scholarly journals C-Terminal Peptide Modifications Reveal Direct and Indirect Roles of Hedgehog Morphogen Cholesteroylation

Author(s):  
Dominique Manikowski ◽  
Philipp Kastl ◽  
Sabine Schürmann ◽  
Kristina Ehring ◽  
Georg Steffes ◽  
...  

Hedgehog (Hh) morphogens are involved in embryonic development and stem cell biology and, if misregulated, can contribute to cancer. One important post-translational modification with profound impact on Hh biofunction is its C-terminal cholesteroylation during biosynthesis. The current hypothesis is that the cholesterol moiety is a decisive factor in Hh association with the outer plasma membrane leaflet of producing cells, cell-surface Hh multimerization, and its transport and signaling. Yet, it is not decided whether the cholesterol moiety is directly involved in all of these processes, because their functional interdependency raises the alternative possibility that the cholesterol initiates early processes directly and that these processes can then steer later stages of Hh signaling independent of the lipid. We generated variants of the C-terminal Hh peptide and observed that these cholesteroylated peptides variably impaired several post-translational processes in producing cells and Hh biofunction in Drosophila melanogaster eye and wing development. We also found that substantial Hh amounts separated from cholesteroylated peptide tags in vitro and in vivo and that tagged and untagged Hh variants lacking their C-cholesterol moieties remained bioactive. Our approach thus confirms that Hh cholesteroylation is essential during the early steps of Hh production and maturation but also suggests that it is dispensable for Hh signal reception at receiving cells.

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 95-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Ito ◽  
Paolo Sportoletti ◽  
John G Clohessy ◽  
Grisendi Silvia ◽  
Pier Paolo Pandolfi

Abstract Abstract 95 Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an incurable stem cell disorder characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and an increased risk of leukemia transformation. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is directly implicated in primitive hematopoiesis, the pathogenesis of hematopoietic malignancies and more recently of MDS. However, little is known regarding the molecular role and function of NPM in MDS pathogenesis and in stem cell biology. Here we present data demonstrating that NPM plays a critical role in the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the transformation of MDS into leukemia. NPM is located on chromosome 5q and is frequently lost in therapy-related and de novo MDS. We have previously shown that Npm1 acts as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in the hematopoietic compartment and Npm1+/− mice develop a hematologic syndrome with features of human MDS, including increased susceptibility to leukemogenesis. As HSCs have been demonstrated to be the target of the primary neoplastic event in MDS, a functional analysis of the HSC compartment is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms in MDS pathogenesis. However, the role of NPM in adult hematopoiesis remains largely unknown as Npm1-deficiency leads to embryonic lethality. To investigate NPM function in adult hematopoiesis, we have generated conditional knockout mice of Npm1, using the Cre-loxP system. Analysis of Npm1 conditional mutants crossed with Mx1-Cre transgenic mice reveals that Npm1 plays a crucial role in adult hematopoiesis and ablation of Npm1 in adult HSCs leads to aberrant cycling and followed by apoptosis. Analysis of cell cycle status revealed that HSCs are impaired in their ability to maintain quiescence after Npm1-deletion and are rapidly depleted in vivo as well as in vitro. Competitive reconstitution assay revealed that Npm1 acts cell-autonomously to maintain HSCs. Conditional inactivation of Npm1 leads to an MDS phenotype including a profoundly impaired ability to differentiate into cells of the erythroid lineage, megakaryocyte dyspoiesis and centrosome amplification. Furthermore, Npm1 loss evokes a p53-dependent response and Npm1-deleted HSCs undergo apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Strikingly, transfer of the Npm1 mutation into a p53-null background rescued the apoptosis of Npm1-ablated HSCs and resulted in accelerated transformation to an aggressive and lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia. Our findings highlight the crucial role of NPM in stem cell biology and identify a new mechanism by which MDS can progress to leukemia. This has important therapeutic implications for de novo MDS as well as therapy-related MDS, which is known to rapidly evolve to leukemia with frequent loss or mutation of TRP53. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1402-1423
Author(s):  
Martin Reinhardt ◽  
Shibashish Giri ◽  
Augustinus Bader

Currently, practical application of nanotechnological approaches and stem cell therapies remains a challenge in both preclinical and clinical settings. Many existing problems in tissue engineering to organ engineering have been solved by the combined approaches of nanotechnology and stem cell biology, but significant barriers remain. Details about the role of various types of nanomaterial in preclinical and clinical research have been reviewed elsewhere, but scant information exists about the influence of nanomaterials on stem cell biology. Herein, the authors highlight the current advances of nanotechnological approaches for expansion, differentiations, harvesting, labeling, imagining, tissue engineering, and organ engineering of different types of stem cells. The preclinical outcome of in vitro and in vivo animal experimentations along with some examples of clinical outcomes of nanomaterials on stem cell research is the main focus of this chapter. This book chapter might be an impetus for the present generation of young scientists to revolutionize the coming generation of effective human healthcare.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Cheng ◽  
Bing Shi ◽  
Jingtao Li

