Postnatally Induced Inactivation of gp130 in Mice Results in Neurological, Cardiac, Hematopoietic, Immunological, Hepatic, and Pulmonary Defects

The pleiotrophic but overlapping functions of the cytokine family that includes interleukin (IL)-6, IL-11, leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and cardiotrophin 1 are mediated by the cytokine receptor subunit gp130 as the common signal transducer. Although mice lacking individual members of this family display only mild phenotypes, animals lacking gp130 are not viable. To assess the collective role of this cytokine family, we inducibly inactivated gp130 via Cre-loxP–mediated recombination in vivo. Such conditional mutant mice exhibited neurological, cardiac, hematopoietic, immunological, hepatic, and pulmonary defects, demonstrating the widespread importance of gp130-dependent cytokines.

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Gp130-dependent signaling in the podocyte

AJP Renal Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajprenal.00620.2013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 307 (3) ◽

pp. F346-F355 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Yoshikuni Nagayama ◽

Gerald S. Braun ◽

Christina M. Jakobs ◽

Yuichi Maruta ◽

Claudia R. van Roeyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Renal Function ◽

Receptor Subunit ◽

Critical Component ◽

Glomerular Diseases ◽

Downstream Signaling ◽

Stat3 Phosphorylation ◽

The Common ◽

Common Signal ◽

Injury Models

Renal inflammation, in particular glomerular, is often characterized by increased IL-6 levels. The in vivo relevance of IL-6 signaling in glomerular podocytes, which play central roles in most glomerular diseases, is unknown. Here, we show that in normal mice, podocytes express gp130, the common signal-transducing receptor subunit of the IL-6 family of cytokines. Following systemic IL-6 or LPS injection in mice, podocyte IL-6 signaling was evidenced by downstream STAT3 phosphorylation. Next, we generated mice deficient for gp130 in podocytes. Expectedly, these mice exhibited abrogated IL-6 downstream signaling in podocytes. At the age of 40 wk, they did not show spontaneous renal pathology or abnormal renal function. The mice were then challenged using two LPS injury models as well as nephrotoxic serum to induce crescentic nephritis. Under all conditions, circulating IL-6 levels increased markedly and the mice developed the pathological hallmarks of the corresponding injury models such as proteinuria and development of glomerular crescents, respectively. However, despite the capacity of normal podocytes to transduce IL-6 family signals downstream, there were no significant differences between mice bearing the podocyte-specific gp130 deletion and their control littermates in any of these models. In conclusion, under the different conditions tested, gp130 signaling was not a critical component of the (patho-)biology of the podocyte in vivo.

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Oncostatin M, leukemia inhibitory factor, and interleukin 6 induce the proliferation of human plasmacytoma cells via the common signal transducer, gp130.

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.179.4.1343 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 179 (4) ◽

pp. 1343-1347 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

N Nishimoto ◽

A Ogata ◽

Y Shima ◽

Y Tani ◽

H Ogawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Surface ◽

Interleukin 6 ◽

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Oncostatin M ◽

Inhibitory Factor ◽

Signal Transducer ◽

Late Antigen ◽

Common Signal

We analyzed the stimulatory effect of oncostatin M (OSM), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-11, and the inhibitory effect of anti-IL-6 antibody (Ab), anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody (mAb), and anti-gp130 mAb on the growth of human plasmacytoma cells freshly isolated from a patient with multiple myeloma. The purified cells showed a plasmacytoid morphology and expressed CD38, CD54, and CD56 antigens but no CD3, CD5, CD10, CD19, CD20, or very late antigen 5. IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) and its signal transducer, gp130, were expressed on their cell surface at a low level. Dose-dependent proliferation of the cells in response to OSM, LIF, and IL-6, but not to IL-11, was observed using [3H]TdR incorporation in vitro. Both anti-IL-6 Ab and anti-IL-6R mAb inhibited the growth of the cells in the presence or absence of exogenous IL-6. These cells release IL-6 but not OSM or LIF into the culture supernatant during short-term culture. Therefore, an autocrine growth mechanism mediated by IL-6, but not by OSM or LIF, was confirmed. Furthermore, anti-gp130 mAb completely inhibited the proliferation of the cells induced by OSM, LIF, as well as IL-6. These data indicate that OSM, LIF, and IL-6 can act as growth factors of human plasmacytoma cells through a common signal transducer, gp130, on their cell surface, and also suggest the potential therapeutic application of anti-gp130 mAb, as well as anti-IL-6R mAb against myeloma/plasmacytomas.

