scholarly journals Identification of a novel actin-dependent signal transducing module allows for the targeted degradation of GLI1

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Schneider ◽  
Juan Miguel Bayo-Fina ◽  
Rajeev Singh ◽  
Pavan Kumar Dhanyamraju ◽  
Philipp Holz ◽  
...  

Abstract The Down syndrome-associated DYRK1A kinase has been reported as a stimulator of the developmentally important Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, but cells from Down syndrome patients paradoxically display reduced Hh signalling activity. Here we find that DYRK1A stimulates GLI transcription factor activity through phosphorylation of general nuclear localization clusters. In contrast, in vivo and in vitro experiments reveal that DYRK1A kinase can also function as an inhibitor of endogenous Hh signalling by negatively regulating ABLIM proteins, the actin cytoskeleton and the transcriptional co-activator MKL1 (MAL). As a final effector of the DYRK1A-ABLIM-actin-MKL1 sequence, we identify the MKL1 interactor Jumonji domain demethylase 1A (JMJD1A) as a novel Hh pathway component stabilizing the GLI1 protein in a demethylase-independent manner. Furthermore, a Jumonji-specific small-molecule antagonist represents a novel and powerful inhibitor of Hh signal transduction by inducing GLI1 protein degradation in vitro and in vivo.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikrant K Bhosle ◽  
José Carlos Rivera ◽  
Tianwei (Ellen) Zhou ◽  
Samy Omri ◽  
Melanie Sanchez ◽  
...  

Abstract Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a pleiotropic phospholipid with proinflammatory, procoagulant and angiogenic actions on the vasculature. We and others have reported the presence of PAF receptor (Ptafr) at intracellular sites such as the nucleus. However, mechanisms of localization and physiologic functions of intracellular Ptafr remain poorly understood. We hereby identify the importance of C-terminal motif of the receptor and uncover novel roles of Rab11a GTPase and importin-5 in nuclear translocation of Ptafr in primary human retinal microvascular endothelial cells. Nuclear localization of Ptafr is independent of exogenous PAF stimulation as well as intracellular PAF biosynthesis. Moreover, nuclear Ptafr is responsible for the upregulation of unique set of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor, in vitro and ex vivo. We further corroborate the intracrine PAF signaling, resulting in angiogenesis in vivo, using Ptafr antagonists with distinct plasma membrane permeability. Collectively, our findings show that nuclear Ptafr translocates in an agonist-independent manner, and distinctive functions of Ptafr based on its cellular localization point to another dimension needed for pharmacologic selectivity of drugs.


Author(s):  
Zachary T Hilt ◽  
Preeti Maurya ◽  
Laura Tesoro ◽  
Daphne N Pariser ◽  
Sara K Ture ◽  
...  

Rationale: Circulating monocytes can have pro-inflammatory or pro-reparative phenotypes. The endogenous signaling molecules and pathways that regulate monocyte polarization in vivo are poorly understood. We have shown that platelet derived beta-2 microglobulin (β2M) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) have opposing effects on monocytes by inducing inflammatory and reparative phenotypes respectively, but each bind and signal through the same receptor. We now define the signaling pathways involved. Objective: To determine the molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways by which β2M and TGFβ regulate monocyte responses both in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: Wild-type (WT) and platelet specific β2M knockout (Plt-β2M -/- ) mice were treated intravenously with either β2M or TGFβ to increase plasma concentrations to those in cardiovascular diseases. Elevated plasma β2M increased pro-inflammatory monocytes, while increased plasma TGFβ increased pro-reparative monocytes. TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibition blunted monocyte responses to both β2M and TGFβ in vivo. Using imaging flow cytometry, we found that β2M decreased monocyte SMAD2/3 nuclear localization, while TGFβ promoted SMAD nuclear translocation, but decreased non-canonical/inflammatory (JNK and NFκB nuclear localization). This was confirmed in vitro using both imaging flow cytometry and immunoblots. β2M, but not TGFβ, promoted ubiquitination of SMAD3 and SMAD4, that inhibited their nuclear trafficking. Inhibition of ubiquitin ligase activity blocked non-canonical SMAD-independent monocyte signaling and skewed monocytes towards a pro-reparative monocyte response. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that elevated plasma β2M and TGFβ dichotomously polarize monocytes. Furthermore, these immune molecules share a common receptor, but induce SMAD-dependent canonical signaling (TGFβ) versus non-canonical SMAD-independent signaling (β2M) in a ubiquitin ligase dependent manner. This work has broad implications as β2M is increased in several inflammatory conditions, while TGFβ is increased in fibrotic diseases.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. S72
Author(s):  
Juliette M.K.M. Delhove ◽  
Dany Perocheau ◽  
Suzanne M.K. Buckley ◽  
Rajvinder Karda ◽  
Simon N. Waddington ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongzhen Li ◽  
Chunyan Peng ◽  
Chenhui Zhu ◽  
Shuang Nie ◽  
Xuetian Qian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hypoxia is a characteristic of the tumor microenvironments within pancreatic cancer (PC), which has been linked to its malignancy. Recently, hypoxia has been reported to regulate the activity of important carcinogenic pathways by changing the status of histone modification. NOX4, a member of NADPH oxidase (NOX), has been found to be activated by hypoxia and promote cancer progression in several cancers. But whether it is involved in the epigenetic changes of tumor cells induced by hypoxia is still unclear, and its biological roles in PC also need to be explored. Methods A hypoxic-related gene signature and its associated pathways in PC were identified by analyzing the pancreatic cancer gene expression data from GEO and TCGA database. Candidate downstream gene (NOX4), responding to hypoxia, was validated by RT-PCR and western blot. Then, we evaluated the relationship between NOX4 expression and clinicopathologic parameters in 56 PC patients from our center. In vitro and in vivo assays were preformed to explore the phenotype of NOX4 in PC. Immunofluorescence, western blot and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were further applied to search for a detailed mechanism. Results We quantified hypoxia and developed a hypoxia signature, which was associated with worse prognosis and elevated malignant potential in PC. Furthermore, we found that NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), which was induced by hypoxia and upregulated in PC in a HIF1A-independent manner, caused inactivation of lysine demethylase 5A (KDM5A), increased the methylation modification of histone H3 and regulated the transcription of EMT-associated gene_ snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAIL1). This served to promote the invasion and metastasis of PC. NOX4 deficiency repressed hypoxia-induced EMT, reduced expression of H3K4ME3 and impaired the invasion and metastasis of PC cells; however, knockdown of KDM5A reversed the poor expression of H3KEME3 induced by NOX4 deficiency, thereby promoting EMT. Conclusions This study highlights the prognostic role of hypoxia-related genes in PC and strong correlation with EMT pathway. Our results also creatively discovered that NOX4 was an essential mediator for hypoxia-induced histone methylation modification and EMT in PC cells.


