The Drosophila orphan nuclear receptor seven-up requires the Ras pathway for its function in photoreceptor determination

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Begemann ◽  
A.M. Michon ◽  
L. vd Voorn ◽  
R. Wepf ◽  
M. Mlodzik

The Drosophila seven-up (svp) gene specifies outer photoreceptor cell fate in eye development and encodes an orphan nuclear receptor with two isoforms. Transient expression under the sevenless enhancer of either svp isoform leads to a dosage-dependent transformation of cone cells into R7 photoreceptors, and at a lower frequency, R7 cells into outer photoreceptors. To investigate the cellular pathways involved, we have taken advantage of the dosage sensitivity and screened for genes that modify this svp-induced phenotype. We show that an active Ras pathway is essential for the function of both Svp isoforms. Loss-of-function mutations in components of the Ras signal transduction cascade act as dominant suppressors of the cone cell transformation, whilst loss-of-function mutations in negative regulators of Ras-activity act as dominant enhancers. Furthermore, Svp-mediated transformation of cone cells to outer photoreceptors, reminiscent of its wild-type function in specifying R3/4 and R1/6 identity, requires an activated Ras pathway in the same cells, or alternatively dramatic increase in ectopic Svp protein levels. Our results indicate that svp is only fully functional in conjunction with activated Ras. Since we find that mutations in the Egf-receptor are also among the strongest suppressors of svp-mediated cone cell transformation, we propose that the Ras activity in cone cells is due to low level Egfr signaling. Several models that could account for the observed svp regulation by the Ras pathway are discussed.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yildiz Koca ◽  
Benjamin E. Housden ◽  
William J. Gault ◽  
Sarah J. Bray ◽  
Marek Mlodzik

AbstractIn all metazoans, a small number of evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways are reiteratively used during development to orchestrate critical patterning and morphogenetic processes. Among these, Notch (N) signaling is essential for most aspects of tissue patterning where it mediates the communication between adjacent cells to control cell fate specification. In Drosophila, Notch signaling is required for several features of eye development, including the R3/R4 cell fate choice and R7 specification. Here we show that hypomorphic alleles of Notch, belonging to the Nfacet class, reveal a novel phenotype: while photoreceptor specification in the mutant ommatidia is largely normal, defects are observed in ommatidial rotation (OR), a planar cell polarity (PCP)-mediated cell motility process. We demonstrate that during OR Notch signaling is specifically required in the R4 photoreceptor to upregulate the transcription of argos (aos), an inhibitory ligand to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), to fine-tune the activity of EGFR signaling. Consistently, the loss-of-function defects of Nfacet alleles and EGFR-signaling pathway mutants are largely indistinguishable. A Notch-regulated aos enhancer confers R4 specific expression arguing that aos is directly regulated by Notch signaling in this context via Su(H)-Mam-dependent transcription.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 2041-2054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xilong Li ◽  
Michael J. Large ◽  
Chad J. Creighton ◽  
Rainer B. Lanz ◽  
Jae-Wook Jeong ◽  
...  

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII; NR2F2) is an orphan nuclear receptor involved in cell-fate specification, organogenesis, angiogenesis, and metabolism. Ablation of COUP-TFII in the mouse uterus causes infertility due to defects in embryo attachment and impaired uterine stromal cell decidualization. Although the function of COUP-TFII in uterine decidualization has been described in mice, its role in the human uterus remains unknown. We observed that, as in mice, COUP-TFII is robustly expressed in the endometrial stroma of healthy women, and its expression is reduced in the ectopic lesions of women with endometriosis. To interrogate the role of COUP-TFII in human endometrial function, we used a small interfering RNA-mediated loss of function approach in primary human endometrial stromal cells. Attenuation of COUP-TFII expression did not completely block decidualization; rather it had a selective effect on gene expression. To better elucidate the role of COUP-TFII in endometrial stroma cell biology, the COUP-TFII transcriptome was defined by pairing microarray comparison with chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing. Gene ontology analysis demonstrates that COUP-TFII regulates a subset of genes in endometrial stroma cell decidualization such as those involved in cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Importantly this analysis shows that COUP-TFII plays a role in controlling the expression of inflammatory cytokines. The determination that COUP-TFII plays a role in inflammation may add insight into the role of COUP-TFII in embryo implantation and in endometrial diseases such as endometriosis.


Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (12) ◽  
pp. 2327-2335 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.T. Miller ◽  
R.L. Cagan

Local cell signaling can pattern the nervous system by directing cell fates, including programmed cell death. In the developing Drosophila retina, programmed cell death is used to remove excess cells between ommatidia. Cell ablation revealed the source and position of signals required for regulating the pattern of programmed cell death among these interommatidial cells. Two types of signals regulate this patterning event. Notch-mediated signals between interommatidial precursors result in removal of unneeded cells. Cone cells and primary pigment cells oppose this signal by supplying a ‘life’-promoting activity; evidence is provided that this signal occurs through localized activation of the EGF Receptor/Ras pathway. Together, these signals refine the highly regular pattern observed in the adult retina.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota Shizu ◽  
Makoto Osabe ◽  
Lalith Perera ◽  
Rick Moore ◽  
Tatsuya Sueyoshi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The nuclear receptor CAR (NR1I3) regulates hepatic drug and energy metabolism as well as cell fate. Its activation can be a critical factor in drug-induced toxicity and the development of diseases, including diabetes and tumors. CAR inactivates its constitutive activity by phosphorylation at threonine 38. Utilizing receptor for protein kinase 1 (RACK1) as the regulatory subunit, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) dephosphorylates threonine 38 to activate CAR. Here we demonstrate that CAR undergoes homodimer-monomer conversion to regulate this dephosphorylation. By coexpression of two differently tagged CAR proteins in Huh-7 cells, mouse primary hepatocytes, and mouse livers, coimmunoprecipitation and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that CAR can form a homodimer in a configuration in which the PP2A/RACK1 binding site is buried within its dimer interface. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was found to stimulate CAR homodimerization, thus constraining CAR in its inactive form. The agonistic ligand CITCO binds directly to the CAR homodimer and dissociates phosphorylated CAR into its monomers, exposing the PP2A/RACK1 binding site for dephosphorylation. Phenobarbital, which is not a CAR ligand, binds the EGF receptor, reversing the EGF signal to monomerize CAR for its indirect activation. Thus, the homodimer-monomer conversion is the underlying molecular mechanism that regulates CAR activation, by placing phosphorylated threonine 38 as the common target for both direct and indirect activation of CAR.


2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1719-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Xu ◽  
Wei-Hsiung Yang ◽  
Isabelle Gerin ◽  
Chang-Deng Hu ◽  
Gary D. Hammer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is essential for adrenal development and steroidogenesis. The atypical orphan nuclear receptor Dax-1 binds to SF-1 and represses SF-1 target genes. Paradoxically, however, loss-of-function mutations of Dax-1 also cause adrenal hypoplasia, suggesting that Dax-1 may function as an SF-1 coactivator under some circumstances. Indeed, we found that Dax-1 can function as a dosage-dependent SF-1 coactivator. Both SF-1 and Dax-1 bind to steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA), a coactivator that functions as an RNA. The coactivator TIF2 also associates with Dax-1 and synergistically coactivates SF-1 target gene transcription. A naturally occurring Dax-1 mutation inhibits this transactivation, and the mutant Dax-1-TIF2 complex mislocalizes in living cells. Coactivation by Dax-1 is abolished by SRA knockdown. The expression of the steroidogenic gene products steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and melanocortin 2 receptor is reduced in adrenal Y1 cells following the knockdown of endogenous SRA. Similarly, the knockdown of endogenous Dax-1 downregulates the expression of the steroidogenic gene products CYP11A1 and StAR in both H295R adrenal and MA-10 Leydig cells. These findings reveal novel functions of SRA and Dax-1 in steroidogenesis and adrenal biology.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1125-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Tontonoz ◽  
Omar Cortez-Toledo ◽  
Kevin Wroblewski ◽  
Cynthia Hong ◽  
Laura Lim ◽  
...  

We previously showed that the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 (Nr4a1) plays an important role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle. Here, we show using both gain- and loss-of-function models that Nur77 is also a regulator of muscle growth in mice. Transgenic expression of Nur77 in skeletal muscle in mice led to increases in myofiber size. Conversely, mice with global or muscle-specific deficiency in Nur77 exhibited reduced muscle mass and myofiber size. In contrast to Nur77 deficiency, deletion of the highly related nuclear receptor NOR1 (Nr4a3) had minimal effect on muscle mass and myofiber size. We further show that Nur77 mediates its effects on muscle size by orchestrating transcriptional programs that favor muscle growth, including the induction of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), as well as concomitant downregulation of growth-inhibitory genes, including myostatin, Fbxo32 (MAFbx), and Trim63 (MuRF1). Nur77-mediated increase in IGF1 led to activation of the Akt-mTOR-S6K cascade and the inhibition of FoxO3a activity. The dependence of Nur77 on IGF1 was recapitulated in primary myoblasts, establishing this as a cell-autonomous effect. Collectively, our findings identify Nur77 as a novel regulator of myofiber size and a potential transcriptional link between cellular metabolism and muscle growth.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 4723-4723
Author(s):  
Harper Hubbeling ◽  
Jonathan Maltzman ◽  
Amy Moran ◽  
Kristin Hogquist ◽  
Nicole Cunningham ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4723 ‘Resident’ or ‘patrolling’ monocytes have recently been described as a unique subset of myeloid cells that differ in phenotype and function from classic inflammatory monocytes. Resident monocytes are distinguished by their ‘crawling’ migration on endothelial surfaces, their immunosuppressive activity, and their unique pattern of surface protein expression: Ly6Clo, CX3CR1hi, CCR2-, LFA-1+, and PDL-1+. Using a Nur77-eGFP reporter mouse, we show that all murine patrolling monocytes, but not conventional monocytes express Nur77+ (also known as NR4A1), a member of the Nur orphan nuclear receptor family that regulates cell fate decisions several cell types and inhibits leukemogenesis. Nur77 is an immediate early response gene, and we have recently determined that it is a sensitive indicator of antigen receptor signaling among T cells. We therefore propose that its expression among patrolling monocytes is an indication that these cells are actively receiving signals, perhaps via interactions with the endothelium. We are currently working to identify these signals and our preliminary data suggest that adhesion molecules play an influential role. We thank the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (HH), and NSF (MCB-0744570 (JP and NC)) for their support for this work. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Genetics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Gorman ◽  
J R Girton

