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Huh J, Parra JPRLL, Copus JS, Kang HW, Bishop CE, Soker S, Murphy S, Shupe TD, Yoo JJ, Lee SJ, Atala A. 3D Bioprinted Liver-on-a-Chip for Drug Cytotoxicity Screening. Tissue Eng Part A 2024. [PMID: 38126301 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2023.0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissues on a chip are sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) in vitro microphysiological systems designed to replicate human tissue conditions within dynamic physicochemical environments. However, the current fabrication methods for tissue spheroids on a chip require multiple parts and manual processing steps, including the deposition of spheroids onto prefabricated "chips." These challenges also lead to limitations regarding scalability and reproducibility. To overcome these challenges, we employed 3D printing techniques to automate the fabrication process of tissue spheroids on a chip. This allowed the simultaneous high-throughput printing of human liver spheroids and their surrounding polymeric flow chamber "chips" containing inner channels in a single step. The fabricated liver tissue spheroids on a liver-on-a-chip (LOC) were subsequently subjected to dynamic culturing by a peristaltic pump, enabling assessment of cell viability and metabolic activities. The 3D printed liver spheroids within the printed chips demonstrated high cell viability (>80%), increased spheroid size, and consistent adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity and albumin production for up to 14 days. Furthermore, we conducted a study on the effects of acetaminophen (APAP), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, on the LOC. Comparative analysis revealed a substantial decline in cell viability (<40%), diminished ATP activity, and reduced spheroid size after 7 days of culture within the APAP-treated LOC group, compared to the nontreated groups. These results underscore the potential of 3D bioprinted tissue chips as an advanced in vitro model that holds promise for accurately studying in vivo biological processes, including the assessment of tissue response to administered drugs, in a high-throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- JunTae Huh
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest University-Virginia Tech, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joao Paulo R L L Parra
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Botucatu Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joshua S Copus
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest University-Virginia Tech, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hyun-Wook Kang
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shay Soker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sean Murphy
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas D Shupe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - James J Yoo
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest University-Virginia Tech, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sang Jin Lee
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest University-Virginia Tech, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest University-Virginia Tech, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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Zheng W, Bian S, Qiu S, Bishop CE, Wan M, Xu N, Sun X, Sequeira RC, Atala A, Gu Z, Zhao W. Placenta mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles alleviate liver fibrosis by inactivating hepatic stellate cells through a miR-378c/SKP2 axis. Inflamm Regen 2023; 43:47. [PMID: 37798761 PMCID: PMC10557276 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-023-00297-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have shown therapeutic effects on liver fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of extracellular vesicles from placenta-derived MSCs (Pd-MSCs-EVs) on liver fibrosis at 3D/2D levels and explore the potential mechanisms. METHODS The multicellular liver organoids, consisting of hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), Kupffer cells, and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, were observed for growth status, morphological changes, and metabolism. Human transformation growth factor- beta 1 (TGF-β1) was used to induce fibrosis at optimal concentration. The anti-fibrosis effects of Pd-MSCs-EVs were evaluated in liver organoids and HSCs models. Anti-fibrotic content of Pd-MSCs-EVs was identified by multiple experimental validations. RESULTS TGF-β1 induced fibrosis in liver organoids, while Pd-MSCs-EVs significantly alleviated fibrotic phenotypes. Following serial verifications, miR-378c was identified as a potential key anti-fibrosis content. In contrast, miR-378c depletion decreased the anti-fibrotic effects of Pd-MSCs-EVs. Additionally, Pd-MSCs-EVs administration repressed TGF-β1-mediated HSCs activation at 2D or 3D levels. Mechanistically, exosomal miR-378c inactivated HSCs by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through stabilizing E-cadherin via targeting its E3 ubiquitin ligase S-Phase Kinase Associated Protein 2 (SKP2). CONCLUSION Pd-MSCs-EVs ameliorated TGF-β1-induced fibrosis by deactivating HSCs in a miR-378c/SKP2-dependent manner, which may be an efficient therapeutic candidate for liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Zheng
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
| | - Saiyan Bian
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Shi Qiu
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Meimei Wan
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Nuo Xu
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Xieyin Sun
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Russel Clive Sequeira
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Zhifeng Gu
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Weixin Zhao
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
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Zheng W, Yang Y, Sequeira RC, Bishop CE, Atala A, Gu Z, Zhao W. Effects of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells on Liver Diseases. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 14:442-452. [PMID: 30854976 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x14666190308123714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic effects of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) transplantation have been observed in various disease models. However, it is thought that MSCs-mediated effects largely depend on the paracrine manner of secreting cytokines, growth factors, and Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). Similarly, MSCs-derived EVs also showed therapeutic benefits in various liver diseases through alleviating fibrosis, improving regeneration of hepatocytes, and regulating immune activity. This review provides an overview of the MSCs, their EVs, and their therapeutic potential in treating various liver diseases including liver fibrosis, acute and chronic liver injury, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). More specifically, the mechanisms by which MSC-EVs induce therapeutic benefits in liver diseases will be covered. In addition, comparisons between MSCs and their EVs were also evaluated as regenerative medicine against liver diseases. While the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy must continue to be evaluated and verified, MSCs-derived EVs currently show tremendous potential and promise as a regenerative medicine treatment for liver disease in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Zheng
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.,Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Yumin Yang
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuro-regeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Russel Clive Sequeira
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Zhifeng Gu
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Weixin Zhao
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
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Kaftanovskaya EM, Ng HH, Soula M, Rivas B, Myhr C, Ho BA, Cervantes BA, Shupe TD, Devarasetty M, Hu X, Xu X, Patnaik S, Wilson KJ, Barnaeva E, Ferrer M, Southall NT, Marugan JJ, Bishop CE, Agoulnik IU, Agoulnik AI. Therapeutic effects of a small molecule agonist of the relaxin receptor ML290 in liver fibrosis. FASEB J 2019; 33:12435-12446. [PMID: 31419161 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901046r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is an underlying cause of cirrhosis and hepatic failure resulting in end stage liver disease with limited pharmacological options. The beneficial effects of relaxin peptide treatment were demonstrated in clinically relevant animal models of liver fibrosis. However, the use of relaxin is problematic because of a short half-life. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic effects of recently identified small molecule agonists of the human relaxin receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1). The lead compound of this series, ML290, was selected based on its effects on the expression of fibrosis-related genes in primary human stellate cells. RNA sequencing analysis of TGF-β1-activated LX-2 cells showed that ML290 treatment primarily affected extracellular matrix remodeling and cytokine signaling, with expression profiles indicating an antifibrotic effect of ML290. ML290 treatment in human liver organoids with LPS-induced fibrotic phenotype resulted in a significant reduction of type I collagen. The pharmacokinetics of ML290 in mice demonstrated its high stability in vivo, as evidenced by the sustained concentrations of compound in the liver. In mice expressing human RXFP1 gene treated with carbon tetrachloride, ML290 significantly reduced collagen content, α-smooth muscle actin expression, and cell proliferation around portal ducts. In conclusion, ML290 demonstrated antifibrotic effects in liver fibrosis.-Kaftanovskaya, E. M., Ng, H. H., Soula, M., Rivas, B., Myhr, C., Ho, B. A., Cervantes, B. A., Shupe, T. D., Devarasetty, M., Hu, X., Xu, X., Patnaik, S., Wilson, K. J., Barnaeva, E., Ferrer, M., Southall, N. T., Marugan, J. J., Bishop, C. E., Agoulnik, I. U., Agoulnik, A. I. Therapeutic effects of a small molecule agonist of the relaxin receptor ML290 in liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena M Kaftanovskaya
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Hooi Hooi Ng
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Mariluz Soula
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Bryan Rivas
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Courtney Myhr
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Brian A Ho
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Briana A Cervantes
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Thomas D Shupe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mahesh Devarasetty
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Xin Xu
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Samarjit Patnaik
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth J Wilson
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elena Barnaeva
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Ferrer
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Noel T Southall
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Juan J Marugan
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Irina U Agoulnik
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Alexander I Agoulnik
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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5
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Miller SC, Bishop CE. CULTURE CHANGE PRACTICES IN U.S. NURSING HOME: PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE, AND OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICE CHANGE. Innov Aging 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - C E Bishop
- Heller School for Social Policy & Management, Brandeis University, Weston, Massachusetts
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Bishop CE, Nitz LH. INTEREST GROUP SESSION - ECONOMICS OF AGING: ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CAREGIVING: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITY COST. Innov Aging 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.2148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C E Bishop
- Heller School for Social Policy & Management, Brandeis University, Weston, Massachusetts
| | - L H Nitz
- University of Hawaii, Kailua, Hawaii
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7
