1
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Becker CJ, Cigliola V, Gillotay P, Rich A, De Simone A, Han Y, Di Talia S, Poss KD. In toto imaging of glial JNK signaling during larval zebrafish spinal cord regeneration. Development 2023; 150:dev202076. [PMID: 37997694 PMCID: PMC10753585 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Identification of signaling events that contribute to innate spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish can uncover new targets for modulating injury responses of the mammalian central nervous system. Using a chemical screen, we identify JNK signaling as a necessary regulator of glial cell cycling and tissue bridging during spinal cord regeneration in larval zebrafish. With a kinase translocation reporter, we visualize and quantify JNK signaling dynamics at single-cell resolution in glial cell populations in developing larvae and during injury-induced regeneration. Glial JNK signaling is patterned in time and space during development and regeneration, decreasing globally as the tissue matures and increasing in the rostral cord stump upon transection injury. Thus, dynamic and regional regulation of JNK signaling help to direct glial cell behaviors during innate spinal cord regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton J. Becker
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06100 Nice, France
| | - Pierre Gillotay
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ashley Rich
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alessandro De Simone
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yanchao Han
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu, China
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kenneth D. Poss
- Duke Regeneration Center and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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2
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Cigliola V, Shoffner A, Lee N, Ou J, Gonzalez TJ, Hoque J, Becker CJ, Han Y, Shen G, Faw TD, Abd-El-Barr MM, Varghese S, Asokan A, Poss KD. Spinal cord repair is modulated by the neurogenic factor Hb-egf under direction of a regeneration-associated enhancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4857. [PMID: 37567873 PMCID: PMC10421883 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40486-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike adult mammals, zebrafish regenerate spinal cord tissue and recover locomotor ability after a paralyzing injury. Here, we find that ependymal cells in zebrafish spinal cords produce the neurogenic factor Hb-egfa upon transection injury. Animals with hb-egfa mutations display defective swim capacity, axon crossing, and tissue bridging after spinal cord transection, associated with disrupted indicators of neuron production. Local recombinant human HB-EGF delivery alters ependymal cell cycling and tissue bridging, enhancing functional regeneration. Epigenetic profiling reveals a tissue regeneration enhancer element (TREE) linked to hb-egfa that directs gene expression in spinal cord injuries. Systemically delivered recombinant AAVs containing this zebrafish TREE target gene expression to crush injuries of neonatal, but not adult, murine spinal cords. Moreover, enhancer-based HB-EGF delivery by AAV administration improves axon densities after crush injury in neonatal cords. Our results identify Hb-egf as a neurogenic factor necessary for innate spinal cord regeneration and suggest strategies to improve spinal cord repair in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, France
| | - Adam Shoffner
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nutishia Lee
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Trevor J Gonzalez
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jiaul Hoque
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Clayton J Becker
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yanchao Han
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital and Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Grace Shen
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy D Faw
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Shyni Varghese
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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3
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Yan R, Cigliola V, Oonk KA, Petrover Z, DeLuca S, Wolfson DW, Vekstein A, Mendiola MA, Devlin G, Bishawi M, Gemberling MP, Sinha T, Sargent MA, York AJ, Shakked A, DeBenedittis P, Wendell DC, Ou J, Kang J, Goldman JA, Baht GS, Karra R, Williams AR, Bowles DE, Asokan A, Tzahor E, Gersbach CA, Molkentin JD, Bursac N, Black BL, Poss KD. An enhancer-based gene-therapy strategy for spatiotemporal control of cargoes during tissue repair. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:96-111.e6. [PMID: 36516837 PMCID: PMC9830588 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy and safety of gene-therapy strategies for indications like tissue damage hinge on precision; yet, current methods afford little spatial or temporal control of payload delivery. Here, we find that tissue-regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs) isolated from zebrafish can direct targeted, injury-associated gene expression from viral DNA vectors delivered systemically in small and large adult mammalian species. When employed in combination with CRISPR-based epigenome editing tools in mice, zebrafish TREEs stimulated or repressed the expression of endogenous genes after ischemic myocardial infarction. Intravenously delivered recombinant AAV vectors designed with a TREE to direct a constitutively active YAP factor boosted indicators of cardiac regeneration in mice and improved the function of the injured heart. Our findings establish the application of contextual enhancer elements as a potential therapeutic platform for spatiotemporally controlled tissue regeneration in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruorong Yan
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kelsey A Oonk
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary Petrover
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sophia DeLuca
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David W Wolfson
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Vekstein
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Garth Devlin
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Muath Bishawi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Matthew P Gemberling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tanvi Sinha
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michelle A Sargent
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allen J York
