scholarly journals Wnt-5/pipetail functions in vertebrate axis formation as a negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin activity

2003 ◽  
Vol 162 (5) ◽  
pp. 889-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudi A. Westfall ◽  
Ryan Brimeyer ◽  
Jen Twedt ◽  
Jean Gladon ◽  
Andrea Olberding ◽  
...  

We provide genetic evidence defining a role for noncanonical Wnt function in vertebrate axis formation. In zebrafish, misexpression of Wnt-4, -5, and -11 stimulates calcium (Ca2+) release, defining the Wnt/Ca2+ class. We describe genetic interaction between two Wnt/Ca2+ members, Wnt-5 (pipetail) and Wnt-11 (silberblick), and a reduction of Ca2+ release in Wnt-5/pipetail. Embryos genetically depleted of both maternal and zygotic Wnt-5 product exhibit cell movement defects as well as hyperdorsalization and axis-duplication phenotypes. The dorsalized phenotypes result from increased β-catenin accumulation and activation of downstream genes. The Wnt-5 loss-of-function defect is consistent with Ca2+ modulation having an antagonistic interaction with Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomye L Ollinger ◽  
Bao Vu ◽  
Daniel Murante ◽  
Josie Parker ◽  
Lucia Simonicova ◽  
...  

Two of the major classes of antifungal drugs in clinical use target ergosterol biosynthesis. Despite its importance, our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis genes in pathogenic fungi is essentially limited to the role of hypoxia and sterol-stress induced transcription factors such as Upc2 and Upc2A as well as homologs of Sterol Response Element Binding (SREB) factors. To identify additional regulators of ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida glabrata, an important human fungal pathogen with reduced susceptibility to ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors relative to other Candida spp., we used a serial passaging strategy to isolate suppressors of the fluconazole hypersusceptibility of a upc2AΔ deletion mutant. This led to the identification of loss of function mutants in two genes: ROX1, the homolog of a hypoxia gene transcriptional suppressor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and CST6, a transcription factor that is involved in the regulation of carbon dioxide response in C. glabrata. Here, we describe a detailed analysis of the genetic interaction of ROX1 and UPC2A. In the presence of fluconazole, loss of Rox1 function restores ERG11 expression to the upc2AΔ mutant and inhibits the expression of ERG3 and ERG6, leading to increased levels or ergosterol and decreased levels of the toxic sterol, 14α methyl-ergosta-8,24(28)-dien-3β, 6α-diol, relative to upc2AΔ. Our observations establish that Rox1 is a negative regulator of ERG gene biosynthesis and indicate that a least one additional positive transcriptional regulator of ERG gene biosynthesis must be present in C. glabrata.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Alison Fellgett ◽  
C. Adam Middleton ◽  
Jack Munns ◽  
Chris Ugbode ◽  
David Jaciuch ◽  
...  

Background: Inherited mutations in the LRRK2 protein are the common causes of Parkinson’s disease, but the mechanisms by which increased kinase activity of mutant LRRK2 leads to pathological events remain to be determined. In vitro assays (heterologous cell culture, phospho-protein mass spectrometry) suggest that several Rab proteins might be directly phosphorylated by LRRK2-G2019S. An in vivo screen of Rab expression in dopaminergic neurons in young adult Drosophila demonstrated a strong genetic interaction between LRRK2-G2019S and Rab10. Objective: To determine if Rab10 is necessary for LRRK2-induced pathophysiological responses in the neurons that control movement, vision, circadian activity, and memory. These four systems were chosen because they are modulated by dopaminergic neurons in both humans and flies. Methods: LRRK2-G2019S was expressed in Drosophila dopaminergic neurons and the effects of Rab10 depletion on Proboscis Extension, retinal neurophysiology, circadian activity pattern (‘sleep’), and courtship memory determined in aged flies. Results: Rab10 loss-of-function rescued LRRK2-G2019S induced bradykinesia and retinal signaling deficits. Rab10 knock-down, however, did not rescue the marked sleep phenotype which results from dopaminergic LRRK2-G2019S. Courtship memory is not affected by LRRK2, but is markedly improved by Rab10 depletion. Anatomically, both LRRK2-G2019S and Rab10 are seen in the cytoplasm and at the synaptic endings of dopaminergic neurons. Conclusion: We conclude that, in Drosophila dopaminergic neurons, Rab10 is involved in some, but not all, LRRK2-induced behavioral deficits. Therefore, variations in Rab expression may contribute to susceptibility of different dopaminergic nuclei to neurodegeneration seen in people with Parkinson’s disease.


Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
M Rhys Dow ◽  
Paul E Mains

Abstract We have previously described the gene mei-1, which encodes an essential component of the Caenorhabditis elegans meiotic spindle. When ectopically expressed after the completion of meiosis, mei-1 protein disrupts the function of the mitotic cleavage spindles. In this article, we describe the cloning and the further genetic characterization of mel-26, a postmeiotic negative regulator of mei-1. mel-26 was originally identified by a gain-of-function mutation. We have reverted this mutation to a loss-of-function allele, which has recessive phenotypes identical to the dominant defects of its gain-of-function parent. Both the dominant and recessive mutations of mel-26 result in mei-1 protein ectopically localized in mitotic spindles and centrosomes, leading to small and misoriented cleavage spindles. The loss-of-function mutation was used to clone mel-26 by transformation rescue. As suggested by genetic results indicating that mel-26 is required only maternally, mel-26 mRNA was expressed predominantly in the female germline. The gene encodes a protein that includes the BTB motif, which is thought to play a role in protein-protein interactions.


Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (21) ◽  
pp. 4551-4560 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Zheng ◽  
J. Shou ◽  
F. Guillemot ◽  
R. Kageyama ◽  
W.Q. Gao

Hair cell fate determination in the inner ear has been shown to be controlled by specific genes. Recent loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments have demonstrated that Math1, a mouse homolog of the Drosophila gene atonal, is essential for the production of hair cells. To identify genes that may interact with Math1 and inhibit hair cell differentiation, we have focused on Hes1, a mammalian hairy and enhancer of split homolog, which is a negative regulator of neurogenesis. We report here that targeted deletion of Hes1 leads to formation of supernumerary hair cells in the cochlea and utricle of the inner ear. RT-PCR analysis shows that Hes1 is expressed in inner ear during hair cell differentiation and its expression is maintained in adulthood. In situ hybridization with late embryonic inner ear tissue reveals that Hes1 is expressed in supporting cells, but not hair cells, of the vestibular sensory epithelium. In the cochlea, Hes1 is selectively expressed in the greater epithelial ridge and lesser epithelial ridge regions which are adjacent to inner and outer hair cells. Co-transfection experiments in postnatal rat explant cultures show that overexpression of Hes1 prevents hair cell differentiation induced by Math1. Therefore Hes1 can negatively regulate hair cell differentiation by antagonizing Math1. These results suggest that a balance between Math1 and negative regulators such as Hes1 is crucial for the production of an appropriate number of inner ear hair cells.


2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (17) ◽  
pp. 1889-1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragana Dragoljevic ◽  
Marit Westerterp ◽  
Camilla Bertuzzo Veiga ◽  
Prabhakara Nagareddy ◽  
Andrew J. Murphy