Craniofacial muscles emerge as a developmental novelty during the evolution from invertebrates to vertebrates, facilitating diversified modes of predation, feeding and communication. In contrast to the well-studied limb muscles, knowledge about craniofacial muscle stem cell biology has only recently starts to be gathered. Craniofacial muscles are distinct from their counterparts in other regions in terms of both their embryonic origin and their injury response. Compared with somite-derived limb muscles, pharyngeal arch-derived craniofacial muscles demonstrate delayed myofiber reconstitution and prolonged fibrosis during repair. The regeneration of muscle is orchestrated by a blended source of stem/progenitor cells, including myogenic muscle satellite cells (MuSCs), mesenchymal fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) and other interstitial progenitors. Limb muscles host MuSCs of the Pax3 lineage, and FAPs from the mesoderm, while craniofacial muscles have MuSCs of the Mesp1 lineage and FAPs from the ectoderm-derived neural crest. Both in vivo and in vitro data revealed distinct patterns of proliferation and differentiation in these craniofacial muscle stem/progenitor cells. Additionally, the proportion of cells of different embryonic origins changes throughout postnatal development in the craniofacial muscles, creating a more dynamic niche environment than in other muscles. In-depth comparative studies of the stem cell biology of craniofacial and limb muscles might inspire the development of novel therapeutics to improve the management of myopathic diseases. Based on the most up-to-date literature, we delineated the pivotal cell populations regulating craniofacial muscle repair and identified clues that might elucidate the distinct embryonic origin and injury response in craniofacial muscle cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narges Zare Mehrjardi ◽  
Daniel Hänggi ◽  
Ulf Dietrich Kahlert

AbstractIsocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH1/2) are central molecular markers for glioblastoma. Providing in vitro or in vivo models with mutated IDH1/2 can help prepare facilities to understand the biology of these mutated genes as glioma markers, as well as help, improve therapeutic strategies. In this review, we first summarize the biology principles of IDH and its mutations and outline the core primary findings in the clinical context of neuro-oncology. Given the extensive research interest and exciting developments in current stem cell biology and genome editing, the central part of the manuscript is dedicated to introducing various routes of disease modeling strategies of IDH mutation (IDHMut) glioma and comparing the scientific-technological findings from the field using different engineering methods. Lastly, by giving our perspective on the benefits and limitations of patient-derived and donor-derived disease modeling respectively, we aim to propose leading research questions to be answered in the context of IDH1 and glioma.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sejin Bae ◽  
Byeonguk Kang ◽  
Hyungbin Lee ◽  
Harrison Luu ◽  
Eric Mullins ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Many studies in stem cell biology have demonstrated that dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) may be highly proliferative and capable of pluripotent differentiation into many different tissue types. Recent advances in stem cell research have outlined methods for directing in vitro or in vivo differentiation of DPSC - although much remains to be discovered. OBJECTIVE Based upon this information, the primary objective of this study was to understand the biology and biotechnology needed to more effectively direct DPSC differentiation. METHODS Previously collected and isolated samples of DPSC from an existing repository were used. Due to the use of previously collected, non-identifiable samples this protocol was granted exemption from Human Subjects review. Previously established stem cell biomarkers (Sox-2, Oct-4, NANOG) from each isolate were correlated with their proliferation rates or doubling times to categorize them into rapid, intermediate, or slow-dividing multipotent DPSC. Growth factors and other dental biomaterials were subsequently tested to evaluate DPSC responses in proliferation, viability and morphology. RESULTS Differential responses were observed among DPSC isolates to growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bone morphogenic protein (BMP-2), and biomaterials such as mineralized trioxide aggregates (MTA). The responsiveness of DPSC isolates did not correlate with any single factor but rather with a combination of proliferation rate and biomarker expression. CONCLUSIONS These data strongly suggest that some, but not all DPSC isolates are capable of a robust and significant in vitro response to differentiation stimuli, although this response is not universal. Although some biomarkers and phenotypes that distinguish and characterize these DPSC isolates may facilitate the ability to predict differentiation potential, more research is needed to determine the other intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may contribute to and modulate these DPSC responses for biotechnology and bioengineering applications. CLINICALTRIAL N/A (not applicable)


