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Takahashi T, Takahashi T, Ikawa T, Terui H, Takahashi T, Segawa Y, Sumida H, Yoshizaki A, Sato S, Asano Y. Serum levels of AGGF1: Potential association with cutaneous and cardiopulmonary involvements in systemic sclerosis. J Dermatol 2024; 51:1083-1090. [PMID: 38619119 DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.17233] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy, aberrant immune activation, and extensive tissue fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Because of the complicated nature of its pathogenesis, the underlying mechanisms of SSc remain incompletely understood. Angiogenic factor with a G-patch domain and a Forkhead-associated domain 1 (AGGF1) is a critical factor in angiogenesis expressed on vascular endothelial cells, associated with inflammatory and fibrotic responses. To elucidate the possible implication of AGGF1 in SSc pathogenesis, we investigated the association between serum AGGF1 levels and clinical manifestations in SSc patients. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of AGGF1 levels in sera from 60 SSc patients and 19 healthy controls with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum AGGF1 levels in SSc patients were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals. In particular, diffuse cutaneous SSc patients with shorter disease duration had higher levels compared to those with longer disease duration and limited cutaneous SSc patients. Patients with higher serum AGGF1 levels had a higher incidence of digital ulcers, higher modified Rodnan Skin Scores (mRSS), elevated serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels, C-reactive protein levels, and right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP) on the echocardiogram, whereas they had reduced percentage of vital capacity (%VC) and percentage of diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (%DLCO) in pulmonary functional tests. In line, serum AGGF1 levels were significantly correlated with mRSS, serum KL-6 and surfactant protein D levels, RVSP, and %DLCO. These results uncovered notable correlations between serum AGGF1 levels and key cutaneous and vascular involvements in SSc, suggesting potential roles of AGGF1 in SSc pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Takahashi
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takehiro Takahashi
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ikawa
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Terui
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Toshiya Takahashi
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Segawa
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hayakazu Sumida
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Scleroderma Center, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumi Yoshizaki
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Sato
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Asano
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Ji W, Wan T, Zhang F, Guo S, Mei X. The Role of AGGF1 in the Classification and Evaluating Prognosis of Adult Septic Patients: An Observational Study. Infect Drug Resist 2024; 17:1153-1160. [PMID: 38529068 PMCID: PMC10962459 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s447922] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) is a crucial angiogenic factor that is involved in a variety of diseases and in the regulation of inflammatory responses. However, its role in sepsis is poorly understood. We have investigated the role of AGGF1 in the classification and prognostic evaluation of adult septic patients in a clinical context. Patients and Methods A total of 126 septic patients who visited the Emergency Department of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital and 76 non-sepsis patients visiting the Physical Examination Center of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital were enrolled. AGGF1 levels in plasma were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine correlations between plasma AGGF1 and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Pathology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, procalcitonin and lactate. We evaluated the classification significance of AGGF1 in sepsis using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. We also assessed the predictive significance of AGGF1 for 28-day mortality in sepsis using ROC curves and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results Plasma AGGF1 levels were higher in sepsis patients than in non-sepsis patients (P < 0.001). Among sepsis patients, plasma AGGF1 levels were higher in non-survivors than in survivors (P < 0.001). Increased plasma AGGF1 levels were positively correlated with SOFA score, APACHE II score, procalcitonin and lactate. Plasma AGGF1 levels could distinguish sepsis patients from non-sepsis patients (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.777). AGGF1 had a higher predictive value than SOFA score, APACHE II score, lactate, procalcitonin, and white blood cell count for 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis (AUC = 0.876). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that lower plasma AGGF1 levels were associated with lower 28-day mortality compared with higher plasma AGGF1 levels (log rank P < 0.001). Conclusion AGGF1 is useful for the classification and evaluating prognosis of adult septic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Ji
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tiantian Wan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fang Zhang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shubin Guo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Mei
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Webster KA. Translational Relevance of Advanced Age and Atherosclerosis in Preclinical Trials of Biotherapies for Peripheral Artery Disease. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:135. [PMID: 38275616 PMCID: PMC10815340 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 6% of adults worldwide suffer from peripheral artery disease (PAD), primarily caused by atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries. Despite optimal medical care and revascularization, many PAD patients remain symptomatic and progress to critical limb ischemia (CLI) and risk major amputation. Delivery of pro-angiogenic factors as proteins or DNA, stem, or progenitor cells confers vascular regeneration and functional recovery in animal models of CLI, but the effects are not well replicated in patients and no pro-angiogenic biopharmacological procedures are approved in the US, EU, or China. The reasons are unclear, but animal models that do not represent clinical PAD/CLI are implicated. Consequently, it is unclear whether the obstacles to clinical success lie in the toxic biochemical milieu of human CLI, or in procedures that were optimized on inappropriate models. The question is significant because the former case requires abandonment of current strategies, while the latter encourages continued optimization. These issues are discussed in the context of relevant preclinical and clinical data, and it is concluded that preclinical mouse models that include age and atherosclerosis as the only comorbidities that are consistently present and active in clinical trial patients are necessary to predict clinical success. Of the reviewed materials, no biopharmacological procedure that failed in clinical trials had been tested in animal models that included advanced age and atherosclerosis relevant to PAD/CLI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A. Webster
- Vascular Biology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33146, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Da X, Li Z, Huang X, He Z, Yu Y, Tian T, Xu C, Yao Y, Wang QK. AGGF1 therapy inhibits thoracic aortic aneurysms by enhancing integrin α7-mediated inhibition of TGF-β1 maturation and ERK1/2 signaling. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2265. [PMID: 37081014 PMCID: PMC10119315 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37809-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a localized or diffuse dilatation of the thoracic aortas, and causes many sudden deaths each year worldwide. However, there is no effective pharmacologic therapy. Here, we show that AGGF1 effectively blocks TAA-associated arterial inflammation and remodeling in three different mouse models (mice with transverse aortic constriction, Fbn1C1041G/+ mice, and β-aminopropionitrile-treated mice). AGGF1 expression is reduced in the ascending aortas from the three models and human TAA patients. Aggf1+/- mice and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-specific Aggf1smcKO knockout mice show aggravated TAA phenotypes. Mechanistically, AGGF1 enhances the interaction between its receptor integrin α7 and latency-associated peptide (LAP)-TGF-β1, blocks the cleavage of LAP-TGF-β1 to form mature TGF-β1, and inhibits Smad2/3 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in VSMCs. Pirfenidone, a treatment agent for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, inhibits TAA-associated vascular inflammation and remodeling in wild type mice, but not in Aggf1+/- mice. In conclusion, we identify an innovative AGGF1 protein therapeutic strategy to block TAA-associated vascular inflammation and remodeling, and show that efficacy of TGF-β inhibition therapies require AGGF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingwen Da
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Ziyan Li
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofan Huang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Zuhan He
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Yubing Yu
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Tongtong Tian
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
- Institute of Medical Genomics and School of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
| | - Qing K Wang
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
- Institute of Medical Genomics and School of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.
