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Leighton SE, Wong RS, Lucaciu SA, Hauser A, Johnston D, Stathopulos PB, Bai D, Penuela S, Laird DW. Cx31.1 can selectively intermix with co-expressed connexins to facilitate its assembly into gap junctions. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261631. [PMID: 38533727 PMCID: PMC11058089 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261631] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Connexins are channel-forming proteins that function to facilitate gap junctional intercellular communication. Here, we use dual cell voltage clamp and dye transfer studies to corroborate past findings showing that Cx31.1 (encoded by GJB5) is defective in gap junction channel formation, illustrating that Cx31.1 alone does not form functional gap junction channels in connexin-deficient mammalian cells. Rather Cx31.1 transiently localizes to the secretory pathway with a subpopulation reaching the cell surface, which is rarely seen in puncta reminiscent of gap junctions. Intracellular retained Cx31.1 was subject to degradation as Cx31.1 accumulated in the presence of proteasomal inhibition, had a faster turnover when Cx43 was present and ultimately reached lysosomes. Although intracellularly retained Cx31.1 was found to interact with Cx43, this interaction did not rescue its delivery to the cell surface. Conversely, the co-expression of Cx31 dramatically rescued the assembly of Cx31.1 into gap junctions where gap junction-mediated dye transfer was enhanced. Collectively, our results indicate that the localization and functional status of Cx31.1 is altered through selective interplay with co-expressed connexins, perhaps suggesting Cx31.1 is a key regulator of intercellular signaling in keratinocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E. Leighton
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Robert S. Wong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Sergiu A. Lucaciu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Alexandra Hauser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Danielle Johnston
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Peter B. Stathopulos
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Donglin Bai
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- Western's Bone and Joint Institute, The Dr. Sandy Kirkley Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University Hospital, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
- Division of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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2
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Lucaciu SA, Leighton SE, Laird DW. Spatial and Temporal Localization of Connexins in Cells Using Confocal Microscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2801:57-74. [PMID: 38578413 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3842-2_5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The 21-member connexin family found in humans is the building block of both single-membrane spanning channels (hemichannels) and double-membrane spanning intercellular channels. These large-pore channels are dynamic and typically have a short life span of only a few hours. Imaging connexins from the time of synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum through to their degradation can be challenging given their distinct assembly states and transient residences in many subcellular compartments. Here, we describe how connexins can be effectively imaged on a confocal microscope in living cells when tagged with fluorescent proteins and when immunolabeled with high affinity anti-connexin antibodies in fixed cells. Temporal and spatial localization of multiple connexins and disease-linked connexin mutants at the subcellular level extensively informs on the mechanisms governing connexin regulation in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiu A Lucaciu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie E Leighton
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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3
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Lucaciu SA, Leighton SE, Hauser A, Yee R, Laird DW. Diversity in connexin biology. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105263. [PMID: 37734551 PMCID: PMC10598745 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105263] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 35 years ago the cell biology community was introduced to connexins as the subunit employed to assemble semicrystalline clusters of intercellular channels that had been well described morphologically as gap junctions. The decade that followed would see knowledge of the unexpectedly large 21-member human connexin family grow to reflect unique and overlapping expression patterns in all organ systems. While connexin biology initially focused on their role in constructing highly regulated intercellular channels, this was destined to change as discoveries revealed that connexin hemichannels at the cell surface had novel roles in many cell types, especially when considering connexin pathologies. Acceptance of connexins as having bifunctional channel properties was initially met with some resistance, which has given way in recent years to the premise that connexins have multifunctional properties. Depending on the connexin isoform and cell of origin, connexins have wide-ranging half-lives that vary from a couple of hours to the life expectancy of the cell. Diversity in connexin channel characteristics and molecular properties were further revealed by X-ray crystallography and single-particle cryo-EM. New avenues have seen connexins or connexin fragments playing roles in cell adhesion, tunneling nanotubes, extracellular vesicles, mitochondrial membranes, transcription regulation, and in other emerging cellular functions. These discoveries were largely linked to Cx43, which is prominent in most human organs. Here, we will review the evolution of knowledge on connexin expression in human adults and more recent evidence linking connexins to a highly diverse array of cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiu A Lucaciu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie E Leighton
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexandra Hauser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan Yee
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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4
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Lucaciu SA, Figliuzzi R, Neumann R, Nazarali S, Del Sordo L, Leighton SE, Hauser A, Shao Q, Johnston D, Bai D, Laird DW. GJB4 variants linked to skin disease exhibit a trafficking deficiency en route to gap junction formation that can be restored by co-expression of select connexins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1073805. [PMID: 36861039 PMCID: PMC9968944 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1073805] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidermal keratinocytes are enriched with at least nine connexins that are key regulators of epidermal homeostasis. The role of Cx30.3 in keratinocytes and epidermal health became evident when fourteen autosomal dominant mutations in the Cx30.3-encoding GJB4 gene were linked to a rare and incurable skin disorder called erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva (EKVP). While these variants are linked to EKVP, they remain largely uncharacterized hindering therapeutic options. In this study, we characterize the expression and functional status of three EKVP-linked Cx30.3 mutants (G12D, T85P, and F189Y) in tissue-relevant and differentiation-competent rat epidermal keratinocytes. We found that GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants were non-functional likely due to their impaired trafficking and primary entrapment within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, all mutants failed to increase BiP/GRP78 levels suggesting they were not inducing an unfolded protein response. FLAG-tagged Cx30.3 mutants were also trafficking impaired yet occasionally exhibited some capacity to assemble into gap junctions. The pathological impact of these mutants may extend beyond their trafficking deficiencies as keratinocytes expressing FLAG-tagged Cx30.3 mutants exhibited increased propidium iodide uptake in the absence of divalent cations. Attempts to rescue the delivery of trafficking impaired GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions by chemical chaperone treatment were ineffective. However, co-expression of wild type Cx30.3 greatly enhanced the assembly of Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions, although endogenous levels of Cx30.3 do not appear to prevent the skin pathology found in patients harboring these autosomal dominant mutations. In addition, a spectrum of connexin isoforms (Cx26, Cx30, and Cx43) exhibited the differential ability to trans-dominantly rescue the assembly of GFP-tagged Cx30.3 mutants into gap junctions suggesting a broad range of connexins found in keratinocytes may favourably interact with Cx30.3 mutants. We conclude that selective upregulation of compatible wild type connexins in keratinocytes may have potential therapeutic value in rescuing epidermal defects invoked by Cx30.3 EKVP-linked mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiu A. Lucaciu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Rhett Figliuzzi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth Neumann
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Samina Nazarali
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Luigi Del Sordo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie E. Leighton
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Hauser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Danielle Johnston
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Donglin Bai
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Dale W. Laird,
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Abstract
Connexins are assembled into dodecamer intercellular channels, a collection of which is termed a gap junction, and their canonical function allowing direct exchange of ions and metabolites has been unequivocally established. When initially assembled into undocked cell surface connexin hemichannels, healthy cells may also engage in cell signaling via a regulated small-molecule release. Recent advances in the field have led to an expanded view of the functional roles of intercellular channels and hemichannels in both physiology and pathology. As more of the 21-member human connexin family is intensely interrogated, mounting evidence points to the biological uniqueness of each member, and no longer can we confidently refer to all connexins engaging in the same cellular processes. Innovations in high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy have revealed important insights into the structure of functionally important domains of both hemichannels and channels. These and other studies have established a foundation of knowledge that should allow inhibitory smart drug design for situations where enhanced intercellular or hemichannel activity is at the root of a connexin-linked disease. Assessment of the connexin interactome, which varies widely for each connexin subtype, continues to provide regulatory insights into the assembly and function of connexins that exhibit a short half-life. As the most intensely studied, Cx43 is found in about 50% of all human cell types and is extensively regulated by multiple inhibitory and enhancing phosphorylation events that have direct implications on tissue function and outcomes of disease, including cancer. Here, we briefly discuss these advances and give our thoughts on where the field is headed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Lampe
- Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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6
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Laird DW, Lampe PD. Cellular mechanisms of connexin-based inherited diseases. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:58-69. [PMID: 34429228 PMCID: PMC8688313 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The 21-member connexin gene family exhibits distinct tissue expression patterns that can cause a diverse array of over 30 inherited connexin-linked diseases ranging from deafness to skin defects and blindness. Intriguingly, germline mutations can cause disease in one tissue while other tissues that abundantly express the mutant connexin remain disease free, highlighting the importance of the cellular context of mutant expression. Modeling connexin pathologies in genetically modified mice and tissue-relevant cells has informed extensively on no less than a dozen gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms that underpin disease. This review focuses on how a deeper molecular understanding of the over 930 mutations in 11 connexin-encoding genes is foundational for creating a framework for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale W. Laird
- Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, CANADA
| | - Paul D. Lampe
- Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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Abstract
Pannexins are a family of glycoproteins that comprises three members, PANX1, PANX2, and PANX3. The widely expressed and interrogated PANX1 forms heptameric membrane channels that primarily serve to connect the cytoplasm to the extracellular milieu by being selectively permeable to small signaling molecules when activated. Apart from notable exceptions, PANX1 in many tumor cells appears to facilitate tumor growth and metastasis, suggesting that pannexin-blocking therapeutics may have utility in cancer. Attenuation of PANX1 function must also consider the fact that PANX1 is found in stromal cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cells. This review highlights the key discoveries of the past 5 years that suggest pannexins facilitate, or in some cases inhibit, tumor cell growth and metastasis via direct protein interactions and through the regulated efflux of signaling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Oncology, Divisions of Experimental Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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8
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Jewlal E, Barr K, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Connexin 43 contributes to phenotypic robustness of the mouse skull. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1810-1827. [PMID: 34091987 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.381] [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] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We compared skull shape and variation among genetically modified mice that exhibit different levels of connexin43 (Cx43) channel function, to determine whether Cx43 contributes to craniofacial phenotypic robustness. Specifically, we used two heterozygous mutant mouse models (G60S/+ and I130T/+) that, when compared to their wildtype counterparts, have an ~80% and ~50% reduction in Cx43 function, respectively. RESULTS Both mutant strains showed significant differences in skull shape compared to wildtype littermates and while these differences were more severe in the G60S/+ mouse, shape differences were localized to similar regions of the skull in both mutants. However, increased skull shape variation was observed in G60S/+ mutants only. Additionally, covariation of skull structures was disrupted in the G60S/+ mutants only, indicating that while a 50% reduction in Cx43 function is sufficient to cause a shift in mean skull shape, the threshold for Cx43 function for disrupting craniofacial phenotypic robustness is lower. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results indicate Cx43 can contribute to phenotypic robustness of the skull through a nonlinear relationship between Cx43 gap junctional function and phenotypic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Jewlal
