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Liguori F, Alberti F, Amadio S, Angelini DF, Pilesi E, Vitale G, Tesoriere G, Borsellino G, Vernì F, Volonté C. Pan-neuronal expression of human mutant SOD1 in Drosophila impairs survival and motor performance, induces early neuroinflammation and chromosome aberrations. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167192. [PMID: 38657911 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167192] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Several mutations in the SOD1 gene encoding for the antioxidant enzyme Superoxide Dismutase 1, are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare and devastating disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration and patients' death within 2-5 years from diagnosis. Motor neuron loss and related symptomatology manifest mostly in adult life and, to date, there is still a gap of knowledge on the precise cellular and molecular events preceding neurodegeneration. To deepen our awareness of the early phases of the disease, we leveraged two Drosophila melanogaster models pan-neuronally expressing either the mutation A4V or G85R of the human gene SOD1 (hSOD1A4V or hSOD1G85R). We demonstrate that pan-neuronal expression of the hSOD1A4V or hSOD1G85R pathogenic construct impairs survival and motor performance in transgenic flies. Moreover, protein and transcript analysis on fly heads indicates that mutant hSOD1 induction stimulates the glial marker Repo, up-regulates the IMD/Toll immune pathways through antimicrobial peptides and interferes with oxidative metabolism. Finally, cytological analysis of larval brains demonstrates hSOD1-induced chromosome aberrations. Of note, these parameters are found modulated in a timeframe when neurodegeneration is not detected. The novelty of our work is twofold: we have expressed for the first time hSOD1 mutations in all neurons of Drosophila and confirmed some ALS-related pathological phenotypes in these flies, confirming the power of SOD1 mutations in generating ALS-like phenotypes. Moreover, we have related SOD1 pathogenesis to chromosome aberrations and antimicrobial peptides up-regulation. These findings were unexplored in the SOD1-ALS field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy; Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science "Antonio Ruberti" (IASI), National Research Council (CNR), Via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Alberti
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Amadio
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Francesca Angelini
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Pilesi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitale
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Tesoriere
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Borsellino
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Fiammetta Vernì
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Experimental Neuroscience and Neurological Disease Models, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy; Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science "Antonio Ruberti" (IASI), National Research Council (CNR), Via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Zhang J, Shan J, Shi W, Feng T, Sheng Y, Xu Z, Dong Z, Huang J, Chen J. Transcriptomic Insights into Host Metabolism and Immunity Changes after Parasitization by Leptopilina myrica. INSECTS 2024; 15:352. [PMID: 38786908 PMCID: PMC11122121 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Parasitoids commonly manipulate their host's metabolism and immunity to facilitate their offspring survival, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we deconstructed the manipulation strategy of a newly discovered parasitoid wasp, L. myrica, which parasitizes D. melanogaster. Using RNA-seq, we analyzed transcriptomes of L. myrica-parasitized and non-parasitized Drosophila host larvae. A total of 22.29 Gb and 23.85 Gb of clean reads were obtained from the two samples, respectively, and differential expression analysis identified 445 DEGs. Of them, 304 genes were upregulated and 141 genes were downregulated in parasitized hosts compared with non-parasitized larvae. Based on the functional annotations in the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, we found that the genes involved in host nutrition metabolism were significantly upregulated, particularly in carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. We also identified 30 other metabolism-related DEGs, including hexokinase, fatty acid synthase, and UDP-glycosyltransferase (Ugt) genes. We observed that five Bomanin genes (Boms) and six antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were upregulated. Moreover, a qRT-PCR analysis of 12 randomly selected DEGs confirmed the reproducibility and accuracy of the RNA-seq data. Our results provide a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of how L. myrica manipulates its host, laying a solid foundation for studies on the regulatory mechanisms employed by parasitoid wasps in their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Zhang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jieyu Shan
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wenqi Shi
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ting Feng
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yifeng Sheng
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zixuan Xu
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhi Dong
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianhua Huang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiani Chen
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (J.Z.); (J.S.); (W.S.); (T.F.); (Y.S.); (Z.X.); (Z.D.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Vernì F. Vitamin B6 and diabetes and its role in counteracting advanced glycation end products. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2024; 125:401-438. [PMID: 38997171 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Naturally occurring forms of vitamin B6 include six interconvertible water-soluble compounds: pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL), pyridoxamine (PM), and their respective monophosphorylated derivatives (PNP, PLP, and PMP). PLP is the catalytically active form which works as a cofactor in approximately 200 reactions that regulate the metabolism of glucose, lipids, amino acids, DNA, and neurotransmitters. Most of vitamers can counteract the formation of reactive oxygen species and the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) which are toxic compounds that accumulate in diabetic patients due to prolonged hyperglycemia. Vitamin B6 levels have been inversely associate with diabetes, while vitamin B6 supplementation reduces diabetes onset and its vascular complications. The mechanisms at the basis of the relation between vitamin B6 and diabetes onset are still not completely clarified. In contrast more evidence indicates that vitamin B6 can protect from diabetes complications through its role as scavenger of AGEs. It has been demonstrated that in diabetes AGEs can destroy the functionality of macromolecules such as protein, lipids, and DNA, thus producing tissue damage that result in vascular diseases. AGEs can be in part also responsible for the increased cancer risk associated with diabetes. In this chapter the relationship between vitamin B6, diabetes and AGEs will be discussed by showing the acquired knowledge and questions that are still open.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Vernì
