Prostaglandin signaling in ciliogenesis during development

Crosstalk between the mTOR pathway and primary cilia in human diseases

Autophagy is a fundamental catabolic process whereby excessive or damaged cytoplasmic components are degraded through lysosomes to maintain cellular homeostasis. Studies of mTOR signaling have revealed that mTOR controls biomass generation and metabolism by modulating key cellular processes, including protein synthesis and autophagy. Primary cilia, the assembly of which depends on kinesin molecular motors, serve as sensory organelles and signaling platforms. Given these pathways' central role in maintaining cellular and physiological homeostasis, a connection between mTOR and primary cilia signaling is starting to emerge in a variety of diseases. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the complex crosstalk between the mTOR pathway and cilia and discuss its function in the context of related diseases.

Prostaglandin signaling in ciliogenesis and development

Prostaglandin (PG) signaling regulates a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes, including body temperature, cardiovascular homeostasis, reproduction, and inflammation. Recent studies have revealed that PGs play pivotal roles in embryo development, ciliogenesis, and organ formation. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its receptor EP4 modulate ciliogenesis by increasing the anterograde intraflagellar transport. Many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) including EP4 are localized in cilia for modulating cAMP signaling under various conditions. During development, PGE2 signaling regulates embryogenesis, hepatocyte differentiation, hematopoiesis, and kidney formation. Prostaglandins are also essential for skeletal muscle repair. This review outlines recent advances in understanding the functions and mechanisms of prostaglandin signaling in ciliogenesis, embryo development, and organ formation.

Remarkable metabolic reorganization and altered metabolic requirements in frog metamorphic climax

Background

Metamorphic climax is the crucial stage of amphibian metamorphosis responsible for the morphological and functional changes necessary for transition to a terrestrial habitat. This developmental period is sensitive to environmental changes and pollution. Understanding its metabolic basis and requirements is significant for ecological and toxicological research. Rana omeimontis tadpoles are a useful model for investigating this stage as their liver is involved in both metabolic regulation and fat storage.

Results

We used a combined approach of transcriptomics and metabolomics to study the metabolic reorganization during natural and T3-driven metamorphic climax in the liver and tail of Rana omeimontis tadpoles. The metabolic flux from the apoptotic tail replaced hepatic fat storage as metabolic fuel, resulting in increased hepatic amino acid and fat levels. In the liver, amino acid catabolism (transamination and urea cycle) was upregulated along with energy metabolism (TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation), while the carbohydrate and lipid catabolism (glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and β-oxidation) decreased. The hepatic glycogen phosphorylation and gluconeogenesis were upregulated, and the carbohydrate flux was used for synthesis of glycan units (e.g., UDP-glucuronate). In the tail, glycolysis, β-oxidation, and transamination were all downregulated, accompanied by synchronous downregulation of energy production and consumption. Glycogenolysis was maintained in the tail, and the carbohydrate flux likely flowed into both PPP and the synthesis of glycan units (e.g., UDP-glucuronate and UDP-glucosamine). Fatty acid elongation and desaturation, as well as the synthesis of bioactive lipid (e.g., prostaglandins) were encouraged in the tail during metamorphic climax. Protein synthesis was downregulated in both the liver and tail. The significance of these metabolic adjustments and their potential regulation mechanism are discussed.

Conclusion

The energic strategy and anabolic requirements during metamorphic climax were revealed at the molecular level. Amino acid made an increased contribution to energy metabolism during metamorphic climax. Carbohydrate anabolism was essential for the body construction of the froglets. The tail was critical in anabolism including synthesizing bioactive metabolites. These findings increase our understanding of amphibian metamorphosis and provide background information for ecological, evolutionary, conservation, and developmental studies of amphibians.

Reciprocal Regulation between Primary Cilia and mTORC1

In quiescent cells, primary cilia function as a mechanosensor that converts mechanic signals into chemical activities. This unique organelle plays a critical role in restricting mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling, which is essential for quiescent cells to maintain their quiescence. Multiple mechanisms have been identified that mediate the inhibitory effect of primary cilia on mTORC1 signaling. These mechanisms depend on several tumor suppressor proteins localized within the ciliary compartment, including liver kinase B1 (LKB1), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), polycystin-1, and polycystin-2. Conversely, changes in mTORC1 activity are able to affect ciliogenesis and stability indirectly through autophagy. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the reciprocal regulation of mTORC1 and primary cilia.