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katherine E Willmore
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Moon PM, Shao ZY, Wambiekele G, Appleton CTG, Laird DW, Penuela S, Beier F. Global Deletion of Pannexin 3 Resulting in Accelerated Development of Aging-Induced Osteoarthritis in Mice. Arthritis Rheumatol 2021; 73:1178-1188. [PMID: 33426805 DOI: 10.1002/art.41651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Osteoarthritis (OA) results in pathologic changes in the joint tissue. The mechanisms driving disease progression remain largely unclear, and thus disease-modifying treatments are lacking. Pannexin 3 (Panx3) was identified as a potential mediator of cartilage degeneration in OA, and our previous study in mice indicated that deletion of the Panx3 gene delayed surgically induced cartilage degeneration. This study was undertaken to examine the role of Panx3 in other OA subtypes, particularly primary OA during aging, in a mouse model of aging-induced OA. METHODS Wild-type (WT) and Panx3-/- C57BL/6J (Black-6) mice, ages 18-24 months, were analyzed by micro-computed tomography to investigate bone mineral density and body composition. Joints were harvested from the mice, and histopathologic analysis of the joint tissue for OA development was conducted with a specific focus on changes in articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and synovial tissue. RESULTS Global loss of Panx3 in aging mice was not associated with increased mortality or changes in body composition. Mice lacking Panx3 had shorter appendicular skeletons than WT mice, but overall the body compositions appeared quite similar. Panx3 deletion dramatically accelerated cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone thickening with aging in both 18-month-old and 24-month-old mice, while promoting synovitis in 18-month-old mice. CONCLUSION These observations in a mouse model of OA suggest that Panx3 has a protective role against the development of primary aging-associated OA. It appears that Panx3 has opposing context-specific roles in joint health following traumatic injury versus that associated with aging. These data strongly suggest that there are differences in the molecular pathways driving different subtypes of OA, and therefore a detailed understanding of these pathways could directly improve strategies for OA diagnosis, therapy, and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Moon
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Z Y Shao
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Wambiekele
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - D W Laird
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Penuela
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - F Beier
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Novielli-Kuntz NM, Press ER, Barr K, Prado MAM, Laird DW. Mutant Cx30-A88V mice exhibit hydrocephaly and sex-dependent behavioral abnormalities, implicating a functional role for Cx30 in the brain. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:14/1/dmm046235. [PMID: 33735099 PMCID: PMC7859702 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.046235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Connexin 30 (Cx30; also known as Gjb6 when referring to the mouse gene) is expressed in ependymal cells of the brain ventricles, in leptomeningeal cells and in astrocytes rich in connexin 43 (Cx43), leading us to question whether patients harboring GJB6 mutations exhibit any brain anomalies. Here, we used mice harboring the human disease-associated A88V Cx30 mutation to address this gap in knowledge. Brain Cx30 levels were lower in male and female Cx30A88V/A88V mice compared with Cx30A88V/+ and Cx30+/+ mice, whereas Cx43 levels were lower only in female Cx30 mutant mice. Characterization of brain morphology revealed a disrupted ependymal cell layer, significant hydrocephalus and enlarged ventricles in 3- to 6-month-old adult male and female Cx30A88V/A88V mice compared with Cx30A88V/+ or Cx30+/+ sex-matched littermate mice. To determine the functional significance of these molecular and morphological changes, we investigated a number of behavioral activities in these mice. Interestingly, only female Cx30A88V/A88V mice exhibited abnormal behavior compared with all other groups. Cx30A88V/A88V female mice demonstrated increased locomotor and exploratory activity in both the open field and the elevated plus maze. They also exhibited dramatically reduced ability to learn the location of the escape platform during Morris water maze training, although they were able to swim as well as other genotypes. Our findings suggest that the homozygous A88V mutation in Cx30 causes major morphological changes in the brain of aging mice, possibly attributable to an abnormal ependymal cell layer. Remarkably, these changes had a more pronounced consequence for cognitive function in female mice, which is likely to be linked to the dysregulation of both Cx30 and Cx43 levels in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Novielli-Kuntz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Eric R Press
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Marco A M Prado
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1.,Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5K8
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1 .,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C1
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11
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Bedoukian EC, Rentas S, Skraban C, Shao Q, Treat J, Laird DW, Sullivan KE. Palmoplantar keratoderma with deafness phenotypic variability in a patient with an inherited GJB2 frameshift variant and novel missense variant. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021; 9:e1574. [PMID: 33443819 PMCID: PMC8077155 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1574] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Variants in the GJB2 gene encoding the gap junction protein connexin‐26 (Cx26) can cause autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss or a variety of phenotypically variable autosomal dominant disorders that effect skin and hearing, such as palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) with deafness and keratitis–ichthyosis–deafness (KID) syndrome. Here, we report a patient with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hyperkeratosis with resorption of the finger tips, profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and normal hair and ocular examination. Exome analysis identified a novel missense variant in GJB2 (NM_004004.5:c.101T>A, p.Met34Lys) that was inherited from a mosaic unaffected parent in the setting of a well‐reported GJB2 loss of function variant (NM_004004.5:c.35delG, p.Gly12Valfs*2) on the other allele. Method Rat epidermal keratinocytes were transfected with cDNA encoding wildtype Cx26 and/or the Met34Lys mutant of Cx26. Fixed cells were immunolabeled in order to assess the subcellular location of the Cx26 mutant and cell images were captured. Results Expression in rat epidermal keratinocytes revealed that the Met34Lys mutant was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, unlike wildtype Cx26, and failed to reach the plasma membrane to form gap junctions. Additionally, the Met34Lys mutant acted dominantly to wildtype Cx26, restricting its delivery to the cell surface. Conclusion Overall, we show the p.Met34Lys variant is a novel dominant acting variant causing PPK with deafness. The presence of a loss a function variant on the other allele creates a more severe clinical phenotype, with some features reminiscent of KID syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Bedoukian
- Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics CenterChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Stefan Rentas
- Division of Genomic DiagnosticsChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Cara Skraban
- Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics CenterChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
| | - James Treat
- Department of DermatologyChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
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12
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Moore AC, Wu J, Jewlal E, Barr K, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Effects of Reduced Connexin43 Function on Mandibular Morphology and Osteogenesis in Mutant Mouse Models of Oculodentodigital Dysplasia. Calcif Tissue Int 2020; 107:611-624. [PMID: 32902679 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-020-00753-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the gap-junctional protein connexin43 (Cx43) are the cause of the human disease oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD). The mandible is often affected in this disease, with clinical reports describing both mandibular overgrowth and conversely, retrognathia. These seemingly opposing observations underscore our relative lack of understanding of how ODDD affects mandibular morphology. Using two mutant mouse models that mimic the ODDD phenotype (I130T/+ and G60S/+), we sought to uncover how altered Cx43 function may affect mandibular development. Specifically, mandibles of newborn mice were imaged using micro-CT, to enable statistical comparisons of shape. Tissue-level comparisons of key regions of the mandible were conducted using histomorphology, and we quantified the mRNA expression of several cartilage and bone cell differentiation markers. Both G60S/+ and I130T/+ mutant mice had altered mandibular morphology compared to their wildtype counterparts, and the morphological effects were similarly localized for both mutants. Specifically, the biggest phenotypic differences in mutant mice were focused in regions exposed to mechanical forces, such as alveolar bone, muscular attachment sites, and articular surfaces. Histological analyses revealed differences in ossification of the intramembranous bone of the mandibles of both mutant mice compared to their wildtype littermates. However, chondrocyte organization within the secondary cartilages of the mandible was unaffected in the mutant mice. Overall, our results suggest that the morphological differences seen in G60S/+ and I130T/+ mouse mandibles are due to delayed ossification and suggest that mechanical forces may exacerbate the effects of ODDD on the skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa C Moore
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Jessica Wu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Jewlal
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Katherine E Willmore
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
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Imamura H, Sakamoto S, Yoshida T, Matsui Y, Penuela S, Laird DW, Mizukami S, Kikuchi K, Kakizuka A. Single-cell dynamics of pannexin-1-facilitated programmed ATP loss during apoptosis. eLife 2020; 9:61960. [PMID: 33052098 PMCID: PMC7556867 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP is essential for all living cells. However, how dead cells lose ATP has not been well investigated. In this study, we developed new FRET biosensors for dual imaging of intracellular ATP level and caspase-3 activity in single apoptotic cultured human cells. We show that the cytosolic ATP level starts to decrease immediately after the activation of caspase-3, and this process is completed typically within 2 hr. The ATP decrease was facilitated by caspase-dependent cleavage of the plasma membrane channel pannexin-1, indicating that the intracellular decrease of the apoptotic cell is a 'programmed' process. Apoptotic cells deficient of pannexin-1 sustained the ability to produce ATP through glycolysis and to consume ATP, and did not stop wasting glucose much longer period than normal apoptotic cells. Thus, the pannexin-1 plays a role in arresting the metabolic activity of dead apoptotic cells, most likely through facilitating the loss of intracellular ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromi Imamura
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Tomoki Yoshida
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Matsui
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Shin Mizukami
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kikuchi
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Akira Kakizuka
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Au A, Shao Q, White KK, Lucaciu SA, Esseltine JL, Barr K, Laird DW. Comparative Analysis of Cx31 and Cx43 in Differentiation-Competent Rodent Keratinocytes. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10101443. [PMID: 33066499 PMCID: PMC7602205 DOI: 10.3390/biom10101443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
When considering connexin expression and regulation, the epidermis of the skin is one of the most complex tissues found in mammals even though it largely contains a single cell type, the keratinocyte. In the rodent epidermis, up to 9 connexin family members have been detected at the mRNA level. Many of these connexins are temporally and spatially regulated in coordination with keratinocyte progenitor cell differentiation and migration from the stratum basale to form the stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum layers before finally forming the stratum corneum. Cx43 is the principal connexin found in basal keratinocytes and to a lesser degree found in keratinocytes that have begun to differentiate where Cx26, Cx30 and Cx31 become prevalent. Here we show that the CRISPR-Cas9 ablation of Cx43 reduces overall gap junction coupling in monolayer cultures of rat epidermal keratinocytes (REKs) and dysregulates the differentiation of REKs when grown in organotypic cultures. Natively found in differentiated keratinocytes, Cx31 readily assembles into gap junctions when expressed in REKs where it can extensively co-assemble into the same gap junctions with co-expressed Cx30. Time-lapse imaging indicated that many Cx31 gap junctions are mobile within the plasma membrane undergoing both fusion and fission events. Finally, the persistence of pre-existing Cx31 gap junctions in the presence of the protein trafficking blocker, brefeldin A, is longer than that found for Cx43 gap junctions indicating that it has a distinctly different life expectancy in REKs. Collectively, this study highlights the importance of Cx43 in rodent keratinocyte differentiation and suggests that Cx31 acquires life-cycle properties that are distinct from Cx43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akina Au
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (A.A.); (S.A.L.)