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He L, Lu H, Chu J, Qin X, Gao J, Chen M, Weinstein LS, Yang J, Zhang Q, Zhang C, Zhang W. Endothelial G protein stimulatory α-subunit is a critical regulator of post-ischemic angiogenesis. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:941946. [PMID: 35958407 PMCID: PMC9358140 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.941946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-ischemic angiogenesis is a vital pathophysiological process in diseases such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), heart ischemia, and diabetic retinopathy. The molecular mechanisms of post-ischemic angiogenesis are complicated and not fully elucidated. The G protein stimulatory alpha subunit (Gsα) is essential for hormone-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production and is an important regulator for many physiological processes. In the present study, we investigated the role of endothelial Gsα in post-ischemic angiogenesis by generating adult mice with endothelial-specific Gsα deficiency (GsαECKO). GsαECKO mice had impaired blood flow recovery after hind limb ischemic injury, and reduced neovascularization in allograft transplanted tumors. Mechanically, Gsα could regulate the expression of angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) through cAMP/CREB pathway. AGGF1 plays a key role in angiogenesis and regulates endothelial cell proliferation as well as migration. Knockdown of CREB or mutation of the CRE site on the AGGF1 promoter led to reduced AGGF1 promoter activity. In addition, knockdown of AGGF1 reduced the proangiogenic effect of Gsα in endothelial cells, and overexpression of AGGF1 reversed the impaired angiogenesis in GsαECKO mice in vivo. The finding may prove useful in designing new therapeutic targets for treatments of post-ischemic angiogenesis-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifan He
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hanlin Lu
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Shandong First Medical University, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianying Chu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoteng Qin
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jiangang Gao
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Min Chen
- Metabolic Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lee S. Weinstein
- Metabolic Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jianmin Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qunye Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wencheng Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Shandong First Medical University, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Wencheng Zhang,
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Han J, Luo L, Marcelina O, Kasim V, Wu S. Therapeutic angiogenesis-based strategy for peripheral artery disease. Theranostics 2022; 12:5015-5033. [PMID: 35836800 PMCID: PMC9274744 DOI: 10.7150/thno.74785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) poses a great challenge to society, with a growing prevalence in the upcoming years. Patients in the severe stages of PAD are prone to amputation and death, leading to poor quality of life and a great socioeconomic burden. Furthermore, PAD is one of the major complications of diabetic patients, who have higher risk to develop critical limb ischemia, the most severe manifestation of PAD, and thus have a poor prognosis. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an effective therapeutic strategy to treat this disease. Therapeutic angiogenesis has raised concerns for more than two decades as a potential strategy for treating PAD, especially in patients without option for surgery-based therapies. Since the discovery of gene-based therapy for therapeutic angiogenesis, several approaches have been developed, including cell-, protein-, and small molecule drug-based therapeutic strategies, some of which have progressed into the clinical trial phase. Despite its promising potential, efforts are still needed to improve the efficacy of this strategy, reduce its cost, and promote its worldwide application. In this review, we highlight the current progress of therapeutic angiogenesis and the issues that need to be overcome prior to its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan Han
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Lailiu Luo
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Olivia Marcelina
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Vivi Kasim
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Chongqing 400044, China.,The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Vivi Kasim, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Phone: +86-23-65112672, Fax: +86-23-65111802, ; Shourong Wu, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Phone: +86-23-65111632, Fax: +86-23-65111802,
| | - Shourong Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Chongqing 400044, China.,The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Vivi Kasim, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Phone: +86-23-65112672, Fax: +86-23-65111802, ; Shourong Wu, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Phone: +86-23-65111632, Fax: +86-23-65111802,
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Zhao J, Xie W, Yang Z, Zhao M, Ke T, Xu C, Li H, Chen Q, Wang QK. Identification and characterization of a special type of subnuclear structure: AGGF1-coated paraspeckles. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22366. [PMID: 35608889 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101690rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
AGGF1 is an angiogenic factor with G-Patch and FHA domains 1 described by our group. Gain-of-function mutations in AGGF1 cause Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, whereas somatic loss-of-function mutations cause cancer. Paraspeckles are small membraneless subnuclear structures with a diameter of 0.5-1 μm, and composed of lncRNA NEAT1 as the scaffold and three core RNA-binding proteins NONO, PSPC1, and PSF. Here, we show that AGGF1 is a key regulatory and structural component of paraspeckles that induces paraspeckle formation, forms an outside rim of paraspeckles, wraps around the NONO/PSF/PSPC1/NEAT1 core, and regulates the size and number of paraspeckles. AGGF1-paraspeckles are larger (>1 μm) than conventional paraspeckles. RNA-FISH in combination with immunostaining shows that AGGF1, NONO, and NEAT1_2 co-localize in 20.58% of NEAT1_2-positive paraspeckles. Mechanistically, AGGF1 interacts with NONO, PSF, and HNRNPK, and upregulates NEAT1_2, a longer, 23 kb NEAT1 transcript with a key role in regulation of paraspeckle size and number. RNA-immunoprecipitation shows that AGGF1 interacts with NEAT1, which may be another possible mechanism underlying the formation of AGGF1-paraspeckles. NEAT1_2 knockdown reduces the number and size of AGGF1-paraspeckles. Functionally, AGGF1 regulates alternative RNA splicing as it decreases the exon skipping/inclusion ratio in a CD44 model. AGGF1 is also localized in some nuclear foci without NEAT1 or NONO, suggesting that AGGF1 is an important liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) driver for other types of AGGF1-positive nuclear condensates (referred to as AGGF1-bodies). Our results identify a special type of AGGF1-coated paraspeckles and provide important insights into the formation, structure, and function of paraspeckles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Zhao
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Wen Xie
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Zhongcheng Yang
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Miao Zhao
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Tie Ke
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Qing K Wang
- Center for Human Genome Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
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Wu X, Zhang X, Zhao L, Jiang S. Neuroprotective effect of AGGF1 against isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged rats through activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Physiol Int 2022; 109:58-69. [PMID: 35218336 DOI: 10.1556/2060.2022.00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate and identify the value and explore the mechanisms of Angiogenic Factor with G-patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). METHODS Rats were separated into four different groups, namely sham, isoflurane, isoflurane + recombinant human Aggf1 (rh-Aggf1) (5 μg kg-1), and isoflurane + rh-Aggf1 (10 μg kg-1). qPCR and western blot assays were applied to detect the correlation between the expression of AGGF1 and isoflurane administration. Then, the Morris water maze (MWM) test was applied to evaluate the effect of AGGF1 on improving the POCD rats. Subsequently, TUNEL assay was applied and the cell apoptosis-related proteins were tested to reveal the anti-apoptotic effect of AGGF1 in POCD rats. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were also detected by qPCR and ELISA to verify the anti-inflammatory effects of AGGF1 on POCD rats. Besides, the protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB in each group were examined by western blot. RESULTS In this study, the results revealed that isoflurane induced a decrease in AGGF1 expression in the hippocampus of aged rats. In addition, exogenous AGGF1 attenuated POCD in aged rats. Meanwhile, exogenous AGGF1 had anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects in POCD rats. Further research indicated that AGGF1 activated the PI3K/Akt pathway. CONCLUSION AGGF1 has neuroprotective effect against isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged rats via activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Wu
- 1 Department of Neurology, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041,China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- 1 Department of Neurology, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041,China
| | - Lei Zhao
- 1 Department of Neurology, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041,China
| | - Shan Jiang
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology, (Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology), Wuhan, Hubei, 430016,China
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Li R, Yao G, Zhou L, Zhang M, Yan J, Wang X, Li Y. Autophagy is required for the promoting effect of angiogenic factor with G patch domain and forkhead-associated domain 1 (AGGF1) in retinal angiogenesis. Microvasc Res 2021; 138:104230. [PMID: 34339727 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2021.104230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of angiogenic factor with G patch domain and forkhead-associated domain 1 (AGGF1) on retinal angiogenesis in ischemic retinopathy and its association with autophagy. METHODS RF/6A cells were divided into the control group, hypoxia group and high-glucose group, and the expression of AGGF1 in cells was detected. C57BL/6 J mice were divided into the control group, oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) group and diabetic retinopathy (DR) group, and AGGF1 expression in the retina was observed. RF/6A cells were then divided into the control group and different AGGF1 concentration groups, and the expression of autophagy marker, LC3 was detected. Then, RF/6A cells were divided into the control group, AGGF1 group, 3-methyladenine (3-MA, an early autophagy inhibitor) + AGGF1 group and chloroquine (CQ, a late autophagy inhibitor) + AGGF1 group, and the expression of autophagy markers, LC3 and p62, autophagic flux, as well as was key signaling pathway proteins in autophagy, PI3K, AKT, and mTOR was detected. Finally, the cell proliferation, migration and tube formation were detected in the four groups. RESULTS AGGF1 expression in RF/6A cells and in the retinas of OIR and DR mouse model was found to be increased in the state of hypoxic and high glucose condition. AGGF1 treatment led to increased expressions of LC3 and decreased p62; therby induced autophagic flux, and the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and mTOR was down-regulated in RF/6A cells. When autophagy was inhibited by 3-MA or CQ, confirmed by corresponding changes of these indicators of autophagy, cellular proliferation, migration and tube formation of RF/6A cells were weakened by AGGF1 treatment when compared with that of AGGF1 treatment alone. CONCLUSION This study experimentally revealed that AGGF1 activates autophagy to promote angiogenesis for ischemic retinopathy and inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway may be involved in the activation of autophagy by AGGF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Guomin Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lingxiao Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jin Yan
- College of Medical Technology of Xi'an Medical University, No.1 Xinwang Road, Xi'an, 710021, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaodi Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ya Li
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, No.48 West Fenghao Road, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