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Avraham Shakked
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - David C Wendell
- Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Junsu Kang
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joseph A Goldman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gurpreet S Baht
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ravi Karra
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam R Williams
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dawn E Bowles
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eldad Tzahor
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jeffery D Molkentin
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian L Black
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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4
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Oropeza D, Cigliola V, Romero A, Chera S, Rodríguez-Seguí SA, Herrera PL. Stage-specific transcriptomic changes in pancreatic α-cells after massive β-cell loss. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:585. [PMID: 34340653 PMCID: PMC8330016 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Loss of pancreatic insulin-secreting β-cells due to metabolic or autoimmune damage leads to the development of diabetes. The discovery that α-cells can be efficiently reprogrammed into insulin-secreting cells in mice and humans has opened promising avenues for innovative diabetes therapies. β-cell loss triggers spontaneous reprogramming of only 1–2% of α-cells, limiting the extent of regeneration. Most α-cells are refractory to conversion and their global transcriptomic response to severe β-cell loss as well as the mechanisms opposing their reprogramming into insulin producers are largely unknown. Here, we performed RNA-seq on FAC-sorted α-cells to characterize their global transcriptional responses at different time points after massive β-cell ablation. Results Our results show that α-cells undergo stage-specific transcriptional changes 5- and 15-days post-diphtheria toxin (DT)-mediated β-cell ablation. At 5 days, α-cells transiently upregulate various genes associated with interferon signaling and proliferation, including Interferon Induced Protein with Tetratricopeptide Repeats 3 (Ifit3). Subsequently, at 15 days post β-cell ablation, α-cells undergo a transient downregulation of genes from several pathways including Insulin receptor, mTOR and MET signaling. Conclusions The results presented here pinpoint novel markers discriminating α-cells at different stages after acute β-cell loss, and highlight additional signaling pathways that are modulated in α-cells in this context. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07812-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oropeza
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre Facultaire du Diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre Facultaire du Diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Present address: Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA
| | - Agustín Romero
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Simona Chera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre Facultaire du Diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Science, Center for Diabetes Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Santiago A Rodríguez-Seguí
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Pedro L Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre Facultaire du Diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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5
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Gemberling MP, Siklenka K, Rodriguez E, Tonn-Eisinger KR, Barrera A, Liu F, Kantor A, Li L, Cigliola V, Hazlett MF, Williams CA, Bartelt LC, Madigan VJ, Bodle JC, Daniels H, Rouse DC, Hilton IB, Asokan A, Ciofani M, Poss KD, Reddy TE, West AE, Gersbach CA. Transgenic mice for in vivo epigenome editing with CRISPR-based systems. Nat Methods 2021; 18:965-974. [PMID: 34341582 PMCID: PMC8349887 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01207-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 technologies have dramatically increased the ease of targeting DNA sequences in the genomes of living systems. The fusion of chromatin-modifying domains to nuclease-deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) has enabled targeted epigenome editing in both cultured cells and animal models. However, delivering large dCas9 fusion proteins to target cells and tissues is an obstacle to the widespread adoption of these tools for in vivo studies. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of two conditional transgenic mouse lines for epigenome editing, Rosa26:LSL-dCas9-p300 for gene activation and Rosa26:LSL-dCas9-KRAB for gene repression. By targeting the guide RNAs to transcriptional start sites or distal enhancer elements, we demonstrate regulation of target genes and corresponding changes to epigenetic states and downstream phenotypes in the brain and liver in vivo, and in T cells and fibroblasts ex vivo. These mouse lines are convenient and valuable tools for facile, temporally controlled, and tissue-restricted epigenome editing and manipulation of gene expression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Gemberling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Keith Siklenka
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Erica Rodriguez
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Alejandro Barrera
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ariel Kantor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Liqing Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Regeneration Next Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mariah F Hazlett
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Courtney A Williams
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Luke C Bartelt
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Josephine C Bodle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Heather Daniels
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Douglas C Rouse
- Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Isaac B Hilton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Regeneration Next Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maria Ciofani
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Regeneration Next Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anne E West
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Regeneration Next Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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6