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Q.S.); (K.K.W.); (K.B.)
| | - Kyra K. White
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Q.S.); (K.K.W.); (K.B.)
| | - Sergiu A. Lucaciu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (A.A.); (S.A.L.)
| | - Jessica L. Esseltine
- Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada;
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Q.S.); (K.K.W.); (K.B.)
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (A.A.); (S.A.L.)
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Q.S.); (K.K.W.); (K.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-519-661-2111 (ext. 86827)
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Jarvis SE, Lee JE, Jewlal E, Barr K, Kelly GM, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Effects of reduced connexin43 function on skull development in the Cx43 I130T/+ mutant mouse that models oculodentodigital dysplasia. Bone 2020; 136:115365. [PMID: 32320893 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is a disease caused by mutations in the GJA1 gene that encodes the gap-junctional protein connexin43 (Cx43). ODDD affects multiple organs, but craniofacial anomalies are typical. However, details on the timing of phenotypic presentation of these abnormalities and their correspondence with potential cellular changes are incomplete. Here, we perform the first assessment of the development of the ODDD craniofacial phenotype in the Cx43I130T/+ mouse model and show that the phenotypic features commonly found in patients with the disorder arise in mice between E17.5 and birth and become more profound with age. Using mice heterozygous for the I130T mutation of Gja1, we provide a detailed analysis of the craniofacial phenotype in this ODDD model using shape analyses based on micro-CT images. Results show that in addition to differences in facial bone morphology, there are significant shape differences in the cranial base. Mutant mice display delayed ossification at E17.5 and birth, particularly in bones of the face and cranial vault but ossification is normal at three months. Our immunohistochemical analyses of the palatine bone indicate that osteoblast differentiation is delayed in Cx43I130T/+ mice compared to their wildtype littermates, which likely contributes to the phenotypic variations observed in the facial bones. Our histological and immunohistochemical analyses of the synchondroses of the cranial base show no differences in molecular indicators of chondrocyte differentiation in mutant mice, suggesting that the differences to cranial base morphology displayed by Cx43I130T/+ mice are not due to differences in chondrocyte proliferation or differentiation. Together, our findings suggest that Cx43I130T/+ mice represent a surrogate model to not only inform about the craniofacial anomalies found in ODDD patients but also to show that reduced Cx43 function leads to phenotypic changes that are largely due to osteoblast defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sommer E Jarvis
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Jae Eun Lee
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Jewlal
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Gregory M Kelly
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Katherine E Willmore
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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Beach R, Abitbol JM, Allman BL, Esseltine JL, Shao Q, Laird DW. GJB2 Mutations Linked to Hearing Loss Exhibit Differential Trafficking and Functional Defects as Revealed in Cochlear-Relevant Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:215. [PMID: 32300592 PMCID: PMC7142214 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GJB2 gene (that encodes Cx26) mutations are causal of hearing loss highlighting the importance of Cx26-based channel signaling amongst the supporting cells in the organ of Corti. While the majority of these GJB2 mutations are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, others are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and lead to syndromic hearing loss as well as skin diseases. To assess if common or divergent mechanisms are at the root of GJB2-linked hearing loss, we expressed several mutants in cochlear-relevant HEI-OC1 cells derived from the developing organ of Corti. Since supporting cells of the mature mammalian organ of Corti have negligible Cx43, but HEI-OC1 cells are rich in Cx43, we first used CRISPR-Cas9 to ablate endogenous Cx43, thus establishing a connexin-deficient platform for controlled reintroduction of hearing-relevant connexins and Cx26 mutants. We found three distinct outcomes and cellular phenotypes when hearing loss-linked Cx26 mutants were expressed in cochlear-relevant cells. The dominant syndromic Cx26 mutant N54K had trafficking defects and did not fully prevent wild-type Cx26 gap junction plaque formation but surprisingly formed gap junctions when co-expressed with Cx30. In contrast, the dominant syndromic S183F mutant formed gap junctions incapable of transferring dye and, as expected, co-localized in the same gap junctions as wild-type Cx26 and Cx30, but also gained the capacity to intermix with Cx43 within gap junctions. Both recessive non-syndromic Cx26 mutants (R32H and R184P) were retained in intracellular vesicles including early endosomes and did not co-localize with Cx30. As might be predicted, none of the Cx26 mutants prevented Cx43 gap junction plaque formation in Cx43-rich HEI-OC1 cells while Cx43-ablation had little effect on the expression of reference genes linked to auditory cell differentiation. We conclude from our studies in cochlear-relevant cells that the selected Cx26 mutants likely evoke hearing loss via three unique connexin defects that are independent of Cx43 status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Beach
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Julia M. Abitbol
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Brian L. Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica L. Esseltine
- Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Chepied A, Daoud-Omar Z, Meunier-Balandre AC, Laird DW, Mesnil M, Defamie N. Involvement of the Gap Junction Protein, Connexin43, in the Formation and Function of Invadopodia in the Human U251 Glioblastoma Cell Line. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010117. [PMID: 31947771 PMCID: PMC7017254 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The resistance of glioblastomas to treatments is mainly the consequence of their invasive capacities. Therefore, in order to better treat these tumors, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms which are responsible for this behavior. Previous work suggested that gap junction proteins, the connexins, facilitate the aggressive nature of glioma cells. Here, we show that one of them—connexin43 (Cx43)—is implicated in the formation and function of invadopodia responsible for invasion capacity of U251 human glioblastoma cells. Immunofluorescent approaches—combined with confocal analyses—revealed that Cx43 was detected in all the formation stages of invadopodia exhibiting proteolytic activity. Clearly, Cx43 appeared to be localized in invadopodia at low cell density and less associated with the establishment of gap junctions. Accordingly, lower extracellular matrix degradation correlated with less mature invadopodia and MMP2 activity when Cx43 expression was decreased by shRNA strategies. Moreover, the kinetics of invadopodia formation could be dependent on Cx43 dynamic interactions with partners including Src and cortactin. Interestingly, it also appeared that invadopodia formation and MMP2 activity are dependent on Cx43 hemichannel activity. In conclusion, these results reveal that Cx43 might be involved in the formation and function of the invadopodia of U251 glioblastoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Chepied
- Equipe 4CS, Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, Pôle Biologie Santé, University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; (A.C.); (Z.D.-O.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (M.M.)
| | - Zeinaba Daoud-Omar
- Equipe 4CS, Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, Pôle Biologie Santé, University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; (A.C.); (Z.D.-O.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (M.M.)
| | - Annie-Claire Meunier-Balandre
- Equipe 4CS, Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, Pôle Biologie Santé, University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; (A.C.); (Z.D.-O.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (M.M.)
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
| | - Marc Mesnil
- Equipe 4CS, Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, Pôle Biologie Santé, University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; (A.C.); (Z.D.-O.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (M.M.)
| | - Norah Defamie
- Equipe 4CS, Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, Pôle Biologie Santé, University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; (A.C.); (Z.D.-O.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence:
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18
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Esseltine JL, Brooks CR, Edwards NA, Subasri M, Sampson J, Séguin C, Betts DH, Laird DW. Dynamic regulation of connexins in stem cell pluripotency. Stem Cells 2019; 38:52-66. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.3092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Esseltine
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
- Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine; Memorial University of Newfoundland; St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Courtney R. Brooks
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Nicole A. Edwards
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Mathushan Subasri
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Jacinda Sampson
- Department of Neurology; Stanford University Medical Center; Palo Alto California
| | - Cheryle Séguin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Dean H. Betts
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
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19
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Shao Q, Esseltine JL, Huang T, Novielli-Kuntz N, Ching JE, Sampson J, Laird DW. Connexin43 is Dispensable for Early Stage Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adipogenic Differentiation But is Protective against Cell Senescence. Biomolecules 2019; 9:E474. [PMID: 31514306 PMCID: PMC6770901 DOI: 10.3390/biom9090474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last couple of decades, there has been a growing optimism surrounding the potential transformative use of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for regenerative medicine and disease treatment. In order for this to occur, it is first essential to understand the mechanisms underpinning their cell-fate specification, which includes cell signaling via gap junctional intercellular communication. Here, we investigated the role of the prototypical gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43), in governing the differentiation of iPSCs into MSCs and MSC differentiation along the adipogenic lineage. We found that control iPSCs, as well as iPSCs derived from oculodentodigital dysplasia patient fibroblasts harboring a GJA1 (Cx43) gene mutation, successfully and efficiently differentiated into LipidTox and perilipin-positive cells, indicating cell differentiation along the adipogenic lineage. Furthermore, the complete CRISPR-Cas9 ablation of Cx43 from iPSCs did not prevent their differentiation into bona fide MSCs or pre-adipocytes, strongly suggesting that even though Cx43 expression is upregulated during adipogenesis, it is expendable. Interestingly, late passage Cx43-ablated MSCs senesced more quickly than control cells, resulting in failure to properly differentiate in vitro. We conclude that despite being upregulated during adipogenesis, Cx43 plays no detectable role in the early stages of human iPSC-derived MSC adipogenic differentiation. However, Cx43 may play a more impactful role in protecting MSCs from premature senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Jessica L Esseltine
- Division of BioMedical Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada.
