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Kotagama K, McJunkin K. Recent advances in understanding microRNA function and regulation in C. elegans. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 154:4-13. [PMID: 37055330 PMCID: PMC10564972 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.03.011] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were first discovered in C. elegans as essential post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Since their initial discovery, miRNAs have been implicated in numerous areas of physiology and disease in all animals examined. In recent years, the C. elegans model continues to contribute important advances to all areas of miRNA research. Technological advances in tissue-specific miRNA profiling and genome editing have driven breakthroughs in understanding biological functions of miRNAs, mechanism of miRNA action, and regulation of miRNAs. In this review, we highlight these new C. elegans findings from the past five to seven years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasuen Kotagama
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katherine McJunkin
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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2
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Zhou C, Tuersong W, Liu L, Di W, He L, Li F, Wang C, Hu M. Non-coding RNA in the gut of the blood-feeding parasitic worm, Haemonchus contortus. Vet Res 2024; 55:1. [PMID: 38172997 PMCID: PMC10763314 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01254-x] [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: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intestine of Haemonchus contortus is an essential tissue that has been indicated to be a major target for the prevention of haemonchosis caused by this parasitic nematode of small ruminants. Biological peculiarities of the intestine warrant in-depth exploitation, which can be leveraged for future disease control efforts. Here, we determined the intestinal ncRNA (lncRNA, circRNA and miRNA) atlas using whole-transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics approaches. In total, 4846 novel lncRNA, 982 circRNA, 96 miRNA (65 known and 31 novel) and 8821 mRNA were identified from the H. contortus intestine. The features of lncRNA, circRNA and miRNA were fully characterized. Comparison of miRNA from the intestines and extracellular vesicles supported the speculation that the miRNA from the latter were of intestinal origin in H. contortus. Further function analysis suggests that the cis-lncRNA targeted genes were involved in protein binding, intracellular anatomical structure, organelle and cellular process, whereas the circRNA parental genes were mainly enriched in molecular function categories, such as ribonucleotide binding, nucleotide binding, ATP binding and carbohydrate derivative binding. The miRNA target genes were related to the cellular process, cellular response to stimulus, cellular protein modification process and signal transduction. Moreover, competing endogenous RNA network analysis revealed that the majority of lncRNA, circRNA and mRNA only have one or two binding sites with specific miRNA. Lastly, randomly selected circRNA, lncRNA and miRNA were verified successfully using RT-PCR. Collectively, these data provide the most comprehensive compilation of intestinal transcripts and their functions, and it will be helpful to decipher the biological and molecular complexity of the intestine and lay the foundation for further functional research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Waresi Tuersong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Wulumuqi, 830052, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Wenda Di
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Li He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, 442000, Shiyan, China
| | - Fangfang Li
- College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, 402020, China
| | - Chunqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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3
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Mladenova SG, Todorova MN, Savova MS, Georgiev MI, Mihaylova LV. Maackiain Mimics Caloric Restriction through aak-2-Mediated Lipid Reduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17442. [PMID: 38139270 PMCID: PMC10744277 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417442] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity prevalence is becoming a serious global health and economic issue and is a major risk factor for concomitant diseases that worsen the quality and duration of life. Therefore, the urgency of the development of novel therapies is of a particular importance. A previous study of ours revealed that the natural pterocarpan, maackiain (MACK), significantly inhibits adipogenic differentiation in human adipocytes through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)-dependent mechanism. Considering the observed anti-adipogenic potential of MACK, we aimed to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms that drive its biological activity in a Caenorhabditis elegans obesity model. Therefore, in the current study, the anti-obesogenic effect of MACK (25, 50, and 100 μM) was compared to orlistat (ORST, 12 μM) as a reference drug. Additionally, the hybrid combination between the ORST (12 μM) and MACK (100 μM) was assessed for suspected synergistic interaction. Mechanistically, the observed anti-obesogenic effect of MACK was mediated through the upregulation of the key metabolic regulators, namely, the nuclear hormone receptor 49 (nhr-49) that is a functional homologue of the mammalian PPARs and the AMP-activated protein kinase (aak-2/AMPK) in C. elegans. Collectively, our investigation indicates that MACK has the potential to limit lipid accumulation and control obesity that deserves future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika N. Todorova
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.N.T.); (M.S.S.); (M.I.G.)
| | - Martina S. Savova
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.N.T.); (M.S.S.); (M.I.G.)
