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Catalano F, O’Brien TJ, Mekhova AA, Sepe LV, Elia M, De Cegli R, Gallotta I, Santonicola P, Zampi G, Ilyechova EY, Romanov AA, Samuseva PD, Salzano J, Petruzzelli R, Polishchuk EV, Indrieri A, Kim BE, Brown AEX, Puchkova LV, Di Schiavi E, Polishchuk RS. A new Caenorhabditis elegans model to study copper toxicity in Wilson disease. Traffic 2024; 25:e12920. [PMID: 37886910 PMCID: PMC10841361 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12920] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Wilson disease (WD) is caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene that encodes a copper (Cu) transporting ATPase whose trafficking from the Golgi to endo-lysosomal compartments drives sequestration of excess Cu and its further excretion from hepatocytes into the bile. Loss of ATP7B function leads to toxic Cu overload in the liver and subsequently in the brain, causing fatal hepatic and neurological abnormalities. The limitations of existing WD therapies call for the development of new therapeutic approaches, which require an amenable animal model system for screening and validation of drugs and molecular targets. To achieve this objective, we generated a mutant Caenorhabditis elegans strain with a substitution of a conserved histidine (H828Q) in the ATP7B ortholog cua-1 corresponding to the most common ATP7B variant (H1069Q) that causes WD. cua-1 mutant animals exhibited very poor resistance to Cu compared to the wild-type strain. This manifested in a strong delay in larval development, a shorter lifespan, impaired motility, oxidative stress pathway activation, and mitochondrial damage. In addition, morphological analysis revealed several neuronal abnormalities in cua-1 mutant animals exposed to Cu. Further investigation suggested that mutant CUA-1 is retained and degraded in the endoplasmic reticulum, similarly to human ATP7B-H1069Q. As a consequence, the mutant protein does not allow animals to counteract Cu toxicity. Notably, pharmacological correctors of ATP7B-H1069Q reduced Cu toxicity in cua-1 mutants indicating that similar pathogenic molecular pathways might be activated by the H/Q substitution and, therefore, targeted for rescue of ATP7B/CUA-1 function. Taken together, our findings suggest that the newly generated cua-1 mutant strain represents an excellent model for Cu toxicity studies in WD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Catalano
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Thomas J O’Brien
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aleksandra A Mekhova
- Research center of advanced functional materials and laser communication systems, ADTS Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Rossella De Cegli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Ivan Gallotta
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics Adriano Buzzati-Traverso (IGB-ABT), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Pamela Santonicola
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Zampi
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Ekaterina Y Ilyechova
- Research center of advanced functional materials and laser communication systems, ADTS Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Research Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksei A Romanov
- Department of applied mathematics, Institute of applied mathematics and mechanics, Peter the Great Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Polina D Samuseva
- Research center of advanced functional materials and laser communication systems, ADTS Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Josephine Salzano
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Raffaella Petruzzelli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM, School of Advanced Studies), Genomics and Experimental Medicine program, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Elena V. Polishchuk
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessia Indrieri
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Byung-Eun Kim
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - André EX Brown
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ludmila V Puchkova
- Research center of advanced functional materials and laser communication systems, ADTS Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elia Di Schiavi
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics Adriano Buzzati-Traverso (IGB-ABT), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy
| | - Roman S. Polishchuk
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
- Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
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Tekin S, Akgün EE, Ömür AD. A neuroscience-based approach to the assessment of sexual behavior in animals. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1136332. [PMID: 37082135 PMCID: PMC10110897 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1136332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual behavior in animals is important in ensuring the continuity of the generation. These behaviors differ in animal species. Sexual behaviors are shaped under the control of the reproductive system. Physiological stimuli produced by the reproductive system find their counterparts in the organism as reproductive activity. Reproductive activity display a critical role by transferring on the genetic heritage of organisms to the next generations. This activity, which is built on delicate balances, is associated with many systems in the organism. Nervous system, hormonal system, and circulatory system are the main ones. The regular formation of the reproductive activity in species is due to the effect of various factors. In domestic mammals, the reproductive activity is regulated by hormones secreted from brain and endocrine glands. Many hormones have duties in terms of the sustainability of reproductive activity. GnRH is the main hormone responsible for initiating this reproductive activity. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is a small molecule peptide from certain nerve cells in the nucleus infundibularis region of the hypothalamus and consists of different amino acids, is secreted under the influence of smell, temperature, light, and physical stimulation. Besides, GnRH release is controlled by various neurotransmitters (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin). On the other hand, various genetic factors in secretory glands, gonadal cells, reproductive tissues can lead to significant changes on reproductive activity through specific molecular pathways and mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samet Tekin
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
| | - Elif Ece Akgün
