scholarly journals WNT5a Regulates Epithelial Morphogenesis in the Developing Choroid Plexus

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 3617-3631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B Langford ◽  
Conor J O’Leary ◽  
Lenin Veeraval ◽  
Amanda White ◽  
Vanessa Lanoue ◽  
...  

Abstract The choroid plexus (CP) is the predominant supplier of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and the site of the blood–CSF barrier and is thus essential for brain development and central nervous system homeostasis. Despite these crucial roles, our understanding of the molecular and cellular processes giving rise to the CPs within the ventricles of the mammalian brain is very rudimentary. Here, we identify WNT5a as an important regulator of CP development, where it acts as a pivotal factor driving CP epithelial morphogenesis in all ventricles. We show that WNT5a is essential for the establishment of a cohesive epithelium in the developing CP. We find that in its absence all CPs are substantially reduced in size and complexity and fail to expand into the ventricles. Severe defects were observed in the epithelial cytoarchitecture of all Wnt5a−/− CPs, exemplified by loss of apicobasally polarized morphology and detachment from the ventricular surface and/or basement membrane. We also present evidence that the WNT5a receptor, RYK, and the RHOA kinase, ROCK, are required for normal CP epithelial morphogenesis. Our study, therefore, reveals important insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing CP development.

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 757-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre A. Guertin

Learning and memory traditionally have been associated with cellular processes occurring in a specialized region of the brain called the hippocampus. However, recent data have provided strong evidence to suggest that comparable processes are also expressed in the spinal cord. Experiments performed mainly in spinal cord–transected animals have reported that, indeed, spinal-mediated functions, such as the stretch or flexion reflex, pain signaling, micturition, or locomotion, may undergo plasticity changes associated with partial functional recovery that occur spontaneously or conditionally. Many of the underlying cellular mechanisms strikingly resemble those found in the hippocampus. This mini-review reports, mainly, animal data that support the idea that other areas of the central nervous system, such as the spinal cord, can also learn and remember.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1453
Author(s):  
Joaquín Martí-Clúa

The synthetic halogenated pyrimidine analog, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU), is a marker of DNA synthesis. This exogenous nucleoside has generated important insights into the cellular mechanisms of the central nervous system development in a variety of animals including insects, birds, and mammals. Despite this, the detrimental effects of the incorporation of BrdU into DNA on proliferation and viability of different types of cells has been frequently neglected. This review will summarize and present the effects of a pulse of BrdU, at doses ranging from 25 to 300 µg/g, or repeated injections. The latter, following the method of the progressively delayed labeling comprehensive procedure. The prenatal and perinatal development of the cerebellum are studied. These current data have implications for the interpretation of the results obtained by this marker as an index of the generation, migration, and settled pattern of neurons in the developing central nervous system. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the results obtained using BrdU. This is particularly important when high or repeated doses of this agent are injected. I hope that this review sheds light on the effects of this toxic maker. It may be used as a reference for toxicologists and neurobiologists given the broad use of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine to label dividing cells.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 985
Author(s):  
Davide Corà ◽  
Federico Bussolino ◽  
Gabriella Doronzo

The oncogenic Transcription Factor EB (TFEB), a member of MITF-TFE family, is known to be the most important regulator of the transcription of genes responsible for the control of lysosomal biogenesis and functions, autophagy, and vesicles flux. TFEB activation occurs in response to stress factors such as nutrient and growth factor deficiency, hypoxia, lysosomal stress, and mitochondrial damage. To reach the final functional status, TFEB is regulated in multimodal ways, including transcriptional rate, post-transcriptional regulation, and post-translational modifications. Post-transcriptional regulation is in part mediated by miRNAs. miRNAs have been linked to many cellular processes involved both in physiology and pathology, such as cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. miRNAs also play a significant role in autophagy, which exerts a crucial role in cell behaviour during stress or survival responses. In particular, several miRNAs directly recognise TFEB transcript or indirectly regulate its function by targeting accessory molecules or enzymes involved in its post-translational modifications. Moreover, the transcriptional programs triggered by TFEB may be influenced by the miRNA-mediated regulation of TFEB targets. Finally, recent important studies indicate that the transcription of many miRNAs is regulated by TFEB itself. In this review, we describe the interplay between miRNAs with TFEB and focus on how these types of crosstalk affect TFEB activation and cellular functions.


Physiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Osol ◽  
Maurizio Mandala

Sufficient uteroplacental blood flow is essential for normal pregnancy outcome and is accomplished by the coordinated growth and remodeling of the entire uterine circulation, as well as the creation of a new fetal vascular organ: the placenta. The process of remodeling involves a number of cellular processes, including hyperplasia and hypertrophy, rearrangement of existing elements, and changes in extracellular matrix. In this review, we provide information on uterine blood flow increases during pregnancy, the influence of placentation type on the distribution of uterine vascular resistance, consideration of the patterns, nature, and extent of maternal uterine vascular remodeling during pregnancy, and what is known about the underlying cellular mechanisms.


2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reynaldo Mendes de Carvalho Junior ◽  
Dorcas Lamounier Costa ◽  
Savyo Carvalho Soares ◽  
Carlos Henrique Nery Costa

INTRODUCTION: Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the human central nervous system caused by the metacestode larvae of Taenia solium. Neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic disease in developing countries. Epilepsy is the most common clinical manifestation. Difficulties in confirming the diagnosis motivated the evaluation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). METHODS: Twenty-two patients with NCC and 44 control patients were studied. CSF was analyzed using a commercial ELISA kit developed for NCC. Sensitivity and specificity were measured and a multivariate logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 31.8% and 100%, respectively, with accuracy of 77.3%. Only the size of the lesions proved to be important for performance of the test. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that ELISA contributes to the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis if the result is negative or if the patient has a lesion of 2 cm or more.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (40) ◽  
pp. E5543-E5551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamila Kalinowska ◽  
Marie-Kristin Nagel ◽  
Kaija Goodman ◽  
Laura Cuyas ◽  
Franziska Anzenberger ◽  
...  