- Department of Plant Cell Biotechnology, Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Milen I. Georgiev
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.N.T.); (M.S.S.); (M.I.G.)
- Department of Plant Cell Biotechnology, Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Liliya V. Mihaylova
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.N.T.); (M.S.S.); (M.I.G.)
- Department of Plant Cell Biotechnology, Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Wang C, Long Y, Wang B, Zhang C, Ma DK. GPCR signaling regulates severe stress-induced organismic death in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13735. [PMID: 36415159 PMCID: PMC9835589 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How an organism dies is a fundamental yet poorly understood question in biology. An organism can die of many causes, including stress-induced phenoptosis, also defined as organismic death that is regulated by its genome-encoded programs. The mechanism of stress-induced phenoptosis is still largely unknown. Here, we show that transient but severe freezing-thaw stress (FTS) in Caenorhabditis elegans induces rapid and robust phenoptosis that is regulated by G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. RNAi screens identify the GPCR-encoding fshr-1 in mediating transcriptional responses to FTS. FSHR-1 increases ligand interaction upon FTS and activates a cyclic AMP-PKA cascade leading to a genetic program to promote organismic death under severe stress. FSHR-1/GPCR signaling up-regulates the bZIP-type transcription factor ZIP-10, linking FTS to expression of genes involved in lipid remodeling, proteostasis, and aging. A mathematical model suggests how genes may promote organismic death under severe stress conditions, potentially benefiting growth of the clonal population with individuals less stressed and more reproductively privileged. Our studies reveal the roles of FSHR-1/GPCR-mediated signaling in stress-induced gene expression and phenoptosis in C. elegans, providing empirical new insights into mechanisms of stress-induced phenoptosis with evolutionary implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changnan Wang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yong Long
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and BiotechnologyInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
| | - Bingying Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Dengke K. Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Innovative Genomics InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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Pandey T, Ma DK. Stress-Induced Phenoptosis: Mechanistic Insights and Evolutionary Implications. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1504-1511. [PMID: 36717459 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922120082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Evolution by natural selection results in biological traits that enable organismic adaptation and survival under various stressful environments. External stresses can be sometimes too severe to overcome, leading to organismic death either because of failure in adapting to such stress, or alternatively, through a regulated form of organismic death (phenoptosis). While regulated cell deaths, including apoptosis, have been extensively studied, little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying phenoptosis and its evolutionary significance for multicellular organisms. In this article, we review documented phenomena and mechanistic evidence emerging from studies of stress-induced phenoptosis in the multicellular organism C. elegans and stress-induced deaths at cellular levels in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals, focusing on abiotic and pathogen stresses. Genes and signaling pathways involved in phenoptosis appear to promote organismic death during severe stress and aging, while conferring fitness and immune defense during mild stress and early life, consistent with their antagonistic pleiotropy actions. As cell apoptosis during development can shape tissues and organs, stress-induced phenoptosis may also contribute to possible benefits at the population level, through mechanisms including kin selection, abortive infection, and soma-to-germline resource allocation. Current models can generate experimentally testable predictions and conceptual frameworks with implications for understanding both stress-induced phenoptosis and natural aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taruna Pandey
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Dengke K Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA. .,Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Savova MS, Todorova MN, Apostolov AG, Yahubyan GT, Georgiev MI. Betulinic acid counteracts the lipid accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans by modulation of nhr-49 expression. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113862. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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Fan X, Zhang W, Zhang K, Zhang J, Long Q, Wu Y, Zhang K, Zhu L, Chen D, Guo R. In-depth investigation of microRNA-mediated cross-kingdom regulation between Asian honey bee and microsporidian. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1003294. [PMID: 36246221 PMCID: PMC9557207 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1003294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Asian honey bee Apis cerana is the original host for Nosema ceranae, a unicellular fungal parasite that causes bee nosemosis throughout the world. Currently, interaction between A. cerana and N. ceranae is largely unknown. Our group previously prepared A. c. cerana workers’ midguts at 7 days post inoculation (dpi) and 10 dpi with N. ceranae spores as well as corresponding un-inoculated workers’ midguts, followed by cDNA library construction and a combination of RNAs-seq and small RNA-seq. Meanwhile, we previously prepared clean spores of N. ceranae, which were then subjected to cDNA library construction and deep sequencing. Here, based on the gained high-quality transcriptome datasets, N. ceranae differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmiRNAs) targeted