1
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Masci D, Puxeddu M, Di Magno L, D’Ambrosio M, Parisi A, Nalli M, Bai R, Coluccia A, Sciò P, Orlando V, D’Angelo S, Biagioni S, Urbani A, Hamel E, Nocentini A, Filiberti S, Turati M, Ronca R, Kopecka J, Riganti C, Fionda C, Bordone R, Della Rocca G, Canettieri G, Supuran CT, Silvestri R, La Regina G. 4-(3-Phenyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-1 H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzenesulfonamide, a Novel Carbonic Anhydrase and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Dual-Targeting Inhibitor with Potent Activity against Multidrug Resistant Cancer Cells. J Med Chem 2023; 66:14824-14842. [PMID: 37902628 PMCID: PMC10641813 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
We synthesized new pyrrole and indole derivatives as human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) inhibitors with the potential to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The presence of both N1-(4-sulfonamidophenyl) and 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) substituents was essential for strong hCA inhibitors. The most potent hCA XII inhibitor 15 (Ki = 6.8 nM) suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and its target genes MYC, Fgf20, and Sall4 and exhibited the typical markers of apoptosis, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, and cleaved caspase-3. Compound 15 showed strong inhibition of viability in a panel of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer and triple-negative breast cancer cells, was effective against the NCI/ADR-RES DOX-resistant cell line, and restored the sensitivity to doxorubicin (DOX) in HT29/DX and MDCK/P-gp cells. Compound 15 is a novel dual-targeting compound with activity against hCA and Wnt/β-catenin. It thus has a broad targeting spectrum and is an anticancer agent with specific potential in P-glycoprotein overexpressing cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domiziana Masci
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Laura Di Magno
- Laboratory
Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Michele D’Ambrosio
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Anastasia Parisi
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Marianna Nalli
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Ruoli Bai
- Molecular
Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division
of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for
Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Antonio Coluccia
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Pietro Sciò
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Sara D’Angelo
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular
Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division
of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for
Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Dipartimento
Neurofarba, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche e Nutraceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Via Ugo Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Firenze, Italy
| | - Serena Filiberti
- Experimental
Oncology and Immunology Unit, Department of Molecular and Translational
Medicine, University of Brescia, Via Branze 39, Brescia 25123, Italy
| | - Marta Turati
- Experimental
Oncology and Immunology Unit, Department of Molecular and Translational
Medicine, University of Brescia, Via Branze 39, Brescia 25123, Italy
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Experimental
Oncology and Immunology Unit, Department of Molecular and Translational
Medicine, University of Brescia, Via Branze 39, Brescia 25123, Italy
| | - Joanna Kopecka
- Department
of Oncology and Molecular Biotecnology Center “Guido Tarone″, Oncological Pharmacology Unit, Via Nizza 44, Torino 10126, Italy
| | - Chiara Riganti
- Department
of Oncology and Molecular Biotecnology Center “Guido Tarone″, Oncological Pharmacology Unit, Via Nizza 44, Torino 10126, Italy
| | - Cinzia Fionda
- Laboratory
Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Rosa Bordone
- Laboratory
Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Giorgia Della Rocca
- Laboratory
Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Gianluca Canettieri
- Laboratory
Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Claudiu T. Supuran
- Dipartimento
Neurofarba, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche e Nutraceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Via Ugo Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Firenze, Italy
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory
Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti
Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy
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2
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Giuliani A, Licursi V, Nisi PS, Fiore M, D'Angelo S, Biagioni S, Negri R, Rugg-Gunn PJ, Cacci E, Lupo G. Dbx2, an Aging-Related Homeobox Gene, Inhibits the Proliferation of Adult Neural Progenitors. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:2837-2851. [PMID: 37605090 PMCID: PMC10661760 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10600-7] [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] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
In the adult mouse brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) underlying the lateral ventricles harbours a population of quiescent neural stem cells, which can be activated (aNSCs) to initiate proliferation and generate a neurogenic lineage consisting of transit amplifying progenitors (TAPs), neuroblasts (NBs) and newborn neurons. This process is markedly reduced during aging. Recent studies suggest that the aged SVZ niche decreases the pool of proliferating neural/stem progenitor cells (NSPCs), and hence adult neurogenesis, by causing transcriptomic changes that promote NSC quiescence. The transcription factors that mediate these changes, however, remain unclear. We previously found that the homeobox gene Dbx2 is upregulated in NSPCs of the aged mouse SVZ and can inhibit the growth of NSPC cultures. Here, we further investigate its role as a candidate transcriptional regulator of neurogenic decline. We show that Dbx2 expression is downregulated by Epidermal Growth Factor receptor signaling, which promotes NSPC proliferation and decreases in the aged SVZ. By means of transgenic NSPC lines overexpressing Dbx2, we also show that this gene inhibits NSPC proliferation by hindering the G2/M transition. Furthermore, we exploit RNA sequencing of transgenic NSPCs to elucidate the transcriptomic networks modulated by Dbx2. Among the top hits, we report the downregulation of the molecular pathways implicated in cell cycle progression. Accordingly, we find that Dbx2 function is negatively correlated with the transcriptional signatures of proliferative NSPCs (aNSCs, TAPs and early NBs). These results point to Dbx2 as a transcription factor relaying the anti-neurogenic input of the aged niche to the NSPC transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giuliani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Licursi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.
| | - Paola S Nisi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Fiore
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Sara D'Angelo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Negri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Peter J Rugg-Gunn
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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3
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Nalli M, Di Magno L, Wen Y, Liu X, D’Ambrosio M, Puxeddu M, Parisi A, Sebastiani J, Sorato A, Coluccia A, Ripa S, Di Pastena F, Capelli D, Montanari R, Masci D, Urbani A, Naro C, Sette C, Orlando V, D’Angelo S, Biagioni S, Bigogno C, Dondio G, Pastore A, Stornaiuolo M, Canettieri G, Liu T, Silvestri R, La Regina G. Novel N-(Heterocyclylphenyl)benzensulfonamide Sharing an Unreported Binding Site with T-Cell Factor 4 at the β-Catenin Armadillo Repeats Domain as an Anticancer Agent. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1087-1103. [PMID: 37470018 PMCID: PMC10353061 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite intensive efforts, no inhibitors of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway have been approved so far for the clinical treatment of cancer. We synthesized novel N-(heterocyclylphenyl)benzenesulfonamides as β-catenin inhibitors. Compounds 5-10 showed strong inhibition of the luciferase activity. Compounds 5 and 6 inhibited the MDA-MB-231, HCC1806, and HCC1937 TNBC cells. Compound 9 induced in vitro cell death in SW480 and HCT116 cells and in vivo tumorigenicity of a human colorectal cancer line HCT116. In a co-immunoprecipitation study in HCT116 cells transfected with Myc-tagged T-cell factor 4 (Tcf-4), compound 9 abrogated the association between β-catenin and Tcf-4. The crystallographic analysis of the β-catenin Armadillo repeats domain revealed that compound 9 and Tcf-4 share a common binding site within the hotspot binding region close to Lys508. To our knowledge, compound 9 is the first small molecule ligand of this region to be reported. These results highlight the potential of this novel class of β-catenin inhibitors as anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Nalli
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Di Magno
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, I-00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Yichao Wen
- Shanghai
Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 365 South Xiangyang Road, 200031 Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department
of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese
and Western Medicine, Shanghai University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 200437 Shanghai, China
| | - Michele D’Ambrosio
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Anastasia Parisi
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Jessica Sebastiani
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sorato
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Coluccia
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Ripa
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, I-00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorella Di Pastena
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, I-00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Capelli
- CNR—Institute
of Crystallography, Via
Salaria—km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Montanari
- CNR—Institute
of Crystallography, Via
Salaria—km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Domiziana Masci
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Naro
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- GSTeP-Organoids
Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico
Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, Largo Francesco
Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- GSTeP-Organoids
Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico
Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Sara D’Angelo
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Chiara Bigogno
- Aphad
SrL, Via della Resistenza
65, 20090 Buccinasco, Italy
| | - Giulio Dondio
- Aphad
SrL, Via della Resistenza
65, 20090 Buccinasco, Italy
| | - Arianna Pastore
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, Via Domenico
Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Mariano Stornaiuolo
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, Via Domenico
Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Gianluca Canettieri
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Molecular Medicine Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, I-00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Te Liu
- Shanghai
Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 365 South Xiangyang Road, 200031 Shanghai, China
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory
affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti,
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
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4
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Gioia R, Seri T, Diamanti T, Fimmanò S, Vitale M, Ahlenius H, Kokaia Z, Tirone F, Micheli L, Biagioni S, Lupo G, Rinaldi A, De Jaco A, Cacci E. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and social behavioural deficits in the R451C Neuroligin3 mouse model of autism are reverted by the antidepressant fluoxetine. J Neurochem 2022; 165:318-333. [PMID: 36583243 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neuron generation persists throughout life in the hippocampus but is altered in animal models of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, suggesting that disease-associated decline in cognitive and emotional hippocampal-dependent behaviours might be functionally linked with dysregulation of postnatal neurogenesis. Depletion of the adult neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPCs) pool and neurogenic decline have been recently described in mice expressing synaptic susceptibility genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs). To gain further insight into mechanisms regulating neurogenesis in mice carrying mutations in synaptic genes related to monogenic ASDs, we used the R451C Neuroligin3 knock-in (Nlgn3 KI) mouse, which is characterized by structural brain abnormalities, deficits in synaptic functions and reduced sociability. We show that the number of adult-born neurons, but not the size of the NSPC pool, was reduced in the ventral dentate gyrus in knock-in mice. Notably, this neurogenic decline was rescued by daily injecting mice with 10 mg/Kg of the antidepressant fluoxetine for 20 consecutive days. Sustained treatment also improved KI mice's sociability and increased the number of c-Fos active adult-born neurons, compared with vehicle-injected KI mice. Our study uncovers neurogenesis-mediated alterations in the brain of R451C KI mouse, showing that the R451C Nlgn3 mutation leads to lasting, albeit pharmacologically reversible, changes in the brain, affecting neuron formation in the adult hippocampus. Our results suggest that fluoxetine can ameliorate social behaviour in KI mice, at least in part, by rescuing adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which may be relevant for the pharmacological treatment of ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Gioia
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Seri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tamara Diamanti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Fimmanò
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Vitale
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Henrik Ahlenius
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Stem Cells, Aging and Neurodegeneration, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Zaal Kokaia
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Felice Tirone
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Micheli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Rinaldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Centre for Research in Neurobiology "D. Bovet", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella De Jaco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Centre for Research in Neurobiology "D. Bovet", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Centre for Research in Neurobiology "D. Bovet", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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5
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Cardarelli S, Miele AE, Campolo F, Massimi M, Mancini P, Biagioni S, Naro F, Giorgi M, Saliola M. Cellular Redox Metabolism Is Modulated by the Distinct Localization of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 5A Isoforms. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158587. [PMID: 35955722 PMCID: PMC9368758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
3′-5′ cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a family of evolutionarily conserved cAMP and/or cGMP hydrolyzing enzymes, components of transduction pathways regulating crucial aspects of cell life. Among them, cGMP-specific PDE5—being a regulator of vascular smooth muscle contraction—is the molecular target of several drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Production of full-length murine PDE5A isoforms in the milk-yeast Kluyveromyces lactis showed that the quaternary assembly of MmPDE5A1 is a mixture of dimers and tetramers, while MmPDE5A2 and MmPDE5A3 only assembled as dimers. We showed that the N-terminal peptide is responsible for the tetramer assembly of MmPDE5A1, while that of the MmPDE5A2 is responsible for its mitochondrial localization. Overexpression of the three isoforms alters at different levels the cAMP/cGMP equilibrium as well as the NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H balance and induces a metabolic switch from oxidative to fermentative. In particular, the mitochondrial localization of MmPDE5A2 unveiled the existence of a cAMP-cGMP signaling cascade in this organelle, for which we propose a metabolic model that could explain the role of PDE5 in some cardiomyopathies and some of the side effects of its inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Adriana Erica Miele
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- UMR 5280 ISA-CNRS-UCBL, Université de Lyon, 5 Rue de La Doua, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
- Correspondence: (A.E.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Federica Campolo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (P.M.)
