scholarly journals ZEB1 insufficiency causes corneal endothelial cell state transition and altered cellular processing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo F. Frausto ◽  
Doug D. Chung ◽  
Payton M. Boere ◽  
Vinay S. Swamy ◽  
Huong N.V. Duong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Corneal Dystrophy ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Cellular Phenotype ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell State ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Integral Role

ABSTRACTThe zinc finger e-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) transcription factor is a master regulator of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and of the reverse mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) processes. ZEB1 plays an integral role in mediating cell state transitions during cell lineage specification, wound healing and disease. EMT/MET are characterized by distinct changes in molecular and cellular phenotype that are generally context-independent. Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD), associated with ZEB1 insufficiency, provides a new biological context in which to understand and evaluate the classic EMT/MET paradigm. PPCD is characterized by a cadherin-switch and transition to an epithelial-like transcriptomic and cellular phenotype, which we study in a cell-based model of PPCD generated using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated ZEB1 knockout in corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs). Transcriptomic and functional studies support the hypothesis that CEnC undergo a MET-like transition in PPCD, termed endothelial to epithelial transition (EnET), and lead to the conclusion that EnET may be considered a corollary to the classic EMT/MET paradigm.

scholarly journals Molecular mechanisms underpinning sarcomas and implications for current and future therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Damerell ◽  
Michael S. Pepper ◽  
Sharon Prince
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Cells Of Origin ◽  
Novel Treatment Strategies ◽  
Future Therapy

AbstractSarcomas are complex mesenchymal neoplasms with a poor prognosis. Their clinical management is highly challenging due to their heterogeneity and insensitivity to current treatments. Although there have been advances in understanding specific genomic alterations and genetic mutations driving sarcomagenesis, the underlying molecular mechanisms, which are likely to be unique for each sarcoma subtype, are not fully understood. This is in part due to a lack of consensus on the cells of origin, but there is now mounting evidence that they originate from mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs). To identify novel treatment strategies for sarcomas, research in recent years has adopted a mechanism-based search for molecular markers for targeted therapy which has included recapitulating sarcomagenesis using in vitro and in vivo MSC models. This review provides a comprehensive up to date overview of the molecular mechanisms that underpin sarcomagenesis, the contribution of MSCs to modelling sarcomagenesis in vivo, as well as novel topics such as the role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)/mesenchymal-to-epithelial-transition (MET) plasticity, exosomes, and microRNAs in sarcomagenesis. It also reviews current therapeutic options including ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies for targeted sarcoma therapy and discusses new therapeutic avenues such as targeting recently identified molecular pathways and key transcription factors.

scholarly journals miRNA proxy approach reveals hidden functions of glycosylation

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (23) ◽  
pp. 7327-7332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Kurcon ◽  
Zhongyin Liu ◽  
Anika V. Paradkar ◽  
Christopher A. Vaiana ◽  
Sujeethraj Koppolu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttranslational Modification ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Target Network

Glycosylation, the most abundant posttranslational modification, holds an unprecedented capacity for altering biological function. Our ability to harness glycosylation as a means to control biological systems is hampered by our inability to pinpoint the specific glycans and corresponding biosynthetic enzymes underlying a biological process. Herein we identify glycosylation enzymes acting as regulatory elements within a pathway using microRNA (miRNA) as a proxy. Leveraging the target network of the miRNA-200 family (miR-200f), regulators of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), we pinpoint genes encoding multiple promesenchymal glycosylation enzymes (glycogenes). We focus on three enzymes, beta-1,3-glucosyltransferase (B3GLCT), beta-galactoside alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase 5 (ST3GAL5), and (alpha-N-acetyl-neuraminyl-2,3-beta-galactosyl-1,3)-N-acetylgalactosaminide alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase 5 (ST6GALNAC5), encoding glycans that are difficult to analyze by traditional methods. Silencing these glycogenes phenocopied the effect of miR-200f, inducing mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. In addition, all three are up-regulated in TGF-β–induced EMT, suggesting tight integration within the EMT-signaling network. Our work indicates that miRNA can act as a relatively simple proxy to decrypt which glycogenes, including those encoding difficult-to-analyze structures (e.g., proteoglycans, glycolipids), are functionally important in a biological pathway, setting the stage for the rapid identification of glycosylation enzymes driving disease states.