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Sendi H, Mead I, Wan M, Mehrab-Mohseni M, Koch K, Atala A, Bonkovsky HL, Bishop CE. miR-122 inhibition in a human liver organoid model leads to liver inflammation, necrosis, steatofibrosis and dysregulated insulin signaling. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200847. [PMID: 30024933 PMCID: PMC6053181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the role of miR-122 in the development and regression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in vitro, we used multicellular 3D human liver organoids developed in our laboratory. These organoids consist of primary human hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, quiescent stellate cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. They remain viable and functional for 4 weeks expressing typical markers of liver function such as synthesis of albumin, urea, and alpha-1 p450 drug metabolism. Before mixing, hepatic cells were transduced with lentivirus to inhibit miR122 expression (ABM, CA). Immediately after the organoids were fully formed (day 4) or after 1 or 2 weeks of additional incubation (days 11 or 18), the organoids were analyzed using fluorescent live/dead staining and ATP production; total RNA was extracted for qPCR gene expression profiling. Our results show that miR-122 inhibition in liver organoids leads to inflammation, necrosis, steatosis and fibrosis. This was associated with increase in inflammatory cytokines (IL6, TNF), chemokines (CCL2, CCL3) and increase in a subset of Matrix Metaloproteinases (MMP8, MMP9). An altered expression of key genes in lipid metabolism (i.e LPL, LDLR) and insulin signaling (i.e GLUT4, IRS1) was also identified. Conclusion: Our results highlight the role of miR-122 inhibition in liver inflammation, steatofibrosis and dysregulation of insulin signaling. Patients with NAFLD are known to have altered levels of miR-122, therefore we suggest that miR-122 mimics could play a useful role in reversing liver steatofibrosis and insulin resistance seen in patients with NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Sendi
- The Laboratory for Liver Diseases and Metabolic Disorders, Section on Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
- Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ivy Mead
- Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Meimei Wan
- Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Marjan Mehrab-Mohseni
- The Laboratory for Liver Diseases and Metabolic Disorders, Section on Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Koch
- The Laboratory for Liver Diseases and Metabolic Disorders, Section on Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Herbert L. Bonkovsky
- The Laboratory for Liver Diseases and Metabolic Disorders, Section on Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Colin E. Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
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8
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Pendergraft SS, Sadri-Ardekani H, Atala A, Bishop CE. Three-dimensional testicular organoid: a novel tool for the study of human spermatogenesis and gonadotoxicity in vitro. Biol Reprod 2017; 96:720-732. [PMID: 28339648 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.143446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing methods for evaluating the potential gonadotoxicity of environmental agents and pharmaceutical compounds rely heavily on animal studies. The current gold standard in vivo functional assays in animals are limited in their human predictive capacity. In addition, existing human two-dimensional in vitro models of testicular toxicity do not accurately reflect the in vivo situation. A more reliable testicular in vitro model system is needed to better assess the gonadotoxic potential of drugs prior to progression into clinical trials. The overall goal of this study was to develop a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro human testis organoid culture system for use as both a predictive first tier drug-screening tool and as a model of human testicular function. Multicellular human testicular organoids composed of Spermatogonial Stem Cells, Sertoli, Leydig and peritubular cells were created and evaluated over time for morphology, viability, androgen production and ability to support germ cell differentiation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements confirmed that the organoids produced testosterone continuously with and without hCG stimulation. Upregulation of postmeiotic genes including PRM1 and Acrosin, detected by quantitative-PCR, digital PCR and Immunofluorescence, indicated the transition of a small percentage of diploid to haploid germ cells. As a novel screening tool for reproductive toxicity, 3D organoids were exposed to four chemotherapeutic drugs, and they responded in a dose-dependent manner and maintained IC50 values significantly higher than 2D cultures. This 3D human testis organoid system has the potential to be used as a novel testicular toxicity-screening tool and in vitro model for human spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S Pendergraft
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hooman Sadri-Ardekani
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Urology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Urology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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Lu P, Li H, Li N, Singh RN, Bishop CE, Chen X, Lu B. MEX3C interacts with adaptor-related protein complex 2 and involves in miR-451a exosomal sorting. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185992. [PMID: 28982131 PMCID: PMC5628917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Some RNA species, especially microRNAs, are non-randomly sorted into exosomes, but how selectivity of RNA exosomal sorting is achieved is unknown. We found that all three variants of RNA-binding ubiquitin E3 ligase (MEX3C)-MEX3C-1, MEX3C-2, and MEX3C-3 -interact with adaptor-related protein complex 2 (AP-2), a cargo adaptor in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. MEX3C's C-terminal RING finger domain and the hnRNP K homology (KH) domain shared by the three MEX3C variants are both necessary for MEX3C/AP-2 interaction. MEX3C associates with the endolysosomal compartment through an endocytosis-like process. siRNA-mediated inhibition of the MEX3C or AP-2 complex substantially decreased exosomal but not cellular microRNA miR-451a expression. Exosomal sorting is ceramide-dependent but not ESCRT-dependent in microRNA miR-451a. That RNA-binding protein associates with membrane trafficking machinery, and that its involvement in exosomal microRNA expression, suggest the existence of a mechanism for specific recruiting of RNA molecules to endosomes for subsequent exosomal sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Lu
- Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ning Li
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ravi N. Singh
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Colin E. Bishop
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Xiangxian Chen
- Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Baisong Lu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
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10
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Skardal A, Murphy SV, Devarasetty M, Mead I, Kang HW, Seol YJ, Shrike Zhang Y, Shin SR, Zhao L, Aleman J, Hall AR, Shupe TD, Kleensang A, Dokmeci MR, Jin Lee S, Jackson JD, Yoo JJ, Hartung T, Khademhosseini A, Soker S, Bishop CE, Atala A. Multi-tissue interactions in an integrated three-tissue organ-on-a-chip platform. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8837. [PMID: 28821762 PMCID: PMC5562747 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08879-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many drugs have progressed through preclinical and clinical trials and have been available - for years in some cases - before being recalled by the FDA for unanticipated toxicity in humans. One reason for such poor translation from drug candidate to successful use is a lack of model systems that accurately recapitulate normal tissue function of human organs and their response to drug compounds. Moreover, tissues in the body do not exist in isolation, but reside in a highly integrated and dynamically interactive environment, in which actions in one tissue can affect other downstream tissues. Few engineered model systems, including the growing variety of organoid and organ-on-a-chip platforms, have so far reflected the interactive nature of the human body. To address this challenge, we have developed an assortment of bioengineered tissue organoids and tissue constructs that are integrated in a closed circulatory perfusion system, facilitating inter-organ responses. We describe a three-tissue organ-on-a-chip system, comprised of liver, heart, and lung, and highlight examples of inter-organ responses to drug administration. We observe drug responses that depend on inter-tissue interaction, illustrating the value of multiple tissue integration for in vitro study of both the efficacy of and side effects associated with candidate drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Skardal
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA. .,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
| | - Sean V Murphy
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Mahesh Devarasetty
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Ivy Mead
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Hyun-Wook Kang
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Young-Joon Seol
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Su-Ryon Shin
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Liang Zhao
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, 615N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julio Aleman
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Adam R Hall
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Thomas D Shupe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Andre Kleensang
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, 615N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mehmet R Dokmeci
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sang Jin Lee
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - John D Jackson
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - James J Yoo
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Thomas Hartung
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, 615N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Steinbeis CAAT-Europe, University of Konstanz, Universitätstr 10, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Bioindustrial Technologies, College of Animal Bioscience and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21569, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shay Soker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA. .,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
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11
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Devarasetty M, Forsythe S, Shupe TD, Soker S, Bishop CE, Atala A, Skardal A. Optical Tracking and Digital Quantification of Beating Behavior in Bioengineered Human Cardiac Organoids. Biosensors (Basel) 2017. [PMID: 28644395 PMCID: PMC5618030 DOI: 10.3390/bios7030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies are rapidly advancing towards deployment for drug and toxicology screening applications. Liver and cardiac toxicities account for the majority of drug candidate failures in human trials. Liver toxicity generally produces liver cell death, while cardiac toxicity causes adverse changes in heart beat kinetics. In traditional 2D cultures, beating kinetics can be measured by electrode arrays, but in some 3D constructs, quantifying beating kinetics can be more challenging. For example, real time measurements of calcium flux or contractile forces are possible, yet rather complex. In this communication article, we demonstrate a simple sensing system based on software code that optically analyzes video capture files of beating cardiac organoids, translates these files in representations of moving pixels, and quantifies pixel movement activity over time to generate beat kinetic plots. We demonstrate this system using bioengineered cardiac organoids under baseline and drug conditions. This technology offers a non-invasive, low-cost, and incredibly simple method for tracking and quantifying beating behavior in cardiac organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems for drug and toxicology screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Devarasetty
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Steven Forsythe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Thomas D Shupe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Shay Soker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Aleksander Skardal
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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12
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King NMP, Bishop CE. New treatments for serious conditions: ethical implications. Gene Ther 2017; 24:534-538. [PMID: 28467402 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2017.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Approval of Spinraza (nusinersen) for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy prompts consideration of a number of ethical issues that arise whenever a new treatment is proposed for a serious condition, especially one that is rare and can devastatingly affect children. Patients, families, clinicians, researchers, institutions and policymakers all must take account of the ways that newly available treatments affect informed and shared decision-making about therapeutic and research options. The issues to consider include: addressing what is still uncertain and unknown; the possibility that potential benefits will be exaggerated and potential harms underemphasized in the media, by advocacy organizations, and in consent forms and processes; the high cost of many novel drugs and biologics; the effects of including conditions of variable phenotype in state-mandated newborn screening panels; and how new treatments can change the standard of care, altering what is and is not known about a disorder and posing challenges for decision-making at both individual and policy levels. The good news that Spinraza brings thus requires additional attention to its ethical and policy implications, to improve counseling and shared decision-making about treatment and research options for patients and all involved in their care.
