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Tassinari R, Cavallini C, Olivi E, Taglioli V, Zannini C, Ventura C. Unveiling the morphogenetic code: A new path at the intersection of physical energies and chemical signaling. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:1382-1393. [PMID: 34786150 PMCID: PMC8567452 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i10.1382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this editorial, we discuss the remarkable role of physical energies in the control of cell signaling networks and in the specification of the architectural plan of both somatic and stem cells. In particular, we focus on the biological relevance of bioelectricity in the pattern control that orchestrates both developmental and regenerative pathways. To this end, the narrative starts from the dawn of the first studies on animal electricity, reconsidering the pioneer work of Harold Saxton Burr in the light of the current achievements. We finally discuss the most recent evidence showing that bioelectric signaling is an essential component of the informational processes that control pattern specification during embryogenesis, regeneration, or even malignant transformation. We conclude that there is now mounting evidence for the existence of a Morphogenetic Code, and that deciphering this code may lead to unprecedented opportunities for the development of novel paradigms of cure in regenerative and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Tassinari
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Claudia Cavallini
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Elena Olivi
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Valentina Taglioli
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Chiara Zannini
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Carlo Ventura
- National Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems – ELDOR LAB, Bologna 40129, Italy
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2
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CYK-1/Formin activation in cortical RhoA signaling centers promotes organismal left-right symmetry breaking. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021814118. [PMID: 33972425 PMCID: PMC8157923 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021814118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper left-right symmetry breaking is essential for animal development, and in many cases, this process is actomyosin-dependent. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos active torque generation in the actomyosin layer promotes left-right symmetry breaking by driving chiral counterrotating cortical flows. While both Formins and Myosins have been implicated in left-right symmetry breaking and both can rotate actin filaments in vitro, it remains unclear whether active torques in the actomyosin cortex are generated by Formins, Myosins, or both. We combined the strength of C. elegans genetics with quantitative imaging and thin film, chiral active fluid theory to show that, while Non-Muscle Myosin II activity drives cortical actomyosin flows, it is permissive for chiral counterrotation and dispensable for chiral symmetry breaking of cortical flows. Instead, we find that CYK-1/Formin activation in RhoA foci is instructive for chiral counterrotation and promotes in-plane, active torque generation in the actomyosin cortex. Notably, we observe that artificially generated large active RhoA patches undergo rotations with consistent handedness in a CYK-1/Formin-dependent manner. Altogether, we conclude that CYK-1/Formin-dependent active torque generation facilitates chiral symmetry breaking of actomyosin flows and drives organismal left-right symmetry breaking in the nematode worm.
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3
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Akinaga K, Azumi Y, Mogi K, Toyoizumi R. Stage-dependent sequential organization of nascent smooth muscle cells and its implications for the gut coiling morphogenesis in Xenopus larva. ZOOLOGY 2021; 146:125905. [PMID: 33631602 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, gut coiling proceeds left-right asymmetrically during expansion of the gastrointestinal tract with highly organized muscular structures facilitating peristalsis. In this report, we explored the mechanisms of larval gut coiling morphogenesis relevant to its nascent smooth muscle cells using highly transparent Xenopus early larvae. First, to visualize the dynamics of intestinal smooth muscle cells, whole-mount specimens were immunostained with anti-smooth muscle-specific actin (SM-actin) antibody. We found that the nascent gut of Xenopus early larvae gradually expands the SM-actin-positive region in a stage-dependent manner. Transverse orientation of smooth muscle cells was first established, and next, the cellular longitudinal orientation along the gut axis was followed to make a meshwork of the contractile cells. Finally, anisotropic torsion by the smooth muscle cells was generated in the center of gut coiling, suggesting that twisting force might be involved in the late phase of coiling morphogenesis of the gut. Administration of S-(-)-Blebbistatin to attenuate the actomyosin contraction in vivo resulted in cancellation of coiling of the gut. Development of decapitation embryos, trunk 'torso' explants, and gut-only explants revealed that initial coiling of the gut proceeds without interactions with the other parts of the body including the central nervous system. We newly developed an in vitro model to assess the gut coiling morphogenesis, indicating that coiling pattern of the nascent Xenopus gut is partially gut-autonomous. Using this gut explant culture technique, inhibition of actomyosin contraction was performed by administrating either actin polymerization inhibitor, myosin light chain kinase inhibitor, or calmodulin antagonist. All of these reagents decreased the extent of gut coiling morphogenesis in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that the contraction force generated by actomyosin-rich intestinal smooth muscle cells during larval stages is essential for the normal coiling morphogenesis of this muscular tubular organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Akinaga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya 2946, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa, 259-1293, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Azumi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya 2946, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa, 259-1293, Japan; Research Institute for Integrated Science, Kanagawa University, Japan
| | - Kazue Mogi
- Research Institute for Integrated Science, Kanagawa University, Japan
| | - Ryuji Toyoizumi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya 2946, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa, 259-1293, Japan; Research Institute for Integrated Science, Kanagawa University, Japan.
