Effects of SEL-12 presenilin on LIN-12 localization and function in Caenorhabditis elegans

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (18) ◽  
pp. 3599-3606 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Levitan ◽  
I. Greenwald
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Protein Activity ◽  
App Processing ◽  
Notch Activity ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Vulval Precursor Cells ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
And Function

Presenilins have been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and in facilitating LIN-12/Notch activity. Here, we use genetic methods to explore the relationship between C. elegans LIN-12 and SEL-12 presenilin. Reducing sel-12 activity can suppress the effects of elevated lin-12 activity when LIN-12 is activated by missense mutations but not when LIN-12 is activated by removal of the extracellular and transmembrane domains. These results suggest that SEL-12 does not function downstream of activated LIN-12. An active SEL-12::GFP hybrid protein accumulates in the perinuclear region of the vulval precursor cells (VPCs) of living hermaphrodites, consistent with a localization in endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi membranes; when sel-12 activity is reduced, less LIN-12 protein accumulates in the plasma membranes of the VPCs. Together with the genetic interactions between lin-12 and sel-12, these observations suggest a role for SEL-12 in LIN-12 processing or trafficking. However, SEL-12 does not appear to be a general factor that influences membrane protein activity, since reducing sel-12 activity does not suppress or enhance hypomorphic mutations in other genes encoding membrane proteins. We discuss potential parallels for the role of SEL-12/presenilin in facilitating LIN-12/Notch activity and in amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing.

scholarly journals Extracellular matrix regulates morphogenesis and function of ciliated sensory organs in Caenorhabditis elegans

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna M. De Vore ◽  
Karla M. Knobel ◽  
Ken C.Q. Nguyen ◽  
David H. Hall ◽  
Maureen M. Barr
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Dendritic Morphology ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney ◽  
Signaling Organelles ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACTCilia and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are signaling organelles that play important roles in human health and disease. In C. elegans and mammals, the Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) gene products polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 localize to both cilia and EVs, act in the same genetic pathway, and function in a sensory capacity, suggesting ancient conservation. Hence, the nematode offers an excellent system in which to address central questions regarding the biology of cilia, EVs, and the polycystins. We discovered an unexpected role of the mec-1, mec-5, and mec-9 genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) components. We determined that these ECM encoding genes regulate polycystin localization and function, ciliary EV release, cilia length, dendritic morphology, and neuron-glia interactions. Abnormal ECM and fibrosis are observed in ciliopathies such as ADPKD, nephronophthisis, and Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. Our studies reveal multifaceted roles for ECM proteins in the ciliated nervous system of the worm and provide a powerful new in vivo model to study the relationship between ECM, the polycystins, and ciliopathies.

scholarly journals Alterations in ZnT1 expression and function lead to impaired intracellular zinc homeostasis in cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Israel Lehvy ◽  
Guy Horev ◽  
Yarden Golan ◽  
Fabian Glaser ◽  
Yael Shammai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Zinc Homeostasis ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Protein Alignment ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Intracellular Zinc ◽  
Dismal Prognosis ◽  
Zinc Levels ◽  
And Function

Abstract Zinc is vital for the structure and function of ~3000 human proteins and hence plays key physiological roles. Consequently, impaired zinc homeostasis is associated with various human diseases including cancer. Intracellular zinc levels are tightly regulated by two families of zinc transporters: ZIPs and ZnTs; ZIPs import zinc into the cytosol from the extracellular milieu, or from the lumen of organelles into the cytoplasm. In contrast, the vast majority of ZnTs compartmentalize zinc within organelles, whereas the ubiquitously expressed ZnT1 is the sole zinc exporter. Herein, we explored the hypothesis that qualitative and quantitative alterations in ZnT1 activity impair cellular zinc homeostasis in cancer. Towards this end, we first used bioinformatics to analyze inactivating mutations in ZIPs and ZNTs, catalogued in the COSMIC and gnomAD databases, representing tumor specimens and healthy population controls, respectively. ZnT1, ZnT10, ZIP8, and ZIP10 showed extremely high rates of loss of function mutations in cancer as compared to healthy controls. Analysis of the putative functional impact of missense mutations in ZnT1-ZnT10 and ZIP1-ZIP14, using homologous protein alignment and structural predictions, revealed that ZnT1 displays a markedly increased frequency of predicted functionally deleterious mutations in malignant tumors, as compared to a healthy population. Furthermore, examination of ZnT1 expression in 30 cancer types in the TCGA database revealed five tumor types with significant ZnT1 overexpression, which predicted dismal prognosis for cancer patient survival. Novel functional zinc transport assays, which allowed for the indirect measurement of cytosolic zinc levels, established that wild type ZnT1 overexpression results in low intracellular zinc levels. In contrast, overexpression of predicted deleterious ZnT1 missense mutations did not reduce intracellular zinc levels, validating eight missense mutations as loss of function (LoF) mutations. Thus, alterations in ZnT1 expression and LoF mutations in ZnT1 provide a molecular mechanism for impaired zinc homeostasis in cancer formation and/or progression.

