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Biel A, Castanza AS, Rutherford R, Fair SR, Chifamba L, Wester JC, Hester ME, Hevner RF. AUTS2 Syndrome: Molecular Mechanisms and Model Systems. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:858582. [PMID: 35431798 PMCID: PMC9008325 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.858582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
AUTS2 syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability, microcephaly, and other phenotypes. Syndrome severity is worse when mutations involve 3' regions (exons 9-19) of the AUTS2 gene. Human AUTS2 protein has two major isoforms, full-length (1259 aa) and C-terminal (711 aa), the latter produced from an alternative transcription start site in exon 9. Structurally, AUTS2 contains the putative "AUTS2 domain" (∼200 aa) conserved among AUTS2 and its ohnologs, fibrosin, and fibrosin-like-1. Also, AUTS2 contains extensive low-complexity sequences and intrinsically disordered regions, features typical of RNA-binding proteins. During development, AUTS2 is expressed by specific progenitor cell and neuron types, including pyramidal neurons and Purkinje cells. AUTS2 localizes mainly in cell nuclei, where it regulates transcription and RNA metabolism. Some studies have detected AUTS2 in neurites, where it may regulate cytoskeletal dynamics. Neurodevelopmental functions of AUTS2 have been studied in diverse model systems. In zebrafish, auts2a morphants displayed microcephaly. In mice, excision of different Auts2 exons (7, 8, or 15) caused distinct phenotypes, variously including neonatal breathing abnormalities, cerebellar hypoplasia, dentate gyrus hypoplasia, EEG abnormalities, and behavioral changes. In mouse embryonic stem cells, AUTS2 could promote or delay neuronal differentiation. Cerebral organoids, derived from an AUTS2 syndrome patient containing a pathogenic missense variant in exon 9, exhibited neocortical growth defects. Emerging technologies for analysis of human cerebral organoids will be increasingly useful for understanding mechanisms underlying AUTS2 syndrome. Questions for future research include whether AUTS2 binds RNA directly, how AUTS2 regulates neurogenesis, and how AUTS2 modulates neural circuit formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alecia Biel
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Anthony S. Castanza
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ryan Rutherford
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Summer R. Fair
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Lincoln Chifamba
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jason C. Wester
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Mark E. Hester
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Robert F. Hevner
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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2
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ErbB4 Is a Potential Key Regulator of the Pathways Activated by NTRK-Fusions in Thyroid Cancer. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12052506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
NTRK gene fusions are drivers of tumorigenesis events that specific Trk-inhibitors can target. Current knowledge of the downstream pathways activated has been previously limited to the pathways of regulator proteins phosphorylated directly by Trk receptors. Here, we aimed to detect genes whose expression is increased in response to the activation of these pathways. We identified and analyzed differentially expressed genes in thyroid cancer samples with NTRK1 or NTRK3 gene fusions, and without any NTRK fusions, versus normal thyroid gland tissues, using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas, the DESeq2 tool, and the Genome Enhancer and geneXplain platforms. Searching for the genes activated only in samples with an NTRK fusion as opposed to those without NTRK fusions, we identified 29 genes involved in nervous system development, including AUTS2, DTNA, ERBB4, FLRT2, FLRT3, RPH3A, and SCN4A. We found that genes regulating the expression of the upregulated genes (i.e., upstream regulators) were enriched in the “signaling by ERBB4” pathway. ERBB4 was also one of three genes encoding master regulators whose expression was increased only in samples with an NTRK fusion. Moreover, the algorithm searching for positive feedback loops for gene promoters and transcription factors (a so-called “walking pathways” algorithm) identified the ErbB4 protein as the key master regulator. ERBB4 upregulation (p-value = 0.004) was confirmed in an independent sample of ETV6-NTRK3-positive FFPE specimens. Thus, ErbB4 is the potential key regulator of the pathways activated by NTRK gene fusions in thyroid cancer. These results are preliminary and require additional biochemical validation.
