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Shang S, Gao F, Zhang Q, Song T, Wang W, Liu D, Gong Y, Lu X. 0.263 terahertz irradiation induced genes expression changes in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2024; 27:109391. [PMID: 38532884 PMCID: PMC10963221 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The biosafety of terahertz (THz) waves has emerged as a new area of concern with the gradual application of terahertz radiation. Even though many studies have been conducted to investigate the influence of THz radiation on living organisms, the biological effects of terahertz waves have not yet been fully revealed. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used to evaluate the biological consequences of whole-body exposure to 0.263 THz irradiation. The integration of transcriptome sequencing and behavioral tests of C. elegans revealed that high-power THz irradiation damaged the epidermal ultrastructures, inhibited the expression of the cuticle collagen genes, and impaired the movement of C. elegans. Moreover, the genes involved in the immune system and the neural system were dramatically down-regulated by high-power THz irradiation. Our findings offer fresh perspectives on the biological impacts of high-power THz radiation that could cause epidermal damage and provoke a systemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Shang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Fei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Tao Song
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Diwei Liu
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yubin Gong
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
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Identification and characterization of Crumbs polarity complex proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101786. [PMID: 35247383 PMCID: PMC9006659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Crumbs proteins are evolutionarily conserved transmembrane proteins with essential roles in promoting the formation of the apical domain in epithelial cells. The short intracellular tail of Crumbs proteins are known to interact with several proteins, including the scaffolding protein PALS1 (protein associated with LIN7, Stardust in Drosophila). PALS1 in turn binds to a second scaffolding protein PATJ (PALS1-associated tight junction protein) to form the core Crumbs/PALS1/PATJ complex. While essential roles in epithelial organization have been shown for Crumbs proteins in Drosophila and mammalian systems, the three Caenorhabditis elegans crumbs genes are dispensable for epithelial polarization and development. Here, we investigated the presence and function of PALS1 and PATJ orthologs in C. elegans. We identified MAGU-2 as the C. elegans ortholog of PALS1 and show that MAGU-2 interacts with all three Crumbs proteins and localizes to the apical membrane domain of intestinal epithelial cells in a Crumbs-dependent fashion. Similar to crumbs mutants, magu-2 deletion showed no epithelial polarity defects. We also identified MPZ-1 as a candidate ortholog of PATJ based on the physical interaction with MAGU-2 and sequence similarity with PATJ proteins. However, MPZ-1 is not broadly expressed in epithelial tissues and, therefore, not likely a core component of the C. elegans Crumbs complex. Finally, we show overexpression of the Crumbs proteins EAT-20 or CRB-3 can lead to apical membrane expansion in the intestine. Our results shed light on the composition of the C. elegans Crumbs complex and indicate that the role of Crumbs proteins in promoting apical domain formation is conserved.
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Casalia ML, Casabona JC, García C, Cavaliere Candedo V, Quintá HR, Farías MI, Gonzalez J, Gonzalez Morón D, Córdoba M, Consalvo D, Mostoslavsky G, Urbano FJ, Pasquini J, Murer MG, Rela L, Kauffman MA, Pitossi FJ. A familiar study on self-limited childhood epilepsy patients using hIPSC-derived neurons shows a bias towards immaturity at the morphological, electrophysiological and gene expression levels. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:590. [PMID: 34823607 PMCID: PMC8620942 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02658-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Self-limited Childhood Epilepsies are the most prevalent epileptic syndrome in children. Its pathogenesis is unknown. In this disease, symptoms resolve spontaneously in approximately 50% of patients when maturity is reached, prompting to a maturation problem. The purpose of this study was to understand the molecular bases of this disease by generating and analyzing induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from a family with 7 siblings, among whom 4 suffer from this disease.
