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Magkouta S, Veroutis D, Pousias A, Papaspyropoulos A, Giannetti K, Pippa N, Lougiakis N, Kambas K, Lagopati N, Polyzou A, Georgiou M, Chountoulesi M, Pispas S, Foutadakis S, Kyrodimos E, Pouli N, Marakos P, Kotsinas A, Verginis P, Valakos D, Vatsellas G, Petty R, Thanos D, Demaria M, Evangelou K, Di Micco R, Gorgoulis VG. One-step rapid tracking and isolation of senescent cells in cellular systems, tissues, or animal models via GLF16. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:102929. [PMID: 38460134 PMCID: PMC10943059 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.102929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Identification and isolation of senescent cells is challenging, rendering their detailed analysis an unmet need. We describe a precise one-step protocol to fluorescently label senescent cells, for flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, implementing a fluorophore-conjugated Sudan Black-B analog, GLF16. Also, a micelle-based approach allows identification of senescent cells in vivo and in vitro, enabling live-cell sorting for downstream analyses and live in vivo tracking. Our protocols are applicable to cellular systems, tissues, or animal models where senescence is present. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Magkouta et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Magkouta
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Marianthi Simou and G.P. Livanos Labs, 1st Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Services, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, ''Evangelismos'' Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Veroutis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Pousias
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Angelos Papaspyropoulos
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Kety Giannetti
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Natassa Pippa
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Lougiakis
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Nefeli Lagopati
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Biology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Polyzou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Georgiou
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Chountoulesi
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Stergios Pispas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros Foutadakis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Efthymios Kyrodimos
- First ENT Department, Hippocration Hospital, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GR, Greece
| | - Nicole Pouli
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Marakos
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanassios Kotsinas
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayotis Verginis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, University of Crete Medical School, 70013 Heraklion, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Giannis Vatsellas
- Greek Genome Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Russell Petty
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Greek Genome Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Marco Demaria
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Evangelou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Raffaella Di Micco
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Vassilis G Gorgoulis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK; Faculty Institute for Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey GU2 7YH, UK.
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2
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Ntoulas G, Brakatselos C, Nakas G, Asprogerakas MZ, Delis F, Leontiadis LJ, Trompoukis G, Papatheodoropoulos C, Gkikas D, Valakos D, Vatsellas G, Politis PK, Polissidis A, Antoniou K. Multi-level profiling of the Fmr1 KO rat unveils altered behavioral traits along with aberrant glutamatergic function. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:104. [PMID: 38378836 PMCID: PMC10879511 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02815-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disabilities and the most prevalent monogenic cause of autism. Although the knockout (KO) of the Fmr1 gene homolog in mice is primarily used for elucidating the neurobiological substrate of FXS, there is limited association of the experimental data with the pathophysiological condition in humans. The use of Fmr1 KO rats offers additional translational validity in this regard. Therefore, we employed a multi-level approach to study the behavioral profile and the glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission status in pathophysiology-associated brain structures of Fmr1 KO rats, including the recordings of evoked and spontaneous field potentials from hippocampal slices, paralleled with next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). We found that these rats exhibit hyperactivity and cognitive deficits, along with characteristic bidirectional glutamatergic and GABAergic alterations in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. These results are coupled to affected excitability and local inhibitory processes in the hippocampus, along with a specific transcriptional profile, highlighting dysregulated hippocampal network activity in KO rats. Overall, our data provide novel insights concerning the biobehavioral profile of FmR1 KO rats and translationally upscales our understanding on pathophysiology and symptomatology of FXS syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Ntoulas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Charalampos Brakatselos
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Nakas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Michail-Zois Asprogerakas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Foteini Delis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Leonidas J Leontiadis
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Medicine, University of Patras, Rion, Greece
| | - George Trompoukis
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Medicine, University of Patras, Rion, Greece
| | | | - Dimitrios Gkikas
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Giannis Vatsellas