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López-Varea A, Vega-Cuesta P, Ruiz-Gómez A, Ostalé CM, Molnar C, Hevia CF, Martín M, Organista MF, de Celis J, Culí J, Esteban N, de Celis JF. Genome-wide phenotypic RNAi screen in the Drosophila wing: phenotypic description of functional classes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:6380434. [PMID: 34599810 PMCID: PMC8664486 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila genome contains approximately 14,000 protein-coding genes encoding all the necessary information to sustain cellular physiology, tissue organization, organism development, and behavior. In this manuscript, we describe in some detail the phenotypes in the adult fly wing generated after knockdown of approximately 80% of Drosophila genes. We combined this phenotypic description with a comprehensive molecular classification of the Drosophila proteins into classes that summarize the main expected or known biochemical/functional aspect of each protein. This information, combined with mRNA expression levels and in situ expression patterns, provides a simplified atlas of the Drosophila genome, from housekeeping proteins to the components of the signaling pathways directing wing development, that might help to further understand the contribution of each gene group to wing formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana López-Varea
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Patricia Vega-Cuesta
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Ana Ruiz-Gómez
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Cristina M Ostalé
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Cristina Molnar
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain.,IRB Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Covadonga F Hevia
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Mercedes Martín
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Maria F Organista
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Jesus de Celis
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Joaquín Culí
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Nuria Esteban
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Jose F de Celis
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
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4
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Sellers RA, Robertson DL, Tassabehji M. Ancestry of the AUTS2 family-A novel group of polycomb-complex proteins involved in human neurological disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232101. [PMID: 33306672 PMCID: PMC7732068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) is a neurodevelopmental regulator associated with an autosomal dominant intellectual disability syndrome, AUTS2 syndrome, and is implicated as an important gene in human-specific evolution. AUTS2 exists as part of a tripartite gene family, the AUTS2 family, which includes two relatively undefined proteins, Fibrosin (FBRS) and Fibrosin-like protein 1 (FBRSL1). Evolutionary ancestors of AUTS2 have not been formally identified outside of the Animalia clade. A Drosophila melanogaster protein, Tay bridge, with a role in neurodevelopment, has been shown to display limited similarity to the C-terminal of AUTS2, suggesting that evolutionary ancestors of the AUTS2 family may exist within other Protostome lineages. Here we present an evolutionary analysis of the AUTS2 family, which highlights ancestral homologs of AUTS2 in multiple Protostome species, implicates AUTS2 as the closest human relative to the progenitor of the AUTS2 family, and demonstrates that Tay bridge is a divergent ortholog of the ancestral AUTS2 progenitor gene. We also define regions of high relative sequence identity, with potential functional significance, shared by the extended AUTS2 protein family. Using structural predictions coupled with sequence conservation and human variant data from 15,708 individuals, a putative domain structure for AUTS2 was produced that can be used to aid interpretation of the consequences of nucleotide variation on protein structure and function in human disease. To assess the role of AUTS2 in human-specific evolution, we recalculated allele frequencies at previously identified human derived sites using large population genome data, and show a high prevalence of ancestral alleles, suggesting that AUTS2 may not be a rapidly evolving gene, as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Sellers
- Evolution & Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Robertson
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Garscube Campus, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - May Tassabehji
- Evolution & Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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5
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Lathen DR, Merrill CB, Rothenfluh A. Flying Together: Drosophila as a Tool to Understand the Genetics of Human Alcoholism. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6649. [PMID: 32932795 PMCID: PMC7555299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) exacts an immense toll on individuals, families, and society. Genetic factors determine up to 60% of an individual's risk of developing problematic alcohol habits. Effective AUD prevention and treatment requires knowledge of the genes that predispose people to alcoholism, play a role in alcohol responses, and/or contribute to the development of addiction. As a highly tractable and translatable genetic and behavioral model organism, Drosophila melanogaster has proven valuable to uncover important genes and mechanistic pathways that have obvious orthologs in humans and that help explain the complexities of addiction. Vinegar flies exhibit remarkably strong face and mechanistic validity as a model for AUDs, permitting many advancements in the quest to understand human genetic involvement in this disease. These advancements occur via approaches that essentially fall into one of two categories: (1) discovering candidate genes via human genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptomics on post-mortem tissue from AUD patients, or relevant physiological connections, then using reverse genetics in flies to validate candidate genes' roles and investigate their molecular function in the context of alcohol. (2) Utilizing flies to discover candidate genes through unbiased screens, GWAS, quantitative trait locus analyses, transcriptomics, or single-gene studies, then validating their translational role in human genetic surveys. In this review, we highlight the utility of Drosophila as a model for alcoholism by surveying recent advances in our understanding of human AUDs that resulted from these various approaches. We summarize the genes that are conserved in alcohol-related function between humans and flies. We also provide insight into some advantages and limitations of these approaches. Overall, this review demonstrates how Drosophila have and can be used to answer important genetic questions about alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Lathen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
| | - Collin B. Merrill
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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6
