scholarly journals The Nuclear Option: Evidence Implicating the Cell Nucleus in Mechanotransduction

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer E. Szczesny ◽  
Robert L. Mauck
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Cell Nucleus ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
External Forces ◽  
Nuclear Remodeling

Biophysical stimuli presented to cells via microenvironmental properties (e.g., alignment and stiffness) or external forces have a significant impact on cell function and behavior. Recently, the cell nucleus has been identified as a mechanosensitive organelle that contributes to the perception and response to mechanical stimuli. However, the specific mechanotransduction mechanisms that mediate these effects have not been clearly established. Here, we offer a comprehensive review of the evidence supporting (and refuting) three hypothetical nuclear mechanotransduction mechanisms: physical reorganization of chromatin, signaling at the nuclear envelope, and altered cytoskeletal structure/tension due to nuclear remodeling. Our goal is to provide a reference detailing the progress that has been made and the areas that still require investigation regarding the role of nuclear mechanotransduction in cell biology. Additionally, we will briefly discuss the role that mathematical models of cell mechanics can play in testing these hypotheses and in elucidating how biophysical stimulation of the nucleus drives changes in cell behavior. While force-induced alterations in signaling pathways involving lamina-associated polypeptides (LAPs) (e.g., emerin and histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)) and transcription factors (TFs) located at the nuclear envelope currently appear to be the most clearly supported mechanism of nuclear mechanotransduction, additional work is required to examine this process in detail and to more fully test alternative mechanisms. The combination of sophisticated experimental techniques and advanced mathematical models is necessary to enhance our understanding of the role of the nucleus in the mechanotransduction processes driving numerous critical cell functions.

scholarly journals Ran GTPase Cycle and Importins α and β Are Essential for Spindle Formation and Nuclear Envelope Assembly in LivingCaenorhabditis elegans Embryos

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4355-4370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Askjaer ◽  
Vincent Galy ◽  
Eva Hannak ◽  
Iain W. Mattaj
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Spindle Formation ◽  
Ran Gtpase ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Nuclear Envelope Assembly ◽  
Importin Α ◽  
Gtpase Cycle

The small GTPase Ran has been found to play pivotal roles in several aspects of cell function. We have investigated the role of the Ran GTPase cycle in spindle formation and nuclear envelope assembly in dividing Caenorhabditis elegans embryos in real time. We found that Ran and its cofactors RanBP2, RanGAP, and RCC1 are all essential for reformation of the nuclear envelope after cell division. Reducing the expression of any of these components of the Ran GTPase cycle by RNAi leads to strong extranuclear clustering of integral nuclear envelope proteins and nucleoporins. Ran, RanBP2, and RanGAP are also required for building a mitotic spindle, whereas astral microtubules are normal in the absence of these proteins. RCC1(RNAi) embryos have similar abnormalities in the initial phase of spindle formation but eventually recover to form a bipolar spindle. Irregular chromatin structures and chromatin bridges due to spindle failure were frequently observed in embryos where the Ran cycle was perturbed. In addition, connection between the centrosomes and the male pronucleus, and thus centrosome positioning, depends upon the Ran cycle components. Finally, we have demonstrated that both IMA-2 and IMB-1, the homologues of vertebrate importin α and β, are essential for both spindle assembly and nuclear formation in early embryos.

scholarly journals Multi-Organ Crosstalk with Endocrine Pancreas: A Focus on How Gut Microbiota Shapes Pancreatic Beta-Cells

Biomolecules ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Elisa Fernández-Millán ◽  
Carlos Guillén
Keyword(s):  
Beta Cell ◽  
Beta Cells ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Pancreatic Beta Cells ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Beta Cell Mass ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) results from impaired beta-cell function and insufficient beta-cell mass compensation in the setting of insulin resistance. Current therapeutic strategies focus their efforts on promoting the maintenance of functional beta-cell mass to ensure appropriate glycemic control. Thus, understanding how beta-cells communicate with metabolic and non-metabolic tissues provides a novel area for investigation and implicates the importance of inter-organ communication in the pathology of metabolic diseases such as T2D. In this review, we provide an overview of secreted factors from diverse organs and tissues that have been shown to impact beta-cell biology. Specifically, we discuss experimental and clinical evidence in support for a role of gut to beta-cell crosstalk, paying particular attention to bacteria-derived factors including short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharide, and factors contained within extracellular vesicles that influence the function and/or the survival of beta cells under normal or diabetogenic conditions.

