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Pinto PB, Domsch K, Lohmann I. Hox function and specificity – A tissue centric view. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022:S1084-9521(22)00353-6. [PMID: 36517344 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Since their discovery, the Hox genes, with their incredible power to reprogram the identity of complete body regions, a phenomenon called homeosis, have captured the fascination of many biologists. Recent research has provided new insights into the function of Hox proteins in different germ layers and the mechanisms they employ to control tissue morphogenesis. We focus in this review on the ectoderm and mesoderm to highlight new findings and discuss them with regards to established concepts of Hox target gene regulation. Furthermore, we highlight the molecular mechanisms involved the transcriptional repression of specific groups of Hox target genes, and summarize the role of Hox mediated gene silencing in tissue development. Finally, we reflect on recent findings identifying a large number of tissue-specific Hox interactor partners, which open up new avenues and directions towards a better understanding of Hox function and specificity in different tissues.
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Domsch K, Schröder J, Janeschik M, Schaub C, Lohmann I. The Hox Transcription Factor Ubx Ensures Somatic Myogenesis by Suppressing the Mesodermal Master Regulator Twist. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108577. [PMID: 33406430 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early lineage-specific master regulators are essential for the specification of cell types. However, once cells are committed to a specific fate, it is critical to restrict the activity of such factors to enable differentiation. To date, it remains unclear how these factors are silenced. Using the Drosophila mesoderm as a model and a comparative genomic approach, we identify the Hox transcription factor Ultrabithorax (Ubx) to be critical for the repression of the master regulator Twist. Mesoderm-specific Ubx loss-of-function experiments using CRISPR-Cas9 and overexpression studies demonstrate that Ubx majorly impacts twist transcription. A mechanistic analysis reveals that Ubx requires the NK-homeodomain protein Tinman to bind to the twist promoter. Furthermore, we find these factor interactions to be critical for silencing by recruiting the Polycomb DNA binding protein Pleiohomeotic. Altogether, our data reveal that Ubx is a critical player in mediating the silencing of Twist, which is crucial for coordinated muscle differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Domsch
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Julia Schröder
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Janeschik
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schaub
- Erlangen-Nürnberg University, Developmental Biology, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ingrid Lohmann
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Poovathumkadavil P, Jagla K. Genetic Control of Muscle Diversification and Homeostasis: Insights from Drosophila. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061543. [PMID: 32630420 PMCID: PMC7349286 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the larval somatic muscles or the adult thoracic flight and leg muscles are the major voluntary locomotory organs. They share several developmental and structural similarities with vertebrate skeletal muscles. To ensure appropriate activity levels for their functions such as hatching in the embryo, crawling in the larva, and jumping and flying in adult flies all muscle components need to be maintained in a functionally stable or homeostatic state despite constant strain. This requires that the muscles develop in a coordinated manner with appropriate connections to other cell types they communicate with. Various signaling pathways as well as extrinsic and intrinsic factors are known to play a role during Drosophila muscle development, diversification, and homeostasis. In this review, we discuss genetic control mechanisms of muscle contraction, development, and homeostasis with particular emphasis on the contractile unit of the muscle, the sarcomere.
