Antagonistic and cooperative actions of Kif7 and Sufu define graded intracellular Gli activities in Hedgehog signaling

Intrinsic and extrinsic actions of human neural progenitors with SUFU inhibition promote tissue repair and functional recovery from severe spinal cord injury

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells(hPSCs) provide major cell sources for repairing damaged neural circuitry and enabling axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the injury niche and inadequate intrinsic factors in the adult spinal cord restrict the therapeutic potential of transplanted NPCs. The Sonic Hedgehog protein (Shh) has crucial roles in neurodevelopment by promoting the formation of motorneurons and oligodendrocytes as well as its recently described neuroprotective features in response to the injury, indicating its essential role in neural homeostasis and tissue repair. In this study, we demonstrate that elevated SHH signaling in hNPCs by inhibiting its negative regulator, SUFU, enhanced cell survival and promoted robust neuronal differentiation with extensive axonal outgrowth, counteracting the harmful effects of the injured niche. Importantly, SUFU inhibition in NPCs exert non-cell autonomous effects on promoting survival and neurogenesis of endogenous cells and modulating the microenvironment by reducing suppressive barriers around lesion sites. The combined beneficial effects of SUFU inhibition in hNPCs resulted in the effective reconstruction of neuronal connectivity with the host and corticospinal regeneration, significantly improving neurobehavioral recovery in recipient animals. These results demonstrate that SUFU inhibition confers hNPCs with potent therapeutic potential to overcome extrinsic and intrinsic barriers in transplantation treatments for SCI.

Hedgehog signalling in the tumourigenesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma, and its potential value in the clinical therapy of osteosarcoma

The Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway is involved in cell differentiation, growth and tissue polarity. This pathway is also involved in the progression and invasion of various human cancers. Osteosarcoma, a subtype of bone cancer, is commonly seen in children and adolescents. Typically, pulmonary osteosarcoma metastases are especially difficult to control. In the present paper, we summarise recent studies on the regulation of osteosarcoma progression and metastasis by downregulating Hh signalling. We also summarise the crosstalk between the Hh pathway and other cancer-related pathways in the tumourigenesis of various cancers. We further summarise and highlight the therapeutic value of potential inhibitors of Hh signalling in the clinical therapy of human cancers.

Sending mixed signals: Cilia-dependent signaling during development and disease

Molecular signals are the guiding force of development, imparting direction upon cells to divide, migrate, differentiate, etc. The mechanisms by which a cell can receive and transduce these signals into measurable actions remains a 'black box' in developmental biology. Primary cilia are ubiquitous, microtubule-based organelles that dynamically extend from a cell to receive and process molecular and mechanical signaling cues. In the last decade, this organelle has become increasingly intriguing to the research community due to its ability to act as a cellular antenna, receive and transduce molecular stimuli, and initiate a cellular response. In this review, we discuss the structure of primary cilia, emphasizing how the ciliary components contribute to the transduction of signaling pathways. Furthermore, we address how the cilium integrates these signals and conveys them into cellular processes such as proliferation, migration and tissue patterning. Gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanisms used by primary cilia to receive and integrate molecular signals is essential, as it opens the door for the identification of therapeutic targets within the cilium that could alleviate pathological conditions brought on by aberrant molecular signaling.

Suppressor of Fused Chaperones Gli Proteins To Generate Transcriptional Responses to Sonic Hedgehog Signaling

Cellular responses to the graded Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) morphogenic signal are orchestrated by three Gli genes that give rise to both transcription activators and repressors. An essential downstream regulator of the pathway, encoded by the tumor suppressor gene Suppressor of fused (Sufu), plays critical roles in the production, trafficking, and function of Gli proteins, but the mechanism remains controversial. Here, we show that Sufu is upregulated in active Shh responding tissues and accompanies Gli activators translocating into and Gli repressors out of the nucleus. Trafficking of Sufu to the primary cilium, potentiated by Gli activators but not repressors, was found to be coupled to its nuclear import. We have identified a nuclear export signal (NES) motif of Sufu in juxtaposition to the protein kinase A (PKA) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) dual phosphorylation sites and show that Sufu binds the chromatin with both Gli1 and Gli3. Close comparison of neural tube development among individual Ptch1-/-, Sufu-/-, and Ptch1-/-; Sufu-/- double mutant embryos indicates that Sufu is critical for the maximal activation of Shh signaling essential to the specification of the most-ventral neurons. These data define Sufu as a novel class of molecular chaperone required for every aspect of Gli regulation and function.

