1
|
Dagar S, Subramaniam S. Tunneling Nanotube: An Enticing Cell-Cell Communication in the Nervous System. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1288. [PMID: 37886998 PMCID: PMC10604474 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The field of neuroscience is rapidly progressing, continuously uncovering new insights and discoveries. Among the areas that have shown immense potential in research, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) have emerged as a promising subject of study. These minute structures act as conduits for the transfer of cellular materials between cells, representing a mechanism of communication that holds great significance. In particular, the interplay facilitated by TNTs among various cell types within the brain, including neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, glial cells, and microglia, can be essential for the normal development and optimal functioning of this complex organ. The involvement of TNTs in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease, has attracted significant attention. These disorders are characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons and the subsequent decline in brain function. Studies have predicted that TNTs likely play critical roles in the propagation and spread of pathological factors, contributing to the advancement of these diseases. Thus, there is a growing interest in understanding the precise functions and mechanisms of TNTs within the nervous system. This review article, based on our recent work on Rhes-mediated TNTs, aims to explore the functions of TNTs within the brain and investigate their implications for neurodegenerative diseases. Using the knowledge gained from studying TNTs could offer novel opportunities for designing targeted treatments that can stop the progression of neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunayana Dagar
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Srinivasa Subramaniam
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, 130 Scripps Way, C323, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dong LF, Rohlena J, Zobalova R, Nahacka Z, Rodriguez AM, Berridge MV, Neuzil J. Mitochondria on the move: Horizontal mitochondrial transfer in disease and health. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:213873. [PMID: 36795453 PMCID: PMC9960264 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202211044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genes were long thought to be constrained within somatic cells in most cell types. This concept was challenged recently when cellular organelles including mitochondria were shown to move between mammalian cells in culture via cytoplasmic bridges. Recent research in animals indicates transfer of mitochondria in cancer and during lung injury in vivo, with considerable functional consequences. Since these pioneering discoveries, many studies have confirmed horizontal mitochondrial transfer (HMT) in vivo, and its functional characteristics and consequences have been described. Additional support for this phenomenon has come from phylogenetic studies. Apparently, mitochondrial trafficking between cells occurs more frequently than previously thought and contributes to diverse processes including bioenergetic crosstalk and homeostasis, disease treatment and recovery, and development of resistance to cancer therapy. Here we highlight current knowledge of HMT between cells, focusing primarily on in vivo systems, and contend that this process is not only (patho)physiologically relevant, but also can be exploited for the design of novel therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Feng Dong
- https://ror.org/02sc3r913School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Australia,Lan-Feng Dong:
| | - Jakub Rohlena
- https://ror.org/00wzqmx94Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague-West, Czech Republic
| | - Renata Zobalova
- https://ror.org/00wzqmx94Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague-West, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Nahacka
- https://ror.org/00wzqmx94Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague-West, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Jiri Neuzil
- https://ror.org/02sc3r913School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Australia,https://ror.org/00wzqmx94Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague-West, Czech Republic,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic,First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic,Correspondence to Jiri Neuzil: ,
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nafe R, Arendt CT, Hattingen E. Human prion diseases and the prion protein - what is the current state of knowledge? Transl Neurosci 2023; 14:20220315. [PMID: 37854584 PMCID: PMC10579786 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0315] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases and the prion protein are only partially understood so far in many aspects. This explains the continued research on this topic, calling for an overview on the current state of knowledge. The main objective of the present review article is to provide a comprehensive up-to-date presentation of all major features of human prion diseases bridging the gap between basic research and clinical aspects. Starting with the prion protein, current insights concerning its physiological functions and the process of pathological conversion will be highlighted. Diagnostic, molecular, and clinical aspects of all human prion diseases will be discussed, including information concerning rare diseases like prion-associated amyloidoses and Huntington disease-like 1, as well as the question about a potential human threat due to the transmission of prions from prion diseases of other species such as chronic wasting disease. Finally, recent attempts to develop future therapeutic strategies will be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinhold Nafe
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christophe T. Arendt
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elke Hattingen
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Celauro L, Zattoni M, Legname G. Prion receptors, prion internalization, intra- and inter-cellular transport. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 196:15-41. [PMID: 36813357 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2022.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Celauro
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Zattoni
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Huang L, Zhang J, Wu Z, Zhou L, Yu B, Jing Y, Lin D, Qu J. Revealing the structure and organization of intercellular tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) by STORM imaging. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2022; 4:4258-4262. [PMID: 36321151 PMCID: PMC9552758 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00415a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are nanoscale, actin-rich, transient intercellular tubes for cell-to-cell communication, which transport various cargoes between distant cells. The structural complexity and spatial organization of the involved components of TNTs remain unknown. In this work, the STORM super-resolution imaging technique was applied to elucidate the structural organization of microfilaments and microtubules in intercellular TNTs at the nanometer scale. Our results reveal different distributions of microfilaments and intertwined structures of microtubules in TNTs, which promote the knowledge of TNT communications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lilin Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Zekai Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Liangliang Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Bin Yu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Yingying Jing
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Danying Lin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| | - Junle Qu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Donnelly KM, Coleman CM, Fuller ML, Reed VL, Smerina D, Tomlinson DS, Pearce MMP. Hunting for the cause: Evidence for prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:946822. [PMID: 36090278 PMCID: PMC9448931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.946822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis that pathogenic protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases spread from cell-to-cell in the brain in a manner akin to infectious prions has gained substantial momentum due to an explosion of research in the past 10–15 years. Here, we review current evidence supporting the existence of prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease (HD), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat tract in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. We summarize information gained from human studies and in vivo and in vitro models of HD that strongly support prion-like features of the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, including potential involvement of molecular features of mHTT seeds, synaptic structures and connectivity, endocytic and exocytic mechanisms, tunneling nanotubes, and nonneuronal cells in mHTT propagation in the brain. We discuss mechanisms by which mHTT aggregate spreading and neurotoxicity could be causally linked and the potential benefits of targeting prion-like mechanisms in the search for new disease-modifying therapies for HD and other fatal neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirby M. Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cevannah M. Coleman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Madison L. Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Victoria L. Reed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dayna Smerina
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David S. Tomlinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Margaret M. Panning Pearce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Margaret M. Panning Pearce,
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lagalwar S. Mechanisms of tunneling nanotube-based propagation of neurodegenerative disease proteins. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:957067. [PMID: 35909452 PMCID: PMC9336677 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.957067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), intercellular connections enriched with F-actin, were first identified as a viable means of cellular communication and organelle transport in animal cells at the early part of this century. Within the last 10 years, these microscopic and highly dynamic protrusions have been implicated in neurodegenerative disease propagation and pathogenesis. A host of aggregation-prone protein inclusions, including those containing alpha-synuclein, tau, prions and others, hijack this communication mechanism in both neurons and astrocytes. The exact cellular mechanisms underlying TNT-based propagation remain largely unknown, however, common practices can be identified. First, selective expression of the aggregation-prone form of proteins increases TNT density; next, endo-lysosomal pathways appear to support the loading and unloading of protein onto the TNT; and finally, TNT assembly results in the spontaneous formation of aggregation-prone protein inclusions in “acceptor” cells, indicating that TNTs are involved in not only the transport of inclusions but also in the seeding of new inclusions in naïve cells. These observations have implications for the spreading of neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system and the consequent progression of symptoms. Here, I will summarize the empirical evidence of TNT-based aggregation-prone protein propagation to date, and propose an inclusive model of aggregate inclusion propagation along TNTs.