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Paul S, Yang L, Mattingly H, Goyal Y, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A. Activation-induced substrate engagement in ERK signaling. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:235-243. [PMID: 31913744 PMCID: PMC7183763 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-07-0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is an essential component of developmental signaling in metazoans. Previous models of pathway activation suggested that dissociation of activated dually phosphorylated ERK (dpERK) from MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK), a kinase that phosphorylates ERK, and other cytoplasmic anchors, is sufficient for allowing ERK interactions with its substrates. Here, we provide evidence for an additional step controlling ERK’s access to substrates. Specifically, we demonstrate that interaction of ERK with its substrate Capicua (Cic) is controlled at the level of ERK phosphorylation, whereby Cic binds to dpERK much stronger than to unphosphorylated ERK, both in vitro and in vivo. Mathematical modeling suggests that the differential affinity of Cic for dpERK versus ERK is required for both down-regulation of Cic and stabilizing phosphorylated ERK. Preferential association of Cic with dpERK serves two functions: it prevents unproductive competition of Cic with unphosphorylated ERK and contributes to efficient signal propagation. We propose that high-affinity substrate binding increases the specificity and efficiency of signal transduction through the ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantanee Paul
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
| | - Henry Mattingly
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Alexey Veraksa
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA 02125
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7
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Chao Y, Wang C, Jia H, Zhai N, Wang H, Xu B, Li H, Guo X. Identification of an Apis cerana cerana MAP kinase phosphatase 3 gene (AccMKP3) in response to environmental stress. Cell Stress Chaperones 2019; 24:1137-1149. [PMID: 31664697 PMCID: PMC6882995 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-019-01036-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
MAP kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3), a member of the dual-specificity protein phosphatase (DUSP) superfamily, has been widely studied for its role in development, cancer, and environmental stress in many organisms. However, the functions of MKP3 in various insects have not been well studied, including honeybees. In this study, we isolated an MKP3 gene from Apis cerana cerana and explored the role of this gene in the resistance to oxidation. We found that AccMKP3 is highly conserved in different species and shares the closest evolutionary relationship with AmMKP3. We determined the expression patterns of AccMKP3 under various stresses. qRT-PCR results showed that AccMKP3 was highly expressed during the pupal stages and in adult muscles. We further found that AccMKP3 was induced in all the stress treatments. Moreover, we discovered that the enzymatic activities of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase increased and that the expression levels of several antioxidant genes were affected after AccMKP3 was knocked down. Collectively, these results suggest that AccMKP3 may be associated with antioxidant processes involved in response to various environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Chao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Haihong Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongfang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Molnar C, Estrada B, de Celis JF. Tay bridge and extracellular-regulated kinase activity are required for motoneuron function in the Drosophila neural system. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018. [PMID: 29524312 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular regulated kinase (Erk) activity is required during neural development for the specification of cell fates in neuroblasts and neuronal lineages, and also regulates several aspects of the activity and survival of mature neurons. The activation of Erk is regulated at multiple levels by kinases and phosphatases that alter its phosphorylation state and by other proteins that regulate its subcellular localization. Here, we find that tay bridge (tay), a negative regulator of Erk in Drosophila imaginal discs, is required in the motoneurons to regulate the number and size of neuromuscular synapses in these cells. The expression of Tay is maximal in motoneurons with low levels of activated ERK, suggesting that Tay modulates the activity of Erk in these cells. We also found that loss of tay expression and increased Erk activity specifically in the motoneurons cause a reversible decrease in walking speed. Impaired motoneurons activity may be caused by alterations in the functionality and number of synaptic boutons developing at the neuromuscular junction in tay mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Molnar
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Institute for Research in Biomedicine-Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B Estrada
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC and UPO, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J F de Celis
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Abstract
Genetic analysis of Egfr signaling in Drosophila has a long-standing track record of making important contributions to our understanding of the Egfr pathway. While the central Ras/MAPK pathway has long been well defined, there is much to learn with regard to its cross talk with other pathways and how it is regulated. A better understanding of the regulation of Egfr signaling is of particular interest with regard to the participation of misregulated Egfr signaling in tumorigenesis. Recent studies in the fly have led to some surprising results, identifying regulators of Egfr acting in unexpected ways.
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10
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Abstract
Cells respond to changes in their environment, to developmental cues, and to pathogen aggression through the action of a complex network of proteins. These networks can be decomposed into a multitude of signaling pathways that relay signals from the microenvironment to the cellular components involved in eliciting a specific response. Perturbations in these signaling processes are at the root of multiple pathologies, the most notable of these being cancer. The study of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling led to the first description of a mechanism whereby an extracellular signal is transmitted to the nucleus to induce a transcriptional response. Genetic studies conducted in drosophila and nematodes have provided key elements to this puzzle. Here, we briefly discuss the somewhat lesser known contribution of these multicellular organisms to our understanding of what has come to be known as the prototype of signaling pathways. We also discuss the ostensibly much larger network of regulators that has emerged from recent functional genomic investigations of RTK/RAS/ERK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariel Ashton-Beaucage
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7
| | - Marc Therrien
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7.
