Serrate expression can functionally replace Delta activity during neuroblast segregation in the Drosophila embryo

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 855-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Gu ◽  
N.A. Hukriede ◽  
R.J. Fleming

Serrate and Delta encode structurally related proteins in D. melanogaster that bind within a common extracellular region on the NOTCH receptor molecule. We used ectopic expression to determine if SERRATE could mediate in vivo functions parallel or antagonistic to those proposed for the putative NOTCH ligand DELTA. Our results demonstrate that Serrate can replace Delta gene function during embryonic neuroblast segregation and that expression of Serrate leads to a NOTCH-dependent suppression of achaete expression in proneural clusters. Our findings strongly suggest that SERRATE functions as an alternative ligand capable of NOTCH activation.

Genome ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 693-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Ciechanska ◽  
David A. Dansereau ◽  
Pia C. Svendsen ◽  
Tim R. Heslip ◽  
William J. Brook

The segmentation of the proximal–distal axis of the Drosophila melanogaster leg depends on the localized activation of the Notch receptor. The expression of the Notch ligand genes Serrate and Delta in concentric, segmental rings results in the localized activation of Notch, which induces joint formation and is required for the growth of leg segments. We report here that the expression of Serrate and Delta in the leg is regulated by the transcription factor genes dAP-2 and defective proventriculus. Previous studies have shown that Notch activation induces dAP-2 in cells distal and adjacent to the Serrate/Delta domain of expression. We find that Serrate and Delta are ectopically expressed in dAP-2 mutant legs and that Serrate and Delta are repressed by ectopic expression of dAP-2. Furthermore, Serrate is induced cell-autonomously in dAP-2 mutant clones in many regions of the leg. We also find that the expression of a defective proventriculus reporter overlaps with dAP-2 expression and is complementary to Serrate expression in the tarsal segments. Ectopic expression of defective proventriculus is sufficient to block joint formation and Serrate and Delta expression. Loss of defective proventriculus results in localized, ectopic Serrate expression and the formation of ectopic joints with reversed polarity. Thus, in tarsal segments, dAP-2 and defective proventriculus are necessary for the correct proximal and distal boundaries of Serrate expression and repression of Serrate by defective proventriculus contributes to tarsal segment asymmetry. The repression of the Notch ligand genes Serrate and Delta by the Notch target gene dAP-2 may be a pattern-refining mechanism similar to those acting in embryonic segmentation and compartment boundary formation.


Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (12) ◽  
pp. 2243-2253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel Grammont ◽  
Kenneth D. Irvine

fringe encodes a glycosyltransferase that modulates the ability of the Notch receptor to be activated by its ligands. We describe studies of fringe function during early stages of Drosophila oogenesis. Animals mutant for hypomorphic alleles of fringe contain follicles with an incorrect number of germline cells, which are separated by abnormally long and disorganized stalks. Analysis of clones of somatic cells mutant for a null allele of fringe localizes the requirement for fringe in follicle formation to the polar cells, and demonstrates that fringe is required for polar cell fate. Clones of cells mutant for Notch also lack polar cells and the requirement for Notch in follicle formation appears to map to the polar cells. Ectopic expression of fringe or of an activated form of Notch can generate an extra polar cell. Our results indicate that fringe plays a key role in positioning Notch activation during early oogenesis, and establish a function for the polar cells in separating germline cysts into individual follicles.


2013 ◽  
Vol 210 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sankaranarayanan Kannan ◽  
Robert M. Sutphin ◽  
Mandy G. Hall ◽  
Leonard S. Golfman ◽  
Wendy Fang ◽  
...  

