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Cho JY, Choi TW, Kim SH, Ahnn J, Lee SK. Morphological Characterization of small, dumpy, and long Phenotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Cells 2021; 44:160-167. [PMID: 33692220 PMCID: PMC8019597 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2021.2236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The determinant factors of an organism's size during animal development have been explored from various angles but remain partially understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, many genes affecting cuticle structure, cell growth, and proliferation have been identified to regulate the worm's overall morphology, including body size. While various mutations in those genes directly result in changes in the morphological phenotypes, there is still a need for established, clear, and distinct standards to determine the apparent abnormality in a worm's size and shape. In this study, we measured the body length, body width, terminal bulb length, and head size of mutant worms with reported Dumpy (Dpy), Small (Sma) or Long (Lon) phenotypes by plotting and comparing their respective ratios of various parameters. These results show that the Sma phenotypes are proportionally smaller overall with mild stoutness, and Dpy phenotypes are significantly stouter and have disproportionally small head size. This study provides a standard platform for determining morphological phenotypes designating and annotating mutants that exhibit body shape variations, defining the morphological phenotype of previously unexamined mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Young Cho
- Department of Life Science, School of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Present address: Doctor of Dental Surgery Program, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - Tae-Woo Choi
- Department of Life Science, School of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Present address: Macrogen Inc., Seoul 08511, Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Life Science, School of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Joohong Ahnn
- Department of Life Science, School of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Sun-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Science, School of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
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Choi TW, Cho JH, Ahnn J, Song HO. Novel Findings of Anti-Filarial Drug Target and Structure-Based Virtual Screening for Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E3579. [PMID: 30428563 PMCID: PMC6274684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis caused by filarial nematodes are important diseases leading to considerable morbidity throughout tropical countries. Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), albendazole (ALB), and ivermectin (IVM) used in massive drug administration are not highly effective in killing the long-lived adult worms, and there is demand for the development of novel macrofilaricidal drugs affecting new molecular targets. A Ca2+ binding protein, calumenin, was identified as a novel and nematode-specific drug target for filariasis, due to its involvement in fertility and cuticle development in nematodes. As sterilizing and killing effects of the adult worms are considered to be ideal profiles of new drugs, calumenin could be an eligible drug target. Indeed, the Caenorhabditis elegans mutant model of calumenin exhibited enhanced drug acceptability to both microfilaricidal drugs (ALB and IVM) even at the adult stage, proving the roles of the nematode cuticle in efficient drug entry. Molecular modeling revealed that structural features of calumenin were only conserved among nematodes (C. elegans, Brugia malayi, and Onchocerca volvulus). Structural conservation and the specificity of nematode calumenins enabled the development of drugs with good target selectivity between parasites and human hosts. Structure-based virtual screening resulted in the discovery of itraconazole (ITC), an inhibitor of sterol biosynthesis, as a nematode calumenin-targeting ligand. The inhibitory potential of ITC was tested using a nematode mutant model of calumenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Woo Choi
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea.
| | - Jeong Hoon Cho
- Department of Biology Education, College of Education, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea.
| | - Joohong Ahnn
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea.
| | - Hyun-Ok Song
- Department of Infection Biology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan 54538, Korea.
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Li W, Choi TW, Ahnn J, Lee SK. Allele-Specific Phenotype Suggests a Possible Stimulatory Activity of RCAN-1 on Calcineurin in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Cells 2016; 39:827-833. [PMID: 27871170 PMCID: PMC5125939 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2016.0222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) binds to calcineurin through the PxIxIT motif, which is evolutionarily conserved. SP repeat phosphorylation in RCAN1 is required for its complete function. The specific interaction between RCAN1 and calcineurin is critical for calcium/calmodulin-dependent regulation of calcineurin serine/threonine phosphatase activity. In this study, we investigated two available deletion rcan-1 mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans, which proceed differently for transcription and translation. We found that rcan-1 may be required for calcineurin activity and possess calcineurin-independent function in body growth and egg-laying behavior. In the genetic background of enhanced calcineurin activity, the rcan-1 mutant expressing a truncated RCAN-1 which retains the calcineurin-binding PxIxIT motif but misses SP repeats stimulated growth, while rcan-1 lack mutant resulted in hyperactive egg-laying suppression. These data suggest rcan-1 has unknown functions independent of calcineurin, and may be a stimulatory calcineurin regulator under certain circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixun Li
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
| | - Tae-Woo Choi
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
