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Petratou D, Fragkiadaki P, Lionaki E, Tavernarakis N. Assessing locomotory rate in response to food for the identification of neuronal and muscular defects in C. elegans. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:102801. [PMID: 38159271 PMCID: PMC10805661 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
C. elegans is a bacteria-eating soil-dwelling nematode. Typical cultivation of laboratory-reared populations occurs on bacteria-covered solid media, where they move along with sinusoidal undulations. Nematodes decelerate when they encounter food. Dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission regulate this behavior. Here, we describe the procedure for determining food-dependent locomotion rate of fed and fasting nematodes. We detail steps for assay plate preparation, C. elegans synchronization, and assessment of locomotion. The behaviors we describe provide information regarding the animal's physiological neuronal and muscular function. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Petratou et al. (2023)1 and Sawin et al. (2000).2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysia Petratou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, 70013 Crete, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, Greece
| | - Persefoni Fragkiadaki
- Department of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, Greece
| | - Eirini Lionaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, 70013 Crete, Greece
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, 70013 Crete, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, Greece.
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2
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Sherman D, Harel D. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms of the pharyngeal pumping motions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2302660121. [PMID: 38315866 PMCID: PMC10873627 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302660121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The pharynx of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a neuromuscular organ that exhibits typical pumping motions, which result in the intake of food particles from the environment. In-depth inspection reveals slightly different dynamics at the various pharyngeal areas, rather than synchronous pumping motions of the whole organ, which are important for its effective functioning. While the different pumping dynamics are well characterized, the underlying mechanisms that generate them are not known. In this study, the C. elegans pharynx was modeled in a bottom-up fashion, including all of the underlying biological processes that lead to, and including, its end function, food intake. The mathematical modeling of all processes allowed performing comprehensive, quantitative analyses of the system as a whole. Our analyses provided detailed explanations for the various pumping dynamics generated at the different pharyngeal areas; a fine-resolution description of muscle dynamics, both between and within different pharyngeal areas; a quantitative assessment of the values of many parameters of the system that are unavailable in the literature; and support for a functional role of the marginal cells, which are currently assumed to mainly have a structural role in the pharynx. In addition, our model predicted that in tiny organisms such as C. elegans, the generation of long-lasting action potentials must involve ions other than calcium. Our study exemplifies the power of mathematical models, which allow a more accurate, higher-resolution inspection of the studied system, and an easier and faster execution of in silico experiments than feasible in the lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Sherman
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
| | - David Harel
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
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3
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Tang LTH, Lee GA, Cook SJ, Ho J, Potter CC, Bülow HE. Anatomical restructuring of a lateralized neural circuit during associative learning by asymmetric insulin signaling. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3835-3850.e6. [PMID: 37591249 PMCID: PMC10639090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.041] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Studies of neuronal connectivity in model organisms, i.e., of their connectomes, have been instrumental in dissecting the structure-function relationship of nervous systems. However, the limited sample size of these studies has impeded analyses into how variation of connectivity across populations may influence circuit architecture and behavior. Moreover, little is known about how experiences induce changes in circuit architecture. Here, we show that an asymmetric salt-sensing circuit in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits variation that predicts the animals' salt preferences and undergoes restructuring during salt associative learning. Naive worms memorize and prefer the salt concentration they experience in the presence of food through a left-biased neural network architecture. However, animals conditioned at elevated salt concentrations change this left-biased network to a right-biased network. This change in circuit architecture occurs through the addition of new synapses in response to asymmetric, paracrine insulin signaling. Therefore, experience-dependent changes in an animal's neural connectome are induced by insulin signaling and are fundamental to learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo T H Tang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Garrett A Lee
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Steven J Cook
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jacquelin Ho
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cassandra C Potter
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Hannes E Bülow
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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4
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Palani SN, Sellegounder D, Wibisono P, Liu Y. The longevity response to warm temperature is neurally controlled via the regulation of collagen genes. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13815. [PMID: 36895142 PMCID: PMC10186602 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13815] [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: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in diverse species have associated higher temperatures with shorter lifespan and lower temperatures with longer lifespan. These inverse effects of temperature on longevity are traditionally explained using the rate of living theory, which posits that higher temperatures increase chemical reaction rates, thus speeding up the aging process. Recent studies have identified specific molecules and cells that affect the longevity response to temperature, indicating that this response is regulated, not simply thermodynamic. Here, we demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, functional loss of NPR-8, a G protein-coupled receptor related to mammalian neuropeptide Y receptors, increases worm lifespan at 25°C but not at 20°C or 15°C, and that the lifespan extension at 25°C is regulated by the NPR-8-expressing AWB and AWC chemosensory neurons as well as AFD thermosensory neurons. Integrative transcriptomic analyses revealed that both warm temperature and old age profoundly alter gene expression and that genes involved in the metabolic and biosynthetic processes increase expression at 25°C relative to 20°C, indicating elevated metabolism at warm temperature. These data demonstrate that the temperature-induced longevity response is neurally regulated and also provide a partial molecular basis for the rate of living theory, suggesting that these two views are not mutually exclusive. Genetic manipulation and functional assays further uncovered that the NPR-8-dependent longevity response to warm temperature is achieved by regulating the expression of a subset of collagen genes. As increased collagen expression is a common feature of many lifespan-extending interventions and enhanced stress resistance, collagen expression could be critical for healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankara Naynar Palani
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineWashington State UniversitySpokaneWashingtonUSA
| | - Durai Sellegounder
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineWashington State UniversitySpokaneWashingtonUSA
| | - Phillip Wibisono
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineWashington State UniversitySpokaneWashingtonUSA
| | - Yiyong Liu
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineWashington State UniversitySpokaneWashingtonUSA
- Genomics CoreWashington State UniversitySpokaneWashingtonUSA
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5
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Suthakaran N, Wiggins J, Giles A, Opperman KJ, Grill B, Dawson-Scully K. O-GlcNAc transferase OGT-1 and the ubiquitin ligase EEL-1 modulate seizure susceptibility in C. elegans. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260072. [PMID: 34797853 PMCID: PMC8604358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy and autism have been linked to an imbalance of excitation and inhibition (E/I) in the central nervous system. The simplicity and tractability of C. elegans allows our electroconvulsive seizure (ES) assay to be used as a behavioral readout of the locomotor circuit and neuronal function. C. elegans possess conserved nervous system features such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA receptors in inhibitory neurotransmission, and acetylcholine (Ach) and acetylcholine receptors in excitatory neurotransmission. Our previously published data has shown that decreasing inhibition in the motor circuit, via GABAergic manipulation, will extend the time of locomotor recovery following electroshock. Similarly, mutations in a HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase called EEL-1 leads to impaired GABAergic transmission, E/I imbalance and altered sensitivity to electroshock. Mutations in the human ortholog of EEL-1, called HUWE1, are associated with both syndromic and non-syndromic intellectual disability. Both EEL-1 and its previously established binding protein, OGT-1, are expressed in GABAergic motor neurons, localize to GABAergic presynaptic terminals, and function in parallel to regulate GABA neuron function. In this study, we tested behavioral responses to electroshock in wildtype, ogt-1, eel-1 and ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants. Both ogt-1 and eel-1 null mutants have decreased inhibitory GABAergic neuron function and increased electroshock sensitivity. Consistent with EEL-1 and OGT-1 functioning in parallel pathways, ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants showed enhanced electroshock susceptibility. Expression of OGT-1 in the C. elegans nervous system rescued enhanced electroshock defects in ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants. Application of a GABA agonist, Baclofen, decreased electroshock susceptibility in all animals. Our C. elegans electroconvulsive seizure assay was the first to model a human X-linked Intellectual Disability (XLID) associated with epilepsy and suggests a potential novel role for the OGT-1/EEL-1 complex in seizure susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirthieca Suthakaran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Wiggins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America
| | - Andrew Giles
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Karla J. Opperman
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Brock Grill
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ken Dawson-Scully
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Iliff AJ, Wang C, Ronan EA, Hake AE, Guo Y, Li X, Zhang X, Zheng M, Liu J, Grosh K, Duncan RK, Xu XZS. The nematode C. elegans senses airborne sound. Neuron 2021; 109:3633-3646.e7. [PMID: 34555314 PMCID: PMC8602785 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Unlike olfaction, taste, touch, vision, and proprioception, which are
widespread across animal phyla, hearing is found only in vertebrates and some
arthropods. The vast majority of invertebrate species are thus considered
insensitive to sound. Here, we challenge this conventional view by showing that
the earless nematode C. elegans senses airborne sound at
frequencies reaching the kHz range. Sound vibrates C. elegans
skin, which acts as a pressure-to-displacement transducer similar to vertebrate
eardrum, activates sound-sensitive FLP/PVD neurons attached to the skin, and
evokes phonotaxis behavior. We identified two nAChRs that transduce sound
signals independently of ACh, revealing an unexpected function of nAChRs in
mechanosensation. Thus, the ability to sense airborne sound is not restricted to
vertebrates and arthropods as previously thought, and might have evolved
multiple times independently in the animal kingdom, suggesting convergent
evolution. Our studies also demonstrate that animals without ears may not be
presumed to be sound insensitive. Hearing is thought to exist only in vertebrates and some arthropods, but