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Affiliation(s)
- N M P King
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Center for Bioethics Health, and Society and Graduate Program in Bioethics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - C E Bishop
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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13
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Zhang YS, Aleman J, Shin SR, Kilic T, Kim D, Mousavi Shaegh SA, Massa S, Riahi R, Chae S, Hu N, Avci H, Zhang W, Silvestri A, Sanati Nezhad A, Manbohi A, De Ferrari F, Polini A, Calzone G, Shaikh N, Alerasool P, Budina E, Kang J, Bhise N, Ribas J, Pourmand A, Skardal A, Shupe T, Bishop CE, Dokmeci MR, Atala A, Khademhosseini A. Multisensor-integrated organs-on-chips platform for automated and continual in situ monitoring of organoid behaviors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2293-E2302. [PMID: 28265064 PMCID: PMC5373350 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612906114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 427] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip systems are miniaturized microfluidic 3D human tissue and organ models designed to recapitulate the important biological and physiological parameters of their in vivo counterparts. They have recently emerged as a viable platform for personalized medicine and drug screening. These in vitro models, featuring biomimetic compositions, architectures, and functions, are expected to replace the conventional planar, static cell cultures and bridge the gap between the currently used preclinical animal models and the human body. Multiple organoid models may be further connected together through the microfluidics in a similar manner in which they are arranged in vivo, providing the capability to analyze multiorgan interactions. Although a wide variety of human organ-on-a-chip models have been created, there are limited efforts on the integration of multisensor systems. However, in situ continual measuring is critical in precise assessment of the microenvironment parameters and the dynamic responses of the organs to pharmaceutical compounds over extended periods of time. In addition, automated and noninvasive capability is strongly desired for long-term monitoring. Here, we report a fully integrated modular physical, biochemical, and optical sensing platform through a fluidics-routing breadboard, which operates organ-on-a-chip units in a continual, dynamic, and automated manner. We believe that this platform technology has paved a potential avenue to promote the performance of current organ-on-a-chip models in drug screening by integrating a multitude of real-time sensors to achieve automated in situ monitoring of biophysical and biochemical parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shrike Zhang
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139;
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Julio Aleman
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Su Ryon Shin
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Tugba Kilic
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir 35620, Turkey
| | - Duckjin Kim
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Seyed Ali Mousavi Shaegh
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Orthopaedic Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9176699199, Iran
| | - Solange Massa
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Graduate School Program in Biomedicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago 7620001, Chile
| | - Reza Riahi
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Sukyoung Chae
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Ning Hu
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Huseyin Avci
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir 26030, Turkey
| | - Weijia Zhang
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Antonia Silvestri
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin 10129, Italy
| | - Amir Sanati Nezhad
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidics Laboratory, Center for Bioengineering Research and Education, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ahmad Manbohi
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Marine Science, Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, Tehran 1411813389, Iran
| | - Fabio De Ferrari
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin 10129, Italy
| | - Alessandro Polini
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Giovanni Calzone
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Noor Shaikh
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Division of Engineering Science, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A4
| | - Parissa Alerasool
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Erica Budina
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jian Kang
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Nupura Bhise
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - João Ribas
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Doctoral Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3030-789, Portugal
| | - Adel Pourmand
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz 5331711111, Iran
| | - Aleksander Skardal
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Thomas Shupe
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Colin E Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Mehmet Remzi Dokmeci
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139;
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Bioindustrial Technologies, College of Animal Bioscience and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21569, Saudi Arabia
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14
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Bhise NS, Manoharan V, Massa S, Tamayol A, Ghaderi M, Miscuglio M, Lang Q, Shrike Zhang Y, Shin SR, Calzone G, Annabi N, Shupe TD, Bishop CE, Atala A, Dokmeci MR, Khademhosseini A. A liver-on-a-chip platform with bioprinted hepatic spheroids. Biofabrication 2016; 8:014101. [PMID: 26756674 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/8/1/014101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The inadequacy of animal models in correctly predicting drug and biothreat agent toxicity in humans has resulted in a pressing need for in vitro models that can recreate the in vivo scenario. One of the most important organs in the assessment of drug toxicity is liver. Here, we report the development of a liver-on-a-chip platform for long-term culture of three-dimensional (3D) human HepG2/C3A spheroids for drug toxicity assessment. The bioreactor design allowed for in situ monitoring of the culture environment by enabling direct access to the hepatic construct during the experiment without compromising the platform operation. The engineered bioreactor could be interfaced with a bioprinter to fabricate 3D hepatic constructs of spheroids encapsulated within photocrosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel. The engineered hepatic construct remained functional during the 30 days culture period as assessed by monitoring the secretion rates of albumin, alpha-1 antitrypsin, transferrin, and ceruloplasmin, as well as immunostaining for the hepatocyte markers, cytokeratin 18, MRP2 bile canalicular protein and tight junction protein ZO-1. Treatment with 15 mM acetaminophen induced a toxic response in the hepatic construct that was similar to published studies on animal and other in vitro models, thus providing a proof-of-concept demonstration of the utility of this liver-on-a-chip platform for toxicity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nupura S Bhise
- Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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15
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Moghaddassi S, Eyestone W, Bishop CE. TALEN-mediated modification of the bovine genome for large-scale production of human serum albumin. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89631. [PMID: 24586924 PMCID: PMC3931800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
As an initial step towards creating genetically modified cattle as a biopharming source of recombinant human serum albumin (rHSA), we report modification of the bovine albumin (bA) locus by transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-stimulated homology-directed repair (HDR). Pedigreed bovine fibroblasts were co-transfected with TALENs and an 11.5-kb human serum albumin (HSA) minigene donor construct, designed to simultaneously disrupt and replace bovine serum albumin (BSA) expression with controlled rHSA expression in both the liver and the milk. Targeted integration of the HSA minigene was confirmed in transfected fibroblasts at a frequency of approximately 11% and transgenic bovine embryos were produced from targeted fibroblasts using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The research delineated here lays the foundation for the future generation of transgenic rHSA cattle with the potential to provide a large-scale, reliable, and quality-controlled source of rHSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaida Moghaddassi
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Will Eyestone
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Colin E. Bishop
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
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16
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Lorenzetti D, Poirier C, Zhao M, Overbeek PA, Harrison W, Bishop CE. A transgenic insertion on mouse chromosome 17 inactivates a novel immunoglobulin superfamily gene potentially involved in sperm-egg fusion. Mamm Genome 2013; 25:141-8. [PMID: 24275887 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-013-9491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization is the process that leads to the formation of a diploid zygote from two haploid gametes. This is achieved through a complex series of cell-to-cell interactions between a sperm and an egg. The final event of fertilization is the fusion of the gametes' membranes, which allows the delivery of the sperm genetic material into the egg cytoplasm. In vivo studies in the laboratory mouse have led to the discovery of membrane proteins that are essential for the fusion process in both the sperm and egg. Specifically, the sperm protein Izumo1 was shown to be necessary for normal fertility. Izumo1-deficient spermatozoa fail to fuse with the egg plasma membrane. Izumo1 is a member of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily of proteins, which are known to be involved in cell adhesion. Here, we describe BART97b, a new mouse line with a recessive mutation that displays a fertilization block associated with a failure of sperm fusion. BART97b mutants carry a deletion that inactivates Spaca6, a previously uncharacterized gene expressed in testis. Similar to Izumo1, Spaca6 encodes an immunoglobulin-like protein. We propose that the Spaca6 gene product may, together with Izumo1, mediate sperm fusion by binding an as yet unidentified egg membrane receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Lorenzetti
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC, 27157, USA,
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17
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Hicks AN, Campeau L, Burmeister D, Bishop CE, Andersson KE. Lack of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 2 (Nmnat2): consequences for mouse bladder development and function. Neurourol Urodyn 2013; 32:1130-6. [PMID: 23371862 DOI: 10.1002/nau.22372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To describe the morphological and functional consequences for bladder development and function when nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 2 (Nmnat2) is lacking or reduced. METHODS The Bloated Bladder (Blad) mouse, lacking Nmnat2, and heterozygotes were utilized for this investigation. Morphology and development of the bladder were studied using immunohistochemistry against urothelial, smooth muscle, and nerve markers. Functional effects were assessed by organ bath experiments and cystometry. RESULTS Homozygote mutants were malformed and died at birth, whereas heterozygotes survived and morphologically did not differ from wild-type controls. Morphological bladder changes appeared in the Blad mutants as early as embryonic day 15.5 (E15.5) with an extremely distended bladder at E18.5. Staining revealed that all the bladder layers were present and expressed mature markers in all three genotypes. No nerves could be demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the Blad mutant bladder at E18.5. Organ bath analysis showed that bladders from Blad mutant showed signs of denervation supersensitivity in response to carbachol, and no response to electrical stimulation of nerves at E18.5. Adult heterozygotes, which have a reduced expression of Nmnat2 at E18.5, showed decreased responses to carbachol and electrical stimulation compared to wild-type controls. The latter also retained their ability to empty their bladders, but showed increased micturition pressures compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Complete loss of Nmnat2 leads to a mature but distended bladder in utero and is not compatible with survival. Moderate loss of Nmnat2 has no effect on bladder development, survival, and has only modest effects on bladder function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy N Hicks
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina
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Hicks AN, Lorenzetti D, Gilley J, Lu B, Andersson KE, Miligan C, Overbeek PA, Oppenheim R, Bishop CE. Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 2 (Nmnat2) regulates axon integrity in the mouse embryo. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47869. [PMID: 23082226 PMCID: PMC3474723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Using transposon-mediated gene-trap mutagenesis, we have generated a novel mouse mutant termed Blad (Bloated Bladder). Homozygous mutant mice die perinatally showing a greatly distended bladder, underdeveloped diaphragm and a reduction in total skeletal muscle mass. Wild type and heterozygote mice appear normal. Using PCR, we identified a transposon insertion site in the first intron of Nmnat2 (Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenyltransferase 2). Nmnat2 is expressed predominantly in the brain and nervous system and has been linked to the survival of axons. Expression of this gene is undetectable in Nmnat2blad/blad mutants. Examination of the brains of E18.5 Nmnat2blad/blad mutant embryos did not reveal any obvious morphological changes. In contrast, E18.5 Nmnat2blad/blad homozygotes showed an approximate 60% reduction of spinal motoneurons in the lumbar region and a more than 80% reduction in the sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). In addition, facial motoneuron numbers were severely reduced, and there was virtually a complete absence of axons in the hind limb. Our observations suggest that during embryogenesis, Nmnat2 plays an important role in axonal growth or maintenance. It appears that in the absence of Nmnat2, major target organs and tissues (e.g., muscle) are not functionally innervated resulting in perinatal lethality. In addition, neither Nmnat1 nor 3 can compensate for the loss of Nmnat2. Whilst there have been recent suggestions that Nmnat2 may be an endogenous modulator of axon integrity, this work represents the first in vivo study demonstrating that Nmnat2 is involved in axon development or survival in a mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy N Hicks
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA.