Collapse
|
8
|
Turos-Korgul L, Kolba MD, Chroscicki P, Zieminska A, Piwocka K. Tunneling Nanotubes Facilitate Intercellular Protein Transfer and Cell Networks Function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:915117. [PMID: 35903550 PMCID: PMC9314668 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.915117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade witnessed a huge interest in the communication machinery called tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) which is a novel, contact-dependent type of intercellular protein transfer (IPT). As the IPT phenomenon plays a particular role in the cross-talk between cells, including cancer cells as well as in the immune and nervous systems, it therefore participates in remodeling of the cellular networks. The following review focuses on the placing the role of tunneling nanotube-mediated protein transfer between distant cells. Firstly, we describe different screening methods used to study IPT including tunneling nanotubes. Further, we present various examples of TNT-mediated protein transfer in the immune system, cancer microenvironment and in the nervous system, with particular attention to the methods used to verify the transfer of individual proteins.
Collapse
|
9
|
Driscoll J, Gondaliya P, Patel T. Tunneling Nanotube-Mediated Communication: A Mechanism of Intercellular Nucleic Acid Transfer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5487. [PMID: 35628298 PMCID: PMC9143920 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are thin, F-actin-based membranous protrusions that connect distant cells and can provide e a novel mechanism for intercellular communication. By establishing cytoplasmic continuity between interconnected cells, TNTs enable the bidirectional transfer of nuclear and cytoplasmic cargo, including organelles, nucleic acids, drugs, and pathogenic molecules. TNT-mediated nucleic acid transfer provides a unique opportunity for donor cells to directly alter the genome, transcriptome, and metabolome of recipient cells. TNTs have been reported to transport DNA, mitochondrial DNA, mRNA, viral RNA, and non-coding RNAs, such as miRNA and siRNA. This mechanism of transfer is observed in physiological as well as pathological conditions, and has been implicated in the progression of disease. Herein, we provide a concise overview of TNTs' structure, mechanisms of biogenesis, and the functional effects of TNT-mediated intercellular transfer of nucleic acid cargo. Furthermore, we highlight the potential translational applications of TNT-mediated nucleic acid transfer in cancer, immunity, and neurological diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tushar Patel
- Departments of Transplantation and Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (J.D.); (P.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Heumüller SE, Hornberger AC, Hebestreit AS, Hossinger A, Vorberg IM. Propagation and Dissemination Strategies of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents in Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062909. [PMID: 35328330 PMCID: PMC8949484 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion disorders are fatal infectious diseases that cause characteristic spongiform degeneration in the central nervous system. The causative agent, the so-called prion, is an unconventional infectious agent that propagates by converting the host-encoded cellular prion protein PrP into ordered protein aggregates with infectious properties. Prions are devoid of coding nucleic acid and thus rely on the host cell machinery for propagation. While it is now established that, in addition to PrP, other cellular factors or processes determine the susceptibility of cell lines to prion infection, exact factors and cellular processes remain broadly obscure. Still, cellular models have uncovered important aspects of prion propagation and revealed intercellular dissemination strategies shared with other intracellular pathogens. Here, we summarize what we learned about the processes of prion invasion, intracellular replication and subsequent dissemination from ex vivo cell models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie-Elisabeth Heumüller
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Annika C. Hornberger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Alina S. Hebestreit
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - André Hossinger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Ina M. Vorberg
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Siegmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Intercellular Communication in the Brain through Tunneling Nanotubes. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051207. [PMID: 35267518 PMCID: PMC8909287 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are a means of cell communication which have been recently discovered. They allow the intercellular trafficking of many types of cellular compounds ranging from ions, such as Ca2+, to whole organelles such as mitochondria. TNTs are found in many tissues, both in physiological and pathological conditions. They are also found in the brain where they contribute to brain development and function and also to degenerative diseases and glioma. Abstract Intercellular communication is essential for tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding how cells interact with each other is paramount, as crosstalk between cells is often dysregulated in diseases and can contribute to their progression. Cells communicate with each other through several modalities, including paracrine secretion and specialized structures ensuring physical contact between them. Among these intercellular specialized structures, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are now recognized as a means of cell-to-cell communication through the exchange of cellular cargo, controlled by a variety of biological triggers, as described here. Intercellular communication is fundamental to brain function. It allows the dialogue between the many cells, including neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, glial cells, microglia, necessary for the proper development and function of the brain. We highlight here the role of TNTs in connecting these cells, for the physiological functioning of the brain and in pathologies such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and gliomas. Understanding these processes could pave the way for future therapies.
Collapse
|
12
|
Tunneling nanotubes and related structures: molecular mechanisms of formation and function. Biochem J 2021; 478:3977-3998. [PMID: 34813650 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are F-actin-based, membrane-enclosed tubular connections between animal cells that transport a variety of cellular cargo. Over the last 15 years since their discovery, TNTs have come to be recognized as key players in normal cell communication and organism development, and are also exploited for the spread of various microbial pathogens and major diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. TNTs have also been proposed as modalities for disseminating therapeutic drugs between cells. Despite the rapidly expanding and wide-ranging relevance of these structures in both health and disease, there is a glaring dearth of molecular mechanistic knowledge regarding the formation and function of these important but enigmatic structures. A series of fundamental steps are essential for the formation of functional nanotubes. The spatiotemporally controlled and directed modulation of cortical actin dynamics would be required to ensure outward F-actin polymerization. Local plasma membrane deformation to impart negative curvature and membrane addition at a rate commensurate with F-actin polymerization would enable outward TNT elongation. Extrinsic tactic cues, along with cognate intrinsic signaling, would be required to guide and stabilize the elongating TNT towards its intended target, followed by membrane fusion to create a functional TNT. Selected cargoes must be transported between connected cells through the action of molecular motors, before the TNT is retracted or destroyed. This review summarizes the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating these steps, also highlighting areas that deserve future attention.