not other animal phyla. Here, Xu and colleagues report that the earless nematode
C. elegans senses airborne sound and engages in phonotaxis.
Thus, hearing might have evolved multiple times independently in the animal
kingdom, suggesting convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Iliff
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Can Wang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Elizabeth A Ronan
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alison E Hake
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuling Guo
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Xia Li
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xinxing Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maohua Zheng
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Karl Grosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - R Keith Duncan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Lim Y, Berry B, Viteri S, McCall M, Park EC, Rongo C, Brookes PS, Nehrke K. FNDC-1-mediated mitophagy and ATFS-1 coordinate to protect against hypoxia-reoxygenation. Autophagy 2021; 17:3389-3401. [PMID: 33416042 PMCID: PMC8632273 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1872885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial quality control (MQC) balances organelle adaptation and elimination, and mechanistic crosstalk between the underlying molecular processes affects subsequent stress outcomes. FUNDC1 (FUN14 domain containing 1) is a mammalian mitophagy receptor that responds to hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) stress. Here, we provide evidence that FNDC-1 is the C. elegans ortholog of FUNDC1, and that its loss protects against injury in a worm model of HR. This protection depends upon ATFS-1, a transcription factor that is central to the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Global mRNA and metabolite profiling suggest that atfs-1-dependent stress responses and metabolic remodeling occur in response to the loss of fndc-1. These data support a role for FNDC-1 in non-hypoxic MQC, and further suggest that these changes are prophylactic in relation to subsequent HR. Our results highlight functional coordination between mitochondrial adaptation and elimination that organizes stress responses and metabolic rewiring to protect against HR injury.Abbreviations: AL: autolysosome; AP: autophagosome; FUNDC1: FUN14 domain containing 1; HR: hypoxia-reperfusion; IR: ischemia-reperfusion; lof: loss of function; MQC: mitochondrial quality control; PCA: principle component analysis; PPP: pentonse phosphate pathway; proK (proteinase K);UPRmt: mitochondrial unfolded protein response; RNAi: RNA interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunki Lim
- Medicine and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Brandon Berry
- Pharmacology and Physiology and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Stephanie Viteri
- Medicine and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Matthew McCall
- Biostatistics and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Eun Chan Park
- Department of Genetics , Waksman Institute/Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christopher Rongo
- Department of Genetics , Waksman Institute/Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Paul S. Brookes
- Pharmacology and Physiology and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Anesthesiology, and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Keith Nehrke
- Medicine and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Pharmacology and Physiology and Perioperative Medicine Departments, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
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Carlston C, Weinmann R, Stec N, Abbatemarco S, Schwager F, Wang J, Ouyang H, Ewald CY, Gotta M, Hammell CM. PQN-59 antagonizes microRNA-mediated repression during post-embryonic temporal patterning and modulates translation and stress granule formation in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009599. [PMID: 34807903 PMCID: PMC8648105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009599] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are potent regulators of gene expression that function in a variety of developmental and physiological processes by dampening the expression of their target genes at a post-transcriptional level. In many gene regulatory networks (GRNs), miRNAs function in a switch-like manner whereby their expression and activity elicit a transition from one stable pattern of gene expression to a distinct, equally stable pattern required to define a nascent cell fate. While the importance of miRNAs that function in this capacity are clear, we have less of an understanding of the cellular factors and mechanisms that ensure the robustness of this form of regulatory bistability. In a screen to identify suppressors of temporal patterning phenotypes that result from ineffective miRNA-mediated target repression, we identified pqn-59, an ortholog of human UBAP2L, as a novel factor that antagonizes the activities of multiple heterochronic miRNAs. Specifically, we find that depletion of pqn-59 can restore normal development in animals with reduced lin-4 and let-7-family miRNA activity. Importantly, inactivation of pqn-59 is not sufficient to bypass the requirement of these regulatory RNAs within the heterochronic GRN. The pqn-59 gene encodes an abundant, cytoplasmically-localized, unstructured protein that harbors three essential "prion-like" domains. These domains exhibit LLPS properties in vitro and normally function to limit PQN-59 diffusion in the cytoplasm in vivo. Like human UBAP2L, PQN-59's localization becomes highly dynamic during stress conditions where it re-distributes to cytoplasmic stress granules and is important for their formation. Proteomic analysis of PQN-59 complexes from embryonic extracts indicates that PQN-59 and human UBAP2L interact with orthologous cellular components involved in RNA metabolism and promoting protein translation and that PQN-59 additionally interacts with proteins involved in transcription and intracellular transport. Finally, we demonstrate that pqn-59 depletion reduces protein translation and also results in the stabilization of several mature miRNAs (including those involved in temporal patterning). These data suggest that PQN-59 may ensure the bistability of some GRNs that require miRNA functions by promoting miRNA turnover and, like UBAP2L, enhancing protein translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Carlston
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States of America
| | - Robin Weinmann
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States of America
| | - Natalia Stec
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States of America
| | - Simona Abbatemarco
- Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francoise Schwager
- Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jing Wang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States of America
| | - Huiwu Ouyang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States of America
| | - Collin Y. Ewald
- Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix Regeneration, Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Monica Gotta
- Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Avery L, Ingalls B, Dumur C, Artyukhin A. A Keller-Segel model for C elegans L1 aggregation. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009231. [PMID: 34324494 PMCID: PMC8354456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009231] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a mathematical model for the aggregation of starved first-stage C elegans larvae (L1s). We propose that starved L1s produce and respond chemotactically to two labile diffusible chemical signals, a short-range attractant and a longer range repellent. This model takes the mathematical form of three coupled partial differential equations, one that describes the movement of the worms and one for each of the chemical signals. Numerical solution of these equations produced a pattern of aggregates that resembled that of worm aggregates observed in experiments. We also describe the identification of a sensory receptor gene, srh-2, whose expression is induced under conditions that promote L1 aggregation. Worms whose srh-2 gene has been knocked out form irregularly shaped aggregates. Our model suggests this phenotype may be explained by the mutant worms slowing their movement more quickly than the wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Avery
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Ingalls
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Catherine Dumur
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Alexander Artyukhin
- Chemistry Department, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
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10
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Fry AL, Webster AK, Burnett J, Chitrakar R, Baugh LR, Hubbard EJA. DAF-18/PTEN inhibits germline zygotic gene activation during primordial germ cell quiescence. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009650. [PMID: 34288923 PMCID: PMC8294487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quiescence, an actively-maintained reversible state of cell cycle arrest, is not well understood. PTEN is one of the most frequently lost tumor suppressors in human cancers and regulates quiescence of stem cells and cancer cells. The sole PTEN ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans is daf-18. In a C. elegans loss-of-function mutant for daf-18, primordial germ cells (PGCs) divide inappropriately in L1 larvae hatched into starvation conditions, in a TOR-dependent manner. Here, we further investigated the role of daf-18 in maintaining PGC quiescence in L1 starvation. We found that maternal or zygotic daf-18 is sufficient to maintain cell cycle quiescence, that daf-18 acts in the germ line and soma, and that daf-18 affects timing of PGC divisions in fed animals. Importantly, our results also implicate daf-18 in repression of germline zygotic gene activation, though not in germline fate specification. However, TOR is less important to germline zygotic gene expression, suggesting that in the absence of food, daf-18/PTEN prevents inappropriate germline zygotic gene activation and cell division by distinct mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Fry
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Amy K. Webster
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Julia Burnett
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Rojin Chitrakar
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - L. Ryan Baugh
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - E. Jane Albert Hubbard
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
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11
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Aghayeva U, Bhattacharya A, Sural S, Jaeger E, Churgin M, Fang-Yen C, Hobert O. DAF-16/FoxO and DAF-12/VDR control cellular plasticity both cell-autonomously and via interorgan signaling. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001204. [PMID: 33891586 PMCID: PMC8099054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cell types display the remarkable ability to alter their cellular phenotype in response to specific external or internal signals. Such phenotypic plasticity is apparent in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans when adverse environmental conditions trigger entry into the dauer diapause stage. This entry is accompanied by structural, molecular, and functional remodeling of a number of distinct tissue types of the animal, including its nervous system. The transcription factor (TF) effectors of 3 different hormonal signaling systems, the insulin-responsive DAF-16/FoxO TF, the TGFβ-responsive DAF-3/SMAD TF, and the steroid nuclear hormone receptor, DAF-12/VDR, a homolog of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), were previously shown to be required for entering the dauer arrest stage, but their cellular and temporal focus of action for the underlying cellular remodeling processes remained incompletely understood. Through the generation of conditional alleles that allowed us to spatially and temporally control gene activity, we show here that all 3 TFs are not only required to initiate tissue remodeling upon entry into the dauer stage, as shown before, but are also continuously required to maintain the remodeled state. We show that DAF-3/SMAD is required in sensory neurons to promote and then maintain animal-wide tissue remodeling events. In contrast, DAF-16/FoxO or DAF-12/VDR act cell-autonomously to control anatomical, molecular, and behavioral remodeling events in specific cell types. Intriguingly, we also uncover non-cell autonomous function of DAF-16/FoxO and DAF-12/VDR in nervous system remodeling, indicating the presence of several insulin-dependent interorgan signaling axes. Our findings provide novel perspectives into how hormonal systems control tissue remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulkar Aghayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Bhattacharya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Surojit Sural
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Eliza Jaeger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Matthew Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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12
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Abstract
Color detection is used by animals of diverse phyla to navigate colorful natural environments and is thought to require evolutionarily conserved opsin photoreceptor genes. We report that Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms can discriminate between colors despite the fact that they lack eyes and opsins. Specifically, we found that white light guides C. elegans foraging decisions away from a blue-pigment toxin secreted by harmful bacteria. These foraging decisions are guided by specific blue-to-amber ratios of light. The color specificity of color-dependent foraging varies notably among wild C. elegans strains, which indicates that color discrimination is ecologically important. We identified two evolutionarily conserved cellular stress response genes required for opsin-independent, color-dependent foraging by C. elegans, and we speculate that cellular stress response pathways can mediate spectral discrimination by photosensitive cells and organisms-even by those lacking opsins.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Dipon Ghosh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dongyeop Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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13
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Deonarine A, Walker MWG, Westerheide SD. HSF-1 displays nuclear stress body formation in multiple tissues in Caenorhabditis elegans upon stress and following the transition to adulthood. Cell Stress Chaperones 2021; 26:417-431. [PMID: 33392968 PMCID: PMC7925714 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-020-01188-9] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) regulates the heat shock response (HSR), a cytoprotective response induced by proteotoxic stresses. Data from model organisms has shown that HSF-1 also has non-stress biological roles, including roles in the regulation of development and longevity. To better study HSF-1 function, we created a C. elegans strain containing HSF-1 tagged with GFP at its endogenous locus utilizing CRISPR/Cas9-guided transgenesis. We show that the HSF-1::GFP CRISPR worm strain behaves similarly to wildtype worms in response to heat and other stresses, and in other physiological processes. HSF-1 was expressed in all tissues assayed. Immediately following the initiation of reproduction, HSF-1 formed nuclear stress bodies, a hallmark of activation, throughout the germline. Upon the transition to adulthood, of HSF-1 nuclear stress bodies appeared in most somatic cells. Genetic loss of the germline suppressed nuclear stress body formation with age, suggesting that the germline influences HSF-1 activity. Interestingly, we found that various neurons did not form nuclear stress bodies after transitioning to adulthood. Therefore, the formation of HSF-1 nuclear stress bodies upon the transition to adulthood does not occur in a synchronous manner in all cell types. In sum, these studies enhance our knowledge of the expression and activity of the aging and proteostasis factor HSF-1 in a tissue-specific manner with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Deonarine
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 USA
| | - Matt W. G. Walker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Sandy D. Westerheide
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 USA
