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VanDerMolen KR, Newman MA, Breen PC, Huff LA, Dowen RH. Non-cell-autonomous regulation of mTORC2 by Hedgehog signaling maintains lipid homeostasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592795. [PMID: 38766075 PMCID: PMC11100691 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Organisms must appropriately allocate energetic resources between essential cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and in turn, maximize fitness. The nutritional and homeostatic regulators of energy homeostasis have been studied in detail; however, how developmental signals might impinge on these pathways to govern cellular metabolism is poorly understood. Here, we identify a non-canonical role for Hedgehog (Hh), a classic regulator of development, in maintaining intestinal lipid homeostasis in C. elegans . We find that expression of two Hh ligands, GRD-3 and GRD-4, is controlled by the LIN-29/EGR transcription factor in the hypodermis, where the Hh secretion factor CHE-14/Dispatched also facilitates non-cell autonomous Hh signaling. We demonstrate, using C. elegans and mouse hepatocytes, that Hh metabolic regulation does not occur through the canonical Hh transcription factor, TRA-1/GLI, but rather through non-canonical signaling that engages mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2) in the intestine. Hh mutants display impaired lipid homeostasis, including reduced lipoprotein synthesis and fat accumulation, decreased growth, and upregulation of autophagy factors, mimicking loss of mTORC2. Additionally, we found that Hh inhibits p38 MAPK signaling in parallel to mTORC2 activation and that both pathways act together to modulate of lipid homeostasis. Our findings show a non-canonical role for Hedgehog signaling in lipid metabolism via regulation of core homeostatic pathways and reveal a new mechanism by which developmental timing events govern metabolic decisions.
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Odiba AS, Ezechukwu CS, Liao G, Hong Y, Fang W, Jin C, Gartner A, Wang B. SMC-5/6 complex subunit NSE-1 plays a crucial role in meiosis and DNA repair in Caenorhabditis elegans. DNA Repair (Amst) 2024; 137:103669. [PMID: 38507953 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2024.103669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The SMC5/6 complex is evolutionarily conserved across all eukaryotes and plays a pivotal role in preserving genomic stability. Mutations in genes encoding SMC5/6 complex subunits have been associated with human lung disease, immunodeficiency, and chromosome breakage syndrome. Despite its critical importance, much about the SMC5/6 complex remains to be elucidated. Various evidences have suggested possible role of a subunit of the SMC5/6 complex, NSE1, in chromosome segregation and DNA repair. Current knowledge regarding the role of NSE1 is primarily derived from single-cell-based analyses in yeasts, Arabidopsis thaliana, and human cell lines. However, our understanding of its function is still limited and requires further investigation. This study delves into the role of nse-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing its involvement in meiotic recombination and DNA repair. nse-1 mutants display reduced fertility, increased male incidence, and increased sensitivity to genotoxic chemicals due to defects in meiotic chromosome segregation and DNA repair. These defects manifest as increased accumulation of RAD-51 foci, increased chromosome fragmentation, and susceptibility to MMS, cisplatin, and HU. Furthermore, nse-1 mutation exacerbates germ cell death by upregulating ced-13 and egl-1 genes involved in the CEP-1/p53-mediated apoptotic pathway. NSE-1 is essential for the proper localization of NSE-4 and MAGE-1 on the chromosomes. Collectively, these findings firmly establish nse-1 as a crucial factor in maintaining genomic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arome Solomon Odiba
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China; State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | | | - Guiyan Liao
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Ye Hong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Wenxia Fang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China; State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Anton Gartner
- IBS Center for Genomic Integrity, Department for Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Republic of Korea
| | - Bin Wang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.
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Odiba AS, Liao G, Yuan H, Fang W, Wang B. Dual tagging of GFP and Degron on endogenous COSA-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans as a crossover investigation tool. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001087. [PMID: 38304162 PMCID: PMC10831487 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
COSA-1 is essential for accurate meiosis in C. elegans . Two null mutants ( cosa-1 ( me13 ) and cosa-1 ( tm3298 ) ) have been notably studied. These null mutants exhibit severe meiotic defects, hindering the observation of the subtle or dynamic nature of COSA-1 function. To overcome these limitations, we developed a C. elegans strain with inducible COSA-1 degradation using the Auxin-Inducible Degron (AID) system. This strain exhibits normal fertility and COSA-1::GFP foci. Auxin treatment successfully depletes COSA-1, resulting in a 96% decrease in progeny viability and 12 univalent chromosomes in diakinesis oocytes. This strain serves as a valuable tool for studying the dynamics of COSA-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arome Solomon Odiba
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Guiyan Liao
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Haiyan Yuan
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Wenxia Fang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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4
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Du X, McManus DP, French JD, Sivakumaran H, Johnston RL, Kondrashova O, Fogarty CE, Jones MK, You H. Lentiviral Transduction-based CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Schistosoma mansoni Acetylcholinesterase. Curr Genomics 2023; 24:155-170. [PMID: 38178986 PMCID: PMC10761339 DOI: 10.2174/1389202924666230823094608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in Schistosoma mansoni have shed new light on the study and control of this parasitic helminth. However, the gene editing efficiency in this parasite is modest. Methods To improve the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in schistosomes, we used lentivirus, which has been effectively used for gene editing in mammalian cells, to deliver plasmid DNA encoding Cas9 nuclease, a sgRNA targeting acetylcholinesterase (SmAChE) and a mCherry fluorescence marker into schistosomes. Results MCherry fluorescence was observed in transduced eggs, schistosomula, and adult worms, indicating that the CRISPR components had been delivered into these parasite stages by lentivirus. In addition, clearly changed phenotypes were observed in SmAChE-edited parasites, including decreased SmAChE activity, reduced hatching ability of edited eggs, and altered behavior of miracidia hatched from edited eggs. Next-generation sequencing analysis demonstrated that the lentiviral transduction-based CRISPR/Cas9 gene modifications in SmAChE-edited schistosomes were homology-directed repair predominant but with much lower efficiency than that obtained using electroporation (data previously published by our laboratory) for the delivery of CRISPR components. Conclusion Taken together, electroporation is more efficient than lentiviral transduction in the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 into schistosomes for programmed genome editing. The exploration of tactics for enhancing CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing provides the basis for the future improvement of programmed genome editing in S. mansoni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Du
- Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Juliet D. French
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Haran Sivakumaran
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rebecca L. Johnston
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Olga Kondrashova
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Conor E. Fogarty
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Malcolm K. Jones
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hong You
- Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Doi A, Suarez GD, Droste R, Horvitz HR. A DEAD-box helicase drives the partitioning of a pro-differentiation NAB protein into nuclear foci. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6593. [PMID: 37852948 PMCID: PMC10584935 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
How cells regulate gene expression in a precise spatiotemporal manner during organismal development is a fundamental question in biology. Although the role of transcriptional condensates in gene regulation has been established, little is known about the function and regulation of these molecular assemblies in the context of animal development and physiology. Here we show that the evolutionarily conserved DEAD-box helicase DDX-23 controls cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans by binding to and facilitating the condensation of MAB-10, the C. elegans homolog of mammalian NGFI-A-binding (NAB) protein. MAB-10 is a transcriptional cofactor that functions with the early growth response (EGR) protein LIN-29 to regulate the transcription of genes required for exiting the cell cycle, terminal differentiation, and the larval-to-adult transition. We suggest that DEAD-box helicase proteins function more generally during animal development to control the condensation of NAB proteins important in cell identity and that this mechanism is evolutionarily conserved. In mammals, such a mechanism might underlie terminal cell differentiation and when dysregulated might promote cancerous growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Doi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gianmarco D Suarez
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Rita Droste
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Lesperance M, Herrera A, Fitch DH, Mason DA. The novel gene, mtre-1 , is expressed downstream of MAB-3 and DMD-3 in the male tail tip at the termination of male tail tip retraction. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000976. [PMID: 37927909 PMCID: PMC10620606 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of the adult C. elegans male tail involves an extensive remodeling during the last larval stage where the pointed tail of the L4 male is converted into the blunt-ended adult tail with its collection of mechano-sensitive rays. The first step in this remodeling is the retraction of the four hypodermal cells of the tail tip to generate the blunt-ended tail. Male tail tip retraction is an excellent model for characterizing how upstream regulatory networks interact with the downstream cell biological effectors that drive morphogenetic changes in all animals. Previously, we've shown that two DM-domain transcription factors, MAB-3 and DMD-3 , are central regulators of male tail tip retraction. Using a microarray-based approach we have identified ~400 genes that are more highly expressed in the L4 male tail tip relative to the hermaphrodite L4 tail tip. The uncharacterized gene T05H10.3 , which we've named mtre-1 , was highly over-represented in the male tail tip vs. the hermaphrodite tail tip and was under-represented in mab-3 ; dmd-3 mutant male tail tips vs. wild-type male tail tips. A transcriptional reporter for mtre-1 shows clear expression in the male tail tip cells for a short period (~3 hours) at the end of retraction. This expression is dependent on the activity of MAB-3 and DMD-3 , since expression is reduced in dmd-3 single mutant males and absent in mab-3 ; dmd-3 mutant males. Finally, males homozygous for a putative null allele of mtre-1 display a phenotypically wild-type adult male tail, indicating that mtre-1 is not essential for male tail morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Herrera
- Department of Biology, Center for Developmental Genetics, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - David H.A. Fitch
- Department of Biology, Center for Developmental Genetics, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - D. Adam Mason
- Biology, Siena College, Albany, New York, United States
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7
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Odiba AS, Liao G, Ezechukwu CS, Zhang L, Hong Y, Fang W, Jin C, Gartner A, Wang B. Caenorhabditis elegans NSE3 homolog (MAGE-1) is involved in genome stability and acts in inter-sister recombination during meiosis. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad149. [PMID: 37579186 PMCID: PMC10691751 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad149] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma antigen (MAGE) genes encode for a family of proteins that share a common MAGE homology domain. These genes are conserved in eukaryotes and have been linked to a variety of cellular and developmental processes including ubiquitination and oncogenesis in cancer. Current knowledge on the MAGE family of proteins mainly comes from the analysis of yeast and human cell lines, and their functions have not been reported at an organismal level in animals. Caenorhabditis elegans only encodes 1 known MAGE gene member, mage-1 (NSE3 in yeast), forming part of the SMC-5/6 complex. Here, we characterize the role of mage-1/nse-3 in mitosis and meiosis in C. elegans. mage-1/nse-3 has a role in inter-sister recombination repair during meiotic recombination and for preserving chromosomal integrity upon treatment with a variety of DNA-damaging agents. MAGE-1 directly interacts with NSE-1 and NSE-4. In contrast to smc-5, smc-6, and nse-4 mutants which cause the loss of NSE-1 nuclear localization and strong cytoplasmic accumulation, mage-1/nse-3 mutants have a reduced level of NSE-1::GFP, remnant NSE-1::GFP being partially nuclear but largely cytoplasmic. Our data suggest that MAGE-1 is essential for NSE-1 stability and the proper functioning of the SMC-5/6 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arome Solomon Odiba