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The specification of sympathetic neurotransmitter phenotype depends on gp130 cytokine receptor signaling

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.125.23.4791 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 125 (23) ◽

pp. 4791-4801

Author(s):

M. Geissen ◽

S. Heller ◽

D. Pennica ◽

U. Ernsberger ◽

H. Rohrer

Keyword(s):

Sympathetic Neurons ◽

Physiological Role ◽

Cholinergic Neurons ◽

Retroviral Vectors ◽

Sympathetic Ganglia ◽

The Common ◽

Common Signal

Sympathetic ganglia are composed of noradrenergic and cholinergic neurons. The differentiation of cholinergic sympathetic neurons is characterized by the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), induced in vitro by a subfamily of cytokines, including LIF, CNTF, GPA, OSM and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1). To interfere with the function of these neuropoietic cytokines in vivo, antisense RNA for gp130, the common signal-transducing receptor subunit for neuropoietic cytokines, was expressed in chick sympathetic neurons, using retroviral vectors. A strong reduction in the number of VIP-expressing cells, but not of cells expressing ChAT or the adrenergic marker tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), was observed. These results reveal a physiological role of neuropoietic cytokines for the control of VIP expression during the development of cholinergic sympathetic neurons.

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F4/80+ Kupffer Cell-Derived Oncostatin M Sustains the Progression Phase of Liver Regeneration through Inhibition of TGF-β2 Pathway

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26082231 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (8) ◽

pp. 2231

Author(s):

Qingjun Lu ◽

Hao Shen ◽

Han Yu ◽

Jing Fu ◽

Hui Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Regeneration ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Regenerative Process ◽

Oncostatin M ◽

Hepatocyte Proliferation ◽

Initiation Phase ◽

Distinct Role

The role of Kupffer cells (KCs) in liver regeneration is complicated and controversial. To investigate the distinct role of F4/80+ KCs at the different stages of the regeneration process, two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PHx) was performed in mice to induce physiological liver regeneration. In pre- or post-PHx, the clearance of KCs by intraperitoneal injection of the anti-F4/80 antibody (α-F4/80) was performed to study the distinct role of F4/80+ KCs during the regenerative process. In RNA sequencing of isolated F4/80+ KCs, the initiation phase was compared with the progression phase. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining of Ki67, HNF-4α, CD-31, and F4/80 and Western blot of the TGF-β2 pathway were performed. Depletion of F4/80+ KCs in pre-PHx delayed the peak of hepatocyte proliferation from 48 h to 120 h, whereas depletion in post-PHx unexpectedly led to persistent inhibition of hepatocyte proliferation, indicating the distinct role of F4/80+ KCs in the initiation and progression phases of liver regeneration. F4/80+ KC depletion in post-PHx could significantly increase TGF-β2 serum levels, while TGF-βRI partially rescued the impaired proliferation of hepatocytes. Additionally, F4/80+ KC depletion in post-PHx significantly lowered the expression of oncostatin M (OSM), a key downstream mediator of interleukin-6, which is required for hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration. In vivo, recombinant OSM (r-OSM) treatment alleviated the inhibitory effect of α-F4/80 on the regenerative progression. Collectively, F4/80+ KCs release OSM to inhibit TGF-β2 activation, sustaining hepatocyte proliferation by releasing a proliferative brake.