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14
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Pandey P, Singh A, Kaur H, Ghosh-Roy A, Babu K. Increased dopaminergic neurotransmission results in ethanol dependent sedative behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009346. [PMID: 33524034 PMCID: PMC7877767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol is a widely used drug, excessive consumption of which could lead to medical conditions with diverse symptoms. Ethanol abuse causes dysfunction of memory, attention, speech and locomotion across species. Dopamine signaling plays an essential role in ethanol dependent behaviors in animals ranging from C. elegans to humans. We devised an ethanol dependent assay in which mutants in the dopamine autoreceptor, dop-2, displayed a unique sedative locomotory behavior causing the animals to move in circles while dragging the posterior half of their body. Here, we identify the posterior dopaminergic sensory neuron as being essential to modulate this behavior. We further demonstrate that in dop-2 mutants, ethanol exposure increases dopamine secretion and functions in a DVA interneuron dependent manner. DVA releases the neuropeptide NLP-12 that is known to function through cholinergic motor neurons and affect movement. Thus, DOP-2 modulates dopamine levels at the synapse and regulates alcohol induced movement through NLP-12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratima Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
| | - Anuradha Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
| | - Harjot Kaur
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon, India
| | | | - Kavita Babu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India
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15
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Rivard RS, Morris JM, Youngman MJ. The PP2A/4/6 subfamily of phosphoprotein phosphatases regulates DAF-16 and confers resistance to environmental stress in postreproductive adult C. elegans. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229812. [PMID: 33315870 PMCID: PMC7735605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229812] [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: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin and insulin-like growth factors are longevity determinants that negatively regulate Forkhead box class O (FoxO) transcription factors. In C. elegans mutations that constitutively activate DAF-16, the ortholog of mammalian FoxO3a, extend lifespan by two-fold. While environmental insults induce DAF-16 activity in younger animals, it also becomes activated in an age-dependent manner in the absence of stress, modulating gene expression well into late adulthood. The mechanism by which DAF-16 activity is regulated during aging has not been defined. Since phosphorylation of DAF-16 generally leads to its inhibition, we asked whether phosphatases might be necessary for its increased transcriptional activity in adult C. elegans. We focused on the PP2A/4/6 subfamily of phosphoprotein phosphatases, members of which had been implicated to regulate DAF-16 under low insulin signaling conditions but had not been investigated during aging in wildtype animals. Using reverse genetics, we functionally characterized all C. elegans orthologs of human catalytic, regulatory, and scaffolding subunits of PP2A/4/6 holoenzymes in postreproductive adults. We found that PP2A complex constituents PAA-1 and PPTR-1 regulate DAF-16 transcriptional activity during aging and that they cooperate with the catalytic subunit LET-92 to protect adult animals from ultraviolet radiation. PP4 complex members PPH-4.1/4.2, and SMK-1 also appear to regulate DAF-16 in an age-dependent manner, and together with PPFR-2 they contribute to innate immunity. Interestingly, SUR-6 but no other subunit of the PP2A complex was necessary for the survival of pathogen-infected animals. Finally, we found that PP6 complex constituents PPH-6 and SAPS-1 contribute to host defense during aging, apparently without affecting DAF-16 transcriptional activity. Our studies indicate that a set of PP2A/4/6 complexes protect adult C. elegans from environmental stress, thus preserving healthspan. Therefore, along with their functions in cell division and development, the PP2A/4/6 phosphatases also appear to play critical roles later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S. Rivard
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States of America
| | - Julia M. Morris
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Youngman
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Castiglioni VG, Pires HR, Rosas Bertolini R, Riga A, Kerver J, Boxem M. Epidermal PAR-6 and PKC-3 are essential for larval development of C. elegans and organize non-centrosomal microtubules. eLife 2020; 9:e62067. [PMID: 33300872 PMCID: PMC7755398 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortical polarity regulators PAR-6, PKC-3, and PAR-3 are essential for the polarization of a broad variety of cell types in multicellular animals. In C. elegans, the roles of the PAR proteins in embryonic development have been extensively studied, yet little is known about their functions during larval development. Using inducible protein degradation, we show that PAR-6 and PKC-3, but not PAR-3, are essential for postembryonic development. PAR-6 and PKC-3 are required in the epidermal epithelium for animal growth, molting, and the proper pattern of seam-cell divisions. Finally, we uncovered a novel role for PAR-6 in organizing non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in the epidermis. PAR-6 was required for the localization of the microtubule organizer NOCA-1/Ninein, and defects in a noca-1 mutant are highly similar to those caused by epidermal PAR-6 depletion. As NOCA-1 physically interacts with PAR-6, we propose that PAR-6 promotes non-centrosomal microtubule organization through localization of NOCA-1/Ninein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria G Castiglioni
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Helena R Pires
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Rodrigo Rosas Bertolini
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Amalia Riga
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Jana Kerver
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Mike Boxem
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
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17
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Donkervoort S, Kutzner CE, Hu Y, Lornage X, Rendu J, Stojkovic T, Baets J, Neuhaus SB, Tanboon J, Maroofian R, Bolduc V, Mroczek M, Conijn S, Kuntz NL, Töpf A, Monges S, Lubieniecki F, McCarty RM, Chao KR, Governali S, Böhm J, Boonyapisit K, Malfatti E, Sangruchi T, Horkayne-Szakaly I, Hedberg-Oldfors C, Efthymiou S, Noguchi S, Djeddi S, Iida A, di Rosa G, Fiorillo C, Salpietro V, Darin N, Fauré J, Houlden H, Oldfors A, Nishino I, de Ridder W, Straub V, Pokrzywa W, Laporte J, Foley AR, Romero NB, Ottenheijm C, Hoppe T, Bönnemann CG. Pathogenic Variants in the Myosin Chaperone UNC-45B Cause Progressive Myopathy with Eccentric Cores. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:1078-1095. [PMID: 33217308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The myosin-directed chaperone UNC-45B is essential for sarcomeric organization and muscle function from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. The pathological impact of UNC-45B in muscle disease remained elusive. We report ten individuals with bi-allelic variants in UNC45B who exhibit childhood-onset progressive muscle weakness. We identified a common UNC45B variant that acts as a complex hypomorph splice variant. Purified UNC-45B mutants showed changes in folding and solubility. In situ localization studies further demonstrated reduced expression of mutant UNC-45B in muscle combined with abnormal localization away from the A-band towards the Z-disk of the sarcomere. The physiological relevance of these observations was investigated in C. elegans by transgenic expression of conserved UNC-45 missense variants, which showed impaired myosin binding for one and defective muscle function for three. Together, our results demonstrate that UNC-45B impairment manifests as a chaperonopathy with progressive muscle pathology, which discovers the previously unknown conserved role of UNC-45B in myofibrillar organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Donkervoort
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Carl E Kutzner
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ying Hu
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xavière Lornage
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - John Rendu
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble Alpes, Biochimie Génétique et Moléculaire, Grenoble 38000, France; Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences-INSERM U1216 UGA, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Tanya Stojkovic
- Centre de Référence des Maladies Neuromusculaires Nord/Est/Ile de France, Institut de Myologie, GHU La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jonathan Baets
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Neuromuscular Pathology, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; Neuromuscular Reference Centre, Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sarah B Neuhaus
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jantima Tanboon
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, 10700 Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8502 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Véronique Bolduc
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Magdalena Mroczek
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Stefan Conijn
- Department of Physiology, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nancy L Kuntz
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ana Töpf
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Soledad Monges
- Servicio de Neurología y Servicio de Patologia, Hospital de Pediatría Garrahan, C1245 AAM Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fabiana Lubieniecki
- Servicio de Neurología y Servicio de Patologia, Hospital de Pediatría Garrahan, C1245 AAM Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Riley M McCarty
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katherine R Chao
- Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Serena Governali
- Department of Physiology, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Johann Böhm
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - Kanokwan Boonyapisit
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol, University, 10700 Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Edoardo Malfatti
- Neurology Department, Raymond-Poincaré teaching hospital, centre de référence des maladies neuromusculaires Nord/Est/Ile-de-France, AP-HP, 92380 Garches, France
| | - Tumtip Sangruchi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, 10700 Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Carola Hedberg-Oldfors
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Satoru Noguchi
- Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8502 Tokyo, Japan; Department of Genome Medicine Development, Medical Genome Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8551 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sarah Djeddi
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - Aritoshi Iida
- Department of Clinical Genome Analysis, Medical Genome Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8551 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gabriella di Rosa
- Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of the Adult and Developmental Age Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina 98125, Italy
| | - Chiara Fiorillo
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, G. Gaslini Institute, 16147 Genoa, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, G. Gaslini Institute, 16147 Genoa, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Niklas Darin
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, 41650 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Julien Fauré
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble Alpes, Biochimie Génétique et Moléculaire, Grenoble 38000, France; Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences-INSERM U1216 UGA, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anders Oldfors
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ichizo Nishino
- Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8502 Tokyo, Japan; Department of Genome Medicine Development, Medical Genome Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8551 Tokyo, Japan; Department of Clinical Genome Analysis, Medical Genome Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 187-8551 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Willem de Ridder
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Neuromuscular Pathology, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; Neuromuscular Reference Centre, Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Volker Straub
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK; Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7DN, UK
| | - Wojciech Pokrzywa
- Laboratory of Protein Metabolism in Development and Aging, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jocelyn Laporte
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - A Reghan Foley
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Norma B Romero
- Centre de Référence des Maladies Neuromusculaires Nord/Est/Ile de France, Institut de Myologie, GHU La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, 75013 Paris, France; Université Sorbonne, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMRS974, CNRS FRE3617, Center for Research in Myology, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris, France; Neuromuscular Morphology Unit, Myology Institute, GHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Coen Ottenheijm
- Department of Physiology, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA
| | - Thorsten Hoppe
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Carsten G Bönnemann
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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18
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Han S, Lv Y, Wang J, Gao M, Yuan F, Wang D. VPS-22/SNF8 regulates longevity via modulating the activity of DAF-16 in C. elegans. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 532:94-100. [PMID: 32829877 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.08.003] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Aging is regulated by complex signaling networks, the details of which remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that VPS-22/SNF8, a component of endosomal sorting complex required for transport-II (ESCRT-II), regulates the lifespan of C. elegans. In this study we show that worms with vps-22/snf8 gene knockdown had a shorter lifespan than wild-type worms. The expression pattern of VPS-22/SNF8 in C. elegans was highly similar to that of DAF-16. Knockout of daf-16 in C. elegans shortened the worms' lifespan; however, reducing the expression of vps-22/snf8 in daf-16 null worms did not further shorten their lifespan, indicating that vps-22/snf8 and daf-16 may act in the same signaling pathway to regulate longevity. Over-expression of daf-16 rescued the short-lived phenotype of vps-22/snf8 knockdown worms. Moreover, down-regulation of vps-22/snf8 decreased the nuclear localization of DAF-16 and modulated the expression of daf-16 downstream genes that regulate longevity in C. elegans. In summary, our results indicate that vps-22/snf8 can regulate the longevity of C. elegans by partially modulating the activity of daf-16. These findings may help us to better understand the mechanisms of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Han
- Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, Hubei, PR China; The Institute of Infection and Inflammation, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, Hubei, PR China
| | - Yuexia Lv
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Rd., Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, PR China
| | - Jiuxiang Wang
- Experimental Center of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, PR China
| | - Meng Gao
- Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, PR China
| | - Fating Yuan
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Power Transmission Line, College of Electrical Engineering and New Energy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, PR China
| | - Decheng Wang
- Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, Hubei, PR China; The Institute of Infection and Inflammation, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, Hubei, PR China.