- Département de Pathologie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7.
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11
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Ashton-Beaucage D, Lemieux C, Udell CM, Sahmi M, Rochette S, Therrien M. The Deubiquitinase USP47 Stabilizes MAPK by Counteracting the Function of the N-end Rule ligase POE/UBR4 in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2016; 14:e1002539. [PMID: 27552662 PMCID: PMC4994957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS-induced MAPK signaling is a central driver of the cell proliferation apparatus. Disruption of this pathway is widely observed in cancer and other pathologies. Consequently, considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the mechanistic aspects of RAS-MAPK signal transmission and regulation. While much information has been garnered on the steps leading up to the activation and inactivation of core pathway components, comparatively little is known on the mechanisms controlling their expression and turnover. We recently identified several factors that dictate Drosophila MAPK levels. Here, we describe the function of one of these, the deubiquitinase (DUB) USP47. We found that USP47 acts post-translationally to counteract a proteasome-mediated event that reduces MAPK half-life and thereby dampens signaling output. Using an RNAi-based genetic interaction screening strategy, we identified UBC6, POE/UBR4, and UFD4, respectively, as E2 and E3 enzymes that oppose USP47 activity. Further characterization of POE-associated factors uncovered KCMF1 as another key component modulating MAPK levels. Together, these results identify a novel protein degradation module that governs MAPK levels. Given the role of UBR4 as an N-recognin ubiquitin ligase, our findings suggest that RAS-MAPK signaling in Drosophila is controlled by the N-end rule pathway and that USP47 counteracts its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariel Ashton-Beaucage
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caroline Lemieux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christian M. Udell
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Malha Sahmi
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Samuel Rochette
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marc Therrien
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de pathologie et de biologie cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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12
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Pascoal S, Liu X, Ly T, Fang Y, Rockliffe N, Paterson S, Shirran SL, Botting CH, Bailey NW. Rapid evolution and gene expression: a rapidly evolving Mendelian trait that silences field crickets has widespread effects on mRNA and protein expression. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1234-46. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Pascoal
- Centre for Biological Diversity; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
| | - X. Liu
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - T. Ly
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression; College of Life Sciences; University of Dundee; Dundee UK
| | - Y. Fang
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - N. Rockliffe
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - S. Paterson
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - S. L. Shirran
- School of Chemistry; Biomedical Sciences Research Complex; BMS Annexe; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
| | - C. H. Botting
- School of Chemistry; Biomedical Sciences Research Complex; BMS Annexe; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
| | - N. W. Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
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13
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Oksenberg N, Haliburton GDE, Eckalbar WL, Oren I, Nishizaki S, Murphy K, Pollard KS, Birnbaum RY, Ahituv N. Genome-wide distribution of Auts2 binding localizes with active neurodevelopmental genes. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e431. [PMID: 25180570 PMCID: PMC4199417 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The autism susceptibility candidate 2 gene (AUTS2) has been associated with multiple neurological diseases including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Previous studies showed that AUTS2 has an important neurodevelopmental function and is a suspected master regulator of genes implicated in ASD-related pathways. However, the regulatory role and targets of Auts2 are not well known. Here, by using ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing) and RNA-seq on mouse embryonic day 16.5 forebrains, we elucidated the gene regulatory networks of Auts2. We find that the majority of promoters bound by Auts2 belong to genes highly expressed in the developing forebrain, suggesting that Auts2 is involved in transcriptional activation. Auts2 non-promoter-bound regions significantly overlap developing brain-associated enhancer marks and are located near genes involved in neurodevelopment. Auts2-marked sequences are enriched for binding site motifs of neurodevelopmental transcription factors, including Pitx3 and TCF3. In addition, we characterized two functional brain enhancers marked by Auts2 near NRXN1 and ATP2B2, both ASD-implicated genes. Our results implicate Auts2 as an active regulator of important neurodevelopmental genes and pathways and identify novel genomic regions that could be associated with ASD and other neurodevelopmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Oksenberg
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - G D E Haliburton
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Gladstone Institutes, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - W L Eckalbar
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - I Oren
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of
the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - S Nishizaki
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - K Murphy
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - K S Pollard
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Gladstone Institutes, San
Francisco, CA, USA,Division of Biostatistics, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - R Y Birnbaum
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of
the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of
California San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, Rock Hall, RH584C, San Francisco,
CA
94158, USA. E-mails: or
| | - N Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic
Sciences, University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of
California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of
California San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, Rock Hall, RH584C, San Francisco,
CA
94158, USA. E-mails: or
| |
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