Role of Integrin αvβ3 in Vascular Biology

1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 726-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Byzova ◽  
Ramin Rabbani ◽  
Stanley D’Souza ◽  
Edward Plow
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Cellular Adhesion ◽  
Vascular Cells ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Adhesive Properties ◽  
Adhesion Receptors ◽  
Vascular Cell

IntroductionA defining characteristic of vascular cells is their adhesive status. The predominant cells of the blood vessel, endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC), are normally adherent but can be induced to migrate in response to vascular injury and angiogenic stimuli. The circulating blood cells are ordinarily nonadhesive but can rapidly acquire an adhesive phenotype in response to physiologic and pathophysiologic stimuli. As prime examples, platelets become adherent to the subendothelial matrix and to one another during thrombus formation, and leukocytes first adhere to EC and then transmigrate during the inflammatory response. At a molecular level, the adhesive properties of the vascular cells are determined by the adhesion receptors on their cell-surface and the functional state of these receptors. To match the variety of requisite cellular adhesive reactions, the repertoire of adhesion receptors expressed by vascular cells is broad. Multiple representatives of the immunoglobulin-like, the selectin, the cadherin and the integrin families of adhesion receptors are present on and have been implicated in the functions of the vascular cells. The importance of these adhesion receptors in vascular cell function is underscored by the severe pathogenetic consequences of their congenital deficiencies, such as in Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, LAD (Leucocyte Adhesion deficiency) I and LAD II (1-3).The integrins are the largest and most broadly distributed of the families of cellular adhesion receptors. Of the integrins, αvβ3, originally identified as the vitronectin receptor, is particularly widely distributed. It is expressed at variable density on many types of vascular cells. Obviously, the adhesive properties of a cell are determined by its full repertoire of adhesion receptors. As an example, the adhesion of EC to fibrinogen/fibrin is mediated by no fewer than five receptors. Nevertheless, it is possible to dissect out the contributions of individual adhesion receptors, and αvβ3 has been implicated in many functional responses of vascular cells. This review focusses upon the role of αvβ3 in vascular cell biology. Other contributions of this multifunctional receptor, such as its role in neoplastic growth and invasion and in osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, are beyond the scope of this article and have been reviewed elsewhere (4, 5).

New views inside cells with a digital imaging microscope

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 240-241
Author(s):  
F. S. Fay ◽  
Kevin Fogarty ◽  
Richard Tuft ◽  
Walter Carrington
Keyword(s):  
Digital Imaging ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
High Quantum Efficiency ◽  
Cell Functions

Many current questions in cell biology revolve around questions regarding how changes in cell function are caused by changes in their molecular composition. Given that cells are highly organized structures often carrying out diverse functions in different compartments, it follows that changes in specific cell functions must involve highly localized changes in molecular composition.We have been involved in the development of the digital imaging microscope as a tool to investigate the distribution of molecules inside single living cells. The system measures fluorescence of probes that are highly fluorescent and specific for a molecule or ion of interest and utilizes a wide-field rather than a confocal microscope to produce an image of fluorescence in a single cell. The image is captured by a high quantum efficiency, low noise cooled CCD, thereby providing ultrahigh efficiency in the acquisition of fluorescent images. By utilizing very powerful light sources, the system is capable of generating an image with good signal-to-noise ratio in a millisecond or less, thereby allowing one to follow extremely rapid changes in molecular or ion distribution in single cells.

scholarly journals A flexible ontology for inference of emergent whole cell function from relationships between subcellular processes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Hansen ◽  
David Meretzky ◽  
Simeneh Woldesenbet ◽  
Gustavo Stolovitzky ◽  
Ravi Iyengar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Growing Cell ◽  
Cell Ontology ◽  
Context Specific