by host DEmiRNAs, and A. c. cerana DEmRNAs targeted by microsporidian DEmiRNAs were deeply investigated, with a focus on targets involved in N. ceranae glycolysis/glyconeogenesis as well as virulence factors, and A. c. cerana energy metabolism and immune response. In A. c. cerana worker’s midguts at 7 (10) dpi (days post inoculation), eight (seven) up-regulated and six (two) down-regulated miRNAs were observed to target 97 (44) down-regulated and 60 (15) up-regulated N. ceranae mRNAs, respectively. Additionally, two up-regulated miRNAs (miR-60-y and miR-676-y) in host midgut at 7 dpi could target genes engaged in N. ceranae spore wall protein and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, indicating potential host miRNA-mediated regulation of microsporidian virulence factor and energy metabolism. Meanwhile, in N. ceranae at 7 (10) dpi, 121 (110) up-regulated and 112 (104) down-regulated miRNAs were found to, respectively, target 343 (247) down-regulated and 138 (110) down-regulated mRNAs in A. c. cerana workers’ midguts. These targets in host were relevant to several crucial cellular and humoral immune pathways, such as phagasome, endocytosis, lysosomes, regulation of autophagy, and Jak–STAT signaling pathway, indicative of the involvement of N. ceranae DEmiRNAs in regulating these cellular and humoral immune pathways. In addition, N. ceranae miR-21-x was up-regulated at 7 dpi and had a target relative to oxidative phosphorylation, suggesting that miR-21-x may be used as a weapon to modulate this pivotal energy metabolism pathway. Furthermore, potential targeting relationships between two pairs of host DEmiRNAs-microsporidian DEmRNAs and two pairs of microsporidian DEmiRNAs-host DEmRNAs were validated using RT-qPCR. Our findings not only lay a foundation for exploring the molecular mechanism underlying cross-kingdom regulation between A. c. cerana workers and N. ceranae, but also offer valuable insights into Asian honey bee-microsporidian interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Fan
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wende Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Kaiyao Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Qi Long
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ying Wu
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Kuihao Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Leran Zhu
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Dafu Chen
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Apitherapy Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Rui Guo
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Apitherapy Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- *Correspondence: Rui Guo,
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Hodge F, Bajuszova V, van Oosten-Hawle P. The Intestine as a Lifespan- and Proteostasis-Promoting Signaling Tissue. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:897741. [PMID: 35821863 PMCID: PMC9261303 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.897741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, cellular stress stimuli and responses are communicated between tissues to promote organismal health- and lifespan. The nervous system is the predominant regulator of cell nonautonomous proteostasis that orchestrates systemic stress responses to integrate both internal and external stimuli. This review highlights the role of the intestine in mediating cell nonautonomous stress responses and explores recent findings that suggest a central role for the intestine to regulate organismal proteostasis. As a tissue that receives and further transduces signals from the nervous system in response to dietary restriction, heat- and oxidative stress, and hypoxia, we explore evidence suggesting the intestine is a key regulatory organ itself. From the perspective of naturally occurring stressors such as dietary restriction and pathogen infection we highlight how the intestine can function as a key regulator of organismal proteostasis by integrating insulin/IGF-like signaling, miRNA-, neuropeptide- and metabolic signaling to alter distal tissue functions in promoting survival, health- and lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Hodge
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Viktoria Bajuszova
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Patricija van Oosten-Hawle
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Zárate-Potes A, Yang W, Andresen B, Nakad R, Haase D, Rosenstiel P, Dierking K, Schulenburg H. The effects of nested miRNAs and their host genes on immune defense against Bacillus thuringiensis infection in Caenorhabditis elegans. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 123:104144. [PMID: 34051205 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA-molecules that influence translation by binding to the target gene mRNA. Many miRNAs are found in nested arrangements within larger protein-coding host genes. miRNAs and host genes in a nested arrangement are often transcribed simultaneously, which may indicate that both have similar functions. miRNAs have been implicated in regulating defense responses against pathogen infection in C. elegans and in mammals. Here, we asked if miRNAs in nested arrangements and their host genes are involved in the C. elegans response against infection with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). We performed miRNA sequencing and subsequently focused on four nested miRNA-host gene arrangements for a functional genetic analysis. We identified mir-58.1 and mir-2 as negative regulators of C. elegans resistance to Bt infection. However, we did not find any miRNA/host gene pair in which both contribute to defense against Bt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Zárate-Potes
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bentje Andresen
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Rania Nakad
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Haase
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philip Rosenstiel
- Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Dierking
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306, Ploen, Germany.