Abstract During Drosophila development networks of genes control the developmental pathways that specify cell fates. The Notch gene is a well characterized member of some cell fate pathways, and several other genes belonging to these same pathways have been identified because they share a neurogenic null phenotype with Notch. However, it is unlikely that the neurogenic genes represent all of the genes in these pathways. The goal of this research was to use a genetic approach to identify and characterize one of the other genes that acts with Notch to specify cell fate. Mutant alleles of genes in the same pathway should have phenotypes similar to Notch alleles and should show phenotypic interactions with Notch alleles. With this approach we identified the deltex gene as a potential cell fate gene. An extensive phenotypic characterization of loss-of-function deltex phenotypes showed abnormalities (such as thick wing veins, double bristles and extra cone cells) that suggest that deltex is involved in cell fate decision processes. Phenotypic interactions between deltex and Notch as seen in double mutants showed that Notch and deltex do not code for duplicate functions and that the two genes function together in many different developing tissues. The results of these investigations lead to the conclusion that the deltex gene functions with the Notch gene in one or more developmental pathways to specify cell fate.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2949-2956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Crawford ◽  
Christoph Dorn ◽  
Yoel Sadovsky ◽  
Jeffrey Milbrandt

ABSTRACT The orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is a critical developmental regulator in the urogenital ridge, because mice targeted for disruption of the SF-1 gene lack adrenal glands and gonads. SF-1 was recently shown to interact with DAX-1, another orphan receptor whose tissue distribution overlaps that of SF-1. Naturally occurring loss-of-function mutations of the DAX-1 gene cause the human disorder X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC), which resembles the phenotype of SF-1-deficient mice. Paradoxically, however, DAX-1 represses the transcriptional activity of SF-1, and AHC mutants of DAX-1 lose repression function. To further investigate these findings, we characterized the interaction between SF-1 and DAX-1 and found that their interaction indeed occurs through a repressive domain within the carboxy terminus of SF-1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DAX-1 recruits the nuclear receptor corepressor N-CoR to SF-1, whereas naturally occurring AHC mutations of DAX-1 permit the SF-1–DAX-1 interaction, but markedly diminish corepressor recruitment. Finally, the interaction between DAX-1 and N-CoR shares similarities with that of the nuclear receptor RevErb and N-CoR, because the related corepressor SMRT was not efficiently recruited by DAX-1. Therefore, DAX-1 can serve as an adapter molecule that recruits nuclear receptor corepressors to DNA-bound nuclear receptors like SF-1, thereby extending the range of corepressor action.


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 2021-2037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc J. Martin ◽  
Nicolas Boucher ◽  
Catherine Brousseau ◽  
Jacques J. Tremblay

Abstract Cholesterol transport in the mitochondrial membrane, an essential step of steroid biosynthesis, is mediated by a protein complex containing the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein. The importance of this transporter is underscored by mutations in the human StAR gene that cause lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia, male pseudohermaphroditism, and adrenal insufficiency. StAR transcription in steroidogenic cells is hormonally regulated and involves several transcription factors. The nuclear receptor NUR77 is present in steroidogenic cells, and its expression is induced by hormones known to activate StAR expression. We have now established that StAR transcription in cAMP-stimulated Leydig cells requires de novo protein synthesis and involves NUR77. We found that cAMP-induced NUR77 expression precedes that of StAR both at the mRNA and protein levels in Leydig cells. In these cells, small interfering RNA-mediated NUR77 knockdown reduces cAMP-induced StAR expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed a cAMP-dependent increase in NUR77 recruitment to the proximal StAR promoter, whereas transient transfections in MA-10 Leydig cells confirmed that NUR77 can activate the StAR promoter and that this requires an element located at −95 bp. cAMP-induced StAR and NUR77 expression in Leydig cells was found to require a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)-dependent signaling pathway. Consistent with this, we show that within the testis, CaMKI is specifically expressed in Leydig cells. Finally, we report that CaMKI transcriptionally cooperates with NUR77, but not steroidogenic factor 1, to further enhance StAR promoter activity in Leydig cells. All together, our results implicate NUR77 as a mediator of cAMP action on StAR transcription in steroidogenic Leydig cells and identify a role for CaMKI in this process.


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