- Department of Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
- *Correspondence: Elif Ece Akgün
| | - Ali Doğan Ömür
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
- Ali Doğan Ömür
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Di Schiavi E, Vistoli G, Moretti RM, Corrado I, Zuccarini G, Gervasoni S, Casati L, Bottai D, Merlo GR, Maggi R. Anosmin-1-Like Effect of UMODL1/Olfactorin on the Chemomigration of Mouse GnRH Neurons and Zebrafish Olfactory Axons Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:836179. [PMID: 35223856 PMCID: PMC8874799 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.836179] [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: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The impairment of development/migration of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is the main cause of Kallmann's syndrome (KS), an inherited disorder characterized by hypogonadism, anosmia, and other developmental defects. Olfactorin is an extracellular matrix protein encoded by the UMODL1 (uromodulin-like 1) gene expressed in the mouse olfactory region along the migratory route of GnRH neurons. It shares a combination of WAP and FNIII repeats, expressed in complementary domains, with anosmin-1, the product of the ANOS1 gene, identified as the causative of KS. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of olfactorin in vitro and in vivo models. The results show that olfactorin exerts an anosmin-1-like strong chemoattractant effect on mouse-immortalized GnRH neurons (GN11 cells) through the activation of the FGFR and MAPK pathways. In silico analysis of olfactorin and anosmin-1 reveals a satisfactory similarity at the N-terminal region for the overall arrangement of corresponding WAP and FNIII domains and marked similarities between WAP domains’ binding modes of interaction with the resolved FGFR1–FGF2 complex. Finally, in vivo experiments show that the down-modulation of the zebrafish z-umodl1 gene (orthologous of UMODL1) in both GnRH3:GFP and omp2k:gap-CFPrw034 transgenic zebrafish strains leads to a clear disorganization and altered fasciculation of the neurites of GnRH3:GFP neurons crossing at the anterior commissure and a significant increase in olfactory CFP + fibers with altered trajectory. Thus, our study shows olfactorin as an additional factor involved in the development of olfactory and GnRH systems and proposes UMODL1 as a gene worthy of diagnostic investigation in KS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Di Schiavi
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy
| | - Giulio Vistoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences DISFARM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Manuela Moretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences DISFEB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Ilaria Corrado
- Department Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Zuccarini
- Department Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Silvia Gervasoni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences DISFARM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Lavinia Casati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences DISFARM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniele Bottai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences DISFARM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Roberto Merlo
- Department Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Roberto Maggi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences DISFARM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- *Correspondence: Roberto Maggi,
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Mazzarella N, Giangrieco I, Visone S, Santonicola P, Achenbach J, Zampi G, Tamburrini M, Di Schiavi E, Ciardiello MA. Green kiwifruit extracts protect motor neurons from death in a spinal muscular atrophy model in Caenorhabditis elegans. Food Sci Nutr 2019; 7:2327-2335. [PMID: 31367361 PMCID: PMC6657744 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Kiwifruit is considered a functional food and a good source of nutraceuticals. Among the possible beneficial effects of kiwifruit species, a neuroprotective activity exerted in rats with learning and memory impairment induced by exposure to different chemicals was reported. We sought to investigate the neuroprotective activities of kiwifruit toward spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). To this purpose, we have used a recently developed Caenorhabditis elegans SMA model, displaying an age-dependent degeneration of motor neurons detected as locomotory defects, disappearance of fluorescent markers, and apoptotic death of targeted neurons. Although an anti-nematode activity is reported for kiwifruit, it has been verified that neither green (Actinidia deliciosa, cultivar Hayward) nor gold (Actinidia chinensis, cultivar Hort 16A) kiwifruit extracts cause detectable effects on wild-type C. elegans growth and life cycle. Conversely, green kiwifruit extracts have a clear effect on the C. elegans SMA model by partially rescuing the degeneration and death of motor neurons and the locomotion impairment. The gold species does not show the same effect. The components responsible for the neuroprotection are macromolecules with a molecular weight higher than 3 kDa, present in the green and not in the yellow kiwifruit. In conclusion, this is the first study reporting a protective activity of green kiwifruit toward motor neurons. In addition, we demonstrate that C. elegans is an animal model suitable to study the biological activities contained in kiwifruit. Therefore, this model can be exploited for future investigations aimed at identifying kiwifruit molecules with potential applications in the field of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Serena Visone
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResourcesCNRNaplesItaly
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de Castro F, Seal R, Maggi R. ANOS1: a unified nomenclature for Kallmann syndrome 1 gene (KAL1) and anosmin-1. Brief Funct Genomics 2018; 16:205-210. [PMID: 27899353 PMCID: PMC5860151 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elw037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is accepted that confusion regarding the description of genetic variants occurs when researchers do not use standard nomenclature. The Human Genome Organization Gene Nomenclature Committee contacted a panel of consultants, all working on the KAL1 gene, to propose an update of the nomenclature of the gene, as there was a convention in the literature of using the ‘KAL1’ symbol, when referring to the gene, but using the name ‘anosmin-1’ when referring to the protein. The new name, ANOS1, reflects protein name and is more transferrable across species.