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis K Politis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexia Polissidis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Antoniou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
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Veroutis D, Argyropoulou OD, Goules AV, Kambas K, Palamidas DA, Evangelou K, Havaki S, Polyzou A, Valakos D, Xingi E, Karatza E, Boki KA, Cavazza A, Kittas C, Thanos D, Ricordi C, Marvisi C, Muratore F, Galli E, Croci S, Salvarani C, Gorgoulis VG, Tzioufas AG. Senescent cells in giant cell arteritis display an inflammatory phenotype participating in tissue injury via IL-6-dependent pathways. Ann Rheum Dis 2024; 83:342-350. [PMID: 38050005 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2023-224467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Age is the strongest risk factor of giant cell arteritis (GCA), implying a possible pathogenetic role of cellular senescence. To address this question, we applied an established senescence specific multimarker algorithm in temporal artery biopsies (TABs) of GCA patients. METHODS 75(+) TABs from GCA patients, 22(-) TABs from polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients and 10(-) TABs from non-GCA/non-PMR patients were retrospectively retrieved and analysed. Synovial tissue specimens from patients with inflammatory arthritis and aorta tissue were used as disease control samples. Senescent cells and their histological origin were identified with specific cellular markers; IL-6 and MMP-9 were investigated as components of the senescent associated secretory phenotype by triple costaining. GCA or PMR artery culture supernatants were applied to fibroblasts, HUVECs and monocytes with or without IL-6R blocking agent to explore the induction of IL-6-associated cellular senescence. RESULTS Senescent cells were present in GCA arteries at higher proportion compared with PMR (9.50% vs 2.66%, respectively, p<0.0001) and were mainly originated from fibroblasts, macrophages and endothelial cells. IL-6 was expressed by senescent fibroblasts, and macrophages while MMP-9 by senescent fibroblasts only. IL-6(+) senescent cells were associated with the extension of vascular inflammation (transmural inflammation vs adventitia limited disease: 10.02% vs 4.37%, respectively, p<0.0001). GCA but not PMR artery culture supernatant could induce IL-6-associated senescence that was partially inhibited by IL-6R blockade. CONCLUSIONS Senescent cells with inflammatory phenotype are present in GCA arteries and are associated with the tissue inflammatory bulk, suggesting a potential implication in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Veroutis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ourania D Argyropoulou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas V Goules
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Research Institute for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Athens, Greece
- Joint Rheumatology Program, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Kambas
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Immunology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Anastasios Palamidas
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Research Institute for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Evangelou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sophia Havaki
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Polyzou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Xingi
- Light Microscopy Unit, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Elli Karatza
- Second Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Kyriaki A Boki
- Rheumatology Unit, Sismanoglion Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Alberto Cavazza
- Unit of Pathology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Christos Kittas
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Caterina Ricordi
- Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, and University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with interest in Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Marvisi
- Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, and University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Muratore
- Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, and University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with interest in Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Galli
- Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, and University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with interest in Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Croci
- Unit of Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Advanced Biotechnologies, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Carlo Salvarani
- Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, and University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with interest in Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Vassilis G Gorgoulis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios G Tzioufas
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Research Institute for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Athens, Greece
- Joint Rheumatology Program, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Center of stratified medicine in autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Katsouda A, Valakos D, Vatsellas G, Thanos D, Papapetropoulos A. An optimized protocol for chromatin immunoprecipitation from murine inguinal white adipose tissue. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102594. [PMID: 37742172 PMCID: PMC10520933 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) protocols have been used to reveal protein-DNA interactions of various cell types and tissues; however, optimization is required for each specific type of sample. Here, we present a ChIP protocol from murine inguinal white adipose tissue. We describe steps for tissue harvesting, crosslinking, chromatin extraction, shearing, immunoprecipitation, and purification. We then detail procedures for analysis including library preparation, sequencing, and qRT-PCR validation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Antonia Katsouda et al. (2022).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Katsouda
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Giannis Vatsellas
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas Papapetropoulos
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771, Athens, Greece.