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guiyan Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Chiemekam Samuel Ezechukwu
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Lanlan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Ye Hong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Wenxia Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Anton Gartner
- IBS Center for Genomic Integrity, Department for Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Republic of Korea
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
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8
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Gibney TV, Favichia M, Latifi L, Medwig-Kinney TN, Matus DQ, McIntyre DC, Arrigo AB, Branham KR, Bubrig LT, Ghaddar A, Jiranek JA, Liu KE, Marcucci CG, Porter RJ, Pani AM. A simple method to dramatically increase C. elegans germline microinjection efficiency. Dev Biol 2023; 502:63-67. [PMID: 37433390 PMCID: PMC10559938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.07.003] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Genome manipulation methods in C. elegans require microinjecting DNA or ribonucleoprotein complexes into the microscopic core of the gonadal syncytium. These microinjections are technically demanding and represent a key bottleneck for all genome engineering and transgenic approaches in C. elegans. While there have been steady improvements in the ease and efficiency of genetic methods for C. elegans genome manipulation, there have not been comparable advances in the physical process of microinjection. Here, we report a simple and inexpensive method for handling worms using a paintbrush during the injection process that nearly tripled average microinjection rates compared to traditional worm handling methods. We found that the paintbrush increased injection throughput by substantially increasing both injection speeds and post-injection survival rates. In addition to dramatically and universally increasing injection efficiency for experienced personnel, the paintbrush method also significantly improved the abilities of novice investigators to perform key steps in the microinjection process. We expect that this method will benefit the C. elegans community by increasing the speed at which new strains can be generated and will also make microinjection-based approaches less challenging and more accessible to personnel and labs without extensive experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa V Gibney
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Michelle Favichia
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Laila Latifi
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - David Q Matus
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel C McIntyre
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Angelo B Arrigo
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kendall R Branham
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Louis T Bubrig
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Abbas Ghaddar
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Juliana A Jiranek
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kendra E Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Charles G Marcucci
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Robert J Porter
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ariel M Pani
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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9
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Yamaya K, Wang B, Memar N, Odiba A, Woglar A, Gartner A, Villeneuve A. Disparate roles for C. elegans DNA translocase paralogs RAD-54.L and RAD-54.B in meiotic prophase germ cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:9183-9202. [PMID: 37548405 PMCID: PMC10516670 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
RAD54 family DNA translocases partner with RAD51 recombinases to ensure stable genome inheritance, exhibiting biochemical activities both in promoting recombinase removal and in stabilizing recombinase association with DNA. Understanding how such disparate activities of RAD54 paralogs align with their biological roles is an ongoing challenge. Here we investigate the in vivo functions of Caenorhabditis elegans RAD54 paralogs RAD-54.L and RAD-54.B during meiotic prophase, revealing distinct contributions to the dynamics of RAD-51 association with DNA and to the progression of meiotic double-strand break repair (DSBR). While RAD-54.L is essential for RAD-51 removal from meiotic DSBR sites to enable recombination progression, RAD-54.B is largely dispensable for meiotic DSBR. However, RAD-54.B is required to prevent hyperaccumulation of RAD-51 on unbroken DNA during the meiotic sub-stage when DSBs and early recombination intermediates form. Moreover, DSB-independent hyperaccumulation of RAD-51 foci in the absence of RAD-54.B is RAD-54.L-dependent, revealing a hidden activity of RAD-54.L in promoting promiscuous RAD-51 association that is antagonized by RAD-54.B. We propose a model wherein a division of labor among RAD-54 paralogs allows germ cells to ramp up their capacity for efficient homologous recombination that is crucial to successful meiosis while counteracting potentially deleterious effects of unproductive RAD-51 association with unbroken DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Yamaya
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, 530007 Nanning, China
| | - Nadin Memar
- IBS Center for Genomic Integrity and Department for Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Arome Solomon Odiba
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, 530007 Nanning, China
| | - Alexander Woglar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) and School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anton Gartner
- IBS Center for Genomic Integrity and Department for Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Anne M Villeneuve
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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10
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Torzone SK, Park AY, Breen PC, Cohen NR, Dowen RH. Opposing action of the FLR-2 glycoprotein hormone and DRL-1/FLR-4 MAP kinases balance p38-mediated growth and lipid homeostasis in C. elegans. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002320. [PMID: 37773960 PMCID: PMC10566725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals integrate developmental and nutritional signals before committing crucial resources to growth and reproduction; however, the pathways that perceive and respond to these inputs remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that DRL-1 and FLR-4, which share similarity with mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinases, maintain lipid homeostasis in the C. elegans intestine. DRL-1 and FLR-4 function in a protein complex at the plasma membrane to promote development, as mutations in drl-1 or flr-4 confer slow growth, small body size, and impaired lipid homeostasis. To identify factors that oppose DRL-1/FLR-4, we performed a forward genetic screen for suppressors of the drl-1 mutant phenotypes and identified mutations in flr-2 and fshr-1, which encode the orthologues of follicle stimulating hormone and its putative G protein-coupled receptor, respectively. In the absence of DRL-1/FLR-4, neuronal FLR-2 acts through intestinal FSHR-1 and protein kinase A signaling to restrict growth. Furthermore, we show that opposing signaling through DRL-1 and FLR-2 coordinates TIR-1 oligomerization, which modulates downstream p38/PMK-1 activity, lipid homeostasis, and development. Finally, we identify a surprising noncanonical role for the developmental transcription factor PHA-4/FOXA in the intestine where it restricts growth in response to impaired DRL-1 signaling. Our work uncovers a complex multi-tissue signaling network that converges on p38 signaling to maintain homeostasis during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Torzone
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Aaron Y. Park
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Peter C. Breen
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Natalie R. Cohen
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Dowen
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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11
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Lim DS, Kim J, Kim W, Kim N, Lee SH, Lee D, Lee J. daf-42 is an evolutionarily young gene essential for dauer development in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad097. [PMID: 37216205 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Under adverse environmental conditions, nematodes arrest into dauer, an alternative developmental stage for diapause. Dauer endures unfavorable environments and interacts with host animals to access favorable environments, thus playing a critical role in survival. Here, we report that in Caenorhabditis elegans, daf-42 is essential for development into the dauer stage, as the null mutant of daf-42 exhibited a "no viable dauer" phenotype in which no viable dauers were obtained in any dauer-inducing conditions. Long-term time lapse microscopy of synchronized larvae revealed that daf-42 is involved in developmental changes from the pre-dauer L2d stage to the dauer stage. daf-42 encodes large, disordered proteins of various sizes that are expressed in and secreted from the seam cells within a narrow time window shortly before the molt into dauer stage. Transcriptome analysis showed that the transcription of genes involved in larval physiology and dauer metabolism is highly affected by the daf-42 mutation. Contrary to the notion that essential genes that control the life and death of an organism may be well conserved across diverse species, daf-42 is an evolutionarily young gene conserved only in the Caenorhabditis genus. Our study shows that dauer formation is a vital process that is controlled not only by conserved genes but also by newly emerged genes, providing important insights into evolutionary mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy S Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergent Bioscience and Informatics, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonjoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Nari Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hee Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28119, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehan Lee
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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12
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Fang J, Wang J, Wang Y, Liu X, Chen B, Zou W. Ribo-On and Ribo-Off tools using a self-cleaving ribozyme allow manipulation of endogenous gene expression in C. elegans. Commun Biol 2023; 6:816. [PMID: 37542105 PMCID: PMC10403566 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05184-4] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating gene function relies on the efficient manipulation of endogenous gene expression. Currently, a limited number of tools are available to robustly manipulate endogenous gene expression between "on" and "off" states. In this study, we insert a 63 bp coding sequence of T3H38 ribozyme into the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of C. elegans endogenous genes using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which reduces the endogenous gene expression to a nearly undetectable level and generated loss-of-function phenotypes similar to that of the genetic null animals. To achieve conditional knockout, a cassette of loxP-flanked transcriptional termination signal and ribozyme is inserted into the 3' UTR of endogenous genes, which eliminates gene expression spatially or temporally via the controllable expression of the Cre recombinase. Conditional endogenous gene turn-on can be achieved by either injecting morpholino, which blocks the ribozyme self-cleavage activity or using the Cre recombinase to remove the loxP-flanked ribozyme. Together, our results demonstrate that these ribozyme-based tools can efficiently manipulate endogenous gene expression both in space and time and expand the toolkit for studying the functions of endogenous genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fang
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhi Wang
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofan Liu
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Baohui Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058, Hangzhou, China.
- Zhejiang Laboratory for Systems & Precision Medicine, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University & Zhejiang Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunotherapy, Hangzhou, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic & Developmental Disorders, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Wei Zou
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China.
