxybenzone (BP-3), or benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) for 4 h. Eleven genes of interest (GOIs) were chosen from a previously generated EST library. The GOIs are 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases type 14 (17β HSD14) and type 12 (17β HSD12), Niemann-Pick C type 2 (NPC2), Equistatin (EI), Complement component C3 (C3), Cathepsin L (CTSL), Patched domain-containing protein 3 (PTCH3), Smoothened (SMO), Desert Hedgehog (DHH), Zinc finger protein GLI2 (GLI2), and Vitellogenin (VTG). These GOIs were selected because of functional associations with steroid hormone biosynthesis; cholesterol binding/transport; immunity; phagocytosis; or Hedgehog signaling. Quantitative Real-Time PCR quantified expression of GOIs. In silico modelling utilized protein structures from Protein Data Bank as well as creating protein structures with SWISS-MODEL. Results show transcription of steroidogenic enzymes, and cholesterol binding/transport proteins have similar transcription profiles for E2, T, and cholesterol treatments, but different profiles when BP-3 or BBP is present. C3 expression can differentiate between exposures to BP-3 versus BBP as well as exposure to cholesterol versus sex hormones. In silico modelling revealed all ligands (E2, T, cholesterol, BBP, and BP-3) have favorable binding affinities with 17β HSD14, 17β HSD12, NPC2, SMO, and PTCH proteins. VTG expression was down-regulated in the sterol treatments but up-regulated in BP-3 and BBP treatments. In summary, these eleven GOIs collectively generate unique transcriptional profiles capable of discriminating between the five chemical exposures used in this investigation. This suite of GOIs are candidate biomarkers for detecting transcriptional changes in steroidogenesis, gametogenesis, sterol transport, and Hedgehog signaling. Detection of disruptions in these pathways offers new insight into endocrine disruption in cnidarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - James Ross
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joseph Ellwanger
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | | | - Hannah Youngblood
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Dominic Qualley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Jacob Williams
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
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5
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Coppola U, Waxman JS. Origin and evolutionary landscape of Nr2f transcription factors across Metazoa. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254282. [PMID: 34807940 PMCID: PMC8608329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 2 Group F (Nr2f) orphan nuclear hormone transcription factors (TFs) are fundamental regulators of many developmental processes in invertebrates and vertebrates. Despite the importance of these TFs throughout metazoan development, previous work has not clearly outlined their evolutionary history. RESULTS We integrated molecular phylogeny with comparisons of intron/exon structure, domain architecture, and syntenic conservation to define critical evolutionary events that distinguish the Nr2f gene family in Metazoa. Our data indicate that a single ancestral eumetazoan Nr2f gene predated six main Bilateria subfamilies, which include single Nr2f homologs, here referred to as Nr2f1/2/5/6, that are present in invertebrate protostomes and deuterostomes, Nr2f1/2 homologs in agnathans, and Nr2f1, Nr2f2, Nr2f5, and Nr2f6 orthologs that are found in gnathostomes. Four cnidarian Nr2f1/2/5/6 and three agnathan Nr2f1/2 members are each due to independent expansions, while the vertebrate Nr2f1/Nr2f2 and Nr2f5/Nr2f6 members each form paralogous groups that arose from the established series of whole-genome duplications (WGDs). Nr2f6 members are the most divergent Nr2f subfamily in gnathostomes. Interestingly, in contrast to the other gnathostome Nr2f subfamilies, Nr2f5 has been independently lost in numerous vertebrate lineages. Furthermore, our analysis shows there are differential expansions and losses of Nr2f genes in teleosts following their additional rounds of WGDs. CONCLUSION Overall, our analysis of Nr2f gene evolution helps to reveal the origins and previously unrecognized relationships of this ancient TF family, which may allow for greater insights into the conservation of Nr2f functions that shape Metazoan body plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Coppola
- Molecular Cardiovascular Biology Division and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Joshua S. Waxman
- Molecular Cardiovascular Biology Division and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
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6