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5
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Magkouta S, Veroutis D, Pousias A, Papaspyropoulos A, Pippa N, Lougiakis N, Kambas K, Lagopati N, Polyzou A, Georgiou M, Chountoulesi M, Pispas S, Foutadakis S, Pouli N, Marakos P, Kotsinas A, Verginis P, Valakos D, Mizi A, Papantonis A, Vatsellas G, Galanos P, Bartek J, Petty R, Serrano M, Thanos D, Roussos C, Demaria M, Evangelou K, Gorgoulis VG. A fluorophore-conjugated reagent enabling rapid detection, isolation and live tracking of senescent cells. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3558-3573.e7. [PMID: 37802028 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a stress-response mechanism implicated in various physiological processes, diseases, and aging. Current detection approaches have partially addressed the issue of senescent cell identification in clinical specimens. Effective methodologies enabling precise isolation or live tracking of senescent cells are still lacking. In-depth analysis of truly senescent cells is, therefore, an extremely challenging task. We report (1) the synthesis and validation of a fluorophore-conjugated, Sudan Black-B analog (GLF16), suitable for in vivo and in vitro analysis of senescence by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry and (2) the development and application of a GLF16-carrying micelle vector facilitating GLF16 uptake by living senescent cells in vivo and in vitro. The compound and the applied methodology render isolation of senescent cells an easy, rapid, and precise process. Straightforward nanocarrier-mediated GLF16 delivery in live senescent cells comprises a unique tool for characterization of senescence at an unprecedented depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Magkouta
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Marianthi Simou and G.P.Livanos Labs, 1st Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Services, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Evangelismos" Hospital, Athens, 10676, Greece
| | - Dimitris Veroutis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Pousias
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Angelos Papaspyropoulos
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Natassa Pippa
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Lougiakis
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Nefeli Lagopati
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Biology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Polyzou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Georgiou
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Chountoulesi
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Stergios Pispas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros Foutadakis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Nicole Pouli
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Marakos
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanassios Kotsinas
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayotis Verginis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, University of Crete Medical School, 70013 Heraklion, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Mizi
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Clinical Research Unit 5002, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Argyris Papantonis
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Clinical Research Unit 5002, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Giannis Vatsellas
- Greek Genome Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Galanos
- Genome Integrity Group, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jiri Bartek
- Genome Integrity Group, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Genome Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Russell Petty
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, DD19SY Dundee, UK
| | - Manuel Serrano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Granta Park CB21 6GP, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Greek Genome Center, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Charis Roussos
- Marianthi Simou and G.P.Livanos Labs, 1st Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Services, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Evangelismos" Hospital, Athens, 10676, Greece
| | - Marco Demaria
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Evangelou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis G Gorgoulis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, DD19SY Dundee, UK; Faculty Institute for Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, M20 4GJ Manchester, UK; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, GU2 7YH Surrey, UK.
