scholarly journals Transgenic expression of the proneural transcription factor Ascl1 in Müller glia stimulates retinal regeneration in young mice

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (44) ◽  
pp. 13717-13722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumi Ueki ◽  
Matthew S. Wilken ◽  
Kristen E. Cox ◽  
Laura Chipman ◽  
Nikolas Jorstad ◽  
...  

Müller glial cells are the source of retinal regeneration in fish and birds; although this process is efficient in fish, it is less so in birds and very limited in mammals. It has been proposed that factors necessary for providing neurogenic competence to Müller glia in fish and birds after retinal injury are not expressed in mammals. One such factor, the proneural transcription factor Ascl1, is necessary for retinal regeneration in fish but is not expressed after retinal damage in mice. We previously reported that forced expression of Ascl1 in vitro reprograms Müller glia to a neurogenic state. We now test whether forced expression of Ascl1 in mouse Müller glia in vivo stimulates their capacity for retinal regeneration. We find that transgenic expression of Ascl1 in adult Müller glia in undamaged retina does not overtly affect their phenotype; however, when the retina is damaged, the Ascl1-expressing glia initiate a response that resembles the early stages of retinal regeneration in zebrafish. The reaction to injury is even more pronounced in Müller glia in young mice, where the Ascl1-expressing Müller glia give rise to amacrine and bipolar cells and photoreceptors. DNaseI-seq analysis of the retina and Müller glia shows progressive reduction in accessibility of progenitor gene cis-regulatory regions consistent with the reduction in their reprogramming. These results show that at least one of the differences between mammal and fish Müller glia that bears on their difference in regenerative potential is the proneural transcription factor Ascl1.

2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (2) ◽  
pp. C375-C389
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Fischer ◽  
Abigail L. Roux ◽  
Lauren K. Wareham ◽  
Rebecca M. Sappington

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, resulting from degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which form the optic nerve. Prior to structural degeneration, RGCs exhibit physiological deficits. Müller glia provide homeostatic regulation of ions that supports RGC physiology through a process called K+ siphoning. Recent studies suggest that several retinal conditions, including glaucoma, involve changes in the expression of K+ channels in Müller glia. To clarify whether glaucoma-related stressors directly alter expression and function of K+ channels in Müller glia, we examined changes in the expression of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels and two-pore domain (K2P) channels in response to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in vivo and in vitro in primary cultures of Müller glia exposed to elevated hydrostatic pressure. We then measured outcomes of cell health, cation homeostasis, and cation flux in Müller glia cultures. Transcriptome analysis in a murine model of microbead-induced glaucoma revealed pressure-dependent downregulation of Kir and K2P channels in vivo. Changes in the expression and localization of Kir and K2P channels in response to elevated pressure were also found in Müller glia in vitro. Finally, we found that elevated pressure compromises the plasma membrane of Müller glia and induces cation dyshomeostasis that involves changes in ion flux through cation channels. Pressure-induced changes in cation flux precede both cation dyshomeostasis and membrane compromise. Our findings have implications for Müller glia responses to pressure-related conditions, i.e., glaucoma, and identify cation dyshomeostasis as a potential contributor to electrophysiological impairment observed in RGCs of glaucomatous retina.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth N Corry ◽  
D Alan Underhill

To date, the majority of the research regarding eukaryotic transcription factors has focused on characterizing their function primarily through in vitro methods. These studies have revealed that transcription factors are essentially modular structures, containing separate regions that participate in such activities as DNA binding, protein–protein interaction, and transcriptional activation or repression. To fully comprehend the behavior of a given transcription factor, however, these domains must be analyzed in the context of the entire protein, and in certain cases the context of a multiprotein complex. Furthermore, it must be appreciated that transcription factors function in the nucleus, where they must contend with a variety of factors, including the nuclear architecture, chromatin domains, chromosome territories, and cell-cycle-associated processes. Recent examinations of transcription factors in the nucleus have clarified the behavior of these proteins in vivo and have increased our understanding of how gene expression is regulated in eukaryotes. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding sequence-specific transcription factor compartmentalization within the nucleus and discuss its impact on the regulation of such processes as activation or repression of gene expression and interaction with coregulatory factors.Key words: transcription, subnuclear localization, chromatin, gene expression, nuclear architecture.