Dual role of Ovol2 on the germ cell lineage segregation during gastrulation in mouse embryogenesis

Development ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Naitou ◽  
Go Nagamatsu ◽  
Nobuhiko Hamazaki ◽  
Kenjiro Shirane ◽  
Masafumi Hayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Splice Variant ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Primordial Germ Cells ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

In mammals, primordial germ cells (PGCs), the origin of the germ line, are specified from the epiblast at the posterior region where gastrulation simultaneously occurs, yet the functional relationship between PGC specification and gastrulation remains unclear. Here, we show that Ovol2, a transcription factor conserved across the animal kingdom, balances these major developmental processes by repressing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) driving gastrulation and the upregulation of genes associated with PGC specification. Ovol2a, a splice variant encoding a repressor domain, directly regulates EMT-related genes and consequently induces re-acquisition of potential pluripotency during PGC specification, whereas Ovol2b, another splice variant missing the repressor domain, directly upregulates genes associated with PGC specification. Taken together, these results elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying allocation of the germ line among epiblast cells differentiating into somatic cells through gastrulation.

scholarly journals The Transcription Factor Elf3 Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burcu Sengez ◽  
Ilkin Aygün ◽  
Huma Shehwana ◽  
Neslihan Toyran ◽  
Sanem Tercan Avci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Strong Candidate ◽  
Acute Changes ◽  
Epithelial State ◽  
E Cadherin

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are two critical biological processes that are involved in both physiological events such as embryogenesis and development and also pathological events such as tumorigenesis. They present with dramatic changes in cellular morphology and gene expression exhibiting acute changes in E-cadherin expression. Despite the comprehensive understanding of EMT, the regulation of MET is far from being understood. To find novel regulators of MET, we hypothesized that such factors would correlate with Cdh1 expression. Bioinformatics examination of several expression profiles suggested Elf3 as a strong candidate. Depletion of Elf3 at the onset of MET severely impaired the progression to the epithelial state. This MET defect was explained, in part, by the absence of E-cadherin at the plasma membrane. Moreover, during MET, ELF3 interacts with the Grhl3 promoter and activates its expression. Our findings present novel insights into the regulation of MET and reveal ELF3 as an indispensable guardian of the epithelial state. A better understanding of MET will, eventually, lead to better management of metastatic cancers.

scholarly journals Notch-Jagged signalling can give rise to clusters of cells exhibiting a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (118) ◽  
pp. 20151106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Boareto ◽  
Mohit Kumar Jolly ◽  
Aaron Goldman ◽  
Mika Pietilä ◽  
Sendurai A. Mani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tumour Progression ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Notch Signalling ◽  
Circulating Tumour Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Phenotype ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Key Players

Metastasis can involve repeated cycles of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. Cells can also undergo partial transitions to attain a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype that allows the migration of adhering cells to form a cluster of circulating tumour cells. These clusters can be apoptosis-resistant and possess an increased metastatic propensity as compared to the cells that undergo a complete EMT (mesenchymal cells). Hence, identifying the key players that can regulate the formation and maintenance of such clusters may inform anti-metastasis strategies. Here, we devise a mechanism-based theoretical model that links cell–cell communication via Notch-Delta-Jagged signalling with the regulation of EMT. We demonstrate that while both Notch-Delta and Notch-Jagged signalling can induce EMT in a population of cells, only Jagged-dominated Notch signalling, but not Delta-dominated signalling, can lead to the formation of clusters containing hybrid E/M cells. Our results offer possible mechanistic insights into the role of Jagged in tumour progression, and offer a framework to investigate the effects of other microenvironmental signals during metastasis.

Betulinic acid suppresses NGAL-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in melanoma

2013 ◽  
Vol 394 (6) ◽  
pp. 773-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorina Gheorgheosu ◽  
Michaela Jung ◽  
Bilge Ören ◽  
Tobias Schmid ◽  
Cristina Dehelean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Betulinic Acid ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Melanoma Cells ◽  
Antitumoral Activity ◽  
Cellular Phenotype ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin ◽  
Neutrophil Gelatinase ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Betulinic acid (BA) exhibits antitumoral activity by blocking proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. However, the impact of BA on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of cancer metastasis induced among others by neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), remains unknown. The present study aimed at determining the effect of BA on NGAL-induced EMT. In A375 melanoma cells, BA downregulated mesenchymal markers, increased epithelial markers, and inhibited cytoskeletal reorganization. In addition, BA limited endogenous NGAL production and further suppressed EMT induced by exogenously added NGAL and the corresponding invasive cellular phenotype. In conclusion, BA interferes with EMT-associated changes, a mechanism to antagonize invasive melanoma cells.