| | - Mara Massimi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
| | - Patrizia Mancini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (P.M.)
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Fabio Naro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Via A. Borelli 50, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (S.B.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.E.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Michele Saliola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (S.B.); (M.S.)
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6
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Coluccia A, Bufano M, La Regina G, Puxeddu M, Toto A, Paone A, Bouzidi A, Musto G, Badolati N, Orlando V, Biagioni S, Masci D, Cantatore C, Cirilli R, Cutruzzolà F, Gianni S, Stornaiuolo M, Silvestri R. Anticancer Activity of ( S)-5-Chloro-3-((3,5-dimethylphenyl)sulfonyl)- N-(1-oxo-1-((pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amino)propan-2-yl)-1 H-indole-2-carboxamide (RS4690), a New Dishevelled 1 Inhibitor. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051358. [PMID: 35267666 PMCID: PMC8909805 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The WNT/β-catenin pathway regulates a huge number of cellular functions, and its dysregulation is correlated to the development of cancer. In this work, we focused on the interaction between Dishevelled 1 (DVL1) protein, an important player in this pathway, and its cognate receptor Frizzled via a shared PDZ domain. Computational studies led to the discovery of racemate RS4690 (1) showing selective inhibition of DVL1 binding. After separation of the racemic mixture, enantiomer (S)-1 inhibited DVL1 with an EC50 of 0.49 ± 0.11 μM and the growth of HCT116 cells that did not present the APC mutation with an EC50 value 7.1 ± 0.6 μM, and caused a high level of ROS production. Compound (S)-1 shows potential as a new therapeutic agent against WNT-dependent colon cancer. Abstract Wingless/integrase-11 (WNT)/β-catenin pathway is a crucial upstream regulator of a huge array of cellular functions. Its dysregulation is correlated to neoplastic cellular transition and cancer proliferation. Members of the Dishevelled (DVL) family of proteins play an important role in the transduction of WNT signaling by contacting its cognate receptor, Frizzled, via a shared PDZ domain. Thus, negative modulators of DVL1 are able to impair the binding to Frizzled receptors, turning off the aberrant activation of the WNT pathway and leading to anti-cancer activity. Through structure-based virtual screening studies, we identified racemic compound RS4690 (1), which showed a promising selective DVL1 binding inhibition with an EC50 of 0.74 ± 0.08 μM. Molecular dynamic simulations suggested a different binding mode for the enantiomers. In the in vitro assays, enantiomer (S)-1 showed better inhibition of DVL1 with an EC50 of 0.49 ± 0.11 μM compared to the (R)-enantiomer. Compound (S)-1 inhibited the growth of HCT116 cells expressing wild-type APC with an EC50 of 7.1 ± 0.6 μM and caused a high level of ROS production. These results highlight (S)-1 as a lead compound for the development of new therapeutic agents against WNT-dependent colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Coluccia
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.B.); (G.L.R.); (M.P.)
| | - Marianna Bufano
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.B.); (G.L.R.); (M.P.)
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.B.); (G.L.R.); (M.P.)
| | - Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.B.); (G.L.R.); (M.P.)
| | - Angelo Toto
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Institute of Biology and Molecular Pathology of CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.T.); (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Alessio Paone
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Institute of Biology and Molecular Pathology of CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.T.); (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Amani Bouzidi
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Institute of Biology and Molecular Pathology of CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.T.); (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Giorgia Musto
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (N.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Nadia Badolati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (N.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy; (V.O.); (S.B.)
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy; (V.O.); (S.B.)
| | - Domiziana Masci
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Chiara Cantatore
- National Center for the Control and Evaluation of Drugs, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Roberto Cirilli
- National Center for the Control and Evaluation of Drugs, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Francesca Cutruzzolà
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Institute of Biology and Molecular Pathology of CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.T.); (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Stefano Gianni
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Institute of Biology and Molecular Pathology of CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.T.); (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Mariano Stornaiuolo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (N.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy—Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.B.); (G.L.R.); (M.P.)
- Correspondence:
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7
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Limosani F, Bauer EM, Cecchetti D, Biagioni S, Orlando V, Pizzoferrato R, Prosposito P, Carbone M. Top-Down N-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Multiple Purposes: Heavy Metal Detection and Intracellular Fluorescence. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021; 11:2249. [PMID: 34578565 PMCID: PMC8465409 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we successfully synthesized N-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) using a top-down approach, i.e., hydroxyl radical opening of fullerene with hydrogen peroxide, in basic ambient using ammonia for two different reaction times. The ensuing characterization via dynamic light scattering, SEM, and IR spectroscopy revealed a size control that was dependent on the reaction time, as well as a more pronounced -NH2 functionalization. The N-CQDs were probed for metal ion detection in aqueous solutions and during bioimaging and displayed a Cr3+ and Cu2+ selectivity shift at a higher degree of -NH2 functionalization, as well as HEK-293 cell nuclei marking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Limosani
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (R.P.); (P.P.)
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Elvira Maria Bauer
- Institute of Structure of Matter (CNR-ISM), Italian National Research Council, Via Salaria km 29.3, 00015 Monterotondo, RM, Italy;
| | - Daniele Cecchetti
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.B.); (V.O.)
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.B.); (V.O.)
| | - Roberto Pizzoferrato
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (R.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Paolo Prosposito
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (R.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Marilena Carbone
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
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Biferali B, Bianconi V, Perez DF, Kronawitter SP, Marullo F, Maggio R, Santini T, Polverino F, Biagioni S, Summa V, Toniatti C, Pasini D, Stricker S, Di Fabio R, Chiacchiera F, Peruzzi G, Mozzetta C. Prdm16-mediated H3K9 methylation controls fibro-adipogenic progenitors identity during skeletal muscle repair. Sci Adv 2021; 7:7/23/eabd9371. [PMID: 34078594 PMCID: PMC8172132 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd9371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
H3K9 methylation maintains cell identity orchestrating stable silencing and anchoring of alternate fate genes within the heterochromatic compartment underneath the nuclear lamina (NL). However, how cell type-specific genomic regions are specifically targeted to the NL is still elusive. Using fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) as a model, we identified Prdm16 as a nuclear envelope protein that anchors H3K9-methylated chromatin in a cell-specific manner. We show that Prdm16 mediates FAP developmental capacities by orchestrating lamina-associated domain organization and heterochromatin sequestration at the nuclear periphery. We found that Prdm16 localizes at the NL where it cooperates with the H3K9 methyltransferases G9a/GLP to mediate tethering and silencing of myogenic genes, thus repressing an alternative myogenic fate in FAPs. Genetic and pharmacological disruption of this repressive pathway confers to FAP myogenic competence, preventing fibro-adipogenic degeneration of dystrophic muscles. In summary, we reveal a druggable mechanism of heterochromatin perinuclear sequestration exploitable to reprogram FAPs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Biferali
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Bianconi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel Fernandez Perez
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Fabrizia Marullo
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Maggio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Polverino
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Carlo Toniatti
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Diego Pasini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Via A. di Rudini 8, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Sigmar Stricker
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Romano Di Fabio
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy
- Promidis, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milano, Italy
| | - Fulvio Chiacchiera
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Mozzetta
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin," Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Corsetti V, Perrone-Capano C, Salazar Intriago MS, Botticelli E, Poiana G, Augusti-Tocco G, Biagioni S, Tata AM. Expression of Cholinergic Markers and Characterization of Splice Variants during Ontogenesis of Rat Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115499. [PMID: 34071104 PMCID: PMC8197147 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115499] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons synthesize acetylcholine (ACh), in addition to their peptidergic nature. They also release ACh and are cholinoceptive, as they express cholinergic receptors. During gangliogenesis, ACh plays an important role in neuronal differentiation, modulating neuritic outgrowth and neurospecific gene expression. Starting from these data, we studied the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT) expression in rat DRG neurons. ChAT and VAChT genes are arranged in a “cholinergic locus”, and several splice variants have been described. Using selective primers, we characterized splice variants of these cholinergic markers, demonstrating that rat DRGs express R1, R2, M, and N variants for ChAT and V1, V2, R1, and R2 splice variants for VAChT. Moreover, by RT-PCR analysis, we observed a progressive decrease in ChAT and VAChT transcripts from the late embryonic developmental stage (E18) to postnatal P2 and P15 and in the adult DRG. Interestingly, Western blot analyses and activity assays demonstrated that ChAT levels significantly increased during DRG ontogenesis. The modulated expression of different ChAT and VAChT splice variants during development suggests a possible differential regulation of cholinergic marker expression in sensory neurons and confirms multiple roles for ACh in DRG neurons, both in the embryo stage and postnatally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Corsetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
| | - Carla Perrone-Capano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Michael Sebastian Salazar Intriago
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
| | - Elisabetta Botticelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
| | - Giancarlo Poiana
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
- Research Center of Neuroscience Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Augusti-Tocco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
- Research Center of Neuroscience Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
- Research Center of Neuroscience Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ada Maria Tata
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (M.S.S.I.); (E.B.); (G.P.); (G.A.-T.); (S.B.)