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19
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George SK, Jiao Y, Bishop CE, Lu B. Oxidative stress is involved in age-dependent spermatogenic damage of Immp2l mutant mice. Free Radic Biol Med 2012; 52:2223-33. [PMID: 22569411 PMCID: PMC3377857 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2012.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in spermatogenic damage, although direct in vivo evidence is lacking. We recently generated a mouse in which the inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like (Immp2l) gene is mutated. This Immp2l mutation impairs the processing of signal peptide sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome c₁ and glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2. The mitochondria from mutant mice generate elevated levels of superoxide ion, which causes age-dependent spermatogenic damage. Here we confirm age-dependent spermatogenic damage in a new cohort of mutants, which started at the age of 10.5 months. Compared with age-matched controls, protein carbonyl content was normal in testes of 2- to 5-month-old mutants, but significantly elevated in testes of 13-month-old mutants, indicating elevated oxidative stress in the testes at the time of impaired spermatogenesis. Testicular expression of superoxide dismutases was not different between control and mutant mice, whereas that of catalase was increased in young and old mutants. The expression of cytosolic glutathione peroxidase 4 (phospholipid hydroperoxidase) in testes was significantly reduced in 13-month-old mutants, concomitant with impaired spermatogenesis. Apoptosis of all testicular populations was increased in mutant mice with spermatogenic damage. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation rate in germ cells of mutant mice with impaired spermatogenesis was unchanged, excluding a major role of mtDNA mutation in ROS-mediated spermatogenic damage. Our data show that increased mitochondrial ROS are one of the driving forces for spermatogenic impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Baisong Lu
- To whom all correspondence and proofs should be sent: Baisong Lu, PhD, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, Tel: 336-713-7276, Fax: 336-713-7290,
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20
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Abstract
Mex3c is highly expressed in the testis, brain, and developing bone. Mex3c mutation causes postnatal growth retardation and background-dependent perinatal lethality, possibly through impairing the translation of insulin-like growth factor 1 mRNA in bone-forming cells. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) mediates the growth-promoting activities of growth hormone. How Igf1 expression is regulated posttranscriptionally is unclear. Caenorhabditis elegans muscle excess 3 (MEX-3) is involved in cell fate specification during early embryonic development through regulating mRNAs involved in specifying cell fate. The function of its mammalian homologue, MEX3C, is unknown. Here we show that MEX3C deficiency in Mex3c homozygous mutant mice causes postnatal growth retardation and background-dependent perinatal lethality. Hypertrophy of chondrocytes in growth plates is significantly impaired. Circulating and bone local production of IGF1 are both decreased in mutant mice. Mex3c mRNA is strongly expressed in the testis and the brain, and highly expressed in resting and proliferating chondrocytes of the growth plates. MEX3C is able to enrich multiple mRNA species from tissue lysates, including Igf1. Igf1 expression in bone is decreased at the protein level but not at the mRNA level, indicating translational/posttranslational regulation. We propose that MEX3C protein plays an important role in enhancing the translation of Igf1 mRNA, which explains the perinatal lethality and growth retardation observed in MEX3C-deficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Jiao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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21
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Moorefield EC, McKee EE, Solchaga L, Orlando G, Yoo JJ, Walker S, Furth ME, Bishop CE. Cloned, CD117 selected human amniotic fluid stem cells are capable of modulating the immune response. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26535. [PMID: 22046303 PMCID: PMC3202543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells are broadly multipotent, can be expanded extensively in culture, are not tumorigenic and can be readily cryopreserved for cell banking. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) show immunomodulatory activity and secrete a wide spectrum of cytokines and chemokines that suppress inflammatory responses, block mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) and other immune reactions, and have proven therapeutic against conditions such as graft-versus-host disease. AFS cells resemble MSCs in many respects including surface marker expression and differentiation potential. We therefore hypothesized that AFS cells may exhibit similar immunomodulatory capabilities. We present data to demonstrate that direct contact with AFS cells inhibits lymphocyte activation. In addition, we show that cell-free supernatants derived from AFS cells primed with total blood monocytes or IL-1β, a cytokine released by monocytes and essential in mediation of the inflammatory response, also inhibited lymphocyte activation. Further investigation of AFS cell-free supernatants by protein array revealed secretion of multiple factors in common with MSCs that are known to be involved in immune regulation including growth related oncogene (GRO) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP) family members as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6). AFS cells activated by PBMCs released several additional cytokines as compared to BM-MSCs, including macrophage inflammatory protein-3α (MIP-3α), MIP-1α and Activin. AFS cells also released higher levels of MCP-1 and lower levels of MCP-2 compared to BM-MSCs in response to IL-1β activation. This suggests that there may be some AFS-specific mechanisms of inhibition of lymphocyte activation. Our results indicate that AFS cells are able to suppress inflammatory responses in vitro and that soluble factors are an essential component in the communication between lymphocytes and AFS cells. Their extensive self-renewal capacity, possibility for banking and absence of tumorigenicity may make AFS cells a superior source of stable, well characterized “off the shelf” immunomodulatory cells for a variety of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Moorefield
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America.