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Thompson JD, Ou J, Lee N, Shin K, Cigliola V, Song L, Crawford GE, Kang J, Poss KD. Identification and requirements of enhancers that direct gene expression during zebrafish fin regeneration. Development 2020; 147:dev.191262. [PMID: 32665240 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
To identify candidate tissue regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs) important for zebrafish fin regeneration, we performed ATAC-seq from bulk tissue or purified fibroblasts of uninjured and regenerating caudal fins. We identified tens of thousands of DNA regions from each sample type with dynamic accessibility during regeneration, and assigned these regions to proximal genes with corresponding expression changes by RNA-seq. To determine whether these profiles reveal bona fide TREEs, we tested the sufficiency and requirements of several sequences in stable transgenic lines and mutant lines with homozygous deletions. These experiments validated new non-coding regulatory sequences near induced and/or essential genes during fin regeneration, including fgf20a, mdka and cx43, identifying distinct domains of directed expression for each confirmed TREE. Whereas deletion of the previously identified LEN enhancer abolished detectable induction of the nearby leptin b gene during regeneration, deletions of enhancers linked to fgf20a, mdka and cx43 had no effect or partially reduced gene expression. Our study generates a new resource for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms of appendage generation and reveals a range of requirements for individual TREEs in control of regeneration programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Thompson
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Nutishia Lee
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kwangdeok Shin
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lingyun Song
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University Medical Center; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University Medical Center; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Junsu Kang
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA .,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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7
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Abstract
Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition in which massive cell death and disruption of neural circuitry lead to long-term chronic functional impairment and paralysis. In mammals, spinal cord tissue has minimal capacity to regenerate after injury. In stark contrast, the regeneration of a completely transected spinal cord and accompanying reversal of paralysis in adult zebrafish is arguably one of the most spectacular biological phenomena in nature. Here, we review reports from the last decade that dissect the mechanisms of spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish. We highlight recent progress as well as areas requiring emphasis in a line of study that has great potential to uncover strategies for human spinal cord repair. Summary: Unlike mammals, teleost fish are capable of efficient, spontaneous recovery after a paralyzing spinal cord injury. Here, we highlight the major events through which laboratory model zebrafish regenerate spinal cord tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Clayton J Becker
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA .,Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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8
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Cigliola V, Ghila L, Chera S, Herrera PL. Tissue repair brakes: A common paradigm in the biology of regeneration. Stem Cells 2019; 38:330-339. [PMID: 31722129 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3118] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
To date, most attention on tissue regeneration has focused on the exploration of positive cues promoting or allowing the engagement of natural cellular restoration upon injury. In contrast, the signals fostering cell identity maintenance in the vertebrate body have been poorly investigated; yet they are crucial, for their counteraction could become a powerful method to induce and modulate regeneration. Here we review the mechanisms inhibiting pro-regenerative spontaneous adaptive cell responses in different model organisms and organs. The pharmacological or genetic/epigenetic modulation of such regenerative brakes could release a dormant but innate adaptive competence of certain cell types and therefore boost tissue regeneration in different situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Cell Biology, Regeneration Next, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Luiza Ghila
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Simona Chera
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Pedro L Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine & Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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9
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Han Y, Chen A, Umansky KB, Oonk KA, Choi WY, Dickson AL, Ou J, Cigliola V, Yifa O, Cao J, Tornini VA, Cox BD, Tzahor E, Poss KD. Vitamin D Stimulates Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Controls Organ Size and Regeneration in Zebrafish. Dev Cell 2019; 48:853-863.e5. [PMID: 30713073 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Attaining proper organ size during development and regeneration hinges on the activity of mitogenic factors. Here, we performed a large-scale chemical screen in embryonic zebrafish to identify cardiomyocyte mitogens. Although commonly considered anti-proliferative, vitamin D analogs like alfacalcidol had rapid, potent mitogenic effects on embryonic and adult cardiomyocytes in vivo. Moreover, pharmacologic or genetic manipulation of vitamin D signaling controlled proliferation in multiple adult cell types and dictated growth rates in embryonic and juvenile zebrafish. Tissue-specific modulation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling had organ-restricted effects, with cardiac VDR activation causing cardiomegaly. Alfacalcidol enhanced the regenerative response of injured zebrafish hearts, whereas VDR blockade inhibited regeneration. Alfacalcidol activated cardiac expression of genes associated with ErbB2 signaling, while ErbB2 inhibition blunted its effects on cell proliferation. Our findings identify vitamin D as mitogenic for cardiomyocytes and other cell types in zebrafish and indicate a mechanism to regulate organ size and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchao Han