Although aberrant Notch activation contributes to leukemogenesis in T cells, its role in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) remains unclear. Here, we report that human AML samples have robust expression of Notch receptors; however, Notch receptor activation and expression of downstream Notch targets are remarkably low, suggesting that Notch is present but not constitutively activated in human AML. The functional role of these Notch receptors in AML is not known. Induced activation through any of the Notch receptors (Notch1–4), or through the Notch target Hairy/Enhancer of Split 1 (HES1), consistently leads to AML growth arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis, which are associated with B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) loss and enhanced p53/p21 expression. These effects were dependent on the HES1 repressor domain and were rescued through reexpression of BCL2. Importantly, activated Notch1, Notch2, and HES1 all led to inhibited AML growth in vivo, and Notch inhibition via dnMAML enhanced proliferation in vivo, thus revealing the physiological inhibition of AML growth in vivo in response to Notch signaling. As a novel therapeutic approach, we used a Notch agonist peptide that led to significant apoptosis in AML patient samples. In conclusion, we report consistent Notch-mediated growth arrest and apoptosis in human AML, and propose the development of Notch agonists as a potential therapeutic approach in AML.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 2448-2448
Author(s):  
Lan Zhou ◽  
Quanjian Yan ◽  
David Yao ◽  
Lebing W Li ◽  
Stanton L. Gerson ◽  
...  

Abstract Notch receptors are conserved cell surface molecules essential for hematopoietic cell fate determination. Activated Notch enhances self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells and promotes T lymphopoiesis. O-linked fucose moieties attached to the EGF domains of Notch receptors and its modification by Fringe can strongly modulate Notch signaling. Our recently published results indicate that Notch-dependent signaling controls myelopoiesis both in vitro and in vivo, and identify a requirement for Notch fucosylation in the expression of Notch ligand binding activity and Notch signaling efficiency in hematopoietic progenitor cells. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that fucosylation controlled Notch signaling regulates hematopoietic lineage homeostasis. Genetically-modified mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells deficient in Notch1 receptor (NOTCH1−/−) or pofut1 (POFUT1−/−) that controls O-fucose modification of Notch receptor EGF repeats are studied in an in vitro co-culture assay with Notch ligand-expressing OP9 cells. Activation of Notch in wild type ES cells promotes T lymphopoiesis, while exposure of NOTCH1−/− or POFUT1−/− ES cells to Notch ligand failed to generate T lymphocytes but sustained granulocytic production. When probed with recombinant Notch ligand Dll1 or Dll4, hematopoietic cells derived from wild type ES line displayed robust Notch ligand binding, but cells from NOTCH1−/− or POFUT1−/− ES lines showed completely absent or reduced Notch ligand interaction, respectively. In comparison, ES cells deficient in pofut2 (POFUT2−/−) that controls O-fucose modification on thrombospondin repeats (TSR) displayed a wild type lineage development phenotype and normal Notch ligand binding ability. When examined for their in vivo hematopoietic reconstitution, blood cells derived from NOTCH1−/− or POFUT1−/− ES lines, but not POFUT2−/− ES line, showed enhanced granulocytic but suppressed T and B lymphoid lineage development. These results are consistent with our bone marrow transplantation findings that hematopoietic reconstitution by fucosylation-deficient marrow progenitor cells exhibited increased granulocytopoiesis while wild type or fucosylation-intact marrow cells have normal lineage distribution. Our observations indicate that Notch signaling maintains blood lineage homeostasis by promoting lymphoid lineage development and suppressing overt myeloid development. O-fucose modification of EGF repeats on Notch receptor is essential for this Notch-dependent control of blood lineage homeostasis as deficiency of fucose on Notch receptor results in enhanced myeloid development.


Author(s):  
Valeria Kaltezioti ◽  
Katerina M. Vakaloglou ◽  
Aristidis S. Charonis ◽  
Christos G. Zervas

Secreted wingless-interacting protein (Swim) is the Drosophila ortholog gene of the mammalian Tubulointerstitial Nephritis Antigen Like 1 (TINAGL1), known also as lipocalin-7 (LCN7), or adrenocortical zonation factor 1 (AZ-1). Swim and TINAGL1 proteins share a significant homology, including the somatomedin B and the predictive inactive C1 cysteine peptidase domains. In mammals, both TINAGL1 and its closely related homolog TINAG have been identified in basement membranes, where they may function as modulators of integrin-mediated adhesion. In Drosophila, Swim was initially identified in the eggshell matrix and subsequently was detected in the culture medium of S2 cells. Further biochemical analysis indicated that Swim binds to wingless (wg) in a lipid-dependent manner. This observation together with RNAiknockdown studies suggested that Swim is an essential cofactor of wg-signalling. However, recent elegant genetic studies ruled out the possibility that Swim is required alone to facilitate wgsignalling in Drosophila, because flies without Swim are viable and fertile. Here, we use the UAS/Gal4 expression system together with confocal imaging to analyze the in vivo localization of a chimeric Swim-GFP in the developing Drosophila embryo. Our data fully support the notion that Swim is an extracellular matrix component that upon ectopic expression is secreted and preferentially associates with the basement membranes of various organs and with the specialized tendon matrix at the muscle attachment sites (MAS). Interestingly, the accumulation of Swim at the MAS does not require integrins. In conclusion, Swim is an extracellular matrix component, and it is possible that Swim exhibits overlapping functions in concert with other undefined components.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (7) ◽  
pp. 1785-1793 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cowden ◽  
Michael Levine