Methods Two affected siblings and, as controls, a healthy sister and the unaffected mother of the family were studied. Using exome sequencing, a homozygous variant in the FYVE, RhoGEF and PH Domain Containing 6 gene was identified in the patients as a putative genetic factor that could contribute to the development of this familial disorder. After informed consent was signed, skin biopsies from the 4 individuals were collected, fibroblasts were derived and reprogrammed and neurons were generated and characterized by markers and electrophysiology. Morphological, electrophysiological and gene expression analyses were performed on these neurons. Results Bona fide induced pluripotent stem cells and derived neurons could be generated in all cases. Overall, there were no major shifts in neuronal marker expression among patient and control-derived neurons. Compared to two familial controls, neurons from patients showed shorter axonal length, a dramatic reduction in synapsin-1 levels and cytoskeleton disorganization. In addition, neurons from patients developed a lower action potential threshold with time of in vitro differentiation and the amount of current needed to elicit an action potential (rheobase) was smaller in cells recorded from NE derived from patients at 12 weeks of differentiation when compared with shorter times in culture. These results indicate an increased excitability in patient cells that emerges with the time in culture. Finally, functional genomic analysis showed a biased towards immaturity in patient-derived neurons. Conclusions We are reporting the first in vitro model of self-limited childhood epilepsy, providing the cellular bases for future in-depth studies to understand its pathogenesis. Our results show patient-specific neuronal features reflecting immaturity, in resonance with the course of the disease and previous imaging studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-021-02658-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Corina García
- Institute Leloir Foundation- IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Héctor Ramiro Quintá
- CONICET and Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental "Dr. J Toblli", Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Joaquín Gonzalez
- Institute Leloir Foundation- IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dolores Gonzalez Morón
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología "José María Ramos Mejía" Facultad de Medicina, UBA & Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marta Córdoba
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología "José María Ramos Mejía" Facultad de Medicina, UBA & Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Damian Consalvo
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología "José María Ramos Mejía" Facultad de Medicina, UBA & Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Mostoslavsky
- Center For Regenerative Medicine (CReM) of Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
| | - Francisco J Urbano
- Department of Physiology, Molecular and Cellular Biology "Dr. Héctor Maldonado", Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juana Pasquini
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mario Gustavo Murer
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lorena Rela
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo A Kauffman
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología "José María Ramos Mejía" Facultad de Medicina, UBA & Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Drewnik ED, Wiesenfahrt T, Smit RB, Park YJ, Pallotto LM, Mains PE. Tissue-specific regulation of epidermal contraction during C. elegans embryonic morphogenesis. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6273666. [PMID: 33974063 PMCID: PMC8495928 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Actin and myosin mediate the epidermal cell contractions that elongate the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo from an ovoid to a tubular-shaped worm. Contraction occurs mainly in the lateral epidermal cells, while the dorsoventral epidermis plays a more passive role. Two parallel pathways trigger actinomyosin contraction, one mediated by LET-502/Rho kinase and the other by PAK-1/p21 activated kinase. A number of genes mediating morphogenesis have been shown to be sufficient when expressed either laterally or dorsoventrally. Additional genes show either lateral or dorsoventral phenotypes. This led us to a model where contractile genes have discrete functions in one or the other cell type. We tested this by examining several genes for either lateral or dorsoventral sufficiency. LET-502 expression in the lateral cells was sufficient to drive elongation. MEL-11/Myosin phosphatase, which antagonizes contraction, and PAK-1 were expected to function dorsoventrally, but we could not detect tissue-specific sufficiency. Double mutants of lethal alleles predicted to decrease lateral contraction with those thought to increase dorsoventral force were previously shown to be viable. We hypothesized that these mutant combinations shifted the contractile force from the lateral to the dorsoventral cells and so the embryos would elongate with less lateral cell contraction. This was tested by examining 10 single and double mutant strains. In most cases, elongation proceeded without a noticeable alteration in lateral contraction. We suggest that many embryonic elongation genes likely act in both lateral and dorsoventral cells, even though they may have their primary focus in one or the other cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth D Drewnik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tobias Wiesenfahrt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ryan B Smit