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Juan T, Géminard C, Coutelis JB, Cerezo D, Polès S, Noselli S, Fürthauer M. Myosin1D is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of animal left-right asymmetry. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1942. [PMID: 29769531 PMCID: PMC5955935 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04284-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry is fundamental to animal development, but the identification of a unifying mechanism establishing laterality across different phyla has remained elusive. A cilia-driven, directional fluid flow is important for symmetry breaking in numerous vertebrates, including zebrafish. Alternatively, LR asymmetry can be established independently of cilia, notably through the intrinsic chirality of the acto-myosin cytoskeleton. Here, we show that Myosin1D (Myo1D), a previously identified regulator of Drosophila LR asymmetry, is essential for the formation and function of the zebrafish LR organizer (LRO), Kupffer's vesicle (KV). Myo1D controls the orientation of LRO cilia and interacts functionally with the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway component VanGogh-like2 (Vangl2), to shape a productive LRO flow. Our findings identify Myo1D as an evolutionarily conserved regulator of animal LR asymmetry, and show that functional interactions between Myo1D and PCP are central to the establishment of animal LR asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Juan
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France
| | - Charles Géminard
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Coutelis
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France
| | - Delphine Cerezo
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France
| | - Sophie Polès
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France
| | - Stéphane Noselli
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France.
| | - Maximilian Fürthauer
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, F-06108, France.
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5
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Kim K, Yoshinaga N, Bhattacharyya S, Nakazawa H, Umetsu M, Teizer W. Large-scale chirality in an active layer of microtubules and kinesin motor proteins. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:3221-3231. [PMID: 29670958 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02298k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
During the early developmental process of organisms, the formation of left-right laterality requires a subtle mechanism, as it is associated with other principal body axes. Any inherent chiral feature in an egg cell can in principal trigger this spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry. Individual microtubules, major cytoskeletal filaments, are known as chiral objects. However, to date there lacks convincing evidence of a hierarchical connection of the molecular nature of microtubules to large-scale chirality, particularly at the length scale of an entire cell. Here we assemble an in vitro active layer, consisting of microtubules and kinesin motor proteins, on a glass surface. Upon inclusion of methyl cellulose, the layered system exhibits a long-range active nematic phase, characterized by the global alignment of gliding MTs. This nematic order spans over the entire system size in the millimeter range and, remarkably, allows hidden collective chirality to emerge as counterclockwise global rotation of the active MT layer. The analysis based on our theoretical model suggests that the emerging global nematic order results from the local alignment of MTs, stabilized by methyl cellulose. It also suggests that the global rotation arises from the MTs' intrinsic curvature, leading to preferential handedness. Given its flexibility, this layered in vitro cytoskeletal system enables the study of membranous protein behavior responsible for important cellular developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyongwan Kim
- WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
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6