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22
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George SK, Jiao Y, Bishop CE, Lu B. Mitochondrial peptidase IMMP2L mutation causes early onset of age-associated disorders and impairs adult stem cell self-renewal. Aging Cell 2011; 10:584-94. [PMID: 21332923 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2011.00686.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are proposed to play a central role in aging and age-associated disorders, although direct in vivo evidence is lacking. We recently generated a mouse mutant with mutated inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like (Immp2l) gene, which impairs the signal peptide sequence processing of mitochondrial proteins cytochrome c1 and glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2. The mitochondria from mutant mice generate elevated levels of superoxide ion and cause impaired fertility in both sexes. Here, we design experiments to examine the effects of excessive mitochondrial ROS generation on health span. We show that Immp2l mutation increases oxidative stress in multiple organs such as the brain and the kidney, although expression of superoxide dismutases in these tissues of the mutants is also increased. The mutants show multiple aging-associated phenotypes, including wasting, sarcopenia, loss of subcutaneous fat, kyphosis, and ataxia, with female mutants showing earlier onset and more severe age-associated disorders than male mutants. The loss of body weight and fat was unrelated to food intake. Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSC) from mutant mice showed impaired proliferation capability, formed significantly less and smaller colonies in colony formation assays, although they retained adipogenic differentiation capability in vitro. This functional impairment was accompanied by increased levels of oxidative stress. Our data showed that mitochondrial ROS is the driving force of accelerated aging and suggested that ROS damage to adult stem cells could be one of the mechanisms for age-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil K George
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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23
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Pan C, Hicks A, Guan X, Chen H, Bishop CE. SNL fibroblast feeder layers support derivation and maintenance of human induced pluripotent stem cells. J Genet Genomics 2010; 37:241-8. [PMID: 20439100 DOI: 10.1016/s1673-8527(09)60042-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2009] [Revised: 01/22/2010] [Accepted: 01/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be derived from human somatic cells by cellular reprogramming. This technology provides a potential source of non-controversial therapeutic cells for tissue repair, drug discovery, and opportunities for studying the molecular basis of human disease. Normally, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) are used as feeder layers in the initial derivation of iPS lines. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SNL fibroblasts can be used to support the growth of human iPS cells reprogrammed from somatic cells using lentiviral expressed reprogramming factors. In our study, iPS cells expressed common pluripotency markers, displayed human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) morphology and unmethylated promoters of NANOG and OCT4. These data demonstrate that SNL feeder cells can support the derivation and maintenance of human iPS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanying Pan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Pan C, Lan X, Chen H, Bishop CE. An economical single-sided antibody incubation method for Western blotting. J Virol Methods 2010; 169:409-11. [PMID: 20691216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2010.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2010] [Revised: 07/09/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A simple, single-sided antibody method for incubating primary and secondary antibodies in Western blotting was developed, which generates significant savings on the use of antibodies. Compared with the conventional immersion technique for antibody incubation, the present economical single-sided antibody incubation method resulted in a saving of 80% of antibody use. Besides, the present incubation method did not compromise the Western blot results and was not affected by the expression levels of target proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanying Pan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, No. 22 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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Soler R, Füllhase C, Lu B, Bishop CE, Andersson KE. Bladder dysfunction in a new mutant mouse model with increased superoxide--lack of nitric oxide? J Urol 2010; 183:780-5. [PMID: 20022053 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2009.09.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Nitric oxide mediates urethral smooth muscle relaxation and may also be involved in detrusor activity control. Mice with mutation in the Immp2l gene have high superoxide ion levels and a consequent decrease in the bioavailable amount of nitric oxide. We studied bladder function in this mouse model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Young male mutants at ages 4 to 6 months, old female mutants at age 18 months and healthy WT age matched controls were used. The detrusor contractile response to carbachol and electrical field stimulation was tested in isolated detrusor strips in organ baths. In vivo bladder function was evaluated by cystometry in conscious animals. RESULTS Young male mutants had significantly lower micturition and higher post-void residual volume than WT controls. They had pronounced voiding difficulty and strained when initiating micturition. Detrusor contractile responses to carbachol and electrical field stimulation were similar in mutant and WT mice. Old female mutant mice had lower bladder capacity and micturition volume, and higher micturition frequency and bladder-to-body weight ratio than WT controls. In the in vitro study detrusor strips from mutants showed a lower maximum response to carbachol. CONCLUSIONS Mice with mutation in the Immp2l gene have bladder dysfunction, mainly characterized by emptying abnormalities in young males and increased detrusor activity in old females. Detrusor function was preserved in young males and impaired in old females. These animals are a natural model of oxidative stress with low bioavailable nitric oxide. Thus, they are interesting tools in which to evaluate the role of these conditions on bladder dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Soler
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
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26
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Valli A, Rosner M, Fuchs C, Siegel N, Bishop CE, Dolznig H, Mädel U, Feichtinger W, Atala A, Hengstschläger M. Embryoid body formation of human amniotic fluid stem cells depends on mTOR. Oncogene 2009; 29:966-77. [PMID: 19935716 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2009.405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) harbor high proliferative capacity and high differentiation potential and do not raise the ethical concerns associated with human embryonic stem cells. The formation of three-dimensional aggregates known as embryoid bodies (EBs) is the principal step in the differentiation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Using c-Kit-positive hAFSC lines, we show here that these stem cells harbor the potential to form EBs. As part of the two kinase complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is the key component of an important signaling pathway, which is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, growth, tumor development and differentiation. Blocking intracellular mTOR activity through the inhibitor rapamycin or through specific small interfering RNA approaches revealed hAFSC EB formation to depend on mTORC1 and mTORC2. These findings demonstrate hAFSCs to be a new and powerful biological system to recapitulate the three-dimensional and tissue level contexts of in vivo development and identify the mTOR pathway to be essential for this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Valli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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27
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Chung Y, Bishop CE, Treff NR, Walker SJ, Sandler VM, Becker S, Klimanskaya I, Wun WS, Dunn R, Hall RM, Su J, Lu SJ, Maserati M, Choi YH, Scott R, Atala A, Dittman R, Lanza R. Reprogramming of human somatic cells using human and animal oocytes. Cloning Stem Cells 2009; 11:213-23. [PMID: 19186982 DOI: 10.1089/clo.2009.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
There is renewed interest in using animal oocytes to reprogram human somatic cells. Here we compare the reprogramming of human somatic nuclei using oocytes obtained from animal and human sources. Comparative analysis of gene expression in morula-stage embryos was carried out using single-embryo transcriptome amplification and global gene expression analyses. Genomic DNA fingerprinting and PCR analysis confirmed that the nuclear genome of the cloned embryos originated from the donor somatic cell. Although the human-human, human-bovine, and human-rabbit clones appeared morphologically similar and continued development to the morula stage at approximately the same rate (39, 36, and 36%, respectively), the pattern of reprogramming of the donor genome was dramatically different. In contrast to the interspecies clones, gene expression profiles of the human-human embryos showed that there was extensive reprogramming of the donor nuclei through extensive upregulation, and that the expression pattern was similar in key upregulation in normal control embryos. To account for maternal gene expression, enucleated oocyte transcriptome profiles were subtracted from the corresponding morula-stage embryo profiles. t-Test comparisons (median-normalized data @ fc>4; p<0.005) between human in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos and human-bovine or human-rabbit interspecies somatic cell transfer (iSCNT) embryos found between 2400 and 2950 genes that were differentially expressed, the majority (60-70%) of which were downregulated, whereas the same comparison between the bovine and rabbit oocyte profiles found no differences at all. In contrast to the iSCNT embryos, expression profiles of human-human clones compared to the age-matched IVF embryos showed that nearly all of the differentially expressed genes were upregulated in the clones. Importantly, the human oocytes significantly upregulated Oct-4, Sox-2, and nanog (22-fold, 6-fold, and 12-fold, respectively), whereas the bovine and rabbit oocytes either showed no difference or a downregulation of these critical pluripotency-associated genes, effectively silencing them. Without appropriate reprogramming, these data call into question the potential use of these discordant animal oocyte sources to generate patient-specific stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Chung
- Advanced Cell Technology, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Pan C, Lu B, Chen H, Bishop CE. Reprogramming human fibroblasts using HIV-1 TAT recombinant proteins OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. Mol Biol Rep 2009; 37:2117-24. [PMID: 19669668 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-009-9680-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2009] [Accepted: 07/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that human and murine fibroblasts can be reprogrammed by ectopic expression of transcription factors using viral vectors. For the purpose of human therapeutic applications, the integration of viral transgenes into the genome is unlikely to be accepted. We therefore produced recombinant transcription factor proteins in E. coli (OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC and KLF4) carrying the cell penetrating TAT domain from HIV1. The purified proteins were able to enter into mammalian cells when added to tissue culture medium but appeared not to translocate to the nucleus. Further investigation indicated that most of the protein was tied up in the endosomes and was unavailable for reprogramming. Once this problem has been solved it seems likely that protein reprogramming will be the method of choice for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanying Pan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, No. 22 Xinong Road, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are sex limited, occurring only in males with a Y chromosome. Recently, the gr/gr deletion on the human Y chromosome was associated with increased risk of TGCTs. In addition, the presence of Y chromosome sequences is associated with TGCTs in cases of gonadal dysgenesis. TGCTs in strain 129 males recapitulate many aspects of testicular cancer in human infants and can be used to evaluate the role of the Y chromosome in TGCT risk. We used chromosome substitution strains and a sex-reversing mutant to test the role of the Y chromosome on TGCT susceptibility. Our results show that a Y-linked gene that does not differ among the tested strains is essential for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D Anderson
- Department of Genetics and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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Rohozinski J, Anderson ML, Broaddus RE, Edwards CL, Bishop CE. Spermatogenesis associated retrogenes are expressed in the human ovary and ovarian cancers. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5064. [PMID: 19333399 PMCID: PMC2660244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2008] [Accepted: 02/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer is the second most prevalent gynecologic cancer in women. However, it is by far the most lethal. This is generally attributed to the absence of easily detectable markers specific to ovarian cancers that can be used for early diagnosis and specific therapeutic targets. Methodology/Principal Findings Using end point PCR we have found that a family of retrogenes, previously thought to be expressed only in the male testis during spermatogenesis in man, are also expressed in normal ovarian tissue and a large percentage of ovarian cancers. In man there are at least eleven such autosomal retrogenes, which are intronless copies of genes on the X chromosome, essential for normal spermatogenesis and expressed specifically in the human testis. We tested for the expression of five of the known retrogenes, UTP14C, PGK2, RPL10L, RPL39L and UBL4B in normal human ovary and ovarian cancers. Conclusions/Significance We propose that the activation of the testis specific retrogenes in the ovary and ovarian cancers is of biological significance in humans. Because these retrogenes are specifically expressed in the ovary and ovarian cancers in the female they may prove useful in developing new diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rohozinski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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31
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Abstract