AbstractWhole cell responses arise from coordinated interactions between diverse human gene products functioning within various pathways underlying sub-cellular processes (SCP). Lower level SCPs interact to form higher level SCPs, often in a context specific manner to give rise to whole cell function. We sought to determine if capturing such relationships enables us to describe the emergence of whole cell functions from interacting SCPs. We developed the “Molecular Biology of the Cell” ontology based on standard cell biology and biochemistry textbooks and review articles. Currently, our ontology contains 5,385 genes, 753 SCPs and 19,180 expertly curated gene-SCP associations. Our algorithm to populate the SCPs with genes enables extension of the ontology on demand and the adaption of the ontology to the continuously growing cell biological knowledge. Since whole cell responses most often arise from the coordinated activity of multiple SCPs, we developed a dynamic enrichment algorithm that flexibly predicts SCP-SCP relationships beyond the current taxonomy. This algorithm enables us to identify interactions between SCPs as a basis for higher order function in a context dependent manner, allowing us to provide a detailed description of how SCPs together can give rise to whole cell functions. We conclude that this ontology can, from omics data sets, enable the development of detailed multidimensional SCP networks for predictive modeling of emergent whole cell functions.

scholarly journals The Scribble Complex PDZ Proteins in Immune Cell Polarities

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Dante Barreda ◽  
Luis H. Gutiérrez-González ◽  
Erasmo Martínez-Cordero ◽  
Carlos Cabello-Gutiérrez ◽  
Rommel Chacón-Salinas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Immunological Synapse ◽  
Cell Polarization ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Wide Range

hScrib and hDlg belong to the PDZ family of proteins. Since the identification of these highly phylogenetically conserved scaffolds, an increasing amount of experiments has elucidated the roles of hScrib and hDlg in a variety of cell functions. Remarkably, their participation during the establishment of polarity in epithelial cells is well documented. Although the role of both proteins in the immune system is scantly known, it has become a growing field of investigation. Here, we summarize the interactions and functions of hScrib and hDlg1, which participate in diverse functions involving cell polarization in immune cells, and discuss their relevance in the immune cell biology. The fundamental role of hScrib and hDlg1 during the establishment of the immunological synapse, hence T cell activation, and the recently described role of hScrib in reactive oxygen species production in macrophages and of hDlg1 in cytokine production by dendritic cells highlight the importance of both proteins in immune cell biology. The expression of these proteins in other leukocytes can be anticipated and needs to be confirmed. Due to their multiple interaction domains, there is a wide range of possible interactions of hScrib and hDlg1 that remains to be explored in the immune system.

scholarly journals Neural Precursor Cells Expanded Inside the 3D Micro-Scaffold Nichoid Present Different Non-Coding RNAs Profiles and Transcript Isoforms Expression: Possible Epigenetic Modulation by 3D Growth

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1120
Author(s):  
Letizia Messa ◽  
Bianca Barzaghini ◽  
Federica Rey ◽  
Cecilia Pandini ◽  
Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Precursor Cells ◽  
Neural Precursor Cells ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Neural Precursor ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
3D Scaffold ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

Non-coding RNAs show relevant implications in various biological and pathological processes. Thus, understanding the biological implications of these molecules in stem cell biology still represents a major challenge. The aim of this work is to study the transcriptional dysregulation of 357 non-coding genes, found through RNA-Seq approach, in murine neural precursor cells expanded inside the 3D micro-scaffold Nichoid versus standard culture conditions. Through weighted co-expression network analysis and functional enrichment, we highlight the role of non-coding RNAs in altering the expression of coding genes involved in mechanotransduction, stemness, and neural differentiation. Moreover, as non-coding RNAs are poorly conserved between species, we focus on those with human homologue sequences, performing further computational characterization. Lastly, we looked for isoform switching as possible mechanism in altering coding and non-coding gene expression. Our results provide a comprehensive dissection of the 3D scaffold Nichoid’s influence on the biological and genetic response of neural precursor cells. These findings shed light on the possible role of non-coding RNAs in 3D cell growth, indicating that also non-coding RNAs are implicated in cellular response to mechanical stimuli.

