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Bhavsar H, Robinson Z, Benson M, Getachew F, González-Rosa JM, Lafontant PJ. Lectins As Effective Tools in the Study of the Biliary Network and the Parenchymal Architecture of the Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) Liver. Zebrafish 2024; 21:177-180. [PMID: 38621207 PMCID: PMC11035847 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2023.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins with specific affinity to glycoconjugates expressed in various tissues. Lectins are of substantial utility as research, histochemical, and diagnostic tools in mammalian systems. Reactivity of 12 commonly used plant-based lectins was studied in zebrafish liver. Four lectins, tomato lectin (TL), wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, and Jacalin showed strong reactivity to hepatic parenchymal structures. Importantly, TL reacted to glycoconjugates within segments of the larval and adult intrahepatic biliary network, from canaliculi to bile ducts. We provide evidence that lectins can serve as important histochemical tools to investigate the structural and functional characteristics of the zebrafish liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Bhavsar
- Biology Department, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, USA
| | - Zoe Robinson
- Biology Department, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, USA
| | - Matthew Benson
- Biology Department, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, USA
| | - Feven Getachew
- Biology Department, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Pascal J. Lafontant
- Biology Department, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, USA
- Department of Biology, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, USA
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2
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Ryaboshapkina M, Ye R, Ye Y, Birnbaum Y. Effects of Dapagliflozin on Myocardial Gene Expression in BTBR Mice with Type 2 Diabetes. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2023:10.1007/s10557-023-07517-1. [PMID: 37914900 DOI: 10.1007/s10557-023-07517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. DAPA-HF and DELIVER trial results demonstrate that the cardiovascular protective effect of dapagliflozin extends to non-diabetic patients. Hence, the mechanism-of-action may extend beyond glucose-lowering and is not completely elucidated. We have previously shown that dapagliflozin reduces cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis and increases ejection fraction in BTBR mice with type 2 diabetes. METHODS We conducted a follow-up RNA-sequencing study on the heart tissue of these animals and performed differential expression and Ingenuity Pathway analysis. Selected markers were confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS SGLT2 had negligible expression in heart tissue. Dapagliflozin improved cardiac metabolism by decreasing glycolysis and pyruvate utilization enzymes, induced antioxidant enzymes, and decreased expression of hypoxia markers. Expression of inflammation, apoptosis, and hypertrophy pathways was decreased. These observations corresponded to the effects of dapagliflozin in the clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ryaboshapkina
- Translational Science and Experimental Medicine, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Regina Ye
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yumei Ye
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Yochai Birnbaum
- The Section of Cardiology, The Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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3
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Tao Z, Yang D, Ni R. Tmed10 deficiency results in impaired exocrine pancreatic differentiation in zebrafish larvae. Dev Biol 2023; 503:43-52. [PMID: 37597605 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.08.003] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 10 (TMED10) is a conserved vesicle trafficking protein. It is dysregulated in Alzheimer disease and plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. In addition to the brain, TMED10 is highly expressed in the exocrine pancreas; however, its biological functions and underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We studied reduced Tmed10 in zebrafish embryos by morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown and CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis. Tmed10-deficient embryos showed extensive loss of acinar mass and impaired acinar differentiation. TMED10 has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on γ-secretase. As one of the substrates of γ-secretase, membrane-bound β-catenin was significantly reduced in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Increased γ-secretase activity in wild-type embryos resulted in a phenotype similar to that of tmed10 mutants. And the mutant phenotype could be rescued by treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor, N-[N-(3, 5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-s-phenylglycinet-butyl ester (DAPT). In addition, the reduced membrane-bound β-catenin was accompanied with up-regulated β-catenin target genes in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Overexpression of β-catenin signaling inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) could rescue the exocrine pancreas defects. Taken together, our study reveals that Tmed10 regulates exocrine pancreatic differentiation through γ-secretase. Reduced membrane-bound β-catenin, accompanied with hyperactivation of β-catenin signaling, is an important cause of exocrine pancreas defects in Tmed10-deficient embryos. Our study reaffirms the importance of appropriate β-catenin signaling in exocrine pancreas development. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for the development of treatment strategies for TMED10-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewen Tao
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, 400715, Chongqing, China.
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Karolczak S, Deshwar AR, Aristegui E, Kamath BM, Lawlor MW, Andreoletti G, Volpatti J, Ellis JL, Yin C, Dowling JJ. Loss of Mtm1 causes cholestatic liver disease in a model of X-linked myotubular myopathy. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e166275. [PMID: 37490339 PMCID: PMC10503795 DOI: 10.1172/jci166275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is a fatal congenital disorder caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene. Currently, there are no approved treatments, although AAV8-mediated gene transfer therapy has shown promise in animal models and preliminarily in patients. However, 4 patients with XLMTM treated with gene therapy have died from progressive liver failure, and hepatobiliary disease has now been recognized more broadly in association with XLMTM. In an attempt to understand whether loss of MTM1 itself is associated with liver pathology, we have characterized what we believe to be a novel liver phenotype in a zebrafish model of this disease. Specifically, we found that loss-of-function mutations in mtm1 led to severe liver abnormalities including impaired bile flux, structural abnormalities of the bile canaliculus, and improper endosome-mediated trafficking of canalicular transporters. Using a reporter-tagged Mtm1 zebrafish line, we established localization of Mtm1 in the liver in association with Rab11, a marker of recycling endosomes, and canalicular transport proteins and demonstrated that hepatocyte-specific reexpression of Mtm1 could rescue the cholestatic phenotype. Last, we completed a targeted chemical screen and found that Dynasore, a dynamin-2 inhibitor, was able to partially restore bile flow and transporter localization to the canalicular membrane. In summary, we demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, liver abnormalities that were directly caused by MTM1 mutation in a preclinical model, thus establishing the critical framework for better understanding and comprehensive treatment of the human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Karolczak
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashish R. Deshwar
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics and
| | - Evangelina Aristegui
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Binita M. Kamath
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael W. Lawlor
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Translational Science Laboratory, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Jonathan Volpatti
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and Division of Developmental Biology and
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and Division of Developmental Biology and
- Center for Undiagnosed and Rare Liver Diseases, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - James J. Dowling
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Shimizu N, Shiraishi H, Hanada T. Zebrafish as a Useful Model System for Human Liver Disease. Cells 2023; 12:2246. [PMID: 37759472 PMCID: PMC10526867 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver diseases represent a significant global health challenge, thereby necessitating extensive research to understand their intricate complexities and to develop effective treatments. In this context, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have emerged as a valuable model organism for studying various aspects of liver disease. The zebrafish liver has striking similarities to the human liver in terms of structure, function, and regenerative capacity. Researchers have successfully induced liver damage in zebrafish using chemical toxins, genetic manipulation, and other methods, thereby allowing the study of disease mechanisms and the progression of liver disease. Zebrafish embryos or larvae, with their transparency and rapid development, provide a unique opportunity for high-throughput drug screening and the identification of potential therapeutics. This review highlights how research on zebrafish has provided valuable insights into the pathological mechanisms of human liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Shimizu
- Department of Cell Biology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Oita, Japan;
| | | | - Toshikatsu Hanada
- Department of Cell Biology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Oita, Japan;
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6
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Mi J, Liu KC, Andersson O. Decoding pancreatic endocrine cell differentiation and β cell regeneration in zebrafish. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf5142. [PMID: 37595046 PMCID: PMC10438462 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf5142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to mice, zebrafish have an exceptional yet elusive ability to replenish lost β cells in adulthood. Understanding this framework would provide mechanistic insights for β cell regeneration, which may be extrapolated to humans. Here, we characterize a krt4-expressing ductal cell type, which is distinct from the putative Notch-responsive cells, showing neogenic competence and giving rise to the majority of endocrine cells during postembryonic development. Furthermore, we demonstrate a marked ductal remodeling process featuring a Notch-responsive to krt4+ luminal duct transformation during late development, indicating several origins of krt4+ ductal cells displaying similar transcriptional patterns. Single-cell transcriptomics upon a series of time points during β cell regeneration unveil a previously unrecognized dlb+ transitional endocrine precursor cell, distinct regulons, and a differentiation trajectory involving cellular shuffling through differentiation and dedifferentiation dynamics. These results establish a model of zebrafish pancreatic endocrinogenesis and highlight key values of zebrafish for translational studies of β cell regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ka-Cheuk Liu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Kulik L, Renner B, Laskowski J, Thurman JM, Michael Holers V. Highly pathogenic natural monoclonal antibody B4-IgM recognizes a post-translational modification comprised of acetylated N-terminal methionine followed by aspartic or glutamic acid. Mol Immunol 2023; 157:112-128. [PMID: 37018938 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The natural monoclonal antibody B4-IgM recognizes murine annexin 4 (mAn4) and exacerbates ischemia-reperfusion injury in many mouse models. During apoptosis, the intracellular mAn4 protein translocates to the membrane surface, remaining attached to the outer membrane leaflet where it is recognized by the anti-mAn4 B4-IgM antibody. B4-IgM does not recognize human annexin 4 (hAn4). However, the B4-IgM antibody epitope was detected by Western blot of unknown human proteins and by flow cytometry on all studied human cell lines undergoing apoptosis and on a minor subset of healthy cells. The B4-IgM antibody also recognizes the epitope on necrotic cells in cytoplasmic proteins, apparently entering through pores large enough to allow natural antibodies to penetrate the cells and bind to the epitope expressed on self-proteins. Using proteomics and site-directed mutagenesis, we found that B4-IgM binds to an epitope with post-translationally modified acetylated N-terminal methionine, followed by either glutamic or aspartic acid. The epitope is not induced by apoptosis or injury because this modification can also occur during protein translation. This finding reveals an additional novel mechanism whereby injured cells are detected by natural antibodies that initiate pathogenic complement activation through the recognition of epitopes that are shared across multiple proteins found in variable cell lines.