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10
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Mukherjee S, Paricio N, Sokol NS. A stress-responsive miRNA regulates BMP signaling to maintain tissue homeostasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022583118. [PMID: 34016750 PMCID: PMC8166057 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022583118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult organisms must sense and adapt to environmental fluctuations. In high-turnover tissues such as the intestine, these adaptive responses require rapid changes in gene expression that, in turn, likely involve posttranscriptional gene control. However, intestinal-tissue-specific microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulatory pathways remain unexplored. Here, we report the role of an intestinal-specific miRNA, miR-958, that non-cell autonomously regulates stem cell numbers during tissue homeostasis and regeneration in the Drosophila adult midgut. We identify its downstream target cabut, the Drosophila ortholog of mammalian KLF10/11 transcription factors, which mediates this miR-958 function by promoting paracrine enterocyte-to-stem-cell bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. We also show that mature miR-958 levels transiently decrease in response to stress and that this decrease is required for proper stem cell expansion during tissue regeneration. In summary, we have identified a posttranscriptional mechanism that modulates BMP signaling activity within Drosophila adult intestinal tissue during both normal homeostasis and tissue regeneration to regulate intestinal stem cell numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nuria Paricio
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencies Biológicas and Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjasot, Spain
| | - Nicholas S Sokol
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405;
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11
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Yu D, Peng Z, Wu H, Zhang X, Ji C, Peng X. Stress responses in expressions of microRNAs in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to cadmium. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 212:111927. [PMID: 33508712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.111927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to have complicated functions in aquatic species, but little is known about the role of miRNAs in mollusk species under environmental stress. In this study, we performed small RNA sequencing to characterize the differentially expressed miRNAs in different tissues (whole tissues, digestive glands, gills, and gonads) of blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) exposed to cadmium (Cd). In summary, 107 known miRNAs and 32 novel miRNAs were significantly (p < 0.01) differentially expressed after Cd exposure. The peak size of miRNAs was 22 nucleotides. Target genes of these differentially expressions of miRNAs related to immune defense, apoptosis, lipid and xenobiotic metabolism showed significant changes under Cd stress. These findings provide the first characterization of miRNAs in mussel M. galloprovincialis and expressions of many target genes in response to Cd stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deliang Yu
- Center for Biomedical Optics and Photonics (CBOP) & College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, PR China; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Zheng Peng
- Center for Biomedical Optics and Photonics (CBOP) & College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China
| | - Huifeng Wu
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, PR China; CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), YICCAS, Yantai 264003, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China.
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- AstraZeneca-Shenzhen University Joint Institute of Nephrology, Department of Physiology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China
| | - Chenglong Ji
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, PR China; CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), YICCAS, Yantai 264003, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China
| | - Xiao Peng
- Center for Biomedical Optics and Photonics (CBOP) & College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China.