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19
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Abstract
Sydney Brenner's choice of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for understanding the nervous system has accelerated discoveries of gene function in neural circuit development and behavior. In this review, we discuss a striking example of synaptic remodeling in the C. elegans motor circuit in which DD class motor neurons effectively reverse polarity as presynaptic and postsynaptic domains at opposite ends of the DD neurite switch locations. Originally revealed by EM reconstruction conducted over 40 years ago, DD remodeling has since been investigated by live cell imaging methods that exploit the power of C. elegans genetics to reveal key effectors of synaptic plasticity. Although synapses are also extensively rewired in developing mammalian circuits, the underlying remodeling mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we highlight the possibility that studies in C. elegans can reveal pathways that orchestrate synaptic remodeling in more complex organisms. Specifically, we describe (1) transcription factors that regulate DD remodeling, (2) the cellular and molecular cascades that drive synaptic remodeling and (3) examples of circuit modifications in vertebrate neurons that share some similarities with synaptic remodeling in C. elegans DD neurons.
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20
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Walsh JD, Boivin O, Barr MM. What about the males? the C. elegans sexually dimorphic nervous system and a CRISPR-based tool to study males in a hermaphroditic species. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:323-334. [PMID: 32648491 PMCID: PMC7796903 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1789978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is a device that supports genetic diversity while providing selective pressure against speciation. This phenomenon is at the core of sexually reproducing organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans provides a unique experimental system where males exist in a primarily hermaphroditic species. Early works of John Sulston, Robert Horvitz, and John White provided a complete map of the hermaphrodite nervous system, and recently the male nervous system was added. This addition completely realized the vision of C. elegans pioneer Sydney Brenner: a model organism with an entirely mapped nervous system. With this 'connectome' of information available, great strides have been made toward understanding concepts such as how a sex-shared nervous system (in hermaphrodites and males) can give rise to sex-specific functions, how neural plasticity plays a role in developing a dimorphic nervous system, and how a shared nervous system receives and processes external cues in a sexually-dimorphic manner to generate sex-specific behaviors. In C. elegans, the intricacies of male-mating behavior have been crucial for studying the function and circuitry of the male-specific nervous system and used as a model for studying human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). With the emergence of CRISPR, a seemingly limitless tool for generating genomic mutations with pinpoint precision, the C. elegans model system will continue to be a useful instrument for pioneering research in the fields of behavior, reproductive biology, and neurogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon D Walsh
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Olivier Boivin
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Maureen M Barr
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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21
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Abstract
I review the history of sleep research in Caenorhabditis elegans, briefly introduce the four articles in this issue focused on worm sleep and propose future directions our field might take.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Raizen
- Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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22
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Lyu S, Doroodchi A, Xing H, Sheng Y, DeAndrade MP, Yang Y, Johnson TL, Clemens S, Yokoi F, Miller MA, Xiao R, Li Y. BTBD9 and dopaminergic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of restless legs syndrome. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1743-1760. [PMID: 32468214 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an urge to move legs, usually accompanied by uncomfortable sensations. RLS symptoms generally happen at night and can be relieved by movements. Genetic studies have linked polymorphisms in BTBD9 to a higher risk of RLS. Knockout of BTBD9 homolog in mice (Btbd9) and fly results in RLS-like phenotypes. A dysfunctional dopaminergic system is associated with RLS. However, the function of BTBD9 in the dopaminergic system and RLS is not clear. Here, we made use of the simple Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system. Loss of hpo-9, the worm homolog of BTBD9, resulted in hyperactive egg-laying behavior. Analysis of genetic interactions between hpo-9 and genes for dopamine receptors (dop-1, dop-3) indicated that hpo-9 and dop-1 worked similarly. Reporter assays of dop-1 and dop-3 revealed that hpo-9 knockout led to a significant increase of DOP-3 expression. This appears to be evolutionarily conserved in mice with an increased D2 receptor (D2R) mRNA in the striatum of the Btbd9 knockout mice. Furthermore, the striatal D2R protein was significantly decreased and Dynamin I was increased. Overall, activities of DA neurons in the substantia nigra were not altered, but the peripheral D1R pathway was potentiated in the Btbd9 knockout mice. Finally, we generated and characterized the dopamine neuron-specific Btbd9 knockout mice and detected an active-phase sleepiness, suggesting that dopamine neuron-specific loss of Btbd9 is sufficient to disturb the sleep. Our results suggest that increased activities in the D1R pathway, decreased activities in the D2R pathway, or both may contribute to RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangru Lyu
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0236, USA
| | - Atbin Doroodchi
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Hong Xing
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0236, USA
| | - Yi Sheng
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Mark P DeAndrade
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0236, USA
| | - Youfeng Yang
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Tracy L Johnson
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Stefan Clemens
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Fumiaki Yokoi
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0236, USA
| | - Michael A Miller
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Rui Xiao
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0236, USA.
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23
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Gao J, Zhao L, Luo Q, Liu S, Lin Z, Wang P, Fu X, Chen J, Zhang H, Lin L, Shi A. An EHBP-1-SID-3-DYN-1 axis promotes membranous tubule fission during endocytic recycling. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008763. [PMID: 32384077 PMCID: PMC7239482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ACK family tyrosine kinase SID-3 is involved in the endocytic uptake of double-stranded RNA. Here we identified SID-3 as a previously unappreciated recycling regulator in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine. The RAB-10 effector EHBP-1 is required for the endosomal localization of SID-3. Accordingly, animals with loss of SID-3 phenocopied the recycling defects observed in ehbp-1 and rab-10 single mutants. Moreover, we detected sequential protein interactions between EHBP-1, SID-3, NCK-1, and DYN-1. In the absence of SID-3, DYN-1 failed to localize at tubular recycling endosomes, and membrane tubules breaking away from endosomes were mostly absent, suggesting that SID-3 acts synergistically with the downstream DYN-1 to promote endosomal tubule fission. In agreement with these observations, overexpression of DYN-1 significantly increased recycling transport in SID-3-deficient cells. Finally, we noticed that loss of RAB-10 or EHBP-1 compromised feeding RNAi efficiency in multiple tissues, implicating basolateral recycling in the transport of RNA silencing signals. Taken together, our study demonstrated that in C. elegans intestinal epithelia, SID-3 acts downstream of EHBP-1 to direct fission of recycling endosomal tubules in concert with NCK-1 and DYN-1. After endocytic uptake, a recycling transport system is deployed to deliver endocytosed macromolecules, fluid, membranes, and membrane proteins back to the cell surface. This process is essential for a series of biological processes such as cytokinesis, cell migration, maintenance of cell polarity, and synaptic plasticity. Recycling endosomes mainly consist of membrane tubules and often undergo membrane fission to generate vesicular carriers, which mediates the delivery of cargo proteins back to the plasma membrane. Previous studies suggested that RAB-10 and its effector protein EHBP-1 function jointly to generate and maintain recycling endosomal tubules. However, the mechanism coupling recycling endosomal tubulation and membrane fission remains elusive. Here, we identified SID-3 as a new interactor of EHBP-1. EHBP-1 is required for the endosomal localization of SID-3 and initiates a protein interaction cascade involving SID-3, NCK-1, and DYN-1/dynamin. We also found that SID-3 functions downstream of EHBP-1 to encourage membrane scission, and that ectopic expression of DYN-1 improves recycling transport in SID-3-depleted cells. Our findings revealed EHBP-1 as a point of convergence between RAB-10-mediated endosomal tubulation and SID-3-assisted membrane tubule fission during endocytic recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghu Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Linyue Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qian Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shuyao Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ziyang Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Peixiang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xin Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Long Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- * E-mail: (LL); (AS)
| | - Anbing Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Disease of National Education Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- * E-mail: (LL); (AS)
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24
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Min H, Youn E, Shim YH. Maternal Caffeine Intake Disrupts Eggshell Integrity and Retards Larval Development by Reducing Yolk Production in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12051334. [PMID: 32392893 PMCID: PMC7284833 DOI: 10.3390/nu12051334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, most women are exposed to caffeine, which is a widely consumed psychoactive substance. However, the consequences of maternal caffeine intake on the child remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the intergenerational effects of maternal caffeine intake on offspring in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. We treated a young mother (P0) with 10 mM of caffeine equivalent to 2–5 cans of commercial energy drinks and examined its reproduction and growth rate from P0 to F2 generation. The fertility decreased and embryonic lethality increased by defective oocytes and eggshell integrity in caffeine-ingested mothers, and F1 larval development severely retarded. These results were due to decreased production of vitellogenin protein (yolk) in caffeine-ingested mothers. Furthermore, effects of RNA interference of vitellogenin (vit) genes, vit-1 to vit-6, in P0 mothers can mimic those by caffeine-ingested mothers. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) depletion of unc-62 (human Meis homeobox), a transcriptional activator for vit genes, also showed similar effects induced by caffeine intake. Taken together, maternal caffeine intake reduced yolk production mediated by the UNC-62 transcription factor, thereby disrupting oocyte and eggshell integrity and retarding larval development. Our study suggests the clinical significance of caffeine intake for prospective mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yhong-Hee Shim
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-450-4059; Fax: +82-2-455-9956
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25
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Borbolis F, Rallis J, Kanatouris G, Kokla N, Karamalegkos A, Vasileiou C, Vakaloglou KM, Diallinas G, Stravopodis DJ, Zervas CG, Syntichaki P. mRNA decapping is an evolutionarily conserved modulator of neuroendocrine signaling that controls development and ageing. eLife 2020; 9:e53757. [PMID: 32366357 PMCID: PMC7200159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53757] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic 5'-3' mRNA decay plays important roles during development and in response to stress, regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. In Caenorhabditis elegans, deficiency of DCAP-1/DCP1, the essential co-factor of the major cytoplasmic mRNA decapping enzyme, impacts normal development, stress survival and ageing. Here, we show that overexpression of dcap-1 in neurons of worms is sufficient to increase lifespan through the function of the insulin/IGF-like signaling and its effector DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor. Neuronal DCAP-1 affects basal levels of INS-7, an ageing-related insulin-like peptide, which acts in the intestine to determine lifespan. Short-lived dcap-1 mutants exhibit a neurosecretion-dependent upregulation of intestinal ins-7 transcription, and diminished nuclear localization of DAF-16/FOXO. Moreover, neuronal overexpression of DCP1 in Drosophila melanogaster confers longevity in adults, while neuronal DCP1 deficiency shortens lifespan and affects wing morphogenesis, cell non-autonomously. Our genetic analysis in two model-organisms suggests a critical and conserved function of DCAP-1/DCP1 in developmental events and lifespan modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fivos Borbolis
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - John Rallis
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - George Kanatouris
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Nikolitsa Kokla
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Antonis Karamalegkos
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Christina Vasileiou
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of ThraceAlex/polisGreece
| | - Katerina M Vakaloglou
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
| | - George Diallinas
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Dimitrios J Stravopodis
- Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Christos G Zervas
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
| | - Popi Syntichaki
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic ResearchAthensGreece
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26
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Cohen-Berkman M, Dudkevich R, Ben-Hamo S, Fishman A, Salzberg Y, Waldman Ben-Asher H, Lamm AT, Henis-Korenblit S. Endogenous siRNAs promote proteostasis and longevity in germline-less Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2020; 9:e50896. [PMID: 32213289 PMCID: PMC7136021 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
How lifespan and the rate of aging are set is a key problem in biology. Small RNAs are conserved molecules that impact diverse biological processes through the control of gene expression. However, in contrast to miRNAs, the role of endo-siRNAs in aging remains unexplored. Here, by combining deep sequencing and genomic and genetic approaches in Caenorhabditis elegans, we reveal an unprecedented role for endo-siRNA molecules in the maintenance of proteostasis and lifespan extension in germline-less animals. Furthermore, we identify an endo-siRNA-regulated tyrosine phosphatase, which limits the longevity of germline-less animals by restricting the activity of the heat shock transcription factor HSF-1. Altogether, our findings point to endo-siRNAs as a link between germline removal and the HSF-1 proteostasis and longevity-promoting somatic pathway. This establishes a role for endo siRNAs in the aging process and identifies downstream genes and physiological processes that are regulated by the endo siRNAs to affect longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Cohen-Berkman
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-GanIsrael
| | - Reut Dudkevich
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-GanIsrael
| | - Shani Ben-Hamo
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-GanIsrael
| | - Alla Fishman
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion CityHaifaIsrael
| | - Yehuda Salzberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | | | - Ayelet T Lamm
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion CityHaifaIsrael
| | - Sivan Henis-Korenblit
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-GanIsrael
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27
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Jushaj A, Churgin M, Yao B, De La Torre M, Fang-Yen C, Temmerman L. Optimized criteria for locomotion-based healthspan evaluation in C. elegans using the WorMotel system. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229583. [PMID: 32126105 PMCID: PMC7053758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Getting a grip on how we may age healthily is a central interest of biogerontological research. To this end, a number of academic teams developed platforms for life- and healthspan assessment in Caenorhabditis elegans. These are very appealing for medium- to high throughput screens, but a broader implementation is lacking due to many systems relying on custom scripts for data analysis that others struggle to adopt. Hence, user-friendly recommendations would help to translate raw data into interpretable results. The aim of this communication is to streamline the analysis of data obtained by the WorMotel, an economically and practically appealing screening platform, in order to facilitate the use of this system by interested researchers. We here detail recommendations for the stepwise conversion of raw image data into activity values and explain criteria for assessment of health in C. elegans based on locomotion. Our analysis protocol can easily be adopted by researchers, and all needed scripts and a tutorial are available in S1 and S2 Files.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areta Jushaj
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Bowen Yao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Miguel De La Torre
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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28
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Zhao Y, Long L, Wan J, Biliya S, Brady SC, Lee D, Ojemakinde A, Andersen EC, Vannberg FO, Lu H, McGrath PT. A spontaneous complex structural variant in rcan-1 increases exploratory behavior and laboratory fitness of Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008606. [PMID: 32092052 PMCID: PMC7058356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Over long evolutionary timescales, major changes to the copy number, function, and genomic organization of genes occur, however, our understanding of the individual mutational events responsible for these changes is lacking. In this report, we study the genetic basis of adaptation of two strains of C. elegans to laboratory food sources using competition experiments on a panel of 89 recombinant inbred lines (RIL). Unexpectedly, we identified a single RIL with higher relative fitness than either of the parental strains. This strain also displayed a novel behavioral phenotype, resulting in higher propensity to explore bacterial lawns. Using bulk-segregant analysis and short-read resequencing of this RIL, we mapped the change in exploration behavior to a spontaneous, complex rearrangement of the rcan-1 gene that occurred during construction of the RIL panel. We resolved this rearrangement into five unique tandem inversion/duplications using Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing. rcan-1 encodes an ortholog to human RCAN1/DSCR1 calcipressin gene, which has been implicated as a causal gene for Down syndrome. The genomic rearrangement in rcan-1 creates two complete and two truncated versions of the rcan-1 coding region, with a variety of modified 5’ and 3’ non-coding regions. While most copy-number variations (CNVs) are thought to act by increasing expression of duplicated genes, these changes to rcan-1 ultimately result in the reduction of its whole-body expression due to changes in the upstream regions. By backcrossing this rearrangement into a common genetic background to create a near isogenic line (NIL), we demonstrate that both the competitive advantage and exploration behavioral changes are linked to this complex genetic variant. This NIL strain does not phenocopy a strain containing an rcan-1 loss-of-function allele, which suggests that the residual expression of rcan-1 is necessary for its fitness effects. Our results demonstrate how colonization of new environments, such as those encountered in the laboratory, can create evolutionary pressure to modify gene function. This evolutionary mismatch can be resolved by an unexpectedly complex genetic change that simultaneously duplicates and diversifies a gene into two uniquely regulated genes. Our work shows how complex rearrangements can act to modify gene expression in ways besides increased gene dosage. Evolution acts on genetic variants that modify phenotypes that increase the likelihood of staying alive and passing on these genetic changes to subsequent generations (i.e. fitness). There is general interest in understanding the types of genetic variants that can increase fitness in specific environments. One route that fitness can be increased is through changes in behavior, such as finding new food sources. Here, we identify a spontaneous genetic change that increases exploration behavior and fitness of animals in laboratory environments. Interestingly, this genetic change is not a simple genetic change that deletes or changes the sequence of a protein product, but rather a complex structural variant that simultaneously duplicates the rcan-1 gene and also modifies its expression in a number of tissues. Our work demonstrates how a complex structural change can duplicate a gene, modify the DNA control regions that determine its cellular sites of action, and confer a fitness advantage that could lead to its spread in a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Zhao
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Lijiang Long
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jason Wan
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shweta Biliya
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shannon C. Brady
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Daehan Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Akinade Ojemakinde
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Fredrik O. Vannberg
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hang Lu
- Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Patrick T. McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Goldstein B, Nance J. Caenorhabditis elegans Gastrulation: A Model for Understanding How Cells Polarize, Change Shape, and Journey Toward the Center of an Embryo. Genetics 2020; 214:265-277. [PMID: 32029580 PMCID: PMC7017025 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.300240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation is fundamental to the development of multicellular animals. Along with neurulation, gastrulation is one of the major processes of morphogenesis in which cells or whole tissues move from the surface of an embryo to its interior. Cell internalization mechanisms that have been discovered to date in Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation bear some similarity to internalization mechanisms of other systems including Drosophila, Xenopus, and mouse, suggesting that ancient and conserved mechanisms internalize cells in diverse organisms. C. elegans gastrulation occurs at an early stage, beginning when the embryo is composed of just 26 cells, suggesting some promise for connecting the rich array of developmental mechanisms that establish polarity and pattern in embryos to the force-producing mechanisms that change cell shapes and move cells interiorly. Here, we review our current understanding of C. elegans gastrulation mechanisms. We address how cells determine which direction is the interior and polarize with respect to that direction, how cells change shape by apical constriction and internalize, and how the embryo specifies which cells will internalize and when. We summarize future prospects for using this system to discover some of the general principles by which animal cells change shape and internalize during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Goldstein
- Department of Biology and
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 and
| | - Jeremy Nance
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016
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Suman SK, Daday C, Ferraro T, Vuong-Brender T, Tak S, Quintin S, Robin F, Gräter F, Labouesse M. The plakin domain of C. elegans VAB-10/plectin acts as a hub in a mechanotransduction pathway to promote morphogenesis. Development 2019; 146:dev183780. [PMID: 31784459 PMCID: PMC7375825 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical forces can elicit a mechanotransduction response through junction-associated proteins. In contrast to the wealth of knowledge available for focal adhesions and adherens junctions, much less is known about mechanotransduction at hemidesmosomes. Here, we focus on the C. elegans plectin homolog VAB-10A, the only evolutionary conserved hemidesmosome component. In C. elegans, muscle contractions induce a mechanotransduction pathway in the epidermis through hemidesmosomes. We used CRISPR to precisely remove spectrin repeats (SRs) or a partially hidden Src homology 3 (SH3) domain within the VAB-10 plakin domain. Deleting the SH3 or SR8 domains in combination with mutations affecting mechanotransduction, or just the part of SR5 shielding the SH3 domain, induced embryonic elongation arrest because hemidesmosomes collapse. Notably, recruitment of GIT-1, the first mechanotransduction player, requires the SR5 domain and the hemidesmosome transmembrane receptor LET-805. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that forces acting on VAB-10 could make the central SH3 domain, otherwise in contact with SR4, available for interaction. Collectively, our data strongly indicate that the plakin domain plays a central role in mechanotransduction and raise the possibility that VAB-10/plectin might act as a mechanosensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi Kumar Suman
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
- Development and Stem Cells Program, IGBMC, CNRS (UMR7104), INSERM (U964), Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Csaba Daday
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Mathematikon, INF 205, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloß-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Teresa Ferraro
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thanh Vuong-Brender
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
- Development and Stem Cells Program, IGBMC, CNRS (UMR7104), INSERM (U964), Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Saurabh Tak
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
- Development and Stem Cells Program, IGBMC, CNRS (UMR7104), INSERM (U964), Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Sophie Quintin
- Development and Stem Cells Program, IGBMC, CNRS (UMR7104), INSERM (U964), Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - François Robin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Frauke Gräter
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Mathematikon, INF 205, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloß-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michel Labouesse
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement/UMR7622,7 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
- Development and Stem Cells Program, IGBMC, CNRS (UMR7104), INSERM (U964), Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, 67400 Illkirch, France
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Sellegounder D, Liu Y, Wibisono P, Chen CH, Leap D, Sun J. Neuronal GPCR NPR-8 regulates C. elegans defense against pathogen infection. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaaw4717. [PMID: 31799388 PMCID: PMC6867885 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw4717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that infection-triggered host defenses are regulated by the nervous system. However, the precise mechanisms of this regulation are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that neuronal G protein-coupled receptor NPR-8 negatively regulates Caenorhabditis elegans defense against pathogen infection by suppressing cuticular collagen expression. NPR-8 controls the dynamics of cuticle structure in response to infection, likely through its regulation of cuticular collagen genes which, in turn, affects the nematode's defense. We further show that the defense activity of NPR-8 is confined to amphid sensory neurons AWB, ASJ, and AWC. It is generally believed that physical barrier defenses are not a response to infections but are part of the body's basic innate defense against pathogens. Our results challenge this view by showing not only that C. elegans cuticle structure dynamically changes in response to infection but also that the cuticle barrier defense is regulated by the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Durai Sellegounder