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Wang J, Peng H, Timur AA, Pasupuleti V, Yao Y, Zhang T, You SA, Fan C, Yu Y, Jia X, Chen J, Xu C, Chen Q, Wang Q. Receptor and Molecular Mechanism of AGGF1 Signaling in Endothelial Cell Functions and Angiogenesis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2021; 41:2756-2769. [PMID: 34551592 PMCID: PMC8580577 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.121.316867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective Angiogenic factor AGGF1 (angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA [Forkhead-associated] domain 1) promotes angiogenesis as potently as VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) and regulates endothelial cell (EC) proliferation, migration, specification of multipotent hemangioblasts and venous ECs, hematopoiesis, and vascular development and causes vascular disease Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome when mutated. However, the receptor for AGGF1 and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be defined. Approach and Results Using functional blocking studies with neutralizing antibodies, we identified [alpha]5[beta]1 as the receptor for AGGF1 on ECs. AGGF1 interacts with [alpha]5[beta]1 and activates FAK (focal adhesion kinase), Src (proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase), and AKT (protein kinase B). Functional analysis of 12 serial N-terminal deletions and 13 C-terminal deletions by every 50 amino acids mapped the angiogenic domain of AGGF1 to a domain between amino acids 604-613 (FQRDDAPAS). The angiogenic domain is required for EC adhesion and migration, capillary tube formation, and AKT activation. The deletion of the angiogenic domain eliminated the effects of AGGF1 on therapeutic angiogenesis and increased blood flow in a mouse model for peripheral artery disease. A 40-mer or 15-mer peptide containing the angiogenic domain blocks AGGF1 function, however, a 15-mer peptide containing a single amino acid mutation from -RDD- to -RGD- (a classical RGD integrin-binding motif) failed to block AGGF1 function. Conclusions We have identified integrin [alpha]5[beta]1 as an EC receptor for AGGF1 and a novel AGGF1-mediated signaling pathway of [alpha]5[beta]1-FAK-Src-AKT for angiogenesis. Our results identify an FQRDDAPAS angiogenic domain of AGGF1 crucial for its interaction with [alpha]5[beta]1 and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
- Institute of Genetics and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huixin Peng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Ayse Anil Timur
- Robert J. Tomsich Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Vinay Pasupuleti
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Teng Zhang
- Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sun-Ah You
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Chun Fan
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Yubing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Xinzhen Jia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Present Address, Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland OH 44106, USA
| | - Qing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland OH 44106, USA
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Parial R, Li H, Li J, Archacki S, Yang Z, Wang IZ, Chen Q, Xu C, Wang QK. Role of epigenetic m 6 A RNA methylation in vascular development: mettl3 regulates vascular development through PHLPP2/mTOR-AKT signaling. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21465. [PMID: 33788967 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000516rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
N6 -methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most prevalent RNA modification, and it emerges as an important regulatory mechanism of gene expression involved in many cellular and biological processes. However, the role of m6 A methylation in vascular development is not clear. The m6 A RNA methylation is regulated by dynamic interplay among methyltransferases, binding proteins, and demethylases. Mettl3 is a member of the mettl3-mettl14 methyltransferase complex, referred to as writers that catalyze m6A RNA methylation. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to develop two lines of knockout (KO) zebrafish for mettl3. Heterozygous mettl3+/- KO embryos show defective vascular development, which is directly visible in fli-EGFP and flk-EGFP zebrafish. Alkaline phosphatase staining and whole mount in situ hybridization with cdh5, and flk markers demonstrated defective development of intersegmental vessels (ISVs), subintestinal vessels (SIVs), interconnecting vessels (ICVs) and dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessels (DLAV) in both heterozygous mettl3+/- and homozygous mettl3-/- KO zebrafish embryos. Similar phenotypes were observed in zebrafish embryos with morpholino knockdown (KD) of mettl3; however, the vascular defects were rescued fully by overexpression of constitutively active AKT1. KD of METTL3 in human endothelial cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation. Mechanistically, mettl3 KO and KD significantly reduced the levels of m6 A RNA methylation, and AKT phosphorylation (S473) by an increase in the expression of phosphatase enzyme PHLPP2 and reduction in the phosphorylation of mTOR (S2481), a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase family of protein kinases. These data suggest that m6 A RNA methylation regulates vascular development via PHLPP2/mTOR-AKT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramendu Parial
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Stephen Archacki
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Zhongcheng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Isabel Z Wang
- Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Qing K Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Zhang CF, Wang HM, Wu A, Li Y, Tian XL. FHA domain of AGGF1 is essential for its nucleocytoplasmic transport and angiogenesis. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:1884-1894. [PMID: 33471274 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1844-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) exhibits a dynamic distribution from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in endothelial cells during angiogenesis, but the biological significance and underlying mechanism of this nucleocytoplasmic transport remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the dynamic distribution is essential for AGGF1 to execute its angiogenic function. To search the structural bases for this nucleocytoplasmic transport, we characterized three potential nuclear localization regions, one potential nuclear export region, forkhead-associated (FHA), and G-patch domains to determine their effects on nucleocytoplasmic transport and angiogenesis, and we show that AGGF1 remains intact during the dynamic subcellular distribution and the region from 260 to 288 amino acids acts as a signal for its nuclear localization. The distribution of AGGF1 in cytoplasm needs both FHA domain and 14-3-3α/β. Binding of AGGF1 via FHA domain to 14-3-3α/β is required to complete the transport. Thus, we for the first time established structural bases for the nucleocytoplasmic transport of AGGF1 and revealed that the FHA domain of AGGF1 is essential for its nucleocytoplasmic transport and angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Fang Zhang
- Department of Human Population Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Han-Ming Wang
- Department of Human Population Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Andong Wu
- Aging and Vascular Diseases, Human Aging Research Institute and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Human Population Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiao-Li Tian
- Department of Human Population Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Aging and Vascular Diseases, Human Aging Research Institute and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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Angiogenic factor AGGF1 acts as a tumor suppressor by modulating p53 post-transcriptional modifications and stability via MDM2. Cancer Lett 2020; 497:28-40. [PMID: 33069768 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis factors are widely known to promote tumor growth by increasing tumor angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment, however, little is known whether their intracellular function is involved in tumorigenesis. Here we show that AGGF1 acts as a tumor suppressor by regulating p53 when acting inside tumor cells. AGGF1 antagonizes MDM2 function to inhibit p53 ubiquitination, increases the acetylation, phosphorylation, stability and expression levels of p53, activates transcription of p53 target genes, and regulates cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. AGGF1 also interacts with p53 through the FHA domain. Somatic AGGF1 variants in the FHA domain in human tumors, including p.Q467H, p.Y469 N, and p.N483T, inhibit AGGF1 activity on tumor suppression. These results identify a key role for AGGF1 in an AGGF1-MDM2-p53 signaling axis with important functions in tumor suppression, and uncover a novel trans-tumor-suppression mechanism dependent on p53. This study has potential implications in diagnosis and therapies of cancer.
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Shen S, Shang L, Liu H, Liang Q, Liang W, Ge S. AGGF1 inhibits the expression of inflammatory mediators and promotes angiogenesis in dental pulp cells. Clin Oral Investig 2020; 25:581-592. [PMID: 32789654 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-020-03498-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the role of angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domain 1 (AGGF1) in inflammatory response of human dental pulp cells (DPCs) and the underneath mechanism and to explore its role in angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression of AGGF-1 in human healthy and inflammatory pulp tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of AGGF1 in DPCs stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After AGGF1 was knocked down, the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines in DPCs was quantified by RT-qPCR and ELISA. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to assess the activation of NF-κB signaling. Inflammatory cytokines were detected by RT-qPCR and ELISA in DPCs pretreated with NF-κB pathway inhibitors before LPS stimulation, and then the effect of AGGF1 on angiogenesis was also evaluated. RESULTS AGGF1 expression increased in inflammatory dental pulp tissues. In DPCs stimulated by LPS, AGGF1 was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). In AGGF1 knockdown cells, the expression of IL-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL-2) increased by LPS stimulation (P < 0.001). Nuclear translocation of p65 was promoted, and the addition of NF-κB inhibitors inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors. Meanwhile, knockdown of AGGF1 inhibited vascularization. CONCLUSIONS AGGF1 inhibited the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines through NF-κB signaling pathway and promoted the angiogenesis of DPCs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study might shed light in the treatment of pulpitis and regeneration of dental pulp tissues; however, more clinical trials are required to validate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Shen
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingling Shang
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongrui Liu
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianyu Liang
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liang
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohua Ge
- Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
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Dysregulation of ghrelin in diabetes impairs the vascular reparative response to hindlimb ischemia in a mouse model; clinical relevance to peripheral artery disease. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13651. [PMID: 32788622 PMCID: PMC7423620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes is a prominent risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD). Yet, the mechanistic link between diabetes and PAD remains unclear. This study proposes that dysregulation of the endogenous hormone ghrelin, a potent modulator of vascular function, underpins the causal link between diabetes and PAD. Moreover, this study aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of exogenous ghrelin in a diabetic mouse model of PAD. Standard ELISA analysis was used to quantify and compare circulating levels of ghrelin between (i) human diabetic patients with or without PAD (clinic) and (ii) db/db diabetic and non-diabetic mice (lab). Db/db mice underwent unilateral hindlimb ischaemia (HLI) for 14 days and treated with or without exogenous ghrelin (150 µg/kg/day.) Subsequently vascular reparation, angiogenesis, hindlimb perfusion, structure and function were assessed using laser Doppler imaging, micro-CT, microangiography, and protein and micro-RNA (miRNA) analysis. We further examined hindlimb perfusion recovery of ghrelin KO mice to determine whether an impaired vascular response to HLI is linked to ghrelin dysregulation in diabetes. Patients with PAD, with or without diabetes, had significantly lower circulating levels of endogenous ghrelin, compared to healthy individuals. Diabetic db/db mice had ghrelin levels that were only 7% of non-diabetic mice. The vascular reparative capacity of diabetic db/db mice in response to HLI was impaired compared to non-diabetic mice and, importantly, comparable to ghrelin KO mice. Daily therapeutic treatment of db/db mice with ghrelin for 14 days post HLI, stimulated angiogenesis, and improved skeletal muscle architecture and cell survival, which was associated with an increase in pro-angiogenic miRNAs-126 and -132. These findings unmask an important role for endogenous ghrelin in vascular repair following limb ischemia, which appears to be downregulated in diabetic patients. Moreover, these results implicate exogenous ghrelin as a potential novel therapy to enhance perfusion in patients with lower limb PAD, especially in diabetics.