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12
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Kinser HE, Mosley MC, Plutzer IB, Pincus Z. Global, cell non-autonomous gene regulation drives individual lifespan among isogenic C. elegans. eLife 2021; 10:e65026. [PMID: 33522488 PMCID: PMC7864635 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65026] [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: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Across species, lifespan is highly variable among individuals within a population. Even genetically identical Caenorhabditis elegans reared in homogeneous environments are as variable in lifespan as outbred human populations. We hypothesized that persistent inter-individual differences in expression of key regulatory genes drives this lifespan variability. As a test, we examined the relationship between future lifespan and the expression of 22 microRNA promoter::GFP constructs. Surprisingly, expression of nearly half of these reporters, well before death, could effectively predict lifespan. This indicates that prospectively long- vs. short-lived individuals have highly divergent patterns of transgene expression and transcriptional regulation. The gene-regulatory processes reported on by two of the most lifespan-predictive transgenes do not require DAF-16, the FOXO transcription factor that is a principal effector of insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) signaling. Last, we demonstrate a hierarchy of redundancy in lifespan-predictive ability among three transgenes expressed in distinct tissues, suggesting that they collectively report on an organism-wide, cell non-autonomous process that acts to set each individual's lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly E Kinser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Developmental Biology and Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Matthew C Mosley
- Department of Developmental Biology and Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Program in Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell Biology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Isaac B Plutzer
- Department of Developmental Biology and Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Zachary Pincus
- Department of Developmental Biology and Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
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13
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Abstract
A diversity of gene regulatory mechanisms drives the changes in gene expression required for animal development. Here, we discuss the developmental roles of a class of gene regulatory factors composed of a core protein subunit of the Argonaute family and a 21-26-nucleotide RNA cofactor. These represent ancient regulatory complexes, originally evolved to repress genomic parasites such as transposons, viruses and retroviruses. However, over the course of evolution, small RNA-guided pathways have expanded and diversified, and they play multiple roles across all eukaryotes. Pertinent to this review, Argonaute and small RNA-mediated regulation has acquired numerous functions that affect all aspects of animal life. The regulatory function is provided by the Argonaute protein and its interactors, while the small RNA provides target specificity, guiding the Argonaute to a complementary RNA. C. elegans has 19 different, functional Argonautes, defining distinct yet interconnected pathways. Each Argonaute binds a relatively well-defined class of small RNA with distinct molecular properties. A broad classification of animal small RNA pathways distinguishes between two groups: (i) the microRNA pathway is involved in repressing relatively specific endogenous genes and (ii) the other small RNA pathways, which effectively act as a genomic immune system to primarily repress expression of foreign or "non-self" RNA while maintaining correct endogenous gene expression. microRNAs play prominent direct roles in all developmental stages, adult physiology and lifespan. The other small RNA pathways act primarily in the germline, but their impact extends far beyond, into embryogenesis and adult physiology, and even to subsequent generations. Here, we review the mechanisms and developmental functions of the diverse small RNA pathways of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luisa Cochella
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Liang S, Duan J, Hu H, Zhang J, Gao S, Jing H, Li G, Sun Z. Comprehensive Analysis of SiNPs on the Genome-Wide Transcriptional Changes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:5227-5237. [PMID: 32801688 PMCID: PMC7399461 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s251269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Large-scale production and application of amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have enhanced the risk of human exposure to SiNPs. However, the toxic effects and the underlying biological mechanisms of SiNPs on Caenorhabditis elegans remain largely unclear. Purpose This study was to investigate the genome-wide transcriptional alteration of SiNPs on C. elegans. Methods and Results In this study, a total number of 3105 differentially expressed genes were identified in C. elegans. Among them, 1398 genes were significantly upregulated and 1707 genes were notably downregulated in C. elegans. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the significant change of gene functional categories triggered by SiNPs was focused on locomotion, determination of adult lifespan, reproduction, body morphogenesis, multicellular organism development, endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response, oocyte development, and nematode larval development. Meanwhile, we explored the regulated effects between microRNA and genes or signaling pathways. Pathway enrichment analysis and miRNA-gene-pathway-network displayed that 23 differential expression microRNA including cel-miR-85-3p, cel-miR-793, cel-miR-241-5p, and cel-miR-5549-5p could regulate the longevity-related pathways and inflammation signaling pathways, etc. Additionally, our data confirmed that SiNPs could disrupt the locomotion behavior and reduce the longevity by activating ins-7, daf-16, ftt-2, fat-5, and rho-1 genes in C. elegans. Conclusion Our study showed that SiNPs induced the change of the whole transcriptome in C. elegans, and triggered negative effects on longevity, development, reproduction, and body morphogenesis. These data provide abundant clues to understand the molecular mechanisms of SiNPs in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Liang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China
| | - Junchao Duan
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China
| | - Hejing Hu
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Center of Preventive Medicine Research, Beijing 100013, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiming Jing
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Center of Preventive Medicine Research, Beijing 100013, People's Republic of China
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Center of Preventive Medicine Research, Beijing 100013, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Sun
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, People's Republic of China
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15
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Das S, Ooi FK, Cruz Corchado J, Fuller LC, Weiner JA, Prahlad V. Serotonin signaling by maternal neurons upon stress ensures progeny survival. eLife 2020; 9:e55246. [PMID: 32324136 PMCID: PMC7237211 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cells are vulnerable to stress. Therefore, how organisms protect their future progeny from damage in a fluctuating environment is a fundamental question in biology. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans, serotonin released by maternal neurons during stress ensures the viability and stress resilience of future offspring. Serotonin acts through a signal transduction pathway conserved between C. elegans and mammalian cells to enable the transcription factor HSF1 to alter chromatin in soon-to-be fertilized germ cells by recruiting the histone chaperone FACT, displacing histones, and initiating protective gene expression. Without serotonin release by maternal neurons, FACT is not recruited by HSF1 in germ cells, transcription occurs but is delayed, and progeny of stressed C. elegans mothers fail to complete development. These studies uncover a novel mechanism by which stress sensing by neurons is coupled to transcription response times of germ cells to protect future offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijit Das
- Department of Biology, Aging Mind and Brain InitiativeIowa CityUnited States
| | - Felicia K Ooi
- Department of Biology, Aging Mind and Brain InitiativeIowa CityUnited States
| | | | | | - Joshua A Weiner
- Department of BiologyIowa CityUnited States
- Iowa Neuroscience InstituteIowa CityUnited States
| | - Veena Prahlad
- Department of Biology, Aging Mind and Brain InitiativeIowa CityUnited States
- Department of BiologyIowa CityUnited States
- Iowa Neuroscience InstituteIowa CityUnited States
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16
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Jasmer DP, Rosa BA, Tyagi R, Mitreva M. Omics Driven Understanding of the Intestines of Parasitic Nematodes. Front Genet 2019; 10:652. [PMID: 31402928 PMCID: PMC6669237 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological and molecular complexity of nematodes has impeded research on development of new therapies for treatment and control. We have focused on the versatility of the nematode intestine as a target for new therapies. To that end, it is desirable to establish a broad and deep understanding of the molecular architecture underlying intestinal cell functions at the pan-Nematoda level. Multiomics data were generated to uncover the evolutionary principles underlying both conserved and adaptable features of the nematode intestine. Whole genomes were used to reveal the functional potential of the nematodes, tissue-specific transcriptomes provided a deep assessment of genes that are expressed in the adult nematode intestine, and comparison of selected core species was used to determine a first approximation of the pan-Nematoda intestinal transcriptome. Differentially expressed transcripts were also identified among intestinal regions, with the largest number expressed at significantly higher levels in the anterior region, identifying this region as the most functionally unique compared to middle and posterior regions. Profiling intestinal miRNAs targeting these genes identified the conserved intestinal miRNAs. Proteomics of intestinal cell compartments assigned proteins to several different intestinal cell compartments (intestinal tissue, the integral and peripheral intestinal membranes, and the intestinal lumen). Finally, advanced bioinformatic approaches were used to predict intestinal cell functional categories of seminal importance to parasite survival, which can now be experimentally tested and validated. The data provide the most comprehensive compilation of constitutively and differentially expressed genes, predicted gene regulators, and proteins of the nematode intestine. The information provides knowledge that is essential to understand molecular features of nematode intestinal cells and functions of fundamental importance to the intestine of many, if not all, parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas P Jasmer