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ye-Jean Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Linda M Pallotto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Paul E Mains
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Corresponding author: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
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Jud MC, Lowry J, Padilla T, Clifford E, Yang Y, Fennell F, Miller AK, Hamill D, Harvey AM, Avila-Zavala M, Shao H, Nguyen Tran N, Bao Z, Bowerman B. A genetic screen for temperature-sensitive morphogenesis-defective Caenorhabditis elegans mutants. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6169531. [PMID: 33713117 PMCID: PMC8133775 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Morphogenesis involves coordinated cell migrations and cell shape changes that generate tissues and organs, and organize the body plan. Cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton are important for executing morphogenesis, but their regulation remains poorly understood. As genes required for embryonic morphogenesis may have earlier roles in development, temperature-sensitive embryonic-lethal mutations are useful tools for investigating this process. From a collection of ∼200 such Caenorhabditis elegans mutants, we have identified 17 that have highly penetrant embryonic morphogenesis defects after upshifts from the permissive to the restrictive temperature, just prior to the cell shape changes that mediate elongation of the ovoid embryo into a vermiform larva. Using whole genome sequencing, we identified the causal mutations in seven affected genes. These include three genes that have roles in producing the extracellular matrix, which is known to affect the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues in multicellular organisms: the rib-1 and rib-2 genes encode glycosyltransferases, and the emb-9 gene encodes a collagen subunit. We also used live imaging to characterize epidermal cell shape dynamics in one mutant, or1219ts, and observed cell elongation defects during dorsal intercalation and ventral enclosure that may be responsible for the body elongation defects. These results indicate that our screen has identified factors that influence morphogenesis and provides a platform for advancing our understanding of this fundamental biological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Jud
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Josh Lowry
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Thalia Padilla
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Erin Clifford
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Yuqi Yang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Francesca Fennell
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Alexander K Miller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Danielle Hamill
- Department of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Austin M Harvey
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Martha Avila-Zavala
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Hong Shao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nhan Nguyen Tran
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Bruce Bowerman
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
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6
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Game of Tissues: How the Epidermis Thrones C. elegans Shape. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:jdb8010007. [PMID: 32182901 PMCID: PMC7151205 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The versatility of epithelial cell structure is universally exploited by organisms in multiple contexts. Epithelial cells can establish diverse polarized axes within their tridimensional structure which enables them to flexibly communicate with their neighbors in a 360° range. Hence, these cells are central to multicellularity, and participate in diverse biological processes such as organismal development, growth or immune response and their misfunction ultimately impacts disease. During the development of an organism, the first task epidermal cells must complete is the formation of a continuous sheet, which initiates its own morphogenic process. In this review, we will focus on the C. elegans embryonic epithelial morphogenesis. We will describe how its formation, maturation, and spatial arrangements set the final shape of the nematode C. elegans. Special importance will be given to the tissue-tissue interactions, regulatory tissue-tissue feedback mechanisms and the players orchestrating the process.
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Gujar MR, Stricker AM, Lundquist EA. RHO-1 and the Rho GEF RHGF-1 interact with UNC-6/Netrin signaling to regulate growth cone protrusion and microtubule organization in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007960. [PMID: 31233487 PMCID: PMC6611649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
