Wnt-7a in feather morphogenesis: involvement of anterior-posterior asymmetry and proximal-distal elongation demonstrated with an in vitro reconstitution model

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (12) ◽  
pp. 2577-2587 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.B. Widelitz ◽  
T.X. Jiang ◽  
C.W. Chen ◽  
N.S. Stott ◽  
C.M. Chuong
Keyword(s):  
Sonic Hedgehog ◽  
Formation Control ◽  
Molecular Heterogeneity ◽  
Dorsal Skin ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution ◽  
Skin Appendages ◽  
Control Skin ◽  
Anterior Posterior ◽  
Feather Buds

How do vertebrate epithelial appendages form from the flat epithelia? Following the formation of feather placodes, the previously radially symmetrical primordia become anterior-posterior (A-P) asymmetrical and develop a proximo-distal (P-D) axis. Analysis of the molecular heterogeneity revealed a surprising parallel of molecular profiles in the A-P feather buds and the ventral-dorsal (V-D) Drosophila appendage imaginal discs. The functional significance was tested with an in vitro feather reconstitution model. Wnt-7a expression initiated all over the feather tract epithelium, intensifying as it became restricted first to the primordia domain, then to an accentuated ring pattern within the primordia border, and finally to the posterior bud. In contrast, sonic hedgehog expression was induced later as a dot within the primordia. RCAS was used to overexpress Wnt-7a in reconstituted feather explants derived from stage 29 dorsal skin to further test its function in feather formation. Control skin formed normal elongated, slender buds with A-P orientation, but Wnt-7a overexpression led to plateau-like skin appendages lacking an A-P axis. Feathers in the Wnt-7a overexpressing skin also had inhibited elongation of the P-D axes. This was not due to a lack of cell proliferation, which actually was increased although randomly distributed. While morphogenesis was perturbed, differentiation proceeded as indicated by the formation of barb ridges. Wnt-7a buds have reduced expression of anterior (Tenascin) bud markers. Middle (Notch-1) and posterior bud markers including Delta-1 and Serrate-1 were diffusely expressed. The results showed that ectopic Wnt-7a expression enhanced properties characteristic of the middle and posterior feather buds and suggest that P-D elongation of vertebrate skin appendages requires balanced interactions between the anterior and posterior buds.

Distribution of Sonic hedgehog peptides in the developing chick and mouse embryo

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (8) ◽  
pp. 2537-2547 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Marti ◽  
R. Takada ◽  
D.A. Bumcrot ◽  
H. Sasaki ◽  
A.P. McMahon
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Sonic Hedgehog ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Small Region ◽  
Floor Plate ◽  
Limb Bud ◽  
Intercellular Signaling ◽  
Anterior Posterior

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) encodes a signal that is implicated in both short- and long-range interactions that pattern the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), somite and limb. Studies in vitro indicate that Shh protein undergoes an internal cleavage to generate two secreted peptides. We have investigated the distribution of Shh peptides with respect to these patterning events using peptide-specific antibodies. Immunostaining of chick and mouse embryos indicates that Shh peptides are expressed in the notochord, floor plate and posterior mesenchyme of the limb at the appropriate times for their postulated patterning functions. The amino peptide that is implicated in intercellular signaling is secreted but remains tightly associated with expressing cells. The distribution of peptides in the ventral CNS is polarized with the highest levels of protein accumulating towards the luminal surface. Interestingly, Shh expression extends beyond the floor plate, into ventrolateral regions from which some motor neuron precursors are emerging. In the limb bud, peptides are restricted to a small region of posterior-distal mesenchyme in close association with the apical ectodermal ridge; a region that extends 50–75 microns along the anterior-posterior axis. Temporal expression of Shh peptides is consistent with induction of sclerotome in somites and floor plate and motor neurons in the CNS, as well as the regulation of anterior-posterior polarity in the limb. However, we can find no direct evidence for long-range diffusion of the 19 × 10(3) Mr peptide which is thought to mediate both short- and long-range cell interactions. Thus, either long-range signaling is mediated indirectly by the activation of other signals, or alternatively the low levels of diffusing peptide are undetectable using available techniques.

scholarly journals Stochastic activation and bistability in a Rab GTPase regulatory network

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 6540-6549
Author(s):  
Urban Bezeljak ◽  
Hrushikesh Loya ◽  
Beata Kaczmarek ◽  
Timothy E. Saunders ◽  
Martin Loose
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Network ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Signaling Networks ◽  
Rab Gtpase ◽  
Endomembrane System ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution

The eukaryotic endomembrane system is controlled by small GTPases of the Rab family, which are activated at defined times and locations in a switch-like manner. While this switch is well understood for an individual protein, how regulatory networks produce intracellular activity patterns is currently not known. Here, we combine in vitro reconstitution experiments with computational modeling to study a minimal Rab5 activation network. We find that the molecular interactions in this system give rise to a positive feedback and bistable collective switching of Rab5. Furthermore, we find that switching near the critical point is intrinsically stochastic and provide evidence that controlling the inactive population of Rab5 on the membrane can shape the network response. Notably, we demonstrate that collective switching can spread on the membrane surface as a traveling wave of Rab5 activation. Together, our findings reveal how biochemical signaling networks control vesicle trafficking pathways and how their nonequilibrium properties define the spatiotemporal organization of the cell.