2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 1544-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Mei-Yeh Lu ◽  
Robert J. Deschenes ◽  
Jan S. Fassler

ABSTRACT Yeast Sln1p is an osmotic stress sensor with histidine kinase activity. Modulation of Sln1 kinase activity in response to changes in the osmotic environment regulates the activity of the osmotic response mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and the activity of the Skn7p transcription factor, both important for adaptation to changing osmotic stress conditions. Many aspects of Sln1 function, such as how kinase activity is regulated to allow a rapid response to the continually changing osmotic environment, are not understood. To gain insight into Sln1p function, we conducted a two-hybrid screen to identify interactors. Mog1p, a protein that interacts with the yeast Ran1 homolog, Gsp1p, was identified in this screen. The interaction with Mog1p was characterized in vitro, and its importance was assessed in vivo. mog1 mutants exhibit defects in SLN1-SKN7 signal transduction and mislocalization of the Skn7p transcription factor. The requirement for Mog1p in normal localization of Skn7p to the nucleus does not fully account for the mog1-related defects in SLN1-SKN7 signal transduction, raising the possibility that Mog1p may play a role in Skn7 binding and activation of osmotic response genes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 6016-6025
Author(s):  
X K Zhang ◽  
K N Wills ◽  
M Husmann ◽  
T Hermann ◽  
M Pfahl

Many essential biological pathways, including cell growth, development, and metabolism, are regulated by thyroid hormones (THs). TH action is mediated by intracellular receptors that belong to a large family of ligand-dependent transcription factors, including the steroid hormone and retinoic acid receptors. So far it has been assumed that TH receptors (TRs) regulate gene transcription only through the classical protein-DNA interaction mechanism. Here we provide evidence for a regulatory pathway that allows cross-talk between TRs and the signal transduction pathway used by many growth factors, oncogenes, and tumor promoters. In transient transfection studies, we observed that the oncogenes c-jun and c-fos inhibit TR activities, while TRs inhibit induction of the c-fos promoter and repress AP-1 site-dependent gene activation. A truncated TR that lacks only 17 amino acids from the carboxy terminus can no longer antagonize AP-1 activity. The cross-regulation between TRs and the signal transduction pathway appears to be based on the ability of TRs to inhibit DNA binding of the transcription factor AP-1 in the presence of THs. The constituents of AP-1, c-Jun, and c-Fos, vice versa, can inhibit TR-induced gene activation in vivo, and c-Jun inhibits TR DNA binding in vitro. This novel regulatory pathway is likely to play a major role in growth control and differentiation by THs.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 3197-3207
Author(s):  
P R Caron ◽  
P Watt ◽  
J C Wang