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6
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Drosos Y, Konstantakou EG, Bassogianni AS, Nikolakopoulos KS, Koumoundourou DG, Markaki SP, Tsitsilonis OE, Voutsinas GE, Valakos D, Anastasiadou E, Thanos D, Velentzas AD, Stravopodis DJ. Microtubule Dynamics Deregulation Induces Apoptosis in Human Urothelial Bladder Cancer Cells via a p53-Independent Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3730. [PMID: 37509392 PMCID: PMC10378115 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BLCA) is the sixth most common type of cancer and has a dismal prognosis if diagnosed late. To identify treatment options for BLCA, we systematically evaluated data from the Broad Institute DepMap project. We found that urothelial BLCA cell lines are among the most sensitive to microtubule assembly inhibition by paclitaxel treatment. Strikingly, we revealed that the top dependencies in BLCA cell lines include genes encoding proteins involved in microtubule assembly. This highlights the importance of microtubule network dynamics as a major vulnerability in human BLCA. In cancers such as ovarian and breast, where paclitaxel is the gold standard of care, resistance to paclitaxel treatment has been linked to p53-inactivating mutations. To study the response of BLCA to microtubule assembly inhibition and its mechanistic link with the mutational status of the p53 protein, we treated a collection of BLCA cell lines with a dose range of paclitaxel and performed a detailed characterization of the response. We discovered that BLCA cell lines are significantly sensitive to low concentrations of paclitaxel, independently of their p53 status. Paclitaxel induced a G2/M cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition, followed by robust activation of apoptosis. Most importantly, we revealed that paclitaxel triggered a robust DNA-damage response and apoptosis program without activating the p53 pathway. Integration of transcriptomics, epigenetic, and dependency data demonstrated that the response of BLCA to paclitaxel is independent of p53 mutational signatures but strongly depends on the expression of DNA repair genes. Our work highlights urothelial BLCA as an exceptional candidate for paclitaxel treatment. It paves the way for the rational use of a combination of paclitaxel and DNA repair inhibitors as an effective, novel therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiannis Drosos
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Eumorphia G Konstantakou
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (MGHCC), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Aggeliki-Stefania Bassogianni
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos-Stylianos Nikolakopoulos
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitra G Koumoundourou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Sophia P Markaki
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Ourania E Tsitsilonis
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Gerassimos E Voutsinas
- Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Rare Disease Genetics, Institute of Biosciences and Applications (IBA), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) "Demokritos", 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Ema Anastasiadou
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanassios D Velentzas
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios J Stravopodis
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15701 Athens, Greece
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7
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Valakos D, Klagkou E, Kokkalis A, Polyzos A, Kyrilis FL, Banos A, Vatsellas G, Pliatska M, Ford E, Stravopodis DJ, Thanos D. Combinatorial targeting of a specific EMT/MET network by macroH2A variants safeguards mesenchymal identity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288005. [PMID: 37432970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from specialized cell types provides an excellent model to study how cells maintain their stability, and how they can change identity, especially in the context of disease. Previous studies have shown that chromatin safeguards cell identity by acting as a barrier to reprogramming. We investigated mechanisms by which the histone macroH2A variants inhibit reprogramming and discovered that they work as gate keepers of the mesenchymal cell state by blocking epithelial transition, a step required for reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts. More specifically, we found that individual macroH2A variants regulate the expression of defined sets of genes, whose overall function is to stabilize the mesenchymal gene expression program, thus resisting reprogramming. We identified a novel gene network (MSCN, mesenchymal network) composed of 63 macroH2A-regulated genes related to extracellular matrix, cell membrane, signaling and the transcriptional regulators Id2 and Snai2, all of which function as guardians of the mesenchymal phenotype. ChIP-seq and KD experiments revealed a macroH2A variant-specific combinatorial targeting of the genes reconstructing the MSCN, thus generating robustness in gene expression programs to resist cellular reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Valakos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Zografou, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Klagkou
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Zografou, Athens, Greece
| | - Antonis Kokkalis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Fotis L Kyrilis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aggelos Banos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Maria Pliatska
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ethan Ford
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios J Stravopodis