UNC-6/Netrin is a conserved axon guidance cue that directs growth cone migrations in the dorsal-ventral axis of C. elegans and in the vertebrate spinal cord. UNC-6/Netrin is expressed in ventral cells, and growth cones migrate ventrally toward or dorsally away from UNC-6/Netrin. Recent studies of growth cone behavior during outgrowth in vivo in C. elegans have led to a polarity/protrusion model in directed growth cone migration away from UNC-6/Netrin. In this model, UNC-6/Netrin first polarizes the growth cone via the UNC-5 receptor, leading to dorsally biased protrusion and F-actin accumulation. UNC-6/Netrin then regulates protrusion based on this polarity. The receptor UNC-40/DCC drives protrusion dorsally, away from the UNC-6/Netrin source, and the UNC-5 receptor inhibits protrusion ventrally, near the UNC-6/Netrin source, resulting in dorsal migration. UNC-5 inhibits protrusion in part by excluding microtubules from the growth cone, which are pro-protrusive. Here we report that the RHO-1/RhoA GTPase and its activator GEF RHGF-1 inhibit growth cone protrusion and MT accumulation in growth cones, similar to UNC-5. However, growth cone polarity of protrusion and F-actin were unaffected by RHO-1 and RHGF-1. Thus, RHO-1 signaling acts specifically as a negative regulator of protrusion and MT accumulation, and not polarity. Genetic interactions are consistent with RHO-1 and RHGF-1 acting with UNC-5, as well as with a parallel pathway, to regulate protrusion. The cytoskeletal interacting molecule UNC-33/CRMP was required for RHO-1 activity to inhibit MT accumulation, suggesting that UNC-33/CRMP might act downstream of RHO-1. In sum, these studies describe a new role of RHO-1 and RHGF-1 in regulation of growth cone protrusion by UNC-6/Netrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahekta R. Gujar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Aubrie M. Stricker
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Erik A. Lundquist
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Popov IK, Ray HJ, Skoglund P, Keller R, Chang C. The RhoGEF protein Plekhg5 regulates apical constriction of bottle cells during gastrulation. Development 2018; 145:dev168922. [PMID: 30446627 PMCID: PMC6307888 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Apical constriction regulates epithelial morphogenesis during embryonic development, but how this process is controlled is not understood completely. Here, we identify a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) gene plekhg5 as an essential regulator of apical constriction of bottle cells during Xenopus gastrulation. plekhg5 is expressed in the blastopore lip and its expression is sufficient to induce ectopic bottle cells in epithelia of different germ layers in a Rho-dependent manner. This activity is not shared by arhgef3, which encodes another organizer-specific RhoGEF. Plekhg5 protein is localized in the apical cell cortex via its pleckstrin homology domain, and the GEF activity enhances its apical recruitment. Plekhg5 induces apical actomyosin accumulation and cell elongation. Knockdown of plekhg5 inhibits activin-induced bottle cell formation and endogenous blastopore lip formation in gastrulating frog embryos. Apical accumulation of actomyosin, apical constriction and bottle cell formation fail to occur in these embryos. Taken together, our data indicate that transcriptional regulation of plekhg5 expression at the blastopore lip determines bottle cell morphology via local polarized activation of Rho by Plekhg5, which stimulates apical actomyosin activity to induce apical constriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan K Popov
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Heather J Ray
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Paul Skoglund
- Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Ray Keller
- Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Chenbei Chang
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Tissue-Specific Functions of fem-2/PP2c Phosphatase and fhod-1/formin During Caenorhabditis elegans Embryonic Morphogenesis. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:2277-2290. [PMID: 29720391 PMCID: PMC6027879 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The cytoskeleton is the basic machinery that drives many morphogenetic events. Elongation of the C. elegans embryo from a spheroid into a long, thin larva initially results from actomyosin contractility, mainly in the lateral epidermal seam cells, while the corresponding dorsal and ventral epidermal cells play a more passive role. This is followed by a later elongation phase involving muscle contraction. Early elongation is mediated by parallel genetic pathways involving LET-502/Rho kinase and MEL-11/MYPT myosin phosphatase in one pathway and FEM-2/PP2c phosphatase and PAK-1/p21 activated kinase in another. While the LET-502/MEL-11 pathway appears to act primarily in the lateral epidermis, here we show that FEM-2 can mediate early elongation when expressed in the dorsal and ventral epidermis. We also investigated the early elongation function of FHOD-1, a member of the formin family of actin nucleators and bundlers. Previous work showed that FHOD-1 acts in the LET-502/MEL-11 branch of the early elongation pathway as well as in muscle for sarcomere organization. Consistent with this, we found that lateral epidermal cell-specific expression of FHOD-1 is sufficient for elongation, and FHOD-1 effects on elongation appear to be independent of its role in muscle. Also, we found that fhod-1 encodes long and short isoforms that differ in the presence of a predicted coiled-coil domain. Based on tissue-specific expression constructions and an isoform-specific CRISPR allele, the two FHOD-1 isoforms show partially specialized epidermal or muscle function. Although fhod-1 shows only impenetrant elongation phenotypes, we were unable to detect redundancy with other C. elegans formin genes.