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Bruce A Rosa
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, St. Louis, MI, United States
| | - Rahul Tyagi
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, St. Louis, MI, United States
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, St. Louis, MI, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MI, United States
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17
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Tarkhov AE, Alla R, Ayyadevara S, Pyatnitskiy M, Menshikov LI, Shmookler Reis RJ, Fedichev PO. A universal transcriptomic signature of age reveals the temporal scaling of Caenorhabditis elegans aging trajectories. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7368. [PMID: 31089188 PMCID: PMC6517414 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43075-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We collected 60 age-dependent transcriptomes for C. elegans strains including four exceptionally long-lived mutants (mean adult lifespan extended 2.2- to 9.4-fold) and three examples of lifespan-increasing RNAi treatments. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals aging as a transcriptomic drift along a single direction, consistent across the vastly diverse biological conditions and coinciding with the first principal component, a hallmark of the criticality of the underlying gene regulatory network. We therefore expected that the organism's aging state could be characterized by a single number closely related to vitality deficit or biological age. The "aging trajectory", i.e. the dependence of the biological age on chronological age, is then a universal stochastic function modulated by the network stiffness; a macroscopic parameter reflecting the network topology and associated with the rate of aging. To corroborate this view, we used publicly available datasets to define a transcriptomic biomarker of age and observed that the rescaling of age by lifespan simultaneously brings together aging trajectories of transcription and survival curves. In accordance with the theoretical prediction, the limiting mortality value at the plateau agrees closely with the mortality rate doubling exponent estimated at the cross-over age near the average lifespan. Finally, we used the transcriptomic signature of age to identify possible life-extending drug compounds and successfully tested a handful of the top-ranking molecules in C. elegans survival assays and achieved up to a +30% extension of mean lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei E Tarkhov
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia.
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, Bolshoy Boulevard 30, bld. 1, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
| | - Ramani Alla
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Srinivas Ayyadevara
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Mikhail Pyatnitskiy
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 119121, Moscow, Russia
| | - Leonid I Menshikov
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 1, Akademika Kurchatova pl., Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Robert J Shmookler Reis
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Research Service, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Geriatrics, Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Peter O Fedichev
- Gero LLC, Nizhny Susalny per. 5/4, Moscow, 105064, Russia.
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Institutskii per. 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia.
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18
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Recent Molecular Genetic Explorations of Caenorhabditis elegans MicroRNAs. Genetics 2018; 209:651-673. [PMID: 29967059 PMCID: PMC6028246 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.300291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in essentially all aspects of Caenorhabditis elegans biology. More than 140 genes that encode microRNAs in C. elegans regulate development, behavior, metabolism, and responses to physiological and environmental changes. Genetic analysis of C. elegans microRNA genes continues to enhance our fundamental understanding of how microRNAs are integrated into broader gene regulatory networks to control diverse biological processes, including growth, cell division, cell fate determination, behavior, longevity, and stress responses. As many of these microRNA sequences and the related processing machinery are conserved over nearly a billion years of animal phylogeny, the assignment of their functions via worm genetics may inform the functions of their orthologs in other animals, including humans. In vivo investigations are especially important for microRNAs because in silico extrapolation of their functions using mRNA target prediction programs can easily assign microRNAs to incorrect genetic pathways. At this mezzanine level of microRNA bioinformatic sophistication, genetic analysis continues to be the gold standard for pathway assignments.
