Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor zeta 1 deletion triggers defective heart morphogenesis in mice and zebrafish

Protein glycosylation in cardiovascular health and disease

Protein glycosylation, which involves the attachment of carbohydrates to proteins, is one of the most abundant protein co-translational and post-translational modifications. Advances in technology have substantially increased our knowledge of the biosynthetic pathways involved in protein glycosylation, as well as how changes in glycosylation can affect cell function. In addition, our understanding of the role of protein glycosylation in disease processes is growing, particularly in the context of immune system function, infectious diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer. Several decades ago, cell surface glycoproteins were found to have an important role in regulating ion transport across the cardiac sarcolemma. However, with very few exceptions, our understanding of how changes in protein glycosylation influence cardiovascular (patho)physiology remains remarkably limited. Therefore, in this Review, we aim to provide an overview of N-linked and O-linked protein glycosylation, including intracellular O-linked N-acetylglucosamine protein modification. We discuss our current understanding of how all forms of protein glycosylation contribute to normal cardiovascular function and their roles in cardiovascular disease. Finally, we highlight potential gaps in our knowledge about the effects of protein glycosylation on the heart and vascular system, highlighting areas for future research.

Genetic deletion or tyrosine phosphatase inhibition of PTPRZ1 activates c-Met to up-regulate angiogenesis and lung adenocarcinoma growth

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor zeta 1 (PTPRZ1) is a transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase (TP) expressed in endothelial cells and required for stimulation of cell migration by vascular endothelial growth factor A165 (VEGFA165 ) and pleiotrophin (PTN). It is also over or under-expressed in various tumor types. In this study, we used genetically engineered Ptprz1-/- and Ptprz1+/+ mice to study mechanistic aspects of PTPRZ1 involvement in angiogenesis and investigate its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) growth. Ptprz1-/- lung microvascular endothelial cells (LMVEC) have increased angiogenic features compared with Ptprz1+/+ LMVEC, in line with the increased lung angiogenesis and the enhanced chemically induced LUAD growth in Ptprz1-/- compared with Ptprz1+/+ mice. In LUAD cells isolated from the lungs of urethane-treated mice, PTPRZ1 TP inhibition also enhanced proliferation and migration. Expression of beta 3 (β3 ) integrin is decreased in Ptprz1-/- LMVEC, linked to enhanced VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), c-Met tyrosine kinase (TK) and Akt kinase activities. However, only c-Met and Akt seem responsible for the enhanced endothelial cell activation in vitro and LUAD growth and angiogenesis in vivo in Ptprz1-/- mice. A selective PTPRZ1 TP inhibitor, VEGFA165 and PTN also activate c-Met and Akt in a PTPRZ1-dependent manner in endothelial cells, and their stimulatory effects are abolished by the c-Met TK inhibitor (TKI) crizotinib. Altogether, our data suggest that low PTPRZ1 expression is linked to worse LUAD prognosis and response to c-Met TKIs and uncover for the first time the role of PTPRZ1 in mediating c-Met activation by VEGFA and PTN.

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Zeta 1 as a Potential Target in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor zeta 1 (PTPRZ1) is a type V transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase that is highly expressed during embryonic development, while its expression during adulthood is limited. PTPRZ1 is highly detected in the central nervous system, affecting oligodendrocytes' survival and maturation. In gliomas, PTPRZ1 expression is significantly upregulated and is being studied as a potential cancer driver and as a target for therapy. PTPRZ1 expression is also increased in other cancer types, but there are no data on the potential functional significance of this finding. On the other hand, low PTPRZ1 expression seems to be related to a worse prognosis in some cancer types, suggesting that in some cases, it may act as a tumor-suppressor gene. These discrepancies may be due to our limited understanding of PTPRZ1 signaling and tumor microenvironments. In this review, we present evidence on the role of PTPRZ1 in angiogenesis and cancer and discuss the phenomenal differences among the different types of cancer, depending on the regulation of its tyrosine phosphatase activity or ligand binding. Clarifying the involved signaling pathways will lead to its efficient exploitation as a novel therapeutic target or as a biomarker, and the development of proper therapeutic approaches.

Functional screening of congenital heart disease risk loci identifies 5 genes essential for heart development in zebrafish

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect worldwide and a main cause of perinatal and infant mortality. Our previous genome-wide association study identified 53 SNPs that associated with CHD in the Han Chinese population. Here, we performed functional screening of 27 orthologous genes in zebrafish using injection of antisense morpholino oligos. From this screen, 5 genes were identified as essential for heart development, including iqgap2, ptprt, ptpn22, tbck and maml3. Presumptive roles of the novel CHD-related genes include heart chamber formation (iqgap2 and ptprt) and atrioventricular canal formation (ptpn22 and tbck). While deficiency of maml3 led to defective cardiac trabeculation and consequent heart failure in zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, we found that maml3 mutants showed decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation which caused a reduction in cardiac trabeculae due to inhibition of Notch signaling. Together, our study identifies 5 novel CHD-related genes that are essential for heart development in zebrafish and first demonstrates that maml3 is required for Notch signaling in vivo.

Midkine—A novel player in cardiovascular diseases

Midkine (MK) is a 13-kDa heparin-binding cytokine and growth factor with anti-apoptotic, pro-angiogenic, pro-inflammatory and anti-infective functions, that enable it to partake in a series of physiological and pathophysiological processes. In the past, research revolving around MK has concentrated on its roles in reproduction and development, tissue protection and repair as well as inflammatory and malignant processes. In the recent few years, MK's implication in a wide scope of cardiovascular diseases has been rigorously investigated. Nonetheless, there is still no broadly accepted consensus on whether MK exerts generally detrimental or favorable effects in cardiovascular diseases. The truth probably resides somewhere in-between and depends on the underlying physiological or pathophysiological condition. It is therefore crucial to thoroughly examine and appraise MK's participation in cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we introduce the MK gene and protein, its multiple receptors and signaling pathways along with its expression in the vascular system and its most substantial functions in cardiovascular biology. Further, we recapitulate the current evidence of MK's expression in cardiovascular diseases, addressing the various sources and modes of MK expression. Moreover, we summarize the most significant implications of MK in cardiovascular diseases with particular emphasis on MK's advantageous and injurious functions, highlighting its ample diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Also, we focus on conflicting roles of MK in a number of cardiovascular diseases and try to provide some clarity and guidance to MK's multifaceted roles. In summary, we aim to pave the way for MK-based diagnostics and therapies that could present promising tools in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.