Aggressive and mating behaviors were assessed in XX females, XY females, and XY males of the C57BL/6/J/Ei ("C57BL/6" or "B6") strain of mouse. The Y chromosome of the XY females derives from Mus domesticus poschiavinus and the Y chromosome of the XY males derives from Mus musculus. The poschiavinus Y in the C57BL/6 background results in XY mice with either ovaries or ovotestes. Only those with ovaries were tested. These XY females appear to be endocrinologically identical to XX females. Aggressive and mating behaviors were also tested in XX males and XY males of the FVB/NtacfBR Odsex ("FVB") strain of mouse. The XX males have a transgene inserted 1 Mb upstream of the SOX9 gene, resulting in gonadal differentiation as a testis in the absence of a Y chromosome. C57BL/6 mice were tested for aggression in an instigated resident intruder paradigm and FVB/NtacfBR Odsex mice were tested for aggression in a neutral cage paradigm. Mice of both strains were tested with opponents of the same sex chromosome complement and gonadal sex. On the C57BL/6 background, the XY males were more aggressive than the XY and XX females, but there was no significant difference between the XX and XY females in aggression. On the FVB background, the XY and XX males were equally aggressive. Mice from both C57BL/6 and FVB backgrounds were tested for mating behaviors with females in hormonal estrus. On the C57BL/6 background, the XY males mounted more than the XY females, but there was no significant difference between the XY and XX females in mounting. On the FVB background, mounting, intromissions, and ejaculations were the same in XY and XX males. The implications of these findings for the effect of sex chromosome complement on sex differences in aggression and mating in mice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Canastar
- Biobehavioral Sciences Graduate Degree Program, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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32
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Lu B, Poirier C, Gaspar T, Gratzke C, Harrison W, Busija D, Matzuk MM, Andersson KE, Overbeek PA, Bishop CE. A mutation in the inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like gene (Immp2l) affects mitochondrial function and impairs fertility in mice. Biol Reprod 2007; 78:601-10. [PMID: 18094351 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.065987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion is involved in energy generation, apoptosis regulation, and calcium homeostasis. Mutations in genes involved in mitochondrial processes often result in a severe phenotype or embryonic lethality, making the study of mitochondrial involvement in aging, neurodegeneration, or reproduction challenging. Using a transgenic insertional mutagenesis strategy, we generated a mouse mutant, Immp2lTg(Tyr)979Ove, with a mutation in the inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like (Immp2l) gene. The mutation affected the signal peptide sequence processing of mitochondrial proteins cytochrome c1 and glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2. The inefficient processing of mitochondrial membrane proteins perturbed mitochondrial function so that mitochondria from mutant mice manifested hyperpolarization, higher than normal superoxide ion generation, and higher levels of ATP. Homozygous Immp2lTg(Tyr)979Ove females were infertile due to defects in folliculogenesis and ovulation, whereas mutant males were severely subfertile due to erectile dysfunction. The data suggest that the high superoxide ion levels lead to a decrease in the bioavailability of nitric oxide and an increase in reactive oxygen species stress, which underlies these reproductive defects. The results provide a novel link between mitochondrial dysfunction and infertility and suggest that superoxide ion targeting agents may prove useful for treating infertility in a subpopulation of infertile patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisong Lu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA
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Feng S, Bogatcheva NV, Truong A, Korchin B, Bishop CE, Klonisch T, Agoulnik IU, Agoulnik AI. Developmental Expression and Gene Regulation of Insulin-like 3 Receptor RXFP2 in Mouse Male Reproductive Organs1. Biol Reprod 2007; 77:671-80. [PMID: 17615407 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.060442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutations of testicular insulin-like 3 (INSL3) hormone or its receptor RXFP2 cause cryptorchidism in male mice. Here we have examined Rxfp2 gene expression at different stages of embryonic and postnatal mouse development in male reproductive tissues employing quantitative RT-PCR and several RXFP2-specific antibodies directed toward different parts of the RXFP2 protein. Receptor expression was markedly increased after birth and was readily detectable in the epididymis, Leydig cells, and germ cells of the testis. The strongest expression was detected in adult mouse cremaster muscle. INSL3 treatment increased cell proliferation of embryonic gubernacular and TM3 embryonic Leydig cells, implicating active INSL3-mediated autocrine signaling in these cells and identifying TM3 as a novel in vitro model to study the effects of RXFP2 signaling. We generated Tg(Rxfp2-cre)Aia (Rxfp2-iCre) transgenic mice expressing improved Cre recombinase (iCre) under the control of the 2.4-kb mouse Rxfp2 promoter. The iCre was expressed in the gubernacular ligament at E14.5, indicating that this promoter is able to drive Rxfp2 gene expression during transabdominal testis descent. We demonstrated that the transcription factor Sox9, a known male sex determination factor, is expressed in mouse embryonic gubernacula and upregulated human, but not mouse, promoter luciferase reporter constructs. In conclusion, we have determined the developmental expression profile of INSL3 receptor employing newly characterized RXFP2 antisera and a novel Rxfp2-iCre transgenic mouse model. We determined the promoter region capable of providing the gubernacular-specific expression of Rxfp2. Analysis of RXFP2 promoter identified SOX9 as a new transcriptional enhancer of human gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Poirier C, Moran JL, Kovanci E, Petit DC, Beier DR, Bishop CE. Three loci on mouse chromosome 5 and 10 modulate sex determination in XX Ods/+ mice. Genesis 2007; 45:452-5. [PMID: 17607692 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In mouse, XY embryos are committed to the male sex determination pathway after the transient expression of the Y-linked Sry gene in the Sertoli cell lineage between 10.5 and 12.5 dpc. In the C57BL/6J strain, male sex determination program can be modulated by some autosomal genes. The C57BL/6J alleles at these autosomal loci can antagonize male sex determination in combination with specific Sry alleles. In this report, the authors have identified an effect of these C57BL/6J specific alleles in combination with a mutated Sox9 allele, Sox9(Ods). Authors report the mapping of three of these genetic loci on mouse chromosome 5 and 10 in a backcross of the Ods mutation to the C57BL/6J background. Our study confirms the importance of the strain C57BL/6J for the investigation of the genetic mechanisms that control sex determination.
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Lu B, Geurts AM, Poirier C, Petit DC, Harrison W, Overbeek PA, Bishop CE. Generation of rat mutants using a coat color-tagged Sleeping Beauty transposon system. Mamm Genome 2007; 18:338-46. [PMID: 17557177 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-007-9025-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2007] [Revised: 04/10/2007] [Accepted: 04/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A significant barrier to exploiting the full potential of the rat as a biomedical model is the lack of tools to easily modify its germline. Here we show that a tyrosinase-tagged Sleeping Beauty transposon can be used as a simple, efficient method to generate rat mutants in vivo. By making two lines of transgenic rats, one carrying the transposon and another expressing the transposase in germ cells, we are able to obtain bigenic males in which transposition occurs in the germ cells. We show that transposition leads to the appearance of new coat colors in the offspring. Using such bigenic males, we obtained an average of 1.2 transpositions per gamete and identified 19 intragenic integration events among 96 transposition sites that were sequenced. In addition, gene trapping was confirmed and rats with evidence for transposon-induced dominant ocular anomalies were identified. These data suggest that the modified Sleeping Beauty transposon represents a powerful new tool for producing molecularly defined mutagenesis in the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisong Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Zhao M, Rohozinski J, Sharma M, Ju J, Braun RE, Bishop CE, Meistrich ML. Utp14b: a unique retrogene within a gene that has acquired multiple promoters and a specific function in spermatogenesis. Dev Biol 2007; 304:848-59. [PMID: 17291484 PMCID: PMC1910592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2006] [Revised: 12/09/2006] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The mouse retrogene Utp14b is essential for male fertility, and a mutation in its sequence results in the sterile juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd) phenotype. It is a retrotransposed copy of the Utp14a gene, which is located on the X chromosome, and is inserted within an intron of the autosomal acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 (Acsl3) gene. To elucidate the roles of the Utp14 genes in normal spermatogenic cell development as a basis for understanding the defects that result in the jsd phenotype, we analyzed the various mRNAs produced from the Utp14b retrogene and their expression in different cell types. Two classes of transcripts were identified: variant 1, a transcript driven by the host gene promoter, that is predominantly found in germ cells but is ubiquitously expressed at low levels; and variants 2-5, a group of alternatively spliced transcripts containing some unique untranslated exons that are transcribed from a novel promoter that is germ-cell-specific. Utp14b (predominantly variant 1) is expressed at moderately high levels in pachytene spermatocytes, the developmental stage at which the expression of the X-linked Utp14a is suppressed. The levels of both classes of Utp14b transcripts were highest in round spermatids despite the transcription of Utp14a in these cells. We propose that when Utp14b initially inserted into Acsl3, it utilized the Acsl3 promoter to drive expression in pachytene spermatocytes to compensate for inactivation of Utp14a expression. The novel cell-type-specific promoter for Utp14b likely evolved later, as the protein may have acquired a germ cell-specific function in spermatid development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhao
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 066, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Jan Rohozinski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1709 Dryden Road, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Manju Sharma
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Box 357730, 1705 N.E. Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jun Ju
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 066, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Robert E. Braun
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Box 357730, 1705 N.E. Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Colin E. Bishop
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1709 Dryden Road, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Marvin L. Meistrich
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 066, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
- Corresponding author: Fax: +1 713 794 5369. E-mail address: , (M. L. Meistrich)
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Kovanci E, Rohozinski J, Simpson JL, Heard MJ, Bishop CE, Carson SA. Growth differentiating factor-9 mutations may be associated with premature ovarian failure. Fertil Steril 2007; 87:143-6. [PMID: 17156781 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.05.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2006] [Revised: 05/18/2006] [Accepted: 05/18/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether perturbations of the growth differentiating factor-9 (GDF9) gene are associated with premature ovarian failure (POF). DESIGN Mutational analysis of the GDF9 gene in 61 women with POF. SETTING Academic institution. PATIENT(S) Sixty-one women with POF; 60 control women. INTERVENTION(S) Peripheral blood sampling, genomic DNA extraction, mutational screening, and DNA sequencing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Genetic perturbations in GDF9 that are associated with POF. RESULT(S) A single missense mutation, substitution of a cytosine residue with thymidine in exon 1 of GDF9, was found in a white woman in whom POF developed at age 22. This mutation occurred in a highly conserved proprotein region and resulted in replacement of a nonpolar amino acid (proline) with a polar amino acid (serine) at position 103. Neither 60 control women nor 60 other women with POF demonstrated this genetic perturbation. Exon 2 showed only previously recognized single nucleotide polymorphisms. CONCLUSION(S) GDF9 mutations may be one explanation for POF, albeit uncommon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ertug Kovanci
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Abstract
In the mouse, Utp14b is a retrogene transposed to an intron of Acsl3 (long-chain-fatty-acid coenzyme A ligase 3) on mouse chromosome 1. It represents a copy of Utp14a, a ubiquitously expressed, X-linked gene involved in 18S rRNA synthesis. The Utp14b is specifically expressed in male germ cells and, when mutated in the jsd (juvenile spermatogonial depletion) mouse, results in early spermatogenic arrest and male infertility. To understand the function and relevance of the orthologous human gene in testis pathology, we mapped transcripts and searched for mutations within the gene in infertile males. In humans, the strict ortholog of UTP14b has degenerated and is no longer functional. However, a second active retroposon, UTP14c, is found within a widely expressed, putative glycosyl transferase-containing gene, GT8, on human chromosome 13. Unlike mouse Utp14b, which is only expressed in the male germ line, human UTP14c is expressed in testis and ovary, which is consistent with having a gonad-specific function. To determine if UTP14c is functionally equivalent to mouse Utp14b and essential to spermatogenesis in humans, we screened DNA from 234 nonobstructive, azoospermic/severely oligospermic males and 208 proven-fertile controls for mutations within UTP14c. We identified a mutation in three unrelated patients that introduces an in-frame stop codon truncating the UTP14c protein near the carboxyl terminus. These data indicate that UTP14c may be functionally equivalent to mouse Utp14b and required for normal male fertility in humans. The novel evolution of retroposed UTP14 genes supports the hypothesis that retrogenes play an important role in evolution via regulation of male reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rohozinski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 , USA.