Members of the Rusc protein family interact with Sufu and inhibit vertebrate Hedgehog signaling

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is fundamentally important for development and adult tissue homeostasis. It is well established that in vertebrates Sufu directly binds and inhibits Gli proteins, the downstream mediators of Hh signaling. However, it is unclear how the inhibitory function of Sufu towards Gli is regulated. Here we report that the Rusc family of proteins, the biological functions of which are poorly understood, form a heterotrimeric complex with Sufu and Gli. Upon Hh signaling, Rusc is displaced from this complex, followed by dissociation of Gli from Sufu. In mammalian fibroblast cells, knockdown of Rusc2 potentiates Hh signaling by accelerating signaling-induced dissociation of the Sufu-Gli protein complexes. In Xenopus embryos, knockdown of Rusc1 or overexpression of a dominant-negative Rusc enhances Hh signaling during eye development, leading to severe eye defects. Our study thus uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism controlling the response of cells to Hh signaling in vertebrates.

Hedgehog signaling is a potent regulator of liver lipid metabolism and reveals a GLI-code associated with steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in industrialized countries and is increasing in prevalence. The pathomechanisms, however, are poorly understood. This study assessed the unexpected role of the Hedgehog pathway in adult liver lipid metabolism. Using transgenic mice with conditional hepatocyte-specific deletion of Smoothened in adult mice, we showed that hepatocellular inhibition of Hedgehog signaling leads to steatosis by altering the abundance of the transcription factors GLI1 and GLI3. This steatotic 'Gli-code' caused the modulation of a complex network of lipogenic transcription factors and enzymes, including SREBP1 and PNPLA3, as demonstrated by microarray analysis and siRNA experiments and could be confirmed in other steatotic mouse models as well as in steatotic human livers. Conversely, activation of the Hedgehog pathway reversed the "Gli-code" and mitigated hepatic steatosis. Collectively, our results reveal that dysfunctions in the Hedgehog pathway play an important role in hepatic steatosis and beyond.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13308.001

The liver is one of the main organs responsible for processing everything that mammals eat and drink. Nutrients absorbed by the gut like sugars and lipids (fats) are processed by the liver and are stored or distributed to provide energy to other organs. Sometimes these metabolic processes become unbalanced. This can lead to lipids accumulating in the liver – a process known as steatosis, which is a feature of human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In organs like the liver, cells are instructed how to behave via signaling pathways. A protein outside the cell signals to specific proteins inside, which switch on a set of target genes. One such pathway is the Hedgehog pathway, which primarily regulates tissue regeneration and the development of embryos. A component of this pathway is the Smoothened gene, which indirectly switches on proteins called GLI factors that regulate metabolic genes, including those involved in lipid metabolism. The Hedgehog pathway has been found to control the metabolism of lipids in fat tissue but it is not known whether it is important for lipid metabolism in the liver.

Matz-Soja et al. investigated this possible role of the Hedgehog pathway in the liver using mice with a Smoothened gene that could be deleted specifically in that organ. This deletion disrupted Hedgehog signaling and led to lipids accumulating in the liver and eventually to steatosis. These changes were associated with an increase in the amounts and activityof several enzymes (and the proteins that regulate these enzymes) that help to synthesize lipids. Steatosis was also associated with low amounts of two of the three GLI factors; indeed, this seems to be key for triggering problems with lipid metabolism. Human livers with steatosis showed the same changes in levels of the GLI factors.

Increasing the amount of GLI factors in liver cells taken from mice with steatosis reduced the accumulation of lipids and brought lipid metabolism back to its normal balance. A focus of future studies will be to understand how the Hedgehog signaling pathway interacts with other signaling pathways known to regulate liver lipid metabolism, such as insulin signaling. This knowledge will help clinicians to design new treatments for lipid-associated diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13308.002

T-box3 is a ciliary protein and regulates stability of the Gli3 transcription factor to control digit number

Crucial roles for T-box3 in development are evident by severe limb malformations and other birth defects caused by T-box3 mutations in humans. Mechanisms whereby T-box3 regulates limb development are poorly understood. We discovered requirements for T-box at multiple stages of mouse limb development and distinct molecular functions in different tissue compartments. Early loss of T-box3 disrupts limb initiation, causing limb defects that phenocopy Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) mutants. Later ablation of T-box3 in posterior limb mesenchyme causes digit loss. In contrast, loss of anterior T-box3 results in preaxial polydactyly, as seen with dysfunction of primary cilia or Gli3-repressor. Remarkably, T-box3 is present in primary cilia where it colocalizes with Gli3. T-box3 interacts with Kif7 and is required for normal stoichiometry and function of a Kif7/Sufu complex that regulates Gli3 stability and processing. Thus, T-box3 controls digit number upstream of Shh-dependent (posterior mesenchyme) and Shh-independent, cilium-based (anterior mesenchyme) Hedgehog pathway function.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07897.001