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8
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Oderberg IM, Goessling W. Biliary epithelial cells are facultative liver stem cells during liver regeneration in adult zebrafish. JCI Insight 2023; 8:163929. [PMID: 36625346 PMCID: PMC9870093 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.163929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver is a highly regenerative organ, yet the presence of a dedicated stem cell population remains controversial. Here, we interrogate a severe hepatocyte injury model in adult zebrafish to define that regeneration involves a stem cell population. After near-total hepatocyte ablation, single-cell transcriptomic and high-resolution imaging analyses throughout the entire regenerative timeline reveal that biliary epithelial cells undergo transcriptional and morphological changes to become hepatocytes. As a population, biliary epithelial cells give rise to both hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells. Biliary epithelial cells proliferate and dedifferentiate to express hepatoblast transcription factors prior to hepatocyte differentiation. This process is characterized by increased MAPK, PI3K, and mTOR signaling, and chemical inhibition of these pathways impairs biliary epithelial cell proliferation and fate conversion. We conclude that, upon severe hepatocyte ablation in the adult liver, biliary epithelial cells act as facultative liver stem cells in an EGFR-PI3K-mTOR-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac M. Oderberg
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wolfram Goessling
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA.,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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9
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Metabolic regulation of cholestatic liver injury by D-2-hydroxyglutarate with the modulation of hepatic microenvironment and the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:1001. [PMID: 36435860 PMCID: PMC9701230 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05450-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a cholestatic liver disease in neonates with devastating obstructive intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts. Owing to the lack of an early diagnostic marker and limited understanding of its pathogenesis, BA often leads to death within 2 years. Therefore, this study aimed to develop early diagnostic methods and investigate the underlying pathogenesis of liver injury in BA using metabolomics. Metabolomics and organoid combined energy metabolism analysis was used to obtain new insights into BA diagnosis and pathobiology using patient samples, mice liver organoids, and a zebrafish model. Metabolomics revealed that D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2-HG) levels were significantly elevated in the plasma and liver of patients with BA and closely correlated with liver injuries and impaired liver regeneration. D-2-HG suppressed the growth and expansion of liver organoids derived from the intrahepatic biliary ducts. The energy metabolism analysis demonstrated that D-2-HG inhibited mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthase; however, it increased aerobic glycolysis in organoids. In addition, D-2-HG exposure caused liver degeneration in zebrafish larvae. Mechanistically, D-2-HG inhibited the activation of protein kinase B and the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. These findings reveal that D-2-HG may represent a novel noninvasive diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for infants with BA.
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10
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Ellis JL, Evason KJ, Zhang C, Fourman MN, Liu J, Ninov N, Delous M, Vanhollebeke B, Fiddes I, Otis JP, Houvras Y, Farber SA, Xu X, Lin X, Stainier DYR, Yin C. A missense mutation in the proprotein convertase gene furinb causes hepatic cystogenesis during liver development in zebrafish. Hepatol Commun 2022; 6:3083-3097. [PMID: 36017776 PMCID: PMC9592797 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic cysts are fluid-filled lesions in the liver that are estimated to occur in 5% of the population. They may cause hepatomegaly and abdominal pain. Progression to secondary fibrosis, cirrhosis, or cholangiocarcinoma can lead to morbidity and mortality. Previous studies of patients and rodent models have associated hepatic cyst formation with increased proliferation and fluid secretion in cholangiocytes, which are partially due to impaired primary cilia. Congenital hepatic cysts are thought to originate from faulty bile duct development, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In a forward genetic screen, we identified a zebrafish mutant that developed hepatic cysts during larval stages. The cyst formation was not due to changes in biliary cell proliferation, bile secretion, or impairment of primary cilia. Instead, time-lapse live imaging data showed that the mutant biliary cells failed to form interconnecting bile ducts because of defects in motility and protrusive activity. Accordingly, immunostaining revealed a disorganized actin and microtubule cytoskeleton in the mutant biliary cells. By whole-genome sequencing, we determined that the cystic phenotype in the mutant was caused by a missense mutation in the furinb gene, which encodes a proprotein convertase. The mutation altered Furinb localization and caused endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The cystic phenotype could be suppressed by treatment with the ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid and exacerbated by treatment with the ER stress inducer tunicamycin. The mutant liver also exhibited increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Treatment with mTOR inhibitors halted cyst formation at least partially through reducing ER stress. Conclusion: Our study has established a vertebrate model for studying hepatic cystogenesis and illustrated the contribution of ER stress in the disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute and Department of PathologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Changwen Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Makenzie N. Fourman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Jiandong Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- McAllister Heart InstituteDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Nikolay Ninov
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of TU DresdenGerman Center for Diabetes ResearchDresdenGermany
| | - Marion Delous
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Equipe GENDEVCentre de Recherche en Neurosciences de LyonInserm U1028CNRS UMR5292Universite Lyon 1Universite St EtienneLyonFrance
| | - Benoit Vanhollebeke
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Laboratory of Neurovascular SignalingDepartment of Molecular BiologyULB Neuroscience InstituteUniversite Libre de BruxellesGosseliesBelgium
| | - Ian Fiddes
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jessica P. Otis
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and BiochemistryBrown UniversityProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
| | - Yariv Houvras
- Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian HospitalNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Steven A. Farber
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Cardiovascular MedicineMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Xueying Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Cardiovascular MedicineMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Developmental GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Heart and Lung ResearchBad NauheimGermany
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Division of Developmental BiologyCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
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11
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Chen L, Su B, Yu J, Wang J, Hu H, Ren HQ, Wu B. Combined effects of arsenic and 2,2-dichloroacetamide on different cell populations of zebrafish liver. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 821:152961. [PMID: 35031379 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) and disinfection by-products are important health risk factors in the water environment. However, their combined effects on different cell populations in the liver are not well known. Here, zebrafish were exposed to 100 μg/L As, 300 μg/L 2,2-dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm), and their combination for 23 days. Then transcriptome profiles of cell populations in zebrafish liver were analyzed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). A total of 13,563 cells were obtained, which were identified as hepatocytes, hepatic duct cells, endothelial cells and macrophages. Hepatocytes were the main target cell subtype of As and DCAcAm exposures. DCAcAm exposure induced higher toxicity in male hepatocytes, which specifically changed amino acid metabolism, response to hormone and cofactor metabolism. However, As exposure caused higher toxicity in female hepatocytes, which altered lipid metabolism, carbon metabolism, and peroxisome. Combined exposure to As and DCAcAm decreased toxicities in hepatocytes compared to each one alone. Female hepatocytes had higher tolerance to co-exposure of As and DCAcAm than male hepatocytes. Further, combined exposure to As and DCAcAm induced functional changes in macrophages similar to As alone groups, which mainly altered the transfer of sterol and cholesterol. Hepatic duct cells and endothelial cells were not influenced by exposures to As and DCAcAm. This study for the first time highlights the cell-specific combined responses of As and DCAcAm in zebrafish liver, which provide useful information for their health risk assessment in a co-exposure environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Bei Su
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Jing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Haidong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Hong-Qiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Bing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
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12
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Sun J, Chen Q, Ma J. Notch–Sox9 Axis Mediates Hepatocyte Dedifferentiation in KrasG12V-Induced Zebrafish Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094705. [PMID: 35563098 PMCID: PMC9103821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in humans. Hepatocytes normally undergo dedifferentiation after the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma, which in turn facilitates the progression of cancer. Although the process of hepatocellular carcinoma dedifferentiation is of significant research and clinical value, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying it are still not fully characterized. We constructed a zebrafish liver cancer model based on overexpression of the oncogene krasG12V to investigate the hepatocyte dedifferentiation in hepatocellular carcinoma. We found that, after hepatocarcinogenesis, hepatocytes dedifferentiated and the Notch signaling pathway was upregulated in this progress. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway or deficiency of sox9b both prevented hepatocyte dedifferentiation following hepatocellular carcinoma induction, reducing cancer metastasis and improving survival. In conclusion, we found that hepatocytes undergo dedifferentiation after hepatocarcinogenesis, a process that requires Notch signaling and likewise the activation of Sox9.