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Tingler M, Kurz S, Maerker M, Ott T, Fuhl F, Schweickert A, LeBlanc-Straceski JM, Noselli S, Blum M. A Conserved Role of the Unconventional Myosin 1d in Laterality Determination. Curr Biol 2018; 28:810-816.e3. [PMID: 29478852 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Anatomical and functional asymmetries are widespread in the animal kingdom [1, 2]. In vertebrates, many visceral organs are asymmetrically placed [3]. In snails, shells and inner organs coil asymmetrically, and in Drosophila, genitalia and hindgut undergo a chiral rotation during development. The evolutionary origin of these asymmetries remains an open question [1]. Nodal signaling is widely used [4], and many, but not all, vertebrates use cilia for symmetry breaking [5]. In Drosophila, which lacks both cilia and Nodal, the unconventional myosin ID (myo1d) gene controls dextral rotation of chiral organs [6, 7]. Here, we studied the role of myo1d in left-right (LR) axis formation in Xenopus. Morpholino oligomer-mediated myo1d downregulation affected organ placement in >50% of morphant tadpoles. Induction of the left-asymmetric Nodal cascade was aberrant in >70% of cases. Expression of the flow-target gene dand5 was compromised, as was flow itself, due to shorter, fewer, and non-polarized cilia at the LR organizer. Additional phenotypes pinpointed Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling and suggested that myo1d, like in Drosophila [8], acted in the context of the planar cell polarity pathway. Indeed, convergent extension of gastrula explant cultures was inhibited in myo1d morphants, and the ATF2 reporter gene for non-canonical Wnt signaling was downregulated. Finally, genetic interference experiments demonstrated a functional interaction between the core planar cell polarity signaling gene vangl2 and myo1d in LR axis formation. Thus, our data identified myo1d as a common denominator of arthropod and chordate asymmetry, in agreement with a monophyletic origin of animal asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Tingler
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sabrina Kurz
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Markus Maerker
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tim Ott
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Franziska Fuhl
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Axel Schweickert
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Stéphane Noselli
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Martin Blum
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Zoology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany.
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7
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McLaughlin KA, Levin M. Bioelectric signaling in regeneration: Mechanisms of ionic controls of growth and form. Dev Biol 2018; 433:177-189. [PMID: 29291972 PMCID: PMC5753428 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to control pattern formation is critical for the both the embryonic development of complex structures as well as for the regeneration/repair of damaged or missing tissues and organs. In addition to chemical gradients and gene regulatory networks, endogenous ion flows are key regulators of cell behavior. Not only do bioelectric cues provide information needed for the initial development of structures, they also enable the robust restoration of normal pattern after injury. In order to expand our basic understanding of morphogenetic processes responsible for the repair of complex anatomy, we need to identify the roles of endogenous voltage gradients, ion flows, and electric fields. In complement to the current focus on molecular genetics, decoding the information transduced by bioelectric cues enhances our knowledge of the dynamic control of growth and pattern formation. Recent advances in science and technology place us in an exciting time to elucidate the interplay between molecular-genetic inputs and important biophysical cues that direct the creation of tissues and organs. Moving forward, these new insights enable additional approaches to direct cell behavior and may result in profound advances in augmentation of regenerative capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A McLaughlin
- Allen Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4700, Medford, MA 02155, United States.