Collapse
|
13
|
Huang H, Toker N, Burr E, Okoro J, Moog M, Hearing C, Lagalwar S. Intercellular Propagation and Aggregate Seeding of Mutant Ataxin-1. J Mol Neurosci 2021; 72:708-718. [PMID: 34826062 PMCID: PMC8986690 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01944-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular propagation of aggregated protein inclusions along actin-based tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) has been reported as a means of pathogenic spread in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Propagation of oligomeric-structured polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-1 (Atxn1[154Q]) has been reported in the cerebellum of a Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) knock-in mouse to correlate with disease propagation. In this study, we investigated whether a physiologically relevant polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1 protein (ATXN1[82Q]) could propagate intercellularly. Using a cerebellar-derived live cell model, we observed ATXN1 aggregates form in the nucleus, subsequently form in the cytoplasm, and finally, propagate to neighboring cells along actin-based intercellular connections. Additionally, we observed the facilitation of aggregate-resistant proteins into aggregates given the presence of aggregation-prone proteins within cells. Taken together, our results support a pathogenic role of intercellular propagation of polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1 inclusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Toker
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Eliza Burr
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Jeff Okoro
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Maia Moog
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Casey Hearing
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Sarita Lagalwar
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen J, Cao J. Astrocyte-to-neuron transportation of enhanced green fluorescent protein in cerebral cortex requires F-actin dependent tunneling nanotubes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16798. [PMID: 34408233 PMCID: PMC8373867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96332-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotube (TNT), a dynamic cell–cell contact, is dependent on actin polymerization. TNTs are efficient in transporting ions, proteins and organelles intercellularly, which are important mechanisms in physiological and pathological processes. Reported studies on the existence and function of TNTs among neural cells focus on cultured cell for the convenience in detecting TNTs’ ultrastructure. In this study, the adeno-associated virus (AAV-GFAP-EGFP-p2A-cre) was injected into the cerebral cortex of knock-in mice ROSA26 GNZ. GFAP promoter initiated the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in infected astrocytes. At 10 days post injection (10 DPI), EGFP transferred from astrocytes in layer I–III to neurons in layer V. The dissemination of EGFP was not through endocytosis or exosome. Applying microscopes, we found that the intercellular transportation of EGFP through contact connection was F-actin dependent. Therefore, we concluded that EGFP transported from astrocytes to neurons in cortex via F-actin dependent TNTs. This study first proved that proteins transported intercellularly via TNTs in brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China. .,Key Lab of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. .,Key Lab of GEM Resource and Model Research of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Junyan Cao
- Institute of Life Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.,Key Lab of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Lab of GEM Resource and Model Research of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wang F, Chen X, Cheng H, Song L, Liu J, Caplan S, Zhu L, Wu JY. MICAL2PV suppresses the formation of tunneling nanotubes and modulates mitochondrial trafficking. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52006. [PMID: 34096155 PMCID: PMC8366454 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202052006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are actin-rich structures that connect two or more cells and mediate cargo exchange between spatially separated cells. TNTs transport signaling molecules, vesicles, organelles, and even pathogens. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating TNT formation remain unclear and little is known about the endogenous mechanisms suppressing TNT formation in lung cancer cells. Here, we report that MICAL2PV, a splicing isoform of the neuronal guidance gene MICAL2, is a novel TNT regulator that suppresses TNT formation and modulates mitochondrial distribution. MICAL2PV interacts with mitochondrial Rho GTPase Miro2 and regulates subcellular mitochondrial trafficking. Moreover, down-regulation of MICAL2PV enhances survival of cells treated with chemotherapeutical drugs. The monooxygenase (MO) domain of MICAL2PV is required for its activity to inhibit TNT formation by depolymerizing F-actin. Our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized function of MICAL2 in TNT formation and mitochondrial trafficking. Furthermore, our study uncovers a role of the MICAL2PV-Miro2 axis in mitochondrial trafficking, providing a mechanistic explanation for MICAL2PV activity in suppressing TNT formation and in modulating mitochondrial subcellular distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive ScienceInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Department of NeurologyCenter for Genetic MedicineLurie Cancer CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoILUSA
| | - Haipeng Cheng
- Department of NeurologyCenter for Genetic MedicineLurie Cancer CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoILUSA
| | - Lu Song
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive ScienceInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jianghong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive ScienceInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Steve Caplan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNEUSA
| | - Li Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive ScienceInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jane Y Wu
- Department of NeurologyCenter for Genetic MedicineLurie Cancer CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoILUSA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells transfer mitochondria through tunneling nanotubes in tumor organoids. Biochem J 2021; 478:21-39. [PMID: 33245115 PMCID: PMC7800365 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive brain cancer and its relapse after surgery, chemo and radiotherapy appears to be led by GBM stem cells (GSCs). Also, tumor networking and intercellular communication play a major role in driving GBM therapy-resistance. Tunneling Nanotubes (TNTs), thin membranous open-ended channels connecting distant cells, have been observed in several types of cancer, where they emerge to drive a more malignant phenotype. Here, we investigated whether GBM cells are capable to intercommunicate by TNTs. Two GBM stem-like cells (GSLCs) were obtained from the external and infiltrative zone of one GBM from one patient. We show, for the first time, that both GSLCs, grown in classical 2D culture and in 3D-tumor organoids, formed functional TNTs which allowed mitochondria transfer. In the organoid model, recapitulative of several tumor's features, we observed the formation of a network between cells constituted of both Tumor Microtubes (TMs), previously observed in vivo, and TNTs. In addition, the two GSLCs exhibited different responses to irradiation in terms of TNT induction and mitochondria transfer, although the correlation with the disease progression and therapy-resistance needs to be further addressed. Thus, TNT-based communication is active in different GSLCs derived from the external tumoral areas associated to GBM relapse, and we propose that they participate together with TMs in tumor networking.
Collapse
|
17
|
Cordero Cervantes D, Zurzolo C. Peering into tunneling nanotubes-The path forward. EMBO J 2021; 40:e105789. [PMID: 33646572 PMCID: PMC8047439 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of Tunneling Nanotubes (TNTs) and TNT-like structures signified a critical turning point in the field of cell-cell communication. With hypothesized roles in development and disease progression, TNTs' ability to transport biological cargo between distant cells has elevated these structures to a unique and privileged position among other mechanisms of intercellular communication. However, the field faces numerous challenges-some of the most pressing issues being the demonstration of TNTs in vivo and understanding how they form and function. Another stumbling block is represented by the vast disparity in structures classified as TNTs. In order to address this ambiguity, we propose a clear nomenclature and provide a comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge concerning TNTs. We also discuss their structure, formation-related pathways, biological function, as well as their proposed role in disease. Furthermore, we pinpoint gaps and dichotomies found across the field and highlight unexplored research avenues. Lastly, we review the methods employed to date and suggest the application of new technologies to better understand these elusive biological structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- Institut PasteurMembrane Traffic and PathogenesisParisFrance
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wang XT, Sun H, Chen NH, Yuan YH. Tunneling nanotubes: A novel pharmacological target for neurodegenerative diseases? Pharmacol Res 2021; 170:105541. [PMID: 33711434 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Diversiform ways of intercellular communication are vital links in maintaining homeostasis and disseminating physiological states. Among intercellular bridges, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) discovered in 2004 were recognized as potential pharmacology targets related to the pathogenesis of common or infrequent neurodegenerative disorders. The neurotoxic aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases including scrapie prion protein (PrPSc), mutant tau protein, amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein, alpha-synuclein (α-syn) as well as mutant Huntington (mHTT) protein could promote TNT formation via certain physiological mechanisms, in turn, mediating the intercellular transmission of neurotoxicity. In this review, we described in detail the skeleton, the formation, the physicochemical properties, and the functions of TNTs, while paying particular attention to the key role of TNTs in the transport of pathological proteins during neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica& Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Hua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica& Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
| | - Nai-Hong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica& Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Yu-He Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica& Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
RNA transfer through tunneling nanotubes. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 49:145-160. [PMID: 33367488 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It was already suggested in the early '70's that RNA molecules might transfer between mammalian cells in culture. Yet, more direct evidence for RNA transfer in animal and plant cells was only provided decades later, as this field became established. In this mini-review, we will describe evidence for the transfer of different types of RNA between cells through tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). TNTs are long, yet thin, open-ended cellular protrusions that are structurally distinct from filopodia. TNTs connect cells and can transfer many types of cargo, including small molecules, proteins, vesicles, pathogens, and organelles. Recent work has shown that TNTs can also transfer mRNAs, viral RNAs and non-coding RNAs. Here, we will review the evidence for TNT-mediated RNA transfer, discuss the technical challenges in this field, and conjecture about the possible significance of this pathway in health and disease.