The maternal Dorsal nuclear gradient initiates the differentiation of the mesoderm, neurogenic ectoderm and dorsal ectoderm in the precellular Drosophila embryo. Each tissue is subsequently subdivided into multiple cell types during gastrulation. We have investigated the formation of the mesectoderm within the ventral-most region of the neurogenic ectoderm. Previous studies suggest that the Dorsal gradient works in concert with Notch signaling to specify the mesectoderm through the activation of the regulatory gene sim within single lines of cells that straddle the presumptive mesoderm. This model was confirmed by misexpressing a constitutively activated form of the Notch receptor, NotchIC, in transgenic embryos using the eve stripe2 enhancer. The NotchIC stripe induces ectopic expression of sim in the neurogenic ectoderm where there are low levels of the Dorsal gradient. sim is not activated in the ventral mesoderm, due to inhibition by the localized zinc-finger Snail repressor, which is selectively expressed in the ventral mesoderm. Additional studies suggest that the Snail repressor can also stimulate Notch signaling. A stripe2-snail transgene appears to induce Notch signaling in ‘naïve’ embryos that contain low uniform levels of Dorsal. We suggest that these dual activities of Snail, repression of Notch target genes and stimulation of Notch signaling, help define precise lines of sim expression within the neurogenic ectoderm.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Liu ◽  
Yongxin Sun

Aim: This study sets out to investigate the possible effects of miRNA-148a-3p (miR-148a-3p) on osteoblast differentiation and bone remodeling following osteoporosis. Materials & methods: Expression of miR-148a-3p, p300, Nrf2 and differentiation-related proteins (Runx2, Osteocalcin and Col1a1) was examined in the osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cell line, followed by identification of interaction between miR-148a-3p and p300 and between p300 and Nrf2. After ectopic expression and depletion experiments in MC3T3-E1 cells, cell proliferation, osteogenic mineralization and osteogenic differentiation were measured. Ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis mouse models were established to verify function of miR-148a-3p in vivo. Results: miR-148a-3p expression was restrained and p300 and Nrf2 expression was increased during osteoblast differentiation. miR-148a-3p inhibition or p300 upregulation enhanced proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells. p300 was targeted by miR-148a-3p. Additionally, miR-148a-3p reduced BMD, bone volume relative to tissue volume ratio, trabecular bone, trabecular thickness and trabecular spacing in ovariectomy mice. Conclusion: Taken together, miR-148a-3p might prevent the osteoblast differentiation and bone remodeling by disrupting p300-dependent Nrf2 pathway activation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
You Shuai ◽  
Zhonghua Ma ◽  
Weitao Liu ◽  
Tao Yu ◽  
Changsheng Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated in obvious malignancies including GC and exploring the regulatory mechanisms underlying their expression is an attractive research area. However, these molecular mechanisms require further clarification, especially upstream mechanisms. Methods LncRNA MNX1-AS1 expression in GC tissue samples was investigated via microarray analysis and further determined in a cohort of GC tissues via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Cell proliferation and flow cytometry assays were performed to confirm the roles of MNX1-AS1 in GC proliferation, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. The influence of MNX1-AS1 on GC cell migration and invasion was explored with Transwell assays. A xenograft tumour model was established to verify the effects of MNX1-AS1 on in vivo tumourigenesis. The TEAD4-involved upstream regulatory mechanism of MNX1-AS1 was explored through ChIP and luciferase reporter assays. The mechanistic model of MNX1-AS1 in regulating gene expression was further detected by subcellular fractionation, FISH, RIP, ChIP and luciferase reporter assays. Results It was found that MNX1-AS1 displayed obvious upregulation in GC tissue samples and cell lines, and ectopic expression of MNX1-AS1 predicted poor clinical outcomes for patients with GC. Overexpressed MNX1-AS1 expression promoted proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells markedly, whereas decreased MNX1-AS1 expression elicited the opposite effects. Consistent with the in vitro results, MNX1-AS1 depletion effectively inhibited the growth of xenograft tumour in vivo. Mechanistically, TEAD4 directly bound the promoter region of MNX1-AS1 and stimulated the transcription of MNX1-AS1. Furthermore, MNX1-AS1 can sponge miR-6785-5p to upregulate the expression of BCL2 in GC cells. Meanwhile, MNX1-AS1 suppressed the transcription of BTG2 by recruiting polycomb repressive complex 2 to BTG2 promoter regions. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that MNX1-AS1 may be able to serve as a prognostic indicator in GC patients and that TEAD4-activatd MNX1-AS1 can promote GC progression through EZH2/BTG2 and miR-6785-5p/BCL2 axes, implicating it as a novel and potent target for the treatment of GC.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Francesco Buonocore ◽  
Anna Maria Fausto ◽  
Giulia Della Pelle ◽  
Tomislav Roncevic ◽  
Marco Gerdol ◽  
...  

