Genetic evidence that heparin-like glycosaminoglycans are involved in wingless signaling

Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (13) ◽  
pp. 2623-2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.C. Binari ◽  
B.E. Staveley ◽  
W.A. Johnson ◽  
R. Godavarti ◽  
R. Sasisekharan ◽  
...  

We have identified the Drosophila UDP-glucose dehydrogenase gene as being involved in wingless signaling. Mutations in this gene, called kiwi, generate a phenotype identical to that of wingless. UDP-glucose dehydrogenase is required for the biosynthesis of UDP-glucuronate, which in turn is utilized in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans. By rescuing the kiwi phenotype with both UDP-glucuronate and the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate, we show that kiwi function in the embryo is crucial for the production of heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix. Further, injection of heparin degrading enzyme, heparinase (and not chondroitin, dermatan or hyaluronic acid degrading enzyme) into wild-type embryos leads to the degradation of heparin-like glycosaminoglycans and a ‘wingless-like’ cuticular phenotype. Our study thus provides the first genetic evidence for the involvement of heparin-like glycosaminoglycans in signal transduction.

1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 1571-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.M. Miettinen ◽  
M. Jalkanen

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans such as syndecan-1 bind various extracellular matrix proteins and have been suggested to interact with the cytoskeleton. Such interactions are thought to be important for stabilizing cell morphology. Syndecan-1 resists extraction with Triton X-100. This insolubility was reported not to be affected by removal of the glycosaminoglycan chains, suggesting that the insolubility is not due to binding to the extracellular matrix, but rather to an association with the actin cytoskeleton (Rapraeger, A., Jalkanen, M. and Bernfield, M. (1986) J. Cell Biol. 103, 2683–2696). To examine further the interaction of syndecan-1 with the Triton X-100-insoluble residue, we expressed wild-type mouse syndecan-1 and a cytoplasmic deletion mutant (tail-less) in Chinese hamster ovary cells. We observed that both the wild-type and the tail-less syndecan-1 were partly insoluble in Triton X-100. The insolubility was not affected by increasing temperature (37 degrees C or 50 degrees C) or by cytochalasin D. Removal of the glycosaminoglycan chains from the ectodomain, however, resulted in complete Triton X-100 solubility, unlike previous reports. Syndecan-1 could also be released into the Triton X-100-soluble fraction by addition of heparin or heparan sulfate to the extraction medium. We conclude that the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-1 is not responsible for Triton X-100 insolubility. Instead, our results indicate that Triton X-100 insolubility is caused by an interaction of syndecan-1 molecules with other cellular and/or extracellular molecules mediated by the heparan sulfate chains.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Antonio M. V. Gomes ◽  
João H. C. M. Netto ◽  
Lucas S. Carvalho ◽  
Nádia S. Parachin

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a biopolymer composed by the monomers Glucuronic Acid (GlcUA) and N-Acetyl Glucosamine (GlcNAc). It has a broad range of applications in the field of medicine, being marketed between USD 1000–5000/kg. Its primary sources include extraction of animal tissue and fermentation using pathogenic bacteria. However, in both cases, extensive purification protocols are required to prevent toxin contamination. In this study, aiming at creating a safe HA producing microorganism, the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) yeast Kluyveroymyces lactis is utilized. Initially, the hasB (UDP-Glucose dehydrogenase) gene from Xenopus laevis (xlhasB) is inserted. After that, four strains are constructed harboring different hasA (HA Synthase) genes, three of humans (hshasA1, hshasA2, and hshasA3) and one with the bacteria Pasteurella multocida (pmhasA). Transcript values analysis confirms the presence of hasA genes only in three strains. HA production is verified by scanning electron microscopy in the strain containing the pmHAS isoform. The pmHAS strain is grown in a 1.3 l bioreactor operating in a batch mode, the maximum HA levels are 1.89 g/L with a molecular weight of 2.097 MDa. This is the first study that reports HA production in K. lactis and it has the highest HA titers reported among yeast.