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13
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Tsai YT, Chang CH, Tsai HY. Rege-1 promotes C. elegans survival by modulating IIS and TOR pathways. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010869. [PMID: 37556491 PMCID: PMC10441803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic pathways are known to sense the environmental stimuli and result in physiological adjustments. The responding processes need to be tightly controlled. Here, we show that upon encountering P. aeruginosa, C. elegans upregulate the transcription factor ets-4, but this upregulation is attenuated by the ribonuclease, rege-1. As such, mutants with defective REGE-1 ribonuclease activity undergo ets-4-dependent early death upon challenge with P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, mRNA-seq analysis revealed associated global changes in two key metabolic pathways, the IIS (insulin/IGF signaling) and TOR (target of rapamycin) kinase signaling pathways. In particular, failure to degrade ets-4 mRNA in activity-defective rege-1 mutants resulted in upregulation of class II longevity genes, which are suppressed during longevity, and activation of TORC1 kinase signaling pathway. Genetic inhibition of either pathway way was sufficient to abolish the poor survival phenotype in rege-1 worms. Further analysis of ETS-4 ChIP data from ENCODE and characterization of one upregulated class II gene, ins-7, support that the Class II genes are activated by ETS-4. Interestingly, deleting an upregulated Class II gene, acox-1.5, a peroxisome β-oxidation enzyme, largely rescues the fat lost phenotype and survival difference between rege-1 mutants and wild-types. Thus, rege-1 appears to be crucial for animal survival due to its tight regulation of physiological responses to environmental stimuli. This function is reminiscent of its mammalian ortholog, Regnase-1, which modulates the intestinal mTORC1 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Tsai
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Hsi Chang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yue Tsai
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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14
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Abay-Nørgaard S, Tapia MC, Zeijdner M, Kim JH, Won KJ, Porse B, Salcini AE. Inter and transgenerational impact of H3K4 methylation in neuronal homeostasis. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301970. [PMID: 37225426 PMCID: PMC10209521 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic marks and associated traits can be transmitted for one or more generations, phenomena known respectively as inter- or transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. It remains unknown if genetically and conditionally induced aberrant epigenetic states can influence the development of the nervous system across generations. Here, we show, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system, that alteration of H3K4me3 levels in the parental generation, caused by genetic manipulation or changes in parental conditions, has, respectively, trans- and intergenerational effects on H3K4 methylome, transcriptome, and nervous system development. Thus, our study reveals the relevance of H3K4me3 transmission and maintenance in preventing long-lasting deleterious effects in nervous system homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Abay-Nørgaard
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Cecylia Tapia
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mandoh Zeijdner
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jeonghwan Henry Kim
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kyoung Jae Won
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Porse
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Elisabetta Salcini
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Stevenson ZC, Moerdyk-Schauwecker MJ, Banse SA, Patel DS, Lu H, Phillips PC. High-throughput library transgenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans via Transgenic Arrays Resulting in Diversity of Integrated Sequences (TARDIS). eLife 2023; 12:RP84831. [PMID: 37401921 PMCID: PMC10328503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput transgenesis using synthetic DNA libraries is a powerful method for systematically exploring genetic function. Diverse synthesized libraries have been used for protein engineering, identification of protein-protein interactions, characterization of promoter libraries, developmental and evolutionary lineage tracking, and various other exploratory assays. However, the need for library transgenesis has effectively restricted these approaches to single-cell models. Here, we present Transgenic Arrays Resulting in Diversity of Integrated Sequences (TARDIS), a simple yet powerful approach to large-scale transgenesis that overcomes typical limitations encountered in multicellular systems. TARDIS splits the transgenesis process into a two-step process: creation of individuals carrying experimentally introduced sequence libraries, followed by inducible extraction and integration of individual sequences/library components from the larger library cassette into engineered genomic sites. Thus, transformation of a single individual, followed by lineage expansion and functional transgenesis, gives rise to thousands of genetically unique transgenic individuals. We demonstrate the power of this system using engineered, split selectable TARDIS sites in Caenorhabditis elegans to generate (1) a large set of individually barcoded lineages and (2) transcriptional reporter lines from predefined promoter libraries. We find that this approach increases transformation yields up to approximately 1000-fold over current single-step methods. While we demonstrate the utility of TARDIS using C. elegans, in principle the process is adaptable to any system where experimentally generated genomic loci landing pads and diverse, heritable DNA elements can be generated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen A Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Dhaval S Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
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16
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Johnson LC, Vo AA, Clancy JC, Myles KM, Pooranachithra M, Aguilera J, Levenson MT, Wohlenberg C, Rechtsteiner A, Ragle JM, Chisholm AD, Ward JD. NHR-23 activity is necessary for C. elegans developmental progression and apical extracellular matrix structure and function. Development 2023; 150:dev201085. [PMID: 37129010 PMCID: PMC10233720 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nematode molting is a remarkable process where animals must repeatedly build a new apical extracellular matrix (aECM) beneath a previously built aECM that is subsequently shed. The nuclear hormone receptor NHR-23 (also known as NR1F1) is an important regulator of C. elegans molting. NHR-23 expression oscillates in the epidermal epithelium, and soma-specific NHR-23 depletion causes severe developmental delay and death. Tissue-specific RNAi suggests that nhr-23 acts primarily in seam and hypodermal cells. NHR-23 coordinates the expression of factors involved in molting, lipid transport/metabolism and remodeling of the aECM. NHR-23 depletion causes dampened expression of a nas-37 promoter reporter and a loss of reporter oscillation. The cuticle collagen ROL-6 and zona pellucida protein NOAH-1 display aberrant annular localization and severe disorganization over the seam cells after NHR-23 depletion, while the expression of the adult-specific cuticle collagen BLI-1 is diminished and frequently found in patches. Consistent with these localization defects, the cuticle barrier is severely compromised when NHR-23 is depleted. Together, this work provides insight into how NHR-23 acts in the seam and hypodermal cells to coordinate aECM regeneration during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Londen C. Johnson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - An A. Vo
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - John C. Clancy
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Krista M. Myles
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Murugesan Pooranachithra
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joseph Aguilera
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Max T. Levenson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Chloe Wohlenberg
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Andreas Rechtsteiner
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - James Matthew Ragle
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Andrew D. Chisholm
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jordan D. Ward
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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17
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Morton EA, Hall AN, Cuperus JT, Queitsch C. Substantial rDNA copy number reductions alter timing of development and produce variable tissue-specific phenotypes in C. elegans. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad039. [PMID: 36919976 PMCID: PMC10474940 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The genes that encode ribosomal RNAs are present in several hundred copies in most eukaryotes. These vast arrays of repetitive ribosomal DNA (rDNA) have been implicated not just in ribosome biogenesis, but also aging, cancer, genome stability, and global gene expression. rDNA copy number is highly variable among and within species; this variability is thought to associate with traits relevant to human health and disease. Here we investigate the phenotypic consequences of multicellular life at the lower bounds of rDNA copy number. We use the model Caenorhabditis elegans, which has previously been found to complete embryogenesis using only maternally provided ribosomes. We find that individuals with rDNA copy number reduced to ∼5% of wild type are capable of further development with variable penetrance. Such individuals are sterile and exhibit severe morphological defects, particularly in post-embryonically dividing tissues such as germline and vulva. Developmental completion and fertility are supported by an rDNA copy number ∼10% of wild type, with substantially delayed development. Worms with rDNA copy number reduced to ∼33% of wild type display a subtle developmental timing defect that was absent in worms with higher copy numbers. Our results support the hypothesis that rDNA requirements vary across tissues and indicate that the minimum rDNA copy number for fertile adulthood is substantially less than the lowest naturally observed total copy number. The phenotype of individuals with severely reduced rDNA copy number is highly variable in penetrance and presentation, highlighting the need for continued investigation into the biological consequences of rDNA copy number variation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley N Hall
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Josh T Cuperus
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Christine Queitsch
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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18
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Malaiwong N, Porta-de-la-Riva M, Krieg M. FLInt: single shot safe harbor transgene integration via Fluorescent Landmark Interference. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad041. [PMID: 36805659 PMCID: PMC10151404 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The stable incorporation of transgenes and recombinant DNA material into the host genome is a bottleneck in many bioengineering applications. Due to the low efficiency, identifying the transgenic animals is often a needle in the haystack. Thus, optimal conditions require efficient screening procedures, but also known and safe landing sites that do not interfere with host expression, low input material and strong expression from the new locus. Here, we leverage an existing library of ≈300 different loci coding for fluorescent markers that are distributed over all 6 chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans as safe harbors for versatile transgene integration sites using CRISPR/Cas9. We demonstrated that a single crRNA was sufficient for cleavage of the target region and integration of the transgene of interest, which can be easily followed by loss of the fluorescent marker. The same loci can also be used for extrachromosomal landing sites and as co-CRISPR markers without affecting body morphology or animal behavior. Thus, our method overcomes the uncertainty of transgene location during random mutagenesis, facilitates easy screening through fluorescence interference and can be used as co-CRISPR markers without further influence in phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Krieg
- Corresponding author: Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO), 08860 Castelldefels, Spain.