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Yao G, Li R, Du J, Yao Y. Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 protects retinal vascular endothelial cells under hyperoxia by inhibiting autophagy. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2020; 34:e22572. [PMID: 32633013 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) has strong proangiogenic effects on embryonic vascular development and angiogenesis in disease; however, its role in retinopathy has not been elucidated. Retinopathy of prematurity is a serious retinal disorder of premature infants, which is caused by the arrest of immature retinal vascular growth under hyperoxia. This study aims to investigate the effects of AGGF1 on retinal vascular endothelial cells under hyperoxia and the association with autophagy by using rhesus macaque choroid-retinal endothelial (RF/6A) cells. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression of AGGF1 in RF/6A cells. Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and transwell and matrigel assays were applied to detect the vitality, apoptosis, migration, and tube formation of RF/6A cells, respectively. Western blot analysis was then used to detect the expression of autophagy markers LC3 and Beclin-1, and mCherry-GFP-LC3 adenovirus was used to detect autophagy flux in RF/6A cells. Under hyperoxia, the expression of AGGF1 in RF/6A cells decreased compared with the control. Cell vitality, migration, and tube formation decreased, and apoptosis of RF/6A cells increased under hyperoxia, and these effects of hyperoxia were attenuated by AGGF1. The protein expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 increased in RF/6A cells and autophagy flux enhanced under hyperoxia. AGGF1 reduced the expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 as well as the autophagy flux stimulated by hyperoxia. The results clearly showed that exogenous AGGF1 can protect retinal vascular endothelial cells and promote angiogenesis under hyperoxia, in which the expression of AGGF1 was inhibited. Inhibition of autophagy by AGGF1 may be one of the mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guomin Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Junhui Du
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xi'an Ninth Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yao
- Department of Central laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Mao X, Wu X, Guo J, Deng M, Zhang H, Ma T, Yu L. Expression of AGGF1 and Twist1 in hepatocellular carcinoma and their correlation with vasculogenic mimicry. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2020; 13:1646-1654. [PMID: 32782684 PMCID: PMC7414475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common reason for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment failure is recurrence and metastasis. AGGF1 (a promoting gene of tumor metastasis), vasculogenic mimicry (VM, new blood supply formation in malignant tumors), and Twist1 (an evolutionarily conserved basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor) are all valuable factors for metastasis and prognosis in diverse common human cancers. However, the correlation of AGGF1, Twist1, and VM in HCC is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the correlations among these factors as well as their correlation with clinicopathologic data and survival in HCC. METHODS Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was used to detect the expression of AGGF1 and Twist1 in 111 archival surgical specimens of human HCC. Furthermore, clinical data were collected. RESULTS Levels of VM, AGGF1 and Twist1 were significantly higher in HCC tissues than in normal hepatic tissues. Levels of VM, AGGF1, and Twist1 were positively associated with AFP, HBsAg, size, capsular invasion, Child-Pugh classification level, and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, and negatively associated with patients' overall survival (OS). In multivariate analysis, high levels of VM, AGGF1, Twist1, AFP, Child-Pugh classification level, as well as TNM stage were independently correlated with lower OS in patients with HCC. CONCLUSION VM and the expression of AGGF1 and Twist1 may represent promising metastatic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Mao
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Xia Wu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Jiannan Guo
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Mingliang Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bengbu Third People’s HospitalBengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Dongchangfu Maternal Child Health HospitalLiaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Lan Yu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbu, Anhui, China
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Yao Y, Li Y, Song Q, Hu C, Xie W, Xu C, Chen Q, Wang QK. Angiogenic Factor AGGF1-Primed Endothelial Progenitor Cells Repair Vascular Defect in Diabetic Mice. Diabetes 2019; 68:1635-1648. [PMID: 31092480 PMCID: PMC6905488 DOI: 10.2337/db18-1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hyperglycemia-triggered vascular abnormalities are the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). The major cause of vascular dysfunction in DM is endothelial injury and dysfunction associated with the reduced number and dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). A major challenge is to identify key regulators of EPCs to restore DM-associated vascular dysfunction. We show that EPCs from heterozygous knockout Aggf1+/- mice presented with impairment of proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and transendothelial migration as in hyperglycemic mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or db/db mice. The number of EPCs from Aggf1+/- mice was significantly reduced. Ex vivo, AGGF1 protein can fully reverse all damaging effects of hyperglycemia on EPCs. In vivo, transplantation of AGGF1-primed EPCs successfully restores blood flow and blocks tissue necrosis and ambulatory impairment in HFD-induced hyperglycemic mice or db/db mice with diabetic hindlimb ischemia. Mechanistically, AGGF1 activates AKT, reduces nuclear localization of Fyn, which increases the nuclear level of Nrf2 and expression of antioxidative genes, and inhibits reactive oxygen species generation. These results suggest that Aggf1 is required for essential function of EPCs, AGGF1 fully reverses the damaging effects of hyperglycemia on EPCs, and AGGF1 priming of EPCs is a novel treatment modality for vascular complications in DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qixue Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changqin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen Xie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, NB50, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Qing K. Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, NB50, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Corresponding author: Qing K. Wang, , or Qiuyun Chen,
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Yao Y, Li H, Da X, He Z, Tang B, Li Y, Hu C, Xu C, Chen Q, Wang QK. SUMOylation of Vps34 by SUMO1 promotes phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells by activating autophagy in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2019; 55:38-49. [PMID: 30703554 PMCID: PMC6814199 DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease without effective therapies. PAH is associated with a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and irreversible pulmonary vascular remodeling. SUMO1 (small ubiquitin-related modifier 1) can bind to target proteins and lead to protein SUMOylation, an important post-translational modification with a key role in many diseases. However, the contribution of SUMO1 to PAH remains to be fully characterized. METHODS In this study, we explored the role of SUMO1 in the dedifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) involved in hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAH in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS In a mouse model of hypoxic PAH, SUMO1 expression was significantly increased, which was associated with activation of autophagy (increased LC3b and decreased p62), dedifferentiation of pulmonary arterial VSMCs (reduced α-SMA, SM22 and SM-MHC), and pulmonary vascular remodeling. Similar results were obtained in a MCT-induced PAH model. Overexpression of SUMO1 significantly increased VSMCs proliferation, migration, hypoxia-induced VSMCs dedifferentiation, and autophagy, but these effects were abolished by inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA in aortic VSMCs. Furthermore, SUMO1 knockdown reversed hypoxia-induced proliferation and migration of PASMCs. Mechanistically, SUMO1 promotes Vps34 SUMOylation and the assembly of the Beclin-1-Vps34-Atg14 complex, thereby inducing autophagy, whereas Vps34 mutation K840R reduces Vps34 SUMOylation and inhibits VSMCs dedifferentiation. DISCUSSION Our data uncovers an important role of SUMO1 in VSMCs proliferation, migration, autophagy, and phenotypic switching (dedifferentiation) involved in pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAH. Targeting of the SUMO1-Vps34-autophagy signaling axis may be exploited to develop therapeutic strategies to treat PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Xinwen Da
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Zuhan He
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Bo Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Yong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Changqing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, CCLCM of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
| | - Qing K Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, CCLCM of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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20
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Liu Z, Tan X, Orozco-terWengel P, Zhou X, Zhang L, Tian S, Yan Z, Xu H, Ren B, Zhang P, Xiang Z, Sun B, Roos C, Bruford MW, Li M. Population genomics of wild Chinese rhesus macaques reveals a dynamic demographic history and local adaptation, with implications for biomedical research. Gigascience 2018; 7:5079661. [PMID: 30165519 PMCID: PMC6143732 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The rhesus macaque (RM, Macaca mulatta) is the most important nonhuman primate model in biomedical research. We present the first genomic survey of wild RMs, sequencing 81 geo-referenced individuals of five subspecies from 17 locations in China, a large fraction of the species’ natural distribution. Results Populations were structured into five genetic lineages on the mainland and Hainan Island, recapitulating current subspecies designations. These subspecies are estimated to have diverged 125.8 to 51.3 thousand years ago, but feature recent gene flow. Consistent with the expectation of a larger body size in colder climates and smaller body size in warmer climates (Bergman's rule), the northernmost RM lineage (M. m. tcheliensis), possessing the largest body size of all Chinese RMs, and the southernmost lineage (M. m. brevicaudus), with the smallest body size of all Chinese RMs, feature positively selected genes responsible for skeletal development. Further, two candidate selected genes (Fbp1, Fbp2) found in M. m. tcheliensis are involved in gluconeogenesis, potentially maintaining stable blood glucose levels during starvation when food resources are scarce in winter. The tropical subspecies M. m. brevicaudus showed positively selected genes related to cardiovascular function and response to temperature stimuli, potentially involved in tropical adaptation. We found 118 single-nucleotide polymorphisms matching human disease-causing variants with 82 being subspecies specific. Conclusions These data provide a resource for selection of RMs in biomedical experiments. The demographic history of Chinese RMs and their history of local adaption offer new insights into their evolution and provide valuable baseline information for biomedical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijin Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xinxin Tan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Pablo Orozco-terWengel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Xuming Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Liye Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shilin Tian