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Wolfstetter G, Dahlitz I, Pfeifer K, Töpfer U, Alt JA, Pfeifer DC, Lakes-Harlan R, Baumgartner S, Palmer RH, Holz A. Characterization of Drosophila Nidogen/ entactin reveals roles in basement membrane stability, barrier function and nervous system patterning. Development 2019; 146:dev.168948. [PMID: 30567930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Basement membranes (BMs) are specialized layers of extracellular matrix (ECM) mainly composed of Laminin, type IV Collagen, Perlecan and Nidogen/entactin (NDG). Recent in vivo studies challenged the initially proposed role of NDG as a major ECM linker molecule by revealing dispensability for viability and BM formation. Here, we report the characterization of the single Ndg gene in Drosophila. Embryonic Ndg expression was primarily observed in mesodermal tissues and the chordotonal organs, whereas NDG protein localized to all BMs. Although loss of Laminin strongly affected BM localization of NDG, Ndg-null mutants exhibited no overt changes in the distribution of BM components. Although Drosophila Ndg mutants were viable, loss of NDG led to ultrastructural BM defects that compromised barrier function and stability in vivo Moreover, loss of NDG impaired larval crawling behavior and reduced responses to vibrational stimuli. Further morphological analysis revealed accompanying defects in the larval peripheral nervous system, especially in the chordotonal organs and the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Taken together, our analysis suggests that NDG is not essential for BM assembly but mediates BM stability and ECM-dependent neural plasticity during Drosophila development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Wolfstetter
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany.,The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ina Dahlitz
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Pfeifer
- The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Uwe Töpfer
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Joscha Arne Alt
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Tierphysiologie, Integrative Sinnesphysiologie, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Daniel Christoph Pfeifer
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Tierphysiologie, Integrative Sinnesphysiologie, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Stefan Baumgartner
- Lund University, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, BMC D10, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ruth H Palmer
- The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne Holz
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW HOXA9 is a homeodomain transcription factor that plays an essential role in normal hematopoiesis and acute leukemia, in which its overexpression is strongly correlated with poor prognosis. The present review highlights recent advances in the understanding of genetic alterations leading to deregulation of HOXA9 and the downstream mechanisms of HOXA9-mediated transformation. RECENT FINDINGS A variety of genetic alterations including MLL translocations, NUP98-fusions, NPM1 mutations, CDX deregulation, and MOZ-fusions lead to high-level HOXA9 expression in acute leukemias. The mechanisms resulting in HOXA9 overexpression are beginning to be defined and represent attractive therapeutic targets. Small molecules targeting MLL-fusion protein complex members, such as DOT1L and menin, have shown promising results in animal models, and a DOT1L inhibitor is currently being tested in clinical trials. Essential HOXA9 cofactors and collaborators are also being identified, including transcription factors PU.1 and C/EBPα, which are required for HOXA9-driven leukemia. HOXA9 targets including IGF1, CDX4, INK4A/INK4B/ARF, mir-21, and mir-196b and many others provide another avenue for potential drug development. SUMMARY HOXA9 deregulation underlies a large subset of aggressive acute leukemias. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the expression and activity of HOXA9, along with its critical downstream targets, shows promise for the development of more selective and effective leukemia therapies.
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Bataillé L, Boukhatmi H, Frendo JL, Vincent A. Dynamics of transcriptional (re)-programming of syncytial nuclei in developing muscles. BMC Biol 2017; 15:48. [PMID: 28599653 PMCID: PMC5466778 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0386-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A stereotyped array of body wall muscles enables precision and stereotypy of animal movements. In Drosophila, each syncytial muscle forms via fusion of one founder cell (FC) with multiple fusion competent myoblasts (FCMs). The specific morphology of each muscle, i.e. distinctive shape, orientation, size and skeletal attachment sites, reflects the specific combination of identity transcription factors (iTFs) expressed by its FC. Here, we addressed three questions: Are FCM nuclei naive? What is the selectivity and temporal sequence of transcriptional reprogramming of FCMs recruited into growing syncytium? Is transcription of generic myogenic and identity realisation genes coordinated during muscle differentiation? Results The tracking of nuclei in developing muscles shows that FCM nuclei are competent to be transcriptionally reprogrammed to a given muscle identity, post fusion. In situ hybridisation to nascent transcripts for FCM, FC-generic and iTF genes shows that this reprogramming is progressive, beginning by repression of FCM-specific genes in fused nuclei, with some evidence that FC nuclei retain specific characteristics. Transcription of identity realisation genes is linked to iTF activation and regulated at levels of both transcription initiation rate and period of transcription. The generic muscle differentiation programme is activated independently. Conclusions Transcription reprogramming of fused myoblast nuclei is progressive, such that nuclei within a syncytial fibre at a given time point during muscle development are heterogeneous with regards to specific gene transcription. This comprehensive view of the dynamics of transcriptional (re)programming of post-mitotic nuclei within syncytial cells provides a new framework for understanding the transcriptional control of the lineage diversity of multinucleated cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0386-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Bataillé