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19
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Memar N, Sethi A, Luehr S, Lambie EJ, Conradt B. In vivo labeling of endogenous genomic loci in C. elegans using CRISPR/dCas9. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000701. [PMID: 36606081 PMCID: PMC9807462 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Visualization of genomic loci with open chromatin state has been reported in mammalian tissue culture cells using a CRISPR/Cas9-based system that utilizes an EGFP-tagged endonuclease-deficient Cas9 protein (dCas9::EGFP) (Chen et al. 2013). Here, we adapted this approach for use in Caenorhabditis elegans . We generated a C. elegans strain that expresses the dCas9 protein fused to two nuclear-localized EGFP molecules (dCas9::NLS::2xEGFP::NLS) in an inducible manner. Using this strain, we report the visualization in live C. elegans embryos of two endogenous repetitive loci, rrn-4 and rrn-1 , from which 5S and 18S ribosomal RNAs are constitutively generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Memar
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Conradt
- University College London, United Kingdom
,
Correspondence to: Barbara Conradt (
)
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20
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The Caenorhabditis elegans ARIP-4 DNA helicase couples mitochondrial surveillance to immune, detoxification, and antiviral pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2215966119. [PMID: 36445965 PMCID: PMC9894117 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215966119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Surveillance of Caenorhabditis elegans mitochondrial status is coupled to defense responses such as drug detoxification, immunity, antiviral RNA interference (RNAi), and regulation of life span. A cytochrome p540 detoxification gene, cyp-14A4, is specifically activated by mitochondrial dysfunction. The nuclear hormone receptor NHR-45 and the transcriptional Mediator component MDT-15/MED15 are required for the transcriptional activation of cyp-14A4 by mitochondrial mutations, gene inactivations, or toxins. A genetic screen for mutations that fail to activate this cytochrome p450 gene upon drug or mutation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction identified a DNA helicase ARIP-4 that functions in concert with the NHR-45 transcriptional regulatory cascade. In response to mitochondrial dysfunction, ARIP-4 and NHR-45 protein interaction is enhanced, and they relocalize from the nuclear periphery to the interior of intestinal nuclei. NHR-45/ARIP-4 also regulates the transcriptional activation of the eol-1 gene that encodes a decapping enzyme required for enhanced RNAi and transgene silencing of mitochondrial mutants. In the absence of arip-4, animals were more susceptible to the mitochondrial inhibitor antimycin. Thus, ARIP-4 serves as a transcriptional coactivator of NHR-45 to promote this defense response. A null mutation in arip-4 extends the life span and health span of both wild type and a mitochondrial mutant, suggesting that the activation of detoxification pathways is deleterious to health when the mitochondrial dysfunction is caused by mutation that cannot be cytochrome p450-detoxified. Thus, arip-4 acts in a pathway that couples mitochondrial surveillance to the activation of downstream immunity, detoxification, and RNAi responses.
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21
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Lins J, Hopkins CE, Brock T, Hart AC. The use of CRISPR to generate a whole-gene humanized MAPT and the examination of P301L and G272V clinical variants, along with the creation of deletion null alleles of ptl-1, pgrn-1 and alfa-1 loci. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000615. [PMID: 36204657 PMCID: PMC9530923 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 01/01/1970] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To study important genes involved in Frontotemporal Dementia ( MAPT , GRN and C9orf72 ), we created deletion alleles in the three orthologous genes ( ptl-1 , pgrn-1 , and alfa-1 ). Simultaneously, we replaced the C. elegans ptl-1 gene with the predicted orthologous human MAPT gene, often called whole-gene humanization, which allows direct assessment of conserved gene function, as well as the opportunity to examine consequences of clinical disease-associated patient variations. Each gene was manipulated using a different selection strategy, including a novel strategy using an unc-18 mutation rescue technique. Clinical MAPT ALS/FTD missense variants G272V and P301L were successfully inserted in hMAPT . Neither ptl-1 loss or clinical variants caused neuronal defects in young adult or aged C. elegans , based on examination of glutamatergic phasmid neurons. Yet, we noted decreased survival to day 9 in the P301L hMAPT strain, compared to control strains. Based on these results, we comment on strategies for humanization, including the importance of confirming C. elegans gene predictions and identifying loss of function defects for each gene before embarking on humanization, and we report the creation of strains and a new gene-editing selection strategy that will be useful for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Lins
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
| | | | | | - Anne C. Hart
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
,
Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence RI 02912
,
Correspondence to: Anne C. Hart (
)
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22
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El Mouridi S, Alkhaldi F, Frøkjær-Jensen C. Modular safe-harbor transgene insertion for targeted single-copy and extrachromosomal array integration in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac184. [PMID: 35900171 PMCID: PMC9434227 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Efficient and reproducible transgenesis facilitates and accelerates research using genetic model organisms. Here, we describe a modular safe-harbor transgene insertion (MosTI) for use in Caenorhabditis elegans which improves targeted insertion of single-copy transgenes by homology directed repair and targeted integration of extrachromosomal arrays by nonhomologous end-joining. MosTI allows easy conversion between selection markers at insertion site and a collection of universal targeting vectors with commonly used promoters and fluorophores. Insertions are targeted at three permissive safe-harbor intergenic locations and transgenes are reproducibly expressed in somatic and germ cells. Chromosomal integration is mediated by CRISPR/Cas9, and positive selection is based on a set of split markers (unc-119, hygroR, and gfp) where only animals with chromosomal insertions are rescued, resistant to antibiotics, or fluorescent, respectively. Single-copy insertion is efficient using either constitutive or heat-shock inducible Cas9 expression (25-75%) and insertions can be generated from a multiplexed injection mix. Extrachromosomal array integration is also efficient (7-44%) at modular safe-harbor transgene insertion landing sites or at the endogenous unc-119 locus. We use short-read sequencing to estimate the plasmid copy numbers for 8 integrated arrays (6-37 copies) and long-read Nanopore sequencing to determine the structure and size (5.4 Mb) of 1 array. Using universal targeting vectors, standardized insertion strains, and optimized protocols, it is possible to construct complex transgenic strains which should facilitate the study of increasingly complex biological problems in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia El Mouridi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Alkhaldi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Frøkjær-Jensen
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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23
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Ezechukwu CS, Odiba AS, Liao G, Fang W, Wang B. An endogenous mCherry-tagged COSA-1 as a crossover investigation tool in Caenorhabditis elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000627. [PMID: 36060030 PMCID: PMC9428702 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The C. elegans cosa-1 gene encodes the crossover site-associated-1 (COSA-1) protein, a cyclin-related protein that functions in promoting crossovers (COs) during meiosis. Previous studies regarding CO dynamics in live C. elegans have mostly relied on the green fluorescent protein-tagged cosa-1 transgenic strain, which was generated by the microparticle bombardment method. Here, we insert the red fluorescence protein mCherry at the C-terminal of the cosa-1 gene to establish cosa-1::mCherry transgenic worm by the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. The COSA-1::mCherry was observed to appear from the early pachytene, and disappear in the diplotene zone of the germline, with 6 COSA-1:: mCherry foci in the late pachytene, which colocalized with GFP::COSA-1 from AV630 strain. Furthermore, the transgenic strain harboring a cosa-1::mCherry fusion shows no defect in the brood size, progeny viability and male frequency, which provides a useful tool for the meiotic analysis in C. elegans .
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiemekam Samuel Ezechukwu
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
,
Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria
| | - Arome Solomon Odiba
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Guiyan Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Wenxia Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
,
Correspondence to: Bin Wang (
)
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24
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Naranjo-Galindo FJ, Ai R, Fang EF, Nilsen HL, SenGupta T. C. elegans as an Animal Model to Study the Intersection of DNA Repair, Aging and Neurodegeneration. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:916118. [PMID: 35821838 PMCID: PMC9261396 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.916118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Since its introduction as a genetic model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans has yielded insights into the causes of aging. In addition, it has provided a molecular understanding of mechanisms of neurodegeneration, one of the devastating effects of aging. However, C. elegans has been less popular as an animal model to investigate DNA repair and genomic instability, which is a major hallmark of aging and also a cause of many rare neurological disorders. This article provides an overview of DNA repair pathways in C. elegans and the impact of DNA repair on aging hallmarks, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere maintenance, and autophagy. In addition, we discuss how the combination of biological characteristics, new technical tools, and the potential of following precise phenotypic assays through a natural life-course make C. elegans an ideal model organism to study how DNA repair impact neurodegeneration in models of common age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco José Naranjo-Galindo
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Ruixue Ai
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Evandro Fei Fang
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Loge Nilsen
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Hilde Loge Nilsen, ; Tanima SenGupta,
| | - Tanima SenGupta
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- *Correspondence: Hilde Loge Nilsen, ; Tanima SenGupta,
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25
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Savini M, Folick A, Lee YT, Jin F, Cuevas A, Tillman MC, Duffy JD, Zhao Q, Neve IA, Hu PW, Yu Y, Zhang Q, Ye Y, Mair WB, Wang J, Han L, Ortlund EA, Wang MC. Lysosome lipid signalling from the periphery to neurons regulates longevity. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:906-916. [PMID: 35681008 PMCID: PMC9203275 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00926-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Lysosomes are key cellular organelles that metabolize extra- and intracellular substrates. Alterations in lysosomal metabolism are implicated in ageing-associated metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. However, how lysosomal metabolism actively coordinates the metabolic and nervous systems to regulate ageing remains unclear. Here we report a fat-to-neuron lipid signalling pathway induced by lysosomal metabolism and its longevity-promoting role in Caenorhabditis elegans. We discovered that induced lysosomal lipolysis in peripheral fat storage tissue upregulates the neuropeptide signalling pathway in the nervous system to promote longevity. This cell-non-autonomous regulation is mediated by a specific polyunsaturated fatty acid, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, and LBP-3 lipid chaperone protein transported from the fat storage tissue to neurons. LBP-3 binds to dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, and acts through NHR-49 nuclear receptor and NLP-11 neuropeptide in neurons to extend lifespan. These results reveal lysosomes as a signalling hub to coordinate metabolism and ageing, and lysosomal signalling mediated inter-tissue communication in promoting longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzia Savini
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew Folick
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yi-Tang Lee
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Integrative Program of Molecular and Biochemical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Feng Jin
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - André Cuevas
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew C Tillman
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon D Duffy
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qian Zhao
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Isaiah A Neve
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pei-Wen Hu
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yong Yu
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qinghao Zhang
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youqiong Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William B Mair
- Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Center of Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eric A Ortlund
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Meng C Wang
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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26