Mutations in the gene that encodes a protein called T-box3 cause serious birth defects, including deformities of the hands and feet, via poorly understood mechanisms. Several other proteins are also important for ensuring that limbs develop correctly. These include the Sonic Hedgehog protein, which controls a signaling pathway that determines whether a protein called Gli3 is converted into its “repressor” form. The hair-like structures called primary cilia that sit on the surface of animal cells also contain Gli3, and processes within these structures control the production of the Gli3-repressor.

Emechebe, Kumar et al. have now studied genetically engineered mice in which the production of the T-box3 protein was stopped at different stages of mouse development. This revealed that turning off T-box3 production early in development causes many parts of the limb not to form. This type of defect appears to be the same as that seen in mice that lack the Sonic Hedgehog protein.

If the production of T-box3 is turned off later in mouse development in the rear portion of the developing limb, the limb starts to develop but doesn’t develop enough rear toes. When T-box3 production is turned off in the front portion of the developing limbs, mice are born with too many front toes. This latter problem mimics the effects seen in mice that are unable to produce Gli3-repressor or that have defective primary cilia.

Further investigation unexpectedly revealed that T-box3 is found in primary cilia and localizes to the same regions of the cilia as the Gli3-repressor. Furthermore, T-box3 also interacts with a protein complex that controls the stability of Gli3 and processes it into the Gli3-repressor form.

In the future, it will be important to determine how T-box3 controls the stability of Gli3 and whether that process occurs in the primary cilia or in other parts of the cell where T-box3 and Gli3 coexist, such as the nucleus. This could help us understand how T-box3 and Sonic Hedgehog signaling contribute to other aspects of development and to certain types of cancer.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07897.002

DYNAMICS OF GLI REGULATION AND A STRATEGY TO CONTROL CANCEROUS SITUATION: HEDGEHOG SIGNALING PATHWAY REVISITED

The hedgehog signaling cascade generates highly diverse, fine-tuned responses in response to the external stimulus by the sonic hedgehog (SHH) protein. This is required for the flawless functioning of the cell, its development, survival and proliferation; maintained through production of Glioma protein (GLI) and transcriptional activation of its target genes. Any change in the behavior of GLI response by ectopic expression of SHH or mutations in the core pathway components may cause serious consequences in the cell fate through rapid, uncontrolled and elevated production of GLI. Here, we present a simple but extensive computational model that considers the detailed reaction mechanisms involved in the hedgehog signal transduction and provides a detailed insight into regulation of GLI. For the first time, by explicit involvement of suppressor of fused (SUFU) and Hedgehog interacting protein (HHIP) reaction kinetics in the model, we try to demonstrate the vital importance of HHIP and SUFU in maintaining the graded response of GLI in response to SHH. By performing parameter variations, we capture the conversion of a graded response of GLI to an ultrasensitive switch under SUFU-deficient conditions that might predispose abnormal embryonic development and the irreversible switching response of GLI that corresponds to signal-independent pathway activation observed in cancers.

Novel KIF7 missense substitutions in two patients presenting with multiple malformations and features of acrocallosal syndrome

We present two children who both had two missense mutations in the Kinesin Family Member 7 (KIF7) gene. A seven year old female with severe developmental delays, failure to thrive and growth retardation, infantile spasms, a cardiac vascular ring and right-sided aortic arch, imperforate anus, hydronephrosis with a right renal cyst, syndactyly and abnormal white matter was a compound heterozygote for c.3365C > G, predicting p.(Ser1122Trp) that was maternally inherited and c.2482G > A, predicting p.(Val828Met) that was paternally inherited. An eight year old female with severe developmental delays, epilepsy, left postaxial polydactyly of the hand and abnormalities of brain development including hydrocephalus, pachygyria and absence of the body and splenium of the corpus callous was a compound heterozygote for c.461G > A, predicting p.(Arg154Gln) and c.2959 G > A, predicting p.(Glu987Lys) that was maternally inherited and her father was unavailable for testing. The presentations in these children include features of acrocallosal syndrome, such as hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, enlarged ventricles, facial dysmorphism with a prominent forehead and broad halluces in the first child, but included atypical findings for individuals previously reported to have truncating mutations in KIF7, including imperforate anus, infantile spasms and severe growth retardation. We conclude that these phenotypes may result from the KIF7 sequence variants and abnormal hedgehog signaling, but that the full spectrum of KIF7-associated features remains to be determined.

Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis revealed SUFU suppression of acute graft-versus-host disease through downregulation of HLA-DR expression in recipient dendritic cells

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To identify recipient risk factors, a genome-wide study was performed including 481,820 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two GVHD susceptibility loci (rs17114803 and rs17114808) within the SUFU gene were identified in the discovery cohort (p = 2.85 × 10⁻⁵). The incidence of acute GVHD among patients homozygous for CC at SUFU rs17114808 was 69%, which was significantly higher than the 8% rate observed in CT heterozygous patients (p = 0.0002). In an independent validation cohort of 100 patients, 50% of the patients with the CC genotype developed GVHD compared to 8% of the patients with either CT or TT genotype (p = 0.01). In comparison to CC dendritic cells, those from CT expressed higher levels of SUFU mRNA and protein, had lower levels of surface HLA-DR, and induced less allogeneic mixed leukocyte response (MLR). Ectopic expression of SUFU in THP-1 derived DCs reduced HLA-DR expression and suppressed MLR, whereas silencing of SUFU enhanced HLA-DR expression and increased MLR. Thus our findings provide novel evidence that recipient SUFU germline polymorphism is associated with acute GVHD and is a novel molecular target for GVHD prevention and treatment.

T396I mutation of mouse Sufu reduces the stability and activity of Gli3 repressor

Hedgehog signaling is primarily transduced by two transcription factors: Gli2, which mainly acts as a full-length activator, and Gli3, which tends to be proteolytically processed from a full-length form (Gli3^FL) to an N-terminal repressor (Gli3^REP). Recent studies using a Sufu knockout mouse have indicated that Sufu is involved in regulating Gli2 and Gli3 activator and repressor activity at multiple steps of the signaling cascade; however, the mechanism of specific Gli2 and Gli3 regulation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we established an allelic series of ENU-induced mouse strains. Analysis of one of the missense alleles, Sufu^T396I, showed that Thr³⁹⁶ residue of Sufu played a key role in regulation of Gli3 activity. Sufu^T396I/T396I embryos exhibited severe polydactyly, which is indicative of compromised Gli3 activity. Concomitantly, significant quantitative reductions of unprocessed Gli3 (Gli3^FL) and processed Gli3 (Gli3^REP) were observed in vivo as well as in vitro. Genetic experiments showed that patterning defects in the limb buds of Sufu^T396I/T396I were rescued by a constitutive Gli3^REP allele (Gli3^∆699), strongly suggesting that Sufu^T396I reduced the truncated Gli3 repressor. In contrast, Sufu^T396I qualitatively exhibited no mutational effects on Gli2 regulation. Taken together, the results of this study show that the Thr³⁹⁶ residue of Sufu is specifically required for regulation of Gli3 but not Gli2. This implies a novel Sufu-mediated mechanism in which Gli2 activator and Gli3 repressor are differentially regulated.

The Hedgehog pathway: role in cell differentiation, polarity and proliferation

Hedgehog (Hh) is first described as a genetic mutation that has "spiked" phenotype in the cuticles of Drosophila in later 1970s. Since then, Hh signaling has been implicated in regulation of differentiation, proliferation, tissue polarity, stem cell population and carcinogenesis. The first link of Hh signaling to cancer was established through discovery of genetic mutations of Hh receptor gene PTCH1 being responsible for Gorlin syndrome in 1996. It was later shown that Hh signaling is associated with many types of cancer, including skin, leukemia, lung, brain and gastrointestinal cancers. Another important milestone for the Hh research field is the FDA approval for the clinical use of Hh inhibitor Erivedge/Vismodegib for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinomas. However, recent clinical trials of Hh signaling inhibitors in pancreatic, colon and ovarian cancer all failed, indicating a real need for further understanding of Hh signaling in cancer. In this review, we will summarize recent progress in the Hh signaling mechanism and its role in human cancer.

Sufu and Kif7 in limb patterning and development

BACKGROUND

The vertebrate digit pattern is defined by the morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh), which controls the activity of Gli transcription factors. Gli1, 2 and 3 are dynamically expressed during patterning. Downstream of Shh, their activity is regulated by Sufu and Kif7, core components of the Shh signaling cascade. The precise roles of these regulators during limb development have not been fully described. We analyze the role of Sufu and Kif7 in the limb and demonstrate that their loss has distinct and synergistic effects on Gli activity and digit pattern.