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Aubin I, Adams CP, Opsahl S, Septier D, Bishop CE, Auge N, Salvayre R, Negre-Salvayre A, Goldberg M, Guénet JL, Poirier C. A deletion in the gene encoding sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 3 (Smpd3) results in osteogenesis and dentinogenesis imperfecta in the mouse. Nat Genet 2005; 37:803-5. [PMID: 16025116 DOI: 10.1038/ng1603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2005] [Accepted: 05/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The mouse mutation fragilitas ossium (fro) leads to a syndrome of severe osteogenesis and dentinogenesis imperfecta with no detectable collagen defect. Positional cloning of the locus identified a deletion in the gene encoding neutral sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 3 (Smpd3) that led to complete loss of enzymatic activity. Our knowledge of SMPD3 function is consistent with the pathology observed in mutant mice and provides new insight into human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Aubin
- Unité de Génétique des Mammifères, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
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Poirier C, Qin Y, Adams CP, Anaya Y, Singer JB, Hill AE, Lander ES, Nadeau JH, Bishop CE. A complex interaction of imprinted and maternal-effect genes modifies sex determination in Odd Sex (Ods) mice. Genetics 2005; 168:1557-62. [PMID: 15579706 PMCID: PMC1448764 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.104.032177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The transgenic insertional mouse mutation Odd Sex (Ods) represents a model for the long-range regulation of Sox9. The mutation causes complete female-to-male sex reversal by inducing a male-specific expression pattern of Sox9 in XX Ods/+ embryonic gonads. We previously described an A/J strain-specific suppressor of Ods termed Odsm1(A). Here we show that phenotypic sex depends on a complex interaction between the suppressor and the transgene. Suppression can be achieved only if the transgene is transmitted paternally. In addition, the suppressor itself exhibits a maternal effect, suggesting that it may act on chromatin in the early embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Poirier
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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41
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Abstract
In the dominant mouse mutant Odd Sex, XXOds/+ mice develop as phenotypic, sterile males due to male-pattern expression of Sox9 in XXOds/+ embryonic gonads. To test whether SOX9 was sufficient to generate a fully fertile male in the absence of Sry, we constructed an XY(Sry(-))Ods/+ male mouse, in which the male phenotype is controlled autosomally by the Ods mutation. Mice were initially fertile, but progressively lost fertility until 5-6 months when they were sterile with very few germ cells in the testis. XY(Sry-)Ods/+ males also failed to establish the correct male-specific pattern of vascularization at the time of sex determination, which could be correlated to an inability of XY(Sry-),Ods/+ males to fully down-regulate Wnt4 expression in the embryonic gonad. Increasing the amount of SOX9 by producing homozygous XY(Sry-)Ods/Ods males was able to completely rescue the phenotype and restore correct vascular patterning and long-term fertility. These data indicate that activation of SOX9 in the gonad is sufficient to trigger all the downstream events needed for the development of a fully fertile male and provide evidence that Sox9 may down-regulate Wnt4 expression in the gonad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjun Qin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Abstract
Relaxin (RLN) is a small peptide hormone that affects a variety of biological processes. Rln1 knockout mice exhibit abnormal nipple development, prolonged parturition, agerelated pulmonary fibrosis, and abnormalities in the testes and prostate. We describe here RLN receptor Lgr7-deficient mice. Mutant females have grossly underdeveloped nipples and are unable to feed their progeny. Some Lgr7-/- females were unable to deliver their pups. Histological analysis of Lgr7 mutant lung tissues demonstrates increased collagen accumulation and fibrosis surrounding the bronchioles and the vascular bundles, absent in wild-type animals. However, Lgr7-deficient males do not exhibit abnormalities in the testes or prostate as seen in Rln1 knockout mice. Lgr7-deficient females with additional deletion of Lgr8 (Great), another putative receptor for RLN, are fertile and have normal-sized litters. Double mutant males have normal-sized prostate and testes, suggesting that Lgr8 does not account for differences in Rln1-/- and Lgr7-/- phenotypes. Transgenic overexpression of Insl3, the cognate ligand for Lgr8, does not rescue the mutant phenotype of Lgr7-deficient female mice indicating nonoverlapping functions of the two receptors. Our data indicate that neither Insl3 nor Lgr8 contribute to the RLN signaling pathway. We conclude that the Insl3/Lgr8 and Rln1/Lgr7 actions do not overlap in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna A Kamat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6550 Fannin Street, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Rohozinski J, Bishop CE. The mouse juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd) phenotype is due to a mutation in the X-derived retrogene, mUtp14b. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:11695-700. [PMID: 15289605 PMCID: PMC511039 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0401130101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recessive juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd) mutation results in a single wave of spermatogenesis, followed by failure of type A spermatogonia to differentiate, resulting in adult male sterility. We have identified a jsd-specific rearrangement in the mouse homologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene UTP14, termed mUtp14b. Confirmation that mUtp14b underlies the jsd phenotype was obtained by transgenic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) rescue. We also identified a homologous gene on the Mus musculus X chromosome (MMUX) (mUtp14a) that is the strict homologue of the yeast gene, from which the intronless mUtp14b has been derived by retrotransposition. Expression analysis showed that mUtp14b is predominantly expressed in the germ line of the testis from zygotene through round spermatids, whereas mUtp14a, although well expressed in all somatic tissues, could be detected only in the germ line in round spermatids. In yeast, depletion of the UTP proteins impedes production of 18S rRNA, leading to cell death. We propose that the retroposed autosomal copy mUtp14b, having acquired a testis-specific expression pattern, could have provided a mechanism for increasing the efficiency and/or numbers of germ cells produced by meeting the need for more 18S rRNA and protein. Such a mechanism would be of obvious reproductive advantage and be strongly selected for in evolution. Consistent with this hypothesis is the finding of a similar X-autosome retroposition of UTP14 in human which seems to have arisen independently of that in rodents. In jsd homozygotes, which lack a functional copy of Utp14b, insufficient production of rRNA quickly leads to a cessation of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rohozinski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Lorenzetti D, Bishop CE, Justice MJ. Deletion of the Parkin coregulated gene causes male sterility in the quaking(viable) mouse mutant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:8402-7. [PMID: 15148410 PMCID: PMC420406 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0401832101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Quaking(viable) (qk(v)) is a recessive neurological mouse mutation with severe dysmyelination of the CNS and spermiogenesis failure. The molecular lesion in the qk(v) mutant is a deletion of approximately 1 Mb on mouse chromosome 17 that alters the expression of the qk gene in oligodendrocytes. Complementation analysis between the qk(v) mutation and qk mutant alleles generated through chemical mutagenesis showed that the male sterility is a distinctive feature of the qk(v) allele. This observation suggested that the sperm differentiation defect in qk(v) is due to the deletion of a gene(s) distinct from qk. Here, we demonstrate that the deletion of Pacrg is the cause of male sterility in the qk(v) mutant. Pacrg is the mouse homologue of the human PARKIN-coregulated gene (PACRG), which encodes for a protein whose biochemical function remains unclear. We show that Pacrg is highly expressed in the testes in both mice and humans. In addition, the expression pattern of Pacrg during spermiogenesis suggests that it plays a role in sperm differentiation. In support of this hypothesis, we show that transgenic expression of Pacrg in testes restores spermiogenesis and fertility in qk(v) males. This finding provides the first in vivo evidence, to our knowledge, for the function of Pacrg in a model organism. Immunolocalization experiments on isolated spermatozoa show that the Pacrg protein is present in mature sperm. Remarkably, the mammalian Pacrg protein shares significant sequence similarities with gene products from flagellated protozoans, suggesting that Pacrg may be necessary for proper flagellar formation in many organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Lorenzetti
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Human Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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45
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Abstract