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anzhi Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kfir-Baruch Umansky
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Kelsey A Oonk
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Wen-Yee Choi
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Amy L Dickson
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Oren Yifa
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Jingli Cao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Valerie A Tornini
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ben D Cox
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Eldad Tzahor
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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10
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Cigliola V, Ghila L, Thorel F, van Gurp L, Baronnier D, Oropeza D, Gupta S, Miyatsuka T, Kaneto H, Magnuson MA, Osipovich AB, Sander M, Wright CEV, Thomas MK, Furuyama K, Chera S, Herrera PL. Pancreatic islet-autonomous insulin and smoothened-mediated signalling modulate identity changes of glucagon + α-cells. Nat Cell Biol 2018; 20:1267-1277. [PMID: 30361701 PMCID: PMC6215453 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-018-0216-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms restricting regeneration and maintaining cell identity following injury are poorly characterized in higher vertebrates. Upon β-cell loss, 1–2% of the glucagon-producing α-cells spontaneously engage in insulin production in mice. Here we explore the mechanisms inhibiting α-cell plasticity. We show that the adaptive α-cell identity changes are constrained by intra-islet Insulin- and Smoothened-mediated signaling, among others. The combination of β-cell loss, or insulin signaling inhibition, with Smoothened inactivation in α- or δ-cells, stimulates insulin production in more α-cells. These findings suggest that removing constitutive “brake signals” is crucial for neutralizing the refractoriness to adaptive cell-fate changes. It appears that cell identity maintenance is an active process mediated by repressive signals, released by neighbor cells, curbing an intrinsic trend of differentiated cells to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Luiza Ghila
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Science and KG Jebsen Center for Diabetes Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Fabrizio Thorel
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Léon van Gurp
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Delphine Baronnier
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Oropeza
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Simone Gupta
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Takeshi Miyatsuka
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Graduate School of Medicine , Juntendo University , Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Kaneto
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mark A Magnuson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anna B Osipovich
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maike Sander
- Department of Pediatrics and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christopher E V Wright
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Program in Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Melissa K Thomas
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kenichiro Furuyama
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Simona Chera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Science and KG Jebsen Center for Diabetes Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Pedro L Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, iGE3 and Centre facultaire du diabète, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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11
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Berchtold LA, Miani M, Diep TA, Madsen AN, Cigliola V, Colli M, Krivokapic JM, Pociot F, Eizirik DL, Meda P, Holst B, Billestrup N, Størling J. Pannexin-2-deficiency sensitizes pancreatic β-cells to cytokine-induced apoptosis in vitro and impairs glucose tolerance in vivo. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2017; 448:108-121. [PMID: 28390953 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pannexins (Panx's) are membrane proteins involved in a variety of biological processes, including cell death signaling and immune functions. The role and functions of Panx's in pancreatic β-cells remain to be clarified. Here, we show Panx1 and Panx2 expression in isolated islets, primary β-cells, and β-cell lines. The expression of Panx2, but not Panx1, was downregulated by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) plus interferon-γ (IFNγ), two pro-inflammatory cytokines suggested to contribute to β-cell demise in type 1 diabetes (T1D). siRNA-mediated knockdown (KD) of Panx2 aggravated cytokine-induced apoptosis in rat INS-1E cells and primary rat β-cells, suggesting anti-apoptotic properties of Panx2. An anti-apoptotic function of Panx2 was confirmed in isolated islets from Panx2-/- mice and in human EndoC-βH1 cells. Panx2 KD was associated with increased cytokine-induced activation of STAT3 and higher expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Glucose-stimulated insulin release was impaired in Panx2-/- islets, and Panx2-/- mice subjected to multiple low-dose Streptozotocin (MLDS) treatment, a model of T1D, developed more severe diabetes compared to wild type mice. These data suggest that Panx2 is an important regulator of the insulin secretory capacity and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas A Berchtold
- Copenhagen Diabetes Research Center, Pediatric Department, University Hospital Herlev, Denmark; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michela Miani
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Thi A Diep
- Department of Neurosciences and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas N Madsen
- Department of Neurosciences and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maikel Colli
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | - Flemming Pociot
- Copenhagen Diabetes Research Center, Pediatric Department, University Hospital Herlev, Denmark
| | - Decio L Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Paolo Meda
- Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Birgitte Holst
- Department of Neurosciences and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nils Billestrup
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joachim Størling
- Copenhagen Diabetes Research Center, Pediatric Department, University Hospital Herlev, Denmark.