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Yiyong Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
- Genomics Core, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Phillip Wibisono
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Chia-Hui Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - David Leap
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Jingru Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
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Van de Walle P, Geens E, Baggerman G, José Naranjo-Galindo F, Askjaer P, Schoofs L, Temmerman L. CEH-60/PBX regulates vitellogenesis and cuticle permeability through intestinal interaction with UNC-62/MEIS in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000499. [PMID: 31675356 PMCID: PMC6824563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The onset of sexual maturity involves dramatic changes in physiology and gene expression in many animals. These include abundant yolk protein production in egg-laying species, an energetically costly process under extensive transcriptional control. Here, we used the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to provide evidence for the spatiotemporally defined interaction of two evolutionarily conserved transcription factors, CEH-60/PBX and UNC-62/MEIS, acting as a gateway to yolk protein production. Via proteomics, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and biochemical and functional readouts, we show that this interaction occurs in the intestine of animals at the onset of sexual maturity and suffices to support the reproductive program. Our electron micrographs and functional assays provide evidence that intestinal PBX/MEIS cooperation drives another process that depends on lipid mobilization: the formation of an impermeable epicuticle. Without this lipid-rich protective layer, mutant animals are hypersensitive to exogenous oxidative stress and are poor partners for mating. Dedicated communication between the hypodermis and intestine in C. elegans likely supports these physiological outcomes, and we propose a fundamental role for the conserved PBX/MEIS interaction in multicellular signaling networks that rely on lipid homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Van de Walle
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Geens
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Baggerman
- Centre for Proteomics (CFP), University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
- VITO, Mol, Belgium
| | | | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Liliane Schoofs
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Esse R, Gushchanskaia ES, Lord A, Grishok A. DOT1L complex suppresses transcription from enhancer elements and ectopic RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans. RNA 2019; 25:1259-1273. [PMID: 31300558 PMCID: PMC6800474 DOI: 10.1261/rna.070292.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79 (H3K79) by DOT1L is associated with actively transcribed genes. Earlier, we described that DOT-1.1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of mammalian DOT1L, cooperates with the chromatin-binding protein ZFP-1 (AF10 homolog) to negatively modulate transcription of highly and widely expressed target genes. Also, the reduction of ZFP-1 levels has consistently been associated with lower efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) triggered by exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), but the reason for this is not clear. Here, we demonstrate that the DOT1L complex suppresses transcription originating from enhancer elements and antisense transcription, thus potentiating the expression of enhancer-regulated genes. We also show that worms lacking H3K79 methylation do not survive, and this lethality is suppressed by a loss of caspase-3 or Dicer complex components that initiate gene silencing response to exogenous dsRNA. Our results suggest that ectopic elevation of endogenous dsRNA directly or indirectly resulting from global misregulation of transcription in DOT1L complex mutants may engage the Dicer complex and, therefore, limit the efficiency of exogenous RNAi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Esse
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | | | - Avery Lord
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Alla Grishok
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
- Genome Science Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
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Yan J, Yang Z, Zhao N, Li Z, Cao X. Gastrodin protects dopaminergic neurons via insulin-like pathway in a Parkinson's disease model. BMC Neurosci 2019; 20:31. [PMID: 31208386 PMCID: PMC6580469 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-019-0512-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become more generally accepted, including by the Food and Drug Administration. To expand the use of TCM worldwide, it is important to study the molecular mechanisms by which TCM and its active ingredients produce effects. Gastrodin is an active ingredient from Gastrodia elata Blume. It is reported that gastrodin has neuroprotective function in Parkinson's disease. But its mechanisms of neuroprotection remain not clear in PD. Here, we build two C. elegans PD model using 6-OHDA and transgenic animal to observe the changes of PD worms treated with or without gastrodin to confirm the function of gastrodin, then utilize mutant worms to investigate DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling pathway, and finally verify the mechanism of gastrodin in PD. RESULTS Gastrodin attenuates the accumulation of α-synuclein and the injury of dopaminergic neurons, improves chemotaxis behavior in Parkinson's disease models, then recovers chemotaxis behavior by insulin-like pathway. DAF-2/DAF-16 is required for neuroprotective effect of dopamine neuron in PD. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that gastrodin rescued dopaminergic neurons and reduced accumulation of α-synuclein protein, and the activity of gastrodin against Parkinson's disease depended on the insulin-like DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling pathway. Our findings revealed that this insulin-like pathway mediates neuroprotection of gastrodin in a Parkinson's disease model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyuan Yan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 374 Dian Mian Road, Kunming, 650101 Yunnan China
| | - Zhongshan Yang
- Faculty of Basic Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500 Yunnan China
| | - Ninghui Zhao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 374 Dian Mian Road, Kunming, 650101 Yunnan China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 374 Dian Mian Road, Kunming, 650101 Yunnan China
| | - Xia Cao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 374 Dian Mian Road, Kunming, 650101 Yunnan China
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Kozlova AA, Lotfi M, Okkema PG. Cross Talk with the GAR-3 Receptor Contributes to Feeding Defects in Caenorhabditis elegans eat-2 Mutants. Genetics 2019; 212:231-243. [PMID: 30898771 PMCID: PMC6499512 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Precise signaling at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is essential for proper muscle contraction. In the Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx, acetylcholine (ACh) released from the MC and M4 motor neurons stimulates two different types of contractions in adjacent muscle cells, termed pumping and isthmus peristalsis. MC stimulates rapid pumping through the nicotinic ACh receptor EAT-2, which is tightly localized at the MC NMJ, and eat-2 mutants exhibit a slow pump rate. Surprisingly, we found that eat-2 mutants also hyperstimulated peristaltic contractions, and that they were characterized by increased and prolonged Ca2+ transients in the isthmus muscles. This hyperstimulation depends on cross talk with the GAR-3 muscarinic ACh receptor as gar-3 mutation specifically suppressed the prolonged contraction and increased Ca2+ observed in eat-2 mutant peristalses. Similar GAR-3-dependent hyperstimulation was also observed in mutants lacking the ace-3 acetylcholinesterase, and we suggest that NMJ defects in eat-2 and ace-3 mutants result in ACh stimulation of extrasynaptic GAR-3 receptors in isthmus muscles. gar-3 mutation also suppressed slow larval growth and prolonged life span phenotypes that result from dietary restriction in eat-2 mutants, indicating that cross talk with the GAR-3 receptor has a long-term impact on feeding behavior and eat-2 mutant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena A Kozlova
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois 60607
| | - Michelle Lotfi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois 60607
| | - Peter G Okkema
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois 60607
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Achache H, Laurent L, Hecker-Mimoun Y, Ishtayeh H, Rappaport Y, Kroizer E, Colaiácovo MP, Tzur YB. Progression of Meiosis Is Coordinated by the Level and Location of MAPK Activation Via OGR-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 212:213-229. [PMID: 30867196 PMCID: PMC6499523 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, a series of evolutionarily conserved events allow for reductional chromosome division, which is required for sexual reproduction. Although individual meiotic processes have been extensively studied, we currently know far less about how meiosis is regulated and coordinated. In the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling drives oogenesis while undergoing spatial activation and deactivation waves. However, it is currently unclear how MAPK activation is governed and how it facilitates the progression of oogenesis. Here, we show that the oocyte and germline-related 2 (ogr-2) gene affects proper progression of oogenesis. Complete deletion of ogr-2 results in delayed meiotic entry and late spatial onset of double-strand break repair. Elevated levels of apoptosis are observed in this mutant, independent of the meiotic canonical checkpoints; however, they are dependent on the MAPK terminal member MPK-1/ERK. MPK-1 activation is elevated in diplotene in ogr-2 mutants and its aberrant spatial activation correlates with stages where meiotic progression defects are evident. Deletion of ogr-2 significantly reduces the expression of lip-1, a phosphatase reported to repress MPK-1, which is consistent with OGR-2 localization at chromatin in germ cells. We suggest that OGR-2 modulates the expression of lip-1 to promote the timely progression of meiosis through MPK-1 spatial deactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Achache
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Lévana Laurent
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Yaël Hecker-Mimoun
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Hasan Ishtayeh
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Yisrael Rappaport
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Eitan Kroizer
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | | | - Yonatan B Tzur
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Givat-Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Abstract
The MARK/PAR-1 family of kinases are conserved regulators of cell polarity that share a conserved C-terminal kinase-associated domain (KA1). Localization of MARK/PAR-1 kinases to specific regions of the cell cortex is a hallmark of polarized cells. In Caenorhabditiselegans zygotes, PAR-1 localizes to the posterior cortex under the influence of another polarity kinase, aPKC/PKC-3. Here, we report that asymmetric localization of PAR-1 protein is not essential, and that PAR-1 kinase activity is regulated spatially. We find that, as in human MARK1, the PAR-1 KA1 domain is an auto-inhibitory domain that suppresses kinase activity. Auto-inhibition by the KA1 domain functions in parallel with phosphorylation by PKC-3 to suppress PAR-1 activity in the anterior cytoplasm. The KA1 domain also plays an additional role that is essential for germ plasm maintenance and fertility. Our findings suggest that modular regulation of kinase activity by redundant inhibitory inputs contributes to robust symmetry breaking by MARK/PAR-1 kinases in diverse cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Folkmann
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, HHMI, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Geraldine Seydoux
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, HHMI, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Bouffard J, Cecchetelli AD, Clifford C, Sethi K, Zaidel-Bar R, Cram EJ. The RhoGAP SPV-1 regulates calcium signaling to control the contractility of the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca during embryo transits. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:907-922. [PMID: 30726159 PMCID: PMC6589790 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-10-0633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Contractility of the nonmuscle and smooth muscle cells that comprise biological tubing is regulated by the Rho-ROCK (Rho-associated protein kinase) and calcium signaling pathways. Although many molecular details about these signaling pathways are known, less is known about how they are coordinated spatiotemporally in biological tubes. The spermatheca of the Caenorhabditis elegans reproductive system enables study of the signaling pathways regulating actomyosin contractility in live adult animals. The RhoGAP (GTPase--activating protein toward Rho family small GTPases) SPV-1 was previously identified as a negative regulator of RHO-1/Rho and spermathecal contractility. Here, we uncover a role for SPV-1 as a key regulator of calcium signaling. spv-1 mutants expressing the calcium indicator GCaMP in the spermatheca exhibit premature calcium release, elevated calcium levels, and disrupted spatial regulation of calcium signaling during spermathecal contraction. Although RHO-1 is required for spermathecal contractility, RHO-1 does not play a significant role in regulating calcium. In contrast, activation of CDC-42 recapitulates many aspects of spv-1 mutant calcium signaling. Depletion of cdc-42 by RNA interference does not suppress the premature or elevated calcium signal seen in spv-1 mutants, suggesting other targets remain to be identified. Our results suggest that SPV-1 works through both the Rho-ROCK and calcium signaling pathways to coordinate cellular contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Bouffard
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02143
| | | | - Coleman Clifford
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02143
| | - Kriti Sethi
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411
| | - Ronen Zaidel-Bar
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02143