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Genetic Suppressor Element 1 (GSE1) Promotes the Oncogenic and Recurrent Phenotypes of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer by Targeting Tumor-Associated Calcium Signal Transducer 2 (TACSTD2)

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13163959 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 3959

Author(s):

Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu ◽

Yuan-Hung Wang ◽

Chen-Hsun Ho ◽

Su-Wei Hu ◽

Chia-Da Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Disease Progression ◽

Therapy Resistance ◽

Calcium Signal ◽

Signal Transducer ◽

Castration Resistance ◽

Castration Resistant

Background: prostate cancer (PCa) is a principal cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Castration resistance and metastasis are clinical challenges and continue to impede therapeutic success, despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances. There are reports of the oncogenic activity of genetic suppressor element (GSE)1 in breast and gastric cancers; however, its role in therapy resistance, metastasis, and susceptibility to disease recurrence in PCa patients remains unclear. Objective: this study investigated the role of aberrantly expressed GSE1 in the metastasis, therapy resistance, relapse, and poor prognosis of advanced PCa. Methods: we used a large cohort of multi-omics data and in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo assays to investigate the potential effect of altered GSE1 expression on advanced/castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) treatment responses, disease progression, and prognosis. Results: using a multi-cohort approach, we showed that GSE1 is upregulated in PCa, while tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2) is downregulated. Moreover, the direct, but inverse, correlation interaction between GSE1 and TACSTD2 drives metastatic disease, castration resistance, and disease progression and modulates the clinical and immune statuses of patients with PCa. Patients with GSE1highTACSTD2low expression are more prone to recurrence and disease-specific death than their GSE1lowTACSTD2high counterparts. Interestingly, we found that the GSE1–TACSTD2 expression profile is associated with the therapy responses and clinical outcomes in patients with PCa, especially those with metastatic/recurrent disease. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the shRNA-mediated targeting of GSE1 (shGSE1) significantly inhibits cell proliferation and attenuates cell migration and tumorsphere formation in metastatic PC3 and DU145 cell lines, with an associated suppression of VIM, SNAI2, and BCL2 and the concomitant upregulation of TACSTD2 and BAX. Moreover, shGSE1 enhances sensitivity to the antiandrogens abiraterone and enzalutamide in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: these data provide preclinical evidence of the oncogenic role of dysregulated GSE1–TACSTD2 signaling and show that the molecular or pharmacological targeting of GSE1 is a workable therapeutic strategy for inhibiting androgen-driven oncogenic signals, re-sensitizing CRPC to treatment, and repressing the metastatic/recurrent phenotypes of patients with PCa.

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A Wolf in Another Wolf’s Clothing: Post-Genomic Regulation Dictates Venom Profiles of Medically-Important Cryptic Kraits in India

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13010069 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 69 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kartik Sunagar ◽

Suyog Khochare ◽

R. R. Senji Laxme ◽

Saurabh Attarde ◽

Paulomi Dam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Impact ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

Clinical Effectiveness ◽

Venom Gland ◽

Western India ◽

The Common ◽

Genomic Regulation

The Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus) shares a distribution range with many other ‘phenotypically-similar’ kraits across the Indian subcontinent. Despite several reports of fatal envenomings by other Bungarus species, commercial Indian antivenoms are only manufactured against B. caeruleus. It is, therefore, imperative to understand the distribution of genetically distinct lineages of kraits, the compositional differences in their venoms, and the consequent impact of venom variation on the (pre)clinical effectiveness of antivenom therapy. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted phylogenetic and comparative venomics investigations of kraits in Southern and Western India. Phylogenetic reconstructions using mitochondrial markers revealed a new species of krait, Romulus’ krait (Bungarus romulusi sp. nov.), in Southern India. Additionally, we found that kraits with 17 mid-body dorsal scale rows in Western India do not represent a subspecies of the Sind Krait (B. sindanus walli) as previously believed, but are genetically very similar to B. sindanus in Pakistan. Furthermore, venom proteomics and comparative transcriptomics revealed completely contrasting venom profiles. While the venom gland transcriptomes of all three species were highly similar, venom proteomes and toxicity profiles differed significantly, suggesting the prominent role of post-genomic regulatory mechanisms in shaping the venoms of these cryptic kraits. In vitro venom recognition and in vivo neutralisation experiments revealed a strong negative impact of venom variability on the preclinical performance of commercial antivenoms. While the venom of B. caeruleus was neutralised as per the manufacturer’s claim, performance against the venoms of B. sindanus and B. romulusi was poor, highlighting the need for regionally-effective antivenoms in India.

