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Baker NE. Founding the Wnt gene family: How wingless was found to be a positional signal and oncogene homolog. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300156. [PMID: 38214693 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The Wnt family of developmental regulators were named after the Drosophila segmentation gene wingless and the murine proto-oncogene int-1. Homology between these two genes connected oncogenesis to cell-cell signals in development. I review how wingless was initially characterized, and cloned, as part of the quest to identify developmental cell-to-cell signals, based on predictions of the Positional Information Model, and on the properties of homeotic and segmentation gene mutants. The requirements and cell-nonautonomy of wingless in patterning multiple embryonic and adult structures solidified its status as a candidate signaling molecule. The physical location of wingless mutations and transcription unit defined the gene and its developmental transcription pattern. When the Drosophila homolog of int-1 was then isolated, and predicted to encode a secreted proto-oncogene homolog, it's identity to the wingless gene confirmed that a developmental cell-cell signal had been identified and connected cancer to development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Baker
- Department of Genetics, Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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2
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Wolf L, Boutros M. The role of Evi/Wntless in exporting Wnt proteins. Development 2023; 150:286996. [PMID: 36763105 PMCID: PMC10112924 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201352] [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] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular communication by Wnt proteins governs many essential processes during development, tissue homeostasis and disease in all metazoans. Many context-dependent effects are initiated in the Wnt-producing cells and depend on the export of lipidated Wnt proteins. Although much focus has been on understanding intracellular Wnt signal transduction, the cellular machinery responsible for Wnt secretion became better understood only recently. After lipid modification by the acyl-transferase Porcupine, Wnt proteins bind their dedicated cargo protein Evi/Wntless for transport and secretion. Evi/Wntless and Porcupine are conserved transmembrane proteins, and their 3D structures were recently determined. In this Review, we summarise studies and structural data highlighting how Wnts are transported from the ER to the plasma membrane, and the role of SNX3-retromer during the recycling of its cargo receptor Evi/Wntless. We also describe the regulation of Wnt export through a post-translational mechanism and review the importance of Wnt secretion for organ development and cancer, and as a future biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Wolf
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Patel A, Wu Y, Han X, Su Y, Maugel T, Shroff H, Roy S. Cytonemes coordinate asymmetric signaling and organization in the Drosophila muscle progenitor niche. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1185. [PMID: 35246530 PMCID: PMC8897416 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28587-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric signaling and organization in the stem-cell niche determine stem-cell fates. Here, we investigate the basis of asymmetric signaling and stem-cell organization using the Drosophila wing-disc that creates an adult muscle progenitor (AMP) niche. We show that AMPs extend polarized cytonemes to contact the disc epithelial junctions and adhere themselves to the disc/niche. Niche-adhering cytonemes localize FGF-receptor to selectively adhere to the FGF-producing disc and receive FGFs in a contact-dependent manner. Activation of FGF signaling in AMPs, in turn, reinforces disc-specific cytoneme polarity/adhesion, which maintains their disc-proximal positions. Loss of cytoneme-mediated adhesion promotes AMPs to lose niche occupancy and FGF signaling, occupy a disc-distal position, and acquire morphological hallmarks of differentiation. Niche-specific AMP organization and diversification patterns are determined by localized expression and presentation patterns of two different FGFs in the wing-disc and their polarized target-specific distribution through niche-adhering cytonemes. Thus, cytonemes are essential for asymmetric signaling and niche-specific AMP organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Patel
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Yicong Wu
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of High-Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Xiaofei Han
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of High-Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Yijun Su
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of High-Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA ,grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Advanced Imaging and Microscopy Resource, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Tim Maugel
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Biology, Laboratory for Biological Ultrastructure, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Hari Shroff
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of High-Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA ,grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Advanced Imaging and Microscopy Resource, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Sougata Roy
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
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Daly CA, Hall ET, Ogden SK. Regulatory mechanisms of cytoneme-based morphogen transport. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:119. [PMID: 35119540 PMCID: PMC8816744 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04148-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