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12
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Abstract
The different forms of diabetes mellitus differ in their pathogenesis but, ultimately, they are all characterized by progressive islet β-cell loss. Restoring the β-cell mass is therefore a major goal for future therapeutic approaches. The number of β-cells found at birth is determined by proliferation and differentiation of pancreatic progenitor cells, and it has been considered to remain mostly unchanged throughout adult life. Recent studies in mice have revealed an unexpected plasticity in islet endocrine cells in response to stress; under certain conditions, islet non-β-cells have the potential to reprogram into insulin producers, thus contributing to restore the β-cell mass. Here, we discuss the latest findings on pancreas and islet cell plasticity upon physiological, pathological and experimental conditions of stress. Understanding the mechanisms involved in cell reprogramming in these models will allow the development of new strategies for the treatment of diabetes, by exploiting the intrinsic regeneration capacity of the pancreas.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Cigliola
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), and Centre facultaire du diabète, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - F Thorel
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), and Centre facultaire du diabète, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - S Chera
- Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - P L Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), and Centre facultaire du diabète, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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13
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Cigliola V, Populaire C, Pierri CL, Deutsch S, Haefliger JA, Fadista J, Lyssenko V, Groop L, Rueedi R, Thorel F, Herrera PL, Meda P. A Variant of GJD2, Encoding for Connexin 36, Alters the Function of Insulin Producing β-Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150880. [PMID: 26959991 PMCID: PMC4784816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Signalling through gap junctions contributes to control insulin secretion and, thus, blood glucose levels. Gap junctions of the insulin-producing β-cells are made of connexin 36 (Cx36), which is encoded by the GJD2 gene. Cx36-null mice feature alterations mimicking those observed in type 2 diabetes (T2D). GJD2 is also expressed in neurons, which share a number of common features with pancreatic β-cells. Given that a synonymous exonic single nucleotide polymorphism of human Cx36 (SNP rs3743123) associates with altered function of central neurons in a subset of epileptic patients, we investigated whether this SNP also caused alterations of β-cell function. Transfection of rs3743123 cDNA in connexin-lacking HeLa cells resulted in altered formation of gap junction plaques and cell coupling, as compared to those induced by wild type (WT) GJD2 cDNA. Transgenic mice expressing the very same cDNAs under an insulin promoter revealed that SNP rs3743123 expression consistently lead to a post-natal reduction of islet Cx36 levels and β-cell survival, resulting in hyperglycemia in selected lines. These changes were not observed in sex- and age-matched controls expressing WT hCx36. The variant GJD2 only marginally associated to heterogeneous populations of diabetic patients. The data document that a silent polymorphism of GJD2 is associated with altered β-cell function, presumably contributing to T2D pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Celine Populaire
- Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Ciro L. Pierri
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Samuel Deutsch
- Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, United States of America
| | | | - João Fadista
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Valeriya Lyssenko
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Steno Diabetes Center A/S, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Leif Groop
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Rico Rueedi
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 27, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Thorel
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Luis Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Meda
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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14
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Meda P, Charollais A, Cigliola V, Lyssenko V. A SILENT POLYMORPHISM OF THE GJD2 GENE, CODING FOR Cx36 CHANNELS, IS ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. FASEB J 2013. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.955.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Meda
- Cell Physiology and MetabolismUniversity of GenevaGeneve 4Switzerland
| | - Anne Charollais
- Cell Physiology and MetabolismUniversity of GenevaGeneve 4Switzerland
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15
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Abstract