- Research Center of Neuroscience Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-4991-2822
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Puxeddu M, Shen H, Bai R, Coluccia A, Bufano M, Nalli M, Sebastiani J, Brancaccio D, Da Pozzo E, Tremolanti C, Martini C, Orlando V, Biagioni S, Sinicropi MS, Ceramella J, Iacopetta D, Coluccia AML, Hamel E, Liu T, Silvestri R, La Regina G. Discovery of pyrrole derivatives for the treatment of glioblastoma and chronic myeloid leukemia. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 221:113532. [PMID: 34052717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Long-term survivors of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are at high risk of developing second primary neoplasms, including leukemia. For these patients, the use of classic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as imatinib mesylate, is strongly discouraged, since this treatment causes a tremendous increase of tumor and stem cell migration and invasion. We aimed to develop agents useful for the treatment of patients with GBM and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using an alternative mechanism of action from the TKIs, specifically based on the inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Compounds 7 and 25, as planned, not only inhibited tubulin polymerization, but also inhibited the proliferation of both GMB and CML cells, including those expressing the T315I mutation, at nanomolar concentrations. In in vivo experiments in BALB/cnu/nu mice injected subcutaneously with U87MG cells, in vivo, 7 significantly inhibited GBM cancer cell proliferation, in vivo tumorigenesis, and tumor growth, tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. Compound 7 was found to block human topoisomerase II (hTopoII) selectively and completely, at a concentration of 100 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Hongliang Shen
- Department of Urology, Capital Medical University Beijing Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Ruoli Bai
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Antonio Coluccia
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Marianna Bufano
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Marianna Nalli
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Jessica Sebastiani
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples"Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Eleonora Da Pozzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Tremolanti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Stefania Sinicropi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, I-87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Jessica Ceramella
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, I-87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Domenico Iacopetta
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, I-87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | | | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Te Liu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, I-73100, Lecce, Italy; Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 365 South Xiangyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185, Roma, Italy.
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D’Angelo V, Giorgi M, Paldino E, Cardarelli S, Fusco FR, Saverioni I, Sorge R, Martella G, Biagioni S, Mercuri NB, Pisani A, Sancesario G. A2A Receptor Dysregulation in Dystonia DYT1 Knock-Out Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2691. [PMID: 33799994 PMCID: PMC7962104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052691] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate A2A receptors in the basal ganglia of a DYT1 mouse model of dystonia. A2A was studied in control Tor1a+/+ and Tor1a+/- knock-out mice. A2A expression was assessed by anti-A2A antibody immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The co-localization of A2A was studied in striatal cholinergic interneurons identified by anti-choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) antibody. A2A mRNA and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) contents were also assessed. In Tor1a+/+, Western blotting detected an A2A 45 kDa band, which was stronger in the striatum and the globus pallidus than in the entopeduncular nucleus. Moreover, in Tor1a+/+, immunofluorescence showed A2A roundish aggregates, 0.3-0.4 μm in diameter, denser in the neuropil of the striatum and the globus pallidus than in the entopeduncular nucleus. In Tor1a+/-, A2A Western blotting expression and immunofluorescence aggregates appeared either increased in the striatum and the globus pallidus, or reduced in the entopeduncular nucleus. Moreover, in Tor1a+/-, A2A aggregates appeared increased in number on ChAT positive interneurons compared to Tor1a+/+. Finally, in Tor1a+/-, an increased content of cAMP signal was detected in the striatum, while significant levels of A2A mRNA were neo-expressed in the globus pallidus. In Tor1a+/-, opposite changes of A2A receptors' expression in the striatal-pallidal complex and the entopeduncular nucleus suggest that the pathophysiology of dystonia is critically dependent on a composite functional imbalance of the indirect over the direct pathway in basal ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza D’Angelo
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.); (R.S.); (G.M.); (N.B.M.)
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.C.); (I.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Emanuela Paldino
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.F.)
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.C.); (I.S.); (S.B.)
| | | | - Ilaria Saverioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.C.); (I.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Roberto Sorge
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.); (R.S.); (G.M.); (N.B.M.)
| | - Giuseppina Martella
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.); (R.S.); (G.M.); (N.B.M.)
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.F.)
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.G.); (S.C.); (I.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Nicola B. Mercuri
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.); (R.S.); (G.M.); (N.B.M.)
| | - Antonio Pisani
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sancesario
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.); (R.S.); (G.M.); (N.B.M.)
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12
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Giorgi M, Cardarelli S, Ragusa F, Saliola M, Biagioni S, Poiana G, Naro F, Massimi M. Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors: Could They Be Beneficial for the Treatment of COVID-19? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155338. [PMID: 32727145 PMCID: PMC7432892 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [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: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection to be a pandemic disease. SARS-CoV2 was first identified in China and, despite the restrictive measures adopted, the epidemic has spread globally, becoming a pandemic in a very short time. Though there is growing knowledge of the SARS-CoV2 infection and its clinical manifestations, an effective cure to limit its acute symptoms and its severe complications has not yet been found. Given the worldwide health and economic emergency issues accompanying this pandemic, there is an absolute urgency to identify effective treatments and reduce the post infection outcomes. In this context, phosphodiesterases (PDEs), evolutionarily conserved cyclic nucleotide (cAMP/cGMP) hydrolyzing enzymes, could emerge as new potential targets. Given their extended distribution and modulating role in nearly all organs and cellular environments, a large number of drugs (PDE inhibitors) have been developed to control the specific functions of each PDE family. These PDE inhibitors have already been used in the treatment of pathologies that show clinical signs and symptoms completely or partially overlapping with post-COVID-19 conditions (e.g., thrombosis, inflammation, fibrosis), while new PDE-selective or pan-selective inhibitors are currently under study. This review discusses the state of the art of the different pathologies currently treated with phosphodiesterase inhibitors, highlighting the numerous similarities with the disorders linked to SARS-CoV2 infection, to support the hypothesis that PDE inhibitors, alone or in combination with other drugs, could be beneficial for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (S.B.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.N.)
| | - Federica Ragusa
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
| | - Michele Saliola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (S.B.); (G.P.)
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (S.B.); (G.P.)
| | - Giancarlo Poiana
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (S.B.); (G.P.)
| | - Fabio Naro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (F.N.)
| | - Mara Massimi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (M.M.)
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13
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D’Angelo V, Paldino E, Cardarelli S, Sorge R, Fusco FR, Biagioni S, Mercuri NB, Giorgi M, Sancesario G. Dystonia: Sparse Synapses for D2 Receptors in Striatum of a DYT1 Knock-out Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21031073. [PMID: 32041188 PMCID: PMC7037849 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031073] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystonia pathophysiology has been partly linked to downregulation and dysfunction of dopamine D2 receptors in striatum. We aimed to investigate the possible morpho-structural correlates of D2 receptor downregulation in the striatum of a DYT1 Tor1a mouse model. Adult control Tor1a+/+ and mutant Tor1a+/− mice were used. The brains were perfused and free-floating sections of basal ganglia were incubated with polyclonal anti-D2 antibody, followed by secondary immune-fluorescent antibody. Confocal microscopy was used to detect immune-fluorescent signals. The same primary antibody was used to evaluate D2 receptor expression by western blot. The D2 receptor immune-fluorescence appeared circumscribed in small disks (~0.3–0.5 µm diameter), likely representing D2 synapse aggregates, densely distributed in the striatum of Tor1a+/+ mice. In the Tor1a+/− mice the D2 aggregates were significantly smaller (µm2 2.4 ± SE 0.16, compared to µm2 6.73 ± SE 3.41 in Tor1a+/+) and sparse, with ~30% less number per microscopic field, value correspondent to the amount of reduced D2 expression in western blotting analysis. In DYT1 mutant mice the sparse and small D2 synapses in the striatum may be insufficient to “gate” the amount of presynaptic dopamine release diffusing in peri-synaptic space, and this consequently may result in a timing and spatially larger nonselective sphere of influence of dopamine action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza D’Angelo
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.)
| | - Emanuela Paldino
- Santa Lucia Foundation, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy (S.B.)
| | - Roberto Sorge
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.)
| | | | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy (S.B.)
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.)
- Santa Lucia Foundation, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy (S.B.)
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (G.S.)
| | - Giuseppe Sancesario
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (V.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (G.S.)