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Shaffer JM, Greenwald I. SALSA, a genetically encoded biosensor for spatiotemporal quantification of Notch signal transduction in vivo. Dev Cell 2022; 57:930-944.e6. [PMID: 35413239 PMCID: PMC9473748 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Notch-mediated lateral specification is a fundamental mechanism to resolve stochastic cell fate choices by amplifying initial differences between equivalent cells. To study how stochastic events impact Notch activity, we developed a biosensor, SALSA (sensor able to detect lateral signaling activity), consisting of an amplifying "switch"-Notch tagged with TEV protease-and a "reporter"-GFP fused to a nuclearly localized red fluorescent protein, separated by a TEVp cut site. When ligand activates Notch, TEVp enters the nucleus and releases GFP from its nuclear tether, allowing Notch activation to be quantified based on the changes in GFP subcellular localization. We show that SALSA accurately reports Notch activity in different signaling paradigms in Caenorhabditis elegans and use time-lapse imaging to test hypotheses about how stochastic elements ensure a reproducible and robust outcome in a canonical lin-12/Notch-mediated lateral signaling paradigm. SALSA should be generalizable to other experimental systems and be adaptable to increase options for bespoke "SynNotch" applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Shaffer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Iva Greenwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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27
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Engel MA, Wörmann YR, Kaestner H, Schüler C. An Optogenetic Arrhythmia Model—Insertion of Several Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Mutations Into Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-68 Disturbs Calstabin-Mediated Stabilization of the Ryanodine Receptor Homolog. Front Physiol 2022; 13:691829. [PMID: 35399287 PMCID: PMC8990320 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.691829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an inherited disturbance of the heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that is induced by stress or that occurs during exercise. Most mutations that have been linked to CPVT are found in two genes, i.e., ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) and calsequestrin 2 (CASQ2), two proteins fundamentally involved in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in cardiac myocytes. We inserted six CPVT-causing mutations via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 into unc-68 and csq-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of RyR and CASQ, respectively. We characterized those mutations via video-microscopy, electrophysiology, and calcium imaging in our previously established optogenetic arrhythmia model. In this study, we additionally enabled high(er) throughput recordings of intact animals by combining optogenetic stimulation with a microfluidic chip system. Whereas only minor/no pump deficiency of the pharynx was observed at baseline, three mutations of UNC-68 (S2378L, P2460S, Q4623R; RyR2-S2246L, -P2328S, -Q4201R) reduced the ability of the organ to follow 4 Hz optogenetic stimulation. One mutation (Q4623R) was accompanied by a strong reduction of maximal pump rate. In addition, S2378L and Q4623R evoked an altered calcium handling during optogenetic stimulation. The 1,4-benzothiazepine S107, which is suggested to stabilize RyR2 channels by enhancing the binding of calstabin2, reversed the reduction of pumping ability in a mutation-specific fashion. However, this depends on the presence of FKB-2, a C. elegans calstabin2 homolog, indicating the involvement of calstabin2 in the disease-causing mechanisms of the respective mutations. In conclusion, we showed for three CPVT-like mutations in C. elegans RyR a reduced pumping ability upon light stimulation, i.e., an arrhythmia-like phenotype, that can be reversed in two cases by the benzothiazepine S107 and that depends on stabilization via FKB-2. The genetically amenable nematode in combination with optogenetics and high(er) throughput recordings is a promising straightforward system for the investigation of RyR mutations and the selection of mutation-specific drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcial Alexander Engel
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yves René Wörmann
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hanna Kaestner
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christina Schüler
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christina Schüler,
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28
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Membrane-associated cytoplasmic granules carrying the Argonaute protein WAGO-3 enable paternal epigenetic inheritance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:217-229. [PMID: 35132225 PMCID: PMC9973253 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-021-00827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance describes the transmission of gene regulatory information across generations without altering DNA sequences, enabling offspring to adapt to environmental conditions. Small RNAs have been implicated in this, through both the oocyte and the sperm. However, as much of the cellular content is extruded during spermatogenesis, it is unclear whether cytoplasmic small RNAs can contribute to epigenetic inheritance through sperm. Here we identify a sperm-specific germ granule, termed the paternal epigenetic inheritance (PEI) granule, that mediates paternal epigenetic inheritance by retaining the cytoplasmic Argonaute protein WAGO-3 during spermatogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. We identify the PEI granule proteins PEI-1 and PEI-2, which have distinct functions in this process: granule formation, Argonaute selectivity and subcellular localization. We show that PEI granule segregation is coupled to the transport of sperm-specific secretory vesicles through PEI-2 in an S-palmitoylation-dependent manner. PEI-like proteins are found in humans, suggesting that the identified mechanism may be conserved.
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29
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Baskoylu SN, Chapkis N, Unsal B, Lins J, Schuch K, Simon J, Hart AC. Disrupted autophagy and neuronal dysfunction in C. elegans knockin models of FUS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110195. [PMID: 35081350 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How mutations in FUS lead to neuronal dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients remains unclear. To examine mechanisms underlying ALS FUS dysfunction, we generate C. elegans knockin models using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing, creating R524S and P525L ALS FUS models. Although FUS inclusions are not detected, ALS FUS animals show defective neuromuscular function and locomotion under stress. Unlike animals lacking the endogenous FUS ortholog, ALS FUS animals have impaired neuronal autophagy and increased SQST-1 accumulation in motor neurons. Loss of sqst-1, the C. elegans ortholog for ALS-linked, autophagy adaptor protein SQSTM1/p62, suppresses both neuromuscular and stress-induced locomotion defects in ALS FUS animals, but does not suppress neuronal autophagy defects. Therefore, autophagy dysfunction is upstream of, and not dependent on, SQSTM1 function in ALS FUS pathogenesis. Combined, our findings demonstrate that autophagy dysfunction likely contributes to protein homeostasis and neuromuscular defects in ALS FUS knockin animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba N Baskoylu
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Natalie Chapkis
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Burak Unsal
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bogazici University, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
| | - Jeremy Lins
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Kelsey Schuch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Jonah Simon
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Anne C Hart
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
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30
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Medley JC, Hebbar S, Sydzyik JT, Zinovyeva AY. Single nucleotide substitutions effectively block Cas9 and allow for scarless genome editing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab199. [PMID: 34791245 PMCID: PMC8733430 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, germline injection of Cas9 complexes is reliably used to achieve genome editing through homology-directed repair of Cas9-generated DNA breaks. To prevent Cas9 from targeting repaired DNA, additional blocking mutations are often incorporated into homologous repair templates. Cas9 can be blocked either by mutating the PAM sequence that is essential for Cas9 activity or by mutating the guide sequence that targets Cas9 to a specific genomic location. However, it is unclear how many nucleotides within the guide sequence should be mutated, since Cas9 can recognize "off-target" sequences that are imperfectly paired to its guide. In this study, we examined whether single-nucleotide substitutions within the guide sequence are sufficient to block Cas9 and allow for efficient genome editing. We show that a single mismatch within the guide sequence effectively blocks Cas9 and allows for recovery of edited animals. Surprisingly, we found that a low rate of edited animals can be recovered without introducing any blocking mutations, suggesting a temporal block to Cas9 activity in C. elegans. Furthermore, we show that the maternal genome of hermaphrodite animals is preferentially edited over the paternal genome. We demonstrate that maternally provided haplotypes can be selected using balancer chromosomes and propose a method of mutant isolation that greatly reduces screening efforts postinjection. Collectively, our findings expand the repertoire of genome editing strategies in C. elegans and demonstrate that extraneous blocking mutations are not required to recover edited animals when the desired mutation is located within the guide sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Medley
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Shilpa Hebbar
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Joel T Sydzyik
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Anna Y Zinovyeva
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
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31
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Serre JM, Hardin J. The Lamellipodin homologue MIG-10 is not essential for dorsal intercalation in the embryonic epidermis of the C. elegans embryo. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000522. [PMID: 35136857 PMCID: PMC8814893 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Dorsal intercalation of the embryonic epidermis in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is a promising system for genetic analysis of convergent extension, a conserved process in animal embryos. We sought to identify functionally important actin regulators in dorsal epidermal cells. A promising candidate is MIG-10, the single MIG-10/RIAM/Lamellipodin (MRL) family member in C. elegans. We endogenously tagged all mig-10 isoforms with mNeonGreen and analyzed mig-10 mutants using 4-dimensional microscopy. MIG-10::mNG is expressed prominently in muscle progenitors but is not detectable in the dorsal epidermis. mig-10(ct41) homozygotes complete dorsal intercalation in a manner indistinguishable from wildtype, indicating MIG-10 is not essential during dorsal intercalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel M Serre
- Program in Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Jeff Hardin
- Program in Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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32
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Hiraga H, Ishita Y, Chihara T, Okumura M. Efficient visual screening of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:488-500. [PMID: 34813661 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been applied to a wide variety of organisms, including nematodes such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus. In these nematodes, genome editing is achieved by microinjection of Cas9 protein and guide RNA into the hermaphrodite gonads. However, P. pacificus is less efficient in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and exogenous gene expression. Therefore, it takes considerable time and effort to screen for target mutants if there are no visual markers that indicate successful injection. To overcome this problem, co-injection markers (gRNA for Ppa-prl-1, which induces the roller phenotype, and Ppa-egl-20p::turboRFP, a plasmid expressing a fluorescent protein) have been developed in P. pacificus. By selecting worms with the roller phenotype or turboRFP expression, screening efficiency is substantially increased to obtain worms with desired mutations. Here, we describe a step-by-step protocol for the visual screening system for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in P. pacificus. We also describe technical tips for microinjection, which is difficult for beginners. This protocol will facilitate genome editing in P. pacificus and may be applied to other nematode species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokuni Hiraga
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuuki Ishita
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takahiro Chihara
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Program of Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Misako Okumura
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Program of Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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33
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DeMott E, Dickinson DJ, Doonan R. Highly improved cloning efficiency for plasmid-based CRISPR knock-in in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021:10.17912/micropub.biology.000499. [PMID: 34816097 PMCID: PMC8606032 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Plasmid-based CRISPR knock-in is a streamlined, scalable, and versatile approach for generating fluorescent protein tags in C. elegans (Dickinson et al. 2015; Schwartz and Jorgensen 2016). However, compared to more recent protocols that utilize commercially available Cas9/RNP products and linear DNA repair templates (Dokshin et al. 2018; Ghanta and Mello 2020), the cloning required for plasmid-based protocols has been cited as a drawback of this knock-in approach. Using thorough quantitative assessment, we have found that cloning efficiency can reproducibly reach 90% for the plasmids of the self-excising cassette (SEC) selection method, essentially resolving cloning as a burden for plasmid-based CRISPR knock-in.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella DeMott
- Glow Worms Stream, Freshman Research Initiative, Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Daniel J Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Ryan Doonan