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Hadi Boukhatmi
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.,Present address: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Jean-Louis Frendo
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
| | - Alain Vincent
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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Ladeira MM, Schoonmaker JP, Gionbelli MP, Dias JCO, Gionbelli TRS, Carvalho JRR, Teixeira PD. Nutrigenomics and Beef Quality: A Review about Lipogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17060918. [PMID: 27294923 PMCID: PMC4926451 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of the present review is to discuss the results of published studies that show how nutrition affects the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and how diet manipulation might change marbling and composition of fat in beef. Several key points in the synthesis of fat in cattle take place at the molecular level, and the association of nutritional factors with the modulation of this metabolism is one of the recent targets of nutrigenomic research. Within this context, special attention has been paid to the study of nuclear receptors associated with fatty acid metabolism. Among the transcription factors involved in lipid metabolism, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) stand out. The mRNA synthesis of these transcription factors is regulated by nutrients, and their metabolic action might be potentiated by diet components and change lipogenesis in muscle. Among the options for dietary manipulation with the objective to modulate lipogenesis, the use of different sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, starch concentrations, forage ratios and vitamins stand out. Therefore, special care must be exercised in feedlot feed management, mainly when the goal is to produce high marbling beef.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcio M Ladeira
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras 37200-000, Brazil.
| | - Jon P Schoonmaker
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
| | - Mateus P Gionbelli
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras 37200-000, Brazil.
| | - Júlio C O Dias
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras 37200-000, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Priscilla D Teixeira
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras 37200-000, Brazil.
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Busser BW, Lin Y, Yang Y, Zhu J, Chen G, Michelson AM. An Orthologous Epigenetic Gene Expression Signature Derived from Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells Identifies Regulators of Cardiogenesis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141066. [PMID: 26485529 PMCID: PMC4617299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we used predictive gene expression signatures within a multi-species framework to identify the genes that underlie cardiac cell fate decisions in differentiating embryonic stem cells. We show that the overlapping orthologous mouse and human genes are the most accurate candidate cardiogenic genes as these genes identified the most conserved developmental pathways that characterize the cardiac lineage. An RNAi-based screen of the candidate genes in Drosophila uncovered numerous novel cardiogenic genes. shRNA knockdown combined with transcriptome profiling of the newly-identified transcription factors zinc finger protein 503 and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 and the well-known cardiac regulatory factor NK2 homeobox 5 revealed that zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 activates terminal differentiation genes required for cardiomyocyte structure and function whereas zinc finger protein 503 and NK2 homeobox 5 are required for specification of the cardiac lineage. We further demonstrated that an essential role of NK2 homeobox 5 and zinc finger protein 503 in specification of the cardiac lineage is the repression of gene expression programs characteristic of alternative cell fates. Collectively, these results show that orthologous gene expression signatures can be used to identify conserved cardiogenic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W. Busser
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AMM); (BWB)
| | - Yongshun Lin
- Center for Molecular Medicine, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
| | - Yanqin Yang
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
| | - Jun Zhu
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
| | - Guokai Chen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
| | - Alan M. Michelson
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AMM); (BWB)
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9
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Dobi KC, Schulman VK, Baylies MK. Specification of the somatic musculature in Drosophila. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:357-75. [PMID: 25728002 PMCID: PMC4456285 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The somatic muscle system formed during Drosophila embryogenesis is required for larvae to hatch, feed, and crawl. This system is replaced in the pupa by a new adult muscle set, responsible for activities such as feeding, walking, and flight. Both the larval and adult muscle systems are comprised of distinct muscle fibers to serve these specific motor functions. In this way, the Drosophila musculature is a valuable model for patterning within a single tissue: while all muscle cells share properties such as the contractile apparatus, properties such as size, position, and number of nuclei are unique for a particular muscle. In the embryo, diversification of muscle fibers relies first on signaling cascades that pattern the mesoderm. Subsequently, the combinatorial expression of specific transcription factors leads muscle fibers to adopt particular sizes, shapes, and orientations. Adult muscle precursors (AMPs), set aside during embryonic development, proliferate during the larval phases and seed the formation of the abdominal, leg, and flight muscles in the adult fly. Adult muscle fibers may either be formed de novo from the fusion of the AMPs, or are created by the binding of AMPs to an existing larval muscle. While less is known about adult muscle specification compared to the larva, expression of specific transcription factors is also important for its diversification. Increasingly, the mechanisms required for the diversification of fly muscle have found parallels in vertebrate systems and mark Drosophila as a robust model system to examine questions about how diverse cell types are generated within an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista C. Dobi
