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Griffin EN, Jucius T, Sim SE, Harris BS, Heinz S, Ackerman SL. RREB1 regulates neuronal proteostasis and the microtubule network. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh3929. [PMID: 38198538 PMCID: PMC10780896 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh3929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors play vital roles in neuron development; however, little is known about the role of these proteins in maintaining neuronal homeostasis. Here, we show that the transcription factor RREB1 (Ras-responsive element-binding protein 1) is essential for neuron survival in the mammalian brain. A spontaneous mouse mutation causing loss of a nervous system-enriched Rreb1 transcript is associated with progressive loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and ataxia. Analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing, along with RNA sequencing data revealed dysregulation of RREB1 targets associated with the microtubule cytoskeleton. In agreement with the known role of microtubules in dendritic development, dendritic complexity was disrupted in Rreb1-deficient neurons. Analysis of sequencing data also suggested that RREB1 plays a role in the endomembrane system. Mutant Purkinje cells had fewer numbers of autophagosomes and lysosomes and contained P62- and ubiquitin-positive inclusions. Together, these studies demonstrate that RREB1 functions to maintain the microtubule network and proteostasis in mammalian neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N. Griffin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Thomas Jucius
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Su-Eon Sim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Sven Heinz
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Susan L. Ackerman
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Feng J, Goedegebuure SP, Zeng A, Bi Y, Wang T, Payne P, Ding L, DeNardo D, Hawkins W, Fields RC, Li F. sc2MeNetDrug: A computational tool to uncover inter-cell signaling targets and identify relevant drugs based on single cell RNA-seq data. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011785. [PMID: 38181047 PMCID: PMC10796047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful technology to investigate the transcriptional programs in stromal, immune, and disease cells, like tumor cells or neurons within the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brain or tumor microenvironment (ME) or niche. Cell-cell communications within ME play important roles in disease progression and immunotherapy response and are novel and critical therapeutic targets. Though many tools of scRNA-seq analysis have been developed to investigate the heterogeneity and sub-populations of cells, few were designed for uncovering cell-cell communications of ME and predicting the potentially effective drugs to inhibit the communications. Moreover, the data analysis processes of discovering signaling communication networks and effective drugs using scRNA-seq data are complex and involve a set of critical analysis processes and external supportive data resources, which are difficult for researchers who have no strong computational background and training in scRNA-seq data analysis. To address these challenges, in this study, we developed a novel open-source computational tool, sc2MeNetDrug (https://fuhaililab.github.io/sc2MeNetDrug/). It was specifically designed using scRNA-seq data to identify cell types within disease MEs, uncover the dysfunctional signaling pathways within individual cell types and interactions among different cell types, and predict effective drugs that can potentially disrupt cell-cell signaling communications. sc2MeNetDrug provided a user-friendly graphical user interface to encapsulate the data analysis modules, which can facilitate the scRNA-seq data-based discovery of novel inter-cell signaling communications and novel therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Feng
- Institute for Informatics (I2), Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - S. Peter Goedegebuure
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Amanda Zeng
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ye Bi
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Philip Payne
- Institute for Informatics (I2), Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Li Ding
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David DeNardo
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - William Hawkins
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ryan C. Fields
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Fuhai Li