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Jiuxianqiao North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhongze Yan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Jiulong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Huailiang Xu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Xinkang Road, Yucheng District, Ya'an, 625014, China
| | - Baoping Ren
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Xingang Xi Road, Guang Zhou, 510275, China
| | - Zuofu Xiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Shaoshan South Road, Changsha, 410004, China
| | - Binghua Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Jiulong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Michael W Bruford
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Ming Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
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21
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Aggf1 attenuates neuroinflammation and BBB disruption via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:178. [PMID: 29885663 PMCID: PMC5994242 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1211-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption are two critical mechanisms of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-induced brain injury, which are closely related to patient prognosis. Recently, angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domain 1 (Aggf1) was shown to inhibit inflammatory effect and preserve vascular integrity in non-nervous system diseases. This study aimed to determine whether Aggf1 could attenuate neuroinflammation and preserve BBB integrity after experimental SAH, as well as the underlying mechanisms of its protective roles. Methods Two hundred forty-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the endovascular perforation model of SAH. Recombinant human Aggf1 (rh-Aggf1) was administered intravenously via tail vein injection at 1 h after SAH induction. To investigate the underlying neuroprotection mechanism, Aggf1 small interfering RNA (Aggf1 siRNA) and PI3K-specific inhibitor LY294002 were administered through intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) before SAH induction. SAH grade, neurological score, brain water content, BBB permeability, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were performed. Results Expression of endogenous Aggf1 was markedly increased after SAH. Aggf1 was primarily expressed in endothelial cells and astrocytes, as well as microglia after SAH. Administration of rh-Aggf1 significantly reduced brain water content and BBB permeability, decreased the numbers of infiltrating neutrophils, and activated microglia in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex following SAH. Furthermore, rh-Aggf1 treatment improved both short- and long-term neurological functions after SAH. Meanwhile, exogenous rh-Aggf1 significantly increased the expression of PI3K, p-Akt, VE-cadherin, Occludin, and Claudin-5, as well as decreased the expression of p-NF-κB p65, albumin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), TNF-α, and IL-1β. Conversely, knockdown of endogenous Aggf1 aggravated BBB breakdown, inflammatory response and neurological impairments at 24 h after SAH. Additionally, the protective roles of rh-Aggf1 were abolished by LY294002. Conclusions Taken together, exogenous Aggf1 treatment attenuated neuroinflammation and BBB disruption, improved neurological deficits after SAH in rats, at least in part through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-018-1211-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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22
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Si W, Xie W, Deng W, Xiao Y, Karnik SS, Xu C, Chen Q, Wang QK. Angiotensin II increases angiogenesis by NF-κB-mediated transcriptional activation of angiogenic factor AGGF1. FASEB J 2018; 32:5051-5062. [PMID: 29641288 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701543rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) is involved in vascular development, angiogenesis, specification of hemangioblasts, and differentiation of veins. When mutated, however, it causes Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, a vascular disorder. In this study, we show that angiotensin II (AngII)-the major effector of the renin-angiotensin system and one of the most important regulators of the cardiovascular system-induces the expression of AGGF1 through NF-κB, and that AGGF1 plays a key role in AngII-induced angiogenesis. AngII significantly up-regulated the levels of AGGF1 mRNA and protein in HUVECs at concentrations of 10-40 μg/ml but not >60 μg/ml. AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R) inhibitor losartan inhibited AngII-induced up-regulation of AGGF1, whereas AT2R inhibitor PD123319 further increased AngII-induced up-regulation of AGGF1. Up-regulation of AGGF1 by AngII was blocked by NF-κB inhibitors, and p65 binds directly to a binding site at the promoter/regulatory region of AGGF1 and transcriptionally activates AGGF1 expression. AngII-induced endothelial tube formation was blocked by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for RELA (RELA proto-oncogene, NF-κB subunit)/p65 or AGGF1, and the effect of RELA siRNA was rescued by AGGF1. AngII-induced angiogenesis from aortic rings was severely impaired in Aggf1+/- mice, and the effect was restored by AGGF1. These data suggest that AngII acts as a critical regulator of AGGF1 expression through NF-κB, and that AGGF1 plays a key role in AngII-induced angiogenesis.-Si, W., Xie, W., Deng, W., Xiao, Y., Karnik, S. S., Xu, C., Chen, Q., Wang, Q. K. Angiotensin II increases angiogenesis by NF-κB-mediated transcriptional activation of angiogenic factor AGGF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxia Si
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics-Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Institute, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory for Kidney Disease Pathogenesis and Intervention, Huangshi Central Hospital-Edong Healthcare Group, Hubei Polytechnic University School of Medicine, Huangshi, China
| | - Wen Xie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics-Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Institute, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenbing Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics-Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Institute, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- College of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sadashiva S Karnik
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Cardiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Learner College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics-Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Institute, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Cardiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Learner College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and
| | - Qing Kenneth Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics-Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Institute, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,College of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Cardiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Learner College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; and.,Department of Genetics and Genome Science, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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23
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Tu J, Ying X, Zhang D, Weng Q, Mao W, Chen L, Wu X, Tu C, Ji J, Huang Y. High expression of angiogenic factor AGGF1 is an independent prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:111623-111630. [PMID: 29340079 PMCID: PMC5762347 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Angiogenesis plays a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) has been recently identified as a novel initiator of angiogenesis. However, the function and the prognostic values of AGGF1 in hepatocellular carcinoma remain poorly understood. Our aim is to provide more information to assist design the angiogenesis therapy that targets AGGF1 in HCC. Results AGGF1-positive frequency in HCC tissues was significantly higher than in peritumor tissues. The high expression of AGGF1 expression in HCC tissue was well associated with the increased expression of VEGF and the high microvessel density (MVD). AGGF1 expression predicts a poor prognosis and AGGF1 was an independent prognostic factor for DFS. Methods The expression levels of AGGF1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) were identified by immunohistochemistry in 79 HCC tumor tissues and 24 corresponding peritumor tissues. The expression level of AGGF1 and MVD were quantified by counting the positively stained endothelial cells in the HCC and the peritumor tissue on the immunohistochemically stained tissue slides. The prognostic value of AGGF1 was evaluated by survival analysis. Conclusions Our study shows that AGGF1 is identified as the independent prognostic factor for the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients after the surgical resection. contribute to tumor angiogenesis in HCC, which indicates that AGGF1 may be a new potential therapeutic target for anti-angiogenesis treatment for patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfei Tu
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Xihui Ying
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Dengke Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Qiaoyou Weng
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Weibo Mao
- Department of Pathology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Xulu Wu
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Chaoyong Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Jiansong Ji
- Department of Radiology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 323000, China