Autophagy is involved in ethanol-induced cardia bifida during chick cardiogenesis

Excess alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been acknowledged to increase the incidence of congenital disorders, especially the cardiovascular system. However, the mechanism involved in ethanol-induced cardiac malformation in prenatal fetus is still unknown. We demonstrated that ethanol exposure during gastrulation in the chick embryo increased the incidence of cardia bifida. Previously, we reported that autophagy was involved in heart tube formation. In this context, we demonstrated that ethanol exposure increased ATG7 and LC3 expression. mTOR was found to be inhibited by ethanol exposure. We activated autophagy using exogenous rapamycin (RAPA) and observed that it induced cardiac bifida and increased GATA5 expression. RAPA beads implantation experiments revealed that RAPA restricted ventricular myosin heavy chain (VMHC) expression. In vitro explant cultures of anterior primitive streak demonstrated that both ethanol and RAPA treatments could reduce cell differentiation and the spontaneous beating of cardiac precursor cells. In addition, the bead experiments showed that RAPA inhibited GATA5 expression during heart tube formation. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that BMP2 expression was increased while GATA4 expression was suppressed. In the embryos exposed to excess ethanol, BMP2, GATA4 and FGF8 expression was repressed. These genes are associated with cardiomyocyte differentiation, while heart tube fusion is associated with increased Wnt3a but reduced VEGF and Slit2 expression. Furthermore, the ethanol exposure also caused the production of excess ROS, which might damage the cardiac precursor cells of developing embryos. In sum, our results revealed that disrupting autophagy and excess ROS generation are responsible for inducing abnormal cardiogenesis in ethanol-treated chick embryos.

Heterogeneous cell-cycle behavior in response to UVB irradiation by a population of single cancer cells visualized by time-lapse FUCCI imaging

The present study analyzed the heterogeneous cell-cycle dependence and fate of single cancer cells in a population treated with UVB using a fluorescence ubiquitination-based cell-cycle (FUCCI) imaging system. HeLa cells expressing FUCCI were irradiated by 100 or 200 J/m(2) UVB. Modulation of the cell-cycle and apoptosis were observed by time-lapse confocal microscopy imaging every 30 min for 72 h. Correlation between cell survival and factors including cell-cycle phase at the time of the irradiation of UVB, mitosis and the G1/S transition were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method along with the log rank test. Time-lapse FUCCI imaging of HeLa cells demonstrated that UVB irradiation induced cell-cycle arrest in S/G2/M phase in the majority of the cells. The cells irradiated by 100 or 200 J/m(2) UVB during G0/G1 phase had a higher survival rate than the cells irradiated during S/G2/M phase. A minority of cells could escape S/G2/M arrest and undergo mitosis which significantly correlated with decreased survival of the cells. In contrast, G1/S transition significantly correlated with increased survival of the cells after UVB irradiation. UVB at 200 J/m(2) resulted in a greater number of apoptotic cells.

SIRT1, 2, 3 protect mouse oocytes from postovulatory aging

The quality of metaphase II oocytes will undergo a time-dependent deterioration following ovulation as the result of the oocyte aging process. In this study, we determined that the expression of sirtuin family members (SIRT1, 2, 3) was dramatically reduced in mouse oocytes aged in vivo or in vitro. Increased intracellular ROS was observed when SIRT1, 2, 3 activity was inhibited. Increased frequency of spindle defects and disturbed distribution of mitochondria were also observed in MII oocytes aged in vitro after treatment with Nicotinamide (NAM), indicating that inhibition of SIRT1, 2, 3 may accelerate postovulatory oocyte aging. Interestingly, when MII oocytes were exposed to caffeine, the decline of SIRT1, 2, 3 mRNA levels was delayed and the aging-associated defective phenotypes could be improved. The results suggest that the SIRT1, 2, 3 pathway may play a potential protective role against postovulatory oocyte aging by controlling ROS generation.