scholarly journals Suppression of Insulin-Like3 Receptor Reveals the Role of β-Catenin and Notch Signaling in Gubernaculum Development

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena M. Kaftanovskaya ◽  
Shu Feng ◽  
Zaohua Huang ◽  
Yingchun Tan ◽  
Agustin M. Barbara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Hypomorphic Allele ◽  
Conditional Suppression ◽  
Notch Pathways ◽  
Cellular Components

During male development, the testes move from a high intraabdominal position and descend into the scrotum. The gubernaculum, an inguinoscrotal ligament connecting the testis to the lower abdomen, is believed to play a critical role in this process. The first stage of testicular descent is controlled by insulin like3 hormone (INSL3), produced in testicular Leydig cells. Deletion of Insl3 or its receptor, Rxfp2, in mice causes cryptorchidism. We produced Cre/loxP regulated shRNA transgenic mice targeting RXFP2 expression. We have shown that the transgene was able to reduce Rxfp2 gene expression and thus behaved as a hypomorphic allele of Rxfp2. Variable degrees of uni- and bilateral cryptorchidism was detected in males with the activated shRNA transgene on an Rxfp2+/− background. Conditional suppression of Rxfp2 in the gubernaculum led to cryptorchidism. Gene expression analysis of a mutant cremasteric sac using Illumina microarrays indicated abnormal expression of a significant number of genes in Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. We have demonstrated profound changes in the expression pattern of β-catenin, Notch1, desmin, and androgen receptor (AR), in Rxfp2−/− male embryos, indicating the role of INSL3 in proliferation, differentiation, and survival of specific cellular components of the gubernaculum. We have shown that INSL3/RXFP2 signaling is essential for myogenic differentiation and maintenance of AR-positive cells in the gubernaculum. Males with the deletion of β-catenin or Notch1 in the gubernacular ligament demonstrated abnormal development. Our data indicates that β-catenin and Notch pathways are potential targets of INSL3 signaling during gubernacular development.

scholarly journals Cryptorchidism in Mice with an Androgen Receptor Ablation in Gubernaculum Testis

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena M. Kaftanovskaya ◽  
Zaohua Huang ◽  
Agustin M. Barbara ◽  
Karel De Gendt ◽  
Guido Verhoeven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Gene Expression Analysis ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Processus Vaginalis ◽  
Gubernaculum Testis

Abstract Androgens play a critical role in the development of the male reproductive system, including the positioning of the gonads. It is not clear, however, which developmental processes are influenced by androgens and what are the target tissues and cells mediating androgen signaling during testicular descent. Using a Cre-loxP approach, we have produced male mice (GU-ARKO) with conditional inactivation of the androgen receptor (Ar) gene in the gubernacular ligament connecting the epididymis to the caudal abdominal wall. The GU-ARKO males had normal testosterone levels but developed cryptorchidism with the testes located in a suprascrotal position. Although initially subfertile, the GU-ARKO males became sterile with age. We have shown that during development, the mutant gubernaculum failed to undergo eversion, a process giving rise to the processus vaginalis, a peritoneal outpouching inside the scrotum. As a result, the cremasteric sac did not form properly, and the testes remained in the low abdominal position. Abnormal development of the cremaster muscles in the GU-ARKO males suggested the participation of androgens in myogenic differentiation; however, males with conditional AR inactivation in the striated or smooth muscle cells had a normal testicular descent. Gene expression analysis showed that AR deficiency in GU-ARKO males led to the misexpression of genes involved in muscle differentiation, cell signaling, and extracellular space remodeling. We therefore conclude that AR signaling in gubernacular cells is required for gubernaculum eversion and outgrowth. The GU-ARKO mice provide a valuable model of isolated cryptorchidism, one of the most common birth defects in newborn boys.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs in Cardiac Autophagy: Small Molecules and Big Role

Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng Sun ◽  
Meng-Yang Li ◽  
Pei-Feng Li ◽  
Ji-Min Cao
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Fibrosis ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Post Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Cardiac Disorders ◽  
Cellular Components