Collapse
|
20
|
A New Take on Prion Protein Dynamics in Cellular Trafficking. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207763. [PMID: 33092231 PMCID: PMC7589859 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mobility of cellular prion protein (PrPC) in specific cell membrane domains and among distinct cell compartments dictates its molecular interactions and directs its cell function. PrPC works in concert with several partners to organize signaling platforms implicated in various cellular processes. The scaffold property of PrPC is able to gather a molecular repertoire to create heterogeneous membrane domains that favor endocytic events. Dynamic trafficking of PrPC through multiple pathways, in a well-orchestrated mechanism of intra and extracellular vesicular transport, defines its functional plasticity, and also assists the conversion and spreading of its infectious isoform associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight how PrPC traffics across intra- and extracellular compartments and the consequences of this dynamic transport in governing cell functions and contributing to prion disease pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
21
|
Bhat S, Ljubojevic N, Zhu S, Fukuda M, Echard A, Zurzolo C. Rab35 and its effectors promote formation of tunneling nanotubes in neuronal cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16803. [PMID: 33033331 PMCID: PMC7544914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are F-actin rich structures that connect distant cells, allowing the transport of many cellular components, including vesicles, organelles and molecules. Rab GTPases are the major regulators of vesicle trafficking and also participate in actin cytoskeleton remodelling, therefore, we examined their role in TNTs. Rab35 functions with several proteins that are involved in vesicle trafficking such as ACAP2, MICAL-L1, ARF6 and EHD1, which are known to be involved in neurite outgrowth. Here we show that Rab35 promotes TNT formation and TNT-mediated vesicle transfer in a neuronal cell line. Furthermore, our data indicates that Rab35-GTP, ACAP2, ARF6-GDP and EHD1 act in a cascade mechanism to promote TNT formation. Interestingly, MICAL-L1 overexpression, shown to be necessary for the action of Rab35 on neurite outgrowth, showed no effect on TNTs, indicating that TNT formation and neurite outgrowth may be processed through similar but not identical pathways, further supporting the unique identity of these cellular protrusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaarvari Bhat
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, UMR3691 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Nina Ljubojevic
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, UMR3691 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, ED394-Physiologie, Physiopathologie et Thérapeutique, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Seng Zhu
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, UMR3691 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Mitsunori Fukuda
- Department of Integrative Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Arnaud Echard
- Membrane Traffic and Cell Division Lab, UMR3691 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, UMR3691 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tittelmeier J, Nachman E, Nussbaum-Krammer C. Molecular Chaperones: A Double-Edged Sword in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:581374. [PMID: 33132902 PMCID: PMC7572858 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.581374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins into amyloid deposits is a hallmark in many age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Pathological inclusions and the associated toxicity appear to spread through the nervous system in a characteristic pattern during the disease. This has been attributed to a prion-like behavior of amyloid-type aggregates, which involves self-replication of the pathological conformation, intercellular transfer, and the subsequent seeding of native forms of the same protein in the neighboring cell. Molecular chaperones play a major role in maintaining cellular proteostasis by assisting the (re)-folding of cellular proteins to ensure their function or by promoting the degradation of terminally misfolded proteins to prevent damage. With increasing age, however, the capacity of this proteostasis network tends to decrease, which enables the manifestation of neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, there has been a plethora of studies investigating how and when chaperones interact with disease-related proteins, which have advanced our understanding of the role of chaperones in protein misfolding diseases. This review article focuses on the steps of prion-like propagation from initial misfolding and self-templated replication to intercellular spreading and discusses the influence that chaperones have on these various steps, highlighting both the positive and adverse consequences chaperone action can have. Understanding how chaperones alleviate and aggravate disease progression is vital for the development of therapeutic strategies to combat these debilitating diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Tittelmeier
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eliana Nachman
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carmen Nussbaum-Krammer
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tunneling Nanotubes: The Fuel of Tumor Progression? Trends Cancer 2020; 6:874-888. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
24
|
Tishchenko A, Azorín DD, Vidal-Brime L, Muñoz MJ, Arenas PJ, Pearce C, Girao H, Ramón y Cajal S, Aasen T. Cx43 and Associated Cell Signaling Pathways Regulate Tunneling Nanotubes in Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2798. [PMID: 33003486 PMCID: PMC7601615 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexin 43 (Cx43) forms gap junctions that mediate the direct intercellular diffusion of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells. Cx43 displays both pro- and anti-tumorigenic properties, but the mechanisms underlying these characteristics are not fully understood. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are long and thin membrane projections that connect cells, facilitating the exchange of not only small molecules, but also larger proteins, organelles, bacteria, and viruses. Typically, TNTs exhibit increased formation under conditions of cellular stress and are more prominent in cancer cells, where they are generally thought to be pro-metastatic and to provide growth and survival advantages. Cx43 has been described in TNTs, where it is thought to regulate small molecule diffusion through gap junctions. Here, we developed a high-fidelity CRISPR/Cas9 system to knockout (KO) Cx43. We found that the loss of Cx43 expression was associated with significantly reduced TNT length and number in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, secreted factors present in conditioned medium stimulated TNTs more potently when derived from Cx43-expressing cells than from KO cells. Moreover, TNT formation was significantly induced by the inhibition of several key cancer signaling pathways that both regulate Cx43 and are regulated by Cx43, including RhoA kinase (ROCK), protein kinase A (PKA), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and p38. Intriguingly, the drug-induced stimulation of TNTs was more potent in Cx43 KO cells than in wild-type (WT) cells. In conclusion, this work describes a novel non-canonical role for Cx43 in regulating TNTs, identifies key cancer signaling pathways that regulate TNTs in this setting, and provides mechanistic insight into a pro-tumorigenic role of Cx43 in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Tishchenko
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - Daniel D. Azorín
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - Laia Vidal-Brime
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - María José Muñoz
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - Pol Jiménez Arenas
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - Christopher Pearce
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
| | - Henrique Girao
- Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Celas, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra, CACC, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Santiago Ramón y Cajal
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
- Anatomía Patológica, Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Trond Aasen
- Patologia Molecular Translacional, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (A.T.); (D.D.A.); (L.V.-B.); (M.J.M.); (P.J.A.); (C.P.); (S.R.yC.)
- CIBER de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Subramaniam S. Rhes Tunnels: A Radical New Way of Communication in the Brain's Striatum? Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900231. [PMID: 32236969 PMCID: PMC7310467 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ras homolog enriched in the striatum (Rhes) is a striatal enriched protein that promotes the formation of thin membranous tubes resembling tunneling nanotubes (TNT)-"Rhes tunnels"-that connect neighboring cell and transport cargoes: vesicles and proteins between the neuronal cells. Here the literature on TNT-like structures is reviewed, and the implications of Rhes-mediated TNT, the mechanisms of its formation, and its potential in novel cell-to-cell communication in regulating striatal biology and disease are emphasized. Thought-provoking ideas regarding how Rhes-mediated TNT, if it exists, in vivo, would radically change the way neurons communicate in the brain are discussed.