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Duffy DJ, Krstic A, Schwarzl T, Halasz M, Iljin K, Fey D, Haley B, Whilde J, Haapa-Paananen S, Fey V, Fischer M, Westermann F, Henrich KO, Bannert S, Higgins DG, Kolch W. Wnt signalling is a bi-directional vulnerability of cancer cells. Oncotarget 2018; 7:60310-60331. [PMID: 27531891 PMCID: PMC5312386 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signalling is involved in the formation, metastasis and relapse of a wide array of cancers. However, there is ongoing debate as to whether activation or inhibition of the pathway holds the most promise as a therapeutic treatment for cancer, with conflicting evidence from a variety of tumour types. We show that Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a bi-directional vulnerability of neuroblastoma, malignant melanoma and colorectal cancer, with hyper-activation or repression of the pathway both representing a promising therapeutic strategy, even within the same cancer type. Hyper-activation directs cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, even in cells oncogenically driven by β-catenin. Wnt inhibition blocks proliferation of cancer cells and promotes neuroblastoma differentiation. Wnt and retinoic acid co-treatments synergise, representing a promising combination treatment for MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. Additionally, we report novel cross-talks between MYCN and β-catenin signalling, which repress normal β-catenin mediated transcriptional regulation. A β-catenin target gene signature could predict patient outcome, as could the expression level of its DNA binding partners, the TCF/LEFs. This β-catenin signature provides a tool to identify neuroblastoma patients likely to benefit from Wnt-directed therapy. Taken together, we show that Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a bi-directional vulnerability of a number of cancer entities, and potentially a more broadly conserved feature of malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Duffy
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,Current address: The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Aleksandar Krstic
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas Schwarzl
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,Current address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melinda Halasz
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Dirk Fey
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bridget Haley
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jenny Whilde
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Vidal Fey
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland
| | - Matthias Fischer
- Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Frank Westermann
- Division of NB Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kai-Oliver Henrich
- Division of NB Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Bannert
- Division of NB Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Desmond G Higgins
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Walter Kolch
- Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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7
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Morgan MB, Edge SE, Venn AA, Jones RJ. Developing transcriptional profiles in Orbicella franksi exposed to copper: Characterizing responses associated with a spectrum of laboratory-controlled environmental conditions. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2017; 189:60-76. [PMID: 28599170 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, 2277 Martha Berry Hwy, Mount Berry, GA, 30149, USA.
| | - Sara E Edge
- Hawaii Pacific University, 45-045 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Alexander A Venn
- Marine Biology Department et Laboratoire International Associé 647 "BIOSENSIB", Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC98000, Monaco
| | - Ross J Jones
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Perth, 6009, Australia
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8
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Babonis LS, Martindale MQ. Phylogenetic evidence for the modular evolution of metazoan signalling pathways. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20150477. [PMID: 27994120 PMCID: PMC5182411 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication among cells was paramount to the evolutionary increase in cell type diversity and, ultimately, the origin of large body size. Across the diversity of Metazoa, there are only few conserved cell signalling pathways known to orchestrate the complex cell and tissue interactions regulating development; thus, modification to these few pathways has been responsible for generating diversity during the evolution of animals. Here, we summarize evidence for the origin and putative function of the intracellular, membrane-bound and secreted components of seven metazoan cell signalling pathways with a special focus on early branching metazoans (ctenophores, poriferans, placozoans and cnidarians) and basal unikonts (amoebozoans, fungi, filastereans and choanoflagellates). We highlight the modular incorporation of intra- and extracellular components in each signalling pathway and suggest that increases in the complexity of the extracellular matrix may have further promoted the modulation of cell signalling during metazoan evolution. Most importantly, this updated view of metazoan signalling pathways highlights the need for explicit study of canonical signalling pathway components in taxa that do not operate a complete signalling pathway. Studies like these are critical for developing a deeper understanding of the evolution of cell signalling.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S Babonis