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19
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Jiang W, Wei Y, Long Y, Owen A, Wang B, Wu X, Luo S, Dang Y, Ma DK. A genetic program mediates cold-warming response and promotes stress-induced phenoptosis in C. elegans. eLife 2018; 7:35037. [PMID: 29664006 PMCID: PMC5903861 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
How multicellular organisms respond to and are impacted by severe hypothermic stress is largely unknown. From C. elegans screens for mutants abnormally responding to cold-warming stimuli, we identify a molecular genetic pathway comprising ISY-1, a conserved uncharacterized protein, and ZIP-10, a bZIP-type transcription factor. ISY-1 gatekeeps the ZIP-10 transcriptional program by regulating the microRNA mir-60. Downstream of ISY-1 and mir-60, zip-10 levels rapidly and specifically increase upon transient cold-warming exposure. Prolonged zip-10 up-regulation induces several protease-encoding genes and promotes stress-induced organismic death, or phenoptosis, of C. elegans. zip-10 deficiency confers enhanced resistance to prolonged cold-warming stress, more prominently in adults than larvae. We conclude that the ZIP-10 genetic program mediates cold-warming response and may have evolved to promote wild-population kin selection under resource-limiting and thermal stress conditions. Life on earth faces constant changes in temperature. Most warm-blooded animals like humans can maintain a fairly stable body temperature, but cold-blooded animals can experience drastic shifts in body temperature. For example, the body temperature of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans can vary greatly depending on its surroundings. This species has evolved an exquisite set of temperature-sensing machineries that can react even to subtle fluctuations, which enables the worm to adjust its behaviour. However, drastic shifts in temperature can cause significant changes within the organism. Transient exposure to heat can activate genes that help cells to repair damaged proteins, while cold shock can influence the production of proteins in the cell. Although C. elegans can tolerate short periods of stress, an extended exposure to extreme temperatures can kill the worm. Until now, it was not known how C. elegans responds to cold shock followed by warmer temperatures, also referred to as cold-warming. To address this question, Jiang et al. created random mutations in C. elegans and isolated the worms that responded to cold-warming differently. The results revealed a molecular pathway that turns on genes in response to cold-warming. Jiang et al. found that two genes and their proteins, ISY-1 and ZIP-10, control which other genes are switched on or off in response to this temperature change. When the worms were exposed to cold-warming over a long period, the pathway remained active and many of the worms died, in particular older animals. These findings suggest that this genetic program might have evolved to help younger animals survive better when stress conditions are high and food resources limited. More work is needed to explore this new pathway and its implication in the heat-cold shock mechanisms. The affected genes are often the same across different organisms and can therefore be engineered to benefit research and medical applications in unexpected ways. For example, patients suffering a heart attack or brain injury are exposed to colder temperature to prevent the risk of tissue injuries once the blood flow goes back to normal. Therefore, the findings of this study may help us to understand how human cells respond to and are protected by low temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jiang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, The Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Yuehua Wei
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Yong Long
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Arthur Owen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Bingying Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Xuebing Wu
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Shuo Luo
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Yongjun Dang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, The Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dengke K Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
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20
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Guo H, Lu ZC, Zhu XW, Zhu CH, Wang CG, Shen YC, Wang W. Differential expression of microRNAs in hemocytes from white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei under copper stress. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 74:152-161. [PMID: 29305331 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate diverse cellular processes, including organismal stress response, through posttranscriptional repression of gene transcripts. They are known to have antiviral functions in aquatic crustacean species, but little is known about the role of miRNAs against environmental stress caused by Cu, a common chemical contaminant in aquatic environment. We performed small RNA sequencing to characterize the differentially expressed microRNAs in Cu exposed shrimp. A total of 4524 known miRNAs and 73 novel miRNAs were significantly (P < .05) differentially expressed after Cu exposure. The peak size of miRNAs was 22 nt. Among them, 218 miRNAs were conserved across 115 species. The validation of 12 miRNAs by stem-loop quantitative RT-PCR were found to be coherent with the expression profile of deep sequencing data as evaluated with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = 0.707). Target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs related to immune defense, apoptosis, and xenobiotics metabolism also showed significant changes in expression under Cu stress. The present study provides the first characterization of L. vannamei miRNAs and some target genes expression in response to Cu stress, and the findings support the hypothesis that certain miRNAs along with their target genes might be essential in the intricate adaptive response regulation networks. Our current study will provide valuable information to take an insight into molecular mechanism of L. vannamei against environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Cheng Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Wen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Hua Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Gui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Chun Shen
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Aquaculture Environment of Zhanjiang, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Functional Characterization of Novel Circular RNA Molecule, circzip-2 and Its Synthesizing Gene zip-2 in C. elegans Model of Parkinson’s Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:6914-6926. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0903-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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