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Kim HS, Sanchez ML, Silva J, Schubert HL, Dennis R, Hill CP, Christian JL. Mutations that prevent phosphorylation of the BMP4 prodomain impair proteolytic maturation of homodimers leading to lethality in mice. eLife 2025; 14:RP105018. [PMID: 40439112 PMCID: PMC12122004 DOI: 10.7554/elife.105018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2025] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein4 (BMP4) plays numerous roles during embryogenesis and can signal either alone as a homodimer, or together with BMP7 as a more active heterodimer. BMPs are generated as inactive precursor proteins that dimerize and are cleaved to generate the bioactive ligand and inactive prodomain fragments. In humans, heterozygous mutations within the prodomain of BMP4 are associated with birth defects. We studied the effect of two of these mutations (p.S91C and p.E93G), which disrupt a conserved FAM20C phosphorylation motif, on ligand activity. We compared the activity of ligands generated from BMP4, BMP4S91C, or BMP4E93G in Xenopus embryos and found that these mutations reduce the activity of BMP4 homodimers but not BMP4/7 heterodimers. We generated Bmp4S91C and Bmp4E93G knock-in mice and found that Bmp4S91C/S91C mice die by E11.5 and display reduced BMP activity in multiple tissues including the heart. Most Bmp4E93G/E93G mice die before weaning and Bmp4-/E93G mutants die prenatally with reduced or absent eyes, heart, and ventral body wall closure defects. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from Bmp4S91C and Bmp4E93G embryos show accumulation of BMP4 precursor protein, reduced levels of cleaved BMP ligand and reduced BMP activity relative to MEFs from wild type littermates. Because Bmp7 is not expressed in MEFs, the accumulation of unprocessed BMP4 precursor protein in mice carrying these mutations most likely reflects an inability to cleave BMP4 homodimers, leading to reduced levels of ligand and BMP activity in vivo. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of the BMP4 prodomain is required for proteolytic activation of BMP4 homodimers, but not heterodimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Seok Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Mary L Sanchez
- Department of Neurobiology, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Joshua Silva
- Department of Neurobiology, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Heidi L Schubert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Rebecca Dennis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Christopher P Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Jan L Christian
- Department of Neurobiology, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
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2
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Kim HS, Sanchez ML, Silva J, Schubert HL, Dennis R, Hill CP, Christian JL. Mutations that prevent phosphorylation of the BMP4 prodomain impair proteolytic maturation of homodimers leading to lethality in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2024.10.08.617306. [PMID: 39416136 PMCID: PMC11482978 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.08.617306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein4 (BMP4) plays numerous roles during embryogenesis and can signal either alone as a homodimer, or together with BMP7 as a more active heterodimer. BMPs are generated as inactive precursor proteins that dimerize and are cleaved to generate the bioactive ligand and inactive prodomain fragments. In humans, heterozygous mutations within the prodomain of BMP4 are associated with birth defects. We studied the effect of two of these mutations (p.S91C and p.E93G), which disrupt a conserved FAM20C phosphorylation motif, on ligand activity. We compared the activity of ligands generated from BMP4, BMP4S91C or BMP4E93G in Xenopus embryos and found that these mutations reduce the activity of BMP4 homodimers but not BMP4/7 heterodimers. We generated Bmp4 S91C and Bmp4 E93G knock-in mice and found that Bmp4 S91C/S91C mice die by E11.5 and display reduced BMP activity in multiple tissues including the heart. Most Bmp4 E93G/E93G mice die before weaning and Bmp4 -/E93G mutants die prenatally with reduced or absent eyes, heart and ventral body wall closure defects. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from Bmp4 S91C and Bmp4 E93G embryos show accumulation of BMP4 precursor protein, reduced levels of cleaved BMP ligand and reduced BMP activity relative to MEFs from wild type littermates. Because Bmp7 is not expressed in MEFs, the accumulation of unprocessed BMP4 precursor protein in mice carrying these mutations most likely reflects an inability to cleave BMP4 homodimers, leading to reduced levels of ligand and BMP activity in vivo. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of the BMP4 prodomain is required for proteolytic activation of BMP4 homodimers, but not heterodimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-seok Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Mary L. Sanchez
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Joshua Silva