| | - Joohong Ahnn
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
| | - Sun-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- BK21 PLUS Life Science for BDR Team, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763,
Korea
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Ji CJ, Kim JH, Won YB, Lee YE, Choi TW, Ju SY, Youn H, Helmann JD, Lee JW. Staphylococcus aureus PerR Is a Hypersensitive Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor using Iron-mediated Histidine Oxidation. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:20374-86. [PMID: 26134568 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.664961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In many Gram-positive bacteria PerR is a major peroxide sensor whose repressor activity is dependent on a bound metal cofactor. The prototype for PerR sensors, the Bacillus subtilis PerRBS protein, represses target genes when bound to either Mn(2+) or Fe(2+) as corepressor, but only the Fe(2+)-bound form responds to H2O2. The orthologous protein in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, PerRSA, plays important roles in H2O2 resistance and virulence. However, PerRSA is reported to only respond to Mn(2+) as corepressor, which suggests that it might rely on a distinct, iron-independent mechanism for H2O2 sensing. Here we demonstrate that PerRSA uses either Fe(2+) or Mn(2+) as corepressor, and that, like PerRBS, the Fe(2+)-bound form of PerRSA senses physiological levels of H2O2 by iron-mediated histidine oxidation. Moreover, we show that PerRSA is poised to sense very low levels of endogenous H2O2, which normally cannot be sensed by B. subtilis PerRBS. This hypersensitivity of PerRSA accounts for the apparent lack of Fe(2+)-dependent repressor activity and consequent Mn(2+)-specific repressor activity under aerobic conditions. We also provide evidence that the activity of PerRSA is directly correlated with virulence, whereas it is inversely correlated with H2O2 resistance, suggesting that PerRSA may be an attractive target for the control of S. aureus pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Jun Ji
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Kim
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Bin Won
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeh-Eun Lee
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Woo Choi
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin-Yeong Ju
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwan Youn
- the Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California 93740-8034, and
| | - John D Helmann
- the Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-8101
| | - Jin-Won Lee
- From the Department of Life Science and Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea,
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Jee C, Choi TW, Kalichamy K, Yee JZ, Song HO, Ji YJ, Lee J, Lee JI, L'Etoile ND, Ahnn J, Lee SK. CNP-1 (ARRD-17), a novel substrate of calcineurin, is critical for modulation of egg-laying and locomotion in response to food and lysine sensation in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Mol Biol 2012; 417:165-78. [PMID: 22300764 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin is a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase involved in calcium signaling pathways. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the loss of calcineurin activity causes pleiotropic defects including hyperadaptation of sensory neurons, hypersensation to thermal difference and hyper-egg-laying when worms are refed after starvation. In this study, we report on arrd-17 as calcineurin-interacting protein-1 (cnp-1), which is a novel molecular target of calcineurin. CNP-1 interacts with the catalytic domain of the C. elegans calcineurin A subunit, TAX-6, in a yeast two-hybrid assay and is dephosphorylated by TAX-6 in vitro. cnp-1 is expressed in ASK, ADL, ASH and ASJ sensory neurons as TAX-6. It acts downstream of tax-6 in regulation of locomotion and egg-laying after starvation, ASH sensory neuron adaptation and lysine chemotaxis, that is known to be mediated by ASK neurons. Altogether, our biochemical and genetic evidence indicates that CNP-1 is a direct target of calcineurin and required in stimulated egg-laying and locomotion after starvation, adaptation to hyperosmolarity and attraction to lysine, which is modulated by calcineurin. We suggest that the phosphorylation status of CNP-1 plays an important role in regulation of refed stimulating behaviors after starvation and attraction to amino acid, which provides valuable nutritious information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhoon Jee
- Department of Life Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
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Son LT, Ko KM, Cho JH, Singaravelu G, Chatterjee I, Choi TW, Song HO, Yu JR, Park BJ, Lee SK, Ahnn J. DHS-21, a dicarbonyl/L-xylulose reductase (DCXR) ortholog, regulates longevity and reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. FEBS Lett 2011; 585:1310-6. [PMID: 21477590 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2011.03.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Revised: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Dicarbonyl/L-xylulose reductase (DCXR) converts l-xylulose into xylitol, and reduces various α-dicarbonyl compounds, thus performing a dual role in carbohydrate metabolism and detoxification. In this study, we identified DHS-21 as the only DCXR ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans. The dhs-21 gene is expressed in various tissues including the intestine, gonadal sheath cells, uterine seam (utse) cells, the spermathecal-uterus (sp-ut) valve and on the plasma membrane of spermatids. Recombinant DHS-21 was shown to convert L-xylulose to xylitol using NADPH as a cofactor. Dhs-21 null mutants of C. elegans show defects in longevity, reproduction and egg-laying. Knock-down of daf-16 and elt-2 transcription factors affected dhs-21 expression. These results suggest that DHS-21 is a bona fide DCXR of C. elegans, essential for normal life span and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Tho Son
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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