Collapse
|
26
|
Latario CJ, Schoenfeld LW, Howarth CL, Pickrell LE, Begum F, Fischer DA, Grbovic-Huezo O, Leach SD, Sanchez Y, Smith KD, Higgs HN. Tumor microtubes connect pancreatic cancer cells in an Arp2/3 complex-dependent manner. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1259-1272. [PMID: 32267199 PMCID: PMC7353147 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-11-0605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin-based tubular connections between cells have been observed in many cell types. Termed "tunneling nanotubes (TNTs)," "membrane nanotubes," "tumor microtubes (TMTs)," or "cytonemes," these protrusions interconnect cells in dynamic networks. Structural features in these protrusions vary between cellular systems, including tubule diameter and the presence of microtubules. We find tubular protrusions, which we classify as TMTs, in a pancreatic cancer cell line, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Pancreatic Cancer (DHPC)-018. TMTs are present in DHPC-018-derived tumors in mice, as well as in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer and a subset of primary human tumors. DHPC-018 TMTs have heterogeneous diameter (0.39-5.85 µm, median 1.92 µm) and contain actin filaments, microtubules, and cytokeratin 19-based intermediate filaments. TMTs do not allow intercellular transfer of cytoplasmic GFP. Actin filaments are cortical within the protrusion, as opposed to TNTs, in which filaments run down the center. TMTs are dynamic in length, but are long lived (median >60 min). Inhibition of actin polymerization, but not microtubules, results in TMT loss. Extracellular calcium is necessary for TMT maintenance. A second class of tubular protrusion, which we term cell-substrate protrusion, has similar width range and cytoskeletal features but makes contact with the substratum as opposed to another cell. Similar to previous work on TNTs, we find two assembly mechanisms for TMTs, which we term "pull-away" and "search-and-capture." Inhibition of Arp2/3 complex inhibits TMT assembly by both mechanisms. This work demonstrates that the actin architecture of TMTs in pancreatic cancer cells is fundamentally different from that of TNTs and demonstrates the role of Arp2/3 complex in TMT assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casey J. Latario
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Lori W. Schoenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Charles L. Howarth
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Laura E. Pickrell
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Fatema Begum
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Dawn A. Fischer
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Olivera Grbovic-Huezo
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Steven D. Leach
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Yolanda Sanchez
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Kerrington D. Smith
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Henry N. Higgs
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Korenkova O, Pepe A, Zurzolo C. Fine intercellular connections in development: TNTs, cytonemes, or intercellular bridges? Cell Stress 2020; 4:30-43. [PMID: 32043076 PMCID: PMC6997949 DOI: 10.15698/cst2020.02.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intercellular communication is a fundamental property of multicellular organisms, necessary for their adequate responses to changing environment. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) represent a novel means of intercellular communication being a long cell-to-cell conduit. TNTs are actively formed under a broad range of stresses and are also proposed to exist under physiological conditions. Development is a physiological condition of particular interest, as it requires fine coordination. Here we discuss whether protrusions shown to exist during embryonic development of different species could be TNTs or if they represent other types of cell structure, like cytonemes or intercellular bridges, that are suggested to play an important role in development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Korenkova
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.,Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Anna Pepe
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- Unit of Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Drab M, Stopar D, Kralj-Iglič V, Iglič A. Inception Mechanisms of Tunneling Nanotubes. Cells 2019; 8:cells8060626. [PMID: 31234435 PMCID: PMC6627088 DOI: 10.3390/cells8060626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are thin membranous tubes that interconnect cells, representing a novel route of cell-to-cell communication and spreading of pathogens. TNTs form between many cell types, yet their inception mechanisms remain elusive. We review in this study general concepts related to the formation and stability of membranous tubular structures with a focus on a deviatoric elasticity model of membrane nanodomains. We review experimental evidence that tubular structures initiate from local membrane bending facilitated by laterally distributed proteins or anisotropic membrane nanodomains. We further discuss the numerical results of several theoretical and simulation models of nanodomain segregation suggesting the mechanisms of TNT inception and stability. We discuss the coupling of nanodomain segregation with the action of protruding cytoskeletal forces, which are mostly provided in eukaryotic cells by the polymerization of f-actin, and review recent inception mechanisms of TNTs in relation to motor proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitja Drab
- Laboratory of Physics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana,1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Laboratory of Clinical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - David Stopar
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Veronika Kralj-Iglič
- Laboratory of Clinical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Laboratory of Clinical Biophysics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Aleš Iglič
- Laboratory of Physics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana,1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Laboratory of Clinical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Groveman BR, Foliaki ST, Orru CD, Zanusso G, Carroll JA, Race B, Haigh CL. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prion infection of human cerebral organoids. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:90. [PMID: 31196223 PMCID: PMC6567389 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0742-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
For the transmissible, neurogenerative family of prion diseases, few human models of infection exist and none represent structured neuronal tissue. Human cerebral organoids are self-organizing, three-dimensional brain tissues that can be grown from induced pluripotent stem cells. Organoids can model aspects of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease and Down's Syndrome, reproducing tau hyperphosphorylation and amyloid plaque pathology. To determine whether organoids could be used to reproduce human prion infection and pathogenesis, we inoculated organoids with two sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease prion subtypes. Organoids showed uptake, followed by clearance, of the infectious inoculum. Subsequent re-emergence of prion self-seeding activity indicated de novo propagation. Organoid health assays, prion titer, prion protein electrophoretic mobility and immunohistochemistry demonstrated inoculum-specific differences. Our study shows, for the first time, that cerebral organoids can model aspects of human prion disease and thus offer a powerful system for investigating different human prion subtype pathologies and testing putative therapeutics.
Collapse
|
30
|
Effect of tolytoxin on tunneling nanotube formation and function. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5741. [PMID: 30952909 PMCID: PMC6450976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42161-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are actin-containing membrane protrusions that play an essential role in long-range intercellular communication. They are involved in development of various diseases by allowing transfer of pathogens or protein aggregates as well as organelles such as mitochondria. Increase in TNT formation has been linked to many pathological conditions. Here we show that nM concentrations of tolytoxin, a cyanobacterial macrolide that targets actin by inhibition of its polymerization, significantly decrease the number of TNT-connected cells, as well as transfer of mitochondria and α-synuclein fibrils in two different cell lines of neuronal (SH-SY5Y) and epithelial (SW13) origin. As the cytoskeleton of the tested cell remain preserved, this macrolide could serve as a valuable tool for future therapies against diseases propagated by TNTs.
Collapse
|
31
|
Proal A, Marshall T. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Era of the Human Microbiome: Persistent Pathogens Drive Chronic Symptoms by Interfering With Host Metabolism, Gene Expression, and Immunity. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:373. [PMID: 30564562 PMCID: PMC6288442 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The illness ME/CFS has been repeatedly tied to infectious agents such as Epstein Barr Virus. Expanding research on the human microbiome now allows ME/CFS-associated pathogens to be studied as interacting members of human microbiome communities. Humans harbor these vast ecosystems of bacteria, viruses and fungi in nearly all tissue and blood. Most well-studied inflammatory conditions are tied to dysbiosis or imbalance of the human microbiome. While gut microbiome dysbiosis has been identified in ME/CFS, microbes and viruses outside the gut can also contribute to the illness. Pathobionts, and their associated proteins/metabolites, often control human metabolism and gene expression in a manner that pushes the body toward a state of illness. Intracellular pathogens, including many associated with ME/CFS, drive microbiome dysbiosis by directly interfering with human transcription, translation, and DNA repair processes. Molecular mimicry between host and pathogen proteins/metabolites further complicates this interference. Other human pathogens disable mitochondria or dysregulate host nervous system signaling. Antibodies and/or clonal T cells identified in patients with ME/CFS are likely activated in response to these persistent microbiome pathogens. Different human pathogens have evolved similar survival mechanisms to disable the host immune response and host metabolic pathways. The metabolic dysfunction driven by these organisms can result in similar clusters of inflammatory symptoms. ME/CFS may be driven by this pathogen-induced dysfunction, with the nature of dysbiosis and symptom presentation varying based on a patient's unique infectious and environmental history. Under such conditions, patients would benefit from treatments that support the human immune system in an effort to reverse the infectious disease process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Proal
- Autoimmunity Research Foundation, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Charles-Orszag A, Tsai FC, Bonazzi D, Manriquez V, Sachse M, Mallet A, Salles A, Melican K, Staneva R, Bertin A, Millien C, Goussard S, Lafaye P, Shorte S, Piel M, Krijnse-Locker J, Brochard-Wyart F, Bassereau P, Duménil G. Adhesion to nanofibers drives cell membrane remodeling through one-dimensional wetting. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4450. [PMID: 30361638 PMCID: PMC6202395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06948-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The shape of cellular membranes is highly regulated by a set of conserved mechanisms that can be manipulated by bacterial pathogens to infect cells. Remodeling of the plasma membrane of endothelial cells by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis is thought to be essential during the blood phase of meningococcal infection, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we show that plasma membrane remodeling occurs independently of F-actin, along meningococcal type IV pili fibers, by a physical mechanism that we term 'one-dimensional' membrane wetting. We provide a theoretical model that describes the physical basis of one-dimensional wetting and show that this mechanism occurs in model membranes interacting with nanofibers, and in human cells interacting with extracellular matrix meshworks. We propose one-dimensional wetting as a new general principle driving the interaction of cells with their environment at the nanoscale that is diverted by meningococci during infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Charles-Orszag
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Feng-Ching Tsai
- Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168, Paris, 75005, France.,Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Daria Bonazzi
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Valeria Manriquez
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, 75006, France
| | | | | | | | - Keira Melican
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Department of Neuroscience, Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 171 77, Sweden
| | - Ralitza Staneva
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 144, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Aurélie Bertin
- Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168, Paris, 75005, France.,Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75005, France
| | | | - Sylvie Goussard
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Pierre Lafaye
- Antibody Engineering, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | | | - Matthieu Piel
- Systems Biology of Cell Polarity and Cell Division, Institut Pierre-Gilles De Gennes, Paris, 75005, France.,Institut Curie, Paris, 75005, France
| | | | - Françoise Brochard-Wyart
- Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168, Paris, 75005, France.,Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Patricia Bassereau
- Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168, Paris, 75005, France.,Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Guillaume Duménil
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sigurdson CJ, Bartz JC, Glatzel M. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Prion Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2018; 14:497-516. [PMID: 30355150 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012418-013109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are rapidly progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded, aggregated proteins known as prions, which are uniquely infectious. Remarkably, these infectious proteins have been responsible for widespread disease epidemics, including kuru in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in cervids, the latter of which has spread across North America and recently appeared in Norway and Finland. The hallmark histopathological features include widespread spongiform encephalopathy, neuronal loss, gliosis, and deposits of variably sized aggregated prion protein, ranging from small, soluble oligomers to long, thin, unbranched fibrils, depending on the disease. Here, we explore recent advances in prion disease research, from the function of the cellular prion protein to the dysfunction triggering neurotoxicity, as well as mechanisms underlying prion spread between cells. We also highlight key findings that have revealed new therapeutic targets and consider unanswered questions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Sigurdson
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
The development of multiple cell culture models of prion infection over the last two decades has led to a significant increase in our understanding of how prions infect cells. In particular, new techniques to distinguish exogenous from endogenous prions have allowed us for the first time to look in depth at the earliest stages of prion infection through to the establishment of persistent infection. These studies have shown that prions can infect multiple cell types, both neuronal and nonneuronal. Once in contact with the cell, they are rapidly taken up via multiple endocytic pathways. After uptake, the initial replication of prions occurs almost immediately on the plasma membrane and within multiple endocytic compartments. Following this acute stage of prion replication, persistent prion infection may or may not be established. Establishment of a persistent prion infection in cells appears to depend upon the achievement of a delicate balance between the rate of prion replication and degradation, the rate of cell division, and the efficiency of prion spread from cell to cell. Overall, cell culture models have shown that prion infection of the cell is a complex and variable process which can involve multiple cellular pathways and compartments even within a single cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzette A Priola
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Mattes B, Scholpp S. Emerging role of contact-mediated cell communication in tissue development and diseases. Histochem Cell Biol 2018; 150:431-442. [PMID: 30255333 PMCID: PMC6182708 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-1732-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cells of multicellular organisms are in continuous conversation with the neighbouring cells. The sender cells signal the receiver cells to influence their behaviour in transport, metabolism, motility, division, and growth. How cells communicate with each other can be categorized by biochemical signalling processes, which can be characterised by the distance between the sender cell and the receiver cell. Existing classifications describe autocrine signals as those where the sender cell is identical to the receiver cell. Complementary to this scenario, paracrine signalling describes signalling between a sender cell and a different receiver cell. Finally, juxtacrine signalling describes the exchange of information between adjacent cells by direct cell contact, whereas endocrine signalling describes the exchange of information, e.g., by hormones between distant cells or even organs through the bloodstream. In the last two decades, however, an unexpected communication mechanism has been identified which uses cell protrusions to exchange chemical signals by direct contact over long distances. These signalling protrusions can deliver signals in both ways, from sender to receiver and vice versa. We are starting to understand the morphology and function of these signalling protrusions in many tissues and this accumulation of findings forces us to revise our view of contact-dependent cell communication. In this review, we will focus on the two main categories of signalling protrusions, cytonemes and tunnelling nanotubes. These signalling protrusions emerge as essential structural components of a vibrant communication network in the development and tissue homeostasis of any multicellular organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Mattes
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Steffen Scholpp
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mittal R, Karhu E, Wang JS, Delgado S, Zukerman R, Mittal J, Jhaveri VM. Cell communication by tunneling nanotubes: Implications in disease and therapeutic applications. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:1130-1146. [PMID: 30206931 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Intercellular communication is essential for the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are a recently recognized means of long and short distance communication between a wide variety of cell types. TNTs are transient filamentous membrane protrusions that connect cytoplasm of neighboring or distant cells. Cytoskeleton fiber-mediated transport of various cargoes occurs through these tubules. These cargoes range from small ions to whole organelles. TNTs have been shown to contribute not only to embryonic development and maintenance of homeostasis, but also to the spread of infectious particles and resistance to therapies. These functions in the development and progression of cancer and infectious disease have sparked increasing scrutiny of TNTs, as their contribution to disease progression lends them a promising therapeutic target. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge of TNT structure and formation as well as the role of TNTs in pathology, focusing on viral, prion, and malignant disease. We then discuss the therapeutic possibilities of TNTs in light of their varied functions. Despite recent progress in the growing field of TNT research, more studies are needed to precisely understand the role of TNTs in pathological conditions and to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mittal
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Elisa Karhu
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Jay-Shing Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Stefanie Delgado
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Ryan Zukerman
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Jeenu Mittal
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Vasanti M Jhaveri
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Yamashita YM, Inaba M, Buszczak M. Specialized Intercellular Communications via Cytonemes and Nanotubes. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2018; 34:59-84. [PMID: 30074816 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100617-062932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, thin membrane protrusions such as cytonemes and tunneling nanotubes have emerged as a novel mechanism of intercellular communication. Protrusion-based cellular interactions allow for specific communication between participating cells and have a distinct spectrum of advantages compared to secretion- and diffusion-based intercellular communication. Identification of protrusion-based signaling in diverse systems suggests that this mechanism is a ubiquitous and prevailing means of communication employed by many cell types. Moreover, accumulating evidence indicates that protrusion-based intercellular communication is often involved in pathogenesis, including cancers and infections. Here we review our current understanding of protrusion-based intercellular communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko M Yamashita
- Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Mayu Inaba
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA;
| | - Michael Buszczak
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Davis AA, Leyns CEG, Holtzman DM. Intercellular Spread of Protein Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Disease. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2018; 34:545-568. [PMID: 30044648 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100617-062636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the accumulation of protein aggregates, some of which are toxic to cells. Mounting evidence demonstrates that in several diseases, protein aggregates can pass from neuron to neuron along connected networks, although the role of this spreading phenomenon in disease pathogenesis is not completely understood. Here we briefly review the molecular and histopathological features of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease, we summarize the evidence for release of proteins from donor cells into the extracellular space, and we highlight some other mechanisms by which protein aggregates might be transmitted to recipient cells. We also discuss the evidence that supports a role for spreading of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis and some limitations of this model. Finally, we consider potential therapeutic strategies to target spreading of protein aggregates in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert A Davis
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA; .,Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Cheryl E G Leyns
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA; .,Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA; .,Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Vilette D, Courte J, Peyrin JM, Coudert L, Schaeffer L, Andréoletti O, Leblanc P. Cellular mechanisms responsible for cell-to-cell spreading of prions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2557-2574. [PMID: 29761205 PMCID: PMC11105574 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2823-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Prions are infectious agents that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Current evidence indicates that they are essentially composed of an abnormally folded protein (PrPSc). These abnormal aggregated PrPSc species multiply in infected cells by recruiting and converting the host PrPC protein into new PrPSc. How prions move from cell to cell and progressively spread across the infected tissue is of crucial importance and may provide experimental opportunity to delay the progression of the disease. In infected cells, different mechanisms have been identified, including release of infectious extracellular vesicles and intercellular transfer of PrPSc-containing organelles through tunneling nanotubes. These findings should allow manipulation of the intracellular trafficking events targeting PrPSc in these particular subcellular compartments to experimentally address the relative contribution of these mechanisms to in vivo prion pathogenesis. In addition, such information may prompt further experimental strategies to decipher the causal roles of protein misfolding and aggregation in other human neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Didier Vilette
- UMR1225, INRA, ENVT, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, 23 Chemin des Capelles, Toulouse, France.