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Zografou, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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8
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Drakopoulou E, Georgomanoli M, Lederer CW, Panetsos F, Kleanthous M, Voskaridou E, Valakos D, Papanikolaou E, Anagnou NP. The Optimized γ-Globin Lentiviral Vector GGHI-mB-3D Leads to Nearly Therapeutic HbF Levels In Vitro in CD34 + Cells from Sickle Cell Disease Patients. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122716. [PMID: 36560719 PMCID: PMC9783242 DOI: 10.3390/v14122716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that both the original γ-globin lentiviral vector (LV) GGHI and the optimized GGHI-mB-3D LV, carrying the novel regulatory elements of the 3D HPFH-1 enhancer and the 3' β-globin UTR, can significantly increase HbF production in thalassemic CD34+ cells and ameliorate the disease phenotype in vitro. In the present study, we investigated whether the GGHI-mB-3D vector can also exhibit an equally therapeutic effect, following the transduction of sickle cell disease (SCD) CD34+ cells at MOI 100, leading to HbF increase coupled with HbS decrease, and thus, to phenotype improvement in vitro. We show that GGHI-mB-3D LV can lead to high and potentially therapeutic HbF levels, reaching a mean 2-fold increase to a mean value of VCN/cell of 1.0 and a mean transduction efficiency of 55%. Furthermore, this increase was accompanied by a significant 1.6-fold HbS decrease, a beneficial therapeutic feature for SCD. In summary, our data demonstrate the efficacy of the optimized γ-globin lentiviral vector to improve the SCD phenotype in vitro, and highlights its potential use in future clinical SCD trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekati Drakopoulou
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy, Centre of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Georgomanoli
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy, Centre of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Carsten W. Lederer
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Marina Kleanthous
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ersi Voskaridou
- Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease Centre, Laiko General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Centre of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Papanikolaou
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Nicholas P. Anagnou
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy, Centre of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527 Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence:
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9
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Katsouda A, Valakos D, Dionellis VS, Bibli SI, Akoumianakis I, Karaliota S, Zuhra K, Fleming I, Nagahara N, Havaki S, Gorgoulis VG, Thanos D, Antoniades C, Szabo C, Papapetropoulos A. MPST sulfurtransferase maintains mitochondrial protein import and cellular bioenergetics to attenuate obesity. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20211894. [PMID: 35616614 PMCID: PMC9143789 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the clinical, economic, and societal impact of obesity, unraveling the mechanisms of adipose tissue expansion remains of fundamental significance. We previously showed that white adipose tissue (WAT) levels of 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST), a mitochondrial cysteine-catabolizing enzyme that yields pyruvate and sulfide species, are downregulated in obesity. Here, we report that Mpst deletion results in fat accumulation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) through transcriptional and metabolic maladaptation. Mpst-deficient mice on HFD exhibit increased body weight and inguinal WAT mass, reduced metabolic rate, and impaired glucose/insulin tolerance. At the molecular level, Mpst ablation activates HIF1α, downregulates subunits of the translocase of outer/inner membrane (TIM/TOM) complex, and impairs mitochondrial protein import. MPST deficiency suppresses the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid oxidation, enhancing lipid accumulation. Sulfide donor administration to obese mice reverses the HFD-induced changes. These findings reveal the significance of MPST for white adipose tissue biology and metabolic health and identify a potential new therapeutic target for obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Katsouda
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Valakos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Sofia-Iris Bibli
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research Partner Site Rhein-Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ioannis Akoumianakis
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Sevasti Karaliota
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD
| | - Karim Zuhra
- Chair of Pharmacology, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Fleming
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research Partner Site Rhein-Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Sophia Havaki
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis G. Gorgoulis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Charalambos Antoniades
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Csaba Szabo
- Chair of Pharmacology, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Papapetropoulos
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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10