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Department of Pathology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110034, China.
| | - Nicole Novielli-Kuntz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Jamie E Ching
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Jacinda Sampson
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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20
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Moore AC, Jewlal E, Barr K, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Interactions Between Channel Function, Cellular Differentiation, and Morphology in the Mandibles of Two Connexin‐43 Mutant Mouse Models. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.774.15] [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: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa C Moore
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniverity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
| | - Elizabeth Jewlal
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniverity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniverity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniverity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
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21
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Jewlal E, Barr K, Nelson AJ, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Relationship of Phenotypic Variation with Mechanisms of Craniofacial Development in Two Connexin‐43 Mutant Mouse Models. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.774.19] [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: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Jewlal
- Anatomy & Cell BiologyWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
- Bone & Joint InstituteWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Anatomy & Cell BiologyWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
| | | | - Dale W Laird
- Anatomy & Cell BiologyWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
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22
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Laird DW. Connexin Gap Junction Proteins in Development and Disease. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.200.1] [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: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Laird
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
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23
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Novielli-Kuntz NM, Jelen M, Barr K, DeLalio LJ, Feng Q, Isakson BE, Gros R, Laird DW. Ablation of both Cx40 and Panx1 results in similar cardiovascular phenotypes exhibited in Cx40 knockout mice. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20182350. [PMID: 30745457 PMCID: PMC6393227 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20182350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs) are highly regulated large-pore channel-forming proteins that participate in cellular communication via small molecular exchange with the extracellular microenvironment, or in the case of connexins, directly between cells. Given the putative functional overlap between single membrane-spanning connexin hemichannels and Panx channels, and cardiovascular system prevalence, we generated the first Cx40-/-Panx1-/- mouse with the anticipation that this genetic modification would lead to a severe cardiovascular phenotype. Mice null for both Cx40 and Panx1 produced litter sizes and adult growth progression similar to wild-type (WT), Cx40-/- and Panx1-/- mice. Akin to Cx40-/- mice, Cx40-/-Panx1-/- mice exhibited cardiac hypertrophy and elevated systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure compared with WT and Panx1-/- mice; however assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening revealed no evidence of cardiac dysfunction between groups. Furthermore, Cx40-/-, Panx1-/-, and Cx40-/-Panx1-/- mice demonstrated impaired endothelial-mediated vasodilation of aortic segments to increasing concentrations of methacholine (MCh) compared with WT, highlighting roles for both Cx40 and Panx1 in vascular endothelial cell (EC) function. Surprisingly, elevated kidney renin mRNA expression, plasma renin activity, and extraglomerular renin-producing cell populations found in Cx40-/- mice was further exaggerated in double knockout mice. Thus, while gestation and gross development were conserved in Cx40-/-Panx1-/- mice, they exhibit cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, and impaired endothelial-mediated vasodilation that phenocopies Cx40-/- mice. Nevertheless, the augmented renin homeostasis observed in the double knockout mice suggests that both Cx40 and Panx1 may play an integrative role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan Jelen
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Leon J DeLalio
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A
| | - Qingping Feng
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology London, ON, Canada
| | - Brant E Isakson
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A
| | - Robert Gros
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology London, ON, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology London, ON, Canada
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24
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Kelly JJ, Abitbol JM, Hulme S, Press ER, Laird DW, Allman BL. The connexin 30 A88V mutant reduces cochlear gap junction expression and confers long-term protection against hearing loss. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.224097. [PMID: 30559251 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.224097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the genes that encode the gap junction proteins connexin 26 (Cx26, encoded by GJB2) and Cx30 (GJB6) are the leading cause of hereditary hearing loss. That said, the Cx30 p.Ala88Val (A88V) mutant causes Clouston syndrome, but not hearing loss. Here, we report that the Cx30-A88V mutant, despite being toxic to inner ear-derived HEI-OC1 cells, conferred remarkable long-term protection against age-related high frequency hearing loss in Cx30A88V/A88V mice. During early development, there were no overt structural differences in the cochlea between genotypes, including a normal complement of hair cells; however, the supporting cell Cx30 gap junction plaques in mutant mice were reduced in size. In adulthood, Cx30A88V/A88V mutant mice had a reduction of cochlear Cx30 mRNA and protein, yet a full complement of hair cells. Conversely, the age-related high frequency hearing loss in Cx30+/+ and Cx30+/A88V mice was due to extensive loss of outer hair cells. Our data suggest that the Cx30-A88V mutant confers long-term hearing protection and prevention of hair cell death, possibly via a feedback mechanism that leads to the reduction of total Cx30 gap junction expression in the cochlea.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Kelly
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Julia M Abitbol
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Stephanie Hulme
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Eric R Press
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
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25
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Abstract
Inherited or acquired alterations in the structure and function of connexin proteins have long been associated with disease. In the present work, we review current knowledge on the role of connexins in diseases associated with the heart, nervous system, cochlea, and skin, as well as cancer and pleiotropic syndromes such as oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD). Although incomplete by virtue of space and the extent of the topic, this review emphasizes the fact that connexin function is not only associated with gap junction channel formation. As such, both canonical and noncanonical functions of connexins are fundamental components in the pathophysiology of multiple connexin related disorders, many of them highly debilitating and life threatening. Improved understanding of connexin biology has the potential to advance our understanding of mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Delmar
- The Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A5C1, Canada
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Morten S Nielsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Vytautas K Verselis
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461
| | - Thomas W White
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11790
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26
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Abitbol JM, Kelly JJ, Barr KJ, Allman BL, Laird DW. Mice harbouring an oculodentodigital dysplasia-linked Cx43 G60S mutation have severe hearing loss. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.214635. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.214635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the importance of connexin43 (Cx43) function in the central nervous system and sensory organ processing we proposed that it would also be crucial in auditory function. To that end, hearing was examined in two mouse models of oculodentodigital dysplasia that globally express GJA1 (Cx43) mutations resulting in mild or severe loss of Cx43 function. Although Cx43I130T/+ mutant mice with ∼50% Cx43 channel function did not have any hearing loss, Cx43G60S/+ mutant mice with ∼20% Cx43 channel function had severe hearing loss. There was no evidence of inner ear sensory hair cell loss, suggesting that the Cx43-linked hearing loss lies downstream in the auditory pathway. Since evidence suggests that Cx26 function is essential for hearing and may be protective against noise-induced hearing loss, we challenged Cx43I130T/+ mice with a loud noise and found that they had similar susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss as controls suggesting that decreased Cx43 function does not sensitize the mice for environmentally-induced hearing loss. Taken together, this study suggests that Cx43 plays an important role in baseline hearing and is essential for auditory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John J. Kelly
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin J. Barr
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Dale W. Laird
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Leybaert L, Lampe PD, Dhein S, Kwak BR, Ferdinandy P, Beyer EC, Laird DW, Naus CC, Green CR, Schulz R. Connexins in Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Health and Disease: Pharmacological Implications. Pharmacol Rev 2017; 69:396-478. [PMID: 28931622 PMCID: PMC5612248 DOI: 10.1124/pr.115.012062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [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] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexins are ubiquitous channel forming proteins that assemble as plasma membrane hemichannels and as intercellular gap junction channels that directly connect cells. In the heart, gap junction channels electrically connect myocytes and specialized conductive tissues to coordinate the atrial and ventricular contraction/relaxation cycles and pump function. In blood vessels, these channels facilitate long-distance endothelial cell communication, synchronize smooth muscle cell contraction, and support endothelial-smooth muscle cell communication. In the central nervous system they form cellular syncytia and coordinate neural function. Gap junction channels are normally open and hemichannels are normally closed, but pathologic conditions may restrict gap junction communication and promote hemichannel opening, thereby disturbing a delicate cellular communication balance. Until recently, most connexin-targeting agents exhibited little specificity and several off-target effects. Recent work with peptide-based approaches has demonstrated improved specificity and opened avenues for a more rational approach toward independently modulating the function of gap junctions and hemichannels. We here review the role of connexins and their channels in cardiovascular and neurovascular health and disease, focusing on crucial regulatory aspects and identification of potential targets to modify their function. We conclude that peptide-based investigations have raised several new opportunities for interfering with connexins and their channels that may soon allow preservation of gap junction communication, inhibition of hemichannel opening, and mitigation of inflammatory signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Leybaert
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Paul D Lampe
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Stefan Dhein
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Brenda R Kwak
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Peter Ferdinandy
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Eric C Beyer
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Dale W Laird
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Christian C Naus
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Colin R Green
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
| | - Rainer Schulz
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (L.L.); Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (P.D.L.); Institute for Pharmacology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (S.D.); Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specialization-Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (B.R.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (P.F.); Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary (P.F.); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (E.C.B.); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario, Canada (D.W.L.); Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (C.C.N.); Department of Ophthalmology and The New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (C.R.G.); and Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany (R.S.)