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Harris G, Wu T, Linfield G, Choi MK, Liu H, Zhang Y. Molecular and cellular modulators for multisensory integration in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007706. [PMID: 30849079 PMCID: PMC6426271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the natural environment, animals often encounter multiple sensory cues that are simultaneously present. The nervous system integrates the relevant sensory information to generate behavioral responses that have adaptive values. However, the neuronal basis and the modulators that regulate integrated behavioral response to multiple sensory cues are not well defined. Here, we address this question using a behavioral decision in C. elegans when the animal is presented with an attractive food source together with a repulsive odorant. We identify specific sensory neurons, interneurons and neuromodulators that orchestrate the decision-making process, suggesting that various states and contexts may modulate the multisensory integration. Among these modulators, we characterize a new function of a conserved TGF-β pathway that regulates the integrated decision by inhibiting the signaling from a set of central neurons. Interestingly, we find that a common set of modulators, including the TGF-β pathway, regulate the integrated response to the pairing of different foods and repellents. Together, our results provide mechanistic insights into the modulatory signals regulating multisensory integration. The present study characterizes the modulation of a behavioral decision in C. elegans when the worm is presented with a food lawn that is paired with a repulsive smell. We show that multiple specific sensory neurons and interneurons play roles in making the decision. We also identify several modulatory molecules that are essential for the integrated decision when the animal faces a choice between the cues of opposing valence. We further show that many of these factors, which often represent different states and contexts, are common for behavioral decisions that integrate sensory information from different types of foods and repellents. Overall, our results reveal the molecular and cellular basis for integration of simultaneously present attractive and repulsive cues to fine-tune decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Harris
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GH); (YZ)
| | - Taihong Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Gaia Linfield
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Myung-Kyu Choi
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - He Liu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GH); (YZ)
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Choi S, Ambros V. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-28 coordinates the timing of hypodermal and somatic gonadal programs for hermaphrodite reproductive system morphogenesis. Development 2019; 146:dev164293. [PMID: 30745431 PMCID: PMC6432661 DOI: 10.1242/dev.164293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans heterochronic genes determine the timing of expression of specific cell fates in particular stages of developing larvae. However, their broader roles in coordinating developmental events across diverse tissues have been less well investigated. Here, we show that loss of lin-28, a central heterochronic regulator of hypodermal development, causes reduced fertility associated with abnormal somatic gonadal morphology. In particular, the abnormal spermatheca-uterine valve morphology of lin-28(lf) hermaphrodites traps embryos in the spermatheca, which disrupts ovulation and causes embryonic lethality. The same genes that act downstream of lin-28 in the regulation of hypodermal developmental timing also act downstream of lin-28 in somatic gonadal morphogenesis and fertility. Importantly, we find that hypodermal expression, but not somatic gonadal expression, of lin-28 is sufficient for restoring normal somatic gonadal morphology in lin-28(lf) mutants. We propose that the abnormal somatic gonadal morphogenesis of lin-28(lf) hermaphrodites results from temporal discoordination between the accelerated hypodermal development and normally timed somatic gonadal development. Thus, our findings exemplify how a cell-intrinsic developmental timing program can also control proper development of other interacting tissues, presumably by cell non-autonomous signal(s). This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwook Choi
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Victor Ambros
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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Peymen K, Watteyne J, Borghgraef C, Van Sinay E, Beets I, Schoofs L. Myoinhibitory peptide signaling modulates aversive gustatory learning in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007945. [PMID: 30779740 PMCID: PMC6380545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aversive learning and memories are crucial for animals to avoid previously encountered stressful stimuli and thereby increase their chance of survival. Neuropeptides are essential signaling molecules in the brain and are emerging as important modulators of learned behaviors, but their precise role is not well understood. Here, we show that neuropeptides of the evolutionarily conserved MyoInhibitory Peptide (MIP)-family modify salt chemotaxis behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans according to previous experience. MIP signaling, through activation of the G protein-coupled receptor SPRR-2, is required for short-term gustatory plasticity. In addition, MIP/SPRR-2 neuropeptide-receptor signaling mediates another type of aversive gustatory learning called salt avoidance learning that depends on de novo transcription, translation and the CREB transcription factor, all hallmarks of long-term memory. MIP/SPRR-2 signaling mediates salt avoidance learning in parallel with insulin signaling. These findings lay a foundation to investigate the suggested orphan MIP receptor orthologs in deuterostomians, including human GPR139 and GPR142. All animals rely on learning and memory processes to learn from experience and thereby increase their chance of survival. Neuropeptides are essential signaling molecules in the brain and are emerging as important modulators of learning and memory processes. We found that the C. elegans receptor SPRR-2 and its ligands, the MIP-1 neuropeptides—which are members of the evolutionarily conserved myoinhibitory peptide system—are required for aversive gustatory learning. Our results provide a basis for investigations into the poorly characterized MIP systems in deuterostomians, including humans, and suggest a possible function in learning for human MIP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katleen Peymen
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Watteyne
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Elien Van Sinay
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabel Beets
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail: (IB); (LS)
| | - Liliane Schoofs
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail: (IB); (LS)
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Ménez C, Alberich M, Courtot E, Guegnard F, Blanchard A, Aguilaniu H, Lespine A. The transcription factor NHR-8: A new target to increase ivermectin efficacy in nematodes. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007598. [PMID: 30759156 PMCID: PMC6391013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to the anthelmintic macrocyclic lactone ivermectin (IVM) has a great impact on the control of parasitic nematodes. The mechanisms by which nematodes adapt to IVM remain to be deciphered. We have identified NHR-8, a nuclear hormone receptor involved in the xenobiotic response in Caenorhabditis elegans, as a new regulator of tolerance to IVM. Loss-of-function nhr-8(ok186) C. elegans mutants subjected to larval development assays and electropharyngeogram measurements, displayed hypersensitivity to IVM, and silencing of nhr-8 in IVM-resistant worms increased IVM efficacy. In addition, compared to wild-type worms, nhr-8 mutants under IVM selection pressure failed to acquire tolerance to the drug. In addition, IVM-hypersensitive nhr-8(ok186) worms displayed low transcript levels of several genes from the xenobiotic detoxification network and a concomitant low Pgp-mediated drug efflux activity. Interestingly, some pgp and cyp genes known to impact IVM tolerance in many nematode species, were down regulated in nhr-8 mutants and inversely upregulated in IVM-resistant worms. Moreover, pgp-6 overexpression in nhr-8(ok186) C. elegans increased tolerance to IVM. Importantly, NHR-8 function was rescued in nhr-8(ok186) C. elegans with the homolog of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus, and silencing of Hco-nhr-8 by RNAi on L2 H. contortus larvae increased IVM susceptibility in both susceptible and resistant H. contortus isolates. Thus, our data show that NHR-8 controls the tolerance and development of resistance to IVM in C. elegans and the molecular basis for this relates to the NHR-8-mediated upregulation of IVM detoxification genes. Since our results show that Hco-nhr-8 functions similarly to Cel-nhr-8, this study helps to better understand mechanisms underlying failure in drug efficacy and open perspectives in finding new compounds with NHR-8 antagonist activity to potentiate IVM efficacy. IVM is the most important broad-spectrum deworming drug used today but resistance to this drug has appeared in parasites of both animals and humans. This seriously jeopardizes the success of current parasite control. Preserving IVM efficacy is a public health issue, whose outcome depends on the understanding of the molecular basis of selection for resistance to these drugs. We unambiguously show that the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-8, is crucial for protection of the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans against IVM toxicity. Worms deficient in NHR-8 are hypersensitive to IVM and fail to become resistant to IVM under drug pressure. NHR-8 functions in the parasitic nematode of ruminants Haemonchus contortus and similar mechanisms could occur in other target pathogens. By controlling the xenobiotic detoxification network, NHR-8 may contribute to the biotransformation and elimination of IVM and help to desensitize the worm to the drug. This provides novel molecular targets involved in IVM drug tolerance in parasitic nematodes. Such findings could be exploited for targeted therapeutic intervention to treat parasitic nematode infections and delay the process of resistance development to anthelmintic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Ménez
- INTHERES, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (CM); (AL)
| | | | - Elise Courtot
- INTHERES, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France
| | - Fabrice Guegnard
- INRA, UMR 1282 Infectiology and Public Health, Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais de Tours, France
| | - Alexandra Blanchard
- INRA, UMR 1282 Infectiology and Public Health, Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais de Tours, France
| | - Hugo Aguilaniu
- CNRS, detached to the Serrapilheira Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anne Lespine
- INTHERES, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (CM); (AL)
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Xiong Q, Li W, Li P, Yang M, Wu C, Eichinger L. The Role of ATG16 in Autophagy and The Ubiquitin Proteasome System. Cells 2018; 8:cells8010002. [PMID: 30577509 PMCID: PMC6356889 DOI: 10.3390/cells8010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy and the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) are the two major cellular degradation pathways, which are critical for the maintenance of cell homeostasis. The two pathways differ in their mechanisms and clients. The evolutionary conserved ATG16 plays a key role in autophagy and appears to link autophagy with the UPS. Here, we review the role of ATG16 in different species. We summarize the current knowledge of its functions in autophagosome membrane expansion and autophagosome formation, in Crohn’s disease, and in bacterial sequestration. In addition, we provide information on its autophagy-independent functions and its role in the crosstalk between autophagy and the UPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhong Xiong
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, No.92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Wenjing Li
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, No.92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Ping Li
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, No.92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Min Yang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, No.92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Changxin Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, No.92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Ludwig Eichinger
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
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Ruiz M, Bodhicharla R, Svensk E, Devkota R, Busayavalasa K, Palmgren H, Ståhlman M, Boren J, Pilon M. Membrane fluidity is regulated by the C. elegans transmembrane protein FLD-1 and its human homologs TLCD1/2. eLife 2018; 7:e40686. [PMID: 30509349 PMCID: PMC6279351 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary fatty acids are the main building blocks for cell membranes in animals, and mechanisms must therefore exist that compensate for dietary variations. We isolated C. elegans mutants that improved tolerance to dietary saturated fat in a sensitized genetic background, including eight alleles of the novel gene fld-1 that encodes a homolog of the human TLCD1 and TLCD2 transmembrane proteins. FLD-1 is localized on plasma membranes and acts by limiting the levels of highly membrane-fluidizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing phospholipids. Human TLCD1/2 also regulate membrane fluidity by limiting the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing membrane phospholipids. FLD-1 and TLCD1/2 do not regulate the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids but rather limit their incorporation into phospholipids. We conclude that inhibition of FLD-1 or TLCD1/2 prevents lipotoxicity by allowing increased levels of membrane phospholipids that contain fluidizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Editorial note This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Ruiz
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Rakesh Bodhicharla
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Emma Svensk
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Ranjan Devkota
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Kiran Busayavalasa
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Henrik Palmgren
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Diabetes Bioscience, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, IMED Biotech UnitAstraZenecaGothenburgSweden