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14
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Puxeddu M, Shen H, Bai R, Coluccia A, Nalli M, Mazzoccoli C, Da Pozzo E, Cavallini C, Martini C, Orlando V, Biagioni S, Mazzoni C, Coluccia AML, Hamel E, Liu T, Silvestri R, La Regina G. Structure-activity relationship studies and in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of novel 3-aroyl-1,4-diarylpyrroles against solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 185:111828. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Cardarelli S, Giorgi M, Poiana G, Biagioni S, Saliola M. Metabolic role of cGMP in S. cerevisiae: the murine phosphodiesterase-5 activity affects yeast cell proliferation by altering the cAMP/cGMP equilibrium. FEMS Yeast Res 2019; 19:5322165. [PMID: 30772891 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foz016] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In higher eukaryotes, cAMP and cGMP are signal molecules of major transduction pathways while phosphodiesterases (PDE) are a superfamily of cAMP/cGMP hydrolysing enzymes, modulatory components of these routes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae harbours two genes for PDE: Pde2 is a high affinity cAMP-hydrolysing enzyme, while Pde1 can hydrolyse both cAMP and cGMP. To gain insight into the metabolic role of cGMP in the physiology of yeast, the murine Pde5a1 gene encoding a specific cGMP-hydrolysing enzyme, was expressed in S. cerevisiae pdeΔ strains. pde1Δ and pde2Δ PDE5A1-transformed strain displayed opposite growth-curve profiles; while PDE5A1 recovered the growth delay of pde1Δ, PDE5A1 reversed the growth profile of pde2Δ to that of the untransformed pde1Δ. Growth test analysis and the use of Adh2 and Adh1 as respiro-fermentative glycolytic flux markers confirmed that PDE5A1 altered the metabolism by acting on Pde1-Pde2/cyclic nucleotides content and also on the TORC1 nutrient-sensing cascade. cGMP is required during the log-phase of cell proliferation to adjust/modulate cAMP levels inside well-defined ranges. A model is presented proposing the role of cGMP in the cAMP/PKA pathway. The expression of the PDE5A1 cassette in other mutant strains might constitute the starting tool to define cGMP metabolic role in yeast nutrient signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, Rome 5, 00185, Italy
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, Rome 5, 00185, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Poiana
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, Rome 5, 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, Rome 5, 00185, Italy
| | - Michele Saliola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, Rome 5, 00185, Italy
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16
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Stronati E, Conti R, Cacci E, Cardarelli S, Biagioni S, Poiana G. Extracellular Vesicle-Induced Differentiation of Neural Stem Progenitor Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20153691. [PMID: 31357666 PMCID: PMC6696602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs) from E13.5 mouse embryos can be maintained in culture under proliferating conditions. Upon growth-factor removal, they may differentiate toward either neuronal or glial phenotypes or both. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that are part of the cell secretome; they may contain and deliver both proteins and genetic material and thus play a role in cell-cell communication, guide axonal growth, modulate synaptic activity and regulate peripheral nerve regeneration. In this work, we were interested in determining whether NSPCs and their progeny can produce and secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) and if their content can affect cell differentiation. Our results indicate that cultured NSPCs produce and secrete EVs both under proliferating conditions and after differentiation. Treatment of proliferating NSPCs with EVs derived from differentiated NSPCs triggers cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by glial- and neuronal-marker expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Stronati
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Department of Biological Science, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Roberta Conti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Poiana
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
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Abstract
Aging is associated with cognitive decline and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases. The progressive extension of the average human lifespan is bound to lead to a corresponding increase in the fraction of cognitively impaired elderly individuals among the human population, with an enormous societal and economic burden. At the cellular and tissue levels, cognitive decline is linked to a reduction in specific neuronal subpopulations, a widespread decrease in synaptic plasticity and an increase in neuroinflammation due to an enhanced activation of astrocytes and microglia, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these functional changes during normal aging and in neuropathological conditions remain poorly understood. In this review, we summarize very recent and outstanding progress in elucidating the molecular changes associated with cognitive decline through the genome-wide profiling of aging brain cells at different molecular levels (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic). We discuss how the correlation of different molecular and phenotypic traits driven by mathematical and computational analyses of large datasets has led to the prediction of key molecular nodes of neurodegenerative pathways, and provide a few examples of candidate regulators of cognitive decline identified with these approaches. Furthermore, we highlight the dysregulation of the synaptic transcriptome in neuronal cells and of the inflammatory transcriptome in glial cells as some of the key events during normal and neuropathological human brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Silvana Gaetani
- Department of Physiology and Farmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Negri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Coluccia A, La Regina G, Naccarato V, Nalli M, Orlando V, Biagioni S, De Angelis ML, Baiocchi M, Gautier C, Gianni S, Di Pastena F, Di Magno L, Canettieri G, Coluccia AML, Silvestri R. Drug Design and Synthesis of First in Class PDZ1 Targeting NHERF1 Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:499-503. [PMID: 30996786 PMCID: PMC6466550 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00532] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
Targeted
approaches aiming at modulating NHERF1 activity, rather
than its overall expression, would be preferred to preserve the normal
functions of this versatile protein. We focused our attention on the
NHERF1/PDZ1 domain that governs its membrane recruitment/displacement
through a transient phosphorylation switch. We herein report the design
and synthesis of novel NHERF1 PDZ1 domain inhibitors. These compounds
have potential therapeutic value when used in combination with antagonists
of β-catenin to augment apoptotic death of colorectal cancer
cells refractory to currently available Wnt/β-catenin-targeted
agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Coluccia
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Valentina Naccarato
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Marianna Nalli
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Laura De Angelis
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Baiocchi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Candice Gautier
- Department of Biochemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Gianni
- Department of Biochemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Fiorella Di Pastena
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Viale Regina Elena, 291, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Laura Di Magno
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Canettieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Viale Regina Elena, 291, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Romano Silvestri
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia − Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
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19
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Lupo G, Gioia R, Nisi PS, Biagioni S, Cacci E. Molecular Mechanisms of Neurogenic Aging in the Adult Mouse Subventricular Zone. J Exp Neurosci 2019; 13:1179069519829040. [PMID: 30814846 PMCID: PMC6381424 DOI: 10.1177/1179069519829040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the adult rodent brain, the continuous production of new neurons by neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) residing in specialized neurogenic niches and their subsequent integration into pre-existing cerebral circuitries supports odour discrimination, spatial learning, and contextual memory capabilities. Aging is recognized as the most potent negative regulator of adult neurogenesis. The neurogenic process markedly declines in the aged brain, due to the reduction of the NSPC pool and the functional impairment of the remaining NSPCs. This decline has been linked to the progressive cognitive deficits of elderly individuals and it may also be involved in the onset/progression of neurological disorders. Since the human lifespan has been dramatically extended, the incidence of age-associated neuropsychiatric conditions in the human population has increased. This has prompted efforts to shed light on the mechanisms underpinning the age-related decline of adult neurogenesis, whose knowledge may foster therapeutic approaches to prevent or delay cognitive alterations in elderly patients. In this review, we summarize recent progress in elucidating the molecular causes of neurogenic aging in the most abundant NSPC niche of the adult mouse brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ). We discuss the age-associated changes occurring both in the intrinsic NSPC molecular networks and in the extrinsic signalling pathways acting in the complex environment of the SVZ niche, and how all these changes may steer young NSPCs towards an aged phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Gioia
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Serena Nisi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Cardarelli S, Miele AE, Zamparelli C, Biagioni S, Naro F, Malatesta F, Giorgi M, Saliola M. The oligomeric assembly of the phosphodiesterase-5 is a mixture of dimers and tetramers: A putative role in the regulation of function. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:2183-2190. [PMID: 30025857 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a superfamily of evolutionary conserved cyclic nucleotides (cAMP/cGMP) hydrolysing enzymes, components of transduction pathways regulating crucial aspects of cell life. PDE5, one of these families, is the molecular target of several drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Despite its medical relevance, PDE5 macromolecular structure has only been solved for the isolated regulatory and catalytic domains. The definition of the quaternary structure of the full length PDE5 (MmPDE5A1), produced in large amounts in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, could greatly enhance the knowledge on its assembly/allosteric regulation and the development of new inhibitors for clinical-therapeutic applications. METHODS Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and western blot (WB) were used to assess the assembly of PDE5A1. RESULTS The full length MmPDE5A1 isoform is a mixture of dimers and tetramers in solution. We also report data showing that dimers and tetramers also coexist in vivo in platelets, blood components naturally containing high levels of PDE5. CONCLUSIONS This is the first time that structural studies on the full length protein evidenced the assembly of PDE5 in tetramers in addition to the expected dimers. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The assembly of PDE5 in tetramers in platelets, beside the dimers, opens the possibility to alternative assembly/allosteric regulation of this enzyme, as component of large signaling complexes, in all cellular districts in which PDE5 is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Adriana Erica Miele
- Department of Biochemical Sciences 'Rossi Fanelli', Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; UMR 5246 ICBMS - CNRS - UCBL, Université de Lyon, Campus La Doua, 43 bd 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, Cedex, France.