Insects produce a large repertoire of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as the first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. These peptides are produced from a large precursor that contains a signal domain, which is cleaved in vivo to produce the mature protein with antimicrobial activity. At present, AMPs from insects include several families which can be classified as cecropins, ponericins, defensins, lebocins, drosocin, Metchnikowin, gloverins, diptericins and attacins according to their structure and/or function. This short review is focused on attacins, a class of glycine-rich peptides/proteins that have been first discovered in the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia). They are a rather heterogeneous group of immunity-related proteins that exhibit an antimicrobial effect mainly against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we discuss different attacin and attacin-like AMPs that have been discovered so far and analyze their structure and phylogeny. Special focus is given to the physiological importance and mechanism of action of attacins against microbial pathogens together with their potential pharmacological applications, emphasizing their roles as antimicrobials.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2114
Author(s):  
Yusheng Liang ◽  
Nana Ma ◽  
Danielle N. Coleman ◽  
Fang Liu ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
...  

The objective was to perform a proof-of-principle study to evaluate the effects of methionine (Met) and arginine (Arg) supply on protein abundance of amino acid, insulin signaling, and glutathione metabolism-related proteins in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) explants under ceramide (Ce) challenge. SAT from four lactating Holstein cows was incubated with one of the following media: ideal profile of amino acid as the control (IPAA; Lys:Met 2.9:1, Lys:Arg 2:1), increased Met (incMet; Lys:Met 2.5:1), increased Arg (incArg; Lys:Arg 1:1), or incMet plus incArg (Lys:Met 2.5:1 Lys:Arg 1:1) with or without 100 μM exogenous cell-permeable Ce (N-Acetyl-d-sphingosine). Ceramide stimulation downregulated the overall abundance of phosphorylated (p) protein kinase B (AKT), p-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and p-eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Without Ce stimulation, increased Met, Arg, or Met + Arg resulted in lower p-mTOR. Compared with control SAT stimulated with Ce, increased Met, Arg, or Met + Arg resulted in greater activation of mTOR (p-mTOR/total mTOR) and AKT (p-AKT/total AKT), with a more pronounced response due to Arg. The greatest protein abundance of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) was detected in response to increased Met supply during Ce stimulation. Ceramide stimulation decreased the overall protein abundance of the Na-coupled neutral amino acid transporter SLC38A1 and branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK). However, compared with controls, increased Met or Arg supply attenuated the downregulation of BCKDK induced by Ce. Circulating ceramides might affect amino acid, insulin signaling, and glutathione metabolism in dairy cow adipose tissue. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm the role of rumen-protected amino acids in regulating bovine adipose function.


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