scholarly journals Wnt signaling recruits KIF2A to the spindle to ensure chromosome congression and alignment during mitosis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Bufe ◽  
Ana García del Arco ◽  
Magdalena-Isabell Hennecke ◽  
Matthias Ostermaier ◽  
Anchel de Jaime-Soguero ◽  
...  

AbstractCanonical Wnt signaling plays critical roles in development and tissue renewal by regulating β-catenin target genes. Recent evidence showed that β-catenin-independent Wnt signaling is also required for faithful execution of mitosis. This mitotic Wnt signaling functions through Wnt-dependent stabilization of proteins (Wnt/STOP), as well as through components of the LRP6 signalosome. However, the targets and specific functions of mitotic Wnt signaling still remain uncharacterized. Using phosphoproteomics, we identified that Wnt signaling regulates the microtubule depolymerase KIF2A during mitosis. We found that Dishevelled recruits KIF2A via its N-terminal and motor domains, which is further promoted upon LRP6 signalosome formation during mitosis. We show that Wnt signaling modulates KIF2A interaction with PLK1, which is critical for KIF2A localization at the spindle. Accordingly, Wnt signaling promotes chromosome congression and alignment by monitoring KIF2A protein levels at the spindle poles both in somatic cells and in pluripotent stem cells. Our findings highlight a novel function of Wnt signaling during cell division, which could have important implications for genome maintenance, notably in stem cells.SIGNIFICANCEWnt signaling plays essential roles in embryonic patterning, stem cell renewal, and cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase via the regulation of β-catenin target genes. Here, we show that Wnt signaling also promotes faithful execution of mitosis by ensuring chromosome congression and alignment before cell division, including in pluripotent stem cells. We demonstrate that the Wnt signaling transducer Dishevelled recruits the mitotic kinesin KIF2A, and mediates its binding to the spindle. KIF2A is a microtubule depolymerase that controls chromosome alignment and congression during mitosis. Consequently, we found that inhibition of Wnt signaling leads to KIF2A-dependent chromosome congression and alignment defects.

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (34) ◽  
pp. e2108145118
Author(s):  
Anja Bufe ◽  
Ana García del Arco ◽  
Magdalena Hennecke ◽  
Anchel de Jaime-Soguero ◽  
Matthias Ostermaier ◽  
...  

Canonical Wnt signaling plays critical roles in development and tissue renewal by regulating β-catenin target genes. Recent evidence showed that β-catenin–independent Wnt signaling is also required for faithful execution of mitosis. However, the targets and specific functions of mitotic Wnt signaling still remain uncharacterized. Using phosphoproteomics, we identified that Wnt signaling regulates the microtubule depolymerase KIF2A during mitosis. We found that Dishevelled recruits KIF2A via its N-terminal and motor domains, which is further promoted upon LRP6 signalosome formation during cell division. We show that Wnt signaling modulates KIF2A interaction with PLK1, which is critical for KIF2A localization at the spindle. Accordingly, inhibition of basal Wnt signaling leads to chromosome misalignment in somatic cells and pluripotent stem cells. We propose that Wnt signaling monitors KIF2A activity at the spindle poles during mitosis to ensure timely chromosome alignment. Our findings highlight a function of Wnt signaling during cell division, which could have important implications for genome maintenance, notably in stem cells.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (13) ◽  
pp. 3195-3206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Lenhard ◽  
Gerd Jürgens ◽  
Thomas Laux

Continuous organ formation from the shoot apical meristem requires the integration of two functions: a set of undifferentiated, pluripotent stem cells is maintained at the very tip of the meristem, while their daughter cells in the periphery initiate organ primordia. The homeobox genes WUSCHEL (WUS) and SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM) encode two major regulators of meristem formation and maintenance in Arabidopsis, yet their interaction in meristem regulation is presently unclear. Here, we have addressed this question using loss- and gain-of-function approaches. We show that stem cell specification by WUS does not require STM activity. Conversely, STM suppresses differentiation independently of WUS and is required and sufficient to promote cell division. Consistent with their independent and distinct phenotypic effects, ectopic WUS and STM activities induce the expression of different downstream target genes. Finally, the pathways regulated by WUS and STM appear to converge in the suppression of differentiation, since coexpression of both genes produced a synergistic effect, and increased WUS activity could partly compensate for loss of STM function. These results suggest that WUS and STM share labour in the shoot apical meristem: WUS specifies a subset of cells in the centre as stem cells, while STM is required to suppress differentiation throughout the meristem dome, thus allowing stem cell daughters to be amplified before they are incorporated into organs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Bastianelli ◽  
Camilla Siciliano ◽  
Rosa Puca ◽  
Andrea Coccia ◽  
Colin Murdoch ◽  
...  

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising cell population for cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications. However, how variations in glucose are perceived by MSC pool is still unclear. Since, glucose metabolism is cell type and tissue dependent, this must be considered when MSCs are derived from alternative sources such as the heart. The zinc finger transcription factor Egr-1 is an important early response gene, likely to play a key role in the glucose-induced response. Our aim was to investigate how short-term changes inin vitroglucose concentrations affect multipotent cardiac tissue-derived MSCs (cMSCs) in a mouse model of Egr-1 KO (Egr-1−/−). Results showed that loss of Egr-1 does not significantly influence cMSC proliferation. In contrast, responses to glucose variations were observed in wt but not in Egr-1−/−cMSCs by clonogenic assay. Phenotype analysis by RT-PCR showed that cMSCs Egr-1−/−lost the ability to regulate the glucose transporters GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 and, as expected, the Egr-1 target genes VEGF, TGFβ-1, and p300. Acetylated protein levels of H3 histone were impaired in Egr-1−/−compared to wt cMSCs. We propose that Egr-1 acts as immediate glucose biological sensor in cMSCs after a short period of stimuli, likely inducing epigenetic modifications.


