scholarly journals Flagellar Elongation and Gene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1411-1420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goran Periz ◽  
Darshita Dharia ◽  
Steven H. Miller ◽  
Laura R. Keller

ABSTRACT Lithium (Li+) affects the physiology of cells from a broad range of organisms including plants and both vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Although its effects result presumably from changes in gene expression elicited by its interaction with intracellular signal transduction pathways, the molecular mechanisms of Li+ action are not well understood. The biflagellate green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is an ideal genetic model for the integration of the effects on Li+ on signal transduction, gene expression, and aspects of flagellar biogenesis. Li+ causes C. reinhardtii flagella to elongate to ∼1.4 times their normal length and blocks flagellar motility (S. Nakamura, H. Tabino, and M. K. Kojima, Cell Struct. Funct. 12:369-374, 1987). We report here that Li+ treatment increases the abundance of several flagellar mRNAs, including α- and β-tubulin and pcf3-21. Li+-induced flagellar gene expression occurs in cells pretreated with cycloheximide, suggesting that the abundance change is a response that does not require new protein synthesis. Deletion analysis of the flagellar α1-tubulin gene promoter showed that sequences necessary for Li+-induced expression differed from those for acid shock induction and contain a consensus binding site for CREB/ATF and AP-1 transcription factors. These studies suggest potential promoter elements, candidate factors, and signal transduction pathways that may coordinate the C. reinhardtii cellular response to Li+.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia Raimondi ◽  
Angela De Luca ◽  
Gianluca Giavaresi ◽  
Agnese Barone ◽  
Pierosandro Tagliaferri ◽  
...  

: Chemoprevention is based on the use of non-toxic, pharmacologically active agents to prevent tumor progression. In this regard, natural dietary agents have been described by the most recent literature as promising tools for controlling onset and progression of malignancies. Extensive research has been so far performed to shed light on the effects of natural products on tumor growth and survival, disclosing the most relevant signal transduction pathways targeted by such compounds. Overall, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and cytotoxic effects of dietary agents on tumor cells are supported either by results from epidemiological or animal studies and even by clinical trials. : Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy characterized by abnormal proliferation of bone marrow plasma cells and subsequent hypercalcemia, renal dysfunction, anemia, or bone disease, which remains incurable despite novel emerging therapeutic strategies. Notably, increasing evidence supports the capability of dietary natural compounds to antagonize multiple myeloma growth in preclinical models of the disease, underscoring their potential as candidate anti-cancer agents. : In this review, we aim at summarizing findings on the anti-tumor activity of dietary natural products, focusing on their molecular mechanisms, which include inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction pathways and/or epigenetic modulating effects, along with their potential clinical applications against multiple myeloma and its related bone disease.


2015 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 1771-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maomei Ruan ◽  
Min Liu ◽  
Qianggang Dong ◽  
Libo Chen

Abstract Context: The aberrant silencing of iodide-handling genes accompanied by up-regulation of glucose metabolism presents a major challenge for radioiodine treatment of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors on iodide-handling and glucose-handling gene expression in BHP 2-7 cells harboring RET/PTC1 rearrangement. Main Outcome Measures: In this in vitro study, the effects of sorafenib or cabozantinib on cell growth, cycles, and apoptosis were investigated by cell proliferation assay, cell cycle analysis, and Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay, respectively. The effect of both agents on signal transduction pathways was evaluated using the Western blot. Quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and radioisotope uptake assays were used to assess iodide-handling and glucose-handling gene expression. Results: Both compounds inhibited cell proliferation in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner and caused cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Sorafenib blocked RET, AKT, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, whereas cabozantinib blocked RET and AKT phosphorylation. The restoration of iodide-handling gene expression and inhibition of glucose transporter 1 and 3 expression could be induced by either drug. The robust expression of sodium/iodide symporter induced by either agent was confirmed, and 125I uptake was correspondingly enhanced. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation was significantly decreased after treatment by either sorafenib or cabozantinib. Conclusions: Sorafenib and cabozantinib had marked effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and signal transduction pathways in PTC cells harboring RET/PTC1 rearrangement. Both agents could be potentially used to enhance the expression of iodide-handling genes and inhibit the expression of glucose transporter genes.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenxu Ye ◽  
Humaira Rasheed ◽  
Yuehua Ran ◽  
Xiaojuan Yang ◽  
Lianxi Xing ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The reproductive plasticity of termite workers provides colonies with tremendous flexibility to respond to environmental changes, which is the basis for evolutionary and ecological success. Although it is known that all colony members share the same genetic background and that differences in castes are caused by differences in gene expression, the pattern of the specific expression of genes involved in the differentiation of workers into reproductives remains unclear. In this study, the isolated workers of Reticulitermes labralis developed into reproductives, and then comparative transcriptomes were used for the first time to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the reproductive plasticity of workers. Results We identified 38,070 differentially expressed genes and found a pattern of gene expression involved in the differentiation of the workers into reproductives. 12, 543 genes were specifically upregulated in the isolated workers. Twenty-five signal transduction pathways classified into environmental information processing were related to the differentiation of workers into reproductives. Ras functions as a signalling switch regulates the reproductive plasticity of workers. The catalase gene which is related to longevity was up-regulated in reproductives. Conclusion We demonstrate that workers leaving the natal colony can induce the expression of stage-specific genes in the workers, which leads to the differentiation of workers into reproductives and suggests that the signal transduction along the Ras-MAPK pathway crucially controls the reproductive plasticity of the workers. This study also provides an important model for revealing the molecular mechanism of longevity changes.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1475
Author(s):  
Veronica Ruta ◽  
Vittoria Pagliarini ◽  
Claudio Sette