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Yao Y, Lu Q, Hu Z, Yu Y, Chen Q, Wang QK. A non-canonical pathway regulates ER stress signaling and blocks ER stress-induced apoptosis and heart failure. Nat Commun 2017; 8:133. [PMID: 28743963 PMCID: PMC5527107 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00171-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum stress is an evolutionarily conserved cell stress response associated with numerous diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. The major endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway causing cardiac hypertrophy involves endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor PERK (protein kinase-like kinase) and eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP signaling. Here, we describe a non-canonical, AGGF1-mediated regulatory system for endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling associated with increased p-eIF2α and ATF4 and decreased sXBP1 and CHOP. Specifically, we see a reduced AGGF1 level consistently associated with induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling in mouse models and human patients with heart failure. Mechanistically, AGGF1 regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling by inhibiting ERK1/2 activation, which reduces the level of transcriptional repressor ZEB1, leading to induced expression of miR-183-5p. miR-183-5p post-transcriptionally downregulates CHOP and inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis. AGGF1 protein therapy and miR-183-5p regulate endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling and block endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure, providing an attractive paradigm for treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress promotes cardiac dysfunction. Here the authors uncover a pathway whereby AGGF1 blocks ER stress by inhibiting ERK1/2 activation and the transcriptional repressor ZEB1, leading to induction of miR-183-5p and down-regulation of CHOP, and show that AGGF1 can effectively treat cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China
| | - Qiulun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China
| | - Zhenkun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China
| | - Yubin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, CCLCM, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Qing K Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China. .,Department of Molecular Cardiology, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, CCLCM, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. .,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
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25
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Zhang T, Yao Y, Wang J, Li Y, He P, Pasupuleti V, Hu Z, Jia X, Song Q, Tian XL, Hu C, Chen Q, Wang QK. Haploinsufficiency of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome gene Aggf1 inhibits developmental and pathological angiogenesis by inactivating PI3K and AKT and disrupts vascular integrity by activating VE-cadherin. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 25:5094-5110. [PMID: 27522498 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggf1 is the first gene identified for Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS), and encodes an angiogenic factor. However, the in vivo roles of Aggf1 are incompletely defined. Here we demonstrate that Aggf1 is essential for both physiological angiogenesis and pathological tumour angiogenesis in vivo. Two lines of Aggf1 knockout (KO) mice showed a particularly severe phenotype as no homozygous embryos were observed and heterozygous mice also showed embryonic lethality (haploinsufficient lethality) observed only for Vegfa and Dll4. Aggf1+/- KO caused defective angiogenesis in yolk sacs and embryos. Survived adult heterozygous mice exhibit frequent haemorrhages and increased vascular permeability due to increased phosphorylation and reduced membrane localization of VE-cadherin. AGGF1 inhibits VE-cadherin phosphorylation, increases plasma membrane VE-cadherin in ECs and in mice, blocks vascular permeability induced by ischaemia-reperfusion (IR), restores depressed cardiac function and contraction, reduces infarct sizes, cardiac fibrosis and necrosis, haemorrhages, edema, and macrophage density associated with IR. Mechanistically, AGGF1 promotes angiogenesis by activating catalytic p110α subunit and p85α regulatory subunit of PI3K, leading to activation of AKT, GSK3β and p70S6K. AKT activation is significantly reduced in heterozygous KO mice and isolated KO ECs, which can be rescued by exogenous AGGF1. ECs from KO mice show reduced capillary angiogenesis, which is rescued by AGGF1 and AKT. Tumour growth/angiogenesis is reduced in heterozygous mice, which was associated with reduced activation of p110α, p85α and AKT. Together with recent identification of somatic mutations in p110α (encoded by PIK3CA), our data establish a potential mechanistic link between AGGF1 and PIK3CA, the two genes identified for KTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Zhang
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Ping He
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Vinay Pasupuleti
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Zhengkun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Xinzhen Jia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Qixue Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Li Tian
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Changqing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA
| | - Qing Kenneth Wang
- The Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, NE40, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, OH, USA.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Yao Y, Hu Z, Ye J, Hu C, Song Q, Da X, Yu Y, Li H, Xu C, Chen Q, Wang QK. Targeting AGGF1 (angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1) for Blocking Neointimal Formation After Vascular Injury. J Am Heart Assoc 2017. [PMID: 28649088 PMCID: PMC5669188 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.117.005889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Despite recent improvements in angioplasty and placement of drug‐eluting stents in treatment of atherosclerosis, restenosis and in‐stent thrombosis impede treatment efficacy and cause numerous deaths. Research efforts are needed to identify new molecular targets for blocking restenosis. We aim to establish angiogenic factor AGGF1 (angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1) as a novel target for blocking neointimal formation and restenosis after vascular injury. Methods and Results AGGF1 shows strong expression in carotid arteries; however, its expression is markedly decreased in arteries after vascular injury. AGGF1+/− mice show increased neointimal formation accompanied with increased proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in carotid arteries after vascular injury. Importantly, AGGF1 protein therapy blocks neointimal formation after vascular injury by inhibiting the proliferation and promoting phenotypic switching of VSMCs to the contractile phenotype in mice in vivo. In vitro, AGGF1 significantly inhibits VSMCs proliferation and decreases the cell numbers at the S phase. AGGF1 also blocks platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB–induced proliferation, migration of VSMCs, increases expression of cyclin D, and decreases expression of p21 and p27. AGGF1 inhibits phenotypic switching of VSMCs to the synthetic phenotype by countering the inhibitory effect of platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB on SRF expression and the formation of the myocardin/SRF/CArG‐box complex involved in activation of VSMCs markers. Finally, we show that AGGF1 inhibits platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB–induced phosphorylation of MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and Elk phosphorylation involved in the phenotypic switching of VSMCs, and that overexpression of Elk abolishes the effect of AGGF1. Conclusions AGGF1 protein therapy is effective in blocking neointimal formation after vascular injury by regulating a novel AGGF1‐MEK1/2‐ERK1/2‐Elk‐myocardin‐SRF/p27 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenkun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Ye
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Changqing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qixue Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingwen Da
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yubin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Qing Kenneth Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Cardio-X Center, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China .,Department of Molecular Cardiology, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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Yao HH, Wang BJ, Wu Y, Huang Q. High Expression of Angiogenic Factor with G-Patch and FHA Domain1 (AGGF1) Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer. Med Sci Monit 2017; 23:1286-1294. [PMID: 28289272 PMCID: PMC5362190 DOI: 10.12659/msm.903248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domain1 (AGGF1 or VG5Q) is a newly identified human angiogenic factor. The aim of this study was to explore AGGF1 expression level in gastric cancer and detect its correlation with the prognosis. Material/Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect AGGF1 level in gastric cancer and its adjacent noncancerous samples of 198 cases, and the relationships among the expression levels of AGGF1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and prognosis were analyzed. Results Expression of AGGF1 in gastric cancer samples was significantly higher than that in adjacent noncancerous samples (P<0.001). The overall survival rate (OS) of patients with high AGGF1 expression was significantly lower than that of patients with low AGGF1 expression (P=0.000). The Cox model analysis demonstrated that expression of AGGF1 was an independent biomarker for prediction of patients’ survival in gastric cancer. Conclusions High expression of AGGF1 predicts poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. AGGF1 can be used as an independent factor to predict postoperative survival of patients with gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Hui Yao
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland)
| | - Ben-Jun Wang
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Yang Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland)
| | - Qiang Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland)
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Up-regulation of miR-95-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma promotes tumorigenesis by targeting p21 expression. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34034. [PMID: 27698442 PMCID: PMC5048429 DOI: 10.1038/srep34034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant cancers. To elucidate new regulatory mechanisms for heptocarcinogenesis, we investigated the regulation of p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor encoded by CDKN1A, in HCC. The expression level of p21 is decreased with the progression of HCC. Luciferase assays with a luciferase-p21-3' UTR reporter and its serial deletions identified a 15-bp repressor element at the 3'-UTR of CDKN1A, which contains a binding site for miR-95-3p. Mutation of the binding site eliminated the regulatory effect of miR-95-3p on p21 expression. Posttranscriptional regulation of p21 expression by miR-95-3p is mainly on the protein level (suppression of translation). Overexpression of miR-95-3p in two different HCC cell lines, HepG2 and SMMC7721, significantly promoted cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration, whereas a miR-95-3p specific inhibitor decreased cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration. The effects of miR-95-3p on cellular functions were rescued by overexpression of p21. Overexpression of miR-95-3p promoted cell proliferation and tumor growth in HCC xenograft mouse models. Expression of miR-95-3p was significantly higher in HCC samples than in adjacent non-cancerous samples. These results demonstrate that miR-95-3p is a potential new marker for HCC and regulates hepatocarcinogenesis by directly targeting CDKN1A/p21 expression.