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28
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Abstract
The connexin family of membrane proteins enable gap junction formation and homeostasis, supporting communication between adjacent cells. This SnapShot highlights mutations in different connexins associated with human pathologies and how they affect gap junction function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Paul D Lampe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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29
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Mesnil M, Aasen T, Boucher J, Chépied A, Cronier L, Defamie N, Kameritsch P, Laird DW, Lampe PD, Lathia JD, Leithe E, Mehta PP, Monvoisin A, Pogoda K, Sin WC, Tabernero A, Yamasaki H, Yeh ES, Dagli MLZ, Naus CC. An update on minding the gap in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 2017; 1860:237-243. [PMID: 28655619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This article is a report of the "International Colloquium on Gap junctions: 50Years of Impact on Cancer" that was held 8-9 September 2016, at the Amphitheater "Pôle Biologie Santé" of the University of Poitiers (Poitiers, France). The colloquium was organized by M Mesnil (Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France) and C Naus (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the seminal work published in 1966 by Loewenstein and Kanno [Intercellular communication and the control of tissue growth: lack of communication between cancer cells, Nature, 116 (1966) 1248-1249] which initiated studies on the involvement of gap junctions in carcinogenesis. During the colloquium, 15 participants presented reviews or research updates in the field which are summarized below.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Mesnil
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France.
| | - Trond Aasen
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Autonomous University of Barcelona, CIBERONC, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan Boucher
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France
| | - Amandine Chépied
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France
| | - Laurent Cronier
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France
| | - Norah Defamie
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France
| | - Petra Kameritsch
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Munich University Hospital, München, Germany
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, Dental Science Building, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Paul D Lampe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Justin D Lathia
- Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Edward Leithe
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, and Centre for Cancer Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, NO-0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Parmender P Mehta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska, Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Arnaud Monvoisin
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, cedex 09, France
| | - Kristin Pogoda
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Munich University Hospital, München, Germany
| | - Wun-Chey Sin
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Arantxa Tabernero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCYL), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | | | - Elizabeth S Yeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Maria Lucia Zaidan Dagli
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Oncology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP CEP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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30
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Press E, Alaga KC, Barr K, Shao Q, Bosen F, Willecke K, Laird DW. Disease-linked connexin26 S17F promotes volar skin abnormalities and mild wound healing defects in mice. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2845. [PMID: 28569788 PMCID: PMC5520893 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Several mutant mice have been generated to model connexin (Cx)-linked skin diseases; however, the role of connexins in skin maintenance and during wound healing remains to be fully elucidated. Here we generated a novel, viable, and fertile mouse (Cx26CK14-S17F/+) with the keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness mutant (Cx26S17F) driven by the cytokeratin 14 promoter. This mutant mouse mirrors several Cx26-linked human skin pathologies suggesting that the etiology of Cx26-linked skin disease indeed stems from epidermal expression of the Cx26 mutant. Cx26CK14-S17F/+ foot pad epidermis formed severe palmoplantar keratoderma, which expressed elevated levels of Cx26 and filaggrin. Primary keratinocytes isolated from Cx26CK14-S17F/+ neonates exhibited reduced gap junctional intercellular communication and migration. Furthermore, Cx26CK14-S17F/+ mouse skin wound closure was normal but repaired epidermis appeared hyperplastic with elevated expression of cytokeratin 6. Taken together, we suggest that the Cx26S17F mutant disturbs keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal remodeling following wound closure. We further posit that Cx26 contributes to epidermal homeostasis by regulating keratinocyte differentiation, and that mice harboring a disease-linked Cx26 mutant display epidermal abnormalities yet retain most wound healing properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Press
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Katanya C Alaga
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Felicitas Bosen
- LIMES (Life and Medical Sciences Institute), Molecular Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Klaus Willecke
- LIMES (Life and Medical Sciences Institute), Molecular Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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31
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Esseltine JL, Shao Q, Brooks C, Sampson J, Betts DH, Séguin CA, Laird DW. Connexin43 Mutant Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Exhibit Altered Differentiation Potential. J Bone Miner Res 2017; 32:1368-1385. [PMID: 28177159 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We present for the first time the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with a connexin-linked disease. The importance of gap junctional intercellular communication in bone homeostasis is exemplified by the autosomal dominant developmental disorder oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD), which is linked to mutations in the GJA1 (Cx43) gene. ODDD is characterized by craniofacial malformations, ophthalmic deficits, enamel hypoplasia, and syndactyly. In addition to harboring a Cx43 p.V216L mutation, ODDD iPSCs exhibit reduced Cx43 mRNA and protein abundance when compared to control iPSCs and display impaired channel function. Osteogenic differentiation involved an early, and dramatic downregulation of Cx43 followed by a slight upregulation during the final stages of differentiation. Interestingly, osteoblast differentiation was delayed in ODDD iPSCs. Moreover, Cx43 subcellular localization was altered during chondrogenic differentiation of ODDD iPSCs compared to controls and this may have contributed to the more compact cartilage pellet morphology found in differentiated ODDD iPSCs. These studies highlight the importance of Cx43 expression and function during osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation, and establish a potential mechanism for how ODDD-associated Cx43 mutations may have altered cell lineages involved in bone and cartilage development. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Esseltine
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario. London, ON, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario. London, ON, Canada
| | - Courtney Brooks
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jacinda Sampson
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Dean H Betts
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cheryle A Séguin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario. London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Press ER, Shao Q, Kelly JJ, Chin K, Alaga A, Laird DW. Induction of cell death and gain-of-function properties of connexin26 mutants predict severity of skin disorders and hearing loss. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:9721-9732. [PMID: 28428247 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.770917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexin26 (Cx26) is a gap junction protein that oligomerizes in the cell to form hexameric transmembrane channels called connexons. Cell surface connexons dock between adjacent cells to allow for gap junctional intercellular communication. Numerous autosomal dominant mutations in the Cx26-encoding GJB2 gene lead to many skin disorders and sensorineural hearing loss. Although some insights have been gained into the pathogenesis of these diseases, it is not fully understood how distinct GJB2 mutations result in hearing loss alone or in skin pathologies with comorbid hearing loss. Here we investigated five autosomal dominant Cx26 mutants (N14K, D50N, N54K, M163V, and S183F) linked to various syndromic or nonsyndromic diseases to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning these disease links. We demonstrated that when gap junction-deficient HeLa cells expressed the N14K and D50N mutants, they undergo cell death. The N54K mutant was retained primarily within intracellular compartments and displayed dominant or transdominant properties on wild-type Cx26 and coexpressed Cx30 and Cx43. The S183F mutant formed some gap junction plaques but was largely retained within the cell and exhibited only a mild transdominant reduction in gap junction communication when co-expressed with Cx30. The M163V mutant, which causes only hearing loss, exhibited impaired gap junction function and showed no transdominant interactions. These findings suggest that Cx26 mutants that promote cell death or exert transdominant effects on other connexins in keratinocytes will lead to skin diseases and hearing loss, whereas mutants having reduced channel function but exhibiting no aberrant effects on coexpressed connexins cause only hearing loss. Moreover, cell death-inducing GJB2 mutations lead to more severe syndromic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Press
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- From the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and
| | - John J Kelly
- From the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and
| | - Katrina Chin
- From the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and
| | - Anton Alaga
- From the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and
| | - Dale W Laird
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada .,From the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and
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33
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Alaga KC, Crawford M, Dagnino L, Laird DW. Aberrant Cx43 Expression and Mislocalization in Metastatic Human Melanomas. J Cancer 2017; 8:1123-1128. [PMID: 28607585 PMCID: PMC5463425 DOI: 10.7150/jca.18569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, it is unclear if melanocytes contain Cx43 gap junctions and whether Cx43 expression is regulated in melanoma onset and progression. To this end, we cultured pure populations of mouse melanocytes and found that they had no detectable Cx43 and exhibited an inability for dye transfer indicating they were devoid of functional gap junctions. Given the evidence that melanomas acquire the expression of other connexin isoforms during tumor progression, we assessed if Cx43 was also expressed and assembled into gap junctions at any stage of human melanoma onset and progression to distant metastases. Nearly all primary melanomas within the epidermis lacked Cx43. In contrast, nodal metastases expressed low levels of Cx43 which was markedly higher in distant metastases that had invaded vital organs. Importantly, in all stages of melanoma progression, Cx43 could be detected in intracellular compartments but was rarely assembled into gap junctions indicative of functional gap junction channels. Overall, these studies suggest that melanocytes do not form Cx43 homocellular gap junctions and even though Cx43 levels increase during melanoma progression, this connexin rarely assembles into gap junction structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katanya C Alaga
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa Crawford
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lina Dagnino
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Fifty years ago, tumour cells were found to lack electrical coupling, leading to the hypothesis that loss of direct intercellular communication is commonly associated with cancer onset and progression. Subsequent studies linked this phenomenon to gap junctions composed of connexin proteins. Although many studies support the notion that connexins are tumour suppressors, recent evidence suggests that, in some tumour types, they may facilitate specific stages of tumour progression through both junctional and non-junctional signalling pathways. This Timeline article highlights the milestones connecting gap junctions to cancer, and underscores important unanswered questions, controversies and therapeutic opportunities in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trond Aasen
- (Co-corresponding authors) Correspondence to
T.A. () and D.W.L.
()
| | - Marc Mesnil
- STIM Laboratory ERL 7368 CNRS - Faculté des Sciences
Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers,
France
| | - Christian C. Naus
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life
Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul D. Lampe
- Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Dale W. Laird
- (Co-corresponding authors) Correspondence to
T.A. () and D.W.L.