- Glow Worms Stream, Freshman Research Initiative, Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA,
Correspondence to: Ryan Doonan ()
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34
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Littleford HE, Kiontke K, Fitch DHA, Greenwald I. hlh-12, a gene that is necessary and sufficient to promote migration of gonadal regulatory cells in Caenorhabditis elegans, evolved within the Caenorhabditis clade. Genetics 2021; 219:iyab127. [PMID: 34740245 PMCID: PMC8570790 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab127] [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: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Specialized cells of the somatic gonad primordium of nematodes play important roles in the final form and function of the mature gonad. Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites are somatic females that have a two-armed, U-shaped gonad that connects to the vulva at the midbody. The outgrowth of each gonad arm from the somatic gonad primordium is led by two female distal tip cells (fDTCs), while the anchor cell (AC) remains stationary and central to coordinate uterine and vulval development. The bHLH protein HLH-2 and its dimerization partners LIN-32 and HLH-12 had previously been shown to be required for fDTC specification. Here, we show that ectopic expression of both HLH-12 and LIN-32 in cells with AC potential transiently transforms them into fDTC-like cells. Furthermore, hlh-12 was known to be required for the fDTCs to sustain gonad arm outgrowth. Here, we show that ectopic expression of HLH-12 in the normally stationary AC causes displacement from its normal position and that displacement likely results from activation of the leader program of fDTCs because it requires genes necessary for gonad arm outgrowth. Thus, HLH-12 is both necessary and sufficient to promote gonadal regulatory cell migration. As differences in female gonadal morphology of different nematode species reflect differences in the fate or migratory properties of the fDTCs or of the AC, we hypothesized that evolutionary changes in the expression of hlh-12 may underlie the evolution of such morphological diversity. However, we were unable to identify an hlh-12 ortholog outside of Caenorhabditis. Instead, by performing a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of all Class II bHLH proteins in multiple nematode species, we found that hlh-12 evolved within the Caenorhabditis clade, possibly by duplicative transposition of hlh-10. Our analysis suggests that control of gene regulatory hierarchies for gonadogenesis can be remarkably plastic during evolution without adverse phenotypic consequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana E Littleford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Karin Kiontke
- Department of Biology, Center for Developmental Genetics, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - David H A Fitch
- Department of Biology, Center for Developmental Genetics, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Iva Greenwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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35
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Enríquez P, Krajewski K, Strahl BD, Rothbart SB, Dowen RH, Rose RB. Binding specificity and function of the SWI/SNF subunit SMARCA4 bromodomain interaction with acetylated histone H3K14. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101145. [PMID: 34473995 PMCID: PMC8506967 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bromodomains (BD) are conserved reader modules that bind acetylated lysine residues on histones. Although much has been learned regarding the in vitro properties of these domains, less is known about their function within chromatin complexes. SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes modulate transcription and contribute to DNA damage repair. Mutations in SWI/SNF subunits have been implicated in many cancers. Here we demonstrate that the BD of Caenorhabditis elegans SMARCA4/BRG1, a core SWI/SNF subunit, recognizes acetylated lysine 14 of histone H3 (H3K14ac), similar to its Homo sapiens ortholog. We identify the interactions of SMARCA4 with the acetylated histone peptide from a 1.29 Å-resolution crystal structure of the CeSMARCA4 BD-H3K14ac complex. Significantly, most of the SMARCA4 BD residues in contact with the histone peptide are conserved with other proteins containing family VIII bromodomains. Based on the premise that binding specificity is conserved among bromodomain orthologs, we propose that loop residues outside of the binding pocket position contact residues to recognize the H3K14ac sequence. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutations in the SMARCA4 BD that abolish H3K14ac binding in vitro had little or no effect on C. elegans viability or physiological function in vivo. However, combining SMARCA4 BD mutations with knockdown of the SWI/SNF accessory subunit PBRM-1 resulted in severe developmental defects in animals. In conclusion, we demonstrated an essential function for the SWI/SNF bromodomain in vivo and detected potential redundancy in epigenetic readers in regulating chromatin remodeling. These findings have implications for the development of small-molecule BD inhibitors to treat cancers and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Enríquez
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Krzysztof Krajewski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian D Strahl
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott B Rothbart
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert H Dowen
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert B Rose
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
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36
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Singh R, Smit RB, Wang X, Wang C, Racher H, Hansen D. Reduction of Derlin activity suppresses Notch-dependent tumours in the C. elegans germ line. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009687. [PMID: 34555015 PMCID: PMC8491880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulating the balance between self-renewal (proliferation) and differentiation is key to the long-term functioning of all stem cell pools. In the Caenorhabditis elegans germline, the primary signal controlling this balance is the conserved Notch signaling pathway. Gain-of-function mutations in the GLP-1/Notch receptor cause increased stem cell self-renewal, resulting in a tumour of proliferating germline stem cells. Notch gain-of-function mutations activate the receptor, even in the presence of little or no ligand, and have been associated with many human diseases, including cancers. We demonstrate that reduction in CUP-2 and DER-2 function, which are Derlin family proteins that function in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), suppresses the C. elegans germline over-proliferation phenotype associated with glp-1(gain-of-function) mutations. We further demonstrate that their reduction does not suppress other mutations that cause over-proliferation, suggesting that over-proliferation suppression due to loss of Derlin activity is specific to glp-1/Notch (gain-of-function) mutations. Reduction of CUP-2 Derlin activity reduces the expression of a read-out of GLP-1/Notch signaling, suggesting that the suppression of over-proliferation in Derlin loss-of-function mutants is due to a reduction in the activity of the mutated GLP-1/Notch(GF) receptor. Over-proliferation suppression in cup-2 mutants is only seen when the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is functioning properly, suggesting that the suppression, and reduction in GLP-1/Notch signaling levels, observed in Derlin mutants may be the result of activation of the UPR. Chemically inducing ER stress also suppress glp-1(gf) over-proliferation but not other mutations that cause over-proliferation. Therefore, ER stress and activation of the UPR may help correct for increased GLP-1/Notch signaling levels, and associated over-proliferation, in the C. elegans germline. Notch signaling is a highly conserved signaling pathway that is utilized in many cell fate decisions in many organisms. In the C. elegans germline, Notch signaling is the primary signal that regulates the balance between stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Notch gain-of-function mutations cause the receptor to be active, even when a signal that is normally needed to activate the receptor is absent. In the germline of C. elegans, gain-of-function mutations in GLP-1, a Notch receptor, results in over-proliferation of the stem cells and tumour formation. Here we demonstrate that a reduction or loss of Derlin activity, which is a conserved family of proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), suppresses over-proliferation due to GLP-1/Notch gain-of-function mutations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a surveillance mechanism utilized in cells to monitor and react to proteins that are not folded properly (Unfolded Protein Response-UPR) must be functioning well in order for the loss of Derlin activity to supress over-proliferation caused by glp-1/Notch gain-of-function mutations. This suggests that activation of the UPR may be the mechanism at work for suppressing this type of over-proliferation, when Derlin activity is reduced. Therefore, decreasing Derlin activity may be a means of reducing the impact of phenotypes and diseases due to certain Notch gain-of-function mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Ryan B. Smit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Chris Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Hilary Racher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Dave Hansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- * E-mail:
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37
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Lin Z, Xie Y, Nong W, Ren X, Li R, Zhao Z, Hui JHL, Yuen KWY. Formation of artificial chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans and analyses of their segregation in mitosis, DNA sequence composition and holocentromere organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9174-9193. [PMID: 34417622 PMCID: PMC8450109 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate how exogenous DNA concatemerizes to form episomal artificial chromosomes (ACs), acquire equal segregation ability and maintain stable holocentromeres, we injected DNA sequences with different features, including sequences that are repetitive or complex, and sequences with different AT-contents, into the gonad of Caenorhabditis elegans to form ACs in embryos, and monitored AC mitotic segregation. We demonstrated that AT-poor sequences (26% AT-content) delayed the acquisition of segregation competency of newly formed ACs. We also co-injected fragmented Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic DNA, differentially expressed fluorescent markers and ubiquitously expressed selectable marker to construct a less repetitive, more complex AC. We sequenced the whole genome of a strain which propagates this AC through multiple generations, and de novo assembled the AC sequences. We discovered CENP-AHCP-3 domains/peaks are distributed along the AC, as in endogenous chromosomes, suggesting a holocentric architecture. We found that CENP-AHCP-3 binds to the unexpressed marker genes and many fragmented yeast sequences, but is excluded in the yeast extremely high-AT-content centromeric and mitochondrial DNA (> 83% AT-content) on the AC. We identified A-rich motifs in CENP-AHCP-3 domains/peaks on the AC and on endogenous chromosomes, which have some similarity with each other and similarity to some non-germline transcription factor binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyang Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yichun Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wenyan Nong
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaoliang Ren
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Runsheng Li
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Baptist University of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Jerome Ho Lam Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Karen Wing Yee Yuen
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
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38
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Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, targeted genome editing techniques are now routinely used to generate germline edits. The remarkable ease of C. elegans germline editing is attributed to the syncytial nature of the pachytene ovary which is easily accessed by microinjection. This protocol describes the step-by-step details and troubleshooting tips for the entire CRISPR-Cas genome editing procedure, including gRNA design and microinjection of ribonucleoprotein complexes, followed by screening and genotyping in C. elegans, to help accessing this powerful genetic animal system. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ghanta and Mello (2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna S. Ghanta
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Takao Ishidate
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Craig C. Mello
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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39
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Vo AA, Levenson MT, Ragle JM, Ward JD. Efficient generation of a single-copy eft-3p::TIR1::F2A:: BFP::AID*::NLS allele in the C. elegans ttTi5605 insertion site through recombination-mediated cassette exchange. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021. [PMID: 34355140 PMCID: PMC8335552 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The auxin-inducible degron (AID) system is a widely used system to conditionally deplete proteins. Using CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in C. elegans, we recently generated a set of single-copy, tissue-specific and pan-somatic TIR1-expressing strains carrying a BFP reporter inserted in single-copy into two commonly used, well-characterized genetic loci. However, we were unable to obtain a strain carrying a pan-somatic eft-3p::TIR1::F2A::BFP::AID*::NLS transgene inserted into the chromosome II ttTi5605 insertion site. Using recombination-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) we were able to efficiently obtain this knock-in. The resulting strain displayed equivalent depletion of an AID*::GFP reporter compared to our previously generated eft-3p::TIR1::F2A::BFP::AID*::NLS transgene knocked into the chromosome I ttTi4348 insertion site. This work highlights the power of RMCE for generating new reagents for the AID system and provides an eft-3p::TIR1::F2A::BFP::AID*::NLS allele on chromosome II which will simplify genetic crossing schemes when using the AID system.
