scholarly journals Nf2 fine-tunes proliferation and tissue alignment during closure of the optic fissure in the embryonic mouse eye

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley R. Sun ◽  
Sara Ramirez ◽  
Kelly E. Spiller ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
Sabine Fuhrmann
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Ferm Domain ◽  
Embryonic Mouse ◽  
Ocular Abnormalities ◽  
Optic Cup ◽  
Eye Morphogenesis

AbstractUveal coloboma represents one of the most common congenital ocular malformations accounting for up to 10% of childhood blindness (1~ in 5,000 live birth). Coloboma originates from defective fusion of the optic fissure (OF), a transient gap that forms during eye morphogenesis by asymmetric, ventral invagination. Genetic heterogeneity combined with the activity of developmentally regulated genes suggest multiple mechanisms regulating OF closure. The tumor suppressor and FERM domain protein neurofibromin 2 (NF2) controls diverse processes in cancer, development and regeneration, via Hippo pathway and cytoskeleton regulation. In humans, NF2 mutations can cause ocular abnormalities, including coloboma, however, its actual role in OF closure is unknown. Using conditional inactivation in the embryonic mouse eye, our data indicates that loss of Nf2 function results in a novel underlying cause for coloboma. In particular, mutant eyes show substantially increased RPE proliferation in the fissure region with concomitant acquisition of RPE cell fate. Cells lining the OF margin can maintain RPE fate ectopically and fail to transition from neuroepithelial to cuboidal shape. In the dorsal RPE of the optic cup, Nf2 inactivation leads to a robust increase in cell number, with local disorganization of the cytoskeleton components F-actin and pMLC2. We propose that RPE hyperproliferation is the primary cause for the observed defects causing insufficient alignment of the OF margins in Nf2 mutants and failure to fuse properly, resulting in persistent coloboma. Our findings indicate that limiting proliferation particularly in the RPE layer is a critical mechanism during optic fissure closure.

scholarly journals Nf2 fine-tunes proliferation and tissue alignment during closure of the optic fissure in the embryonic mouse eye

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (20) ◽  
pp. 3373-3387
Author(s):  
Wesley R Sun ◽  
Sara Ramirez ◽  
Kelly E Spiller ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
Sabine Fuhrmann
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Embryonic Mouse ◽  
Ocular Abnormalities ◽  
Optic Cup ◽  
Pigmented Epithelium ◽  
Eye Morphogenesis

Abstract Uveal coloboma represents one of the most common congenital ocular malformations accounting for up to 10% of childhood blindness (~1 in 5000 live birth). Coloboma originates from defective fusion of the optic fissure (OF), a transient gap that forms during eye morphogenesis by asymmetric, ventral invagination. Genetic heterogeneity combined with the activity of developmentally regulated genes suggests multiple mechanisms regulating OF closure. The tumor suppressor and FERM domain protein Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) controls diverse processes in cancer, development and regeneration, via Hippo pathway and cytoskeleton regulation. In humans, NF2 mutations can cause ocular abnormalities, including coloboma, however, its actual role in OF closure is unknown. Using conditional inactivation in the embryonic mouse eye, our data indicate that loss of Nf2 function results in a novel underlying cause for coloboma. In particular, mutant eyes show substantially increased retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) proliferation in the fissure region with concomitant acquisition of RPE cell fate. Cells lining the OF margin can maintain RPE fate ectopically and fail to transition from neuroepithelial to cuboidal shape. In the dorsal RPE of the optic cup, Nf2 inactivation leads to a robust increase in cell number, with local disorganization of the cytoskeleton components F-actin and pMLC2. We propose that RPE hyperproliferation is the primary cause for the observed defects causing insufficient alignment of the OF margins in Nf2 mutants and failure to fuse properly, resulting in persistent coloboma. Our findings indicate that limiting proliferation particularly in the RPE layer is a critical mechanism during OF closure.

scholarly journals Localization of Tfap2β, Casq2, Penk, Zic1, and Zic3 Expression in the Developing Retina, Muscle, and Sclera of the Embryonic Mouse Eye

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (12) ◽  
pp. 863-871
Author(s):  
Yong Wan ◽  
Casey White ◽  
Nadine Robert ◽  
Matthew B. Rogers ◽  
Heather L. Szabo-Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neural Retina ◽  
Craniofacial Development ◽  
Optic Disk ◽  
Embryonic Mouse ◽  
Optic Cup ◽  
Unique Cell ◽  
Eye Morphogenesis