Proper functioning of pancreatic islets requires that numerous β-cells are properly coordinated. With evolution, many mechanisms have converged, which now allow individual β-cells to sense the state of activity of their neighbors as well as the changes taking place in the extracellular medium, and to regulate accordingly their own function. Here, we review one such mechanism for intercellular coordination, which depends on connexins. These integral membrane proteins accumulate at sites of close apposition between adjacent islet cell membranes, referred to as gap junctions. Recent evidence demonstrates that connexin-dependent signaling is relevant for the in vivo control of insulin biosynthesis and release, as well as for the survival of β-cells under stressing conditions. The data suggest that alterations of this signaling may be implicated in the β-cell alterations which characterize most forms of diabetes, raising the tantalizing possibility that targeting of the direct intercellular communications β-cells establish within each pancreatic islet may provide a novel, therapeutically useful strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cigliola
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva School of Medicine, 1 rue Michel-Servet, Geneva, Switzerland
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16
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Nlend RN, Aït-Lounis A, Allagnat F, Cigliola V, Charollais A, Reith W, Haefliger JA, Meda P. Cx36 is a target of Beta2/NeuroD1, which associates with prenatal differentiation of insulin-producing β cells. J Membr Biol 2012; 245:263-73. [PMID: 22729650 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-012-9447-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [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: 03/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The insulin-producing β cells of pancreatic islets are coupled by connexin36 (Cx36) channels. To investigate what controls the expression of this connexin, we have investigated its pattern during mouse pancreas development, and the influence of three transcription factors that are critical for β-cell development and differentiation. We show that (1) the Cx36 gene (Gjd2) is activated early in pancreas development and is markedly induced at the time of the surge of the transcription factors that determine β-cell differentiation; (2) the cognate protein is detected about a week later and is selectively expressed by β cells throughout the prenatal development of mouse pancreas; (3) a 2-kbp fragment of the Gjd2 promoter, which contains three E boxes for the binding of the bHLH factor Beta2/NeuroD1, ensures the expression of Cx36 by β cells; and (4) Beta2/NeuroD1 binds to these E boxes and, in the presence of the E47 ubiquitous cofactor, transactivates the Gjd2 promoter. The data identify Cx36 as a novel early marker of β cells and as a target of Beta2/NeuroD1, which is essential for β-cell development and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Nlend Nlend
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, CMU, 1 Rue Michel Servet CH- 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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17
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Potolicchio I, Cigliola V, Velazquez-Garcia S, Klee P, Valjevac A, Kapic D, Cosovic E, Lepara O, Hadzovic-Dzuvo A, Mornjacovic Z, Meda P. Connexin-dependent signaling in neuro-hormonal systems. Biochim Biophys Acta 2011; 1818:1919-36. [PMID: 22001400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The advent of multicellular organisms was accompanied by the development of short- and long-range chemical signalling systems, including those provided by the nervous and endocrine systems. In turn, the cells of these two systems have developed mechanisms for interacting with both adjacent and distant cells. With evolution, such mechanisms have diversified to become integrated in a complex regulatory network, whereby individual endocrine and neuro-endocrine cells sense the state of activity of their neighbors and, accordingly, regulate their own level of functioning. A consistent feature of this network is the expression of connexin-made channels between the (neuro)hormone-producing cells of all endocrine glands and secretory regions of the central nervous system so far investigated in vertebrates. This review summarizes the distribution of connexins in the mammalian (neuro)endocrine systems, and what we know about the participation of these proteins on hormone secretion, the life of the producing cells, and the action of (neuro)hormones on specific targets. The data gathered since the last reviews on the topic are summarized, with particular emphasis on the roles of Cx36 in the function of the insulin-producing beta cells of the endocrine pancreas, and of Cx40 in that of the renin-producing juxta-glomerular epithelioid cells of the kidney cortex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Communicating junctions, composition, structure and characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Potolicchio
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva Medical School, Switzerland
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