RESULTS

Using a series of mouse mutants, we show that Sufu and Kif7 are expressed throughout limb development and their deletion has distinct effects on Gli levels and limb formation. Concomitant deletion of Sufu and Kif7 results in constitutive pathway activity and severe limb truncation. This is consistent with the recently published two-population model, which suggests that precocious activation of Shh signaling inhibits organizing center formation and limb outgrowth.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our findings demonstrate that perturbations of Sufu and Kif7 affect Gli activity and recapitulate the full spectrum of vertebrate limb defects, ranging from severe truncation to polydactyly.

The PPFIA1-PP2A protein complex promotes trafficking of Kif7 to the ciliary tip and Hedgehog signaling

The primary cilium is required for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in vertebrates. Hh leads to ciliary accumulation and activation of the transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) and affects the localization of several pathway components, including the Gli family of transcriptional regulators, within different regions of primary cilia. Genetic analysis indicates that the kinesin protein Kif7 both promotes and inhibits mouse Hh signaling. Using mass spectrometry, we identified liprin-α1 (PPFIA1) and the protein phosphatase PP2A as Kif7-interacting proteins, and we showed that they were important for the trafficking of Kif7 and Gli proteins to the tips of cilia and for the transcriptional output of Hh signaling. Our results suggested that PPFIA1 functioned with PP2A to promote the dephosphorylation of Kif7, triggering Kif7 localization to the tips of primary cilia and promoting Gli transcriptional activity.

Effects of inhibition of hedgehog signaling on cell growth and migration of uveal melanoma cells

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play a critical role in controlling embryonic development, tissue patterning, wound healing and a variety of cell functions. Aberrant activation of Hh signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, and in angiogenesis. However, the role of this pathway in uveal melanoma (UM) carcinogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of Hh inhibition using the specific Smoothened (Smo) antagonist cyclopamine to block Hh signaling in cultured human UM cell lines expressing Hh signaling components. Cyclopamine treatment effectively increased apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating the Hh final arbiter glioblastoma 1 (Gli1), which regulates the transcription of target genes in the nucleus. Changes in gene and protein expression levels were detected by real-time PCR and by western blotting and immunocytochemistry, respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis regulation induced by cyclopamine were demonstrated by flow cytometry. In addition, the migration capability of UM cells was reduced, as demonstrated by transwell migration and scratch assays. The effects of Hh inhibition on the levels of angiogenesis factors secreted by UM cells were examined by tube-formation assay.

CONCLUSION

Blocking the Hh pathway by cyclopamine decreased cell viability, migration, EMT, and angiogenesis, increased apoptosis, and induced G 1 phase cell cycle arrest in UM cells. Collectively, these results provide the first evidence of the significance of Gli1 activation downstream of Smo as a therapeutic target and the potential value of cyclopamine for the treatment of human UM.

Targeting hedgehog signaling in cancer: research and clinical developments

Since its first description in Drosophila by Drs Nusslein-Volhard and Wieschaus in 1980, hedgehog (Hh) signaling has been implicated in regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, tissue polarity, stem cell maintenance, and carcinogenesis. The first link of Hh signaling to cancer was established through studies of Gorlin syndrome in 1996 by two independent teams. Later, it was shown that Hh signaling may be involved in many types of cancer, including skin, leukemia, lung, brain, and gastrointestinal cancers. In early 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the clinical use of Hh inhibitor Erivedge/vismodegib for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinomas. With further investigation, it is possible to see more clinical applications of Hh signaling inhibitors. In this review, we will summarize major advances in the last 3 years in our understanding of Hh signaling activation in human cancer, and recent developments in preclinical and clinical studies using Hh signaling inhibitors.

Hedgehog signaling from the primary cilium to the nucleus: an emerging picture of ciliary localization, trafficking and transduction

The unexpected connection between cilia and signaling is one of the most exciting developments in cell biology in the past decade. In particular, the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway relies on the primary cilium to regulate tissue patterning and homeostasis in vertebrates. A central question is how ciliary localization and trafficking of Hh pathway components lead to pathway activation and regulation. In this review, we discuss recent studies that reveal the roles of ciliary regulators, components and structures in controlling the movement and signaling of Hh players. These findings significantly increase our mechanistic understanding of how the primary cilium facilitates Hh signal transduction and form the basis for further investigations to define the function of cilia in other signaling processes.