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Morianos I, Tsitsopoulou A, Potaris K, Valakos D, Fari O, Vatsellas G, Bostantzoglou C, Photiades A, Gaga M, Xanthou G, Semitekolou M. Activin-A impedes the establishment of CD4 + T cell exhaustion and enhances anti-tumor immunity in the lung. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:295. [PMID: 34548096 PMCID: PMC8454162 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Background Although tumor-infiltrating T cells represent a favorable prognostic marker for cancer patients, the majority of these cells are rendered with an exhausted phenotype. Hence, there is an unmet need to identify factors which can reverse this dysfunctional profile and restore their anti-tumorigenic potential. Activin-A is a pleiotropic cytokine, exerting a broad range of pro- or anti-inflammatory functions in different disease contexts, including allergic and autoimmune disorders and cancer. Given that activin-A exhibits a profound effect on CD4+ T cells in the airways and is elevated in lung cancer patients, we hypothesized that activin-A can effectively regulate anti-tumor immunity in lung cancer. Methods To evaluate the effects of activin-A in the context of lung cancer, we utilized the OVA-expressing Lewis Lung Carcinoma mouse model as well as the B16F10 melanoma model of pulmonary metastases. The therapeutic potential of activin-A-treated lung tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells was evaluated in adoptive transfer experiments, using CD4−/−-tumor bearing mice as recipients. In a reverse approach, we disrupted activin-A signaling on CD4+ T cells using an inducible model of CD4+ T cell-specific knockout of activin-A type I receptor. RNA-Sequencing analysis was performed to assess the transcriptional signature of these cells and the molecular mechanisms which mediate activin-A’s function. In a translational approach, we validated activin-A’s anti-tumorigenic properties using primary human tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells from lung cancer patients. Results Administration of activin-A in lung tumor-bearing mice attenuated disease progression, an effect associated with heightened ratio of infiltrating effector to regulatory CD4+ T cells. Therapeutic transfer of lung tumor-infiltrating activin-A-treated CD4+ T cells, delayed tumor progression in CD4−/− recipients and enhanced T cell-mediated immunity. CD4+ T cells genetically unresponsive to activin-A, failed to elicit effective anti-tumor properties and displayed an exhausted molecular signature governed by the transcription factors Tox and Tox2. Of translational importance, treatment of activin-A on tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells from lung cancer patients augmented their immunostimulatory capacity towards autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Conclusions In this study, we introduce activin-A as a novel immunomodulatory factor in the lung tumor microenvironment, which bestows exhausted CD4+ T cells with effector properties. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-02092-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Morianos
- Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Tsitsopoulou
- Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Potaris
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Athens Chest Hospital 'Sotiria', 11527, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ourania Fari
- Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527, Athens, Greece.,Present address: Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Andreas Photiades
- 7th Respiratory Medicine Department and Asthma Center, Athens Chest Hospital 'Sotiria', 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Mina Gaga
- 7th Respiratory Medicine Department and Asthma Center, Athens Chest Hospital 'Sotiria', 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgina Xanthou
- Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Semitekolou
- Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), 11527, Athens, Greece.
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11
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Papathanasiou M, Tsiftsoglou SA, Polyzos AP, Papadopoulou D, Valakos D, Klagkou E, Karagianni P, Pliatska M, Talianidis I, Agelopoulos M, Thanos D. Identification of a dynamic gene regulatory network required for pluripotency factor-induced reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts and hepatocytes. EMBO J 2021; 40:e102236. [PMID: 33034061 PMCID: PMC7780151 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells provides an excellent model to study mechanisms of transcription factor-induced global alterations of the epigenome and genome function. Here, we have investigated the early transcriptional events of cellular reprogramming triggered by the co-expression of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and mouse hepatocytes (mHeps). In this analysis, we identified a gene regulatory network composed of nine transcriptional regulators (9TR; Cbfa2t3, Gli2, Irf6, Nanog, Ovol1, Rcan1, Taf1c, Tead4, and Tfap4), which are directly targeted by OSKM, in vivo. Functional studies using single and double shRNA knockdowns of any of these factors caused disruption of the network and dramatic reductions in reprogramming efficiency, indicating that this network is essential for the induction and establishment of pluripotency. We demonstrate that the stochastic co-expression of 9TR network components occurs in a remarkably small number of cells, approximating the percentage of terminally reprogrammed cells as a result of dynamic molecular events. Thus, the early DNA-binding patterns of OSKM and the subsequent probabilistic co-expression of essential 9TR components in subpopulations of cells undergoing reprogramming steer the reconstruction of a gene regulatory network marking the transition to pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria Pliatska
- Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of AthensAthensGreece
| | | | | | - Dimitris Thanos
- Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of AthensAthensGreece
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12
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Valakos D, d'Avossa G, Mylonas D, Butler J, Klein C, Smyrnis N. P300 response modulation reflects breaches of non-probabilistic expectations. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10254. [PMID: 32581245 PMCID: PMC7314850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67275-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In oddball paradigms, infrequent stimuli elicit larger P300 event related potentials (ERPs) than frequent ones. One hypothesis is that P300 modulations reflect the degree of “surprise” associated with unexpected stimuli. That is the P300 represents how unlikely the stimulus is and this signal is then used to update the observer’s expectations. It could be hypothesized that P300 is modulated by any factor affecting an observer’s expectations, not only target probability. Alternatively, the P300 may reflect an evaluative process engaged whenever a discrepancy between task context and sensory inputs arises, irrespective of the latter probability. In previous ERP studies, stimulus probability was often the only determinant of task set confounding the effects of stimulus probability and set stimulus discrepancy. In this study, we used a speeded luminance detection task. The target was preceded by a central cue that predicted its location. The probability that the target was valid, i.e. would appear at the cued location was manipulated by varying the reliability of the cue. Reaction times were modulated by probabilistic expectations based on cue reliability and target validity while P300 was affected by target validity only. We conclude that increased P300 amplitude reflects primarily breaches of non-probabilistic expectations, rather than target probability.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Valakos
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Sensorimotor Control, University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute "COSTAS STEFANIS", Athens, Greece.,Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, Athens, Greece
| | - G d'Avossa
- Department of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - D Mylonas
- MGH/HST Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Butler
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK
| | - C Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - N Smyrnis
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Sensorimotor Control, University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute "COSTAS STEFANIS", Athens, Greece. .,Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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13
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Valakos D, Karantinos T, Evdokimidis I, Stefanis NC, Avramopoulos D, Smyrnis N. Shared variance of oculomotor phenotypes in a large sample of healthy young men. Exp Brain Res 2018; 236:2399-2410. [PMID: 29947959 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5312-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study used canonical correlation analysis to investigate patterns of shared variance between parameters measured in seven different occulomotor function tasks, namely the visually guided saccade task, the antisaccade task, the closed-loop smooth-pursuit task, the open-loop smooth-pursuit task, and three active visual fixation tasks. These tasks were performed by 2130 young army recruits. Only a small percentage (1-10%) of shared variance existed between sets of parameters for all oculomotor function tasks measured. The most correlated tasks were the visually guided saccade and the antisaccade. The first common factor correlated with speed of performance between these tasks (latency), while the second and third correlated with accuracy of performance. Better performance in active visual fixation tasks correlated with better performance accuracy (lower error rate) and increased speed (lower latency) in the antisaccade and saccade tasks as well as better performance in the closed-loop smooth-pursuit task (increase in gain and decrease in the rate of unwanted saccades during pursuit). Better performance in the closed-loop smooth-pursuit task (increased gain and decreased number of unwanted saccades) also correlated with increased accuracy and increased speed of performing saccades and antisaccades. Finally, the open-loop fixation task had no correlation with all other oculomotor tasks except for a very weak negative correlation with the closed-loop pursuit task where better performance (increased gain) in one correlated with worse performance (decreased gain) in the other. The results of this analysis showed that a small percentage of variance is shared among different oculomotor function tasks. The structure of this shared variance could be used to derive common oculomotor function indices to study their relation to genetic and other sources of inter-subject variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Valakos
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, University Mental Health Research Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - T Karantinos
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, University Mental Health Research Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - I Evdokimidis
- Neurology Department, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - N C Stefanis
- Psychiatry Department, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - D Avramopoulos
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N Smyrnis
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, University Mental Health Research Institute, Athens, Greece. .,Psychiatry Department, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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