scholarly journals Dissecting the Role of BET Bromodomain Proteins BRD2 and BRD4 in Human NK Cell Function

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam P. Cribbs ◽  
Panagis Filippakopoulos ◽  
Martin Philpott ◽  
Graham Wells ◽  
Henry Penn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Inflammatory Cytokine ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Clinical Investigation ◽  
Cytokine Secretion ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Cell Functions

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that play a pivotal role in the immune surveillance and elimination of transformed or virally infected cells. Using a chemo-genetic approach, we identify BET bromodomain containing proteins BRD2 and BRD4 as central regulators of NK cell functions, including direct cytokine secretion, NK cell contact-dependent inflammatory cytokine secretion from monocytes as well as NK cell cytolytic functions. We show that both BRD2 and BRD4 control inflammatory cytokine production in NK cells isolated from healthy volunteers and from rheumatoid arthritis patients. In contrast, knockdown of BRD4 but not of BRD2 impairs NK cell cytolytic responses, suggesting BRD4 as critical regulator of NK cell mediated tumor cell elimination. This is supported by pharmacological targeting where the first-generation pan-BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1(+) displays anti-inflammatory effects and inhibit tumor cell eradication, while the novel bivalent BET bromodomain inhibitor AZD5153, which shows differential activity towards BET family members, does not. Given the important role of both cytokine-mediated inflammatory microenvironment and cytolytic NK cell activities in immune-oncology therapies, our findings present a compelling argument for further clinical investigation.

scholarly journals Riding the Wave: The SINE-Specific V Highly-Conserved Domain Spread into Mammalian Genomes Exploiting the Replication Burst of the MER6 DNA Transposon

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5607
Author(s):  
Andrea Luchetti ◽  
Mariana Lomiento ◽  
Barbara Mantovani
Keyword(s):  
Functional Role ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Short Interspersed Elements ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Conserved Domain ◽  
Bony Fishes ◽  
Previous Hypothesis ◽  
Mammalian Genomes

Transposable elements are widely distributed within genomes where they may significantly impact their evolution and cell functions. Short interspersed elements (SINEs) are non-autonomous, fast-evolving elements, but some of them carry a highly conserved domain (HCD), whose sequence remained substantially unchanged throughout the metazoan evolution. SINEs carrying the HCD called V are absent in amniote genomes, but V-like sequences were found within the miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE) MER6 in Homo sapiens. In the present work, the genomic distribution and evolution of MER6 are investigated, in order to reconstruct the origin of human V domain and to envisage its possible functional role. The analysis of 85 tetrapod genomes revealed that MER6 and its variant MER6A are found in primates, while only the MER6A variant was found in bats and eulipotyphlans. These MITEs appeared no longer active, in line with literature data on mammalian DNA transposons. Moreover, they appeared to have originated from a Mariner element found in turtles and from a V-SINE from bony fishes. MER6 insertions were found within genes and conserved in mRNAs: in line with previous hypothesis on functional role of HCDs, the MER6 V domain may be important for cell function also in mammals.

Deformation of the cell nucleus under indentation: Mechanics and mechanisms

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2126-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vaziri ◽  
H. Lee ◽  
M.R. Kaazempur Mofrad
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Cell Nucleus ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Nuclear Lamina ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Probe Angle ◽  
Elastic Layers

Computational models of the cell nucleus, along with experimental observations, can help in understanding the biomechanics of force-induced nuclear deformation and mechanisms of stress transition throughout the nucleus. Here, we develop a computational model for an isolated nucleus undergoing indentation, which includes separate components representing the nucleoplasm and the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope itself is composed of three separate layers: two thin elastic layers representing the inner and outer nuclear membranes and one thicker layer representing the nuclear lamina. The proposed model is capable of separating the structural role of major nuclear components in the force-induced biological response of the nucleus (and ultimately the cell). A systematic analysis is carried out to explore the role of major individual nuclear elements, namely inner and outer membranes, nuclear lamina, and nucleoplasm, as well as the loading and experimental factors such as indentation rate and probe angle, on the biomechanical response of an isolated nucleus in atomic force microscopy indentation experiment.

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