2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (40) ◽  
pp. 15417-15422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Kennell ◽  
Isabelle Gerin ◽  
Ormond A. MacDougald ◽  
Ken M. Cadigan

Wnt signaling plays many important roles in animal development. This evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway is highly regulated at all levels. To identify regulators of the Wnt/Wingless (Wg) pathway, we performed a genetic screen in Drosophila. We identified the microRNA miR-8 as an inhibitor of Wg signaling. Expression of miR-8 potently antagonizes Wg signaling in vivo, in part by directly targeting wntless, a gene required for Wg secretion. In addition, miR-8 inhibits the pathway downstream of the Wg signal by repressing TCF protein levels. Another positive regulator of the pathway, CG32767, is also targeted by miR-8. Our data suggest that miR-8 potently antagonizes the Wg pathway at multiple levels, from secretion of the ligand to transcription of target genes. In addition, mammalian homologues of miR-8 promote adipogenesis of marrow stromal cells by inhibiting Wnt signaling. These findings indicate that miR-8 family members play an evolutionarily conserved role in regulating the Wnt signaling pathway.


Hypertension ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherina A Cuevas ◽  
Alexis A Gonzalez ◽  
Nivaldo C Inestrosa ◽  
Carlos P Vio ◽  
Minolfa C Prieto

The prorenin receptor (PRR) is upregulated in the kidney by high angiotensin II (Ang II) states such as those that occur with AngII-dependent hypertension and low salt diet. The PRR is an accessory protein of the vacuolar H-ATPase, which facilitates Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in fibrosis processes. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether the stimulation of PRR in mouse collecting duct M-1 cells induces fibrotic genes independently of Ang II, and if this effect is mediated by activation of Wnt/β-catenin. Both Ang II (10 -7 M) and human recombinant prorenin (hRPr; 2,5 x 10 -8 M) treatments (8 and 16 hours) increased mRNA and protein levels of fibronectin and collagen I (1.5±0.08 and 1.5 ± 0.1 fold change, respectibely; p<0.05); however, the effects of hRPr were elicited earlier. Likewise, Ang II and hRPr stimulated the Wnt target genes, cyclin D1 and c-myc (cyclin D1: 2±0.2 for both; c-myc: 1.4 ± 0.03 and 1.2± 0.002 fold change for Ang II and hRPr, respectively; p<0.001). Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockade with candesartan (10 -7 M) completely prevented the Ang II-dependent stimulation but not the effects of hRPr on Wnt signaling genes. Upregulation of fibronectin and collagen I genes by Ang II or hRP at 16 h was prevented by Wnt signaling inhibition with Pyrvinium Pamoate (10 -7 M). The data indicate that in M-1 cells, activation of AT1R and PRR stimulate the synthesis of fibrotic genes via Wnt signaling by independent mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Meng Wang ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Qiang Xiao ◽  
Xiao-Hai Cui ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential biological activities of nutlin-3 in the regulation of growth and proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stem cells (CSCs), which may help in sensitizing to axitinib-induced apoptosis. Nutlin-3 induction of p53 expression was used to test its role in controlling the cell division pattern and apoptosis of NSCLC cells. A549 cells and H460 cells were pretreated with nutlin-3 and then treated with either an Akt1 activator or shRNA-GSK3β, to investigate the potential role of p53 sensitization in the biological effects of axitinib. We also determined the expression levels of GSK3β and p-Akt1 in patients with NSCLC and determined their potential association with survival data using Kaplan‐Meier plots and CBIOTAL. Increased p53 expression stimulated the induction of apoptosis by axitinib and promoted asymmetric cell division (ACD) of NSCLC CSCs. The repression of Akt phosphorylation induced by nutlin-3 promoted the ACD of lung CSCs, decreasing the proportion of the stem cell population. In addition to the induction of apoptosis by axitinib through inhibition of Wnt signaling, nutlin-3 treatment further enhanced axitinib-induced apoptosis by inhibiting Akt1/GSK3β/Wnt signaling. The low expression of GSK3β and increased expression of p-Akt in patients with NSCLC were closely associated with the development of NSCLC. TP53 stimulates the induction of apoptosis in NSCLC by axitinib and the ACD of lung CSCs through its regulatory effects on the p53/Akt/GSK3β pathways.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Giovanna Garone ◽  
Nicol Birsa ◽  
Maria Rosito ◽  
Federico Salaris ◽  
Michela Mochi ◽  
...  

AbstractMutations in the RNA-binding protein (RBP) FUS have been genetically associated with the motoneuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Using both human induced pluripotent stem cells and mouse models, we found that FUS-ALS causative mutations affect the activity of two relevant RBPs with important roles in neuronal RNA metabolism: HuD/ELAVL4 and FMRP. Mechanistically, mutant FUS leads to upregulation of HuD protein levels through competition with FMRP for HuD mRNA 3’UTR binding. In turn, increased HuD levels overly stabilize the transcript levels of its targets, NRN1 and GAP43. As a consequence, mutant FUS motoneurons show increased axon branching and growth upon injury, which could be rescued by dampening NRN1 levels. Since similar phenotypes have been previously described in SOD1 and TDP-43 mutant models, increased axonal growth and branching might represent broad early events in the pathogenesis of ALS.


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