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13
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DNA methylation maintenance at the p53 locus initiates biliary-mediated liver regeneration. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:21. [PMID: 35351894 PMCID: PMC8964678 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00217-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In cases of extensive liver injury, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) dedifferentiate into bipotential progenitor cells (BPPCs), then redifferentiate into hepatocytes and BECs to accomplish liver regeneration. Whether epigenetic regulations, particularly DNA methylation maintenance enzymes, play a role in this biliary-mediated liver regeneration remains unknown. Here we show that in response to extensive hepatocyte damages, expression of dnmt1 is upregulated in BECs to methylate DNA at the p53 locus, which represses p53 transcription, and in turn, derepresses mTORC1 signaling to activate BEC dedifferentiation. After BEC dedifferentiation and BPPC formation, DNA methylation at the p53 locus maintains in BPPCs to continue blocking p53 transcription, which derepresses Bmp signaling to induce BPPC redifferentiation. Thus, this study reveals promotive roles and mechanisms of DNA methylation at the p53 locus in both dedifferentiation and redifferentiation stages of biliary-mediated liver regeneration, implicating DNA methylation and p53 as potential targets to stimulate regeneration after extensive liver injury.
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14
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Ota N, Shiojiri N. Comparative study on a novel lobule structure of the zebrafish liver and that of the mammalian liver. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 388:287-299. [PMID: 35258713 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03607-y] [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: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian liver has a lobule structure with a portal triad consisting of the portal vein, hepatic artery, and bile duct, which exhibits zonal gene expression, whereas those of teleosts do not have a portal triad. It remains to be demonstrated what kind of the unit structures they have, including their gene expression patterns. The aims of the present study were to demonstrate the unit structure of the teleost liver and discuss it in terms of evolution and adaptation in vertebrates and the use of teleosts as an alternative model for human disease. The zebrafish liver was examined as a representative of teleosts with respect to its morphological architecture and gene expression. A novel, polygonal lobule structure was detected in the zebrafish liver. In it, portal veins and central veins were distributed at the periphery and center, respectively. Sinusoids connected both veins. Anxa4-positive preductules were incorporated into the tubular lumen of two rows of hepatocytes in sections. Intrahepatic bile ducts resided randomly in the liver lobule. Zebrafish livers did not have zonal gene expression for metabolic pathways examined. The lobules of the zebrafish liver with preductules located in the tubular lumina of hepatocytes may resemble the oval cell reaction of injured livers of mammals and might convey bile to the intestine more safely than mammalian livers. The gene expression pattern in liver lobules and our liver lobule model of the zebrafish may be important to discuss data obtained in experiments using this animal as an alternative model for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriaki Ota
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Oya 836, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Shiojiri
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Oya 836, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan.
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15
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Pham DH, Kudira R, Xu L, Valencia CA, Ellis JL, Shi T, Evason KJ, Osuji I, Matuschek N, Pfuher L, Mullen M, Mohanty SK, Husami A, Bull LN, Zhang K, Wali S, Yin C, Miethke A. Deleterious Variants in ABCC12 are Detected in Idiopathic Chronic Cholestasis and Cause Intrahepatic Bile Duct Loss in Model Organisms. Gastroenterology 2021; 161:287-300.e16. [PMID: 33771553 PMCID: PMC8238842 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The etiology of cholestasis remains unknown in many children. We surveyed the genome of children with chronic cholestasis for variants in genes not previously associated with liver disease and validated their biological relevance in zebrafish and murine models. METHOD Whole-exome (n = 4) and candidate gene sequencing (n = 89) was completed on 93 children with cholestasis and normal serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels without pathogenic variants in genes known to cause low GGT cholestasis such as ABCB11 or ATP8B1. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 genome editing was used to induce frameshift pathogenic variants in the candidate gene in zebrafish and mice. RESULTS In a 1-year-old female patient with normal GGT cholestasis and bile duct paucity, we identified a homozygous truncating pathogenic variant (c.198delA, p.Gly67Alafs∗6) in the ABCC12 gene (NM_033226). Five additional rare ABCC12 variants, including a pathogenic one, were detected in our cohort. ABCC12 encodes multidrug resistance-associated protein 9 (MRP9) that belongs to the adenosine 5'-triphosphate-binding cassette transporter C family with unknown function and no previous implication in liver disease. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting revealed conserved MRP9 protein expression in the bile ducts in human, mouse, and zebrafish. Zebrafish abcc12-null mutants were prone to cholangiocyte apoptosis, which caused progressive bile duct loss during the juvenile stage. MRP9-deficient mice had fewer well-formed interlobular bile ducts and higher serum alkaline phosphatase levels compared with wild-type mice. They exhibited aggravated cholangiocyte apoptosis, hyperbilirubinemia, and liver fibrosis upon cholic acid challenge. CONCLUSIONS Our work connects MRP9 with bile duct homeostasis and cholestatic liver disease for the first time. It identifies a potential therapeutic target to attenuate bile acid-induced cholangiocyte injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Hung Pham
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ramesh Kudira
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Lingfen Xu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Shenyang, China
| | - C. Alexander Valencia
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA,Aperiomics, Inc., Sterling, Virginia, USA
| | - Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Tiffany Shi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Immaculeta Osuji
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nelson Matuschek
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Liva Pfuher
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mary Mullen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Sujit K. Mohanty
- Department of Pediatric and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ammar Husami
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Laura N. Bull
- Liver Center Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Sami Wali
- Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
| | - Alexander Miethke
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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16
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Postlethwait JH, Massaquoi MS, Farnsworth DR, Yan YL, Guillemin K, Miller AC. The SARS-CoV-2 receptor and other key components of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System related to COVID-19 are expressed in enterocytes in larval zebrafish. Biol Open 2021; 10:bio058172. [PMID: 33757938 PMCID: PMC8015242 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
People with underlying conditions, including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, are especially susceptible to negative outcomes after infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Hypertension and respiratory inflammation are exacerbated by the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS), which normally protects from rapidly dropping blood pressure via Angiotensin II (Ang II) produced by the enzyme Ace. The Ace paralog Ace2 degrades Ang II, counteracting its chronic effects, and serves as the SARS-CoV-2 receptor. Ace, the coronavirus, and COVID-19 comorbidities all regulate Ace2, but we do not yet understand how. To exploit zebrafish (Danio rerio) to help understand the relationship of the RAAS to COVID-19, we must identify zebrafish orthologs and co-orthologs of human RAAS genes and understand their expression patterns. To achieve these goals, we conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses and investigated single cell transcriptomes. Results showed that most human RAAS genes have one or more zebrafish orthologs or co-orthologs. Results identified a specific type of enterocyte as the specific site of expression of zebrafish orthologs of key RAAS components, including Ace, Ace2, Slc6a19 (SARS-CoV-2 co-receptor), and the Angiotensin-related peptide cleaving enzymes Anpep (receptor for the common cold coronavirus HCoV-229E), and Dpp4 (receptor for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus, MERS-CoV). Results identified specific vascular cell subtypes expressing Ang II receptors, apelin, and apelin receptor genes. These results identify genes and cell types to exploit zebrafish as a disease model for understanding mechanisms of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yi-Lin Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Karen Guillemin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Adam C Miller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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17