- Institute for Informatics (I2), Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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Zhou X, Zhao H. FAIM2 is correlated with metastasis of medulloblastoma through bioinformatics analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e33591. [PMID: 37083768 PMCID: PMC10118330 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000033591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most frequent malignant brain tumors in children. The metastasis of MB outside the nervous system is associated with a poor prognosis. Our study aimed to explore the genes correlated with metastasis in MB. Using the data downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database, the differentially expressed genes were identified between the metastatic and nonmetastatic samples in MB, which were undergone functional enrichment. Prognosis related genes were identified using univariate Cox regression analysis. The gene set enrichment analysis was conducted to find MB metastasis related pathways. A total of 196 differentially expressed genes were identified between metastatic and nonmetastatic samples in MB patients, and these genes were significantly enriched in 483 gene ontology terms and 29 Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. In addition, univariate Cox regression analysis screened the top 10 genes (CEMIP, GLCE, ART3, GABRA5, COLEC12, LIN28B, ZNF521, IL17RB, Fas apoptotic inhibitory molecule 2 (FAIM2), RCBTB2) that were significantly associated with survival of MB, among which FAIM2 was prominently expressed in cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. The expression of FAIM2 was decreased in metastatic MB samples, and FAIM2 harbored missense mutations, amplifications and deep deletions in metastatic samples of MB. Moreover, a total of 25 pathways were significantly activated and 41 pathways were significantly inhibited in FAIM2 high expression group compared to FAIM2 low expression group in MB patients. FAIM2 was tightly correlated with metastasis in MB patients, and the low expression of FAIM2 was associated with poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Zhou
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, China
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DNA methylome in pancreatic cancer identified novel promoter hyper-methylation in NPY and FAIM2 genes associated with poor prognosis in Indian patient cohort. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:334. [PMID: 36329447 PMCID: PMC9635159 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02737-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide and has a poor survival, with a 5-year survival rate of only 8.5%. In this study we investigated altered DNA methylation associated with PDAC severity and prognosis. Methods Methylome data, generated using 450 K bead array, was compared between paired PDAC and normal samples in the TCGA cohort (n = 9) and our Indian cohort (n = 7). The total Indian Cohort (n = 75) was split into cohort 1 (n = 7), cohort 2 (n = 22), cohort 3 (n = 26) and cohort 4 (n = 20).Validation of differential methylation (6 selected CpG loci) and associated gene expression for differentially methylated genes (10 selected gDMs) were carried out in separate validation cohorts, using MSP, RT-PCR and IHC correlations between methylation and gene expression were observed in TCGA, GTEx cohorts and in validation cohorts. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was done to study differential prognosis, during 2–5 years of follow-up. Results We identified 156 DMPs, mapped to 91 genes (gDMs), in PDAC; 68 (43.5%) DMPs were found to be differentially methylated both in TCGA cohort and our cohort, with significant concordance at hypo- and hyper-methylated loci. Enrichments of “regulation of ion transport”, “Interferon alpha/beta signalling”, “morphogenesis and development” and “transcriptional dysregulation” pathways were observed among 91 gDMs. Hyper-methylation of NPY and FAIM2 genes with down-regulated expression in PDAC, were significantly associated with poor prognosis in the Indian patient cohort. Conclusions Ethnic variations among populations may determine the altered epigenetic landscape in the PDAC patients of the Indian cohort. Our study identified novel differentially methylated genes (mainly NPY and FAIM2) and also validated the previously identified differentially methylated CpG sites associated with PDAC cancer patient’s survival. Comparative analysis of our data with TCGA and CPTAC cohorts showed that both NPY and FAIM2 hyper-methylation and down-regulations can be novel epigenetically regulated genes in the Indian patient population, statistically significantly associated with poor survival and advanced tumour stages. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02737-1.