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Heidi L. Schubert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Rebecca Dennis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Christopher P. Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
| | - Jan L. Christian
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
- Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
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Liu L, Kitano J, Shigenobu S, Ishikawa A. Co-profiling of single-cell gene expression and chromatin landscapes in stickleback pituitary. Sci Data 2025; 12:41. [PMID: 39789025 PMCID: PMC11718312 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-025-04376-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/01/2025] [Indexed: 01/12/2025] Open
Abstract
The pituitary gland is a key endocrine gland with various physiological functions including metabolism, growth, and reproduction. It comprises several distinct cell populations that release multiple polypeptide hormones. Although the major endocrine cell types are conserved across taxa, the regulatory mechanisms of gene expression and chromatin organization in specific cell types remain poorly understood. Here, we performed simultaneous profiling of the transcriptome and chromatin landscapes in the pituitary cells of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), which represents a good model for investigating the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution. We obtained pairwise gene expression and chromatin profiles for 5184 cells under short- and long-day conditions. Using three independent clustering analyses, we identified 16 distinct cell clusters and validated their consistency. These results advance our understanding of the regulatory dynamics in the pituitary gland and provide a reference for future research on comparative physiology and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecological Genetics, Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jun Kitano
- Ecological Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Asano Ishikawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecological Genetics, Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
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4
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Chauhan P, Xue Y, Kim HS, Fisher AL, Babitt JL, Christian JL. The prodomain of bone morphogenetic protein 2 promotes dimerization and cleavage of BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107790. [PMID: 39303917 PMCID: PMC11735993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and BMP6 are key regulators of systemic iron homeostasis. All BMPs are generated as inactive precursor proteins that dimerize and are cleaved to generate the bioactive ligand and inactive prodomain fragments, but nothing is known about how BMP2 or BMP6 homodimeric or heterodimeric precursor proteins are proteolytically activated. Here, we conducted in vitro cleavage assays, which revealed that BMP2 is sequentially cleaved by furin at two sites, initially at a site upstream of the mature ligand, and then at a site adjacent to the ligand domain, while BMP6 is cleaved at a single furin motif. Cleavage of both sites of BMP2 is required to generate fully active BMP2 homodimers when expressed in Xenopus embryos or liver endothelial cells, and fully active BMP2/6 heterodimers in Xenopus. We analyzed BMP activity in Xenopus embryos expressing chimeric proteins consisting of the BMP2 prodomain and BMP6 ligand domain, or vice versa. We show that the prodomain of BMP2 is necessary and sufficient to generate active BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers, whereas the BMP6 prodomain cannot generate active BMP2 homodimers or BMP2/6 heterodimers. We examined BMP2 and BMP6 homodimeric and heterodimeric ligands generated from native and chimeric precursor proteins expressed in Xenopus embryos. Whereas native BMP6 is not cleaved when expressed alone, it is cleaved to generate BMP2/6 heterodimers when co-expressed with BMP2. Furthermore, BMP2-6 chimeras are cleaved to generate BMP6 homodimers. Our findings reveal an important role for the BMP2 prodomain in dimerization and proteolytic activation of BMP6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Chauhan
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Yongqiang Xue
- Nephrology Division and Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hyung-Seok Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Allison L Fisher
- Nephrology Division and Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jodie L Babitt
- Nephrology Division and Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jan L Christian