| | - Josquin Courte
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, UMR8246, Inserm U1130, IBPS, UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
- Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, UMR168, UPMC, IPGG, Sorbonne Universités, 6 Rue Jean Calvin, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean Michel Peyrin
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, UMR8246, Inserm U1130, IBPS, UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Laurent Coudert
- Insitut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR5310, INSERM U1217, Faculté de Médecine Rockefeller, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 8 Avenue Rockefeller, 69373, Lyon Cedex 08, France
| | - Laurent Schaeffer
- Insitut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR5310, INSERM U1217, Faculté de Médecine Rockefeller, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 8 Avenue Rockefeller, 69373, Lyon Cedex 08, France
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR1225, INRA, ENVT, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, 23 Chemin des Capelles, Toulouse, France
| | - Pascal Leblanc
- Insitut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR5310, INSERM U1217, Faculté de Médecine Rockefeller, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 8 Avenue Rockefeller, 69373, Lyon Cedex 08, France.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Zhu S, Abounit S, Korth C, Zurzolo C. Transfer of disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 aggregates between neuronal-like cells occurs in tunnelling nanotubes and is promoted by dopamine. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.160328. [PMID: 28275106 PMCID: PMC5376705 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene was identified as a genetic risk factor for chronic mental illnesses (CMI) such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe recurrent depression. Insoluble aggregated DISC1 variants were found in the cingular cortex of sporadic, i.e. non-genetic, CMI patients. This suggests protein pathology as a novel, additional pathogenic mechanism, further corroborated in a recent transgenic rat model presenting DISC1 aggregates. Since the potential role of aggregation of DISC1 in sporadic CMI is unknown, we investigated whether DISC1 undergoes aggregation in cell culture and could spread between neuronal cells in a prion-like manner, as shown for amyloid proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Co-culture experiments between donor cells forming DISC1 aggregates and acceptor cells showed that 4.5% of acceptor cells contained donor-derived DISC1 aggregates, thus indicating an efficient transfer in vitro. DISC1 aggregates were found inside tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) and transfer was enhanced by increasing TNT formation and notably by dopamine treatment, which also induces DISC1 aggregation. These data indicate that DISC1 aggregates can propagate between cells similarly to prions, thus providing some molecular basis for the role of protein pathology in CMI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seng Zhu
- Institut Pasteur, Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis Unit, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Saïda Abounit
- Institut Pasteur, Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis Unit, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- Institut Pasteur, Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis Unit, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Tunneling Nanotubes as a Novel Route of Cell-to-Cell Spread of Herpesviruses. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.00090-18. [PMID: 29491165 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00090-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Various types of intercellular connections that are essential for communication between cells are often utilized by pathogens. Recently, a new type of cellular connection, consisting of long, thin, actin-rich membrane extensions named tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), has been shown to play an important role in cell-to-cell spread of HIV and influenza virus. In the present report, we show that TNTs are frequently formed by cells infected by an alphaherpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Viral proteins, such as envelope glycoprotein E (gE), capsid protein VP26, and tegument protein Us3, as well as cellular organelles (mitochondria) were detected by immunofluorescence and live-cell imaging of nanotubes formed by bovine primary fibroblasts and oropharynx cells (KOP cells). Time-lapse confocal studies of live cells infected with fluorescently labeled viruses showed that viral particles were transmitted via TNTs. This transfer also occurred in the presence of neutralizing antibodies, which prevented free entry of BoHV-1. We conclude that TNT formation contributes to successful cell-to-cell spread of BoHV-1 and demonstrate for the first time the participation of membrane nanotubes in intercellular transfer of a herpesvirus in live cells.IMPORTANCE Efficient transmission of viral particles between cells is an important factor in successful infection by herpesviruses. Herpesviruses can spread by the free-entry mode or direct cell-to-cell transfer via cell junctions and long extensions of neuronal cells. In this report, we show for the first time that an alphaherpesvirus can also spread between various types of cells using tunneling nanotubes, intercellular connections that are utilized by HIV and other viruses. Live-cell monitoring revealed that viral transmission occurs between the cells of the same type as well as between epithelial cells and fibroblasts. This newly discovered route of herpesviruses spread may contribute to efficient transmission despite the presence of host immune responses, especially after reactivation from latency that developed after primary infection. Long-range communication provided by TNTs may facilitate the spread of herpesviruses between many tissues and organs of an infected organism.
Collapse
|
42
|
Bräuer S, Zimyanin V, Hermann A. Prion-like properties of disease-relevant proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 125:591-613. [PMID: 29417336 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the appearance of cellular protein deposits and spreading of this pathology throughout the central nervous system. Growing evidence has shown the involvement and critical role of proteins with prion-like properties in the formation of these characteristic cellular aggregates. Prion-like domains of such proteins with their proposed function in the organization of membraneless organelles are prone for misfolding and promoting further aggregation. Spreading of these toxic aggregates between cells and across tissues can explain the progression of clinical phenotypes and pathology in a stereotypical manner, characteristic for almost every neurodegenerative disease. Here, we want to review the current evidence for the role of prion-like mechanisms in classical neurodegenerative diseases and ALS in particular. We will also discuss an intriguingly central role of the protein TDP-43 in the majority of cases of this devastating disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Bräuer
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Städtisches Klinikum Dresden, 01129, Dresden, Germany
| | - V Zimyanin
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 01307, Dresden, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein amyloids in several regions of the brain. α-Synuclein fibrils are able to spread via cell-to-cell transfer, and once inside the cells, they can template the misfolding and aggregation of the endogenous α-synuclein. Multiple mechanisms have been shown to participate in the process of propagation: endocytosis, tunneling nanotubes and macropinocytosis. Recently, we published a research showing that the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) acts as a receptor for α-synuclein amyloid fibrils, facilitating their internalization through and endocytic pathway. This interaction occurs by a direct interaction between the fibrils and the N-terminal domain of PrPC. In cell lines expressing the pathological form of PrP (PrPSc), the binding between PrPC and α-synuclein fibrils prevents the formation and accumulation of PrPSc, since PrPC is no longer available as a substrate for the pathological conversion templated by PrPSc. On the contrary, PrPSc deposits are cleared over passages, probably due to the increased processing of PrPC into the neuroprotective fragments N1 and C1. Starting from these data, in this work we present new insights into the role of PrPC in the internalization of protein amyloids and the possible therapeutic applications of these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena De Cecco
- a Department of Neuroscience , Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- a Department of Neuroscience , Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste , Italy.,b ELETTRA - Sincrotrone Trieste S. C. p. A. , Trieste , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
|
45
|
