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Tabuchi A, Ihara D. SRF in Neurochemistry: Overview of Recent Advances in Research on the Nervous System. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:2545-2557. [PMID: 35668335 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03632-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Serum response factor (SRF) is a representative transcription factor that plays crucial roles in various biological phenomena by regulating immediate early genes (IEGs) and genes related to cell morphology and motility, among others. Over the years, the signal transduction pathways activating SRF have been clarified and SRF-target genes have been identified. In this overview, we initially briefly summarize the basic biology of SRF and its cofactors, ternary complex factor (TCF) and megakaryoblastic leukemia (MKL)/myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF). Progress in the generation of nervous system-specific knockout (KO) or genetically modified mice as well as genetic analyses over the last few decades has not only identified novel SRF-target genes but also highlighted the neurochemical importance of SRF and its cofactors. Therefore, here we next present the phenotypes of mice with nervous system-specific KO of SRF or its cofactors by depicting recent findings associated with brain development, plasticity, epilepsy, stress response, and drug addiction, all of which result from function or dysfunction of the SRF axis. Last, we develop a hypothesis regarding the possible involvement of SRF and its cofactors in human neurological disorders including neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental diseases. This overview should deepen our understanding, highlight promising future directions for developing novel therapeutic strategies, and lead to illumination of the mechanisms underlying higher brain functions based on neuronal structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Tabuchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Ihara
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
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Li X, Lu L, Hou W, Wang F, Huang T, Meng Z, Zhu M. The SETD8/ELK1/bach1 complex regulates hyperglycaemia-mediated EndMT in diabetic nephropathy. J Transl Med 2022; 20:147. [PMID: 35351142 PMCID: PMC8961497 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03352-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN), the most common microvascular complication in patients with diabetes, induces kidney failure. Previous research showed that endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) of human glomerular endothelial cells (HGECs) is involved in the progression of DN. Moreover, SET domain-containing protein 8 (SETD8), ETS-domain containing protein (ELK1) and BTB and CNC homology 1 (bach1) all participate in endothelial injury. In this study, we hypothesize that the SETD8/ELK1/bach1 functional axis is involved in mediating EndMT in diabetic nephropathy. Methods Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qPCR were performed to determine the protein and mRNA levels of genes in HGECs and the kidney tissues of participants and rats. Immunofluorescence, Co-IP and GST pulldown assays were performed to verify the direct interaction between SETD8 and ELK1. ChIP and dual-luciferase assays were performed to determine the transcriptional regulation of bach1 and Snail. AVV-SETD8 injection in rat kidney was used to verify the potential protective effect of SETD8 on DN. Results Our current study showed that hyperglycaemia triggered EndMT by increasing Snail expression both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, high glucose increased bach1 expression in HGECs, positively regulating Snail and EndMT. As a transcription factor, ELK1 was augmented and participated in hyperglycaemia-induced EndMT via modulation of bach1 expression. Moreover, ELK1 was found to associate with SETD8. Furthermore, SETD8 negatively regulated EndMT by cooperating with bach1 to regulate Snail transcription. Furthermore, histone H4-Lys-20 monomethylation (H4K20me1), which is downstream of SETD8, was accompanied by ELK1 localization at the same promoter region of bach1. ELK1 overexpression enhanced bach1 promoter activity, which disappeared after specific binding site deletion. Mutual inhibition between ELK1 and SETD8 was found in HGECs. In vivo, SETD8 overexpression decreased ELK1 and bach1 expression, as well as EndMT. Moreover, SETD8 overexpression improved the renal function of rats with DN. Conclusions SETD8 cooperates with ELK1 to regulate bach1 transcription, thus participating in the progression of DN. In addition, SETD8 interacts with bach1 to modulate Snail transcription, thus inducing EndMT in DN. SETD8 plays a core role in the SETD8/ELK1/bach1 functional axis, which participates in hyperglycaemia-mediated EndMT in DN, and SETD8 may be a potential therapeutic target for DN. Trial registration ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000029425. 2020/1/31, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=48548 Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03352-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lihong Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wenting Hou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ting Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhipeng Meng
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Huzhou Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University, Affiliated Central Hospital of HuZhou University, Huzhou, 313000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Minmin Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, People's Republic of China.