- Program in Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria K. Schulman
- Program in Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary K. Baylies
- Program in Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Role of HOXA9 in leukemia: dysregulation, cofactors and essential targets. Oncogene 2015; 35:1090-8. [PMID: 26028034 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
HOXA9 is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that has an important role in hematopoietic stem cell expansion and is commonly deregulated in acute leukemias. A variety of upstream genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia lead to overexpression of HOXA9, which is a strong predictor of poor prognosis. In many cases, HOXA9 has been shown to be necessary for maintaining leukemic transformation; however, the molecular mechanisms through which it promotes leukemogenesis remain elusive. Recent work has established that HOXA9 regulates downstream gene expression through binding at promoter distal enhancers along with a subset of cell-specific cofactor and collaborator proteins. Increasing efforts are being made to identify both the critical cofactors and target genes required for maintaining transformation in HOXA9-overexpressing leukemias. With continued advances in understanding HOXA9-mediated transformation, there is a wealth of opportunity for developing novel therapeutics that would be applicable for greater than 50% of AML with overexpression of HOXA9.
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Busser BW, Haimovich J, Huang D, Ovcharenko I, Michelson AM. Enhancer modeling uncovers transcriptional signatures of individual cardiac cell states in Drosophila. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:1726-39. [PMID: 25609699 PMCID: PMC4330375 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we used discriminative training methods to uncover the chromatin, transcription factor (TF) binding and sequence features of enhancers underlying gene expression in individual cardiac cells. We used machine learning with TF motifs and ChIP data for a core set of cardiogenic TFs and histone modifications to classify Drosophila cell-type-specific cardiac enhancer activity. We show that the classifier models can be used to predict cardiac cell subtype cis-regulatory activities. Associating the predicted enhancers with an expression atlas of cardiac genes further uncovered clusters of genes with transcription and function limited to individual cardiac cell subtypes. Further, the cell-specific enhancer models revealed chromatin, TF binding and sequence features that distinguish enhancer activities in distinct subsets of heart cells. Collectively, our results show that computational modeling combined with empirical testing provides a powerful platform to uncover the enhancers, TF motifs and gene expression profiles which characterize individual cardiac cell fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Busser
- Laboratory of Developmental Systems Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Julian Haimovich
- Laboratory of Developmental Systems Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Di Huang
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ivan Ovcharenko
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alan M Michelson
- Laboratory of Developmental Systems Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Rajan S, Gupta A, Beg M, Shankar K, Srivastava A, Varshney S, Kumar D, Gaikwad AN. Adipocyte transdifferentiation and its molecular targets. Differentiation 2014; 87:183-92. [PMID: 25130315 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of fat, which increases risk of other metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc. There are two types of adipose tissue, white and brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the latter has recently gathered interest of the scientific community. Discovery of BAT has opened avenues for a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic syndrome. BAT utilizes accumulated fatty acids for energy expenditure; hence it is seen as one of the possible alternates to the current treatment. Moreover, browning of white adipocyte on exposure to cold, as well as with some of the pharmacological agents presents exciting outcomes and indicates the feasibility of transdifferentiation. A better understanding of molecular pathways and differentiation factors, those that play a key role in transdifferentiation are of extreme importance in designing novel strategies for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujith Rajan
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-CDRI, India
| | - Abhishek Gupta
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India
| | - Muheeb Beg
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India
| | - Kripa Shankar
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India
| | - Ankita Srivastava
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-CDRI, India
| | - Salil Varshney
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India
| | - Durgesh Kumar
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-CDRI, India
| | - Anil Nilkanth Gaikwad
- Division of Pharmacology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031 UP, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-CDRI, India.
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