Optic development involves sequential interactions between several different tissue types, including the overlying ectoderm, adjacent mesoderm, and neural crest mesenchyme and the neuroectoderm. In an ongoing expression screen, we identified that Tfap2β, Casq2, Penk, Zic1, and Zic3 are expressed in unique cell types in and around the developing eye. Tfap2β, Zic1, and Zic3 are transcription factors, Casq2 is a calcium binding protein and Penk is a neurotransmitter. Tfap2β, Zic1, and Zic3 have reported roles in brain and craniofacial development, while Casq2 and Penk have unknown roles. These five genes are expressed in the major tissue types in the eye, including the muscles, nerves, cornea, and sclera. Penk expression is found in the sclera and perichondrium. At E12.5 and E15.5, the extra-ocular muscles express Casq2, the entire neural retina expresses Zic1, and Zic3 is expressed in the optic disk and lip of the optic cup. The expression of Tfap2β expanded from corneal epithelium to the neural retina between E12.5 to E15.5. These genes are expressed in similar domains as Hedgehog ( Gli1, and Ptch1) and the Wnt ( Lef1) pathways. The expression patterns of these five genes warrant further study to determine their role in eye morphogenesis:

scholarly journals A role for the fusogen eff-1 in epidermal stem cell number robustness in Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha L. Koneru ◽  
Fu Xiang Quah ◽  
Ritobrata Ghose ◽  
Mark Hintze ◽  
Nicola Gritti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Seam Cell ◽  
Neuronal Tissues

AbstractDevelopmental patterning in Caenorhabditis elegans is known to proceed in a highly stereotypical manner, which raises the question of how developmental robustness is achieved despite the inevitable stochastic noise. We focus here on a population of epidermal cells, the seam cells, which show stem cell-like behaviour and divide symmetrically and asymmetrically over post-embryonic development to generate epidermal and neuronal tissues. We have conducted a mutagenesis screen to identify mutants that introduce phenotypic variability in the normally invariant seam cell population. We report here that a null mutation in the fusogen eff-1 increases seam cell number variability. Using time-lapse microscopy and single molecule fluorescence hybridisation, we find that seam cell division and differentiation patterns are mostly unperturbed in eff-1 mutants, indicating that cell fusion is uncoupled from the cell differentiation programme. Nevertheless, seam cell losses due to the inappropriate differentiation of both daughter cells following division, as well as seam cell gains through symmetric divisions towards the seam cell fate were observed at low frequency. We show that these stochastic errors likely arise through accumulation of defects interrupting the continuity of the seam and changing seam cell shape, highlighting the role of tissue homeostasis in suppressing phenotypic variability during development.

scholarly journals Build me up optic cup: Intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of vertebrate eye morphogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 476 ◽  
pp. 128-136
Author(s):  
Macaulie A. Casey ◽  
Sarah Lusk ◽  
Kristen M. Kwan
Keyword(s):  
Optic Cup ◽  
Vertebrate Eye ◽  
Eye Morphogenesis

scholarly journals YAP and endothelin-1 signaling: an emerging alliance in cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piera Tocci ◽  
Giovanni Blandino ◽  
Anna Bagnato
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Signaling Network ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Mutant P53 ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
The Hippo Pathway

AbstractThe rational making the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) the centerpiece of targeted therapies is fueled by the awareness that GPCR-initiated signaling acts as pivotal driver of the early stages of progression in a broad landscape of human malignancies. The endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptors (ET-1R), known as ETA receptor (ETAR) and ETB receptor (ETBR) that belong to the GPCR superfamily, affect both cancer initiation and progression in a variety of cancer types. By the cross-talking with multiple signaling pathways mainly through the scaffold protein β-arrestin1 (β-arr1), ET-1R axis cooperates with an array of molecular determinants, including transcription factors and co-factors, strongly affecting tumor cell fate and behavior. In this scenario, recent findings shed light on the interplay between ET-1 and the Hippo pathway. In ETAR highly expressing tumors ET-1 axis induces the de-phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of the Hippo pathway downstream effectors, the paralogous transcriptional cofactors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and Transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Recent evidence have discovered that ET-1R/β-arr1 axis instigates a transcriptional interplay involving YAP and mutant p53 proteins, which share a common gene signature and cooperate in a oncogenic signaling network. Mechanistically, YAP and mutp53 are enrolled in nuclear complexes that turn on a highly selective YAP/mutp53-dependent transcriptional response. Notably, ET-1R blockade by the FDA approved dual ET-1 receptor antagonist macitentan interferes with ET-1R/YAP/mutp53 signaling interplay, through the simultaneous suppression of YAP and mutp53 functions, hampering metastasis and therapy resistance. Based on these evidences, we aim to review the recent findings linking the GPCR signaling, as for ET-1R, to YAP/TAZ signaling, underlining the clinical relevance of the blockade of such signaling network in the tumor and microenvironmental contexts. In particular, we debate the clinical implications regarding the use of dual ET-1R antagonists to blunt gain of function activity of mutant p53 proteins and thereby considering them as a potential therapeutic option for mutant p53 cancers. The identification of ET-1R/β-arr1-intertwined and bi-directional signaling pathways as targetable vulnerabilities, may open new therapeutic approaches able to disable the ET-1R-orchestrated YAP/mutp53 signaling network in both tumor and stromal cells and concurrently sensitizes to high-efficacy combined therapeutics.