The Odd Sex mouse mutation arose in a transgenic line of mice carrying a tyrosinase minigene driven by the dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) promoter region. The minigene integrated 0.98 Mb upstream of Sox9 and was accompanied by a deletion of 134 kb. This mutation causes female to male sex reversal in XX Ods/+ mice, and a characteristic eye phenotype of microphthalmia with cataracts in all mice carrying the transgene. Ods causes sex reversal in the absence of Sry by upregulating Sox9 expression and maintaining a male pattern of Sox9 expression in XX Ods/+ embryonic gonads. This expression, which begins at E11.5, triggers downstream events leading to the formation of a testis. We report here that the 134 kb deletion, in itself, is insufficient to cause sex reversal. We demonstrate that in Ods, the Dct promoter is capable of acting over a distance of 1 Mb to induce inappropriate expression of Sox9 in the retinal pigmented epithelium of the eye, causing the observed microphthalmia. In addition, it induces Sox9 expression in the melanocytes where it causes pigmentation defects. We propose that Ods sex reversal is due to the Dct promoter element interacting with gonad-specific enhancer elements to produce the observed male pattern expression of Sox9 in the embryonic gonads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjun Qin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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46
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Abstract
A novel gene Ggnbp1 was identified during yeast two-hybrid screening of gametogenetin protein 1 (GGN1)-interacting proteins. Ggnbp1 gene was found in mouse, rat, and human genomes but not in sequenced yeast, worms, fly, or fish genomes. Northern blotting analysis revealed that the gene was specifically expressed in the testis but not expressed in the other tissues. In situ hybridization showed that it was testicular germ cell-specific and was specifically expressed in later primary spermatocytes, meiotic cells, and early round spermatids. Western blotting analysis detected a protein of expected size in and only in the testis. By making membrane and cytosolic fractions of germ cells, we were able to show that GGNBP1 associated with the membrane. The identification and characterization of a novel germ cell-specific gene Ggnbp1 is the first step toward the defining of the functions of Ggnbp1 in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dong Da Jie Street, Beijing, China, 100071
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Meetei AR, de Winter JP, Medhurst AL, Wallisch M, Waisfisz Q, van de Vrugt HJ, Oostra AB, Yan Z, Ling C, Bishop CE, Hoatlin ME, Joenje H, Wang W. A novel ubiquitin ligase is deficient in Fanconi anemia. Nat Genet 2003; 35:165-70. [PMID: 12973351 DOI: 10.1038/ng1241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 426] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2003] [Accepted: 08/25/2003] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fanconi anemia is a recessively inherited disease characterized by congenital defects, bone marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. Cells from individuals with Fanconi anemia are highly sensitive to DNA-crosslinking drugs, such as mitomycin C (MMC). Fanconi anemia proteins function in a DNA damage response pathway involving breast cancer susceptibility gene products, BRCA1 and BRCA2 (refs. 1,2). A key step in this pathway is monoubiquitination of FANCD2, resulting in the redistribution of FANCD2 to nuclear foci containing BRCA1 (ref. 3). The underlying mechanism is unclear because the five Fanconi anemia proteins known to be required for this ubiquitination have no recognizable ubiquitin ligase motifs. Here we report a new component of a Fanconi anemia protein complex, called PHF9, which possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro and is essential for FANCD2 monoubiquitination in vivo. Because PHF9 is defective in a cell line derived from an individual with Fanconi anemia, we conclude that PHF9 (also called FANCL) represents a novel Fanconi anemia complementation group (FA-L). Our data suggest that PHF9 has a crucial role in the Fanconi anemia pathway as the likely catalytic subunit required for monoubiquitination of FANCD2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amom Ruhikanta Meetei
- Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, TRIAD Center Room 3000, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Lu B, Bishop CE. Late onset of spermatogenesis and gain of fertility in POG-deficient mice indicate that POG is not necessary for the proliferation of spermatogonia. Biol Reprod 2003; 69:161-8. [PMID: 12606378 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.102.014654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The germ cell-deficient (gcd) mouse mutation is a recessive, transgenic insertional mutation associated with the disruption of two Chr11 genes, Pog (proliferation of germ cells) and Vrk2 (vaccinia virus-related protein kinase 2). We have recently shown that like gcd/gcd mice, targeted Pog-/- males and females show virtually no spermatogenesis or oogenesis at 4-6 wk of age. Because Pog is deleted in gcd/gcd and Pog-/- mice, a comparison of the phenotypes of the two mouse models is appropriate. Here, we report that unlike in POG-deficient females, the germ cells in POG-deficient males eventually populate the seminiferous tubules at 9 wk, and fertility can be achieved by 12 wk. Homozygous gcd/gcd males did not show a similar degree of germ cell population, and most gcd/gcd males remained infertile at 16 and 22 wk of age. A comparison of the degree of germ cell deficiency at 13.5 days postcoitum and 1 day postpartum between Pog-/- and gcd/gcd males revealed that gcd/gcd males had far fewer germ cells than Pog-/- males at both time points. Our data suggest that Pog is essential for proper primordial germ cell proliferation in the embryonic stage but is not needed for spermatogonial proliferation after birth. Thus, the difference in the spermatogenetic potential in adult Pog-/- and gcd/gcd mice may result from the severity of germ cell deficiency rather than from the inability of gcd/gcd spermatogonia to proliferate efficiently. The greater deficiency of germ cells before the onset of spermatogenesis seen in gcd/gcd males compared to Pog-/- mice suggests either that the different background affects the outcome of Pog deletion or that Vrk2 has additional effects on germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisong Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Lu B, Bishop CE. Mouse GGN1 and GGN3, two germ cell-specific proteins from the single gene Ggn, interact with mouse POG and play a role in spermatogenesis. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:16289-96. [PMID: 12574169 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m211023200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The germ cell-deficient (gcd) mutation is a recessive transgenic insertional mutation leading to a deficiency of primordial germ cells (PGCs). We have recently shown that the gene underlying this mutation is Pog, which is necessary for normal proliferation of PGCs. Here we show that Pog is also involved in spermatogenesis in that meiosis is impaired in Pog-deficient mice. Yeast two-hybrid screening revealed that POG interacted with GGN1 and GGN3, two proteins formed by alternate splicing of the same gene, gametogenetin (Ggn). Ggn had more than 10 different splice variants giving rise to three proteins, GGN1, GGN2, and GGN3. The three proteins had different subcellular localizations, with GGN1, GGN2, and GGN3 localized along the nuclear membrane, in the cytoplasm, and in the nucleus/nucleoli respectively. The expression of Ggn was confined to late pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids, a time window concomitant with the occurrence of meiosis. Mouse Ggn and Pog were both expressed in primary spermatocytes. Co-expression of POG with GGN1 or GGN3 in HeLa cells changed the localization of POG to the perinuclear localization or the nucleoli, respectively. Our data showed that in addition to functioning in proliferation of primordial germ cells, POG also functioned in spermatogenesis. Two spatial and temporal regulated proteins, GGN1 and GGN3, interacted with POG, regulated the localization of POG, and played a role in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisong Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6550 Fannin Street #880, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Qin Y, Poirier C, Truong C, Schumacher A, Agoulnik AI, Bishop CE. A major locus on mouse chromosome 18 controls XX sex reversal in Odd Sex (Ods) mice. Hum Mol Genet 2003; 12:509-15. [PMID: 12588798 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddg045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously reported a dominant mouse mutant, Odd sex (Ods), in which XX Ods/+ mice on the FVB/N background show complete sex reversal, associated with expression of Sox9 in the fetal gonads. Remarkably, when crossed to the A/J strain approximately 95% of the (AXFVB) F(1) XX Ods/+ mice developed as fully fertile, phenotypic females, the remainder developing as males or hermaphrodites. Using a (AXFVB) F(2) population, we conducted a genome-wide linkage scan to identify the number and chromosomal location of potential Ods modifier genes. A single major locus termed Odsm1 was mapped to chromosome 18, tightly linked to D18Mit189 and D18Mit210. Segregation at this locus could account for the presence of sex reversal in 100% of XX Ods/+ mice which develop as males, for the absence of sex reversal in approximately 92% of XX Ods/+ mice which develop as females, and for the mixed sexual phenotype in approximately 72% of XX Ods/+ mice that develop with ambiguous genitalia. We propose that homozygosity for the FVB-derived allele strongly favors Ods sex reversal, whereas homozygosity for the A/J-derived allele inhibits it. In mice heterozygous at Odsm1, the phenotypic outcome, male, female or hermaphrodite, is determined by a complex interaction of several minor modifying loci. The close proximity of Smad2, Smad7 and Smad4 to D18Mit189/210 provides a potential mechanism through which Odsm1 might act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjun Qin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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