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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Liu Q, Lin Z, Yue M, Wu J, Li L, Huang D, Fang Y, Zhang X, Hao T. Identification and validation of ferroptosis related markers in erythrocyte differentiation of umbilical cord blood-derived CD34 + cell by bioinformatic analysis. Front Genet 2024; 15:1365232. [PMID: 39139819 PMCID: PMC11319168 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1365232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis has been observed to play an important role during erythrocyte differentiation (ED). However, the biological gene markers and ferroptosis mechanisms in ED remain unknown. We downloaded the datasets of ED in human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Using median differentiation time, the sample was categorized into long and short groups. The differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DE-FRGs) were screened using differential expression analysis. The enrichment analyses and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were conducted. To predict the ED stage, a logistic regression model was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Overall, 22 DE-FRGs were identified. Ferroptosis-related pathways were enriched using Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Gene Set Variation Analysis revealed the primary involvement of DE-FRGs in JAK-STAT, MAPK, PI3K-AKT-mTORC1, WNT, and NOTCH signaling pathways. Ten-hub DE-FRGs were obtained using PPI analysis. Furthermore, we constructed mRNA-microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA-transcription factor networks. Immune cell infiltration levels differed significantly during ED. LASSO regression analysis established a signature using six DE-FRGs (ATF3, CDH2, CHAC1, DDR2, DPP4, and GDF15) related to the ED stage. Bioinformatic analyses identified ferroptosis-associated genes during ED, which were further validated. Overall, we identified ferroptosis-related genes to predict their correlations in ED. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis may help us better understand pathophysiological changes in ED and provide new evidence for clinical transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Ze Lin
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Minghui Yue
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianbo Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Cardiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Daqi Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Yipeng Fang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Hao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
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6
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Chauhan P, Xue Y, Fisher AL, Kim HS, Babitt JL, Christian JL. The BMP2 prodomain promotes dimerization and cleavage of BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599755. [PMID: 38948827 PMCID: PMC11212948 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and BMP6 are key regulators of systemic iron homeostasis. All BMPs are generated as inactive precursor proteins that dimerize and are cleaved to generate the bioactive ligand and inactive prodomain fragments, but nothing is known about how BMP2 or BMP6 homodimeric or heterodimeric precursor proteins are proteolytically activated. Here, we conducted in vitro cleavage assays, which revealed that BMP2 is sequentially cleaved by furin at two sites, initially at a site upstream of the mature ligand, and then at a site adjacent to the ligand domain, while BMP6 is cleaved at a single furin motif. Cleavage of both sites of BMP2 is required to generate fully active BMP2 homodimers when expressed in Xenopus embryos or liver endothelial cells, and fully active BMP2/6 heterodimers in Xenopus . We analyzed BMP activity in Xenopus embryos expressing chimeric proteins consisting of the BMP2 prodomain and BMP6 ligand domain, or vice versa. We show that the prodomain of BMP2 is necessary and sufficient to generate active BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers, whereas the BMP6 prodomain cannot generate active BMP2 homodimers or BMP2/6 heterodimers. We examined BMP2 and BMP6 homodimeric and heterodimeric ligands generated from native and chimeric precursor proteins expressed in Xenopus embryos. Whereas native BMP6 is not cleaved when expressed alone, it is cleaved to generate BMP2/6 heterodimers when co-expressed with BMP2. Furthermore, BMP2-6 chimeras are cleaved to generate BMP6 homodimers. Our findings reveal an important role for the BMP2 prodomain in dimerization and proteolytic activation of BMP6.
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7
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Sonn I, Honda-Ozaki F, Yoshimatsu S, Morimoto S, Watanabe H, Okano H. Single transcription factor efficiently leads human induced pluripotent stem cells to functional microglia. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:20. [PMID: 35773727 PMCID: PMC9248164 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00201-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microglia are innate immune cells that are the only residential macrophages in the central nervous system. They play vital physiological roles in the adult brain and during development. Microglia are particularly in the spotlight because many genetic risk factors recently identified for neurodegenerative diseases are largely expressed in microglia. Rare polymorphisms in these risk alleles lead to abnormal activity of microglia under traumatic or disease conditions. Methods In the present study, to investigate the multifaceted functions of human microglia, we established a novel robust protocol to generate microglia from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) using a combination of cytokines and small chemicals essential for microglia ontogeny. Moreover, we highly enhanced the microglial differentiation efficiency by forcing the expression of PU.1, a crucial transcription factor for microglial development, during posterior mesoderm differentiation. Results By our novel method, we demonstrated the generation of a greater number of hiPSC-derived microglia (hiMGLs, approximately 120-folds) than the prior methods (at most 40-folds). Over 90% of the hiMGLs expressed microglia-specific markers, such as CX3CR1 and IBA-1. Whole-transcriptome analysis revealed that these hiMGLs are similar to human primary microglia but differ from monocytes/macrophages. Furthermore, the specific physiological functions of microglia were confirmed through indices of lipopolysaccharide responsiveness, phagocytotic ability, and inflammasome formation. By co-culturing these hiMGLs with mouse primary neurons, we demonstrated that hiMGLs can regulate the activity and maturation of neurons. Conclusions In this study, our new simple, rapid, and highly efficient method for generating microglia from hiPSCs will prove useful for future investigations on microglia in both physiological and disease conditions, as well as for drug discovery. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41232-022-00201-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iki Sonn
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Fumiko Honda-Ozaki
- K Pharma, Inc., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 251-8555, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Sho Yoshimatsu
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Satoru Morimoto
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Watanabe
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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Ventx Family and Its Functional Similarities with Nanog: Involvement in Embryonic Development and Cancer Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052741. [PMID: 35269883 PMCID: PMC8911082 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ventx family is one of the subfamilies of the ANTP (antennapedia) superfamily and belongs to the NK-like (NKL) subclass. Ventx is a homeobox transcription factor and has a DNA-interacting domain that is evolutionarily conserved throughout vertebrates. It has been extensively studied in Xenopus, zebrafish, and humans. The Ventx family contains transcriptional repressors widely involved in embryonic development and tumorigenesis in vertebrates. Several studies have documented that the Ventx family inhibited dorsal mesodermal formation, neural induction, and head formation in Xenopus and zebrafish. Moreover, Ventx2.2 showed functional similarities to Nanog and Barx1, leading to pluripotency and neural-crest migration in vertebrates. Among them, Ventx protein is an orthologue of the Ventx family in humans. Studies have demonstrated that human Ventx was strongly associated with myeloid-cell differentiation and acute myeloid leukemia. The therapeutic potential of Ventx family inhibition in combating cancer progression in humans is discussed. Additionally, we briefly discuss genome evolution, gene duplication, pseudo-allotetraploidy, and the homeobox family in Xenopus.
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Tril dampens Nodal signaling through Pellino2- and Traf6-mediated activation of Nedd4l. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2104661118. [PMID: 34475212 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104661118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr) interactor with leucine-rich repeats (Tril) functions as a Tlr coreceptor to mediate innate immunity in adults. In Xenopus embryos, Tril triggers degradation of the transforming growth factor β (Tgf-ß) family inhibitor, Smad7. This enhances bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling to enable ventral mesoderm to commit to a blood fate. Here, we show that Tril simultaneously dampens Nodal signaling by catalytically activating the ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 Like (Nedd4l). Nedd4l then targets Nodal receptors for degradation. How Tril signals are transduced in a nonimmune context is unknown. We identify the ubiquitin ligase Pellino2 as a protein that binds to the cytoplasmic tail of Tril and subsequently forms a complex with Nedd4l and another E3 ligase, TNF-receptor associated factor 6 (Traf6). Pellino2 and Traf6 are essential for catalytic activation of Nedd4l, both in Xenopus and in mammalian cells. Traf6 ubiquitinates Nedd4l, which is then recruited to membrane compartments where activation occurs. Collectively, our findings reveal that Tril initiates a noncanonical Tlr-like signaling cascade to activate Nedd4l, thereby coordinately regulating the Bmp and Nodal arms of the Tgf-ß superfamily during vertebrate development.