| | - Carlotta Zamparelli
- Department of Biochemical Sciences 'Rossi Fanelli', Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Fabio Naro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Malatesta
- Department of Biochemical Sciences 'Rossi Fanelli', Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Michele Saliola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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21
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Cera AA, Cacci E, Toselli C, Cardarelli S, Bernardi A, Gioia R, Giorgi M, Poiana G, Biagioni S. Egr-1 Maintains NSC Proliferation and Its Overexpression Counteracts Cell Cycle Exit Triggered by the Withdrawal of Epidermal Growth Factor. Dev Neurosci 2018; 40:223-233. [PMID: 29975945 DOI: 10.1159/000489699] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In adult mammals, neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in specialized niches at the level of selected CNS regions, such as the subventricular zone (SVZ). The signaling pathways that reg-ulate NSC proliferation and differentiation remain poorly understood. Early growth response protein 1 (Egr-1) is an important transcription factor, widely studied in the adult mammalian brain, mediating the activation of target genes by a variety of extracellular stimuli. In our study, we aimed at testing how Egr-1 regulates adult NSCs derived from mouse SVZ and, in particular, the interplay between Egr-1 and the proliferative factor EGF. We demonstrate that Egr-1 expression in NSCs is induced by growth factor stimulation, and its level decreases after EGF deprivation or by using AG1478, an inhibitor of the EGF/EGFR signaling pathway. We also show that Egr-1 overexpression rescues the cell proliferation decrease observed either after EGF removal or upon treatment with AG1478, suggesting that Egr-1 works downstream of the EGF pathway. To better understand this mechanism, we investigated targets downstream of both the EGF pathway and Egr-1, and found that they regulate genes involved in NSC proliferation, such as cell cycle regulators, cyclins, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arcangela Anna Cera
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Toselli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nanoscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) at Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bernardi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Gioia
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Poiana
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Unità di Ricerca in Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nanoscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) at Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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22
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Lupo G, Nisi PS, Esteve P, Paul YL, Novo CL, Sidders B, Khan MA, Biagioni S, Liu HK, Bovolenta P, Cacci E, Rugg-Gunn PJ. Molecular profiling of aged neural progenitors identifies Dbx2 as a candidate regulator of age-associated neurogenic decline. Aging Cell 2018; 17:e12745. [PMID: 29504228 PMCID: PMC5946077 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Accepted: 02/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis declines with aging due to the depletion and functional impairment of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). An improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive age‐associated neurogenic deficiency could lead to the development of strategies to alleviate cognitive impairment and facilitate neuroregeneration. An essential step towards this aim is to investigate the molecular changes that occur in NSPC aging on a genomewide scale. In this study, we compare the transcriptional, histone methylation and DNA methylation signatures of NSPCs derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of young adult (3 months old) and aged (18 months old) mice. Surprisingly, the transcriptional and epigenomic profiles of SVZ‐derived NSPCs are largely unchanged in aged cells. Despite the global similarities, we detect robust age‐dependent changes at several hundred genes and regulatory elements, thereby identifying putative regulators of neurogenic decline. Within this list, the homeobox gene Dbx2 is upregulated in vitro and in vivo, and its promoter region has altered histone and DNA methylation levels, in aged NSPCs. Using functional in vitro assays, we show that elevated Dbx2 expression in young adult NSPCs promotes age‐related phenotypes, including the reduced proliferation of NSPC cultures and the altered transcript levels of age‐associated regulators of NSPC proliferation and differentiation. Depleting Dbx2 in aged NSPCs caused the reverse gene expression changes. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the molecular programmes that are affected during mouse NSPC aging, and uncover a new functional role for Dbx2 in promoting age‐related neurogenic decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Chemistry; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Paola S. Nisi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Pilar Esteve
- Centro de Biologia Molecular “Severo Ochoa”; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas-Universidad Autonoma de Madrid; Madrid Spain
- CIBER of Rare Diseases; ISCIII; Madrid Spain
| | - Yu-Lee Paul
- Epigenetics Programme; The Babraham Institute; Cambridge UK
| | | | - Ben Sidders
- Bioscience; Oncology; IMED Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Cambridge UK
| | - Muhammad A. Khan
- Division of Molecular Neurogenetics; German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ); DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance; Heidelberg Germany
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Hai-Kun Liu
- Division of Molecular Neurogenetics; German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ); DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance; Heidelberg Germany
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biologia Molecular “Severo Ochoa”; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas-Universidad Autonoma de Madrid; Madrid Spain
- CIBER of Rare Diseases; ISCIII; Madrid Spain
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Peter J. Rugg-Gunn
- Epigenetics Programme; The Babraham Institute; Cambridge UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
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23
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Biagioni S, Stella F, Mannello F, Cerroni L, Stella C, Troccoli R. α1-Antitrypsin, Transferrin, Alkaline Phosphatase, Phosphohexoseisomerase and γ-Glutamyltransferase in Breast Cyst Fluid. Tumori 2018; 71:135-40. [PMID: 2860745 DOI: 10.1177/030089168507100208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The levels of α1-antitrypsin, transferrin, alkaline phosphatase, phosphohexoseisomerase and γ-glutamyltransferase were measured in 32 samples of breast cyst fluid, and a wide range of values was obtained. The levels observed in some samples for these parameters, being similar to those of normal serum, might suggest a mechanism of plasma exudation for the formation of breast cyst fluid. Nevertheless, a comparison with the maximum normal serum reference value revealed very high levels of γ-glutamyltransferase in all of the samples; about 50% also exhibited high levels of phosphohexoseisomerase. These results indicate that the formation of breast cyst fluid takes place with a specific local production, in addition to the mechanism of selective plasma exudation. Moreover, elevated transferrin levels in some cyst fluids are probably the expression of a high biosynthetic activity and could be diagnostically useful in the course of breast gross cystic disease. The importance of these observations from the point of view of diagnostic and prognostic trends are discussed.
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24
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Cardarelli S, Giorgi M, Naro F, Malatesta F, Biagioni S, Saliola M. Use of the KlADH3 promoter for the quantitative production of the murine PDE5A isoforms in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:159. [PMID: 28938916 PMCID: PMC5610471 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0779-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phosphodiesterases (PDE) are a superfamily of enzymes that hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides (cAMP/cGMP), signal molecules in transduction pathways regulating crucial aspects of cell life. PDEs regulate the intensity and duration of the cyclic nucleotides signal modulating the downstream biological effect. Due to this critical role associated with the extensive distribution and multiplicity of isozymes, the 11 mammalian families (PDE1 to PDE11) constitute key therapeutic targets. PDE5, one of these cGMP-specific hydrolysing families, is the molecular target of several well known drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Kluyveromyces lactis, one of the few yeasts capable of utilizing lactose, is an attractive host alternative to Saccharomyces cerevisiae for heterologous protein production. Here we established K. lactis as a powerful host for the quantitative production of the murine PDE5 isoforms. RESULTS Using the promoter of the highly expressed KlADH3 gene, multicopy plasmids were engineered to produce the native and recombinant Mus musculus PDE5 in K. lactis. Yeast cells produced large amounts of the purified A1, A2 and A3 isoforms displaying Km, Vmax and Sildenafil inhibition values similar to those of the native murine enzymes. PDE5 whose yield was nearly 1 mg/g wet weight biomass for all three isozymes (30 mg/L culture), is well tolerated by K. lactis cells without major growth deficiencies and interferences with the endogenous cAMP/cGMP signal transduction pathways. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first time that the entire PDE5 isozymes family containing both regulatory and catalytic domains has been produced at high levels in a heterologous eukaryotic organism. K. lactis has been shown to be a very promising host platform for large scale production of mammalian PDEs for biochemical and structural studies and for the development of new specific PDE inhibitors for therapeutic applications in many pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Naro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Malatesta
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Saliola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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25
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Carucci N, Cacci E, Nisi PS, Licursi V, Paul YL, Biagioni S, Negri R, Rugg-Gunn PJ, Lupo G. Transcriptional response of Hoxb genes to retinoid signalling is regionally restricted along the neural tube rostrocaudal axis. R Soc Open Sci 2017; 4:160913. [PMID: 28484611 PMCID: PMC5414248 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During vertebrate neural development, positional information is largely specified by extracellular morphogens. Their distribution, however, is very dynamic due to the multiple roles played by the same signals in the developing and adult neural tissue. This suggests that neural progenitors are able to modify their competence to respond to morphogen signalling and autonomously maintain positional identities after their initial specification. In this work, we take advantage of in vitro culture systems of mouse neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) to show that NSPCs isolated from rostral or caudal regions of the mouse neural tube are differentially responsive to retinoic acid (RA), a pivotal morphogen for the specification of posterior neural fates. Hoxb genes are among the best known RA direct targets in the neural tissue, yet we found that RA could promote their transcription only in caudal but not in rostral NSPCs. Correlating with these effects, key RA-responsive regulatory regions in the Hoxb cluster displayed opposite enrichment of activating or repressing histone marks in rostral and caudal NSPCs. Finally, RA was able to strengthen Hoxb chromatin activation in caudal NSPCs, but was ineffective on the repressed Hoxb chromatin of rostral NSPCs. These results suggest that the response of NSPCs to morphogen signalling across the rostrocaudal axis of the neural tube may be gated by the epigenetic configuration of target patterning genes, allowing long-term maintenance of intrinsic positional values in spite of continuously changing extrinsic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Carucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola S. Nisi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Licursi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Yu-Lee Paul
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Negri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur— Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Lupo
- Istituto Pasteur— Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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26
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Cacci E, Negri R, Biagioni S, Lupo G. Histone Methylation and microRNA-dependent Regulation of Epigenetic Activities in Neural Progenitor Self-Renewal and Differentiation. Curr Top Med Chem 2017; 17:794-807. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026616666160414124456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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27