scholarly journals The Hippo Pathway: A Master Regulatory Network Important in Cancer

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1416
Author(s):  
Qiuping Liu ◽  
Xiaomeng Liu ◽  
Guanbin Song
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Regulation ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Hippo Signaling ◽  
Complex Regulation ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Hippo Pathway

The Hippo pathway is pervasively activated and has been well recognized to play critical roles in human cancer. The deregulation of Hippo signaling involved in cancer development, progression, and resistance to cancer treatment have been confirmed in several human cancers. Its biological significance and deregulation in cancer have drawn increasing interest in the past few years. A fundamental understanding of the complexity of the Hippo pathway in cancer is crucial for improving future clinical interventions and therapy for cancers. In this review, we try to clarify the complex regulation and function of the Hippo signaling network in cancer development, including its role in signal transduction, metabolic regulation, and tumor development, as well as tumor therapies targeting the Hippo pathway.

scholarly journals The Hippo pathway member YAP enhances human neural crest cell fate and migration

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hindley ◽  
Alexandra Larisa Condurat ◽  
Vishal Menon ◽  
Ria Thomas ◽  
Luis M. Azmitia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Neural Crest Cell ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Hippo Pathway ◽  
Crest Cell

scholarly journals Control of cellular responses to mechanical cues through YAP/TAZ regulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (46) ◽  
pp. 17693-17706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishani Dasgupta ◽  
Dannel McCollum
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Wound Repair ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Cell Contractility ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Disease States ◽  
The Hippo Pathway

To perceive their three-dimensional environment, cells and tissues must be able to sense and interpret various physical forces like shear, tensile, and compression stress. These forces can be generated both internally and externally in response to physical properties, like substrate stiffness, cell contractility, and forces generated by adjacent cells. Mechanical cues have important roles in cell fate decisions regarding proliferation, survival, and differentiation as well as the processes of tissue regeneration and wound repair. Aberrant remodeling of the extracellular space and/or defects in properly responding to mechanical cues likely contributes to various disease states, such as fibrosis, muscle diseases, and cancer. Mechanotransduction involves the sensing and translation of mechanical forces into biochemical signals, like activation of specific genes and signaling cascades that enable cells to adapt to their physical environment. The signaling pathways involved in mechanical signaling are highly complex, but numerous studies have highlighted a central role for the Hippo pathway and other signaling networks in regulating the YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ) proteins to mediate the effects of mechanical stimuli on cellular behavior. How mechanical cues control YAP/TAZ has been poorly understood. However, rapid progress in the last few years is beginning to reveal a surprisingly diverse set of pathways for controlling YAP/TAZ. In this review, we will focus on how mechanical perturbations are sensed through changes in the actin cytoskeleton and mechanosensors at focal adhesions, adherens junctions, and the nuclear envelope to regulate YAP/TAZ.

scholarly journals Germ cell fate and seminiferous tubule development in bovine testis xenografts

Reproduction ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 923-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Rathi ◽  
Ali Honaramooz ◽  
Wenxian Zeng ◽  
Stefan Schlatt ◽  
Ina Dobrinski
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Control Tissue ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Pachytene Spermatocytes ◽  
Testis Tissue

Spermatogenesis can occur in testis tissue from immature bulls ectopically grafted into mouse hosts; however, efficiency of sperm production is lower than in other donor species. To elucidate a possible mechanism for the impaired spermatogenesis in bovine testis xenografts, germ cell fate and xenograft development were investigated at different time points and compared with testis tissue from age-matched calves as controls. Histologically, an initial decrease in germ cell number was noticed in xenografts recovered up to 2 months post-grafting without an increase in germ cell apoptosis. From 2 months onward, the number of germ cells increased. In contrast, a continuous increase in germ cell number was seen in control tissue. Pachytene spermatocytes were observed in some grafts before 4 months, whereas in the control tissue they were not present until 5 months of age. Beyond 4 months post-grafting spermatogenesis appeared to be arrested at the pachytene spermatocyte stage in most grafts. Elongated spermatids were observed between 6 and 8 months post-grafting, similar to the controls, albeit in much lower numbers. Lumen formation started earlier in grafts compared with controls and by 6 months post-grafting tubules with extensively dilated lumen were observed. A donor effect on efficiency of spermatogenesis was also observed. These results indicate that the low efficiency of sperm production in bovine xenografts is due to an initial deficit of germ cells and impaired meiotic and post-meiotic differentiation. The characterization of spermatogenic efficiency will provide the basis to understand the control of spermatogenesis in testis grafts.

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