scholarly journals The NALCN Channel Regulator UNC-80 Functions in a Subset of Interneurons To Regulate Caenorhabditis elegans Reversal Behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanman Zhou ◽  
Jintao Luo ◽  
Xiaohui He ◽  
Qian Zhou ◽  
Yunxia He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Hormone ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Complex Functions ◽  
And Function ◽  
Multiple Loss

NALCN (Na+leak channel, non-selective) is a conserved, voltage-insensitive cation channel that regulates resting membrane potential and neuronal excitability. UNC79 and UNC80 are key regulators of the channel function. However, the behavioral effects of the channel complex are not entirely clear and the neurons in which the channel functions remain to be identified. In a forward genetic screen for C. elegans mutants with defective avoidance response to the plant hormone methyl salicylate (MeSa), we isolated multiple loss-of-function mutations in unc-80 and unc-79. C. elegans NALCN mutants exhibited similarly defective MeSa avoidance. Interestingly, NALCN, unc-80 and unc-79 mutants all showed wild type-like responses to other attractive or repelling odorants, suggesting that NALCN does not broadly affect odor detection or related forward and reversal behaviors. To understand in which neurons the channel functions, we determined the identities of a subset of unc-80-expressing neurons. We found that unc-79 and unc-80 are expressed and function in overlapping neurons, which verified previous assumptions. Neuron-specific transgene rescue and knockdown experiments suggest that the command interneurons AVA and AVE and the anterior guidepost neuron AVG can play a sufficient role in mediating unc-80 regulation of the MeSa avoidance. Though primarily based on genetic analyses, our results further imply that MeSa might activate NALCN by direct or indirect actions. Altogether, we provide an initial look into the key neurons in which the NALCN channel complex functions and identify a novel function of the channel in regulating C. elegans reversal behavior through command interneurons.

scholarly journals Mice with cleavage-resistant N-cadherin exhibit synapse anomaly in the hippocampus and outperformance in spatial learning tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Asada-Utsugi ◽  
K. Uemura ◽  
M. Kubota ◽  
Y. Noda ◽  
Y. Tashiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Function ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Glutamatergic Synapses ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Nmdar Activation ◽  
And Function

AbstractN-cadherin is a homophilic cell adhesion molecule that stabilizes excitatory synapses, by connecting pre- and post-synaptic termini. Upon NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activation by glutamate, membrane-proximal domains of N-cadherin are cleaved serially by a-disintegrin-and-metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) and then presenilin 1(PS1, catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase complex). To assess the physiological significance of the initial N-cadherin cleavage, we engineer the mouse genome to create a knock-in allele with tandem missense mutations in the mouse N-cadherin/Cadherin-2 gene (Cdh2R714G, I715D, or GD) that confers resistance on proteolysis by ADAM10 (GD mice). GD mice showed a better performance in the radial maze test, with significantly less revisiting errors after intervals of 30 and 300 s than WT, and a tendency for enhanced freezing in fear conditioning. Interestingly, GD mice reveal higher complexity in the tufts of thorny excrescence in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Fine morphometry with serial section transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction reveals significantly higher synaptic density, significantly smaller PSD area, and normal dendritic spine volume in GD mice. This knock-in mouse has provided in vivo evidence that ADAM10-mediated cleavage is a critical step in N-cadherin shedding and degradation and involved in the structure and function of glutamatergic synapses, which affect the memory function.

scholarly journals C. elegans germ granules require both assembly and localized regulators for mRNA repression

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Takeo Aoki ◽  
Tina R. Lynch ◽  
Sarah L. Crittenden ◽  
Craig A. Bingman ◽  
Marvin Wickens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Droplet ◽  
Scaffolding Protein ◽  
P Granules ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Cytoplasmic Rna ◽  
And Function ◽  
Rnp Granules ◽  
Key Residues ◽  
Reporter Mrna