Signal transduction pathways transmit the information received from external and internal cues and generate a response that allows the cell to adapt to changes in the surrounding environment. Signaling pathways trigger rapid responses by changing the activity or localization of existing molecules, as well as long-term responses that require the activation of gene expression programs. All steps involved in the regulation of gene expression, from transcription to processing and utilization of new transcripts, are modulated by multiple signal transduction pathways. This review provides a broad overview of the post-translational regulation of factors involved in RNA processing events by signal transduction pathways, with particular focus on the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing, cleavage and polyadenylation. The effects of several post-translational modifications (i.e., sumoylation, ubiquitination, methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation) on the expression, subcellular localization, stability and affinity for RNA and protein partners of many RNA-binding proteins are highlighted. Moreover, examples of how some of the most common signal transduction pathways can modulate biological processes through changes in RNA processing regulation are illustrated. Lastly, we discuss challenges and opportunities of therapeutic approaches that correct RNA processing defects and target signaling molecules.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3720-3729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Marino ◽  
Filippo Acconcia ◽  
Francesco Bresciani ◽  
Alessandro Weisz ◽  
Anna Trentalance

Estrogens induce cell proliferation in target tissues by stimulating progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Activation of cyclin D1 gene expression is a critical feature of this hormonal action. The existence of rapid/nongenomic estradiol-regulated protein kinase C (PKC-α) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signal transduction pathways, their cross talk, and role played in DNA synthesis and cyclin D1 gene transcription have been studied herein in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. 17β-Estradiol was found to rapidly activate PKC-α translocation and ERK-2/mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in this cell line. These actions were independent of each other, preceding the increase of thymidine incorporation into DNA and cyclin D1expression, and did not involve DNA binding by estrogen receptor. The results obtained with specific inhibitors indicated that PKC-α pathway is necessary to mediate the estradiol-induced G1-S progression of HepG2 cells, but it does not exert any effect(s) on cyclin D1 gene expression. On the contrary, ERK-2 cascade was strongly involved in both G1-S progression and cyclin D1gene transcription. Deletion of its activating protein-1 responsive element motif resulted in attenuation of cyclin D1 promoter responsiveness to estrogen. These results indicate that estrogen-induced cyclin D1 transcription can occur in HepG2 cells independently of the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor, sustaining the pivotal role played by nongenomic pathways of estrogen action in hormone-induced proliferation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujeenthar Tharmalingam ◽  
Sandhya Khurana ◽  
Alyssa Murray ◽  
Jeremy Lamothe ◽  
T. C. Tai

Abstract Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure is associated with the development of hypertension in adults. We have previously demonstrated that antenatal dexamethosone (DEX) administration in Wistar-Kyoto dams results in offspring with increased blood pressure coupled with elevated plasma epinephrine levels. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for prenatal DEX-mediated programming of hypertension, a whole-transcriptome analysis was performed on DEX programmed WKY male adrenal glands using the Rat Gene 2.0 microarray. Differential gene expression (DEG) analysis of DEX-exposed offspring compared with saline-treated controls revealed 142 significant DEGs (109 upregulated and 33 downregulated genes). DEG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that genes involved in circadian rhythm signaling were most robustly dysregulated. RT-qPCR analysis confirmed the increased expression of circadian genes Bmal1 and Npas2, while Per2, Per3, Cry2 and Bhlhe41 were significantly downregulated. In contrast, gene expression profiling of Spontaneously Hypertensive (SHR) rats, a genetic model of hypertension, demonstrated decreased expression of Bmal1 and Npas2, while Per1, Per2, Per3, Cry1, Cry2, Bhlhe41 and Csnk1D were all upregulated compared to naïve WKY controls. Taken together, this study establishes that glucocorticoid programmed adrenals have impaired circadian signaling and that changes in adrenal circadian rhythm may be an underlying molecular mechanism responsible for the development of hypertension.


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