| | - Marcus Ståhlman
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Wallenberg Laboratory, Institute of MedicineUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Jan Boren
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Wallenberg Laboratory, Institute of MedicineUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Marc Pilon
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
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45
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Weeks JC, Robinson KJ, Lockery SR, Roberts WM. Anthelmintic drug actions in resistant and susceptible C. elegans revealed by electrophysiological recordings in a multichannel microfluidic device. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2018; 8:607-628. [PMID: 30503202 PMCID: PMC6287544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many anthelmintic drugs used to treat parasitic nematode infections target proteins that regulate electrical activity of neurons and muscles: ion channels (ICs) and neurotransmitter receptors (NTRs). Perturbation of IC/NTR function disrupts worm behavior and can lead to paralysis, starvation, immune attack and expulsion. Limitations of current anthelmintics include a limited spectrum of activity across species and the threat of drug resistance, highlighting the need for new drugs for human and veterinary medicine. Although ICs/NTRs are valuable anthelmintic targets, electrophysiological recordings are not commonly included in drug development pipelines. We designed a medium-throughput platform for recording electropharyngeograms (EPGs)-the electrical signals emitted by muscles and neurons of the pharynx during pharyngeal pumping (feeding)-in Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes. The current study in C. elegans expands previous work in several ways. Detecting anthelmintic bioactivity in drugs, compounds or natural products requires robust, sustained pharyngeal pumping under baseline conditions. We generated concentration-response curves for stimulating pumping by perfusing 8-channel microfluidic devices (chips) with the neuromodulator serotonin, or with E. coli bacteria (C. elegans' food in the laboratory). Worm orientation in the chip (head-first vs. tail-first) affected the response to E. coli but not to serotonin. Using a panel of anthelmintics-ivermectin, levamisole and piperazine-targeting different ICs/NTRs, we determined the effects of concentration and treatment duration on EPG activity, and successfully distinguished control (N2) and drug-resistant worms (avr-14; avr-15; glc-1, unc-38 and unc-49). EPG recordings detected anthelmintic activity of drugs that target ICs/NTRs located in the pharynx as well as at extra-pharyngeal sites. A bus-8 mutant with enhanced permeability was more sensitive than controls to drug treatment. These results provide a useful framework for investigators who would like to more easily incorporate electrophysiology as a routine component of their anthelmintic research workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis C Weeks
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - Kristin J Robinson
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - Shawn R Lockery
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - William M Roberts
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
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Kalinava N, Ni JZ, Gajic Z, Kim M, Ushakov H, Gu SG. C. elegans Heterochromatin Factor SET-32 Plays an Essential Role in Transgenerational Establishment of Nuclear RNAi-Mediated Epigenetic Silencing. Cell Rep 2018; 25:2273-2284.e3. [PMID: 30463021 PMCID: PMC6317888 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.10.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic process by which nuclear RNAi engages a transcriptionally active target, before the repressive state is stably established, remains largely a mystery. Here, we found that the onset of exogenous dsRNA-induced nuclear RNAi in C. elegans is a transgenerational process, and it requires a putative histone methyltransferase (HMT), SET-32. By developing a CRISPR-based genetic approach, we found that silencing establishment at the endogenous targets of germline nuclear RNAi also requires SET-32. Although SET-32 and two H3K9 HMTs, MET-2 and SET-25, are dispensable for the maintenance of silencing, they do contribute to transcriptional repression in mutants that lack the germline nuclear Argonaute protein HRDE-1, suggesting a conditional role of heterochromatin in the maintenance phase. Our study indicates that (1) establishment and maintenance of siRNA-guided transcriptional repression are two distinct processes with different genetic requirements and (2) the rate-limiting step of the establishment phase is a transgenerational, chromatin-based process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Kalinava
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Julie Zhouli Ni
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Zoran Gajic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Matthew Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Helen Ushakov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Sam Guoping Gu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Davis-Roca AC, Divekar NS, Ng RK, Wignall SM. Dynamic SUMO remodeling drives a series of critical events during the meiotic divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007626. [PMID: 30180169 PMCID: PMC6138424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome congression and segregation in C. elegans oocytes depend on a complex of conserved proteins that forms a ring around the center of each bivalent during prometaphase; these complexes are then removed from chromosomes at anaphase onset and disassemble as anaphase proceeds. Here, we uncover mechanisms underlying the dynamic regulation of these ring complexes (RCs), revealing a strategy by which protein complexes can be progressively remodeled during cellular processes. We find that the assembly, maintenance, and stability of RCs is regulated by a balance between SUMO conjugating and deconjugating activity. During prometaphase, the SUMO protease ULP-1 is targeted to the RCs but is counteracted by SUMO E2/E3 enzymes; then in early anaphase the E2/E3 enzymes are removed, enabling ULP-1 to trigger RC disassembly and completion of the meiotic divisions. Moreover, we found that SUMO regulation is essential to properly connect the RCs to the chromosomes and then also to fully release them in anaphase. Altogether, our work demonstrates that dynamic remodeling of SUMO modifications facilitates key meiotic events and highlights how competition between conjugation and deconjugation activity can modulate SUMO homeostasis, protein complex stability, and ultimately, progressive processes such as cell division. Most cells have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division where chromosomes are duplicated once and segregated twice, in order to generate eggs (oocytes) or sperm with only one copy of every chromosome. This is necessary so that fertilization will produce an embryo that once again contains two complete copies of the genome. Using C. elegans as a model system, we have uncovered regulatory mechanisms important for the fidelity of these meiotic divisions. C. elegans oocytes use a kinetochore-independent chromosome segregation mechanism that relies on a large protein complex that localizes to the chromosomes. These protein complexes facilitate chromosome congression during metaphase and then are released from chromosomes in anaphase and progressively disassemble as the chromosomes segregate. We find that the stability and disassembly of these complexes is regulated by a protein modification called SUMO and by competition between enzymes that localize to the protein complex to either add or remove SUMO modifications. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms by which SUMO and SUMO enzymes regulate progression through cell division and illustrate a general strategy by which large protein complexes can be rapidly assembled and disassembled during dynamic cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C. Davis-Roca
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Nikita S. Divekar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Rachel K. Ng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Wignall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Schmeisser K, Parker JA. Nicotinamide-N-methyltransferase controls behavior, neurodegeneration and lifespan by regulating neuronal autophagy. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007561. [PMID: 30192747 PMCID: PMC6191153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyl-transferase (NNMT) is an essential contributor to various metabolic and epigenetic processes, including the regulating of aging, cellular stress response, and body weight gain. Epidemiological studies show that NNMT is a risk factor for psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia and neurodegeneration, especially Parkinson's disease (PD), but its neuronal mechanisms of action remain obscure. Here, we describe the role of neuronal NNMT using C. elegans. We discovered that ANMT-1, the nematode NNMT ortholog, competes with the methyltransferase LCMT-1 for methyl groups from S-adenosyl methionine. Thereby, it regulates the catalytic capacities of LCMT-1, targeting NPRL-2, a regulator of autophagy. Autophagy is a core cellular, catabolic process for degrading cytoplasmic material, but very little is known about the regulation of autophagy during aging. We report an important role for NNMT in regulation of autophagy during aging, where high neuronal ANMT-1 activity induces autophagy via NPRL-2, which maintains neuronal function in old wild type animals and various disease models, also affecting longevity. In younger animals, however, ANMT-1 activity disturbs neuronal homeostasis and dopamine signaling, causing abnormal behavior. In summary, we provide fundamental insights into neuronal NNMT/ANMT-1 as pivotal regulator of behavior, neurodegeneration, and lifespan by controlling neuronal autophagy, potentially influencing PD and schizophrenia risk in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Schmeisser
- Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l‘Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - J. Alex Parker
- Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l‘Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Abstract
In all animals, oocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix upon fertilization. This matrix serves similar purposes in each animal. It functions to mediate sperm binding, to prevent polyspermy, to control the chemical environment of the embryo, and to provide physical protection to the embryo as it developes. The synthesis of the C. elegans matrix, or eggshell, begins when the oocyte enters the spermatheca and is fertilized by a single sperm. The process of eggshell synthesis is thought to take place during the completion of the maternal meiotic divisions such that the multi-layered eggshell is completed by anaphase II. The synthesis of the eggshell occurs in a hierarchical pattern in which the outermost layers are synthesized first in order to capture and retain the innermost layers as they form. Recent studies have revealed that the lipid-rich permeability barrier is distinct from the outer trilaminar eggshell. These new findings alter our previous understanding of the eggshell. This chapter aims to define each of the eggshell layers and the molecules that are known to play significant roles in their formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K Stein
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Andy Golden
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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50
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Mazzochette EA, Nekimken AL, Loizeau F, Whitworth J, Huynh B, Goodman MB, Pruitt BL. The tactile receptive fields of freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 10:450-463. [PMID: 30027970 PMCID: PMC6168290 DOI: 10.1039/c8ib00045j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Sensory neurons embedded in skin are responsible for the sense of touch. In humans and other mammals, touch sensation depends on thousands of diverse somatosensory neurons. By contrast, Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes have six gentle touch receptor neurons linked to simple behaviors. The classical touch assay uses an eyebrow hair to stimulate freely moving C. elegans, evoking evasive behavioral responses. This assay has led to the discovery of genes required for touch sensation, but does not provide control over stimulus strength or position. Here, we present an integrated system for performing automated, quantitative touch assays that circumvents these limitations and incorporates automated measurements of behavioral responses. The Highly Automated Worm Kicker (HAWK) unites a microfabricated silicon force sensor holding a glass bead forming the contact surface and video analysis with real-time force and position control. Using this system, we stimulated animals along the anterior-posterior axis and compared responses in wild-type and spc-1(dn) transgenic animals, which have a touch defect due to expression of a dominant-negative α-spectrin protein fragment. As expected from prior studies, delivering large stimuli anterior and posterior to the mid-point of the body evoked a reversal and a speed-up, respectively. The probability of evoking a response of either kind depended on stimulus strength and location; once initiated, the magnitude and quality of both reversal and speed-up behavioral responses were uncorrelated with stimulus location, strength, or the absence or presence of the spc-1(dn) transgene. Wild-type animals failed to respond when the stimulus was applied near the mid-point. These results show that stimulus strength and location govern the activation of a characteristic motor program and that the C. elegans body surface consists of two receptive fields separated by a gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Mazzochette
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA
| | - A L Nekimken
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA. and Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, 94305, USA
| | - F Loizeau
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA.
| | - J Whitworth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA.
| | - B Huynh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA.
| | - M B Goodman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA. and Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, 94305, USA
| | - B L Pruitt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA. and Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, 94305, USA and Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 94305, USA and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106, USA.
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