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Zhang W, Chen J, Ni R, Yang Q, Luo L, He J. Contributions of biliary epithelial cells to hepatocyte homeostasis and regeneration in zebrafish. iScience 2021; 24:102142. [PMID: 33665561 PMCID: PMC7900353 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether transdifferentiation of the biliary epithelial cells (BECs) to hepatocytes occurs under physiological conditions and contributes to liver homeostasis remains under long-term debate. Similar questions have been raised under pathological circumstances if a fibrotic liver is suffered from severe injuries. To address these questions in zebrafish, we established a sensitive lineage tracing system specific for the detection of BEC-derived hepatocytes. The BEC-to-hepatocyte transdifferentiation occurred and became minor contributors to hepatocyte homeostasis in a portion of adult individuals. The BEC-derived hepatocytes distributed in clusters in the liver. When a fibrotic liver underwent extreme hepatocyte damages, BEC-to-hepatocyte transdifferentiation acted as the major origin of regenerating hepatocytes. In contrast, partial hepatectomy failed to induce the BEC-to-hepatocyte conversion. In conclusion, based on a sensitive lineage tracing system, our results suggest that BECs are able to transdifferentiate into hepatocytes and contribute to both physiological hepatocyte homeostasis and pathological regeneration. Developed sensitivity system to trace BECs derived hepatocytes in liver homeostasis BECs convert to hepatocytes in liver homeostasis but are individually heterogeneous BECs are the primary regeneration sources in the extreme injury of the fibrotic liver BECs fail to contribute to new hepatocytes after partial hepatectomy
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Jingying Chen
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chongqing), Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beibei, 400714 Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Ni
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Qifen Yang
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Jianbo He
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, 400715 Chongqing, China
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18
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Gao C, Huang W, Gao Y, Lo LJ, Luo L, Huang H, Chen J, Peng J. Zebrafish hhex-null mutant develops an intrahepatic intestinal tube due to de-repression of cdx1b and pdx1. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 11:448-462. [PMID: 30428031 PMCID: PMC6604603 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjy068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatopancreatic duct (HPD) system links the liver and pancreas to the intestinal tube and is composed of the extrahepatic biliary duct, gallbladder, and pancreatic duct. Haematopoietically expressed-homeobox (Hhex) protein plays an essential role in the establishment of HPD; however, the molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here, we show that zebrafish hhex-null mutants fail to develop the HPD system characterized by lacking the biliary marker Annexin A4 and the HPD marker sox9b. The hepatobiliary duct part of the mutant HPD system is replaced by an intrahepatic intestinal tube characterized by expressing the intestinal marker fatty acid-binding protein 2a (fabp2a). Cell lineage analysis showed that this intrahepatic intestinal tube is not originated from hepatocytes or cholangiocytes. Further analysis revealed that cdx1b and pdx1 are expressed ectopically in the intrahepatic intestinal tube and knockdown of cdx1b and pdx1 could restore the expression of sox9b in the mutant. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that Hhex binds to the promoters of pdx1 and cdx1b genes to repress their expression. We therefore propose that Hhex, Cdx1b, Pdx1, and Sox9b form a genetic network governing the patterning and morphogenesis of the HPD and digestive tract systems in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ce Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weidong Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Jan Lo
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingfei Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Honghui Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinrong Peng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou, China
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19
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Brandt ZJ, Echert AE, Bostrom JR, North PN, Link BA. Core Hippo pathway components act as a brake on Yap and Taz in the development and maintenance of the biliary network. Development 2020; 147:dev184242. [PMID: 32439761 PMCID: PMC7328147 DOI: 10.1242/dev.184242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The development of the biliary system is a complex yet poorly understood process, with relevance to multiple diseases, including biliary atresia, choledochal cysts and gallbladder agenesis. We present here a crucial role for Hippo-Yap/Taz signaling in this context. Analysis of sav1 mutant zebrafish revealed dysplastic morphology and expansion of both intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary cells, and ultimately larval lethality. Biliary dysgenesis, but not larval lethality, is driven primarily by Yap signaling. Re-expression of Sav1 protein in sav1-/- hepatocytes is able to overcome these initial deficits and allows sav1-/- fish to survive, suggesting cell non-autonomous signaling from hepatocytes. Examination of sav1-/- rescued adults reveals loss of gallbladder and formation of dysplastic cell masses expressing biliary markers, suggesting roles for Hippo signaling in extrahepatic biliary carcinomas. Deletion of stk3 revealed that the phenotypes observed in sav1 mutant fish function primarily through canonical Hippo signaling and supports a role for phosphatase PP2A, but also suggests Sav1 has functions in addition to facilitating Stk3 activity. Overall, this study defines a role for Hippo-Yap signaling in the maintenance of both intra- and extrahepatic biliary ducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Brandt
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA
| | - Ashley E Echert
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jonathan R Bostrom
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA
| | - Paula N North
- Department of Pediatric Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA
| | - Brian A Link
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA
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20
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DeRossi C, Bambino K, Morrison J, Sakarin I, Villacorta-Martin C, Zhang C, Ellis JL, Fiel MI, Ybanez M, Lee YA, Huang KL, Yin C, Sakaguchi TF, Friedman SL, Villanueva A, Chu J. Mannose Phosphate Isomerase and Mannose Regulate Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Fibrosis in Zebrafish and Humans. Hepatology 2019; 70:2107-2122. [PMID: 31016744 PMCID: PMC6812593 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The growing burden of liver fibrosis and lack of effective antifibrotic therapies highlight the need for identification of pathways and complementary model systems of hepatic fibrosis. A rare, monogenic disorder in which children with mutations in mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) develop liver fibrosis led us to explore the function of MPI and mannose metabolism in liver development and adult liver diseases. Herein, analyses of transcriptomic data from three human liver cohorts demonstrate that MPI gene expression is down-regulated proportionate to fibrosis in chronic liver diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis B virus. Depletion of MPI in zebrafish liver in vivo and in human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) lines in culture activates fibrotic responses, indicating that loss of MPI promotes HSC activation. We further demonstrate that mannose supplementation can attenuate HSC activation, leading to reduced fibrogenic activation in zebrafish, culture-activated HSCs, and in ethanol-activated HSCs. Conclusion: These data indicate the prospect that modulation of mannose metabolism pathways could reduce HSC activation and improve hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles DeRossi
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Kathryn Bambino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Joshua Morrison
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Isabel Sakarin
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Changwen Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - M. Isabel Fiel
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Maria Ybanez
- Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY,Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Youngmin A. Lee
- Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Kuan-lin Huang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Takuya F. Sakaguchi
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
| | - Scott L. Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Jaime Chu
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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21
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A morphogenetic EphB/EphrinB code controls hepatopancreatic duct formation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5220. [PMID: 31745086 PMCID: PMC6864101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13149-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatopancreatic ductal (HPD) system connects the intrahepatic and intrapancreatic ducts to the intestine and ensures the afferent transport of the bile and pancreatic enzymes. Yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling their differentiation and morphogenesis into a functional ductal system are poorly understood. Here, we characterize HPD system morphogenesis by high-resolution microscopy in zebrafish. The HPD system differentiates from a rod of unpolarized cells into mature ducts by de novo lumen formation in a dynamic multi-step process. The remodeling step from multiple nascent lumina into a single lumen requires active cell intercalation and myosin contractility. We identify key functions for EphB/EphrinB signaling in this dynamic remodeling step. Two EphrinB ligands, EphrinB1 and EphrinB2a, and two EphB receptors, EphB3b and EphB4a, control HPD morphogenesis by remodeling individual ductal compartments, and thereby coordinate the morphogenesis of this multi-compartment ductal system.