2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (20) ◽  
pp. 5654-5660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Bellenger ◽  
Xiaoyuan Ma ◽  
Wenyuan Shi ◽  
Zhaomin Yang

ABSTRACT In bacteria with multiple sets of chemotaxis genes, the deletion of homologous genes or even different genes in the same operon can result in disparate phenotypes. Myxococcus xanthus is a bacterium with multiple sets of chemotaxis genes and/or homologues. It was shown previously that difA and difE, encoding homologues of the methyl-accepting chemoreceptor protein (MCP) and the CheA kinase, respectively, are required for M. xanthus social gliding (S) motility and development. Both difA and difE mutants were also defective in the biogenesis of the cell surface appendages known as extracellular matrix fibrils. In this study, we investigated the roles of the CheW homologue encoded by difC, a gene at the same locus as difA and difE. We showed that difC mutations resulted in defects in M. xanthus developmental aggregation, sporulation, and S motility. We demonstrated that difC is indispensable for wild-type cellular cohesion and fibril biogenesis but not for pilus production. We further illustrated the ectopic complementation of a difC in-frame deletion by a wild-type difC. The identical phenotypes of difA, difC, and difE mutants are consistent and supportive of the hypothesis that the Dif chemotaxis homologues constitute a chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway that regulates M. xanthus fibril biogenesis and S motility.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xue Bai ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Haikun Zhang ◽  
Xiaoke Hu

Abstract Background A wide variety of bacterial adaptative responses to environmental conditions are mediated by signal transduction pathways. Two-component signal transduction systems are one of the predominant means used by bacteria to sense the signals of the host plant and adjust their interaction behaviour. A total of seven open reading frames have been identified as putative two-component response regulators in the gram-negative nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571. However, the biological functions of these response regulators in the symbiotic interactions between A. caulinodans ORS571 and the host plant Sesbania rostrata have not been elucidated to date. Results In this study, we identified and investigated a two-component response regulator, AcfR, with a phosphorylatable N-terminal REC (receiver) domain and a C-terminal HTH (helix-turn-helix) LuxR DNA-binding domain in A. caulinodans ORS571. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AcfR possessed close evolutionary relationships with NarL/FixJ family regulators. In addition, six histidine kinases containing HATPase_c and HisKA domains were predicted to interact with AcfR. Furthermore, the biological function of AcfR in free-living and symbiotic conditions was elucidated by comparing the wild-type strain and the ΔacfR mutant strain. In the free-living state, the cell motility behaviour and exopolysaccharide production of the ΔacfR mutant were significantly reduced compared to those of the wild-type strain. In the symbiotic state, the ΔacfR mutant showed a competitive nodule defect on the stems and roots of the host plant, suggesting that AcfR can provide A. caulinodans with an effective competitive ability for symbiotic nodulation. Conclusions Our results showed that AcfR, as a response regulator, regulates numerous phenotypes of A. caulinodans under the free-living conditions and in symbiosis with the host plant. The results of this study help to elucidate the involvement of a REC + HTH_LuxR two-component response regulator in the Rhizobium-host plant interaction.


Genetics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Schrick ◽  
Barbara Garvik ◽  
Leland H Hartwell

Abstract The mating process in yeast has two distinct aspects. One is the induction and activation of proteins required for cell fusion in response to a pheromone signal; the other is chemotropism, i.e., detection of a pheromone gradient and construction of a fusion site available to the signaling cell. To determine whether components of the signal transduction pathway necessary for transcriptional activation also play a role in chemotropism, we examined strains with null mutations in components of the signal transduction pathway for diploid formation, prezygote formation and the chemotropic process of mating partner discrimination when transcription was induced downstream of the mutation. Cells mutant for components of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade (ste5, ste20, ste11, ste7 or fus3 kss1) formed diploids at a frequency 1% that of the wild-type control, but formed prezygotes as efficiently as the wild-type control and showed good mating partner discrimination, suggesting that the MAP kinase cascade is not essential for chemotropism. In contrast, cells mutant for the receptor (ste2) or the β or γ subunit (ste4 and stel8) of the G protein were extremely defective in both diploid and prezygote formation and discriminated poorly between signaling and nonsignaling mating partners, implying that these components are important for chemotropism.