During development and tissue homeostasis, cells must communicate with their neighbors to ensure coordinated responses to instructional cues. Cues such as morphogens and growth factors signal at both short and long ranges in temporal- and tissue-specific manners to guide cell fate determination, provide positional information, and to activate growth and survival responses. The precise mechanisms by which such signals traverse the extracellular environment to ensure reliable delivery to their intended cellular targets are not yet clear. One model for how this occurs suggests that specialized filopodia called cytonemes extend between signal-producing and -receiving cells to function as membrane-bound highways along which information flows. A growing body of evidence supports a crucial role for cytonemes in cell-to-cell communication. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms by which cytonemes are initiated, how they grow, and how they deliver specific signals are only starting to be revealed. Herein, we discuss recent advances toward improved understanding of cytoneme biology. We discuss similarities and differences between cytonemes and other types of cellular extensions, summarize what is known about how they originate, and discuss molecular mechanisms by which their activity may be controlled in development and tissue homeostasis. We conclude by highlighting important open questions regarding cytoneme biology, and comment on how a clear understanding of their function may provide opportunities for treating or preventing disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Daly
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl. MS340, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 1500, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Eric T Hall
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl. MS340, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Stacey K Ogden
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl. MS340, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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Gradilla AC, Guerrero I. Hedgehog on track: Long-distant signal transport and transfer through direct cell-to-cell contact. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:1-24. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hadjivasiliou Z, Hunter G. Talking to your neighbors across scales: Long-distance Notch signaling during patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:299-334. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gross JC. Extracellular WNTs: Trafficking, Exosomes, and Ligand-Receptor Interaction. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 269:29-43. [PMID: 34505202 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
WNT signaling is a key developmental pathway in tissue organization. A recent focus of research is the secretion of WNT proteins from source cells. Research over the past decade on how WNTs are produced and released into the extracellular space has unravelled very specific control mechanisms in the early secretory pathway, specialized trafficking routes, and redundant forms of packaging for delivery to target cells. In this review I discuss the findings that WNT proteins have been found on extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes and possible functional implications. There is an ongoing debate in the WNT signaling field whether EV are relevant in vivo and can fulfill specific functions, also fueled by the general preconception of EV secretion as cellular garbage disposal. As part of the EV research community, I want to give an overview of what we know and don't know about WNT secretion on EVs and offer a more unifying model that can explain current discrepancies in observations regarding WNT secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Christina Gross
- Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. .,Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. .,Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
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Aguirre-Tamaral A, Guerrero I. Improving the understanding of cytoneme-mediated morphogen gradients by in silico modeling. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009245. [PMID: 34343167 PMCID: PMC8362982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphogen gradients are crucial for the development of organisms. The biochemical properties of many morphogens prevent their extracellular free diffusion, indicating the need of an active mechanism for transport. The involvement of filopodial structures (cytonemes) has been proposed for morphogen signaling. Here, we describe an in silico model based on the main general features of cytoneme-meditated gradient formation and its implementation into Cytomorph, an open software tool. We have tested the spatial and temporal adaptability of our model quantifying Hedgehog (Hh) gradient formation in two Drosophila tissues. Cytomorph is able to reproduce the gradient and explain the different scaling between the two epithelia. After experimental validation, we studied the predicted impact of a range of features such as length, size, density, dynamics and contact behavior of cytonemes on Hh morphogen distribution. Our results illustrate Cytomorph as an adaptive tool to test different morphogen gradients and to generate hypotheses that are difficult to study experimentally. Graded distribution of signaling molecules (morphogens) is crucial for the development of organisms. Signaling membrane protrusions, called Cytonemes, have been experimentally demonstrated to be involved in morphogen transport and reception. Here, we have developed an in silico model for gradient formation based on key features of cytoneme mediated signaling. We have also implemented the model into an open software tool we named Cytomorph, and validated it by comparing its simulations with experimental data obtained from Hedgehog morphogen distribution. Finally, we have generated in silico predictions for the impact of different cytoneme features such as length, size, density, dynamics and contact behavior. Our results show that Cytomorph is an adaptive tool that can facilitate the study of other cytoneme-dependent morphogen gradients, besides being able to generate hypotheses about aspects that remain elusive to experimental approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Aguirre-Tamaral
- Tissue and Organ Homeostasis, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail: (AA-T); (IG)
| | - Isabel Guerrero
- Tissue and Organ Homeostasis, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail: (AA-T); (IG)
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