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22
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Villasenor A, Gauvrit S, Collins MM, Maischein HM, Stainier DYR. Hhex regulates the specification and growth of the hepatopancreatic ductal system. Dev Biol 2019; 458:228-236. [PMID: 31697936 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Significant efforts have advanced our understanding of foregut-derived organ development; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the formation of the hepatopancreatic ductal (HPD) system. Here, we report a role for the homeodomain transcription factor Hhex in directing HPD progenitor specification in zebrafish. Loss of Hhex function results in impaired HPD system formation. We found that Hhex specifies a distinct population of HPD progenitors that gives rise to the cystic duct, common bile duct, and extra-pancreatic duct. Since hhex is not uniquely expressed in the HPD region but is also expressed in endothelial cells and the yolk syncytial layer (YSL), we tested the role of blood vessels as well as the YSL in HPD formation. We found that blood vessels are required for HPD patterning, but not for HPD progenitor specification. In addition, we found that Hhex is required in both the endoderm and the YSL for HPD development. Our results shed light on the mechanisms directing endodermal progenitors towards the HPD fate and emphasize the tissue specific requirement of Hhex during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alethia Villasenor
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
| | - Sébastien Gauvrit
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Michelle M Collins
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Maischein
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Didier Y R Stainier
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
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23
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Aqrawi LA, Galtung HK, Guerreiro EM, Øvstebø R, Thiede B, Utheim TP, Chen X, Utheim ØA, Palm Ø, Skarstein K, Jensen JL. Proteomic and histopathological characterisation of sicca subjects and primary Sjögren's syndrome patients reveals promising tear, saliva and extracellular vesicle disease biomarkers. Arthritis Res Ther 2019; 21:181. [PMID: 31366407 PMCID: PMC6670195 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-019-1961-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mononuclear cell infiltration of exocrine glands, production of Ro/SSA and La/SSB autoantibodies, along with oral and ocular dryness, are characteristic features of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Non-SS sicca subjects, an underexplored group in relation to pSS, display similar sicca symptoms, with possible mild signs of inflammation in their salivary glands, yet with no serological detection of autoantibody production. In this study, we investigated inflammatory manifestations in the salivary gland tissue, tear fluid and saliva of non-SS subjects, as compared to pSS patients and healthy individuals. Methods Fifteen non-SS, 10 pSS and 10 healthy subjects were included in the analyses. Histological evaluation of salivary gland biopsies was performed. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was conducted on tear fluid and stimulated whole saliva, and proteomic biomarker profiles were generated. Extracellular vesicle (EVs) isolation and characterisation from both fluids were also combined with LC-MS. The LC-MS data were analysed for quantitative differences between patient and control groups using Scaffold. Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and Functional Enrichment Analysis Tool (FunRich) were applied for functional analyses. Results Histopathological evaluation of salivary gland biopsies showed implications of milder inflammation in non-SS subjects through mononuclear cell infiltration, fibrosis and fatty replacement, as compared to pSS patients. Although unaffected in the non-SS group, upregulation of proinflammatory pathways and proteins involved in ubiquitination (LMO7 and HUWE1) and B cell differentiation (TPD52) were detected in tear fluid of pSS patients. Moreover, overexpression of proteins STOM, ANXA4 and ANXA1, regulating cellular innate and adaptive immunological pathways, were further identified in EVs from tear fluid of pSS patients. Finally, whole saliva and EVs isolated from whole saliva of pSS patients expressed proteins vital for innate MHC class I cellular regulation (NGAL) and T cell activation (CD44). Conclusions Non-SS sicca subjects may show implications of mild inflammation in their glandular tissue, while their protein profile was strikingly more similar to healthy controls than to pSS patients. Hence, the tear and salivary biomarkers identified could be implemented as potential non-invasive diagnostic tools that may aid in increasing diagnostic accuracy when evaluating non-SS subjects and pSS patients and monitoring disease progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13075-019-1961-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara A Aqrawi
- Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Kanli Galtung
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Eduarda M Guerreiro
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Reidun Øvstebø
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bernd Thiede
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tor Paaske Utheim
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Xiangjun Chen
- Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,The Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øygunn Aass Utheim
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,The Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øyvind Palm
- Department of Rheumatology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kathrine Skarstein
- Gade Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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24
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So J, Khaliq M, Evason K, Ninov N, Martin BL, Stainier DY, Shin D. Wnt/β-catenin signaling controls intrahepatic biliary network formation in zebrafish by regulating notch activity. Hepatology 2018; 67:2352-2366. [PMID: 29266316 PMCID: PMC5991997 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Malformations of the intrahepatic biliary structure cause cholestasis, a liver pathology that corresponds to poor bile flow, which leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Although the specification of biliary epithelial cells (BECs) that line the bile ducts is fairly well understood, the molecular mechanisms underlying intrahepatic biliary morphogenesis remain largely unknown. Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays multiple roles in liver biology; however, its role in intrahepatic biliary morphogenesis remains unclear. Using pharmacological and genetic tools that allow one to manipulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, we show that in zebrafish both suppression and overactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling impaired intrahepatic biliary morphogenesis. Hepatocytes, but not BECs, exhibited Wnt/β-catenin activity; and the global suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling reduced Notch activity in BECs. Hepatocyte-specific suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling also reduced Notch activity in BECs, indicating a cell nonautonomous role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in regulating hepatic Notch activity. Reducing Notch activity to the same level as that observed in Wnt-suppressed livers also impaired biliary morphogenesis. Intriguingly, expression of the Notch ligand genes jag1b and jag2b in hepatocytes was reduced in Wnt-suppressed livers and enhanced in Wnt-overactivated livers, revealing their regulation by Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Importantly, restoring Notch activity rescued the biliary defects observed in Wnt-suppressed livers. CONCLUSION Wnt/β-catenin signaling cell nonautonomously controls Notch activity in BECs by regulating the expression of Notch ligand genes in hepatocytes, thereby regulating biliary morphogenesis. (Hepatology 2018;67:2352-2366).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhoon So
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Mehwish Khaliq
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kimberley Evason
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nikolay Ninov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Benjamin L. Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Didier Y.R. Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Donghun Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA,Correspondence: Donghun Shin, 3501 5 Ave. #5063 Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 1-412-624-2144 (phone), 1-412-383-2211 (fax),
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25
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Abstract
Prokaryotic type II adaptive immune systems have been developed into the versatile CRISPR technology, which has been widely applied in site-specific genome editing and has revolutionized biomedical research due to its superior efficiency and flexibility. Recent studies have greatly diversified CRISPR technologies by coupling it with various DNA repair mechanisms and targeting strategies. These new advances have significantly expanded the generation of genetically modified animal models, either by including species in which targeted genetic modification could not be achieved previously, or through introducing complex genetic modifications that take multiple steps and cost years to achieve using traditional methods. Herein, we review the recent developments and applications of CRISPR-based technology in generating various animal models, and discuss the everlasting impact of this new progress on biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Ma
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Avery Sum-Yu Wong
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Hei-Yin Tam
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Samuel Yung-Kin Tsui
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Dittman Lai-Shun Chung
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Bo Feng
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine in Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Guangdong 510530, China.,SBS Core Laboratory, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen Guangdong 518057, China
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26
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Ellis JL, Bove KE, Schuetz EG, Leino D, Valencia CA, Schuetz JD, Miethke A, Yin C. Zebrafish abcb11b mutant reveals strategies to restore bile excretion impaired by bile salt export pump deficiency. Hepatology 2018; 67:1531-1545. [PMID: 29091294 PMCID: PMC6480337 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Bile salt export pump (BSEP) adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette B11 (ABCB11) is a liver-specific ABC transporter that mediates canalicular bile salt excretion from hepatocytes. Human mutations in ABCB11 cause progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2. Although over 150 ABCB11 variants have been reported, our understanding of their biological consequences is limited by the lack of an experimental model that recapitulates the patient phenotypes. We applied CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology to knock out abcb11b, the ortholog of human ABCB11, in zebrafish and found that these mutants died prematurely. Histological and ultrastructural analyses showed that abcb11b mutant zebrafish exhibited hepatocyte injury similar to that seen in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2. Hepatocytes of mutant zebrafish failed to excrete the fluorescently tagged bile acid that is a substrate of human BSEP. Multidrug resistance protein 1, which is thought to play a compensatory role in Abcb11 knockout mice, was mislocalized to the hepatocyte cytoplasm in abcb11b mutant zebrafish and in a patient lacking BSEP protein due to nonsense mutations in ABCB11. We discovered that BSEP deficiency induced autophagy in both human and zebrafish hepatocytes. Treatment with rapamycin restored bile acid excretion, attenuated hepatocyte damage, and extended the life span of abcb11b mutant zebrafish, correlating with the recovery of canalicular multidrug resistance protein 1 localization. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these data suggest a model that rapamycin rescues BSEP-deficient phenotypes by prompting alternative transporters to excrete bile salts; multidrug resistance protein 1 is a candidate for such an alternative transporter. (Hepatology 2018;67:1531-1545).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kevin E. Bove