()
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36
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Johnson RG, Le HC, Evenson K, Loberg SW, Myslajek TM, Prabhu A, Manley AM, O’Shea C, Grunenwald H, Haddican M, Fitzgerald PM, Robinson T, Cisterna BA, Sáez JC, Liu TF, Laird DW, Sheridan JD. Connexin Hemichannels: Methods for Dye Uptake and Leakage. J Membr Biol 2016; 249:713-741. [DOI: 10.1007/s00232-016-9925-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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37
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Esseltine JL, Laird DW. Next-Generation Connexin and Pannexin Cell Biology. Trends Cell Biol 2016; 26:944-955. [PMID: 27339936 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Connexins and pannexins are two families of large-pore channel forming proteins that are capable of passing small signaling molecules. While connexins serve the seminal task of direct gap junctional intercellular communication, pannexins are far less understood but function primarily as single membrane channels in autocrine and paracrine signaling. Advancements in connexin and pannexin biology in recent years has revealed that in addition to well-described classical functions at the plasma membrane, exciting new evidence suggests that connexins and pannexins participate in alternative pathways involving multiple intracellular compartments. Here we briefly highlight classical functions of connexins and pannexins but focus our attention mostly on the transformative findings that suggest that these channel-forming proteins may serve roles far beyond our current understandings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Esseltine
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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38
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Kelly JJ, Esseltine JL, Shao Q, Jabs EW, Sampson J, Auranen M, Bai D, Laird DW. Specific functional pathologies of Cx43 mutations associated with oculodentodigital dysplasia. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:2172-85. [PMID: 27226478 PMCID: PMC4945137 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-01-0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is a rare genetic disease that affects the development of multiple organs in the human body. More than 70 mutations in the gap junction connexin43 (Cx43) gene, GJA1, are associated with ODDD, most of which are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Many patients exhibit similar clinical presentations. However, there is high intrafamilial and interfamilial phenotypic variability. To better understand this variability, we established primary human dermal fibroblast cultures from several ODDD patients and unaffected controls. In the present study, we characterized three fibroblast lines expressing heterozygous p.L7V, p.G138R, and p.G143S Cx43 variants. All ODDD fibroblasts exhibited slower growth, reduced migration, and defective cell polarization, traits common to all ODDD fibroblasts studied so far. However, we found striking differences in overall expression levels, with p.L7V down-regulated at the mRNA and protein level. Although all of the Cx43 variants could traffic to the cell surface, there were stark differences in gap junction plaque formation, gap junctional intercellular communication, Cx43 phosphorylation, and hemichannel activity among Cx43 variants, as well as subtle differences in myofibroblast differentiation. Together these findings enabled us to discover mutation-specific pathologies that may help to predict future clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Kelly
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Jessica L Esseltine
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ethylin Wang Jabs
- Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Jacinda Sampson
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Mari Auranen
- Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Donglin Bai
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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Abstract
Electron micrographs revealed the presence of gap junctions in osteoblastic cells over 40 years ago. These intercellular channels formed from connexins are present in bone forming osteoblasts, bone resorbing osteoclasts, and osteocytes (mature osteoblasts embedded in the mineralized bone matrix). More recently, genetic and pharmacologic studies revealed the role of connexins, and in particular Cx43, in the differentiation and function of all bone types. Furthermore, mutations in the gene encoding Cx43 were found to be causally linked to oculodentodigital dysplasia, a condition that results in an abnormal skeleton. Pannexins, molecules with similar structure and single-membrane channel forming potential as connexins when organized as hemichannels, are also expressed in osteoblastic cells. The function of pannexins in bone and cartilage is beginning to be uncovered, but more research is needed to determine the role of pannexins in bone development, adult bone mass and skeletal homeostasis. We describe here the current knowledge on the role of connexins and pannexins on skeletal health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian I Plotkin
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. .,Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center Indiana, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A-5C1, Canada
| | - Joelle Amedee
- INSERM U1026, Tissue Bioengineering, Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, F-33076, France
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40
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Siddiqui M, Swarbreck S, Shao Q, Secor D, Peng T, Laird DW, Tyml K. Critical Role of Cx40 in Reduced Endothelial Electrical Coupling by Lipopolysaccharide and Hypoxia-Reoxygenation. J Vasc Res 2016; 52:396-403. [PMID: 27194161 DOI: 10.1159/000445772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We discovered that lipopolysaccharide (LPS, an initiating factor in sepsis) and hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R, a confounding factor) reduce electrical coupling between microvascular endothelial cells from wild-type (WT) but not Cx40-/- mice. Because Cx40 knockout could result in nonspecific effects, this discovery may not establish the causal relationship between Cx40 and reduced coupling. Using the same cell culture model, we aimed to address this uncertainty by using the rescue-of-function approach. METHODS/RESULTS Electrical coupling between endothelial cells (hind-limb muscle origin) was determined by electrophysiology. LPS, H/R and concurrent LPS + H/R reduced coupling between WT but not Cx40-/- cells. The defect in Cx40-/- cells was rescued by ectopic expression of Cx40, after infecting the cells with adenovirus encoding Cx40. Cx40-/- cells were also engineered to express mutant Cx40 that lacked the carboxyl terminal domain beginning at residue 236 (Cx40x0394;237-358) or 344 (Cx40x0394;345-358). No response to inflammatory stimuli was observed in cells expressing either of these 2 mutants. CONCLUSION Our data establish the causal relationship between Cx40 and reduced coupling and suggest that the 345-358 amino acid motif of the Cx40 carboxyl terminal is required for reduced coupling. Cx40 may participate in compromised conducted response in the microvasculature during sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Siddiqui
- Lawson Health Research Institute, Critical Illness Research, London, Ont., Canada
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41
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Shao Q, Lindstrom K, Shi R, Kelly J, Schroeder A, Juusola J, Levine KL, Esseltine JL, Penuela S, Jackson MF, Laird DW. A Germline Variant in the PANX1 Gene Has Reduced Channel Function and Is Associated with Multisystem Dysfunction. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:12432-12443. [PMID: 27129271 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.717934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pannexin1 (PANX1) is probably best understood as an ATP release channel involved in paracrine signaling. Given its ubiquitous expression, PANX1 pathogenic variants would be expected to lead to disorders involving multiple organ systems. Using whole exome sequencing, we discovered the first patient with a homozygous PANX1 variant (c.650G→A) resulting in an arginine to histidine substitution at position 217 (p.Arg217His). The 17-year-old female has intellectual disability, sensorineural hearing loss requiring bilateral cochlear implants, skeletal defects, including kyphoscoliosis, and primary ovarian failure. Her consanguineous parents are each heterozygous for this variant but are not affected by the multiorgan syndromes noted in the proband. Expression of the p.Arg217His mutant in HeLa, N2A, HEK293T, and Ad293 cells revealed normal PANX1 glycosylation and cell surface trafficking. Dye uptake, ATP release, and electrophysiological measurements revealed p.Arg217His to be a loss-of-function variant. Co-expression of the mutant with wild-type PANX1 suggested the mutant was not dominant-negative to PANX1 channel function. Collectively, we demonstrate a PANX1 missense change associated with human disease in the first report of a "PANX1-related disorder."
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Kristin Lindstrom
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
| | - Ruoyang Shi
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0Z3, Canada,; Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0Z3, Canada
| | - John Kelly
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Audrey Schroeder
- Division of Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642
| | | | | | - Jessica L Esseltine
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Michael F Jackson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0Z3, Canada,; Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0Z3, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
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Laird DW, Naus CC. Gerald M. Kidder - bridging the gap in cell and developmental biology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 50:1-3. [PMID: 26940063 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.02.017] [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: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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43
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Merrifield PA, Laird DW. Connexins in skeletal muscle development and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 50:67-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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44
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Caskenette D, Penuela S, Lee V, Barr K, Beier F, Laird DW, Willmore KE. Global deletion of Panx3 produces multiple phenotypic effects in mouse humeri and femora. J Anat 2016; 228:746-56. [PMID: 26749194 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pannexins form single-membrane channels that allow passage of small molecules between the intracellular and extracellular compartments. Of the three pannexin family members, Pannexin3 (Panx3) is the least studied but is highly expressed in skeletal tissues and is thought to play a role in the regulation of chondrocyte and osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. The purpose of our study is to closely examine the in vivo effects of Panx3 ablation on long bone morphology using micro-computed tomography. Using Panx3 knockout (KO) and wildtype (WT) adult mice, we measured and compared aspects of phenotypic shape, bone mineral density (BMD), cross-sectional geometric properties of right femora and humeri, and lean mass. We found that KO mice have absolutely and relatively shorter diaphyseal shafts compared with WT mice, and relatively larger areas of muscle attachment sites. No differences in BMD or lean mass were found between WT and KO mice. Interestingly, KO mice had more robust femora and humeri compared with WT mice when assessed in cross-section at the midshaft. Our results clearly show that Panx3 ablation produces phenotypic effects in mouse femora and humeri, and support the premise that Panx3 has a role in regulating long bone growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidre Caskenette
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Vanessa Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Frank Beier
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine E Willmore
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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45
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Goodson WH, Lowe L, Carpenter DO, Gilbertson M, Manaf Ali A, Lopez de Cerain Salsamendi A, Lasfar A, Carnero A, Azqueta A, Amedei A, Charles AK, Collins AR, Ward A, Salzberg AC, Colacci A, Olsen AK, Berg A, Barclay BJ, Zhou BP, Blanco-Aparicio C, Baglole CJ, Dong C, Mondello C, Hsu CW, Naus CC, Yedjou C, Curran CS, Laird DW, Koch DC, Carlin DJ, Felsher DW, Roy D, Brown DG, Ratovitski E, Ryan EP, Corsini E, Rojas E, Moon EY, Laconi E, Marongiu F, Al-Mulla F, Chiaradonna F, Darroudi F, Martin FL, Van Schooten FJ, Goldberg GS, Wagemaker G, Nangami GN, Calaf GM, Williams G, Wolf GT, Koppen G, Brunborg G, Lyerly HK, Krishnan H, Ab Hamid H, Yasaei H, Sone H, Kondoh H, Salem HK, Hsu HY, Park HH, Koturbash I, Miousse IR, Scovassi AI, Klaunig JE, Vondráček J, Raju J, Roman J, Wise JP, Whitfield JR, Woodrick J, Christopher JA, Ochieng J, Martinez-Leal JF, Weisz J, Kravchenko J, Sun J, Prudhomme KR, Narayanan KB, Cohen-Solal KA, Moorwood K, Gonzalez L, Soucek L, Jian L, D'Abronzo LS, Lin LT, Li L, Gulliver L, McCawley LJ, Memeo L, Vermeulen L, Leyns L, Zhang L, Valverde M, Khatami M, Romano MF, Chapellier M, Williams MA, Wade M, Manjili MH, Lleonart ME, Xia M, Gonzalez MJ, Karamouzis MV, Kirsch-Volders M, Vaccari M, Kuemmerle NB, Singh N, Cruickshanks N, Kleinstreuer N, van Larebeke N, Ahmed N, Ogunkua O, Krishnakumar PK, Vadgama P, Marignani PA, Ghosh PM, Ostrosky-Wegman P, Thompson PA, Dent P, Heneberg P, Darbre P, Sing Leung P, Nangia-Makker P, Cheng QS, Robey RB, Al-Temaimi R, Roy R, Andrade-Vieira R, Sinha RK, Mehta R, Vento R, Di Fiore R, Ponce-Cusi R, Dornetshuber-Fleiss R, Nahta R, Castellino RC, Palorini R, Abd Hamid R, Langie SAS, Eltom SE, Brooks SA, Ryeom S, Wise SS, Bay SN, Harris SA, Papagerakis S, Romano S, Pavanello S, Eriksson S, Forte S, Casey SC, Luanpitpong S, Lee TJ, Otsuki T, Chen T, Massfelder T, Sanderson T, Guarnieri T, Hultman T, Dormoy V, Odero-Marah V, Sabbisetti V, Maguer-Satta V, Rathmell WK, Engström W, Decker WK, Bisson WH, Rojanasakul Y, Luqmani Y, Chen Z, Hu Z. Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: the challenge ahead. Carcinogenesis 2015; 36 Suppl 1:S254-96. [PMID: 26106142 PMCID: PMC4480130 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-dose exposures to common environmental chemicals that are deemed safe individually may be combining to instigate carcinogenesis, thereby contributing to the incidence of cancer. This risk may be overlooked by current regulatory practices and needs to be vigorously investigated. Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety ‘Mode of Action’ framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Goodson