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Affiliation(s)
- An A Vo
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California - Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Max T Levenson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California - Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - James Matthew Ragle
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California - Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jordan D Ward
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California - Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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40
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Charlesworth AG, Seroussi U, Lehrbach NJ, Renaud MS, Sundby AE, Molnar RI, Lao RX, Willis AR, Woock JR, Aber MJ, Diao AJ, Reinke AW, Ruvkun G, Claycomb JM. Two isoforms of the essential C. elegans Argonaute CSR-1 differentially regulate sperm and oocyte fertility. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8836-8865. [PMID: 34329465 PMCID: PMC8421154 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes nineteen functional Argonaute proteins that use 22G-RNAs, 26G-RNAs, miRNAs or piRNAs to regulate target transcripts. Only one Argonaute is essential under normal laboratory conditions: CSR-1. While CSR-1 has been studied widely, nearly all studies have overlooked the fact that the csr-1 locus encodes two isoforms. These isoforms differ by an additional 163 amino acids present in the N-terminus of CSR-1a. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to introduce GFP::3xFLAG into the long (CSR-1a) and short (CSR-1b) isoforms, we found that CSR-1a is expressed during spermatogenesis and in several somatic tissues, including the intestine. CSR-1b is expressed constitutively in the germline. small RNA sequencing of CSR-1 complexes shows that they interact with partly overlapping sets of 22G-RNAs. Phenotypic analyses reveal that the essential functions of csr-1 described in the literature coincide with CSR-1b, while CSR-1a plays tissue specific functions. During spermatogenesis, CSR-1a integrates into an sRNA regulatory network including ALG-3, ALG-4 and WAGO-10 that is necessary for fertility at 25°C. In the intestine, CSR-1a silences immunity and pathogen-responsive genes, and its loss results in improved survival from the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our findings functionally distinguish the CSR-1 isoforms and highlight the importance of studying each AGO isoform independently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Uri Seroussi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Nicolas J Lehrbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mathias S Renaud
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Adam E Sundby
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Ruxandra I Molnar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Robert X Lao
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Alexandra R Willis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Jenna R Woock
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Matthew J Aber
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Annette J Diao
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Aaron W Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Gary Ruvkun
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julie M Claycomb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Canada
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Sizova I, Kelterborn S, Verbenko V, Kateriya S, Hegemann P. Chlamydomonas POLQ is necessary for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab114. [PMID: 33836052 PMCID: PMC8495919 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of CRISPR/Cas endonucleases has revolutionized gene editing techniques for research on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. To better utilize the CRISPR/Cas system, it is essential to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the DNA repair pathways involved in genome editing. In this study, we have analyzed contributions from canonical KU80/KU70-dependent nonhomologous end-joining (cNHEJ) and DNA polymerase theta (POLQ)-mediated end joining on SpCas9-mediated untemplated mutagenesis and homology-directed repair (HDR)/gene inactivation in Chlamydomonas. Using CRISPR/SpCas9 technology, we generated DNA repair-defective mutants ku80, ku70, polQ for gene targeting experiments. Our results show that untemplated repair of SpCas9-induced double strand breaks results in mutation spectra consistent with an involvement of both KU80/KU70 and POLQ. In addition, the inactivation of POLQ was found to negatively affect HDR of the inactivated paromomycin-resistant mut-aphVIII gene when donor single-stranded oligos were used. Nevertheless, mut-aphVIII was still repaired by homologous recombination in these mutants. POLQ inactivation suppressed random integration of transgenes co-transformed with the donor ssDNA. KU80 deficiency did not affect these events but instead was surprisingly found to stimulate HDR/gene inactivation. Our data suggest that in Chlamydomonas, POLQ is the main contributor to CRISPR/Cas-induced HDR and random integration of transgenes, whereas KU80/KU70 potentially plays a secondary role. We expect our results will lead to improvement of genome editing in C. reinhardtii and can be used for future development of algal biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Sizova
- Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin D-10099, Germany
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute named by B.P. Konstantinov of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Gatchina 188300, Russia
- Kurchatov Genome Center - PNPI, Gatchina 188300, Russia
| | - Simon Kelterborn
- Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin D-10099, Germany
| | - Valeriy Verbenko
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute named by B.P. Konstantinov of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Gatchina 188300, Russia
- Kurchatov Genome Center - PNPI, Gatchina 188300, Russia
| | - Suneel Kateriya
- Laboratory of Optobiology School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin D-10099, Germany
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42
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Nguyen DAH, Phillips CM. Arginine methylation promotes siRNA-binding specificity for a spermatogenesis-specific isoform of the Argonaute protein CSR-1. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4212. [PMID: 34244496 PMCID: PMC8270938 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24526-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
CSR-1 is an essential Argonaute protein that binds to a subclass of 22G-RNAs targeting most germline-expressed genes. Here we show that the two isoforms of CSR-1 have distinct expression patterns; CSR-1B is ubiquitously expressed throughout the germline and during all stages of development while CSR-1A expression is restricted to germ cells undergoing spermatogenesis. Furthermore, CSR-1A associates preferentially with 22G-RNAs mapping to spermatogenesis-specific genes whereas CSR-1B-bound small RNAs map predominantly to oogenesis-specific genes. Interestingly, the exon unique to CSR-1A contains multiple dimethylarginine modifications, which are necessary for the preferential binding of CSR-1A to spermatogenesis-specific 22G-RNAs. Thus, we have discovered a regulatory mechanism for C. elegans Argonaute proteins that allows for specificity of small RNA binding between similar Argonaute proteins with overlapping temporal and spatial localization. The Argonaute protein CSR-1 is essential for fertility and viability in C. elegans. Here the authors show that CSR-1A isoform associates preferentially with small RNAs mapping to spermatogenesis-specific genes while CSR-1B isoform binds small RNAs mapping to oogenesis-specific genes. Arginine methylation of CSR-1A promotes small RNA-binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieu An H Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn M Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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43
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Mayya VK, Flamand MN, Lambert AM, Jafarnejad SM, Wohlschlegel JA, Sonenberg N, Duchaine TF. microRNA-mediated translation repression through GYF-1 and IFE-4 in C. elegans development. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4803-4815. [PMID: 33758928 PMCID: PMC8136787 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
microRNA (miRNA)-mediated gene silencing is enacted through the recruitment of effector proteins that direct translational repression or degradation of mRNA targets, but the relative importance of their activities for animal development remains unknown. Our concerted proteomic surveys identified the uncharacterized GYF-domain encoding protein GYF-1 and its direct interaction with IFE-4, the ortholog of the mammalian translation repressor 4EHP, as key miRNA effector proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. Recruitment of GYF-1 protein to mRNA reporters in vitro or in vivo leads to potent translation repression without affecting the poly(A) tail or impinging on mRNA stability. Loss of gyf-1 is synthetic lethal with hypomorphic alleles of embryonic miR-35-42 and larval (L4) let-7 miRNAs, which is phenocopied through engineered mutations in gyf-1 that abolish interaction with IFE-4. GYF-1/4EHP function is cascade-specific, as loss of gyf-1 had no noticeable impact on the functions of other miRNAs, including lin-4 and lsy-6. Overall, our findings reveal the first direct effector of miRNA-mediated translational repression in C. elegans and its physiological importance for the function of several, but likely not all miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay K Mayya
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Mathieu N Flamand
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Alice M Lambert
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE UK
| | - James A Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Thomas F Duchaine
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal H3G 1Y6, Canada
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44
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Nishida K, Tsuchiya K, Obinata H, Onodera S, Honda Y, Lai YC, Haruta N, Sugimoto A. Expression Patterns and Levels of All Tubulin Isotypes Analyzed in GFP Knock-In C. elegans Strains. Cell Struct Funct 2021; 46:51-64. [PMID: 33967119 PMCID: PMC10511039 DOI: 10.1247/csf.21022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Most organisms have multiple α- and β-tubulin isotypes that likely contribute to the diversity of microtubule (MT) functions. To understand the functional differences of tubulin isotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans, which has nine α-tubulin isotypes and six β-tubulin isotypes, we systematically constructed null mutants and GFP-fusion strains for all tubulin isotypes with the CRISPR/Cas9 system and analyzed their expression patterns and levels in adult hermaphrodites. Four isotypes-α-tubulins TBA-1 and TBA-2 and β-tubulins TBB-1 and TBB-2-were expressed in virtually all tissues, with a distinct tissue-specific spectrum. Other isotypes were expressed in specific tissues or cell types at significantly lower levels than the broadly expressed isotypes. Four isotypes (TBA-5, TBA-6, TBA-9, and TBB-4) were expressed in different subsets of ciliated sensory neurons, and TBB-4 was inefficiently incorporated into mitotic spindle MTs. Taken together, we propose that MTs in C. elegans are mainly composed of four broadly expressed tubulin isotypes and that incorporation of a small amount of tissue-specific isotypes may contribute to tissue-specific MT properties. These newly constructed strains will be useful for further elucidating the distinct roles of tubulin isotypes.Key words: tubulin isotypes, microtubules, C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nishida
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kenta Tsuchiya
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Obinata
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Shizuka Onodera
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yu Honda
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yen-Cheng Lai
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Nami Haruta
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Asako Sugimoto
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
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45