- Department of Pathology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Erin G. Schuetz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Daniel Leino
- Department of Pathology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - C. Alexander Valencia
- Program and Division of Human Genetics, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - John D. Schuetz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alexander Miethke
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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27
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Troll JV, Hamilton MK, Abel ML, Ganz J, Bates JM, Stephens WZ, Melancon E, van der Vaart M, Meijer AH, Distel M, Eisen JS, Guillemin K. Microbiota promote secretory cell determination in the intestinal epithelium by modulating host Notch signaling. Development 2018; 145:145/4/dev155317. [PMID: 29475973 DOI: 10.1242/dev.155317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Resident microbes promote many aspects of host development, although the mechanisms by which microbiota influence host tissues remain unclear. We showed previously that the microbiota is required for allocation of appropriate numbers of secretory cells in the zebrafish intestinal epithelium. Because Notch signaling is crucial for secretory fate determination, we conducted epistasis experiments to establish whether the microbiota modulates host Notch signaling. We also investigated whether innate immune signaling transduces microbiota cues via the Myd88 adaptor protein. We provide the first evidence that microbiota-induced, Myd88-dependent signaling inhibits host Notch signaling in the intestinal epithelium, thereby promoting secretory cell fate determination. These results connect microbiota activity via innate immune signaling to the Notch pathway, which also plays crucial roles in intestinal homeostasis throughout life and when impaired can result in chronic inflammation and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua V Troll
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - M Kristina Hamilton
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Melissa L Abel
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Julia Ganz
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Jennifer M Bates
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - W Zac Stephens
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Ellie Melancon
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Annemarie H Meijer
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Distel
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith S Eisen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Karen Guillemin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA .,Humans and the Microbiome Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1Z8
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28
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Freudenblum J, Iglesias JA, Hermann M, Walsen T, Wilfinger A, Meyer D, Kimmel RA. In vivo imaging of emerging endocrine cells reveals a requirement for PI3K-regulated motility in pancreatic islet morphogenesis. Development 2018; 145:dev.158477. [PMID: 29386244 PMCID: PMC5818004 DOI: 10.1242/dev.158477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The three-dimensional architecture of the pancreatic islet is integral to beta cell function, but the process of islet formation remains poorly understood due to the difficulties of imaging internal organs with cellular resolution. Within transparent zebrafish larvae, the developing pancreas is relatively superficial and thus amenable to live imaging approaches. We performed in vivo time-lapse and longitudinal imaging studies to follow islet development, visualizing both naturally occurring islet cells and cells arising with an accelerated timecourse following an induction approach. These studies revealed previously unappreciated fine dynamic protrusions projecting between neighboring and distant endocrine cells. Using pharmacological compound and toxin interference approaches, and single-cell analysis of morphology and cell dynamics, we determined that endocrine cell motility is regulated by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Linking cell dynamics to islet formation, perturbation of protrusion formation disrupted endocrine cell coalescence, and correlated with decreased islet cell differentiation. These studies identified novel cell behaviors contributing to islet morphogenesis, and suggest a model in which dynamic exploratory filopodia establish cell-cell contacts that subsequently promote cell clustering. Summary: Pancreatic endocrine cells extend previously unrecognized dynamic, flexible, fine projections to guide clustering into a compacted islet in a process regulated by PI3K and GPCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Freudenblum
- Institute of Molecular Biology/CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - José A Iglesias
- Johann Radon Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (RICAM), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Altenbergerstrasse 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Martin Hermann
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innrain 66, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tanja Walsen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck Austria
| | - Armin Wilfinger
- Institute of Molecular Biology/CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dirk Meyer
- Institute of Molecular Biology/CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Robin A Kimmel
- Institute of Molecular Biology/CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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29
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Zhang D, Gates KP, Barske L, Wang G, Lancman JJ, Zeng XXI, Groff M, Wang K, Parsons MJ, Crump JG, Dong PDS. Endoderm Jagged induces liver and pancreas duct lineage in zebrafish. Nat Commun 2017; 8:769. [PMID: 28974684 PMCID: PMC5626745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00666-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver duct paucity is characteristic of children born with Alagille Syndrome (ALGS), a disease associated with JAGGED1 mutations. Here, we report that zebrafish embryos with compound homozygous mutations in two Notch ligand genes, jagged1b (jag1b) and jagged2b (jag2b) exhibit a complete loss of canonical Notch activity and duct cells within the liver and exocrine pancreas, whereas hepatocyte and acinar pancreas development is not affected. Further, animal chimera studies demonstrate that wild-type endoderm cells within the liver and pancreas can rescue Notch activity and duct lineage specification in adjacent cells lacking jag1b and jag2b expression. We conclude that these two Notch ligands are directly and solely responsible for all duct lineage specification in these organs in zebrafish. Our study uncovers genes required for lineage specification of the intrahepatopancreatic duct cells, challenges the role of duct cells as progenitors, and suggests a genetic mechanism for ALGS ductal paucity.The hepatopancreatic duct cells connect liver hepatocytes and pancreatic acinar cells to the intestine, but the mechanism for their lineage specification is unclear. Here, the authors reveal that Notch ligands Jagged1b and Jagged2b induce duct cell lineage in the liver and pancreas of the zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danhua Zhang
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical, Science, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Keith P Gates
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lindsey Barske
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Guangliang Wang
- Department of Surgery, and McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joseph J Lancman
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Xin-Xin I Zeng
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Megan Groff
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Kasper Wang
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Michael J Parsons
- Department of Surgery, and McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - J Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - P Duc Si Dong
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical, Science, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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30
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Dimri M, Bilogan C, Pierce LX, Naegele G, Vasanji A, Gibson I, McClendon A, Tae K, Sakaguchi TF. Three-dimensional structural analysis reveals a Cdk5-mediated kinase cascade regulating hepatic biliary network branching in zebrafish. Development 2017; 144:2595-2605. [PMID: 28720653 DOI: 10.1242/dev.147397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The intrahepatic biliary network is a highly branched three-dimensional network lined by biliary epithelial cells, but how its branching patterns are precisely established is not clear. We designed a new computer-based algorithm that quantitatively computes the structural differences of the three-dimensional networks. Utilizing the algorithm, we showed that inhibition of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) led to reduced branching in the intrahepatic biliary network in zebrafish. Further, we identified a previously unappreciated downstream kinase cascade regulated by Cdk5. Pharmacological manipulations of this downstream kinase cascade produced a crowded branching defect in the intrahepatic biliary network and influenced actin dynamics in biliary epithelial cells. We generated larvae carrying a mutation in cdk5 regulatory subunit 1a (cdk5r1a), an essential activator of Cdk5. cdk5r1a mutant larvae show similar branching defects as those observed in Cdk5 inhibitor-treated larvae. A small-molecule compound that interferes with the downstream kinase cascade rescued the mutant phenotype. These results provide new insights into branching morphogenesis of the intrahepatic biliary network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manali Dimri
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Cassandra Bilogan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Lain X Pierce
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Gregory Naegele
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | | | - Isabel Gibson
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Allyson McClendon
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kevin Tae
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Takuya F Sakaguchi
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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31
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Phenotyping first-generation genome editing mutants: a new standard? Mamm Genome 2017; 28:377-382. [PMID: 28756587 PMCID: PMC5569115 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-017-9711-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in genome engineering has opened the prospect of employing mutant founders for phenotyping cohorts, thus accelerating research projects by circumventing the requirement to generate cohorts using conventional two- or three-generation crosses. However, these first-generation mutants are often genetic mosaics, with a complex and difficult to define genetic make-up. Here, we discuss the potential benefits, challenges and scientific validity of such models.