AbstractCytoplasmic RNA–protein (RNP) granules have diverse biophysical properties, from liquid to solid, and play enigmatic roles in RNA metabolism. Nematode P granules are paradigmatic liquid droplet granules and central to germ cell development. Here we analyze a key P granule scaffolding protein, PGL-1, to investigate the functional relationship between P granule assembly and function. Using a protein–RNA tethering assay, we find that reporter mRNA expression is repressed when recruited to PGL-1. We determine the crystal structure of the PGL-1 N-terminal region to 1.5 Å, discover its dimerization, and identify key residues at the dimer interface. Mutations of those interface residues prevent P granule assembly in vivo, de-repress PGL-1 tethered mRNA, and reduce fertility. Therefore, PGL-1 dimerization lies at the heart of both P granule assembly and function. Finally, we identify the P granule-associated Argonaute WAGO-1 as crucial for repression of PGL-1 tethered mRNA. We conclude that P granule function requires both assembly and localized regulators.

A Family of Genes Clustered at the Triplo-lethal Locus of Drosophila melanogaster Has an Unusual Evolutionary History and Significant Synteny With Anopheles gambiae

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 613-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas R Dorer ◽  
Jamie A Rudnick ◽  
Etsuko N Moriyama ◽  
Alan C Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Codon Bias ◽  
Good Target ◽  
The Family ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
And Function ◽  
Gambiae Genome

Abstract Within the unique Triplo-lethal region (Tpl) of the Drosophila melanogaster genome we have found a cluster of 20 genes encoding a novel family of proteins. This family is also present in the Anopheles gambiae genome and displays remarkable synteny and sequence conservation with the Drosophila cluster. The family is also present in the sequenced genome of D. pseudoobscura, and homologs have been found in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and in four other insect orders, but it is not present in the sequenced genome of any noninsect species. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the cluster evolved prior to the divergence of Drosophila and Anopheles (250 MYA) and has been highly conserved since. The ratio of synonymous to nonsynonymous substitutions and the high codon bias suggest that there has been selection on this family both for expression level and function. We hypothesize that this gene family is Tpl, name it the Osiris family, and consider possible functions. We also predict that this family of proteins, due to the unique dosage sensitivity and the lack of homologs in noninsect species, would be a good target for genetic engineering or novel insecticides.

scholarly journals Prediction of Functional Consequences of Missense Mutations in ANO4 Gene

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2732
Author(s):  
Nadine Reichhart ◽  
Vladimir M. Milenkovic ◽  
Christian H. Wetzel ◽  
Olaf Strauß
Keyword(s):  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

The anoctamin (TMEM16) family of transmembrane protein consists of ten members in vertebrates, which act as Ca2+-dependent ion channels and/or Ca2+-dependent scramblases. ANO4 which is primarily expressed in the CNS and certain endocrine glands, has been associated with various neuronal disorders. Therefore, we focused our study on prioritizing missense mutations that are assumed to alter the structure and stability of ANO4 protein. We employed a wide array of evolution and structure based in silico prediction methods to identify potentially deleterious missense mutations in the ANO4 gene. Identified pathogenic mutations were then mapped to the modeled human ANO4 structure and the effects of missense mutations were studied on the atomic level using molecular dynamics simulations. Our data show that the G80A and A500T mutations significantly alter the stability of the mutant proteins, thus providing new perspective on the role of missense mutations in ANO4 gene. Results obtained in this study may help to identify disease associated mutations which affect ANO4 protein structure and function and might facilitate future functional characterization of ANO4.

scholarly journals Spine impairment in mice high-expressing neuregulin 1 due to LIMK1 activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Chen ◽  
Hongyang Jing ◽  
Mingtao Xiong ◽  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Dong Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Development ◽  
Protein Level ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Spine Density ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Function

AbstractThe genes encoding for neuregulin1 (NRG1), a growth factor, and its receptor ErbB4 are both risk factors of major depression disorder and schizophrenia (SZ). They have been implicated in neural development and synaptic plasticity. However, exactly how NRG1 variations lead to SZ remains unclear. Indeed, NRG1 levels are increased in postmortem brain tissues of patients with brain disorders. Here, we studied the effects of high-level NRG1 on dendritic spine development and function. We showed that spine density in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was reduced in mice (ctoNrg1) that overexpressed NRG1 in neurons. The frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) was reduced in both brain regions of ctoNrg1 mice. High expression of NRG1 activated LIMK1 and increased cofilin phosphorylation in postsynaptic densities. Spine reduction was attenuated by inhibiting LIMK1 or blocking the NRG1–LIMK1 interaction, or by restoring NRG1 protein level. These results indicate that a normal NRG1 protein level is necessary for spine homeostasis and suggest a pathophysiological mechanism of abnormal spines in relevant brain disorders.

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