scholarly journals HIV-1 Vpr activates host CRL4-DCAF1 E3 ligase to degrade histone deacetylase SIRT7

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohong Zhou ◽  
Christina Monnie ◽  
Maria DeLucia ◽  
Jinwoo Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Cell Cycle Arrest ◽  
Histone Deacetylase ◽  
E3 Ligase ◽  
Cycle Arrest ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution ◽  
Hiv 1

Abstract Background Vpr is a virion-associated protein that is encoded by lentiviruses and serves to counteract intrinsic immunity factors that restrict infection. HIV-1 Vpr mediates proteasome-dependent degradation of several DNA repair/modification proteins. Mechanistically, Vpr directly recruits cellular targets onto DCAF1, a substrate receptor of Cullin 4 RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) for poly-ubiquitination. Further, Vpr can mediate poly-ubiquitination of DCAF1-interacting proteins by the CRL4. Because Vpr-mediated degradation of its known targets can not explain the primary cell-cycle arrest phenotype that Vpr expression induces, we surveyed the literature for DNA-repair-associated proteins that interact with the CRL4-DCAF1. One such protein is SIRT7, a deacetylase of histone 3 that belongs to the Sirtuin family and regulates a wide range of cellular processes. We wondered whether Vpr can mediate degradation of SIRT7 via the CRL4-DCAF1. Methods HEK293T cells were transfected with cocktails of plasmids expressing DCAF1, DDB1, SIRT7 and Vpr. Ectopic and endogeneous levels of SIRT7 were monitered by immunoblotting and protein–protein interactions were assessed by immunoprecipitation. For in vitro reconstitution assays, recombinant CRL4-DCAF1-Vpr complexes and SIRT7 were prepared and poly-ubiqutination of SIRT7 was monitored with immunoblotting. Results We demonstrate SIRT7 polyubiquitination and degradation upon Vpr expression. Specifically, SIRT7 is shown to interact with the CRL4-DCAF1 complex, and expression of Vpr in HEK293T cells results in SIRT7 degradation, which is partially rescued by CRL inhibitor MNL4924 and proteasome inhibitor MG132. Further, in vitro reconstitution assays show that Vpr induces poly-ubiquitination of SIRT7 by the CRL4-DCAF1. Importantly, we find that Vpr from several different HIV-1 strains, but not HIV-2 strains, mediates SIRT7 poly-ubiquitination in the reconstitution assay and degradation in cells. Finally, we show that SIRT7 degradation by Vpr is independent of the known, distinctive phenotype of Vpr-induced cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase, Conclusions Targeting histone deacetylase SIRT7 for degradation is a conserved feature of HIV-1 Vpr. Altogether, our findings reveal that HIV-1 Vpr mediates down-regulation of SIRT7 by a mechanism that does not involve novel target recruitment to the CRL4-DCAF1 but instead involves regulation of the E3 ligase activity.

scholarly journals Structural basis of GTPase-mediated mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis and recycling

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hauke S. Hillen ◽  
Elena Lavdovskaia ◽  
Franziska Nadler ◽  
Elisa Hanitsch ◽  
Andreas Linden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ribosomal Proteins ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Ribosomal Subunit ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Peptidyl Transferase ◽  
Mitochondrial Ribosomes ◽  
Mitochondrial Ribosome ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution

AbstractRibosome biogenesis requires auxiliary factors to promote folding and assembly of ribosomal proteins and RNA. Particularly, maturation of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is mediated by conserved GTPases, but the molecular basis is poorly understood. Here, we define the mechanism of GTPase-driven maturation of the human mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit (mtLSU) using endogenous complex purification, in vitro reconstitution and cryo-EM. Structures of transient native mtLSU assembly intermediates that accumulate in GTPBP6-deficient cells reveal how the biogenesis factors GTPBP5, MTERF4 and NSUN4 facilitate PTC folding. Addition of recombinant GTPBP6 reconstitutes late mtLSU biogenesis in vitro and shows that GTPBP6 triggers a molecular switch and progression to a near-mature PTC state. Additionally, cryo-EM analysis of GTPBP6-treated mature mitochondrial ribosomes reveals the structural basis for the dual-role of GTPBP6 in ribosome biogenesis and recycling. Together, these results provide a framework for understanding step-wise PTC folding as a critical conserved quality control checkpoint.

In vitro reconstitution of NADH: nitrate reductase in nitrate reductase-deficient mutants of barley

1984 ◽  
Vol 197 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Komaratchi R. Narayanan ◽  
Andreas J. Müller ◽  
Andris Kleinhofs ◽  
Robert L. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Reductase ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution
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