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Neely AE, Zhang Y, Blumensaadt LA, Mao H, Brenner B, Sun C, Zhang HF, Bao X. Nucleoporin downregulation modulates progenitor differentiation independent of nuclear pore numbers. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1033. [PMID: 37853046 PMCID: PMC10584948 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05398-6] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleoporins (NUPs) comprise nuclear pore complexes, gateways for nucleocytoplasmic transport. As primary human keratinocytes switch from the progenitor state towards differentiation, most NUPs are strongly downregulated, with NUP93 being the most downregulated NUP in this process. To determine if this NUP downregulation is accompanied by a reduction in nuclear pore numbers, we leveraged Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy. No significant changes in nuclear pore numbers were detected using three independent NUP antibodies; however, NUP reduction in other subcellular compartments such as the cytoplasm was identified. To investigate how NUP reduction influences keratinocyte differentiation, we knocked down NUP93 in keratinocytes in the progenitor-state culture condition. NUP93 knockdown diminished keratinocytes' clonogenicity and epidermal regenerative capacity, without drastically affecting nuclear pore numbers or permeability. Using transcriptome profiling, we identified that NUP93 knockdown induces differentiation genes related to both mechanical and immune barrier functions, including the activation of known NF-κB target genes. Consistently, keratinocytes with NUP93 knockdown exhibited increased nuclear localization of the NF-κB p65/p50 transcription factors, and increased NF-κB reporter activity. Taken together, these findings highlight the gene regulatory roles contributed by differential NUP expression levels in keratinocyte differentiation, independent of nuclear pore numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Neely
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
- Molecular Analytics and Photonics (MAP) Lab, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA.
| | - Laura A Blumensaadt
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Hongjing Mao
- Molecular Analytics and Photonics (MAP) Lab, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Benjamin Brenner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Cheng Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Hao F Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Xiaomin Bao
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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