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Lu Q, Yao Y, Hu Z, Hu C, Song Q, Ye J, Xu C, Wang AZ, Chen Q, Wang QK. Angiogenic Factor AGGF1 Activates Autophagy with an Essential Role in Therapeutic Angiogenesis for Heart Disease. PLoS Biol 2016; 14:e1002529. [PMID: 27513923 PMCID: PMC4981375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
AGGF1 is an angiogenic factor with therapeutic potential to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). However, the underlying mechanism for AGGF1-mediated therapeutic angiogenesis is unknown. Here, we show for the first time that AGGF1 activates autophagy, a housekeeping catabolic cellular process, in endothelial cells (ECs), HL1, H9C2, and vascular smooth muscle cells. Studies with Atg5 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the autophagy inhibitors bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and chloroquine demonstrate that autophagy is required for AGGF1-mediated EC proliferation, migration, capillary tube formation, and aortic ring-based angiogenesis. Aggf1+/- knockout (KO) mice show reduced autophagy, which was associated with inhibition of angiogenesis, larger infarct areas, and contractile dysfunction after MI. Protein therapy with AGGF1 leads to robust recovery of myocardial function and contraction with increased survival, increased ejection fraction, reduction of infarct areas, and inhibition of cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis by promoting therapeutic angiogenesis in mice with MI. Inhibition of autophagy in mice by bafilomycin A1 or in Becn1+/- and Atg5 KO mice eliminates AGGF1-mediated angiogenesis and therapeutic actions, indicating that autophagy acts upstream of and is essential for angiogenesis. Mechanistically, AGGF1 initiates autophagy by activating JNK, which leads to activation of Vps34 lipid kinase and the assembly of Becn1-Vps34-Atg14 complex involved in the initiation of autophagy. Our data demonstrate that (1) autophagy is essential for effective therapeutic angiogenesis to treat CAD and MI; (2) AGGF1 is critical to induction of autophagy; and (3) AGGF1 is a novel agent for treatment of CAD and MI. Our data suggest that maintaining or increasing autophagy is a highly innovative strategy to robustly boost the efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis. Treatment with the angiogenic factor AGGF1 dramatically improves survival and cardiac function in mouse models for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction by activating autophagy and angiogenesis. Coronary artery disease is the number one killer disease worldwide. Recently, therapeutic angiogenesis has been proposed as an attractive new strategy for treating this and other ischemic diseases. This study establishes the angiogenic factor AGGF1 as a novel target and agent that can successfully treat coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction and dramatically improve survival and cardiac function in mouse models. We present the unexpected finding that AGGF1 has these effects via activating autophagy, and that autophagy is essential for therapeutic angiogenesis in animals. We find that AGGF1 is a novel master regulator of autophagy not only in endothelial cells but also in all other cell types examined in the study. Mechanistically, AGGF1 activates autophagy by activating JNK, which leads to activation of the Vps34 lipid kinase and assembly of the Becn1-Vps34-Atg14 complex involved in the initiation of autophagy. The study thus provides a link connecting the therapeutic angiogenesis and autophagy pathways in heart disease.
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MESH Headings
- Angiogenic Proteins/genetics
- Angiogenic Proteins/metabolism
- Angiogenic Proteins/pharmacology
- Animals
- Autophagy/drug effects
- Autophagy/genetics
- Autophagy/physiology
- Autophagy-Related Protein 5/genetics
- Autophagy-Related Protein 5/metabolism
- Beclin-1/genetics
- Beclin-1/metabolism
- Blotting, Western
- Cell Line
- Cells, Cultured
- Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Heart Diseases/drug therapy
- Heart Diseases/genetics
- Heart Diseases/metabolism
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/physiology
- Humans
- Macrolides/pharmacology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/cytology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/drug effects
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/drug therapy
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism
- Neovascularization, Physiologic/drug effects
- Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
- Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiulun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Zhenkun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Changqing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Qixue Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jian Ye
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Chengqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Annabel Z. Wang
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Qiuyun Chen
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Qing Kenneth Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology and Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail: ;
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Abstract
Plasmids are currently an indispensable molecular tool in life science research and a central asset for the modern biotechnology industry, supporting its mission to produce pharmaceutical proteins, antibodies, vaccines, industrial enzymes, and molecular diagnostics, to name a few key products. Furthermore, plasmids have gradually stepped up in the past 20 years as useful biopharmaceuticals in the context of gene therapy and DNA vaccination interventions. This review provides a concise coverage of the scientific progress that has been made since the emergence of what are called today plasmid biopharmaceuticals. The most relevant topics are discussed to provide researchers with an updated overview of the field. A brief outline of the initial breakthroughs and innovations is followed by a discussion of the motivation behind the medical uses of plasmids in the context of therapeutic and prophylactic interventions. The molecular characteristics and rationale underlying the design of plasmid vectors as gene transfer agents are described and a description of the most important methods used to deliver plasmid biopharmaceuticals in vivo (gene gun, electroporation, cationic lipids and polymers, and micro- and nanoparticles) is provided. The major safety issues (integration and autoimmunity) surrounding the use of plasmid biopharmaceuticals is discussed next. Aspects related to the large-scale manufacturing are also covered, and reference is made to the plasmid products that have received marketing authorization as of today.
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Nagahara Y, Shimazawa M, Tanaka H, Ono Y, Noda Y, Ohuchi K, Tsuruma K, Katsuno M, Sobue G, Hara H. Glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B ameliorates skeletal muscle lesions in a SOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1552-66. [PMID: 26140698 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons and subsequent muscular atrophy. The quality of life of patients with ALS is significantly improved by ameliorating muscular symptoms. We previously reported that glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB; osteoactivin) might serve as a target for ALS therapy. In the present study, superoxide dismutase 1/glycine residue 93 changed to alanine (SOD1(G93A) ) transgenic mice were used as a model of ALS. Expression of the C-terminal fragment of GPNMB was increased in the skeletal muscles of SOD1(G93A) mice and patients with sporadic ALS. SOD1(G93A) /GPNMB transgenic mice were generated to determine whether GPNMB expression ameliorates muscular symptoms. The weight and cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius muscle, number and cross-sectional area of myofibers, and denervation of neuromuscular junctions were ameliorated in SOD1(G93A) /GPNMB vs. SOD1(G93A) mice. Furthermore, direct injection of a GPNMB expression plasmid into the gastrocnemius muscle of SOD1(G93A) mice increased the numbers of myofibers and prevented myofiber atrophy. These findings suggest that GPNMB directly affects skeletal muscle and prevents muscular pathology in SOD1(G93A) mice and may therefore serve as a target for therapy of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Nagahara
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Shimazawa
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Tanaka
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Yoko Ono
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Noda
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Kazuki Ohuchi
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Tsuruma
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hideaki Hara
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
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Overexpression of AGGF1 is correlated with angiogenesis and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Med Oncol 2015; 32:131. [PMID: 25796501 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-015-0574-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) is a factor implicating in vascular differentiation and angiogenesis. Several lines of evidence indicate that aberrant expression of AGGF1 is associated with tumor initiation and progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and prognostic value of AGGF1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as its relationship with clinicopathological factors and tumor angiogenesis. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of AGGF1 in HCC and paracarcinomatous tissues collected from 70 patients. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CD34 expression levels were examined in the 70 HCC tissues. Prognostic significance of tumoral AGGF1 expression was determined. Notably, AGGF1 expression was significantly higher in HCC than in surrounding non-tumor tissues (65.7 vs. 25.7 %; P < 0.001). AGGF1 expression was significantly correlated with tumoral VEGF expression and CD34-positive microvessel density. Moreover, AGGF1 expression was significantly associated with tumor size, tumor capsule, vascular invasion, Edmondson grade, alpha-fetoprotein level, and TNM stage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high AGGF1 was correlated with reduced overall survival (OS) rate (P = 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) rate (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified AGGF1 as an independent poor prognostic factor of OS and DFS in HCC patients (P = 0.043 and P = 0.010, respectively). Taken together, increased AGGF1 expression is associated with tumor angiogenesis and serves as an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for OS and DFS in HCC. AGGF1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