Ubiquitination is a signal for various cellular processes, including for endocytic degradation of plasma membrane cargos. Ubiquitinating as well as deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) can regulate these processes by modifying the ubiquitination status of target protein. Although accumulating evidence points to the important regulatory role of DUBs, the molecular basis of their regulation is still not well understood. Associated molecule with the SH3 domain of signal transduction adaptor molecule (STAM) (AMSH) is a conserved metalloprotease DUB in eukaryotes. AMSH proteins interact with components of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) and are implicated in intracellular trafficking. To investigate how the function of AMSH is regulated at the cellular level, we carried out an interaction screen for the Arabidopsis AMSH proteins and identified the Arabidopsis homolog of apoptosis-linked gene-2 interacting protein X (ALIX) as a protein interacting with AMSH3 in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of alix knockout mutants in Arabidopsis showed that ALIX is essential for plant growth and development and that ALIX is important for the biogenesis of the vacuole and multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Cell biological analysis revealed that ALIX and AMSH3 colocalize on late endosomes. Although ALIX did not stimulate AMSH3 activity in vitro, in the absence of ALIX, AMSH3 localization on endosomes was abolished. Taken together, our data indicate that ALIX could function as an important regulator for AMSH3 function at the late endosomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Bovetti ◽  
Claudio Moretti ◽  
Stefano Zucca ◽  
Marco Dal Maschio ◽  
Paolo Bonifazi ◽  
...  

Abstract Genetically encoded calcium indicators and optogenetic actuators can report and manipulate the activity of specific neuronal populations. However, applying imaging and optogenetics simultaneously has been difficult to establish in the mammalian brain, even though combining the techniques would provide a powerful approach to reveal the functional organization of neural circuits. Here, we developed a technique based on patterned two-photon illumination to allow fast scanless imaging of GCaMP6 signals in the intact mouse brain at the same time as single-photon optogenetic inhibition with Archaerhodopsin. Using combined imaging and electrophysiological recording, we demonstrate that single and short bursts of action potentials in pyramidal neurons can be detected in the scanless modality at acquisition frequencies up to 1 kHz. Moreover, we demonstrate that our system strongly reduces the artifacts in the fluorescence detection that are induced by single-photon optogenetic illumination. Finally, we validated our technique investigating the role of parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons in the control of spontaneous cortical dynamics. Monitoring the activity of cellular populations on a precise spatiotemporal scale while manipulating neuronal activity with optogenetics provides a powerful tool to causally elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying circuit function in the intact mammalian brain.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moataz Dowaidar

Since the identification of MBTPS2 in 1997, tremendous progress has been made in determining the protease's functions. The protease has developed from an element of the SREBP cleavage machinery to an important regulator of several cellular processes, especially in health and sickness. With this newfound information from biochemical and structural biology, S2P's proteolytic action through peptide bond hydrolysis can occur in the membrane, providing a conceptual framework for appreciating S2P's roles in other aspects, and showing that many other substrates rely on S2P for their survival. In addition, we discovered the identity of both of S2P's catalytic active sites, an essential finding as the activity of the proteolysis as well as the pathogenesis of MBTPS2-caused illnesses seems to be connected to the molecular and biochemical features of the catalytic sites. Additionally, MBTPS2 causes different diseases, possibly illustrating the pleiotropic nature of the protein. Also, while the ailments reported thus far are all due to mutations that cause MBTPS2 to lose function, other variants that cause MBTPS2 to be hyperactive have not been examined. Nevertheless, recognizing the related sickness pathomechanism is a challenge. Pursuing these challenging technical areas would most definitely enhance our understanding of MBTPS2 in disease states. MBTPS2 appears to be nearing the solution to many of the remaining fundamental questions surrounding the mechanism of its action, as well as being a therapeutic target for new therapies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey F Chin ◽  
Abigail Haka ◽  
Frederick R Maxfield

Macrophages encounter deposits of aggregated low-density lipoproteins (agLDL) in the subendothelial space of blood vessels during the first stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Notably, current models for the mechanism of macrophage internalization of cholesterol in early atherosclerotic plaques are incomplete due to the lack of attention paid to the unique cellular mechanisms that are required for macrophages to degrade aggregates of LDL in particular, which can comprise >90% of the LDL in atherosclerotic plaques. In fact, internalization of cholesterol from cholesteryl esters in agLDL involves the development of intriguing cellular processes in which extracellular acidic compartments, lysosomal synapses (LSs), are formed whereby agLDL is partially degraded prior to internalization. This process requires extensive cytoskeletal rearrangements and secretion of lysosomal enzymes responsible for hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters from the agLDL. Subsequent delivery of free cholesterol from agLDL to the macrophage plasma membrane is central for development of the LS. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism underlying initiation and propagation of the LS are currently largely unknown. This research proposal aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of LS formation and the role that cholesterol plays in eliciting these morphological responses to agLDL. Fluorescence microscopy assays were used to identify activation of TLR4 and downstream signaling involving PI3K and Akt as important events leading to LS formation. Furthermore, morphological responses of macrophages to cholesterol overloading require overlapping signaling pathways, indicating the role of interplay of cholesterol and TLR4 signaling in development of this novel macrophage interaction with aggregated LDL found in plaques. Identification of specific molecular pathways involved in this process will not only contribute to the basic understanding of one of the primary cellular processes contributing to atherosclerosis, one of the primary causes of heart disease, but also provide tangible molecular targets for the ultimate development of therapies.


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