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Ouellette MH, Martin E, Lacoste-Caron G, Hamiche K, Jenna S. Spatial control of active CDC-42 during collective migration of hypodermal cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Mol Cell Biol 2015; 8:313-27. [PMID: 26578656 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjv062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective epithelial cell migration requires the maintenance of cell-cell junctions while enabling the generation of actin-rich protrusions at the leading edge of migrating cells. Ventral enclosure of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos depends on the collective migration of anterior-positioned leading hypodermal cells towards the ventral midline where they form new junctions with their contralateral neighbours. In this study, we characterized the zygotic function of RGA-7/SPV-1, a CDC-42/Cdc42 and RHO-1/RhoA-specific Rho GTPase-activating protein, which controls the formation of actin-rich protrusions at the leading edge of leading hypodermal cells and the formation of new junctions between contralateral cells. We show that RGA-7 controls these processes in an antagonistic manner with the CDC-42's effector WSP-1/N-WASP and the CDC-42-binding proteins TOCA-1/2/TOCA1. RGA-7 is recruited to spatially distinct locations at junctions between adjacent leading cells, where it promotes the accumulation of clusters of activated CDC-42. It also inhibits the spreading of these clusters towards the leading edge of the junctions and regulates their accumulation and distribution at new junctions formed between contralateral leading cells. Our study suggests that RGA-7 controls collective migration and junction formation between epithelial cells by spatially restricting active CDC-42 within cell-cell junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Hélène Ouellette
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Martin
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Germain Lacoste-Caron
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Karim Hamiche
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sarah Jenna
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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The Rho guanine exchange factor RHGF-2 acts through the Rho-binding kinase LET-502 to mediate embryonic elongation in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2015; 405:250-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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12
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Gorrepati L, Krause MW, Chen W, Brodigan TM, Correa-Mendez M, Eisenmann DM. Identification of Wnt Pathway Target Genes Regulating the Division and Differentiation of Larval Seam Cells and Vulval Precursor Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2015; 5:1551-66. [PMID: 26048561 PMCID: PMC4528312 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.017715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a fundamental role during metazoan development, regulating numerous processes including cell fate specification, cell migration, and stem cell renewal. Wnt ligand binding leads to stabilization of the transcriptional effector β-catenin and upregulation of target gene expression to mediate a cellular response. During larval development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Wnt/β-catenin pathways act in fate specification of two hypodermal cell types, the ventral vulval precursor cells (VPCs) and the lateral seam cells. Because little is known about targets of the Wnt signaling pathways acting during larval VPC and seam cell differentiation, we sought to identify genes regulated by Wnt signaling in these two hypodermal cell types. We conditionally activated Wnt signaling in larval animals and performed cell type-specific "mRNA tagging" to enrich for VPC and seam cell-specific mRNAs, and then used microarray analysis to examine gene expression compared to control animals. Two hundred thirty-nine genes activated in response to Wnt signaling were identified, and we characterized 50 genes further. The majority of these genes are expressed in seam and/or vulval lineages during normal development, and reduction of function for nine genes caused defects in the proper division, fate specification, fate execution, or differentiation of seam cells and vulval cells. Therefore, the combination of these techniques was successful at identifying potential cell type-specific Wnt pathway target genes from a small number of cells and at increasing our knowledge of the specification and behavior of these C. elegans larval hypodermal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Gorrepati
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250
| | | | - Weiping Chen
- Intramural Research Program, NIDDK, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
| | | | - Margarita Correa-Mendez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250
| | - David M Eisenmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250
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RHGF-1/PDZ-RhoGEF and retrograde DLK-1 signaling drive neuronal remodeling on microtubule disassembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:16568-73. [PMID: 25359212 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1410263111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons remodel their connectivity in response to various insults, including microtubule disruption. How neurons sense microtubule disassembly and mount remodeling responses by altering genetic programs in the soma are not well defined. Here we show that in response to microtubule disassembly, the Caenorhabditis elegans PLM neuron remodels by retracting its synaptic branch and overextending the primary neurite. This remodeling required RHGF-1, a PDZ-Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (PDZ-RhoGEF) that was associated with and inhibited by microtubules. Independent of the myosin light chain activation, RHGF-1 acted through Rho-dependent kinase LET-502/ROCK and activated a conserved, retrograde DLK-1 MAPK (DLK-1/dual leucine zipper kinase) pathway, which triggered synaptic branch retraction and overgrowth of the PLM neurite in a dose-dependent manner. Our data represent a neuronal remodeling paradigm during development that reshapes the neural circuit by the coordinated removal of the dysfunctional synaptic branch compartment and compensatory extension of the primary neurite.