A set of carboxy-terminal deletion mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase II were constructed for studying the functions of the carboxyl domain in vitro and in vivo. The wild-type yeast enzyme is a homodimer with 1,429 amino acid residues in each of the two polypeptides; truncation of the C terminus to Ile-1220 has little effect on the function of the enzyme in vitro or in vivo, whereas truncations extending beyond Gln-1138 yield completely inactive proteins. Several mutant enzymes with C termini in between these two residues were found to be catalytically active but unable to complement a top2-4 temperature-sensitive mutation. Immunomicroscopy results suggest that the removal of a nuclear localization signal in the C-terminal domain is likely to contribute to the physiological dysfunction of these proteins; the ability of these mutant proteins to relax supercoiled DNA in vivo shows, however, that at least some of the mutant proteins are present in the nuclei in a catalytically active form. In contrast to the ability of the catalytically active mutant proteins to relax supercoiled intracellular DNA, all mutants that do not complement the temperature-dependent lethality and high frequency of chromosomal nondisjunction of top2-4 were found to lack decatenation activity in vivo. The plausible roles of the DNA topoisomerase II C-terminal domain, in addition to providing a signal for nuclear localization, are discussed in the light of these results.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4760-4769
Author(s):  
R J Bram ◽  
D T Hung ◽  
P K Martin ◽  
S L Schreiber ◽  
G R Crabtree

The immunosuppressants cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 appear to block T-cell function by inhibiting the calcium-regulated phosphatase calcineurin. While multiple distinct intracellular receptors for these drugs (cyclophilins and FKBPs, collectively immunophilins) have been characterized, the functionally active ones have not been discerned. We found that overexpression of cyclophilin A or B or FKBP12 increased T-cell sensitivity to CsA or FK506, respectively, demonstrating that they are able to mediate the inhibitory effects of their respective immunosuppressants in vivo. In contrast, cyclophilin C, FKBP13, and FKBP25 had no effect. Direct comparison of the Ki of each drug-immunophilin complex for calcineurin in vitro revealed that although calcineurin binding was clearly necessary, it was not sufficient to explain the in vivo activity of the immunophilin. Subcellular localization was shown also to play a role, since gene deletions of cyclophilins B and C which changed their intracellular locations altered their activities significantly. Cyclophilin B has been shown previously to be located within calcium-containing intracellular vesicles; its ability to mediate CsA inhibition implies that certain components of the signal transduction machinery are also spatially restricted within the cell.


1986 ◽  
Vol 113 (4_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S35-S40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc V.L. DU CAJU ◽  
Raoul P. ROOMAN

ABSTRACT Conditions characterized by high levels of glucocorticoids are associated with poor growth. Serum somatomedin or insulin-like growth factor activity measured by cartilage bioassay systems is low, but is generally not accompanied by a fall in somatomedin concentration. Hydrocortisone and a synthetic analogue, dexamethasone, impaired the serum stimulated "in vitro" 35S sulphate and 3H-thymidine incorporation in porcine rib cartilage at physiological concentrations. Hydrocortisone added at a concentration of 0,1 μg/ml decreased the potency of normal serum to 50 % of controls. Dexamethasone was at least 10 times more potent. Removal of "in vitro" or "in vivo" administered hydrocortisone with dextran-coated charcoal restored the sulphate and thymidine activity to normal. We conclude that physiological amounts of glucocorticoids inhibit the "in vitro" porcine cartilage metabolism. Glucocorticoid administration "in vivo" does not abolish the activity of the cartilage stimulating effect of serum but affects cartilage metabolism directly or by the induction of locally produced inhibitors of cartilage metabolism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Liu ◽  
Wenyuan Shi ◽  
Dongdong Lin ◽  
Haihui Ye

C-type allatostatins (C-type ASTs) are a family of structurally related neuropeptides found in a wide range of insects and crustaceans. To date, the C-type allatostatin receptor in crustaceans has not been deorphaned, and little is known about its physiological functions. In this study, we aimed to functionally define a C-type ASTs receptor in the mud crab, Scylla paramamosian. We showed that C-type ASTs receptor can be activated by ScypaAST-C peptide in a dose-independent manner and by ScypaAST-CCC peptide in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 6.683 nM. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the potential roles of ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC peptides in the regulation of ecdysone (20E) and methyl farnesoate (MF) biosynthesis. The results indicated that ScypaAST-C inhibited biosynthesis of 20E in the Y-organ, whereas ScypaAST-CCC had no effect on the production of 20E. In addition, qRT-PCR showed that both ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC significantly decreased the level of expression of the MF biosynthetic enzyme gene in the mandibular organ, suggesting that the two neuropeptides have a negative effect on the MF biosynthesis in mandibular organs. In conclusion, this study provided new insight into the physiological roles of AST-C in inhibiting ecdysone biosynthesis. Furthermore, it was revealed that AST-C family peptides might inhibit MF biosynthesis in crustaceans.


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