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Sainz de Aja J, Menchero S, Rollan I, Barral A, Tiana M, Jawaid W, Cossio I, Alvarez A, Carreño‐Tarragona G, Badia‐Careaga C, Nichols J, Göttgens B, Isern J, Manzanares M. The pluripotency factor NANOG controls primitive hematopoiesis and directly regulates Tal1. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.201899122. [PMID: 30814124 PMCID: PMC6443201 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201899122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Progenitors of the first hematopoietic cells in the mouse arise in the early embryo from Brachyury-positive multipotent cells in the posterior-proximal region of the epiblast, but the mechanisms that specify primitive blood cells are still largely unknown. Pluripotency factors maintain uncommitted cells of the blastocyst and embryonic stem cells in the pluripotent state. However, little is known about the role played by these factors during later development, despite being expressed in the postimplantation epiblast. Using a dual transgene system for controlled expression at postimplantation stages, we found that Nanog blocks primitive hematopoiesis in the gastrulating embryo, resulting in a loss of red blood cells and downregulation of erythropoietic genes. Accordingly, Nanog-deficient embryonic stem cells are prone to erythropoietic differentiation. Moreover, Nanog expression in adults prevents the maturation of erythroid cells. By analysis of previous data for NANOG binding during stem cell differentiation and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we found that Tal1 is a direct NANOG target. Our results show that Nanog regulates primitive hematopoiesis by directly repressing critical erythroid lineage specifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Sainz de Aja
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Sergio Menchero
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Isabel Rollan
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Antonio Barral
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Maria Tiana
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Wajid Jawaid
- Wellcome‐Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUK,Department of HaematologyCambridge Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Itziar Cossio
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Alba Alvarez
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | - Gonzalo Carreño‐Tarragona
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain,Department of HaematologyHospital 12 de OctubreMadridSpain
| | | | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome‐Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUK,Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Berthold Göttgens
- Wellcome‐Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUK,Department of HaematologyCambridge Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Joan Isern
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC)MadridSpain,Department of Experimental & Health SciencesUniversity Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Miguel Manzanares
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
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11
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Kim HS, McKnite A, Xie Y, Christian JL. Fibronectin type III and intracellular domains of Toll-like receptor 4 interactor with leucine-rich repeats (Tril) are required for developmental signaling. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:523-531. [PMID: 29298840 PMCID: PMC6004582 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-07-0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 interactor with leucine-rich repeats (Tril) functions as a coreceptor for Toll-like receptors (Tlrs) to mediate innate immune responses in adults. In embryos, Tril signals to promote degradation of the Bmp inhibitor, Smad7, to allow for blood formation. It is not known whether this function requires, or is independent of, Tlrs. In the current studies, we performed a structure-function analysis, which indicated that the fibronectin type III (FN) domain and the intracellular domain of Tril are required to trigger Smad7 degradation in Xenopus embryos. Furthermore, we found evidence suggesting that a Tril deletion mutant lacking the FN domain (Tril∆FN) can dominantly inhibit signaling by endogenous Tril when overexpressed. This finding raises the possibility that the FN domain functions to bind endogenous Tril ligands. We also show that Tril cycles between the cell surface and endosomes and that the Tril extracellular domain, as well as cadherin based cell-cell adhesion, are required for cell surface retention, while the intracellular domain is required for internalization in Xenopus ectodermal explants. Using a CHO cell aggregation assay, we show that, unlike other transmembrane proteins that contain leucine-rich repeats, Tril is not sufficient to mediate homophilic adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Seok Kim
- Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 94132
| | - Autumn McKnite
- Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 94132
| | - Yuanyuan Xie
- Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 94132
| | - Jan L Christian
- Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 94132
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Sater AK, Moody SA. Using Xenopus to understand human disease and developmental disorders. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28095616 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Model animals are crucial to biomedical research. Among the commonly used model animals, the amphibian, Xenopus, has had tremendous impact because of its unique experimental advantages, cost effectiveness, and close evolutionary relationship with mammals as a tetrapod. Over the past 50 years, the use of Xenopus has made possible many fundamental contributions to biomedicine, and it is a cornerstone of research in cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, immunology, molecular biology, neurobiology, and physiology. The prospects for Xenopus as an experimental system are excellent: Xenopus is uniquely well-suited for many contemporary approaches used to study fundamental biological and disease mechanisms. Moreover, recent advances in high throughput DNA sequencing, genome editing, proteomics, and pharmacological screening are easily applicable in Xenopus, enabling rapid functional genomics and human disease modeling at a systems level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Sater