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32
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Liu YY, Ge C, Tian H, Jiang JY, Zhao FY, Li H, Chen TY, Yao M, Li JJ. The transcription factor Ikaros inhibits cell proliferation by downregulating ANXA4 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:1285-1297. [PMID: 28670491 PMCID: PMC5489778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are affected by complicated signal transduction factors. Our previous study identified Ikaros as a novel reactivated therapeutic target that acts as a transcriptional repressor and reactivates anticancer mechanisms in HCC therapy. Annexin A4 (ANXA4) is a member of the Annexin family that plays an essential role in several cancers, but it has not been investigated in HCC proliferation. Using cDNA microarrays, ANXA4 was shown to be associated with Ikaros in Ikaros-overexpressing cells. The aim of this work was to characterize the relationship between Ikaros and ANXA4 and the role of ANXA4 in HCC. The effect of Ikaros on ANXA4 was analyzed in HCC cell lines and HCC patient samples, and functional recovery experiments were performed between Ikaros and ANXA4. Furthermore, the effect of ANXA4 on cell proliferation in vitro was analyzed by MTT and colony formation assays in HCC cells. We used a subcutaneous xenograft model to elucidate the role of ANXA4 in vivo. We found that ANXA4 overexpression promotes HCC cell proliferation, but Ikaros can inhibit ANXA4 expression by repressing its promoter activity. Moreover, we demonstrated that downregulated expression of ANXA4 inhibited HCC cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings indicate that ANXA4 may be a critical factor in HCC tumorigenesis. Ikaros is an attractive inhibitor of ANXA4 and may function as an anticancer agent in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Yao Liu
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Chao Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Hua Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Yi Jiang
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Fang-Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Tao-Yang Chen
- Qidong Liver Cancer InstituteQidong 226200, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Ming Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, P. R. China
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33
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Villasenor A, Stainier DYR. On the development of the hepatopancreatic ductal system. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 66:69-80. [PMID: 28214561 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The hepatopancreatic ductal system is the collection of ducts that connect the liver and pancreas to the digestive tract. The formation of this system is necessary for the transport of exocrine secretions, for the correct assembly of the pancreatobiliary ductal system, and for the overall function of the digestive system. Studies on endoderm organ formation have significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern organ induction, organ specification and morphogenesis of the major foregut-derived organs. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control the development of the hepatopancreatic ductal system. Here, we provide a description of the different components of the system, summarize its development from the endoderm to a complex system of tubes, list the pathologies produced by anomalies in its development, as well as the molecules and signaling pathways that are known to be involved in its formation. Finally, we discuss its proposed potential as a multipotent cell reservoir and the unresolved questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alethia Villasenor
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
| | - Didier Y R Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
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34
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Wang S, Miller SR, Ober EA, Sadler KC. Making It New Again: Insight Into Liver Development, Regeneration, and Disease From Zebrafish Research. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 124:161-195. [PMID: 28335859 PMCID: PMC6450094 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adult liver of most vertebrates is predominantly comprised of hepatocytes. However, these cells must work in concert with biliary, stellate, vascular, and immune cells to accomplish the vast array of hepatic functions required for physiological homeostasis. Our understanding of liver development was accelerated as zebrafish emerged as an ideal vertebrate system to study embryogenesis. Through work in zebrafish and other models, it is now clear that the cells in the liver develop in a coordinated fashion during embryogenesis through a complex yet incompletely understood set of molecular guidelines. Zebrafish research has uncovered many key players that govern the acquisition of hepatic potential, cell fate, and plasticity. Although rare, some hepatobiliary diseases-especially biliary atresia-are caused by developmental defects; we discuss how research using zebrafish to study liver development has informed our understanding of and approaches to liver disease. The liver can be injured in response to an array of stressors including viral, mechanical/surgical, toxin-induced, immune-mediated, or inborn defects in metabolism. The liver has thus evolved the capacity to efficiently repair and regenerate. We discuss the emerging field of using zebrafish to study liver regeneration and highlight recent advances where zebrafish genetics and imaging approaches have provided novel insights into how cell plasticity contributes to liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wang
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sophie R Miller
- Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Elke A Ober
- Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kirsten C Sadler
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Zhao X, Lorent K, Wilkins B, Marchione DM, Gillespie K, Waisbourd-Zinman O, So J, Koo KA, Shin D, Porter JR, Wells RG, Blair I, Pack M. Glutathione antioxidant pathway activity and reserve determine toxicity and specificity of the biliary toxin biliatresone in zebrafish. Hepatology 2016; 64:894-907. [PMID: 27102575 PMCID: PMC5251204 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Biliatresone is an electrophilic isoflavone isolated from Dysphania species plants that has been causatively linked to naturally occurring outbreaks of a biliary atresia (BA)-like disease in livestock. Biliatresone has selective toxicity for extrahepatic cholangiocytes (EHCs) in zebrafish larvae. To better understand its mechanism of toxicity, we performed transcriptional profiling of liver cells isolated from zebrafish larvae at the earliest stage of biliatresone-mediated biliary injury, with subsequent comparison of biliary and hepatocyte gene expression profiles. Transcripts encoded by genes involved in redox stress response, particularly those involved in glutathione (GSH) metabolism, were among the most prominently up-regulated in both cholangiocytes and hepatocytes of biliatresone-treated larvae. Consistent with these findings, hepatic GSH was depleted at the onset of biliary injury, and in situ mapping of the hepatic GSH redox potential using a redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein biosensor showed that it was significantly more oxidized in EHCs both before and after treatment with biliatresone. Pharmacological and genetic manipulation of GSH redox homeostasis confirmed the importance of GSH in modulating biliatresone-induced injury given that GSH depletion sensitized both EHCs and the otherwise resistant intrahepatic cholangiocytes to the toxin, whereas replenishing GSH level by N-acetylcysteine administration or activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (Nrf2), a transcriptional regulator of GSH synthesis, inhibited EHC injury. CONCLUSION These findings strongly support redox stress as a critical contributing factor in biliatresone-induced cholangiocyte injury, and suggest that variations in intrinsic stress responses underlie the susceptibility profile. Insufficient antioxidant capacity of EHCs may be critical to early pathogenesis of human BA. (Hepatology 2016;64:894-907).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kristin Lorent
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin Wilkins
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dylan M. Marchione
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin Gillespie
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Orith Waisbourd-Zinman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Juhoon So
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kyung Ah Koo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Donghun Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - John R. Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian Blair
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Pack
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA., Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Huang W, Beer RL, Delaspre F, Wang G, Edelman HE, Park H, Azuma M, Parsons MJ. Sox9b is a mediator of retinoic acid signaling restricting endocrine progenitor differentiation. Dev Biol 2016; 418:28-39. [PMID: 27565026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Centroacinar cells (CACs) are ductal Notch-responsive progenitors that in the larval zebrafish pancreas differentiate to form new islets and ultimately contribute to the majority of the adult endocrine mass. Uncovering the mechanisms regulating CAC differentiation will facilitate understanding how insulin-producing β cells are formed. Previously we reported retinoic acid (RA) signaling and Notch signaling both regulate larval CAC differentiation, suggesting a shared downstream intermediate. Sox9b is a transcription factor important for islet formation whose expression is upregulated by Notch signaling in larval CACs. Here we report that sox9b expression in larval CACs is also regulated by RA signaling. Therefore, we hypothesized that Sox9b is an intermediate between both RA- and Notch-signaling pathways. In order to study the role of Sox9b in larval CACs, we generated two cre/lox based transgenic tools, which allowed us to express full-length or truncated Sox9b in larval CACs. In this way we were able to perform spatiotemporal-controlled Sox9b gain- and loss-of-function studies and observe the subsequent effect on progenitor differentiation. Our results are consistent with Sox9b regulating CAC differentiation by being a downstream intermediate of both RA- and Notch-signaling pathways. We also demonstrate that adult zebrafish with only one functional allele of sox9b undergo accelerated β-cell regeneration, an observation consistent with sox9b regulating CAC differentiation in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rebecca L Beer
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Fabien Delaspre
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Guangliang Wang
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hannah E Edelman
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hyewon Park
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Mizuki Azuma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Michael J Parsons
- McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Lorent K, Gong W, Koo KA, Waisbourd-Zinman O, Karjoo S, Zhao X, Sealy I, Kettleborough RN, Stemple DL, Windsor PA, Whittaker SJ, Porter JR, Wells RG, Pack M. Identification of a plant isoflavonoid that causes biliary atresia. Sci Transl Med 2016; 7:286ra67. [PMID: 25947162 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaa1652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rapidly progressive and destructive fibrotic disorder of unknown etiology affecting the extrahepatic biliary tree of neonates. Epidemiological studies suggest that an environmental factor, such as a virus or toxin, is the cause of the disease, although none have been definitively established. Several naturally occurring outbreaks of BA in Australian livestock have been associated with the ingestion of unusual plants by pregnant animals during drought conditions. We used a biliary secretion assay in zebrafish to isolate a previously undescribed isoflavonoid, biliatresone, from Dysphania species implicated in a recent BA outbreak. This compound caused selective destruction of the extrahepatic, but not intrahepatic, biliary system of larval zebrafish. A mutation that enhanced biliatresone toxicity mapped to a region of the zebrafish genome that has conserved synteny with an established human BA susceptibility locus. The toxin also caused loss of cilia in neonatal mouse extrahepatic cholangiocytes in culture and disrupted cell polarity and monolayer integrity in cholangiocyte spheroids. Together, these findings provide direct evidence that BA could be initiated by perinatal exposure to an environmental toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Lorent
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Weilong Gong
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kyung A Koo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Orith Waisbourd-Zinman
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Sara Karjoo
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiao Zhao
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian Sealy