Mabbott NA. How do PrP Sc Prions Spread between Host Species, and within Hosts? Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6040060. [PMID: 29186791 PMCID: PMC5750584 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are sub-acute neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and some domestic and free-ranging animals. Infectious prion agents are considered to comprise solely of abnormally folded isoforms of the cellular prion protein known as PrPSc. Pathology during prion disease is restricted to the central nervous system where it causes extensive neurodegeneration and ultimately leads to the death of the host. The first half of this review provides a thorough account of our understanding of the various ways in which PrPSc prions may spread between individuals within a population, both horizontally and vertically. Many natural prion diseases are acquired peripherally, such as by oral exposure, lesions to skin or mucous membranes, and possibly also via the nasal cavity. Following peripheral exposure, some prions accumulate to high levels within the secondary lymphoid organs as they make their journey from the site of infection to the brain, a process termed neuroinvasion. The replication of PrPSc prions within secondary lymphoid organs is important for their efficient spread to the brain. The second half of this review describes the key tissues, cells and molecules which are involved in the propagation of PrPSc prions from peripheral sites of exposure (such as the lumen of the intestine) to the brain. This section also considers how additional factors such as inflammation and aging might influence prion disease susceptibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abounit S, Wu JW, Duff K, Victoria GS, Zurzolo C. Tunneling nanotubes: A possible highway in the spreading of tau and other prion-like proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Prion 2017; 10:344-351. [PMID: 27715442 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1223003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of intercellular spreading of amyloidogenic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases have yet to be fully elucidated. While secretion has been implicated in the transfer of many proteins, including prions and α-synuclein, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) have also been demonstrated for prions and mutant Huntingtin. Here, we provide further evidence that Tau aggregates, which have been demonstrated to predominantly be transferred via secretion, can also be found in TNTs. Additionally, cells that have taken up Tau have increased TNT formation. Coupled with previous evidence that other amyloidogenic aggregates also induce TNT formation we propose that misfolded protein aggregates can, through a common mechanism, promote the formation of TNTs and thereby their own intercellular transfer, contributing to the propagation of pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saida Abounit
- a Unité Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenèse , Institut Pasteur , Paris CEDEX 15 , France
| | - Jessica W Wu
- b Taub Institute, Columbia University Medical Center , New York , NY , USA
| | - Karen Duff
- b Taub Institute, Columbia University Medical Center , New York , NY , USA
| | | | - Chiara Zurzolo
- a Unité Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenèse , Institut Pasteur , Paris CEDEX 15 , France
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Tang BL. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapy – a perspective on cell biological mechanisms. Rev Neurosci 2017; 28:725-738. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2017-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRecent clinical trials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation have demonstrated procedural safety and clinical proof of principle with a modest indication of benefit in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While replacement therapy remained unrealistic, the clinical efficacy of this therapeutic option could be potentially enhanced if we could better decipher the mechanisms underlying some of the beneficial effects of transplanted cells, and work toward augmenting or combining these in a strategic manner. Novel ways whereby MSCs could act in modifying disease progression should also be explored. In this review, I discuss the known, emerging and postulated mechanisms of action underlying effects that transplanted MSCs may exert to promote motor neuron survival and/or to encourage regeneration in ALS. I shall also speculate on how transplanted cells may alter the diseased environment so as to minimize non-neuron cell autonomous damages by immune cells and astrocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bor Luen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Intercellular mRNA trafficking via membrane nanotube-like extensions in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9873-E9882. [PMID: 29078295 PMCID: PMC5699038 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706365114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA molecules convey genetic information within cells, beginning from genes in the nucleus to ribosomes in the cell body, where they are translated into proteins. Here we show a mode of transferring genetic information from one cell to another. Contrary to previous publications suggesting that mRNAs transfer via extracellular vesicles, we provide visual and quantitative data showing that mRNAs transfer via membrane nanotubes and direct cell-to-cell contact. We predict that this process has a major role in regulating local cellular environments with respect to tissue development and maintenance and cellular responses to stress, interactions with parasites, tissue transplants, and the tumor microenvironment. RNAs have been shown to undergo transfer between mammalian cells, although the mechanism behind this phenomenon and its overall importance to cell physiology is not well understood. Numerous publications have suggested that RNAs (microRNAs and incomplete mRNAs) undergo transfer via extracellular vesicles (e.g., exosomes). However, in contrast to a diffusion-based transfer mechanism, we find that full-length mRNAs undergo direct cell–cell transfer via cytoplasmic extensions characteristic of membrane nanotubes (mNTs), which connect donor and acceptor cells. By employing a simple coculture experimental model and using single-molecule imaging, we provide quantitative data showing that mRNAs are transferred between cells in contact. Examples of mRNAs that undergo transfer include those encoding GFP, mouse β-actin, and human Cyclin D1, BRCA1, MT2A, and HER2. We show that intercellular mRNA transfer occurs in all coculture models tested (e.g., between primary cells, immortalized cells, and in cocultures of immortalized human and murine cells). Rapid mRNA transfer is dependent upon actin but is independent of de novo protein synthesis and is modulated by stress conditions and gene-expression levels. Hence, this work supports the hypothesis that full-length mRNAs undergo transfer between cells through a refined structural connection. Importantly, unlike the transfer of miRNA or RNA fragments, this process of communication transfers genetic information that could potentially alter the acceptor cell proteome. This phenomenon may prove important for the proper development and functioning of tissues as well as for host–parasite or symbiotic interactions.
Collapse
|
49
|
Farahnak S, McGovern TK, Kim R, O'Sullivan M, Chen B, Lee M, Yoshie H, Wang A, Jang J, Al Heialy S, Lauzon AM, Martin JG. Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Is a Determinant of CD4 T Cell-Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Communication through Membrane Conduits. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:3086-3093. [PMID: 28924004 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Activated CD4 T cells connect to airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in vitro via lymphocyte-derived membrane conduits (LMCs) structurally similar to membrane nanotubes with unknown intercellular signals triggering their formation. We examined the structure and function of CD4 T cell-derived LMCs, and we established a role for ASMC-derived basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2b) and FGF receptor (FGFR)1 in LMC formation. Blocking FGF2b's synthesis and FGFR1 function reduced LMC formation. Mitochondrial flux from ASMCs to T cells was partially FGF2b and FGFR1 dependent. LMC formation by CD4 T cells and mitochondrial transfer from ASMCs was increased in the presence of asthmatic ASMCs that expressed more mRNA for FGF2b compared with normal ASMCs. These observations identify ASMC-derived FGF2b as a factor needed for LMC formation by CD4 T cells, affecting intercellular communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soroor Farahnak
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Toby K McGovern
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Rachael Kim
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Michael O'Sullivan
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Brian Chen
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Minhyoung Lee
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Haruka Yoshie
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Anna Wang
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Joyce Jang
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and
| | - Anne-Marie Lauzon
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - James G Martin
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; and .,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Mabbott NA. Immunology of Prion Protein and Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:203-240. [PMID: 28838662 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many natural prion diseases are acquired peripherally, such as following the oral consumption of contaminated food or pasture. After peripheral exposure many prion isolates initially accumulate to high levels within the host's secondary lymphoid tissues. The replication of prions within these tissues is essential for their efficient spread to the brain where they ultimately cause neurodegeneration. This chapter describes our current understanding of the critical tissues, cells, and molecules which the prions exploit to mediate their efficient propagation from the site of exposure (such as the intestine) to the brain. Interactions between the immune system and prions are not only restricted to the secondary lymphoid tissues. Therefore, an account of how the activation status of the microglial in the brain can also influence progression of prion disease pathogenesis is provided. Prion disease susceptibility may also be influenced by additional factors such as chronic inflammation, coinfection with other pathogens, and aging. Finally, the potential for immunotherapy to provide a means of safe and effective prophylactic or therapeutic intervention in these currently untreatable diseases is considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|