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Tabuchi A, Ihara D. Regulation of Dendritic Synaptic Morphology and Transcription by the SRF Cofactor MKL/MRTF. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:767842. [PMID: 34795561 PMCID: PMC8593110 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.767842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the serum response factor (SRF) cofactor megakaryoblastic leukemia (MKL)/myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) has critical roles in many physiological and pathological processes in various cell types. MKL/MRTF molecules comprise MKL1/MRTFA and MKL2/MRTFB, which possess actin-binding motifs at the N-terminus, and SRF-binding domains and a transcriptional activation domain (TAD) at the C-terminus. Several studies have reported that, in association with actin rearrangement, MKL/MRTF translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where it regulates SRF-mediated gene expression and controls cell motility. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the roles of MKL/MRTF in the nervous system with regard to its structural and functional regulation by extracellular stimuli. We demonstrated that MKL/MRTF is highly expressed in the brain, especially the synapses, and is involved in dendritic complexity and dendritic spine maturation. In addition to the positive regulation of dendritic complexity, we identified several MKL/MRTF isoforms that negatively regulate dendritic complexity in cortical neurons. We found that the MKL/MRTF isoforms were expressed differentially during brain development and the impacts of these isoforms on the immediate early genes including Arc/Arg3.1, were different. Here, we review the roles of MKL/MRTF in the nervous system, with a special focus on the MKL/MRTF-mediated fine-tuning of neuronal morphology and gene transcription. In the concluding remarks, we briefly discuss the future perspectives and the possible involvement of MKL/MRTF in neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Tabuchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ihara
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Abstract
Permanent disabilities following CNS injuries result from the failure of injured axons to regenerate and rebuild functional connections with their original targets. By contrast, injury to peripheral nerves is followed by robust regeneration, which can lead to recovery of sensory and motor functions. This regenerative response requires the induction of widespread transcriptional and epigenetic changes in injured neurons. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding how peripheral axon injury elicits these widespread changes through the coordinated actions of transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers and, to a lesser extent, microRNAs. Although many questions remain about the interplay between these mechanisms, these new findings provide important insights into the pivotal role of coordinated gene expression and chromatin remodelling in the neuronal response to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Mahar
- Department of Neuroscience, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Valeria Cavalli
- Department of Neuroscience, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
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Masana M, Westerholz S, Kretzschmar A, Treccani G, Liebl C, Santarelli S, Dournes C, Popoli M, Schmidt MV, Rein T, Müller MB. Expression and glucocorticoid-dependent regulation of the stress-inducible protein DRR1 in the mouse adult brain. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4039-4052. [PMID: 30121783 PMCID: PMC6267262 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1737-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Identifying molecular targets that are able to buffer the consequences of stress and therefore restore brain homeostasis is essential to develop treatments for stress-related disorders. Down-regulated in renal cell carcinoma 1 (DRR1) is a unique stress-induced protein in the brain and has been recently proposed to modulate stress resilience. Interestingly, DRR1 shows a prominent expression in the limbic system of the adult mouse. Here, we analyzed the neuroanatomical and cellular expression patterns of DRR1 in the adult mouse brain using in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence and Western blot. Abundant expression of DRR1 mRNA and protein was confirmed in the adult mouse brain with pronounced differences between distinct brain regions. The strongest DRR1 signal was detected in the neocortex, the CA3 region of the hippocampus, the lateral septum and the cerebellum. DRR1 was also present in circumventricular organs and its connecting regions. Additionally, DRR1 was present in non-neuronal tissues like the choroid plexus and ependyma. Within cells, DRR1 protein was distributed in a punctate pattern in several subcellular compartments including cytosol, nucleus as well as some pre- and postsynaptic specializations. Glucocorticoid receptor activation (dexamethasone 10 mg/kg s.c.) induced DRR1 expression throughout the brain, with particularly strong induction in white matter and fiber tracts and in membrane-rich structures. This specific expression pattern and stress modulation of DRR1 point to a role of DRR1 in regulating how cells sense and integrate signals from the environment and thus in restoring brain homeostasis after stressful challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercè Masana
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany. .,Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55128, Mainz, Germany. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERNED, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Sören Westerholz
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Kretzschmar
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Giulia Treccani
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark
| | - Claudia Liebl
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Sara Santarelli
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Carine Dournes
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Theo Rein
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany.,Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Deutsches Resilienz-Zentrum, Mainz, Germany
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Mashanov VS, Zueva OR, García-Arrarás JE. Transcriptomic changes during regeneration of the central nervous system in an echinoderm. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:357. [PMID: 24886271 PMCID: PMC4229883 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Echinoderms are emerging as important models in regenerative biology. Significant amount of data are available on cellular mechanisms of post-traumatic repair in these animals, whereas studies of gene expression are rare. In this study, we employ high-throughput sequencing to analyze the transcriptome of the normal and regenerating radial nerve cord (a homolog of the chordate neural tube), in the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima. RESULTS Our de novo assembly yielded 70,173 contigs, of which 24,324 showed significant similarity to known protein-coding sequences. Expression profiling revealed large-scale changes in gene expression (4,023 and 3,257 up-regulated and down-regulated transcripts, respectively) associated with regeneration. Functional analysis of sets of differentially expressed genes suggested that among the most extensively over-represented pathways were those involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and ECM-cell interactions, indicating a key role of the ECM in regeneration. We also searched the sea cucumber transcriptome for homologs of factors known to be involved in acquisition and/or control of pluripotency. We identified eleven genes that were expressed both in the normal and regenerating tissues. Of these, only Myc was present at significantly higher levels in regeneration, whereas the expression of Bmi-1 was significantly reduced. We also sought to get insight into which transcription factors may operate at the top of the regulatory hierarchy to control gene expression in regeneration. Our analysis yielded eleven putative transcription factors, which constitute good candidates for further functional studies. The identified candidate transcription factors included not only known regeneration-related genes, but also factors not previously implicated as regulators of post-traumatic tissue regrowth. Functional annotation also suggested that one of the possible adaptations contributing to fast and efficient neural regeneration in echinoderms may be related to suppression of excitotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS Our transcriptomic analysis corroborates existing data on cellular mechanisms implicated in regeneration in sea cucumbers. More importantly, however, it also illuminates new aspects of echinoderm regeneration, which have been scarcely studied or overlooked altogether. The most significant outcome of the present work is that it lays out a roadmap for future studies of regulatory mechanisms by providing a list of key candidate genes for functional analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir S Mashanov
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 70377, PR 00936-8377 San Juan, USA
| | - Olga R Zueva
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 70377, PR 00936-8377 San Juan, USA
| | - José E García-Arrarás
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 70377, PR 00936-8377 San Juan, USA
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