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Tuschl K, White RJ, Trivedi C, Valdivia LE, Niklaus S, Bianco IH, Dadswell C, González-Méndez R, Sealy IM, Neuhauss SCF, Houart C, Rihel J, Wilson SW, Busch-Nentwich EM. Loss of slc39a14 causes simultaneous manganese hypersensitivity and deficiency in zebrafish. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm044594. [PMID: 35514229 PMCID: PMC9227717 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.044594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Manganese neurotoxicity is a hallmark of hypermanganesemia with dystonia 2, an inherited manganese transporter defect caused by mutations in SLC39A14. To identify novel potential targets of manganese neurotoxicity, we performed transcriptome analysis of slc39a14-/- mutant zebrafish that were exposed to MnCl2. Differentially expressed genes mapped to the central nervous system and eye, and pathway analysis suggested that Ca2+ dyshomeostasis and activation of the unfolded protein response are key features of manganese neurotoxicity. Consistent with this interpretation, MnCl2 exposure led to decreased whole-animal Ca2+ levels, locomotor defects and changes in neuronal activity within the telencephalon and optic tectum. In accordance with reduced tectal activity, slc39a14-/- zebrafish showed changes in visual phototransduction gene expression, absence of visual background adaptation and a diminished optokinetic reflex. Finally, numerous differentially expressed genes in mutant larvae normalised upon MnCl2 treatment indicating that, in addition to neurotoxicity, manganese deficiency is present either subcellularly or in specific cells or tissues. Overall, we assembled a comprehensive set of genes that mediate manganese-systemic responses and found a highly correlated and modulated network associated with Ca2+ dyshomeostasis and cellular stress. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tuschl
- UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, IoPPN, Kings College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Richard J. White
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Chintan Trivedi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Leonardo E. Valdivia
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Center for Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Chile
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Chile
| | - Stephanie Niklaus
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isaac H. Bianco
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Chris Dadswell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK
| | | | - Ian M. Sealy
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Stephan C. F. Neuhauss
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinne Houart
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, IoPPN, Kings College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Jason Rihel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elisabeth M. Busch-Nentwich
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
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GSK3B induces autophagy by phosphorylating ULK1. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:369-383. [PMID: 33654220 PMCID: PMC8080724 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00570-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), a mammalian homolog of the yeast kinase Atg1, has an essential role in autophagy induction. In nutrient and growth factor signaling, ULK1 activity is regulated by various posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. We previously identified glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) as an upstream regulator of insulin withdrawal-induced autophagy in adult hippocampal neural stem cells. Here, we report that following insulin withdrawal, GSK3B directly interacted with and activated ULK1 via phosphorylation of S405 and S415 within the GABARAP-interacting region. Phosphorylation of these residues facilitated the interaction of ULK1 with MAP1LC3B and GABARAPL1, while phosphorylation-defective mutants of ULK1 failed to do so and could not induce autophagy flux. Furthermore, high phosphorylation levels of ULK1 at S405 and S415 were observed in human pancreatic cancer cell lines, all of which are known to exhibit high levels of autophagy. Our results reveal the importance of GSK3B-mediated phosphorylation for ULK1 regulation and autophagy induction and potentially for tumorigenesis. Similar to cellular starvation conditions, insulin withdrawal may trigger the modification of an enzyme involved in the induction of autophagy, a key cellular recycling process. The ULK1 enzyme has a critical role in autophagy induction. Seong-Woon Yu at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea, and co-workers investigated how ULK1 is activated under insulin withdrawal condition. They found that another enzyme called GSK3B modifies two specific ULK1 amino acids, activating ULK1 and triggering autophagy. Further, they found high levels of this type of ULK1 modification in human pancreatic cancer cell lines that exhibited increased autophagy, suggesting possible implications for the development of certain cancerous tumors.
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Sora V, Kumar M, Maiani E, Lambrughi M, Tiberti M, Papaleo E. Structure and Dynamics in the ATG8 Family From Experimental to Computational Techniques. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:420. [PMID: 32587856 PMCID: PMC7297954 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved and essential intracellular mechanism for the removal of damaged components. Since autophagy deregulation is linked to different kinds of pathologies, it is fundamental to gain knowledge on the fine molecular and structural details related to the core proteins of the autophagy machinery. Among these, the family of human ATG8 proteins plays a central role in recruiting other proteins to the different membrane structures involved in the autophagic pathway. Several experimental structures are available for the members of the ATG8 family alone or in complex with their different biological partners, including disordered regions of proteins containing a short linear motif called LC3 interacting motif. Recently, the first structural details of the interaction of ATG8 proteins with biological membranes came into light. The availability of structural data for human ATG8 proteins has been paving the way for studies on their structure-function-dynamic relationship using biomolecular simulations. Experimental and computational structural biology can help to address several outstanding questions on the mechanism of human ATG8 proteins, including their specificity toward different interactors, their association with membranes, the heterogeneity of their conformational ensemble, and their regulation by post-translational modifications. We here summarize the main results collected so far and discuss the future perspectives within the field and the knowledge gaps. Our review can serve as a roadmap for future structural and dynamics studies of the ATG8 family members in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sora
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emiliano Maiani
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Lambrughi
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Tiberti
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Translational Disease System Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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