scholarly journals The Mechanisms of Colorectal Cancer Cell mesenchymal-epithelial Transition Induced by Hepatocyte Exosome-derived miR-203a-3p

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heyang Xu ◽  
Qiusheng Lan ◽  
Yongliang Huang ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Yujie Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Liver Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Real Time Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transition ◽  
Reporter Assays ◽  
Phosphatase Of Regenerating Liver

Abstract Background: Liver metastasis is the most common cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 induces CRC metastasis by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which promotes CRC cell liver metastasis. Mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), the opposite of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, has been proposed as a mechanism for the establishment of metastatic neoplasms. However, the molecular mechanism of MET remains unclear. Methods: Using Immunohistochemistry, western blotting，invasion assays, real-time quantitative PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assays, human miRNA arrays, and xenograft mouse model, we determined the role of hepatocyte exosome-derived miR-203a-3p in CRC MET.Results: In our study, we found that miR-203a-3p derived from hepatocyte exosomes increased colorectal cancer cells E-cadherin expression, inhibited Src expression, and reduced activity. In this way miR-203a-3p induced the decreased invasion rate of CRC cells.Coclusion: MiR-203a-3p derived from hepatocyte exosomes plays an important role of CRC cells to colonize in liver.

scholarly journals Distinct Cytosine Modification Profiles Define Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Cell-State Transitions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Kyung Lee ◽  
Meredith S. Brown ◽  
Owen Wilkins ◽  
Diwakar R. Pattabiraman ◽  
Brock C. Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Cell ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Open Chromatin ◽  
Intermediate Cell ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Accessible Chromatin ◽  
Cytosine Modification

Abstract Background: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an early step in the invasion-metastasis cascade, involving progression through a number of cell intermediate states. Due to challenges with isolating intermediate cell states in EMT, genome-wide cytosine modification mechanisms that define transition through EMT states are not completely understood. We measured multiple DNA cytosine methylation modification marks, complemented with chromatin accessibility and gene expression, across clonal populations residing in specific EMT states. Results: Clones exhibiting intermediate EMT phenotypes demonstrated increased global 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), decreased 5-methylcytosine (5mC), and more accesible chromatin. Open chromatin regions containing CpG loci with abundant 5hmC were enriched in motifs of key EMT transcription factors, ZEB1 and Snail. The magnitude of altered gene expression in intermediate cell states was higher for genes both with increased gene promoter 5hmC and differentially accessible chromatin compared with genes that exhibited differentially accessible chromatin alone, implicating functional epigenetic duality in regulation of EMT.Conclusion: Our results indicate the importance of both distinct and shared epigenetic profiles at the cytosine and chromatin level associated with EMT processes that contribute to gene regulation and which may be targeted to prevent the progression of EMT.

scholarly journals Control of Invasion by Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Programs during Metastasis

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gray W. Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Paracrine Signaling ◽  
Intrinsic Properties ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell State ◽  
Invasive Behavior ◽  
Collective Invasion

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs contribute to the acquisition of invasive properties that are essential for metastasis. It is well established that EMT programs alter cell state and promote invasive behavior. This review discusses how rather than following one specific program, EMT states are diverse in their regulation and invasive properties. Analysis across a spectrum of models using a combination of approaches has revealed how unique features of distinct EMT programs dictate whether tumor cells invade as single cells or collectively as cohesive groups of cells. It has also been shown that the mode of collective invasion is determined by the nature of the EMT, with cells in a trailblazer-type EMT state being capable of initiating collective invasion, whereas cells that have undergone an opportunist-type EMT are dependent on extrinsic factors to invade. In addition to altering cell intrinsic properties, EMT programs can influence invasion through non-cell autonomous mechanisms. Analysis of tumor subpopulations has demonstrated how EMT-induced cells can drive the invasion of sibling epithelial populations through paracrine signaling and remodeling of the microenvironment. Importantly, the variation in invasive properties controlled by EMT programs influences the kinetics and location of metastasis.

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