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Symons RA, Colella F, Collins FL, Rafipay AJ, Kania K, McClure JJ, White N, Cunningham I, Ashraf S, Hay E, Mackenzie KS, Howard KA, Riemen AHK, Manzo A, Clark SM, Roelofs AJ, De Bari C. Targeting the IL-6-Yap-Snail signalling axis in synovial fibroblasts ameliorates inflammatory arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2021; 81:214-224. [PMID: 34844926 PMCID: PMC8762018 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Objective We aimed to understand the role of the transcriptional co-factor Yes-associated protein (Yap) in the molecular pathway underpinning the pathogenic transformation of synovial fibroblasts (SF) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to become invasive and cause joint destruction. Methods Synovium from patients with RA and mice with antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) was analysed by immunostaining and qRT-PCR. SF were targeted using Pdgfrα-CreER and Gdf5-Cre mice, crossed with fluorescent reporters for cell tracing and Yap-flox mice for conditional Yap ablation. Fibroblast phenotypes were analysed by flow cytometry, and arthritis severity was assessed by histology. Yap activation was detected using Yap–Tead reporter cells and Yap–Snail interaction by proximity ligation assay. SF invasiveness was analysed using matrigel-coated transwells. Results Yap, its binding partner Snail and downstream target connective tissue growth factor were upregulated in hyperplastic human RA and in mouse AIA synovium, with Yap detected in SF but not macrophages. Lineage tracing showed polyclonal expansion of Pdgfrα-expressing SF during AIA, with predominant expansion of the Gdf5-lineage SF subpopulation descending from the embryonic joint interzone. Gdf5-lineage SF showed increased expression of Yap and adopted an erosive phenotype (podoplanin+Thy-1 cell surface antigen−), invading cartilage and bone. Conditional ablation of Yap in Gdf5-lineage cells or Pdgfrα-expressing fibroblasts ameliorated AIA. Interleukin (IL)-6, but not tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or IL-1β, Jak-dependently activated Yap and induced Yap–Snail interaction. SF invasiveness induced by IL-6 stimulation or Snail overexpression was prevented by Yap knockdown, showing a critical role for Yap in SF transformation in RA. Conclusions Our findings uncover the IL-6–Yap–Snail signalling axis in pathogenic SF in inflammatory arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Symons
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Fabio Colella
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Fraser L Collins
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alexandra J Rafipay
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Karolina Kania
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Jessica J McClure
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Nathan White
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Iain Cunningham
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Sadaf Ashraf
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Elizabeth Hay
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Kevin S Mackenzie
- Microscopy and Histology Core Facility, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Kenneth A Howard
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anna H K Riemen
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Antonio Manzo
- Rheumatology and Translational Immunology Research Laboratories (LaRIT), Division of Rheumatology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Susan M Clark
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Anke J Roelofs
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Cosimo De Bari
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Roelofs AJ, Kania K, Rafipay AJ, Sambale M, Kuwahara ST, Collins FL, Smeeton J, Serowoky MA, Rowley L, Wang H, Gronewold R, Kapeni C, Méndez-Ferrer S, Little CB, Bateman JF, Pap T, Mariani FV, Sherwood J, Crump JG, De Bari C. Identification of the skeletal progenitor cells forming osteophytes in osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2020; 79:1625-1634. [PMID: 32963046 PMCID: PMC8136618 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Osteophytes are highly prevalent in osteoarthritis (OA) and are associated with pain and functional disability. These pathological outgrowths of cartilage and bone typically form at the junction of articular cartilage, periosteum and synovium. The aim of this study was to identify the cells forming osteophytes in OA. METHODS Fluorescent genetic cell-labelling and tracing mouse models were induced with tamoxifen to switch on reporter expression, as appropriate, followed by surgery to induce destabilisation of the medial meniscus. Contributions of fluorescently labelled cells to osteophytes after 2 or 8 weeks, and their molecular identity, were analysed by histology, immunofluorescence staining and RNA in situ hybridisation. Pdgfrα-H2BGFP mice and Pdgfrα-CreER mice crossed with multicolour Confetti reporter mice were used for identification and clonal tracing of mesenchymal progenitors. Mice carrying Col2-CreER, Nes-CreER, LepR-Cre, Grem1-CreER, Gdf5-Cre, Sox9-CreER or Prg4-CreER were crossed with tdTomato reporter mice to lineage-trace chondrocytes and stem/progenitor cell subpopulations. RESULTS Articular chondrocytes, or skeletal stem cells identified by Nes, LepR or Grem1 expression, did not give rise to osteophytes. Instead, osteophytes derived from Pdgfrα-expressing stem/progenitor cells in periosteum and synovium that are descendants from the Gdf5-expressing embryonic joint interzone. Further, we show that Sox9-expressing progenitors in periosteum supplied hybrid skeletal cells to the early osteophyte, while Prg4-expressing progenitors from synovial lining contributed to cartilage capping the osteophyte, but not to bone. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal distinct periosteal and synovial skeletal progenitors that cooperate to form osteophytes in OA. These cell populations could be targeted in disease modification for treatment of OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke J Roelofs
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Karolina Kania
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alexandra J Rafipay
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Meike Sambale
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, University Hospital Munster, Munster, Germany
| | - Stephanie T Kuwahara
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Fraser L Collins
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Joanna Smeeton
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maxwell A Serowoky
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lynn Rowley
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hui Wang
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - René Gronewold
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, University Hospital Munster, Munster, Germany
| | - Chrysa Kapeni
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simón Méndez-Ferrer
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher B Little
- Raymond Purves Bone and Joint Laboratories, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John F Bateman
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thomas Pap
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, University Hospital Munster, Munster, Germany
| | - Francesca V Mariani
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joanna Sherwood
- Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine, University Hospital Munster, Munster, Germany
| | - J Gage Crump
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cosimo De Bari
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Mahony C, McMenemy S, Rafipay AJ, Beedie SL, Fraga LR, Gütschow M, Figg WD, Erskine L, Vargesson N. CPS49-induced neurotoxicity does not cause limb patterning anomalies in developing chicken embryos. J Anat 2017; 232:568-574. [PMID: 29023763 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide notoriously caused severe birth defects, particularly to the limbs, in those exposed in utero following maternal use of the drug to treat morning sickness. How the drug caused these birth defects remains unclear. Many theories have been proposed including actions on the forming blood vessels. However, thalidomide survivors also have altered nerve patterns and the drug is known for its neurotoxic actions in adults following prolonged use. We have previously shown that CPS49, an anti-angiogenic analog of thalidomide, causes a range of limb malformations in a time-sensitive manner in chicken embryos. Here we investigated whether CPS49 also is neurotoxic and whether effects on nerve development impact upon limb development. We found that CPS49 is neurotoxic, just like thalidomide, and can cause some neuronal loss late developing chicken limbs, but only when the limb is already innervated. However, CPS49 exposure does not cause defects in limb size when added to late developing chicken limbs. In contrast, in early limb buds which are not innervated, CPS49 exposure affects limb area significantly. To investigate in more detail the role of neurotoxicity and its impact on chicken limb development we inhibited nerve innervation at a range of developmental timepoints through using β-bungarotoxin. We found that neuronal inhibition or ablation before, during or after limb outgrowth and innervation does not result in obvious limb cartilage patterning or number changes. We conclude that while CPS49 is neurotoxic, given the late innervation of the developing limb, and that neuronal inhibition/ablation throughout limb development does not cause similar limb patterning anomalies to those seen in thalidomide survivors, nerve defects are not the primary underlying cause of the severe limb patterning defects induced by CPS49/thalidomide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Mahony
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Scott McMenemy
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alexandra J Rafipay
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Shaunna-Leigh Beedie
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,Molecular Pharmacology Section, Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucas Rosa Fraga
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - William D Figg
- Molecular Pharmacology Section, Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lynda Erskine
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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