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Di Bari M, Reale M, Di Nicola M, Orlando V, Galizia S, Porfilio I, Costantini E, D'Angelo C, Ruggieri S, Biagioni S, Gasperini C, Tata AM. Dysregulated Homeostasis of Acetylcholine Levels in Immune Cells of RR-Multiple Sclerosis Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17122009. [PMID: 27916909 PMCID: PMC5187809 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17122009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Acetylcholine (ACh) contributes to the modulation of central and peripheral inflammation. We studied the homeostasis of the cholinergic system in relation to cytokine levels in immune cells and sera of relapsing remitting-MS (RR-MS) patients. We demonstrated that lower ACh levels in serum of RR-MS patients were inversely correlated with the increased activity of the hydrolyzing enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). Interestingly, the expression of the ACh biosynthetic enzyme and the protein carriers involved in non-vesicular ACh release were found overexpressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients. The inflammatory state of the MS patients was confirmed by increased levels of TNFα, IL-12/IL-23p40, IL-18. The lower circulating ACh levels in sera of MS patients are dependent on the higher activity of cholinergic hydrolyzing enzymes. The smaller ratio of ACh to TNFα, IL-12/IL-23p40 and IL-18 in MS patients, with respect to healthy donors (HD), is indicative of an inflammatory environment probably related to the alteration of cholinergic system homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Di Bari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research, Center of Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Marcella Reale
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Science, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Marta Di Nicola
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Science, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Viviana Orlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research, Center of Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Sabrina Galizia
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research, Center of Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Italo Porfilio
- School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Erica Costantini
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Science, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Chiara D'Angelo
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Science, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Serena Ruggieri
- Department of Neurology and Psichiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
- Department of Neurosciences, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research, Center of Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Claudio Gasperini
- Department of Neurosciences, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ada Maria Tata
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research, Center of Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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28
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Massimi M, Cardarelli S, Galli F, Giardi MF, Ragusa F, Panera N, Cinque B, Cifone MG, Biagioni S, Giorgi M. Increase of Intracellular Cyclic AMP by PDE4 Inhibitors Affects HepG2 Cell Cycle Progression and Survival. J Cell Biochem 2016; 118:1401-1411. [PMID: 27859531 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Type 4 cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE4) are major members of a superfamily of enzymes (PDE) involved in modulation of intracellular signaling mediated by cAMP. Broadly expressed in most human tissues and present in large amounts in the liver, PDEs have in the last decade been key therapeutic targets for several inflammatory diseases. Recently, a significant body of work has underscored their involvement in different kinds of cancer, but with no attention paid to liver cancer. The present study investigated the effects of two PDE4 inhibitors, rolipram and DC-TA-46, on the growth of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Treatment with these inhibitors caused a marked increase of intracellular cAMP level and a dose- and time-dependent effect on cell growth. The concentrations of inhibitors that halved cell proliferation to about 50% were used for cell cycle experiments. Rolipram (10 μM) and DC-TA-46 (0.5 μM) produced a decrease of cyclin expression, in particular of cyclin A, as well as an increase in p21, p27 and p53, as evaluated by Western blot analysis. Changes in the intracellular localization of cyclin D1 were also observed after treatments. In addition, both inhibitors caused apoptosis, as demonstrated by an Annexin-V cytofluorimetric assay and analysis of caspase-3/7 activity. Results demonstrated that treatment with PDE4 inhibitors affected HepG2 cell cycle and survival, suggesting that they might be useful as potential adjuvant, chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agents in hepatocellular carcinoma. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1401-1411, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Massimi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Galli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Federica Giardi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Federica Ragusa
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Nadia Panera
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital and IRCC, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Cinque
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Cifone
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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29
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Gioia U, Di Carlo V, Caramanica P, Toselli C, Cinquino A, Marchioni M, Laneve P, Biagioni S, Bozzoni I, Cacci E, Caffarelli E. Mir-23a and mir-125b regulate neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation by targeting Musashi1. RNA Biol 2015; 11:1105-12. [PMID: 25483045 DOI: 10.4161/rna.35508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Musashi1 is an RNA binding protein that controls the neural cell fate, being involved in maintaining neural progenitors in their proliferative state. In particular, its downregulation is needed for triggering early neural differentiation programs. In this study, we profiled microRNA expression during the transition from neural progenitors to differentiated astrocytes and underscored 2 upregulated microRNAs, miR-23a and miR-125b, that sinergically act to restrain Musashi1 expression, thus creating a regulatory module controlling neural progenitor proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ubaldo Gioia
- a Deptartment of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin ; Sapienza University of Rome ; Rome, Italy
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30
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Soldati C, Caramanica P, Burney MJ, Toselli C, Bithell A, Augusti-Tocco G, Stanton LW, Biagioni S, Buckley NJ, Cacci E. RE1 silencing transcription factor/neuron-restrictive silencing factor regulates expansion of adult mouse subventricular zone-derived neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro. J Neurosci Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23613] [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: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Soldati
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
- Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Pasquale Caramanica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Matthew J. Burney
- Department of Neuroscience; Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour; Institute of Psychiatry; King's College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Toselli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience Sapienza; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Rome Italy
| | - Angela Bithell
- Department of Neuroscience; Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour; Institute of Psychiatry; King's College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Gabriella Augusti-Tocco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | | | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience Sapienza; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Rome Italy
| | - Noel J. Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital; Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
- Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
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31
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Soldati C, Caramanica P, Burney MJ, Toselli C, Bithell A, Augusti-Tocco G, Stanton LW, Biagioni S, Buckley NJ, Cacci E. RE1 silencing transcription factor/neuron-restrictive silencing factor regulates expansion of adult mouse subventricular zone-derived neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1203-14. [PMID: 25691247 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adult neural stem cell (aNSC) activity is tuned by external stimuli through the recruitment of transcription factors. This study examines the RE1 silencing transcription factor (REST) in neural stem/progenitor cells isolated from the subventricular zone of adult mouse brain and provides the first extensive characterization of REST-mediated control of the cellular and molecular properties. This study shows that REST knockdown affects the capacity of progenitor cells to generate neurospheres, reduces cell proliferation, and triggers cell differentiation despite the presence of growth factors. Genome- and transcriptome-wide analyses show that REST binding sites are significantly enriched in genes associated with synaptic transmission and nervous system development and function. Seeking candidate regulators of aNSC function, this study identifies a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family, BMP6, the mRNA and protein of which increased after REST knockdown. The results of this study extend previous findings, demonstrating a reciprocal control of REST expression by BMPs. Administration of exogenous BMP6 inhibits aNSC proliferation and induces the expression of the astrocytic marker glial fibrillary acidic protein, highlighting its antimitogenic and prodifferentiative effects. This study suggests that BMP6 produced in a REST-regulated manner together with other signals can contribute to regulation of NSC maintenance and fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Soldati
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pasquale Caramanica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Matthew J Burney
- Department of Neuroscience, Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Toselli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nanoscience Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Bithell
- Department of Neuroscience, Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriella Augusti-Tocco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nanoscience Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Noel J Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Giorgi M, Pompili A, Cardarelli S, Castelli V, Biagioni S, Sancesario G, Gasbarri A. Zaprinast impairs spatial memory by increasing PDE5 expression in the rat hippocampus. Behav Brain Res 2014; 278:129-36. [PMID: 25281278 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we report the effect of post-training intraperitoneal administration of zaprinast on rat memory retention in the Morris water maze task that revealed a significant memory impairment at the intermediate dose of 10mg/kg. Zaprinast is capable of inhibiting both striatal and hippocampal PDE activity but to a different extent which is probably due to the different PDE isoforms expressed in these areas. To assess the possible involvement of cyclic nucleotides in rat memory impairment, we compared the effects obtained 30 min after the zaprinast injection with respect to 24h after injection by measuring both cyclic nucleotide levels and PDE activity. As expected, 30 min after the zaprinast administration, we observed an increase of cyclic nucleotides, which returned to a basal level within 24h, with the exception of the hippocampal cGMP which was significantly decreased at the dose of 10mg/kg of zaprinast. This increase in the hippocampal region is the result of a cGMP-specific PDE5 induction, confirmed by sildenafil inhibition, in agreement with literature data that demonstrate transcriptional regulation of PDE5 by cAMP/cGMP intracellular levels. Our results highlight the possible rebound effect of PDE inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Giorgi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
| | - Assunta Pompili
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Silvia Cardarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Castelli
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sancesario
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Gasbarri
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy
