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Manicka S, Pai VP, Levin M. Information integration during bioelectric regulation of morphogenesis of the embryonic frog brain. iScience 2023; 26:108398. [PMID: 38034358 PMCID: PMC10687303 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108398] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns of cellular resting potential regulate several aspects of development. One key aspect of the bioelectric code is that transcriptional and morphogenetic states are determined not by local, single-cell, voltage levels but by specific distributions of voltage across cell sheets. We constructed and analyzed a minimal dynamical model of collective gene expression in cells based on inputs of multicellular voltage patterns. Causal integration analysis revealed a higher-order mechanism by which information about the voltage pattern was spatiotemporally integrated into gene activity, as well as a division of labor among and between the bioelectric and genetic components. We tested and confirmed predictions of this model in a system in which bioelectric control of morphogenesis regulates gene expression and organogenesis: the embryonic brain of the frog Xenopus laevis. This study demonstrates that machine learning and computational integration approaches can advance our understanding of the information-processing underlying morphogenetic decision-making, with a potential for other applications in developmental biology and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Manicka
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Vaibhav P. Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Yang M, Brackenbury WJ. Harnessing the Membrane Potential to Combat Cancer Progression. Bioelectricity 2022. [DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2022.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom
| | - William J. Brackenbury
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom
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Levin M, Djamgoz MB. Bioelectricity: From Endogenous Mechanisms to Opportunities in Synthetic Bioengineering. Bioelectricity 2022. [DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2022.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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Fu Y, Wan P, Zhang J, Li X, Xing J, Zou Y, Wang K, Peng H, Zhu Q, Cao L, Zhai X. Targeting Mechanosensitive Piezo1 Alleviated Renal Fibrosis Through p38MAPK-YAP Pathway. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:741060. [PMID: 34805150 PMCID: PMC8602364 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.741060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is the most common pathological manifestation of a wide variety of chronic kidney disease. Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion and enhanced microenvironment stiffening aggravate the progression of renal fibrosis. However, the related mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the mechanism by which ECM stiffness aggravates renal fibrosis. In the present study, renal mesangial cells (MCs) were cultured on polyacrylamide hydrogels with different stiffness accurately detected by atomic force microscope (AFM), simulating the in vivo growth microenvironment of MCs in normal kidney and renal fibrosis. A series of in vitro knockdown and activation experiments were performed to establish the signaling pathway responsible for mechanics-induced MCs activation. In addition, an animal model of renal fibrosis was established in mice induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Lentiviral particles containing short hairpin RNA (sh RNA) targeting Piezo1 were used to explore the effect of Piezo1 knockdown on matrix stiffness-induced MCs activation and UUO-induced renal fibrosis. An in vitro experiment demonstrated that elevated ECM stiffness triggered the activation of Piezo1, which increased YAP nuclear translocation through the p38MAPK, and consequently led to increased ECM secretion. Furthermore, these consequences have been verified in the animal model of renal fibrosis induced by UUO and Piezo1 knockdown could alleviate UUO-induced fibrosis and improve renal function in vivo. Collectively, our results for the first time demonstrate enhanced matrix stiffness aggravates the progression of renal fibrosis through the Piezo1-p38MAPK-YAP pathway. Targeting mechanosensitive Piezo1 might be a potential therapeutic strategy for delaying the progression of renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Fu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Pengzhi Wan
- Department of Nephrology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Nephrology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jia Xing
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Department of Nephrology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qizhuo Zhu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Liu Cao
- Department of Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoyue Zhai
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Institute of Nephropathology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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