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Ito A, Fujimura M, Niizuma K, Kanoke A, Sakata H, Morita-Fujimura Y, Kikuchi A, Kure S, Tominaga T. Enhanced post-ischemic angiogenesis in mice lacking RNF213; a susceptibility gene for moyamoya disease. Brain Res 2014; 1594:310-20. [PMID: 25446450 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic occlusive cerebrovascular disease with unknown etiology that is characterized by the development of abnormal vascular networks at the base of the brain. Recent genome-wide studies identified RNF213 as an important MMD susceptibility gene. However, the exact mechanism by which the RNF213 abnormality leads to MMD remains unknown. Thus, we sought to clarify the role of RNF213 in angiogenesis under ischemic conditions using conventional RNF213 knockout mice. We assessed the infarction volume, cerebral edema, and vascular density in the ischemic brain after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). To further evaluate systemic angiogenesis following chronic ischemia, we investigated blood flow recovery using laser speckle flowmetry, the severity of ambulatory impairments, and vascular density in the hind-limb after permanent femoral artery ligation. Results were compared between homozygous RNF213 knockout mice (RNF213 -/-) and wild-type littermates (Wt). No significant differences were observed in infarction volume or the formation of edema following tMCAO, or in vascular density 28 days after tMCAO between RNF213 -/- and Wt. Blood flow recovery was significantly improved in RNF213 -/- from 3 to 28 days after femoral artery ligation, and angiogenesis as shown by vascular density in the hind-limb was significantly enhanced in RNF213 -/- at 28 days. The amelioration of ambulatory impairments was also evident in RNF213 -/-. Angiogenesis was enhanced in mice lacking RNF213 after chronic hind-limb ischemia, which suggested the potential role of the RNF213 abnormality in the development of pathological vascular networks in chronic ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Ito
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Miki Fujimura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kuniyasu Niizuma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kanoke
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sakata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuiko Morita-Fujimura
- Department of Molecular Biology, Tohoku University Institute of Aging and Cancer, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsuo Kikuchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shigeo Kure
- Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Teiji Tominaga
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Dong K, Yao N, Pu Y, He X, Zhao Q, Luan Y, Guan W, Rao S, Ma Y. Genomic scan reveals loci under altitude adaptation in Tibetan and Dahe pigs. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110520. [PMID: 25329542 PMCID: PMC4201535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
High altitude environments are of particular interest in the studies of local adaptation as well as their implications in physiology and clinical medicine in human. Some Chinese pig breeds, such as Tibetan pig (TBP) that is well adapted to the high altitude and Dahe pig (DHP) that dwells at the moderate altitude, provide ideal materials to study local adaptation to altitudes. Yet, it is still short of in-depth analysis and understanding of the genetic adaptation to high altitude in the two pig populations. In this study we conducted a genomic scan for selective sweeps using FST to identify genes showing evidence of local adaptations in TBP and DHP, with Wuzhishan pig (WZSP) as the low-altitude reference. Totally, we identified 12 specific selective genes (CCBE1, F2RL1, AGGF1, ZFPM2, IL2, FGF5, PLA2G4A, ADAMTS9, NRBF2, JMJD1C, VEGFC and ADAM19) for TBP and six (OGG1, FOXM, FLT3, RTEL1, CRELD1 and RHOG) for DHP. In addition, six selective genes (VPS13A, GNA14, GDAP1, PARP8, FGF10 and ADAMTS16) were shared by the two pig breeds. Among these selective genes, three (VEGFC, FGF10 and ADAMTS9) were previously reported to be linked to the local adaptation to high altitudes in pigs, while many others were newly identified by this study. Further bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that majority of these selective signatures have some biological functions relevant to the altitude adaptation, for examples, response to hypoxia, development of blood vessels, DNA repair and several hematological involvements. These results suggest that the local adaptation to high altitude environments is sophisticated, involving numerous genes and multiple biological processes, and the shared selective signatures by the two pig breeds may provide an effective avenue to identify the common adaptive mechanisms to different altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunzhe Dong
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Na Yao
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yabin Pu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong He
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianjun Zhao
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yizhao Luan
- Institute for Medical Systems Biology and Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, China
| | - Weijun Guan
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoqi Rao
- Institute for Medical Systems Biology and Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, China
- * E-mail: (YHM); (SQR)
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (YHM); (SQR)
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35
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Zhang JC, Zheng GF, Wu L, Ou Yang LY, Li WX. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing human basic fibroblast growth factor increase vasculogenesis in ischemic rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 47:886-94. [PMID: 25118628 PMCID: PMC4181224 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20143765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Administration or expression of growth factors, as well as implantation of autologous
bone marrow cells, promote in vivo angiogenesis. This study
investigated the angiogenic potential of combining both approaches through the
allogenic transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
expressing human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF). After establishing a hind
limb ischemia model in Sprague Dawley rats, the animals were randomly divided into
four treatment groups: MSCs expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP-MSC), MSCs
expressing hbFGF (hbFGF-MSC), MSC controls, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)
controls. After 2 weeks, MSC survival and differentiation, hbFGF and vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, and microvessel density of ischemic
muscles were determined. Stable hbFGF expression was observed in the hbFGF-MSC group
after 2 weeks. More hbFGF-MSCs than GFP-MSCs survived and differentiated into
vascular endothelial cells (P<0.001); however, their differentiation rates were
similar. Moreover, allogenic transplantation of hbFGF-MSCs increased VEGF expression
(P=0.008) and microvessel density (P<0.001). Transplantation of hbFGF-expressing
MSCs promoted angiogenesis in an in vivo hind limb ischemia model by
increasing the survival of transplanted cells that subsequently differentiated into
vascular endothelial cells. This study showed the therapeutic potential of combining
cell-based therapy with gene therapy to treat ischemic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - G F Zheng
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The People's Hospital of Ganzhou, Ganzhou, China
| | - L Wu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - L Y Ou Yang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - W X Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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36
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AGGF1 protects from myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by regulating myocardial apoptosis and angiogenesis. Apoptosis 2014; 19:1254-68. [DOI: 10.1007/s10495-014-1001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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37
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Xu Y, Zhou M, Wang J, Zhao Y, Li S, Zhou B, Su Z, Xu C, Xia Y, Qian H, Tu X, Xiao W, Chen X, Chen Q, Wang QK. Role of microRNA-27a in down-regulation of angiogenic factor AGGF1 under hypoxia associated with high-grade bladder urothelial carcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2014; 1842:712-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Kochi T, Imai Y, Takeda A, Watanabe Y, Mori S, Tachi M, Kodama T. Characterization of the arterial anatomy of the murine hindlimb: functional role in the design and understanding of ischemia models. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84047. [PMID: 24386328 PMCID: PMC3875518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Appropriate ischemia models are required for successful studies of therapeutic angiogenesis. While collateral routes are known to be present within the innate vasculature, there are no reports describing the detailed vascular anatomy of the murine hindlimb. In addition, differences in the descriptions of anatomical names and locations in the literature impede understanding of the circulation and the design of hindlimb ischemia models. To understand better the collateral circulation in the whole hindlimb, clarification of all the feeding arteries of the hindlimb is required. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to reveal the detailed arterial anatomy and collateral routes in murine hindlimb to enable the appropriate design of therapeutic angiogenesis studies and to facilitate understanding of the circulation in ischemia models. METHODS AND RESULTS Arterial anatomy in the murine hindlimb was investigated by contrast-enhanced X-ray imaging and surgical dissection. The observed anatomy is shown in photographic images and in a schema. Previously unnoticed but relatively large arteries were observed in deep, cranial and lateral parts of the thigh. The data indicates that there are three collateral routes through the medial thigh, quadriceps femoris, and the biceps femoris muscles. Furthermore, anatomical variations were found at the origins of the three feeding arteries. CONCLUSIONS The detailed arterial anatomy of murine hindlimb and collateral routes deduced from the anatomy are described. Limitations on designs of ischemia models in view of anatomical variations are proposed. These observations will contribute to the development of animal studies of therapeutic angiogenesis using murine hindlimb ischemia models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kochi
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yoshimichi Imai
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Takeda
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yukiko Watanabe
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shiro Mori
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tachi
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kodama
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- * E-mail:
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AGGF1 is a novel anti-inflammatory factor associated with TNF-α-induced endothelial activation. Cell Signal 2013; 25:1645-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2013.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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40
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Duelsner A, Bondke Persson A. Animal models in cardiovascular research. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2013; 208:1-5. [PMID: 23374112 DOI: 10.1111/apha.12074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Duelsner
- Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCR); Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin; Berlin; Germany
| | - A. Bondke Persson
- Institute of Vegetative Physiology; Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin; Berlin; Germany
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41
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Chen D, Li L, Tu X, Yin Z, Wang Q. Functional characterization of Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome gene AGGF1 identifies a novel angiogenic signaling pathway for specification of vein differentiation and angiogenesis during embryogenesis. Hum Mol Genet 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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