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Salzer L, Witting M. Quo Vadis Caenorhabditis elegans Metabolomics-A Review of Current Methods and Applications to Explore Metabolism in the Nematode. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11050284. [PMID: 33947148 PMCID: PMC8146106 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11050284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolomics and lipidomics recently gained interest in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The fast development, easy cultivation and existing forward and reverse genetic tools make the small nematode an ideal organism for metabolic investigations in development, aging, different disease models, infection, or toxicology research. The conducted type of analysis is strongly depending on the biological question and requires different analytical approaches. Metabolomic analyses in C. elegans have been performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, direct infusion mass spectrometry (DI-MS), gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or combinations of them. In this review we provide general information on the employed techniques and their advantages and disadvantages in regard to C. elegans metabolomics. Additionally, we reviewed different fields of application, e.g., longevity, starvation, aging, development or metabolism of secondary metabolites such as ascarosides or maradolipids. We also summarised applied bioinformatic tools that recently have been used for the evaluation of metabolomics or lipidomics data from C. elegans. Lastly, we curated metabolites and lipids from the reviewed literature, enabling a prototypic collection which serves as basis for a future C. elegans specific metabolome database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesa Salzer
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
| | - Michael Witting
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
- Metabolomics and Proteomics Core, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Maximus-von-Imhof-Forum 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence:
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46
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Ashley GE, Duong T, Levenson MT, Martinez MAQ, Johnson LC, Hibshman JD, Saeger HN, Palmisano NJ, Doonan R, Martinez-Mendez R, Davidson BR, Zhang W, Ragle JM, Medwig-Kinney TN, Sirota SS, Goldstein B, Matus DQ, Dickinson DJ, Reiner DJ, Ward JD. An expanded auxin-inducible degron toolkit for Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2021; 217:iyab006. [PMID: 33677541 PMCID: PMC8045686 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The auxin-inducible degron (AID) system has emerged as a powerful tool to conditionally deplete proteins in a range of organisms and cell types. Here, we describe a toolkit to augment the use of the AID system in Caenorhabditis elegans. We have generated a set of single-copy, tissue-specific (germline, intestine, neuron, muscle, pharynx, hypodermis, seam cell, anchor cell) and pan-somatic TIR1-expressing strains carrying a co-expressed blue fluorescent reporter to enable use of both red and green channels in experiments. These transgenes are inserted into commonly used, well-characterized genetic loci. We confirmed that our TIR1-expressing strains produce the expected depletion phenotype for several nuclear and cytoplasmic AID-tagged endogenous substrates. We have also constructed a set of plasmids for constructing repair templates to generate fluorescent protein::AID fusions through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. These plasmids are compatible with commonly used genome editing approaches in the C. elegans community (Gibson or SapTrap assembly of plasmid repair templates or PCR-derived linear repair templates). Together these reagents will complement existing TIR1 strains and facilitate rapid and high-throughput fluorescent protein::AID tagging of genes. This battery of new TIR1-expressing strains and modular, efficient cloning vectors serves as a platform for straightforward assembly of CRISPR/Cas9 repair templates for conditional protein depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guinevere E Ashley
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Tam Duong
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Max T Levenson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Michael A Q Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Londen C Johnson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Jonathan D Hibshman
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hannah N Saeger
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Nicholas J Palmisano
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Ryan Doonan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Raquel Martinez-Mendez
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Brittany R Davidson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Wan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - James Matthew Ragle
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Taylor N Medwig-Kinney
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Sydney S Sirota
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - David Q Matus
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Daniel J Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David J Reiner
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jordan D Ward
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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47
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Maniates KA, Olson BS, Abbott AL. Sperm fate is promoted by the mir-44 microRNA family in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite germline. Genetics 2021; 217:1-14. [PMID: 33683352 PMCID: PMC8045739 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, typically effected by RNA-binding proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and translation initiation factors, is essential for normal germ cell function. Numerous miRNAs have been detected in the germline; however, the functions of specific miRNAs remain largely unknown. Functions of miRNAs have been difficult to determine as miRNAs often modestly repress target mRNAs and are suggested to sculpt or fine tune gene expression to allow for the robust expression of cell fates. In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, cell fate decisions are made for germline sex determination during larval development when sperm are generated in a short window before the switch to oocyte production. Here, analysis of newly generated mir-44 family mutants has identified a family of miRNAs that modulate the germline sex determination pathway in C. elegans. Mutants with the loss of mir-44 and mir-45 produce fewer sperm, showing both a delay in the specification and formation of sperm as well as an early termination of sperm specification accompanied by a premature switch to oocyte production. mir-44 and mir-45 are necessary for the normal period of fog-1 expression in larval development. Through genetic analysis, we find that mir-44 and mir-45 may act upstream of fbf-1 and fem-3 to promote sperm specification. Our research indicates that the mir-44 family promotes sperm cell fate specification during larval development and identifies an additional posttranscriptional regulator of the germline sex determination pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Maniates
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Benjamin S Olson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Allison L Abbott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
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48
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Placentino M, de Jesus Domingues AM, Schreier J, Dietz S, Hellmann S, de Albuquerque BFM, Butter F, Ketting RF. Intrinsically disordered protein PID-2 modulates Z granules and is required for heritable piRNA-induced silencing in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. EMBO J 2021; 40:e105280. [PMID: 33231880 PMCID: PMC7849312 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, the piRNA (21U RNA) pathway is required to establish proper gene regulation and an immortal germline. To achieve this, PRG-1-bound 21U RNAs trigger silencing mechanisms mediated by RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP)-synthetized 22G RNAs. This silencing can become PRG-1-independent and heritable over many generations, a state termed RNA-induced epigenetic gene silencing (RNAe). How and when RNAe is established, and how it is maintained, is not known. We show that maternally provided 21U RNAs can be sufficient for triggering RNAe in embryos. Additionally, we identify PID-2, a protein containing intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), as a factor required for establishing and maintaining RNAe. PID-2 interacts with two newly identified and partially redundant eTudor domain-containing proteins, PID-4 and PID-5. PID-5 has an additional domain related to the X-prolyl aminopeptidase APP-1, and binds APP-1, implicating potential N-terminal proteolysis in RNAe. All three proteins are required for germline immortality, localize to perinuclear foci, affect size and appearance of RNA inheritance-linked Z granules, and are required for balancing of 22G RNA populations. Overall, our study identifies three new proteins with crucial functions in C. elegans small RNA silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Placentino
- Biology of Non‐coding RNA GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome StabilityMainzGermany
| | | | - Jan Schreier
- Biology of Non‐coding RNA GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome StabilityMainzGermany
| | - Sabrina Dietz
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome StabilityMainzGermany
- Quantitative Proteomics GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
| | - Svenja Hellmann
- Biology of Non‐coding RNA GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
| | - Bruno FM de Albuquerque
- Biology of Non‐coding RNA GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
- Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Falk Butter
- Quantitative Proteomics GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
| | - René F Ketting
- Biology of Non‐coding RNA GroupInstitute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
- Institute of Developmental Biology and NeurobiologyJohannses Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
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49
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Vicencio J, Cerón J. A Living Organism in your CRISPR Toolbox: Caenorhabditis elegans Is a Rapid and Efficient Model for Developing CRISPR-Cas Technologies. CRISPR J 2021; 4:32-42. [PMID: 33538637 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cas9 nuclease from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) is the most popular enzyme for CRISPR technologies. However, considering the wide diversity of microorganisms (discovered and still unknown), a massive number of CRISPR effectors are being and will be identified and characterized in the search of optimal Cas variants for each of the many applications of CRISPR. In this context, a versatile and efficient multicellular system for CRISPR editing such as Caenorhabditis elegans would be of great help in the development of these effectors. Here, we highlight the benefits of using C. elegans for the rapid evaluation of new CRISPR effectors, and for optimizing CRISPR efficiency in animals in several ways such as by modulating the balance between repair pathways, modifying chromatin accessibility, or controlling the expression and activity of nucleases and guide RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Vicencio
- Modeling human diseases in C. elegans Group, Genes, Disease and Therapy Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julián Cerón
- Modeling human diseases in C. elegans Group, Genes, Disease and Therapy Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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50
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Lee IH, Procko C, Lu Y, Shaham S. Stress-Induced Neural Plasticity Mediated by Glial GPCR REMO-1 Promotes C. elegans Adaptive Behavior. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108607. [PMID: 33440160 PMCID: PMC7845533 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal nervous systems remodel following stress. Although global stress-dependent changes are well documented, contributions of individual neuron remodeling events to animal behavior modification are challenging to study. In response to environmental insults, C. elegans become stress-resistant dauers. Dauer entry induces amphid sensory organ remodeling in which bilateral AMsh glial cells expand and fuse, allowing embedded AWC chemosensory neurons to extend sensory receptive endings. We show that amphid remodeling correlates with accelerated dauer exit upon exposure to favorable conditions and identify a G protein-coupled receptor, REMO-1, driving AMsh glia fusion, AWC neuron remodeling, and dauer exit. REMO-1 is expressed in and localizes to AMsh glia tips, is dispensable for other remodeling events, and promotes stress-induced expression of the remodeling receptor tyrosine kinase VER-1. Our results demonstrate how single-neuron structural changes affect animal behavior, identify key glial roles in stress-induced nervous system plasticity, and demonstrate that remodeling primes animals to respond to favorable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Hae Lee
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Carl Procko
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yun Lu
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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