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Role of long-chain acyl-CoAs in the regulation of mycolic acid biosynthesis in mycobacteria

Open Biology ◽

10.1098/rsob.170087 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. 170087 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Yi Ting Tsai ◽

Valentina Salzman ◽

Matías Cabruja ◽

Gabriela Gago ◽

Hugo Gramajo

Keyword(s):

Cell Envelope ◽

Phospholipid Composition ◽

Mycolic Acid ◽

Transcriptional Level ◽

Direct Role ◽

Conditional Mutant ◽

In The Wild ◽

Fas Ii

One of the dominant features of the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and other mycobacteria, is the mycobacterial cell envelope with its exceptional complex composition. Mycolic acids are major and very specific components of the cell envelope and play a key role in its architecture and impermeability. Biosynthesis of mycolic acid (MA) precursors requires two types of fatty acid synthases, FAS I and FAS II, which should work in concert in order to keep lipid homeostasis tightly regulated. Both FAS systems are regulated at their transcriptional level by specific regulatory proteins. FasR regulates components of the FAS I system, whereas MabR and FadR regulate components of the FAS II system. In this article, by constructing a tight mabR conditional mutant in Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155, we demonstrated that sub-physiological levels of MabR lead to a downregulation of the fasII genes, inferring that this protein is a transcriptional activator of the FAS II system. In vivo labelling experiments and lipidomic studies carried out in the wild-type and the mabR conditional mutant demonstrated that under conditions of reduced levels of MabR, there is a clear inhibition of biosynthesis of MAs, with a concomitant change in their relative composition, and of other MA-containing molecules. These studies also demonstrated a change in the phospholipid composition of the membrane of the mutant strain, with a significant increase of phosphatidylinositol. Gel shift assays carried out with MabR and P fasII as a probe in the presence of different chain-length acyl-CoAs strongly suggest that molecules longer than C 18 can be sensed by MabR to modulate its affinity for the operator sequences that it recognizes, and in that way switch on or off the MabR-dependent promoter. Finally, we demonstrated the direct role of MabR in the upregulation of the fasII operon genes after isoniazid treatment.

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Uterine epithelial LIF receptors contribute to implantation chamber formation in blastocyst attachment

Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/endocr/bqab169 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yamato Fukui ◽

Yasushi Hirota ◽

Tomoko Saito-Fujita ◽

Shizu Aikawa ◽

Takehiro Hiraoka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hormone Receptor ◽

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ◽

Ovarian Hormones ◽

Signal Transducer ◽

Blastocyst Implantation ◽

Implantation Process ◽

Uterine Glands ◽

Transcription 3

Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated that the formation of an implantation chamber composed of a uterine crypt, an implantation-competent blastocyst, and uterine glands is a critical step in blastocyst implantation in mice. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) precursors via uterine LIF receptors (LIFRs), allowing successful blastocyst implantation. Our recent study revealed that the role of epithelial STAT3 is different from that of stromal STAT3. However, both are essential for blastocyst attachment, suggesting the different roles of epithelial and stromal LIFR in blastocyst implantation. However, how epithelial and stromal LIFR regulate the blastocyst implantation process remains unclear. To investigate the roles of LIFR in the uterine epithelium and stroma, we generated Lifr-floxed/lactoferrin (Ltf)-iCre (Lifr eKO) and Lifr-floxed/anti-Mullerian hormone receptor type 2 (Amhr2)-Cre (Lifr sKO) mice with deleted epithelial and stromal LIFR, respectively. Surprisingly, fertility and blastocyst implantation in the Lifr sKO mice were normal despite stromal STAT3 inactivation. In contrast, blastocyst attachment failed, and no implantation chambers were formed in the Lifr eKO mice with epithelial inactivation of STAT3. In addition, normal responsiveness to ovarian hormones was observed in the peri-implantation uteri of the Lifr eKO mice. These results indicate that the epithelial LIFR-STAT3 pathway initiates the formation of implantation chambers, leading to complete blastocyst attachment, and that stromal STAT3 regulates blastocyst attachment without stromal LIFR control. Thus, uterine epithelial LIFR is critical to implantation chamber formation and blastocyst attachment.

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