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Ulhaq ZS, Tse WKF. Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) induces oxidative stress and causes developmental toxicities in zebrafish embryos. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 457:131722. [PMID: 37263022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) is a short-chain perfluoroalkyl substance widely used to replace the banned perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in different industrial and household products. It has currently been identified in the environment and human bodies; nonetheless, the possible toxicities are not well-known. Zebrafish have been used as a toxicant screening model due to their fast and transparent developmental processes. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to PFHxS for five days, and various experiments were performed to monitor the developmental and cellular processes. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis confirmed that PFHxS was absorbed and accumulated in the zebrafish embryos. We reported that 2.5 µM or higher PFHxS exposure induced phenotypic abnormalities, marked by developmental delay in the mid-hind brain boundary and yolk sac edema. Additionally, larvae exposed to PFHxS displayed facial malformation due to the reduction of neural crest cell expression. RNA sequencing analysis further identified 4643 differentiated expressed transcripts in 5 µM PFHxS-exposed 5-days post fertilization (5-dpf) larvae. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, as well as oxidative stress were enriched in the PFHxS-exposed larvae. To validate these findings, a series of biological experiments were conducted. PFHxS exposure led to a nearly 4-fold increase in reactive oxygen species, possibly due to hyperglycemia and impaired glutathione balance. The Oil Red O' staining and qPCR analysis strengthens the notions that lipid metabolism was disrupted, leading to lipid accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and malondialdehyde formation. All these alterations ultimately affected cell cycle events, resulting in S and G2/M cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that PFHxS could accumulate and induce various developmental toxicities in aquatic life, and such data might assist the government to accelerate the regulatory policy on PFHxS usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulvikar Syambani Ulhaq
- Laboratory of Developmental Disorders and Toxicology, Center for Promotion of International Education and Research, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 8190395, Japan; Research Center for Pre-clinical and Clinical Medicine, National Research and Innovation Agency, Republic of Indonesia, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia
| | - William Ka Fai Tse
- Laboratory of Developmental Disorders and Toxicology, Center for Promotion of International Education and Research, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 8190395, Japan.
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Mascolo E, Liguori F, Merigliano C, Schiano L, Gnocchini E, Pilesi E, Volonté C, Di Salvo ML, Contestabile R, Tramonti A, Vernì F. Vitamin B6 rescues insulin resistance and glucose-induced DNA damage caused by reduced activity of Drosophila PI3K. J Cell Physiol 2022; 237:3578-3586. [PMID: 35678366 PMCID: PMC9545242 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The insulin signaling pathway controls cell growth and metabolism, thus its deregulation is associated with both cancer and diabetes. Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) contributes to the cascade of phosphorylation events occurring in the insulin pathway by activating the protein kinase B (PKB/AKT), which phosphorylates several substrates, including those involved in glucose uptake and storage. PI3K inactivating mutations are associated with insulin resistance while activating mutations are identified in human cancers. Here we show that RNAi‐induced depletion of the Drosophila PI3K catalytic subunit (Dp110) results in diabetic phenotypes such as hyperglycemia, body size reduction, and decreased glycogen content. Interestingly, we found that hyperglycemia produces chromosome aberrations (CABs) triggered by the accumulation of advanced glycation end‐products and reactive oxygen species. Rearing PI3KRNAi flies in a medium supplemented with pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (PLP; the catalytically active form of vitamin B6) rescues DNA damage while, in contrast, treating PI3KRNAi larvae with the PLP inhibitor 4‐deoxypyridoxine strongly enhances CAB frequency. Interestingly, PLP supplementation rescues also diabetic phenotypes. Taken together, our results provide a strong link between impaired PI3K activity and genomic instability, a crucial relationship that needs to be monitored not only in diabetes due to impaired insulin signaling but also in cancer therapies based on PI3K inhibitors. In addition, our findings confirm the notion that vitamin B6 is a good natural remedy to counteract insulin resistance and its complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Mascolo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Merigliano
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ludovica Schiano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Gnocchini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Pilesi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science "A. Ruberti", National Research Council (IASI-CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Martino L Di Salvo
- Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti and Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Contestabile
- Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti and Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Tramonti
- Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti and Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council (IBPM-CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Fiammetta Vernì
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Yamaguchi M, Yamamoto S. Role of Drosophila in Human Disease Research 2.0. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084203. [PMID: 35457020 PMCID: PMC9027098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Masamitsu Yamaguchi
- Kansai Gakken Laboratory, Kankyo Eisei Yakuhin Co., Ltd., 3-6-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto 619-0237, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-774-98-2130
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Liguori F, Mascolo E, Vernì F. The Genetics of Diabetes: What We Can Learn from Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011295. [PMID: 34681954 PMCID: PMC8541427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired insulin secretion and/or action. All diabetes types have a strong genetic component. The most frequent forms, type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), are multifactorial syndromes associated with several genes’ effects together with environmental factors. Conversely, rare forms, neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), are caused by mutations in single genes. Large scale genome screenings led to the identification of hundreds of putative causative genes for multigenic diabetes, but all the loci identified so far explain only a small proportion of heritability. Nevertheless, several recent studies allowed not only the identification of some genes as causative, but also as putative targets of new drugs. Although monogenic forms of diabetes are the most suited to perform a precision approach and allow an accurate diagnosis, at least 80% of all monogenic cases remain still undiagnosed. The knowledge acquired so far addresses the future work towards a study more focused on the identification of diabetes causal variants; this aim will be reached only by combining expertise from different areas. In this perspective, model organism research is crucial. This review traces an overview of the genetics of diabetes and mainly focuses on Drosophila as a model system, describing how flies can contribute to diabetes knowledge advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy;
| | - Elisa Mascolo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fiammetta Vernì
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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