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4700, Medford, MA 02155, United States
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8
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van Haastert PJM, Keizer-Gunnink I, Kortholt A. The cytoskeleton regulates symmetry transitions in moving amoeboid cells. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.208892. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.208892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Symmetry and symmetry breaking are essential in biology. Symmetry comes in different forms: rotational symmetry, mirror symmetry and alternating right/left symmetry. Especially the transitions between the different symmetry forms specify crucial points in cell biology, including gastrulation in development, formation of the cleavage furrow in cell division, or the front in cell polarity. However, the mechanisms of these symmetry transitions are not well understood. Here we have investigated the fundaments of symmetry and symmetry transitions of the cytoskeleton during cell movement. Our data show that the dynamic shape changes of amoeboid cells are far from random, but are the consequence of refined symmetries and symmetry changes that are orchestrated by small G-proteins and the cytoskeleton, with local stimulation by F-actin and Scar , and local inhibition by IQGAP2 and myosin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. M. van Haastert
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ineke Keizer-Gunnink
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Kortholt
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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9
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McDowell G, Rajadurai S, Levin M. From cytoskeletal dynamics to organ asymmetry: a nonlinear, regulative pathway underlies left-right patterning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0409. [PMID: 27821521 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent left-right (LR) asymmetry is a fundamental aspect of the bodyplan across phyla, and errors of laterality form an important class of human birth defects. Its molecular underpinning was first discovered as a sequential pathway of left- and right-sided gene expression that controlled positioning of the heart and visceral organs. Recent data have revised this picture in two important ways. First, the physical origin of chirality has been identified; cytoskeletal dynamics underlie the asymmetry of single-cell behaviour and patterning of the LR axis. Second, the pathway is not linear: early disruptions that alter the normal sidedness of upstream asymmetric genes do not necessarily induce defects in the laterality of the downstream genes or in organ situs Thus, the LR pathway is a unique example of two fascinating aspects of biology: the interplay of physics and genetics in establishing large-scale anatomy, and regulative (shape-homeostatic) pathways that correct molecular and anatomical errors over time. Here, we review aspects of asymmetry from its intracellular, cytoplasmic origins to the recently uncovered ability of the LR control circuitry to achieve correct gene expression and morphology despite reversals of key 'determinant' genes. We provide novel functional data, in Xenopus laevis, on conserved elements of the cytoskeleton that drive asymmetry, and comparatively analyse it together with previously published results in the field. Our new observations and meta-analysis demonstrate that despite aberrant expression of upstream regulatory genes, embryos can progressively normalize transcriptional cascades and anatomical outcomes. LR patterning can thus serve as a paradigm of how subcellular physics and gene expression cooperate to achieve developmental robustness of a body axis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary McDowell
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Suvithan Rajadurai
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA .,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
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10
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Pai VP, Willocq V, Pitcairn EJ, Lemire JM, Paré JF, Shi NQ, McLaughlin KA, Levin M. HCN4 ion channel function is required for early events that regulate anatomical left-right patterning in a nodal and lefty asymmetric gene expression-independent manner. Biol Open 2017; 6:1445-1457. [PMID: 28818840 PMCID: PMC5665463 DOI: 10.1242/bio.025957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Laterality is a basic characteristic of all life forms, from single cell organisms to complex plants and animals. For many metazoans, consistent left-right asymmetric patterning is essential for the correct anatomy of internal organs, such as the heart, gut, and brain; disruption of left-right asymmetry patterning leads to an important class of birth defects in human patients. Laterality functions across multiple scales, where early embryonic, subcellular and chiral cytoskeletal events are coupled with asymmetric amplification mechanisms and gene regulatory networks leading to asymmetric physical forces that ultimately result in distinct left and right anatomical organ patterning. Recent studies have suggested the existence of multiple parallel pathways regulating organ asymmetry. Here, we show that an isoform of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) family of ion channels (hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 4, HCN4) is important for correct left-right patterning. HCN4 channels are present very early in Xenopus embryos. Blocking HCN channels (Ih currents) with pharmacological inhibitors leads to errors in organ situs. This effect is only seen when HCN4 channels are blocked early (pre-stage 10) and not by a later block (post-stage 10). Injections of HCN4-DN (dominant-negative) mRNA induce left-right defects only when injected in both blastomeres no later than the 2-cell stage. Analysis of key asymmetric genes' expression showed that the sidedness of Nodal, Lefty, and Pitx2 expression is largely unchanged by HCN4 blockade, despite the randomization of subsequent organ situs, although the area of Pitx2 expression was significantly reduced. Together these data identify a novel, developmental role for HCN4 channels and reveal a new Nodal-Lefty-Pitx2 asymmetric gene expression-independent mechanism upstream of organ positioning during embryonic left-right patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Valerie Willocq
