1
|
Katsman M, Azriel A, Horev G, Reizel Y, Levi BZ. N-VEGF, the Autoregulatory Arm of VEGF-A. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081289. [PMID: 35455969 PMCID: PMC9024919 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a secreted protein that stimulates angiogenesis in response to hypoxia. Under hypoxic conditions, a non-canonical long isoform called L-VEGF is concomitantly expressed with VEGF-A. Once translated, L-VEGF is proteolytically cleaved to generate N-VEGF and VEGF-A. Interestingly, while VEGF-A is secreted and affects the surrounding cells, N-VEGF is mobilized to the nucleus. This suggests that N-VEGF participates in transcriptional response to hypoxia. In this study, we performed a series of complementary experiments to examine the functional role of N-VEGF. Strikingly, we found that the mere expression of N-VEGF followed by its hypoxia-independent mobilization to the nucleus was sufficient to induce key genes associated with angiogenesis, such as Hif1α,VEGF-A isoforms, as well as genes associated with cell survival under hypoxia. Complementarily, when N-VEGF was genetically depleted, key hypoxia-induced genes were downregulated and cells were significantly susceptible to hypoxia-mediated apoptosis. This is the first report of N-VEGF serving as an autoregulatory arm of VEGF-A. Further experiments will be needed to determine the role of N-VEGF in cancer and embryogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Katsman
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel, Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; (M.K.); (A.A.)
| | - Aviva Azriel
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel, Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; (M.K.); (A.A.)
| | - Guy Horev
- Bioinformatics Knowledge Unit, The Lorry I. Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion-Israel, Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel;
| | - Yitzhak Reizel
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel, Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; (M.K.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence: (Y.R.); (B.-Z.L.)
| | - Ben-Zion Levi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel, Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; (M.K.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence: (Y.R.); (B.-Z.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jørgensen MC, de Lichtenberg KH, Collin CA, Klinck R, Ekberg JH, Engelstoft MS, Lickert H, Serup P. Neurog3-dependent pancreas dysgenesis causes ectopic pancreas in Hes1 mutant mice. Development 2018; 145:dev.163568. [PMID: 30093553 DOI: 10.1242/dev.163568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in Hes1, a target gene of the Notch signalling pathway, lead to ectopic pancreas by a poorly described mechanism. Here, we use genetic inactivation of Hes1 combined with lineage tracing and live imaging to reveal an endodermal requirement for Hes1, and show that ectopic pancreas tissue is derived from the dorsal pancreas primordium. RNA-seq analysis of sorted E10.5 Hes1+/+ and Hes1-/- Pdx1-GFP+ cells suggested that upregulation of endocrine lineage genes in Hes1-/- embryos was the major defect and, accordingly, early pancreas morphogenesis was normalized, and the ectopic pancreas phenotype suppressed, in Hes1-/-Neurog3-/- embryos. In Mib1 mutants, we found a near total depletion of dorsal progenitors, which was replaced by an anterior Gcg+ extension. Together, our results demonstrate that aberrant morphogenesis is the cause of ectopic pancreas and that a part of the endocrine differentiation program is mechanistically involved in the dysgenesis. Our results suggest that the ratio of endocrine lineage to progenitor cells is important for morphogenesis and that a strong endocrinogenic phenotype without complete progenitor depletion, as seen in Hes1 mutants, provokes an extreme dysgenesis that causes ectopic pancreas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mette C Jørgensen
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian H de Lichtenberg
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Caitlin A Collin
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Klinck
- Novo Nordisk A/S, Department of User Research and Communication, Brennum Park 1, DK-3400 Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Jeppe H Ekberg
- NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Section for Metabolic Receptology, Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maja S Engelstoft
- NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Section for Metabolic Receptology, Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heiko Lickert
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Palle Serup
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Clark AJL, Lowry P. 60 YEARS OF POMC: POMC: the consummate peptide hormone precursor. J Mol Endocrinol 2016; 56:E1-2. [PMID: 27273100 DOI: 10.1530/jme-16-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J L Clark
- Centre for EndocrinologyWilliam Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Philip Lowry
- Emeritus Professor School of Biological SciencesThe University of Reading, Reading, UK
| |
Collapse
|