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ross N Kettleborough
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Derek L Stemple
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Peter A Windsor
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - Stephen J Whittaker
- Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority, Albury, New South Wales 2640, Australia
| | - John R Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Michael Pack
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Xu J, Cui J, Del Campo A, Shin CH. Four and a Half LIM Domains 1b (Fhl1b) Is Essential for Regulating the Liver versus Pancreas Fate Decision and for β-Cell Regeneration. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005831. [PMID: 26845333 PMCID: PMC4741517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver and pancreas originate from overlapping embryonic regions, and single-cell lineage tracing in zebrafish has shown that Bone morphogenetic protein 2b (Bmp2b) signaling is essential for determining the fate of bipotential hepatopancreatic progenitors towards the liver or pancreas. Despite its pivotal role, the gene regulatory networks functioning downstream of Bmp2b signaling in this process are poorly understood. We have identified four and a half LIM domains 1b (fhl1b), which is primarily expressed in the prospective liver anlage, as a novel target of Bmp2b signaling. fhl1b depletion compromised liver specification and enhanced induction of pancreatic cells from endodermal progenitors. Conversely, overexpression of fhl1b favored liver specification and inhibited induction of pancreatic cells. By single-cell lineage tracing, we showed that fhl1b depletion led lateral endodermal cells, destined to become liver cells, to become pancreatic cells. Reversely, when fhl1b was overexpressed, medially located endodermal cells, fated to differentiate into pancreatic and intestinal cells, contributed to the liver by directly or indirectly modulating the discrete levels of pdx1 expression in endodermal progenitors. Moreover, loss of fhl1b increased the regenerative capacity of β-cells by increasing pdx1 and neurod expression in the hepatopancreatic ductal system. Altogether, these data reveal novel and critical functions of Fhl1b in the hepatic versus pancreatic fate decision and in β-cell regeneration. Lineage-specific multipotent progenitors play crucial roles in embryonic development, regeneration in adult tissues, and diseases such as cancer. Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling is critical for regulating the cell fate choice of liver versus pancreas, two essential organs of body metabolism. Through transcriptome profiling of endodermal tissues exposed to increased or decreased Bmp2b signaling, we have discovered the zebrafish gene four and a half LIM domains 1b (fhl1b) as a novel target of Bmp2b signaling. fhl1b is primarily expressed in the prospective liver anlage. Loss- and gain-of-function analyses indicate that Fhl1b suppresses specification of the pancreas and induces the liver. By single-cell lineage tracing, we showed that depletion of fhl1b caused a liver-to-pancreas fate switch, while fhl1b overexpression redirected pancreatic progenitors to become liver cells. At later stages, Fhl1b regulates regeneration of insulin-secreting β-cells by directly or indirectly modulating pdx1 and neurod expression in the hepatopancreatic ductal system. Therefore, our work provides a novel paradigm of how Bmp signaling regulates the hepatic versus pancreatic fate decision and β-cell regeneration through its novel target Fhl1b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Xu
- School of Biology and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jiaxi Cui
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Chong Hyun Shin
- School of Biology and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Mayrhofer M, Mione M. The Toolbox for Conditional Zebrafish Cancer Models. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 916:21-59. [PMID: 27165348 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30654-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe the conditional zebrafish cancer toolbox, which allows for fine control of the expression of oncogenes or downregulation of tumor suppressors at the spatial and temporal level. Methods such as the Gal4/UAS or the Cre/lox systems paved the way to the development of elegant tumor models, which are now being used to study cancer cell biology, clonal evolution, identification of cancer stem cells and anti-cancer drug screening. Combination of these tools, as well as novel developments such as the promising genome editing system through CRISPR/Cas9 and clever application of light reactive proteins will enable the development of even more sophisticated zebrafish cancer models. Here, we introduce this growing toolbox of conditional transgenic approaches, discuss its current application in zebrafish cancer models and provide an outlook on future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Mayrhofer
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Marina Mione
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
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40
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Progenitor potential of nkx6.1-expressing cells throughout zebrafish life and during beta cell regeneration. BMC Biol 2015; 13:70. [PMID: 26329351 PMCID: PMC4556004 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-015-0179-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In contrast to mammals, the zebrafish has the remarkable capacity to regenerate its pancreatic beta cells very efficiently. Understanding the mechanisms of regeneration in the zebrafish and the differences with mammals will be fundamental to discovering molecules able to stimulate the regeneration process in mammals. To identify the pancreatic cells able to give rise to new beta cells in the zebrafish, we generated new transgenic lines allowing the tracing of multipotent pancreatic progenitors and endocrine precursors. Results Using novel bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic nkx6.1 and ascl1b reporter lines, we established that nkx6.1-positive cells give rise to all the pancreatic cell types and ascl1b-positive cells give rise to all the endocrine cell types in the zebrafish embryo. These two genes are initially co-expressed in the pancreatic primordium and their domains segregate, not as a result of mutual repression, but through the opposite effects of Notch signaling, maintaining nkx6.1 expression while repressing ascl1b in progenitors. In the adult zebrafish, nkx6.1 expression persists exclusively in the ductal tree at the tip of which its expression coincides with Notch active signaling in centroacinar/terminal end duct cells. Tracing these cells reveals that they are able to differentiate into other ductal cells and into insulin-expressing cells in normal (non-diabetic) animals. This capacity of ductal cells to generate endocrine cells is supported by the detection of ascl1b in the nkx6.1:GFP ductal cell transcriptome. This transcriptome also reveals, besides actors of the Notch and Wnt pathways, several novel markers such as id2a. Finally, we show that beta cell ablation in the adult zebrafish triggers proliferation of ductal cells and their differentiation into insulin-expressing cells. Conclusions We have shown that, in the zebrafish embryo, nkx6.1+ cells are bona fide multipotent pancreatic progenitors, while ascl1b+ cells represent committed endocrine precursors. In contrast to the mouse, pancreatic progenitor markers nkx6.1 and pdx1 continue to be expressed in adult ductal cells, a subset of which we show are still able to proliferate and undergo ductal and endocrine differentiation, providing robust evidence of the existence of pancreatic progenitor/stem cells in the adult zebrafish. Our findings support the hypothesis that nkx6.1+ pancreatic progenitors contribute to beta cell regeneration. Further characterization of these cells will open up new perspectives for anti-diabetic therapies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-015-0179-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Id2a is required for hepatic outgrowth during liver development in zebrafish. Mech Dev 2015; 138 Pt 3:399-414. [PMID: 26022495 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During development, inhibitor of DNA binding (Id) proteins, a subclass of the helix-loop-helix family of proteins, regulate cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in various organs. However, a functional role of Id2a in liver development has not yet been reported. Here, using zebrafish as a model organism, we provide in vivo evidence that Id2a regulates hepatoblast proliferation and cell death during liver development. Initially, in the liver, id2a is expressed in hepatoblasts and after their differentiation, id2a expression is restricted to biliary epithelial cells. id2a knockdown in zebrafish embryos had no effect on hepatoblast specification or hepatocyte differentiation. However, liver size was greatly reduced in id2a morpholino-injected embryos, indicative of a hepatic outgrowth defect attributable to the significant decrease in proliferating hepatoblasts concomitant with the significant increase in hepatoblast cell death. Altogether, these data support the role of Id2a as an important regulator of hepatic outgrowth via modulation of hepatoblast proliferation and survival during liver development in zebrafish.
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Cox AG, Goessling W. The lure of zebrafish in liver research: regulation of hepatic growth in development and regeneration. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2015; 32:153-61. [PMID: 25863341 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The liver is an essential organ that plays a pivotal role in metabolism, digestion and nutrient storage. Major efforts have been made to develop zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system to study the pathways regulating hepatic growth during liver development and regeneration. Zebrafish offer unique advantages over other vertebrates including in vivo imaging at cellular resolution and the capacity for large-scale chemical and genetic screens. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate hepatic growth during liver development in zebrafish. We also highlight emerging evidence that developmental pathways are reactivated following liver injury to facilitate regeneration. Finally, we discuss how zebrafish have transformed drug discovery efforts and enabled the identification of drugs that stimulate hepatic growth and provide hepatoprotection in pre-clinical models of liver injury, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic approaches to treat liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Cox
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Wolfram Goessling
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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Wen W, Pillai-Kastoori L, Wilson SG, Morris AC. Sox4 regulates choroid fissure closure by limiting Hedgehog signaling during ocular morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2014; 399:139-153. [PMID: 25557621 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
SoxC transcription factors play critical roles in many developmental processes, including neurogenesis, cardiac formation, and skeletal differentiation. In vitro and in vivo loss-of-function studies have suggested that SoxC genes are required for oculogenesis; however the mechanism was poorly understood. Here, we have explored the function of the SoxC factor Sox4 during zebrafish eye development. We show that sox4a and sox4b are expressed in the forebrain and periocular mesenchyme adjacent to the optic stalk during early eye development. Knockdown of sox4 in zebrafish resulted in coloboma, a structural malformation of the eye that is a significant cause of pediatric visual impairment in humans, in which the choroid fissure fails to close. Sox4 morphants displayed altered proximo-distal patterning of the optic vesicle, including expanded pax2 expression in the optic stalk, as well as ectopic cell proliferation in the retina. We show that the abnormal ocular morphogenesis observed in Sox4-deficient zebrafish is caused by elevated Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, and this is due to increased expression of the Hh pathway ligand Indian Hedgehog b (ihhb). Consistent with these results, coloboma in sox4 morphants could be rescued by pharmacological treatment with the Hh inhibitor cyclopamine, or by co-knockdown of ihhb. Conversely, overexpression of sox4 reduced Hh signaling and ihhb expression, resulting in cyclopia. Finally, we demonstrate that sox4 and sox11 have overlapping, but not completely redundant, functions in regulating ocular morphogenesis. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Sox4 is required to limit the extent of Hh signaling during eye development, and suggest that mutations in SoxC factors could contribute to the development of coloboma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wen
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
| | | | - Stephen G Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
| | - Ann C Morris
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA.
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