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
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9
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Duffy DJ, Krstic A, Schwarzl T, Higgins DG, Kolch W. GSK3 inhibitors regulate MYCN mRNA levels and reduce neuroblastoma cell viability through multiple mechanisms, including p53 and Wnt signaling. Mol Cancer Ther 2013; 13:454-67. [PMID: 24282277 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-13-0560-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor accounting for approximately 15% of childhood cancer deaths. There exists a clinical need to identify novel therapeutic targets, particularly for treatment-resistant forms of neuroblastoma. Therefore, we investigated the role of the neuronal master regulator GSK3 in controlling neuroblastoma cell fate. We identified novel GSK3-mediated regulation of MYC (c-MYC and MYCN) mRNA levels, which may have implications for numerous MYC-driven cancers. In addition, we showed that certain GSK3 inhibitors induced large-scale cell death in neuroblastoma cells, primarily through activating apoptosis. mRNA-seq of GSK3 inhibitor-treated cells was performed and subsequent pathway analysis revealed that multiple signaling pathways contributed to the loss of neuroblastoma cell viability. The contribution of two of the signaling pathways highlighted by the mRNA-seq analysis was functionally validated. Inhibition of the p53 tumor suppressor partly rescued the cell death phenotype, whereas activation of canonical Wnt signaling contributed to the loss of viability, in a p53-independent manner. Two GSK3 inhibitors (BIO-acetoxime and LiCl) and one small-molecule Wnt agonist (Wnt Agonist 1) demonstrated therapeutic potential for neuroblastoma treatment. These inhibitors reduced the viability of numerous neuroblastoma cell lines, even those derived from high-risk MYCN-amplified metastatic tumors, for which effective therapeutics are currently lacking. Furthermore, although LiCl was lethal to neuroblastoma cells, it did not reduce the viability of differentiated neurons. Taken together our data suggest that these small molecules may hold potential as effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuroblastoma and other MYC-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Duffy
- Corresponding Author: David J. Duffy, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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10
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Duffy DJ. Instructive reconstruction: a new role for apoptosis in pattern formation. Instructive apoptotic patterning establishes de novo tissue generation via the apoptosis linked production of morphogenic signals. Bioessays 2012; 34:561-4. [PMID: 22488101 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201200018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is not only involved in patterning by removal of tissue (destructive apoptotic patterning), but it can also function in signalling the site of de novo tissue generation via morphogenic signals (instructive apoptotic patterning).
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Duffy
- Systems Biology Ireland, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
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11
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A heat shock protein and Wnt signaling crosstalk during axial patterning and stem cell proliferation. Dev Biol 2011; 362:271-81. [PMID: 22155526 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2011] [Revised: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Both Wnt signaling and heat shock proteins play important roles in development and disease. As such, they have been widely, though separately, studied. Here we show a link between a heat shock protein and Wnt signaling in a member of the basal phylum, Cnidaria. A heat shock at late gastrulation in the clonal marine hydrozoan, Hydractinia, interferes with axis development, specifically inhibiting head development, while aboral structures remain unaffected. The heat treatment upregulated Hsc71, a constitutive Hsp70 related gene, followed by a transient upregulation, and long-term downregulation, of Wnt signaling components. Downregulating Hsc71 by RNAi in heat-shocked animals rescued these defects, resulting in normal head development. Transgenic animals, ectopically expressing Hsc71, had similar developmental abnormalities as heat-shocked animals in terms of both morphology and Wnt3 expression. We also found that Hsc71 is upregulated in response to ectopic Wnt activation, but only in the context of stem cell proliferation and not in head development. Hsc71's normal expression is consistent with a conserved role in mitosis and apoptosis inhibition. Our results demonstrate a hitherto unknown crosstalk between heat shock proteins and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. This link likely has important implications in understanding normal development, congenital defects and cancer biology.
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