Author(s):  
Martin Reinhardt ◽  
Shibashish Giri ◽  
Augustinus Bader

Currently, practical application of nanotechnological approaches and stem cell therapies remains a challenge in both preclinical and clinical settings. Many existing problems in tissue engineering to organ engineering have been solved by the combined approaches of nanotechnology and stem cell biology, but significant barriers remain. Details about the role of various types of nanomaterial in preclinical and clinical research have been reviewed elsewhere, but scant information exists about the influence of nanomaterials on stem cell biology. Herein, the authors highlight the current advances of nanotechnological approaches for expansion, differentiations, harvesting, labeling, imagining, tissue engineering, and organ engineering of different types of stem cells. The preclinical outcome of in vitro and in vivo animal experimentations along with some examples of clinical outcomes of nanomaterials on stem cell research is the main focus of this chapter. This book chapter might be an impetus for the present generation of young scientists to revolutionize the coming generation of effective human healthcare.


2010 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith E. Szulwach ◽  
Xuekun Li ◽  
Richard D. Smrt ◽  
Yujing Li ◽  
Yuping Luo ◽  
...  

Both microRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetic regulation have important functions in stem cell biology, although the interactions between these two pathways are not well understood. Here, we show that MeCP2, a DNA methyl-CpG–binding protein, can epigenetically regulate specific miRNAs in adult neural stem cells (aNSCs). MeCP2-mediated epigenetic regulation of one such miRNA, miR-137, involves coregulation by Sox2, a core transcription factor in stem cells. miR-137 modulates the proliferation and differentiation of aNSCs in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of miR-137 promotes the proliferation of aNSCs, whereas a reduction of miR-137 enhances aNSC differentiation. We further show that miR-137 post-transcriptionally represses the expression of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase and Polycomb group (PcG) protein. The miR-137–mediated repression of Ezh2 feeds back to chromatin, resulting in a global decrease in histone H3 trimethyl lysine 27. Coexpression of Ezh2 can rescue phenotypes associated with miR-137 overexpression. These results demonstrate that cross talk between miRNA and epigenetic regulation contributes to the modulation of adult neurogenesis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 385 (1) ◽  
pp. 309-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhefeng ZHAO ◽  
Joanna GRUSZCZYNSKA-BIEGALA ◽  
Anna ZOLKIEWSKA

The extracellular domain of integrin α7 is ADP-ribosylated by an arginine-specific ecto-ADP-ribosyltransferase after adding exogenous NAD+ to intact C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. The effect of ADP-ribosylation on the structure or function of integrin α7β1 has not been explored. In the present study, we show that ADP-ribosylation of integrin α7 takes place exclusively in differentiated myotubes and that this post-translational modification modulates the affinity of α7β1 dimer for its ligand, laminin. ADP-ribosylation in the 37-kDa ‘stalk’ region of α7 that takes place at micromolar NAD+ concentrations increases the binding of the α7β1 dimer to laminin. Increased in vitro binding of integrin α7β1 to laminin after ADP-ribosylation of the 37-kDa fragment of α7 requires the presence of Mn2+ and it is not observed in the presence of Mg2+. In contrast, ADP-ribosylation of the 63-kDa N-terminal region comprising the ligand-binding site of α7 that occurs at approx. 100 μM NAD+ inhibits the binding of integrin α7β1 to laminin. Furthermore, incubation of C2C12 myotubes with NAD+ increases the expression of an epitope on integrin β1 subunit recognized by monoclonal antibody 9EG7. We discuss our results based on the current models of integrin activation. We also hypothesize that ADP-ribosylation may represent a mechanism of regulation of integrin α7β1 function in myofibres in vivo when the continuity of the membrane is compromised and NAD+ is available as a substrate for ecto-ADP-ribosylation.


Parasitology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. HEMPHILL ◽  
N. VONLAUFEN ◽  
A. NAGULESWARAN

Neospora caninumis an apicomplexan parasite that is closely related toToxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. However, in contrast toT. gondii, N. caninumrepresents a major cause of abortion in cattle, pointing towards distinct differences in the biology of these two species. There are 3 distinct key features that represent potential targets for prevention of infection or intervention against disease caused byN. caninum. Firstly, tachyzoites are capable of infecting a large variety of host cellsin vitroandin vivo. Secondly, the parasite exploits its ability to respond to alterations in living conditions by converting into another stage (tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite orvice versa). Thirdly, by analogy withT. gondii, this parasite has evolved mechanisms that modulate its host cells according to its own requirements, and these must, especially in the case of the bradyzoite stage, involve mechanisms that ensure long-term survival of not only the parasite but also of the host cell. In order to elucidate the molecular and cellular bases of these important features ofN. caninum, cell culture-based approaches and laboratory animal models are being exploited. In this review, we will summarize the current achievements related to host cell and parasite cell biology, and will discuss potential applications for prevention of infection and/or disease by reviewing corresponding work performed in murine laboratory infection models and in cattle.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document