Autophagy, which is an evolutionarily conserved process according to the lysosomal degradation of cellular components, plays a critical role in maintaining cell homeostasis. Autophagy and mitochondria autophagy (mitophagy) contribute to the preservation of cardiac homeostasis in physiological settings. However, impaired or excessive autophagy is related to a variety of diseases. Recently, a close link between autophagy and cardiac disorders, including myocardial infarction, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, cardiac fibrosis, and heart failure, has been demonstrated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs with a length of approximately 21–22 nucleotides (nt), which are distributed widely in viruses, plants, protists, and animals. They function in mediating the post-transcriptional gene silencing. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that miRNAs regulate cardiac autophagy by suppressing the expression of autophagy-related genes in a targeted manner, which are involved in the pathogenesis of heart diseases. This review summarizes the role of microRNAs in cardiac autophagy and related cardiac disorders. Furthermore, we mainly focused on the autophagy regulation pathways, which consisted of miRNAs and their targeted genes.

scholarly journals Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Revealed a Critical Role of SPP1/CD44-Mediated Crosstalk Between Macrophages and Cancer Cells in Glioma

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong He ◽  
Luoyan Sheng ◽  
Deshen Pan ◽  
Shuai Jiang ◽  
Li Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Tumor Heterogeneity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
High Grade Glioma ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Cellular Components

High-grade glioma is one of the most lethal human cancers characterized by extensive tumor heterogeneity. In order to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive tumor heterogeneity of this lethal disease, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of one high-grade glioma. Accordingly, we analyzed the individual cellular components in the ecosystem of this tumor. We found that tumor-associated macrophages are predominant in the immune microenvironment. Furthermore, we identified five distinct subpopulations of tumor cells, including one cycling, two OPC/NPC-like and two MES-like cell subpopulations. Moreover, we revealed the evolutionary transition from the cycling to OPC/NPC-like and MES-like cells by trajectory analysis. Importantly, we found that SPP1/CD44 interaction plays a critical role in macrophage-mediated activation of MES-like cells by exploring the cell-cell communication among all cellular components in the tumor ecosystem. Finally, we showed that high expression levels of both SPP1 and CD44 correlate with an increased infiltration of macrophages and poor prognosis of glioma patients. Taken together, this study provided a single-cell atlas of one high-grade glioma and revealed a critical role of macrophage-mediated SPP1/CD44 signaling in glioma progression, indicating that the SPP1/CD44 axis is a potential target for glioma treatment.

A critical role of Sp1 transcription factor in regulating gene expression in response to insulin and other hormones

Life Sciences ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon S. Solomon ◽  
Gipsy Majumdar ◽  
Antonio Martinez-Hernandez ◽  
Rajendra Raghow
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Sp1 Transcription Factor

scholarly journals LSD1, a double-edged sword, confers dynamic chromatin regulation but commonly promotes aberrant cell growth

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan M Kozub ◽  
Ryan M Carr ◽  
Gwen L Lomberk ◽  
Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Cellular Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Histone Demethylase ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Lysine Specific Demethylase ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Histone Modifying Enzymes

Histone-modifying enzymes play a critical role in chromatin remodeling and are essential for influencing several genome processes such as gene expression and DNA repair, replication, and recombination. The discovery of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), the first identified histone demethylase, dramatically revolutionized research in the field of epigenetics. LSD1 plays a pivotal role in a wide range of biological operations, including development, cellular differentiation, embryonic pluripotency, and disease (for example, cancer). This mini-review focuses on the role of LSD1 in chromatin regulatory complexes, its involvement in epigenetic changes throughout development, and its importance in physiological and pathological processes.

scholarly journals Revisiting the role of PML protein targeting and disruption of PML bodies in human cytomegalovirus infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7A) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Paulus ◽  
Thomas Harwardt ◽  
Bernadette Walter ◽  
Andrea Marxreiter ◽  
Michael Nevels
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Viral Replication ◽  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Early Protein ◽  
Type Protein ◽  
Wild Type Protein ◽  
Pml Bodies

Promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) bodies are nuclear organelles implicated in post-translational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins and in the antiviral host cell response to infection. The 72-kDa immediate-early protein 1 (IE1) is considered the principal antagonist of PML bodies encoded by the human cytomegalovirus, one of eight human herpesviruses. Previous work has suggested that the interaction between IE1 and PML proteins, the central organisers of PML bodies, and the subsequent disruption of these organelles serve a critical role in viral replication by counteracting intrinsic antiviral immunity and the induction of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes. However, this picture has emerged largely from studying mutant IE1 proteins known or predicted to be globally misfolded und metabolically unstable. We systematically screened for stable IE1 mutants by clustered charge-to-alanine scanning. We identified a mutant protein (IE1cc172-176) selectively defective for PML interaction. Functional comparisons between the mutant and wild-type protein revealed that IE1 can undergo modification by mixed polymeric SUMO chains and that it targets PML and Sp100, the two main constituents of PML bodies, via distinct mechanisms. Unexpectedly, IE1cc172-176 supported viral replication almost as efficiently as wild-type IE1. Moreover, lower instead of higher (as expected) levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, IFN-beta, IFN-lambda and IFN-stimulated gene expression were observed with the mutant compared to the wild-type protein and virus. These results suggest that the disruption of PML bodies is linked to induction rather than inhibition of antiviral gene expression. Our findings challenge current views regarding the role of PML bodies in viral infection.

scholarly journals Critical role of deadenylation in regulating poly(A) rhythms and circadian gene expression

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyu Yao ◽  
Shihoko Kojima ◽  
Jing Chen
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Transcriptional Control ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Circadian Gene ◽  
Gene Expression Control ◽  
Rhythmic Gene ◽  
Transcriptional Controls

AbstractThe mammalian circadian clock is deeply rooted in rhythmic regulation of gene expression. Rhythmic transcriptional control mediated by the circadian transcription factors is thought to be the main driver of mammalian circadian gene expression. However, mounting evidence has demonstrated the importance of rhythmic post-transcriptional controls, and it remains unclear how the transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms collectively control rhythmic gene expression. A recent study discovered rhythmicity in poly(A) tail length in mouse liver and its strong correlation with protein expression rhythms. To understand the role of rhythmic poly(A) regulation in circadian gene expression, we constructed a parsimonious model that depicts rhythmic control imposed upon basic mRNA expression and poly(A) regulation processes, including transcription, deadenylation, polyadenylation, and degradation. The model results reveal the rhythmicity in deadenylation as the strongest contributor to the rhythmicity in poly(A) tail length and the rhythmicity in the abundance of the mRNA subpopulation with long poly(A) tails (a rough proxy for mRNA translatability). In line with this finding, the model further shows that the experimentally observed distinct peak phases in the expression of deadenylases, regardless of other rhythmic controls, can robustly group the rhythmic mRNAs by their peak phases in poly(A) tail length and in abundance of the subpopulation with long poly(A) tails. This provides a potential mechanism to synchronize the phases of target gene expression regulated by the same deadenylases. Our findings highlight the critical role of rhythmic deadenylation in regulating poly(A) rhythms and circadian gene expression.Author SummaryThe biological circadian clock regulates various bodily functions such that they anticipate and respond to the day-and-night cycle. To achieve this, the circadian clock controls rhythmic gene expression, and these genes ultimately drive the rhythmicity of downstream biological processes. As a mechanism of driving circadian gene expression, rhythmic transcriptional control has attracted the central focus. However, mounting evidence has also demonstrated the importance of rhythmic post-transcriptional controls. Here we use mathematical modeling to investigate how transcriptional and post-transcriptional rhythms coordinately control rhythmic gene expression. We have particularly focused on rhythmic regulation of the length of poly(A) tail, a nearly universal feature of mRNAs that controls mRNA stability and translation. Our model reveals that the rhythmicity of deadenylation, the process that shortens the poly(A) tail, is the dominant contributor to the rhythmicity in poly(A) tail length and mRNA translatability. Particularly, the phase of deadenylation nearly overrides the other rhythmic processes in controlling the phases of poly(A) tail length and mRNA translatability. Our finding highlights the critical role of rhythmic deadenylation in circadian gene expression control.

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