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 2100 Webster Street #401, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA, Getting to Know Cancer, Room 229A, 36 Arthur Street, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 1X5, Canada, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK, Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Pl., Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA, Getting to Know Cancer, Guelph N1G 1E4, Canada, School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Sultan Zainal Abidin University, Tembila Campus, 22200 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Univ. de Sevilla., Avda Manuel Siurot sn. 41013 Sevilla, Spain, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Florence 50134, Italy, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Hopkins Building, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6UB, UK, Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK, Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA, Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, 40126 Bologna, Italy, Department of Chemicals and Radiation, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo N-0403, Norway, Planet Biotechnologies Inc., St Albert, Alberta T8N 5K4, Canada, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, CNI
| | - Leroy Lowe
- Getting to Know Cancer, Room 229A, 36 Arthur Street, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 1X5, Canada, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - David O Carpenter
- Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Pl., Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | | | - Abdul Manaf Ali
- School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Sultan Zainal Abidin University, Tembila Campus, 22200 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | | | - Ahmed Lasfar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Amancio Carnero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Univ. de Sevilla., Avda Manuel Siurot sn. 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Amaya Azqueta
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Amelia K Charles
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Hopkins Building, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6UB, UK
| | | | - Andrew Ward
- Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Anna C Salzberg
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Annamaria Colacci
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Ann-Karin Olsen
- Department of Chemicals and Radiation, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo N-0403, Norway
| | - Arthur Berg
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Barry J Barclay
- Planet Biotechnologies Inc., St Albert, Alberta T8N 5K4, Canada
| | - Binhua P Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Carmen Blanco-Aparicio
- Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, CNIO, Melchor Fernandez Almagro, 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolyn J Baglole
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Chenfang Dong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Chiara Mondello
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, CNR, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Chia-Wen Hsu
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3375, USA
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Clement Yedjou
- Department of Biology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Colleen S Curran
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Toxicology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Daniel C Koch
- Stanford University Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Danielle J Carlin
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27560, USA
| | - Dean W Felsher
- Department of Medicine, Oncology and Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Debasish Roy
- Department of Natural Science, The City University of New York at Hostos Campus, Bronx, NY 10451, USA
| | - Dustin G Brown
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680, USA
| | - Edward Ratovitski
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery/Head and Neck Cancer Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Ryan
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680, USA
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Emilio Rojas
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, Institute for Biomedical Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, México
| | - Eun-Yi Moon
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Korea
| | - Ezio Laconi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Fabio Marongiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Pathology, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Ferdinando Chiaradonna
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy, SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Firouz Darroudi
- Human Safety and Environmental Research, Department of Health Sciences, College of North Atlantic, Doha 24449, State of Qatar
| | - Francis L Martin
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Frederik J Van Schooten
- Department of Toxicology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200, The Netherlands
| | - Gary S Goldberg
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA
| | - Gerard Wagemaker
- Hacettepe University, Center for Stem Cell Research and Development, Ankara 06640, Turkey
| | - Gladys N Nangami
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Gloria M Calaf
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA, Instituto de Alta Investigacion, Universidad de Tarapaca, Arica, Chile
| | - Graeme Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UB, UK
| | - Gregory T Wolf
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Gunnar Brunborg
- Department of Chemicals and Radiation, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo N-0403, Norway
| | - H Kim Lyerly
- Department of Surgery, Pathology, Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Harini Krishnan
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA
| | - Hasiah Ab Hamid
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 43400 Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hemad Yasaei
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences and the Health and Environment Theme, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Hideko Sone
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibraki 3058506, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kondoh
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital 54 Kawaharacho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hosni K Salem
- Department of Urology, Kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, El Manial, Cairo 11559, Egypt
| | - Hsue-Yin Hsu
- Department of Life Sciences, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
| | - Hyun Ho Park
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongbuk 712-749, South Korea
| | - Igor Koturbash
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Isabelle R Miousse
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - A Ivana Scovassi
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, CNR, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - James E Klaunig
- Department of Environmental Health, Indiana University, School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Jan Vondráček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, CZ-61265, Czech Republic
| | - Jayadev Raju
- Regulatory Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Jesse Roman
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA, Robley Rex VA Medical Center, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Jonathan R Whitfield
- Mouse Models of Cancer Therapies Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordan Woodrick
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
| | - Joseph A Christopher
- Cancer Research UK. Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Josiah Ochieng
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | | | - Judith Weisz
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Julia Kravchenko
- Department of Surgery, Pathology, Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jun Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Kalan R Prudhomme
- Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Science Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | | | - Karine A Cohen-Solal
- Department of Medicine/Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Kim Moorwood
- Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Laetitia Gonzalez
- Laboratory for Cell Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laura Soucek
- Mouse Models of Cancer Therapies Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Le Jian
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia, Department of Urology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Leandro S D'Abronzo
- Department of Urology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Liang-Tzung Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Lin Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, The People's Republic of China
| | - Linda Gulliver
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Lisa J McCawley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lorenzo Memeo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Via Penninazzo 7, Viagrande (CT) 95029, Italy
| | - Louis Vermeulen
- Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Leyns
- Laboratory for Cell Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA
| | - Mahara Valverde
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, Institute for Biomedical Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, México
| | - Mahin Khatami
- Inflammation and Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI) (Retired), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria Fiammetta Romano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Marion Chapellier
- Centre De Recherche En Cancerologie, De Lyon, Lyon, U1052-UMR5286, France
| | - Marc A Williams
- United States Army Institute of Public Health, Toxicology Portfolio-Health Effects Research Program, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, MD 21010-5403, USA
| | - Mark Wade
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milano, Italy
| | - Masoud H Manjili
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Massey Cancer Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Matilde E Lleonart
- Institut De Recerca Hospital Vall D'Hebron, Passeig Vall d'Hebron, 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Menghang Xia
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3375, USA
| | - Michael J Gonzalez
- University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Public Health, Nutrition Program, San Juan 00921, Puerto Rico
| | - Michalis V Karamouzis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, University of Athens, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Biomedical Research, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Monica Vaccari
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Nancy B Kuemmerle
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Neetu Singh
- Advanced Molecular Science Research Centre (Centre for Advanced Research), King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 003, India
| | - Nichola Cruickshanks
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Biochemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Nicole Kleinstreuer
- Integrated Laboratory Systems Inc., in support of the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, RTP, NC 27709, USA
| | - Nik van Larebeke
- Analytische, Milieu en Geochemie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel B1050, Belgium
| | - Nuzhat Ahmed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Olugbemiga Ogunkua
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - P K Krishnakumar
- Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 3126, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pankaj Vadgama
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Paola A Marignani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Paramita M Ghosh
- Department of Urology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Patricia Ostrosky-Wegman
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, Institute for Biomedical Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, México
| | - Patricia A Thompson
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, The State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8691, USA
| | - Paul Dent
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Biochemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Petr Heneberg
- Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, CZ-100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | - Philippa Darbre
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6UB, England
| | - Po Sing Leung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, The People's Republic of China
| | | | - Qiang Shawn Cheng
- Computer Science Department, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - R Brooks Robey
- White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Rabeah Al-Temaimi
- Human Genetics Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya 13110, Kuwait
| | - Rabindra Roy
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
| | - Rafaela Andrade-Vieira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ranjeet K Sinha
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rekha Mehta
- Regulatory Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Renza Vento
- Department of Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Polyclinic Plexus, University of Palermo, Palermo 90127, Italy , Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Riccardo Di Fiore
- Department of Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Polyclinic Plexus, University of Palermo, Palermo 90127, Italy
| | | | - Rita Dornetshuber-Fleiss
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna, Vienna A-1090, Austria, Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Wien 1090, Austria
| | - Rita Nahta
- Departments of Pharmacology and Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Robert C Castellino
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, GA 30322, USA, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Roberta Palorini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy, SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Roslida Abd Hamid
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 43400 Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Sabine A S Langie
- Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Sakina E Eltom
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Samira A Brooks
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sandra Ryeom
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandra S Wise
- Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Sarah N Bay
- Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shelley A Harris
- Population Health and Prevention, Research, Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2L7, Canada, Departments of Epidemiology and Occupational and Environmental Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Silvana Papagerakis
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Simona Romano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sofia Pavanello
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Unit of Occupational Medicine, University of Padova, Padova 35128, Italy
| | - Staffan Eriksson
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7011, VHC, Almas Allé 4, SE-756 51, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefano Forte
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Via Penninazzo 7, Viagrande (CT) 95029, Italy
| | - Stephanie C Casey
- Stanford University Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sudjit Luanpitpong
- Siriraj Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Tae-Jin Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu 705-717, South Korea