Author(s):  
Hui Gao ◽  
Luodan A ◽  
Xiaona Huang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Haiwei Xu

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
Rakshitha Pandulal Miskin ◽  
Janine S. A. Warren ◽  
Abibatou Ndoye ◽  
Lei Wu ◽  
John M. Lamar ◽  
...  

In the current study, we demonstrate that integrin α3β1 promotes invasive and metastatic traits of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells through induction of the transcription factor, Brain-2 (Brn-2). We show that RNAi-mediated suppression of α3β1 in MDA-MB-231 cells caused reduced expression of Brn-2 mRNA and protein and reduced activity of the BRN2 gene promoter. In addition, RNAi-targeting of Brn-2 in MDA-MB-231 cells decreased invasion in vitro and lung colonization in vivo, and exogenous Brn-2 expression partially restored invasion to cells in which α3β1 was suppressed. α3β1 promoted phosphorylation of Akt in MDA-MB-231 cells, and treatment of these cells with a pharmacological Akt inhibitor (MK-2206) reduced both Brn-2 expression and cell invasion, indicating that α3β1-Akt signaling contributes to Brn-2 induction. Analysis of RNAseq data from patients with invasive breast carcinoma revealed that high BRN2 expression correlates with poor survival. Moreover, high BRN2 expression positively correlates with high ITGA3 expression in basal-like breast cancer, which is consistent with our experimental findings that α3β1 induces Brn-2 in TNBC cells. Together, our study demonstrates a pro-invasive/pro-metastatic role for Brn-2 in breast cancer cells and identifies a role for integrin α3β1 in regulating Brn-2 expression, thereby revealing a novel mechanism of integrin-dependent breast cancer cell invasion.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1343
Author(s):  
Balaji Venkataraman ◽  
Saeeda Almarzooqi ◽  
Vishnu Raj ◽  
Abdullah T. Alhassani ◽  
Ahmad S. Alhassani ◽  
...  

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic inflammatory disorders with increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide. Here, we investigated thymoquinone (TQ), a naturally occurring phytochemical present in Nigella sativa, for anti-inflammatory effects in colonic inflammation. To address this, we used in vivo (mice) and in vitro (HT-29 cells) models in this investigation. Our results showed that TQ treatment significantly reduced the disease activity index (DAI), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and protected colon microscopic architecture. In addition, TQ also reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators at both the mRNA and protein levels. Further, TQ decreased phosphorylation of the activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) proteins and enhanced colon epithelial PPAR-γ transcription factor expression. TQ significantly decreased proinflammatory chemokines (CXCL-1 and IL-8), and mediator (COX-2) mRNA expression in HT-29 cells treated with TNF-α. TQ also increased HT-29 PPAR-γ mRNA, PPAR-γ protein expression, and PPAR-γ promoter activity. These results indicate that TQ inhibits MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and transcriptionally regulates PPAR-γ expression to induce potent anti-inflammatory activity in vivo and in vitro models of colon inflammation.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1870
Author(s):  
Klaudia Skrzypek ◽  
Grażyna Adamek ◽  
Marta Kot ◽  
Bogna Badyra ◽  
Marcin Majka

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), is the most frequent soft tissue tumor in children that originates from disturbances in differentiation process. Mechanisms leading to the development of RMS are still poorly understood. Therefore, by analysis of two RMS RH30 cell line subclones, one subclone PAX7 negative, while the second one PAX7 positive, and comparison with other RMS cell lines we aimed at identifying new mechanisms crucial for RMS progression. RH30 subclones were characterized by the same STR profile, but different morphology, rate of proliferation, migration activity and chemotactic abilities in vitro, as well as differences in tumor morphology and growth in vivo. Our analysis indicated a different level of expression of adhesion molecules (e.g., from VLA and ICAM families), myogenic microRNAs, such as miR-206 and transcription factors, such as MYOD, MYOG, SIX1, and ID. Silencing of PAX7 transcription factor with siRNA confirmed the crucial role of PAX7 transcription factor in proliferation, differentiation and migration of RMS cells. To conclude, our results suggest that tumor cell lines with the same STR profile can produce subclones that differ in many features and indicate crucial roles of PAX7 and ID proteins in the development of RMS.


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