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases (CVD) are primarily caused by atherosclerotic vascular disease. Atherogenesis is mainly driven by recruitment of leucocytes to the arterial wall, where macrophages contribute to both lipid retention as well as the inflammatory milieu within the vessel wall. Consequently, diseases which present with an enhanced abundance of circulating leucocytes, particularly monocytes, have also been documented to accelerate CVD. A host of metabolic and inflammatory diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypercholesteraemia, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have been shown to alter myelopoiesis to exacerbate atherosclerosis. Genetic evidence has emerged in humans with the discovery of clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), resulting in a disordered haematopoietic system linked to accelerated atherogenesis. CHIP, caused by somatic mutations in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), consequently provide a proliferative advantage over native HSPCs and, in the case of Tet2 loss of function mutation, gives rise to inflammatory plaque macrophages (i.e. enhanced interleukin (IL)-1β production). Together with the recent findings of the CANTOS (Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study) trial that revealed blocking IL-1β using Canakinumab reduced CV events, these studies collectively have highlighted a pivotal role of IL-1β signalling in a population of people with atherosclerotic CVD. This review will explore how haematopoiesis is altered by risk-factors and inflammatory disorders that promote CVD. Further, we will discuss some of the recent genetic evidence of disordered haematopoiesis in relation to CVD though the association with CHIP and suggest that future studies should explore what initiates HSPC mutations, as well as how current anti-inflammatory agents affect CHIP-driven atherosclerosis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (7) ◽  
pp. 2285-2295 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Heath Damron ◽  
Dongru Qiu ◽  
Hongwei D. Yu

ABSTRACT Mucoidy, or overproduction of the exopolysaccharide known as alginate, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a poor prognosticator for lung infections in cystic fibrosis. Mutation of the anti-σ factor MucA is a well-accepted mechanism for mucoid conversion. However, certain clinical mucoid strains of P. aeruginosa have a wild-type (wt) mucA. Here, we describe a loss-of-function mutation in kinB that causes overproduction of alginate in the wt mucA strain PAO1. KinB is the cognate histidine kinase for the transcriptional activator AlgB. Increased alginate production due to inactivation of kinB was correlated with high expression at the alginate-related promoters P algU and P algD . Deletion of alternative σ factor RpoN (σ54) or the response regulator AlgB in kinB mutants decreased alginate production to wt nonmucoid levels. Mucoidy was restored in the kinB algB double mutant by expression of wt AlgB or phosphorylation-defective AlgB.D59N, indicating that phosphorylation of AlgB was not required for alginate overproduction when kinB was inactivated. The inactivation of the DegS-like protease AlgW in the kinB mutant caused loss of alginate production and an accumulation of the hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged MucA. Furthermore, we observed that the kinB mutation increased the rate of HA-MucA degradation. Our results also indicate that AlgW-mediated MucA degradation required algB and rpoN in the kinB mutant. Collectively, these studies indicate that KinB is a negative regulator of alginate production in wt mucA strain PAO1.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Val Torregrosa ◽  
Mireia Bundo ◽  
Tzyy Jen Chiou ◽  
Victor Flors ◽  
Blanca San Segundo

Background: Phosphorus is an important macronutrient required for plant growth and development. It is absorbed through the roots in the form of inorganic phosphate (Pi). To cope with Pi limitation, plants have evolved an array of adaptive mechanisms to facilitate Pi acquisition and protect them from stress caused by Pi starvation. The NITROGEN LIMITATION ADAPTION (NLA) gene plays a key role in the regulation of phosphate starvation responses (PSR), its expression being regulated by the microRNA miR827. Stress caused by Pi limiting conditions might also affect the plant response to pathogen infection. However, cross-talk between phosphate signaling pathways and immune responses remains unclear. Results: In this study, we investigated whether NLA plays a role in Arabidopsis immunity. We show that loss-of-function of NLA and MIR827 overexpression causes an increase in phosphate (Pi) content which results in resistance to infection by the fungal pathogen Plectosphaerella cucumerina. The nla mutant plants accumulated callose in their leaves, a response that is also observed in wild-type plants that have been treated with high Pi. We also show that pathogen infection and treatment with fungal elicitors is accompanied by transcriptional activation of MIR827 and down-regulation of NLA. Upon pathogen challenge, nla plants exhibited higher levels of the phytoalexin camalexin compared to wild type plants. Camalexin level also increases in wild type plants treated with high Pi. Furthermore, the nla mutant plants accumulated salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) in the absence of pathogen infection whose levels further increased upon pathogen. Conclusions: This study shows that NLA acts as a negative regulator of Arabidopsis immunity. Overaccumulation of Pi in nla plants positively affects resistance to infection by fungal pathogens. This piece of information reinforces the idea of signaling convergence between Pi and immune responses for the regulation of disease resistance in Arabidopsis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Garner ◽  
Benjamin J. Spears ◽  
Jianbin Su ◽  
Leland Cseke ◽  
Samantha N. Smith ◽  
...  