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Neben CL, Lo M, Jura N, Klein OD. Feedback regulation of RTK signaling in development. Dev Biol 2017; 447:71-89. [PMID: 29079424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Precise regulation of the amplitude and duration of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is critical for the execution of cellular programs and behaviors. Understanding these control mechanisms has important implications for the field of developmental biology, and in recent years, the question of how augmentation or attenuation of RTK signaling via feedback loops modulates development has become of increasing interest. RTK feedback regulation is also important for human disease research; for example, germline mutations in genes that encode RTK signaling pathway components cause numerous human congenital syndromes, and somatic alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancers. In this review, we survey regulators of RTK signaling that tune receptor activity and intracellular transduction cascades, with a focus on the roles of these genes in the developing embryo. We detail the diverse inhibitory mechanisms utilized by negative feedback regulators that, when lost or perturbed, lead to aberrant increases in RTK signaling. We also discuss recent biochemical and genetic insights into positive regulators of RTK signaling and how these proteins function in tandem with negative regulators to guide embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Neben
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA
| | - Megan Lo
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Natalia Jura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco 94143, USA.
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7
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Chen J, Lin M, Hrabovsky A, Pedrosa E, Dean J, Jain S, Zheng D, Lachman HM. ZNF804A Transcriptional Networks in Differentiating Neurons Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells of Human Origin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124597. [PMID: 25905630 PMCID: PMC4408091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
ZNF804A (Zinc Finger Protein 804A) has been identified as a candidate gene for schizophrenia (SZ), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and bipolar disorder (BD) in replicated genome wide association studies (GWAS) and by copy number variation (CNV) analysis. Although its function has not been well-characterized, ZNF804A contains a C2H2-type zinc-finger domain, suggesting that it has DNA binding properties, and consequently, a role in regulating gene expression. To further explore the role of ZNF804A on gene expression and its downstream targets, we used a gene knockdown (KD) approach to reduce its expression in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). KD was accomplished by RNA interference (RNAi) using lentiviral particles containing shRNAs that target ZNF804A mRNA. Stable transduced NPC lines were generated after puromycin selection. A control cell line expressing a random (scrambled) shRNA was also generated. Neuronal differentiation was induced, RNA was harvested after 14 days and transcriptome analysis was carried out using RNA-seq. 1815 genes were found to be differentially expressed at a nominally significant level (p<0.05); 809 decreased in expression in the KD samples, while 1106 increased. Of these, 370 achieved genome wide significance (FDR<0.05); 125 were lower in the KD samples, 245 were higher. Pathway analysis showed that genes involved in interferon-signaling were enriched among those that were down-regulated in the KD samples. Correspondingly, ZNF804A KD was found to affect interferon-alpha 2 (IFNA2)-mediated gene expression. The findings suggest that ZNF804A may affect a differentiating neuron’s response to inflammatory cytokines, which is consistent with models of SZ and ASD that support a role for infectious disease, and/or autoimmunity in a subgroup of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Mingyan Lin
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Anastasia Hrabovsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Erika Pedrosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jason Dean
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Swati Jain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (HML)
| | - Herbert M. Lachman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (HML)
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Venero Galanternik M, Kramer KL, Piotrowski T. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Regulate Fgf Signaling and Cell Polarity during Collective Cell Migration. Cell Rep 2015; 10:414-428. [PMID: 25600875 PMCID: PMC4531098 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective cell migration is a highly regulated morphogenetic movement during embryonic development and cancer invasion that involves the precise orchestration and integration of cell-autonomous mechanisms and environmental signals. Coordinated lateral line primordium migration is controlled by the regulation of chemokine receptors via compartmentalized Wnt/β-catenin and fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling. Analysis of mutations in two exostosin glycosyltransferase genes (extl3 and ext2) revealed that loss of heparan sulfate (HS) chains results in a failure of collective cell migration due to enhanced Fgf ligand diffusion and loss of Fgf signal transduction. Consequently, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated ectopically, resulting in the subsequent loss of the chemokine receptor cxcr7b. Disruption of HS proteoglycan (HSPG) function induces extensive, random filopodia formation, demonstrating that HSPGs are involved in maintaining cell polarity in collectively migrating cells. The HSPGs themselves are regulated by the Wnt/β-catenin and Fgf pathways and thus are integral components of the regulatory network that coordinates collective cell migration with organ specification and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Venero Galanternik
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Kenneth L Kramer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Tatjana Piotrowski
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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