| | - Takemi Otsuki
- Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School, Matsushima Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan
| | - Tao Chen
- Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Thierry Massfelder
- INSERM U1113, team 3 'Cell Signalling and Communication in Kidney and Prostate Cancer', University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 67085 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas Sanderson
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Tiziana Guarnieri
- Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy, Center for Applied Biomedical Research, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Via Massarenti, 9, 40126 Bologna, Italy, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Viale Medaglie d' Oro, 305, 00136 Roma, Italy
| | - Tove Hultman
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7028, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Valérian Dormoy
- INSERM U1113, team 3 'Cell Signalling and Communication in Kidney and Prostate Cancer', University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 67085 Strasbourg, France, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Valerie Odero-Marah
- Department of Biology/Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Venkata Sabbisetti
- Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Veronique Maguer-Satta
- United States Army Institute of Public Health, Toxicology Portfolio-Health Effects Research Program, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, MD 21010-5403, USA
| | - W Kimryn Rathmell
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wilhelm Engström
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7028, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - William H Bisson
- Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Science Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Yon Rojanasakul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Yunus Luqmani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait and
| | - Zhenbang Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Zhiwei Hu
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Nahta R, Al-Mulla F, Al-Temaimi R, Amedei A, Andrade-Vieira R, Bay SN, Brown DG, Calaf GM, Castellino RC, Cohen-Solal KA, Colacci A, Cruickshanks N, Dent P, Di Fiore R, Forte S, Goldberg GS, Hamid RA, Krishnan H, Laird DW, Lasfar A, Marignani PA, Memeo L, Mondello C, Naus CC, Ponce-Cusi R, Raju J, Roy D, Roy R, Ryan EP, Salem HK, Scovassi AI, Singh N, Vaccari M, Vento R, Vondráček J, Wade M, Woodrick J, Bisson WH. Mechanisms of environmental chemicals that enable the cancer hallmark of evasion of growth suppression. Carcinogenesis 2015; 36 Suppl 1:S2-18. [PMID: 26106139 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As part of the Halifax Project, this review brings attention to the potential effects of environmental chemicals on important molecular and cellular regulators of the cancer hallmark of evading growth suppression. Specifically, we review the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape the growth-inhibitory signals of p53, retinoblastoma protein, transforming growth factor-beta, gap junctions and contact inhibition. We discuss the effects of selected environmental chemicals on these mechanisms of growth inhibition and cross-reference the effects of these chemicals in other classical cancer hallmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Nahta
- Departments of Pharmacology and Hematology & Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA, Department of Pathology, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, 50134 Florence, Italy, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada, Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences/Colorado State University/Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680, USA, Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA, Instituto de Alta Investigacion, Universidad de Tarapaca, Arica 8097877, Chile, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA, Department of Medicine/Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1914, USA, Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, Bologna 40126, Italy, Departments of Neurosurgery and Biochemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 980033, USA, Department of Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Polyclinic Plexus, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy, Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, 95029 Viagrande, Italy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084-1501, USA, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontari
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Pathology, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | | | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Rafaela Andrade-Vieira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Sarah N Bay
- Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Dustin G Brown
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences/Colorado State University/Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680, USA
| | - Gloria M Calaf
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA, Instituto de Alta Investigacion, Universidad de Tarapaca, Arica 8097877, Chile
| | - Robert C Castellino
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Karine A Cohen-Solal
- Department of Medicine/Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1914, USA
| | - Annamaria Colacci
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Nichola Cruickshanks
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Biochemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 980033, USA
| | - Paul Dent
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Biochemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 980033, USA
| | - Riccardo Di Fiore
- Department of Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Polyclinic Plexus, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Forte
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, 95029 Viagrande, Italy
| | - Gary S Goldberg
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084-1501, USA
| | - Roslida A Hamid
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
| | - Harini Krishnan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084-1501, USA
| | - Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ahmed Lasfar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 60503, USA
| | - Paola A Marignani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Memeo
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, 95029 Viagrande, Italy
| | - Chiara Mondello
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Christian C Naus
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Richard Ponce-Cusi
- Instituto de Alta Investigacion, Universidad de Tarapaca, Arica 8097877, Chile
| | - Jayadev Raju
- Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Debasish Roy
- Department of Natural Science, The City University of New York at Hostos Campus, Bronx, NY 10451, USA
| | - Rabindra Roy
- Molecular Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Ryan
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences/Colorado State University/Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680, USA
| | - Hosni K Salem
- Urology Dept., kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, El Manial, Cairo 12515, Egypt
| | - A Ivana Scovassi
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Neetu Singh
- Advanced Molecular Science Research Centre, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, UP 226003, India
| | - Monica Vaccari
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Renza Vento
- Department of Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Polyclinic Plexus, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Jan Vondráček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics AS CR, Brno 612 65, Czech Republic
| | - Mark Wade
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan 16163, Italy and
| | - Jordan Woodrick
- Molecular Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
| | - William H Bisson
- Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Sciences Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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Moon PM, Penuela S, Barr K, Khan S, Pin CL, Welch I, Attur M, Abramson SB, Laird DW, Beier F. Deletion of Panx3 Prevents the Development of Surgically Induced Osteoarthritis. J Mol Med (Berl) 2015; 93:845-56. [PMID: 26138248 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-015-1311-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent, disabling joint disease with no existing therapies to slow or halt its progression. Cartilage degeneration hallmarks OA pathogenesis, and pannexin 3 (Panx3), a member of a novel family of channel proteins, is upregulated during this process. The function of Panx3 remains poorly understood, but we consistently observed a strong increase in Panx3 immunostaining in OA lesions in both mice and humans. Here, we developed and characterized the first global and conditional Panx3 knockout mice to investigate the role of Panx3 in OA. Interestingly, global Panx3 deletion produced no overt phenotype and had no obvious effect on early skeletal development. Mice lacking Panx3 specifically in the cartilage and global Panx3 knockout mice were markedly resistant to the development of OA following destabilization of medial meniscus surgery. These data indicate a specific catabolic role of Panx3 in articular cartilage and identify Panx3 as a potential therapeutic target for OA. Lastly, while Panx1 has been linked to over a dozen human pathologies, this is the first in vivo evidence for a role of Panx3 in disease. KEY MESSAGE Panx3 is localized to cartilage lesions in mice and humans. Global Panx3 deletion does not result in any developmental abnormalities. Mice lacking Panx3 are resistant to the development of osteoarthritis. Panx3 is a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paxton M Moon
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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48
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Stewart MKG, Simek J, Laird DW. Insights into the role of connexins in mammary gland morphogenesis and function. Reproduction 2015; 149:R279-90. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gap junctions formed of connexin subunits link adjacent cells by direct intercellular communication that is essential for normal tissue homeostasis in the mammary gland. The mammary gland undergoes immense remodeling and requires exquisite regulation to control the proliferative, differentiating, and cell death mechanisms regulating gland development and function. The generation of novel genetically modified mice with reduced or ablated connexin function within the mammary gland has advanced our understanding of the role of gap junctions during the complex and dynamic process of mammary gland development. These studies have revealed an important stage-specific role for Cx26 (GJA1) and Cx43 (GJB2), while Cx30 (GJB6) and Cx32 (Gjb1) can be eliminated without compromising the gland. Yet, there remain gaps in our understanding of the role of mammary gland gap junctions.
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49
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Molica F, Morel S, Meens MJ, Denis JF, Bradfield PF, Penuela S, Zufferey A, Monyer H, Imhof BA, Chanson M, Laird DW, Fontana P, Kwak BR. Functional role of a polymorphism in the Pannexin1 gene in collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Thromb Haemost 2015; 114:325-36. [PMID: 25947940 DOI: 10.1160/th14-11-0981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pannexin1 (Panx1) forms ATP channels that play a critical role in the immune response by reinforcing purinergic signal amplification in the immune synapse. Platelets express Panx1 and given the importance of ATP release in platelets, we investigated Panx1 function in platelet aggregation and the potential impact of genetic polymorphisms on Panx1 channels. We show here that Panx1 forms ATP release channels in human platelets and that inhibiting Panx1 channel function with probenecid, mefloquine or specific (10)Panx1 peptides reduces collagen-induced platelet aggregation but not the response induced by arachidonic acid or ADP. These results were confirmed using Panx1-/- platelets. Natural variations have been described in the human Panx1 gene, which are predicted to induce non-conservative amino acid substitutions in its coding sequence. Healthy subjects homozygous for Panx1-400C, display enhanced platelet reactivity in response to collagen compared with those bearing the Panx1-400A allele. Conversely, the frequency of Panx1-400C homozygotes was increased among cardiovascular patients with hyper-reactive platelets compared with patients with hypo-reactive platelets. Exogenous expression of polymorphic Panx1 channels in a Panx-deficient cell line revealed increased basal and stimulated ATP release from cells transfected with Panx1-400C channels compared with Panx1-400A expressing transfectants. In conclusion, we demonstrate a specific role for Panx1 channels in the signalling pathway leading to collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Our study further identifies for the first time an association between a Panx1-400A>C genetic polymorphism and collagen-induced platelet reactivity. The Panx1-400C variant encodes for a gain-of-function channel that may adversely affect atherothrombosis by specifically enhancing collagen-induced ATP release and platelet aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - B R Kwak
- Brenda R. Kwak, PhD, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Medical Specializations - Cardiology, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva/Switzerland, Tel.: +41 22 379 57 37, Fax: +41 22 379 57 46, E-mail:
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50
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Kelly JJ, Shao Q, Jagger DJ, Laird DW. Cx30 exhibits unique characteristics including a long half-life when assembled into gap junctions. J Cell Sci 2015; 128:3947-60. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.174698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study we investigated the life-cycle, trafficking, assembly and cell surface dynamics of a poorly characterized connexin family member, connexin 30 (Cx30), which plays a critical role in skin health and hearing. Unexpectedly, Cx30 localization at the cell surface and gap junctional intercellular communication was not affected by prolonged treatments with the ER-Golgi transport inhibitor brefeldin-A or the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, whereas Cx43 was rapidly cleared. Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching revealed that Cx30 plaques were rebuilt from the outer edges in keeping with older channels residing in the inner core of the plaque. Expression of a dominant-negative form of Sar1 GTPase led to the accumulation of Cx30 within the ER in contrast to a report that Cx30 traffics via a Golgi-independent pathway. Co-expression of Cx30 with Cx43 revealed that these connexins segregate into distinct domains within common gap junction plaques suggesting their assembly is governed by different mechanisms. In summary, Cx30 was found to be an unusually stable, long-lived connexin (half-life >12 hrs), which may underlie its specific role in the epidermis and cochlea.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J. Kelly
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Dale W. Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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