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Kozhevnikova LM, Moskovtsev AA, Mesitov MV. The effects of inhibitors of Rho- and tyrosine c-Src-kinases on serotonin-induced constrictions of the aorta and mesenteric artery in rats. BIOL BULL+ 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359014050069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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15
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Martin E, Harel S, Nkengfac B, Hamiche K, Neault M, Jenna S. pix-1 controls early elongation in parallel with mel-11 and let-502 in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94684. [PMID: 24732978 PMCID: PMC3986101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell shape changes are crucial for metazoan development. During Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, epidermal cell shape changes transform ovoid embryos into vermiform larvae. This process is divided into two phases: early and late elongation. Early elongation involves the contraction of filamentous actin bundles by phosphorylated non-muscle myosin in a subset of epidermal (hypodermal) cells. The genes controlling early elongation are associated with two parallel pathways. The first one involves the rho-1/RHOA-specific effector let-502/Rho-kinase and mel-11/myosin phosphatase regulatory subunit. The second pathway involves the CDC42/RAC-specific effector pak-1. Late elongation is driven by mechanotransduction in ventral and dorsal hypodermal cells in response to body-wall muscle contractions, and involves the CDC42/RAC-specific Guanine-nucleotide Exchange Factor (GEF) pix-1, the GTPase ced-10/RAC and pak-1. In this study, pix-1 is shown to control early elongation in parallel with let-502/mel-11, as previously shown for pak-1. We show that pix-1, pak-1 and let-502 control the rate of elongation, and the antero-posterior morphology of the embryos. In particular, pix-1 and pak-1 are shown to control head, but not tail width, while let-502 controls both head and tail width. This suggests that let-502 function is required throughout the antero-posterior axis of the embryo during early elongation, while pix-1/pak-1 function may be mostly required in the anterior part of the embryo. Supporting this hypothesis we show that low pix-1 expression level in the dorsal-posterior hypodermal cells is required to ensure high elongation rate during early elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Martin
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sharon Harel
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bernard Nkengfac
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Karim Hamiche
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mathieu Neault
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sarah Jenna
- Department of Chemistry, Pharmaqam, Biomed, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Caenorhabditis elegans anillin (ani-1) regulates neuroblast cytokinesis and epidermal morphogenesis during embryonic development. Dev Biol 2013; 383:61-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2013] [Revised: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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NG2 regulates directional migration of oligodendrocyte precursor cells via Rho GTPases and polarity complex proteins. J Neurosci 2013; 33:10858-74. [PMID: 23804106 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5010-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane proteoglycan NG2 is expressed by oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC), which migrate to axons during developmental myelination and remyelinate in the adult after migration to injured sites. Highly invasive glial tumors also express NG2. Despite the fact that NG2 has been implicated in control of OPC migration, its mode of action remains unknown. Here, we show in vitro and in vivo that NG2 controls migration of OPC through the regulation of cell polarity. In stab wounds in adult mice we show that NG2 controls orientation of OPC toward the wound. NG2 stimulates RhoA activity at the cell periphery via the MUPP1/Syx1 signaling pathway, which favors the bipolar shape of migrating OPC and thus directional migration. Upon phosphorylation of Thr-2256, downstream signaling of NG2 switches from RhoA to Rac stimulation. This triggers process outgrowth through regulators of front-rear polarity and we show using a phospho-mimetic form of NG2 that indeed NG2 recruits proteins of the CRB and the PAR polarity complexes to stimulate Rac activity via the GEF Tiam1. Our findings demonstrate that NG2 is a core organizer of Rho GTPase activity and localization in the cell, which controls OPC polarity and directional migration. This work also reveals CRB and PAR polarity complexes as new effectors of NG2 signaling in the establishment of front-rear polarity.
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Chan E, Nance J. Mechanisms of CDC-42 activation during contact-induced cell polarization. J Cell Sci 2013; 126:1692-702. [PMID: 23424200 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.124594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Polarization of early embryos provides a foundation to execute essential patterning and morphogenetic events. In Caenorhabditis elegans, cell contacts polarize early embryos along their radial axis by excluding the cortical polarity protein PAR-6 from sites of cell contact, thereby restricting PAR-6 to contact-free cell surfaces. Radial polarization requires the cortically enriched Rho GTPase CDC-42, which in its active form recruits PAR-6 through direct binding. The Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) PAC-1, which localizes specifically to cell contacts, triggers radial polarization by inactivating CDC-42 at these sites. The mechanisms responsible for activating CDC-42 at contact-free surfaces are unknown. Here, in an overexpression screen of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), which can activate Rho GTPases, we identify CGEF-1 and ECT-2 as RhoGEFs that act through CDC-42 to recruit PAR-6 to the cortex. We show that ECT-2 and CGEF-1 localize to the cell surface and that removing their activity causes a reduction in levels of cortical PAR-6. Through a structure-function analysis, we show that the tandem DH-PH domains of CGEF-1 and ECT-2 are sufficient for GEF activity, but that regions outside of these domains target each protein to the cell surface. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting that the N-terminal region of ECT-2 may direct its in vivo preference for CDC-42 over another known target, the Rho GTPase RHO-1. We propose that radial polarization results from a competition between RhoGEFs, which activate CDC-42 throughout the cortex, and the RhoGAP PAC-1, which inactivates CDC-42 at cell contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Chan
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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