AbstractRegulation of the plant immune system is important for controlling the specificity and amplitude of responses to pathogens and in preventing growth-inhibiting autoimmunity that leads to reductions in plant fitness. In previous work, we reported that SRFR1, a negative regulator of effector-triggered immunity, interacts with SNC1 and EDS1. When SRFR1 is non-functional in the Arabidopsis accession Col-0, SNC1 levels increase, causing a cascade of events that lead to autoimmunity phenotypes. Previous work showed that some members of the transcriptional co-repressor family TOPLESS interact with SNC1 to repress negative regulators of immunity. Therefore, to explore potential connections between SRFR1 and TOPLESS family members, we took a genetic approach that examined the effect of each TOPLESS member in the srfr1 mutant background. The data indicated that an additive genetic interaction exists between SRFR1 and two members of the TOPLESS family, TPR2 and TPR3, as demonstrated by increased stunting and elevated PR2 expression in srfr1 tpr2 and srfr1 tpr2 tpr3 mutants. Furthermore, the tpr2 mutation intensifies autoimmunity in the auto-active snc1-1 mutant, indicating a novel role of these TOPLESS family members in negatively regulating SNC1-dependent phenotypes. This negative regulation can also be reversed by overexpressing TPR2 in the srfr1 tpr2 background. Thus, this work uncovers diverse functions of individual members of the TOPLESS family in Arabidopsis and provides evidence for the additive effect of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of SNC1.Author SummaryThe immune system is a double-edged sword that affords organisms with protection against infectious diseases but can also lead to negative effects if not properly controlled. Plants only possess an innate antimicrobial immune system that relies on rapid upregulation of defenses once immune receptors detect the presence of microbes. Plant immune receptors known as resistance proteins play a key role in rapidly triggering defenses if pathogens breach other defenses. A common model of unregulated immunity in the reference Arabidopsis variety Columbia-0 involves a resistance gene called SNC1. When the SNC1 protein accumulates to unnaturally high levels or possesses auto-activating mutations, the visible manifestations of immune overactivity include stunted growth and low biomass and seedset. Consequently, expression of this gene and accumulation of the encoded protein are tightly regulated on multiple levels. Despite careful study the mechanisms of SNC1 gene regulation are not fully understood. Here we present data on members of the well-known TOPLESS family of transcriptional repressors. While previously characterized members were shown to function in indirect activation of defenses, TPR2 and TPR3 are shown here to function in preventing high defense activity. This study therefore contributes to the understanding of complex regulatory processes in plant immunity.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M Drerup ◽  
Amy L Herbert ◽  
Kelly R Monk ◽  
Alex V Nechiporuk

Mitochondrial transport in axons is critical for neural circuit health and function. While several proteins have been found that modulate bidirectional mitochondrial motility, factors that regulate unidirectional mitochondrial transport have been harder to identify. In a genetic screen, we found a zebrafish strain in which mitochondria fail to attach to the dynein retrograde motor. This strain carries a loss-of-function mutation in actr10, a member of the dynein-associated complex dynactin. The abnormal axon morphology and mitochondrial retrograde transport defects observed in actr10 mutants are distinct from dynein and dynactin mutant axonal phenotypes. In addition, Actr10 lacking the dynactin binding domain maintains its ability to bind mitochondria, arguing for a role for Actr10 in dynactin-mitochondria interaction. Finally, genetic interaction studies implicated Drp1 as a partner in Actr10-dependent mitochondrial retrograde transport. Together, this work identifies Actr10 as a factor necessary for dynactin-mitochondria interaction, enhancing our understanding of how mitochondria properly localize in axons.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document