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Anelli T, Cardarelli S, Ori M, Nardi I, Biagioni S, Poiana G. 5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A and 2B Serotonin Receptors in Neurite Outgrowth: Involvement of Early Growth Response Protein 1. Dev Neurosci 2013; 35:450-60. [DOI: 10.1159/000354423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Lupo G, Novorol C, Smith JR, Vallier L, Miranda E, Alexander M, Biagioni S, Pedersen RA, Harris WA. Multiple roles of Activin/Nodal, bone morphogenetic protein, fibroblast growth factor and Wnt/β-catenin signalling in the anterior neural patterning of adherent human embryonic stem cell cultures. Open Biol 2013; 3:120167. [PMID: 23576785 PMCID: PMC3718331 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have successfully produced a variety of neural cell types from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), but there has been limited systematic analysis of how different regional identities are established using well-defined differentiation conditions. We have used adherent, chemically defined cultures to analyse the roles of Activin/Nodal, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and Wnt/β-catenin signalling in neural induction, anteroposterior patterning and eye field specification in hESCs. We show that either BMP inhibition or activation of FGF signalling is required for effective neural induction, but these two pathways have distinct outcomes on rostrocaudal patterning. While BMP inhibition leads to specification of forebrain/midbrain positional identities, FGF-dependent neural induction is associated with strong posteriorization towards hindbrain/spinal cord fates. We also demonstrate that Wnt/β-catenin signalling is activated during neural induction and promotes acquisition of neural fates posterior to forebrain. Therefore, inhibition of this pathway is needed for efficient forebrain specification. Finally, we provide evidence that the levels of Activin/Nodal and BMP signalling have a marked influence on further forebrain patterning and that constitutive inhibition of these pathways represses expression of eye field genes. These results show that the key mechanisms controlling neural patterning in model vertebrate species are preserved in adherent, chemically defined hESC cultures and reveal new insights into the signals regulating eye field specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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Dalfrà MG, Chilelli NC, Di Cianni G, Mello G, Lencioni C, Biagioni S, Scalese M, Sartore G, Lapolla A. Glucose Fluctuations during Gestation: An Additional Tool for Monitoring Pregnancy Complicated by Diabetes. Int J Endocrinol 2013; 2013:279021. [PMID: 24319455 PMCID: PMC3844274 DOI: 10.1155/2013/279021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) gives a unique insight into magnitude and duration of daily glucose fluctuations. Limited data are available on glucose variability (GV) in pregnancy. We aimed to assess GV in healthy pregnant women and cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes (GDM) and its possible association with HbA1c. CGM was performed in 50 pregnant women (20 type 1, 20 GDM, and 10 healthy controls) in all three trimesters of pregnancy. We calculated mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), standard deviation (SD), interquartile range (IQR), and continuous overlapping net glycemic action (CONGA), as parameters of GV. The high blood glycemic index (HBGI) and low blood glycemic index (LBGI) were also measured as indicators of hyperhypoglycemic risk. Women with type 1 diabetes showed higher GV, with a 2-fold higher risk of hyperglycemic spikes during the day, than healthy pregnant women or GDM ones. GDM women had only slightly higher GV parameters than healthy controls. HbA1c did not correlate with GV indicators in type 1 diabetes or GDM pregnancies. We provided new evidence of the importance of certain GV indicators in pregnant women with GDM or type 1 diabetes and recommended the use of CGM specifically in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. G. Dalfrà
- Department of Medicine, Unit of Metabolic Diseases, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani no. 2, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - N. C. Chilelli
- Department of Medicine, Unit of Metabolic Diseases, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani no. 2, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - G. Di Cianni
- Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Section of Metabolic Diseases & Diabetes, AOUP Pisa, University of Pisa, Ospedale Cisanello, Via Paradisa no. 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - G. Mello
- Department of Gynecology, Perinatology and Human Reproduction, University of Florence, Viale Giovan Battista Morgagni no. 85, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - C. Lencioni
- Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Section of Metabolic Diseases & Diabetes, AOUP Pisa, University of Pisa, Ospedale Cisanello, Via Paradisa no. 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - S. Biagioni
- Department of Gynecology, Perinatology and Human Reproduction, University of Florence, Viale Giovan Battista Morgagni no. 85, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - M. Scalese
- CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via G. Moruzzi no. 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - G. Sartore
- Department of Medicine, Unit of Metabolic Diseases, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani no. 2, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - A. Lapolla
- Department of Medicine, Unit of Metabolic Diseases, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani no. 2, 35128 Padua, Italy
- *A. Lapolla:
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Sinno M, Biagioni S, Ajmone-Cat MA, Pafumi I, Caramanica P, Medda V, Tonti G, Minghetti L, Mannello F, Cacci E. The matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor marimastat promotes neural progenitor cell differentiation into neurons by gelatinase-independent TIMP-2-dependent mechanisms. Stem Cells Dev 2012; 22:345-58. [PMID: 23098139 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2012.0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors (TIMPs), produced in the brain by cells of non-neural and neural origin, including neural progenitors (NPs), are emerging as regulators of nervous system development and adult brain functions. In the present study, we explored whether MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2, abundantly produced in the brain, modulate NP developmental properties. We found that treatment of NPs, isolated from the murine fetal cerebral cortex or adult subventricular zone, with the clinically tested broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor Marimastat profoundly affected the NP differentiation fate. Marimastat treatment allowed for an enrichment of our cultures in neuronal cells, inducing NPs to generate higher percentage of neurons and a lower percentage of astrocytes, possibly affecting NP commitment. Consistently with its proneurogenic effect, Marimastat early downregulated the expression of Notch target genes, such as Hes1 and Hes5. MMP-2 and MMP-9 profiling on proliferating and differentiating NPs revealed that MMP-9 was not expressed under these conditions, whereas MMP-2 increased in the medium as pro-MMP-2 (72 kDa) during differentiation; its active form (62 kDa) was not detectable by gel zymography. MMP-2 silencing or administration of recombinant active MMP-2 demonstrated that MMP-2 does not affect NP neuronal differentiation, nor it is involved in the Marimastat proneurogenic effect. We also found that TIMP-2 is expressed in NPs and increases during late differentiation, mainly as a consequence of astrocyte generation. Endogenous TIMP-2 did not modulate NP neurogenic potential; however, the proneurogenic action of Marimastat was mediated by TIMP-2, as demonstrated by silencing experiments. In conclusion, our data exclude a major involvement of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the regulation of basal NP differentiation, but highlight the ability of TIMP-2 to act as key effector of the proneurogenic response to an inducing stimulus such as Marimastat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Sinno
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Corsetti V, Mozzetta C, Biagioni S, Augusti Tocco G, Tata AM. The mechanisms and possible sites of acetylcholine release during chick primary sensory neuron differentiation. Life Sci 2012; 91:783-8. [PMID: 22922497 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2012.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 08/04/2012] [Accepted: 08/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS In this study, we evaluated the ability of differentiating embryonic chick DRG neurons to release and respond to acetylcholine (ACh). In particular, we investigated the neuronal soma and neurites as sites of ACh release, as well as the mechanism(s) underlying this release. MAIN METHODS ACh release from DRG explants in the Campenot chambers was measured by a chemiluminescent assay. Real-time PCR analysis was used to evaluate the expression of ChAT, VAChT, mediatophore and muscarinic receptor subtypes in DRGs at different developmental stages. KEY FINDINGS We found that ACh is released both within the central and lateral compartments of the Campenot chambers, indicating that ACh might be released from both the neuronal soma and fibers. Moreover, we observed that the expression of the ChAT and mediatophore increases during sensory neuron differentiation and during the post-hatching period, whereas VAChT expression decreases throughout development. Lastly, the kinetics of the m2 and m3 transcripts appeared to change differentially compared to the m4 transcript during the same developmental period. SIGNIFICANCE The data obtained demonstrate that the DRG sensory neurons are able to release ACh and to respond to ACh stimulation. ACh is released both by the soma and neurite compartments. The contribution of the mediatophore to ACh release appears to be more significant than that of VAChT, suggesting that the non-vesicular release of ACh might represent the preferential mechanism of ACh release in DRG neurons and possibly in non-cholinergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Corsetti
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Research Center of Neurobiology, Daniel Bovet, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
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Antonietta Ajmone-Cat M, Lavinia Salvatori M, De Simone R, Mancini M, Biagioni S, Bernardo A, Cacci E, Minghetti L. Docosahexaenoic acid modulates inflammatory and antineurogenic functions of activated microglial cells. J Neurosci Res 2011; 90:575-87. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Revised: 07/24/2011] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Ajmone-Cat MA, Cacci E, Ragazzoni Y, Minghetti L, Biagioni S. Pro-gliogenic effect of IL-1α in the differentiation of embryonic neural precursor cellsin vitro. J Neurochem 2010; 113:1060-72. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06670.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Martella G, Tassone A, Sciamanna G, Platania P, Cuomo D, Viscomi MT, Bonsi P, Cacci E, Biagioni S, Usiello A, Bernardi G, Sharma N, Standaert DG, Pisani A. Impairment of bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the striatum of a mouse model of DYT1 dystonia: role of endogenous acetylcholine. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 132:2336-49. [PMID: 19641103 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awp194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
DYT1 dystonia is a severe form of inherited dystonia, characterized by involuntary twisting movements and abnormal postures. It is linked to a deletion in the dyt1 gene, resulting in a mutated form of the protein torsinA. The penetrance for dystonia is incomplete, but both clinically affected and non-manifesting carriers of the DYT1 mutation exhibit impaired motor learning and evidence of altered motor plasticity. Here, we characterized striatal glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in transgenic mice expressing either the normal human torsinA or its mutant form, in comparison to non-transgenic (NT) control mice. Medium spiny neurons recorded from both NT and normal human torsinA mice exhibited normal long-term depression (LTD), whereas in mutant human torsinA littermates LTD could not be elicited. In addition, although long-term potentiation (LTP) could be induced in all the mice, it was greater in magnitude in mutant human torsinA mice. Low-frequency stimulation (LFS) can revert potentiated synapses to resting levels, a phenomenon termed synaptic depotentiation. LFS induced synaptic depotentiation (SD) both in NT and normal human torsinA mice, but not in mutant human torsinA mice. Since anti-cholinergic drugs are an effective medical therapeutic option for the treatment of human dystonia, we reasoned that an excess in endogenous acetylcholine could underlie the synaptic plasticity impairment. Indeed, both LTD and SD were rescued in mutant human torsinA mice either by lowering endogenous acetylcholine levels or by antagonizing muscarinic M1 receptors. The presence of an enhanced acetylcholine tone was confirmed by the observation that acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly increased in the striatum of mutant human torsinA mice, as compared with both normal human torsinA and NT littermates. Moreover, we found similar alterations of synaptic plasticity in muscarinic M2/M4 receptor knockout mice, in which an increased striatal acetylcholine level has been documented. The loss of LTD and SD on one hand, and the increase in LTP on the other, demonstrate that a 'loss of inhibition' characterizes the impairment of synaptic plasticity in this model of DYT1 dystonia. More importantly, our results indicate that an unbalanced cholinergic transmission plays a pivotal role in these alterations, providing a clue to understand the ability of anticholinergic agents to restore motor deficits in dystonia.