Author(s):  
Biao Deng ◽  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Xing Long ◽  
Ren Fang ◽  
Shuangyun Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractGibberellin (GA), auxin (IAA) and brassinosteroid (BR) are indispensable in the process of plant growth and development. Currently, research on the regulatory mechanism of phytohormones in banana dwarfism is mainly focused on GA, and few studies are focused on IAA and BR. In this study, we measured the contents of endogenous GA, IAA and BR and compared the transcriptomes of wild-type Williams banana and its dwarf mutant across five successive growth periods. We investigated the relationship between hormones and banana dwarfism and explored differential gene expression through transcriptome analysis, thus revealing the possible metabolic regulatory mechanism. We inferred a complex regulatory network of banana dwarfing. In terms of endogenous hormone levels, GA and IAA had significant effects on banana dwarfing, while BR had little effect. The key gene in GA biosynthesis of is GA2ox, and the key genes in IAA biosynthesis are TDC and YUCCA. The differential expression of these genes might be the main factor affecting hormone levels and plant height. In terms of hormone signal transduction, DELLA and AUX/IAA repressor proteins were the core regulators of GA and IAA, respectively. They inhibited the process of signal transduction and had feedback regulation on hormone levels. Finally, the transporter protein PIN, AUX1/LAX protein family and ABCB subfamily played supplementary roles in the transport of IAA. These results provide new insights into GA and IAA regulation of banana growth and a reliable foundation for the improvement of dwarf varieties.


Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-117
Author(s):  
Qi Yang ◽  
Katherine A Borkovich

Abstract Heterotrimeric G proteins, consisting of α, β, and γ subunits, transduce environmental signals through coupling to plasma membrane-localized receptors. We previously reported that the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa possesses a Gα protein, GNA-1, that is a member of the Gαi superfamily. Deletion of gna-1 leads to defects in apical extension, differentiation of asexual spores, sensitivity to hyperosmotic media, and female fertility. In addition, Δgna-1 strains have lower intracellular cAMP levels under conditions that promote morphological abnormalities. To further define the function of GNA-1 in signal transduction in N. crassa, we examined properties of strains with mutationally activated gna-1 alleles (R178C or Q204L) as the only source of GNA-1 protein. These mutations are predicted to inhibit the GTPase activity of GNA-1 and lead to constitutive signaling. In the sexual cycle, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains are female-fertile, but produce fewer and larger perithecia than wild type. During asexual development, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains elaborate abundant, long aerial hyphae, produce less conidia, and possess lower levels of carotenoid pigments in comparison to wild-type controls. Furthermore, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains are more sensitive to heat shock and exposure to hydrogen peroxide than wild-type strains, while Δgna-1 mutants are more resistant. In contrast to Δgna-1 mutants, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains have higher steady-state levels of cAMP than wild type. The results suggest that GNA-1 possesses several Gβγ-independent functions in N. crassa. We propose that GNA-1 mediates signal transduction pathway(s) that regulate aerial hyphae development and sensitivity to heat and oxidative stresses, possibly through modulation of cAMP levels.


Endocrinology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (6) ◽  
pp. 2459-2472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Yin ◽  
Adam Wang ◽  
Li Feng ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract To prepare for embryo implantation, the uterus must undergo a series of reciprocal interactions between the uterine epithelium and the underlying stroma, which are orchestrated by ovarian hormones. During this process, multiple signaling pathways are activated to direct cell proliferation and differentiation, which render the uterus receptive to the implanting blastocysts. One important modulator of these signaling pathways is the cell surface and extracellular matrix macromolecules, heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). HSPGs play crucial roles in signal transduction by regulating morphogen transport and ligand binding. In this study, we examine the role of HSPG sulfation in regulating uterine receptivity by conditionally deleting the N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (NDST) 1 gene (Ndst1) in the mouse uterus using the Pgr-Cre driver, on an Ndst2- and Ndst3-null genetic background. Although development of the female reproductive tract and subsequent ovarian function appear normal in Ndst triple-knockout females, they are infertile due to implantation defects. Embryo attachment appears to occur but the uterine epithelium at the site of implantation persists rather than disintegrates in the mutant. Uterine epithelial cells continued to proliferate past day 4 of pregnancy, accompanied by elevated Fgf2 and Fgf9 expression, whereas uterine stroma failed to undergo decidualization, as evidenced by lack of Bmp2 induction. Despite normal Indian hedgehog expression, transcripts of Ptch1 and Gli1, both components as well as targets of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway, were detected only in the subepithelial stroma, indicating altered Hh signaling in the mutant uterus. Taken together, these data implicate an essential role for HSPGs in modulating signal transduction during mouse implantation.


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