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Sally A Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia
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Early Transcriptional Changes Induced by Wnt/ β-Catenin Signaling in Hippocampal Neurons. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:4672841. [PMID: 28116168 PMCID: PMC5223035 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4672841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling modulates brain development and function and its deregulation underlies pathological changes occurring in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since one of the main effects of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is the modulation of target genes, in the present work we examined global transcriptional changes induced by short-term Wnt3a treatment (4 h) in primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons. RNAseq experiments allowed the identification of 170 differentially expressed genes, including known Wnt/β-catenin target genes such as Notum, Axin2, and Lef1, as well as novel potential candidates Fam84a, Stk32a, and Itga9. Main biological processes enriched with differentially expressed genes included neural precursor (GO:0061364, p-adjusted = 2.5 × 10−7), forebrain development (GO:0030900, p-adjusted = 7.3 × 10−7), and stem cell differentiation (GO:0048863 p-adjusted = 7.3 × 10−7). Likewise, following activation of the signaling cascade, the expression of a significant number of genes with transcription factor activity (GO:0043565, p-adjusted = 4.1 × 10−6) was induced. We also studied molecular networks enriched upon Wnt3a activation and detected three highly significant expression modules involved in glycerolipid metabolic process (GO:0046486, p-adjusted = 4.5 × 10−19), learning or memory (GO:0007611, p-adjusted = 4.0 × 10−5), and neurotransmitter secretion (GO:0007269, p-adjusted = 5.3 × 10−12). Our results indicate that Wnt/β-catenin mediated transcription controls multiple biological processes related to neuronal structure and activity that are affected in synaptic dysfunction disorders.
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Green YS, Kwon S, Mimoto MS, Xie Y, Christian JL. Tril targets Smad7 for degradation to allow hematopoietic specification in Xenopus embryos. Development 2016; 143:4016-4026. [PMID: 27633996 DOI: 10.1242/dev.141812] [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: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In Xenopus laevis, bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) induce expression of the transcription factor Gata2 during gastrulation, and Gata2 is required in both ectodermal and mesodermal cells to enable mesoderm to commit to a hematopoietic fate. Here, we identify tril as a Gata2 target gene that is required in both ectoderm and mesoderm for primitive hematopoiesis to occur. Tril is a transmembrane protein that functions as a co-receptor for Toll-like receptors to mediate innate immune responses in the adult brain, but developmental roles for this molecule have not been identified. We show that Tril function is required both upstream and downstream of Bmp receptor-mediated Smad1 phosphorylation for induction of Bmp target genes. Mechanistically, Tril triggers degradation of the Bmp inhibitor Smad7. Tril-dependent downregulation of Smad7 relieves repression of endogenous Bmp signaling during gastrulation and this enables mesodermal progenitors to commit to a blood fate. Thus, Tril is a novel component of a Bmp-Gata2 positive-feedback loop that plays an essential role in hematopoietic specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangsook Song Green
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Sunjong Kwon
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Medicine, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
| | - Mizuho S Mimoto
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Medicine, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Xie
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Jan L Christian
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
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Green YS, Kwon S, Christian JL. Expression pattern of bcar3, a downstream target of Gata2, and its binding partner, bcar1, during Xenopus development. Gene Expr Patterns 2015; 20:55-62. [PMID: 26631802 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2015.11.004] [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: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Primitive hematopoiesis generates red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the developing embryo. Mesodermal cells commit to a primitive blood cell fate during gastrulation and, in order to do so the mesoderm must receive non-cell autonomous signals transmitted from other germ layers. In Xenopus, the transcription factor Gata2 functions in ectodermal cells to generate or transmit the non-cell autonomous signals. Here we have identified Breast Cancer Antiestrogen Resistance 3 (bcar3) as a gene that is induced in ectodermal cells downstream of Gata2. Bcar3 and its binding partner Bcar1 function to transduce integrin signaling, leading to changes in cellular morphology, motility and adhesion. We show that gata2, bcar3 and bcar1 are co-expressed in ventral ectoderm from early gastrula to early tailbud stages. At later stages of development, bcar3 and bcar1 are co-expressed in the spinal cord, notochord, fin mesenchyme and pronephros but each shows additional unique sites of expression. These co-expression and unique expression patterns suggest that Bcar3 and Bcar1 may function together but also independently during Xenopus development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangsook Song Green
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA
| | - Sunjong Kwon
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, School of Medicine, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
| | - Jan L Christian
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA.
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