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Salani M, Anelli T, Tocco GA, Lucarini E, Mozzetta C, Poiana G, Tata AM, Biagioni S. Acetylcholine-induced neuronal differentiation: muscarinic receptor activation regulates EGR-1 and REST expression in neuroblastoma cells. J Neurochem 2009; 108:821-34. [PMID: 19187099 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05829.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitters are considered part of the signaling system active in nervous system development and we have previously reported that acetylcholine (ACh) is capable of enhancing neuronal differentiation in cultures of sensory neurons and N18TG2 neuroblastoma cells. To study the mechanism of ACh action, in this study, we demonstrate the ability of choline acetyltransferase-transfected N18TG2 clones (e.g. 2/4 clone) to release ACh. Analysis of muscarinic receptors showed the presence of M1-M4 subtypes and the activation of both IP(3) and cAMP signal transduction pathways. Muscarinic receptor activation increases early growth response factor-1 (EGR-1) levels and treatments with agonists, antagonists, and signal transduction enzyme inhibitors suggest a role for M3 subtype in EGR-1 induction. The role of EGR-1 in the enhancement of differentiation was investigated transfecting in N18TG2 cells a construct for EGR-1. EGR-1 clones show increased neurite extension and a decrease in Repressor Element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) expression: both these features have also been observed for the 2/4 clone. Transfection of this latter with EGR zinc-finger domain, a dominant negative inhibitor of EGR-1 action, increases REST expression, and decreases fiber outgrowth. The data reported suggest that progression of the clone 2/4 in the developmental program is dependent on ACh release and the ensuing activation of muscarinic receptors, which in turn modulate the level of EGR-1 and REST transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Salani
- Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Unità di Ricerca di Neurobiologia e Centro di Ricerca in Neurobiologia Daniel Bovet, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro, Roma, Italy
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Tonti GA, Mannello F, Cacci E, Biagioni S. Neural stem cells at the crossroads: MMPs may tell the way. Int J Dev Biol 2009; 53:1-17. [DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.082573gt] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Reisoli E, De Lucchini S, Anelli T, Biagioni S, Nardi I, Ori M. Overexpression of 5-HT2B receptor results in retinal dysplasia and defective ocular morphogenesis in Xenopus embryos. Brain Res 2008; 1244:32-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2008] [Accepted: 09/15/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Cacci E, Ajmone-Cat MA, Anelli T, Biagioni S, Minghetti L. In vitro neuronal and glial differentiation from embryonic or adult neural precursor cells are differently affected by chronic or acute activation of microglia. Glia 2008; 56:412-25. [PMID: 18186084 DOI: 10.1002/glia.20616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The contribution of microglia to the modulation of neurogenesis under pathological conditions is unclear. Both pro- and anti-neurogenic effects have been reported, likely reflecting the complexity of microglial activation process. We previously demonstrated that prolonged (72 hr) in vitro exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endows microglia with a potentially neuroprotective phenotype, here referred as to "chronic". In the present study we further characterized the chronic phenotype and investigated whether it might differently regulate the properties of embryonic and adult neural precursor cells (NPC) with respect to the "acute" phenotype acquired following a single (24 hr) LPS stimulation. We show that the LPS-dependent induction of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was strongly reduced after chronic stimulation of microglia, as compared with acute stimulation. Conversely, the synthesis of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the immunomodulatory prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was still elevated or further increased, after chronic LPS exposure, as revealed by real time PCR and ELISA techniques. Acutely activated microglia, or their conditioned medium, reduced NPC survival, prevented neuronal differentiation and strongly increased glial differentiation, likely through the release of proinflammatory cytokines, whereas chronically activated microglia were permissive to neuronal differentiation and cell survival, and still supported glial differentiation. Our data suggest that, in a chronically altered environment, persistently activated microglia can display protective functions that favor rather than hinder brain repair processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Cacci
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, La Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a pleiotropic factor that activates proliferation, differentiation, and migration of various cell types. Its action is mediated by c-Met, a receptor endowed with tyrosine kinase activity that activates complex signaling cascades and mediates diverse cell responses. Although HGF action was first demonstrated in epithelial cells, expression of HGF and c-Met receptor has also been described in developing and adult mammalian brain. In the developing central nervous system, areas of HGF and c-Met expression are coincident with the migratory pathway of precursor cells. In the present article we report that the interaction between c-Met and HGF/SF in striatal progenitor ST14A cells triggers a signaling cascade that induces modification of cell morphology, with decreased cell-cell interactions and increased cell motility; in particular, we analyzed the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and the delocalization of beta-catenin and N-cadherin. The testing of other neurotrophic factors (NGF, BDNF, NT3, and CNTF) showed that the observed modifications were peculiar to HGF. We show that phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor treatment, which blocks cell scattering induced by HGF/SF, does not abolish actin and beta-catenin redistribution. The effects of HGF/SF on primary spinal cord cell cultures were also investigated, and HGF/SF was found to have a possible motogenic effect on these cells. The data reported suggest that HGF could play a role in the early steps of neurogenesis as a motogenic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Soldati
- Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università di Roma "La Sapienza," Roma, Italy
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Anelli T, Mannello F, Salani M, Tonti GA, Poiana G, Biagioni S. Acetylcholine induces neurite outgrowth and modulates matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 362:269-74. [PMID: 17707768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.07.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 07/05/2007] [Accepted: 07/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, may regulate brain cellular functions. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) transfected murine neuroblastoma cell line N18TG2, that synthesize acetylcholine and show enhancement of several neurospecific markers (i.e., sinapsin I, voltage gated Na(+) channels, high affinity choline uptake) and fiber outgrowth, were studied for the MMP regulation during neuronal differentiation. Zymography of N18TG2 culture medium revealed no gelatinolytic activity, whereas after carbachol treatment of cells both MMP-9 and activated MMP-2 forms were detected. ChAT-transfected clone culture medium contains three MMP forms at 230, 92, and 66kDa. Carbachol treatment increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression in N18TG2 cells and higher levels for both genes were also observed in ChAT transfected cells. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that acetylcholine brings about the activation of an autocrine loop modulating MMP expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonino Anelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
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Giordano C, Poiana G, Augusti-Tocco G, Biagioni S. Acetylcholinesterase modulates neurite outgrowth on fibronectin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 356:398-404. [PMID: 17359933 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.02.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2007] [Accepted: 02/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been reported to be involved in the modulation of neurite outgrowth. To understand the role played by different domains, we transfected neuroblastoma cells with three constructs containing the invariant region of AChE, differing in the exon encoding the C-terminus and therefore in AChE cellular fate and localization. All isoforms increased neurite extension, suggesting the involvement of the invariant domain [A. De Jaco, G. Augusti-Tocco, S. Biagioni, Alternative AChE molecular forms exhibit similar ability to induce neurite outgrowth, J. Neurosci. Res. 70 (2002) 756-765]. The peripheral anionic site (PAS) is encoded by invariant exons and represents the domain involved in non-cholinergic functions of AChE. Masking of PAS with fasciculin results in a significant decrease of neurite outgrowth in all clones overexpressing AChE. A strong reduction was also observed when clones were cultured on fibronectin. Treatment of clones with fasciculin, therefore masking PAS, abolished the fibronectin-induced reduction. The inhibition of the catalytic site cannot revert the fibronectin effect. Finally, when clones were cultured on fibronectin in the presence of heparin, a ligand of fibronectin, the inhibitory effect was completely reversed. Our results indicate that PAS could directly or indirectly mediate AChE/fibronectin interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giordano
- Dipartimento Biologia Cellulare e Sviluppo, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
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48
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Augusti-Tocco G, Biagioni S, Tata AM. Acetylcholine and regulation of gene expression in developing systems. J Mol Neurosci 2007; 30:45-8. [PMID: 17192622 DOI: 10.1385/jmn:30:1:45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/1999] [Revised: 11/30/1999] [Accepted: 11/30/1999] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
One of the major questions related to nervous system development is the identification of signals directing neuronal populations to specific phenotypes (e.g., cholinergic, adrenergic, or peptidergic neurons) and involved in cell-to-cell interactions. Although neurotrophins have long been known for their function in development, the neurotransmitter role as modulator of gene expression and differentiation has been recognized only recently. Evidence for the ability of various neurotransmitter molecules to influence various cellular events during neuron differentiation has been reported in several systems (Lauder and Schambra, 1999). We have focused our interest on acetylcholine (ACh) and its possible role in the regulation of neuron-specific gene expression, using different experimental systems: (1) neuroblastoma cell lines, as a model of cholinergic neuron differentiation; (2) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons, which activate the expression of a cholinergic system early in development, in spite of their peptidergic or aminoacidergic neurotransmission; and (3) primary cultures of Schwann cells. Data obtained on each system will be described briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Augusti-Tocco
- Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
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49
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Abstract
Spontaneous and potassium-induced acetylcholine release from embryonic (E12 and E18) chick dorsal root ganglia explants at 3 and 7 days in culture was investigated using a chemiluminescent procedure. A basal release ranging from 2.4 to 13.8 pm/ganglion/5 min was detected. Potassium application always induced a significant increase over the basal release. The acetylcholine levels measured in E12 explants were 6.3 and 38.4 pm/ganglion/5 min at 3 and 7 days in culture, respectively, while in E18 explant cultures they were 10.7 and 15.5 pm/ganglion/5 min. In experiments performed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ ions, acetylcholine release, both basal and potassium-induced, was abolished and it was reduced by cholinergic antagonists. A morphometric analysis of explant fibre length suggested that acetylcholine release was directly correlated to neurite extension. Moreover, treatment of E12 dorsal root ganglion-dissociated cell cultures with carbachol as cholinergic receptor agonist was shown to induce a higher neurite outgrowth compared with untreated cultures. The concomitant treatment with carbachol and the antagonists at muscarinic receptors atropine and at nicotinic receptors mecamylamine counteracted the increase in fibre outgrowth. Although the present data have not established whether acetylcholine is released by neurones or glial cells, these observations provide the first evidence of a regulated release of acetylcholine in dorsal root ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bernardini
- Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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50
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Tata AM, De Stefano ME, Srubek Tomassy G, Vilaró MT, Levey AI, Biagioni S. Subpopulations of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons express active vesicular acetylcholine transporter. J Neurosci Res 2004; 75:194-202. [PMID: 14705140 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is a transmembrane protein required, in cholinergic neurons, for selective storage of acetylcholine into synaptic vesicles. Although dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons utilize neuropeptides and amino acids for neurotransmission, we have previously demonstrated the presence of a cholinergic system. To investigate whether, in sensory neurons, the vesicular accumulation of acetylcholine relies on the same mechanisms active in classical cholinergic neurons, we investigated VAChT presence, subcellular distribution, and activity. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated the presence of VAChT mRNA and protein product in DRG neurons and in the striatum and cortex, used as positive controls. Moreover, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry showed VAChT staining located mainly in the medium/large-sized subpopulation of the sensory neurons. A few small neurons were also faintly labeled by immunocytochemistry. In the electron microscope, immunolabeling was associated with vesicle-like elements distributed in the neuronal cytoplasm and in both myelinated and unmyelinated intraganglionic nerve fibers. Finally, [(3)H]acetylcholine active transport, evaluated either in the presence or in the absence of ATP, also demonstrated that, as previously reported, the uptake of acetylcholine by VAChT is ATP dependent. This study suggests that DRG neurons not only are able to synthesize and degrade ACh and to convey cholinergic stimuli but also are capable of accumulating and, possibly, releasing acetylcholine by the same mechanism used by the better known cholinergic neurons.
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MESH Headings
- Acetylcholine/metabolism
- Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism
- Animals
- Biological Transport, Active/physiology
- Carrier Proteins/genetics
- Carrier Proteins/metabolism
- Cell Size
- Ganglia, Spinal/cytology
- Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism
- Ganglia, Spinal/ultrastructure
- Membrane Transport Proteins
- Microscopy, Electron
- Nerve Fibers, Myelinated/metabolism
- Nerve Fibers, Myelinated/ultrastructure
- Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated/metabolism
- Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated/ultrastructure
- Neurons, Afferent/metabolism
- Neurons, Afferent/ultrastructure
- Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism
- Presynaptic Terminals/ultrastructure
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Synaptic Transmission/physiology
- Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism
- Synaptic Vesicles/ultrastructure
- Transport Vesicles/metabolism
- Transport Vesicles/ultrastructure
- Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins
- Vesicular Transport Proteins
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Maria Tata
- Dipartimento Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy
| | - M Egle De Stefano
- Dipartimento Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Srubek Tomassy
- Dipartimento Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy
| | - M Teresa Vilaró
- Department of Neurochemistry, CSIC-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Allan I Levey
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stefano Biagioni
- Dipartimento Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy
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