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Emily J Pitcairn
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Joan M Lemire
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Jean-François Paré
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Nian-Qing Shi
- Department of Medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA
| | - Kelly A McLaughlin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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11
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Kaul Z, Chakrabarti O. Tumor susceptibility gene 101 regulates predisposition to apoptosis via ESCRT machinery accessory proteins. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:2106-2122. [PMID: 28539405 PMCID: PMC5509423 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-12-0855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ESCRT proteins are implicated in myriad cellular processes, including endosome formation, fusion of autophagosomes/amphisomes with lysosomes, and apoptosis. The role played by these proteins in either facilitating or protecting against apoptosis is unclear. In this study, while trying to understand how deficiency of Mahogunin RING finger 1 (MGRN1) affects cell viability, we uncovered a novel role for its interactor, the ESCRT-I protein TSG101: it directly participates in mitigating ER stress-mediated apoptosis. The association of TSG101 with ALIX prevents predisposition to apoptosis, whereas ALIX-ALG-2 interaction favors a death phenotype. Altered Ca2+ homeostasis in cells and a simultaneous increase in the protein levels of ALIX and ALG-2 are required to elicit apoptosis by activating ER stress-associated caspase 4/12. We further demonstrate that in the presence of membrane-associated, disease-causing prion protein CtmPrP, increased ALIX and ALG-2 levels are detected along with ER stress markers and associated caspases in transgenic brain lysates and cells. These effects were rescued by overexpression of TSG101. This is significant because MGRN1 deficiency is closely associated with neurodegeneration and prenatal and neonatal mortality, which could be due to excess cell death in selected brain regions or myocardial apoptosis during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenia Kaul
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata 700064, India
| | - Oishee Chakrabarti
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata 700064, India
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12
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Davison A, McDowell GS, Holden JM, Johnson HF, Koutsovoulos GD, Liu MM, Hulpiau P, Van Roy F, Wade CM, Banerjee R, Yang F, Chiba S, Davey JW, Jackson DJ, Levin M, Blaxter ML. Formin Is Associated with Left-Right Asymmetry in the Pond Snail and the Frog. Curr Biol 2016; 26:654-60. [PMID: 26923788 PMCID: PMC4791482 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
While components of the pathway that establishes left-right asymmetry have been identified in diverse animals, from vertebrates to flies, it is striking that the genes involved in the first symmetry-breaking step remain wholly unknown in the most obviously chiral animals, the gastropod snails. Previously, research on snails was used to show that left-right signaling of Nodal, downstream of symmetry breaking, may be an ancestral feature of the Bilateria [1 and 2]. Here, we report that a disabling mutation in one copy of a tandemly duplicated, diaphanous-related formin is perfectly associated with symmetry breaking in the pond snail. This is supported by the observation that an anti-formin drug treatment converts dextral snail embryos to a sinistral phenocopy, and in frogs, drug inhibition or overexpression by microinjection of formin has a chirality-randomizing effect in early (pre-cilia) embryos. Contrary to expectations based on existing models [3, 4 and 5], we discovered asymmetric gene expression in 2- and 4-cell snail embryos, preceding morphological asymmetry. As the formin-actin filament has been shown to be part of an asymmetry-breaking switch in vitro [6 and 7], together these results are consistent with the view that animals with diverse body plans may derive their asymmetries from the same intracellular chiral elements [8].
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Davison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Gary S McDowell
- Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Jennifer M Holden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Harriet F Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | | | - M Maureen Liu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Paco Hulpiau
- Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, and Inflammation Research Center (IRC), VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frans Van Roy
- Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, and Inflammation Research Center (IRC), VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christopher M Wade
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ruby Banerjee
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Fengtang Yang
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Satoshi Chiba
- Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - John W Davey
- Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, and Inflammation Research Center (IRC), VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel J Jackson
- Department of Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Michael Levin
- Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Mark L Blaxter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK; Edinburgh Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
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