TCF: Lady Justice Casting the Final Verdict on the Outcome of Wnt Signalling

2002 ◽  
Vol 383 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Brantjes ◽  
N. Barker ◽  
J. van Es ◽  
H. Clevers
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Wnt Signalling ◽  
Early Event ◽  
Embryonic Patterning ◽  
Repressor Proteins ◽  
Downstream Effectors ◽  
Signalling Cascade

Abstract The Wnt signalling cascade plays an important role during embryonic patterning and cell fate determination and is highly conserved throughout evolution. Factors of the TCF/LEF HMG domain family (Tcfs) are the downstream effectors of this signal transduction pathway. Upon Wnt signalling, a cascade is initiated that results in the translocation of βcatenin to the nucleus, where it interacts with Tcf to generate a transcriptionally active complex. This bipartite transcription factor is targeted to the upstream regulatory regions of Tcf target genes. In the absence of Wnt signals, βcatenin is degraded in the cytoplasm via the ubiquitinproteasome pathway. Several proteins are instrumental in achieving this tight regulation of βcatenin levels in the cell, including adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), GSK3 β, and Axin/Conductin. Deregulation of the Wnt signalling pathway is implicated in several forms of cancer, such as colon carcinoma and melanoma. This deregulation is achieved via mutation of APC, βcatenin or Axin, resulting in elevated βcatenin levels and the presence of constitutively active Tcfβcatenin complexes in the nucleus. The accompanying inappropriate activation of target genes is considered to be a critical, early event in this carcinogenesis. In addition to regulating βcatenin levels, normal healthy cells have evolved a second level of regulation, by manipulating the activity of the Tcf proteins themselves. In the absence of Wnt signalling, Tcf complexes with several transcriptional repressor proteins ensuring active repression of Tcf target genes. In this review the dual role of Tcf proteins in the Wnt signalling cascade will be discussed.

Cross-regulation of the Wnt signalling pathway: a role of MAP kinases

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Behrens
Keyword(s):  
Map Kinase ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Map Kinases ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Wnt Signalling ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Fate Decision ◽  
Wnt Signal

The Wnt signal transduction pathway regulates various aspects of embryonal development and is involved in cancer formation. Wnts induce the stabilisation of cytosolic (beta)-catenin, which then associates with TCF transcription factors to regulate expression of Wnt-target genes. At various levels the Wnt pathway is subject to cross-regulation by other components. Recent evidence suggests that a specific MAP kinase pathway involving the MAP kinase kinase kinase TAK1 and the MAP kinase NLK counteract Wnt signalling. In particular, homologues of TAK1 and NLK, MOM-4 and LIT-1, negatively regulate Wnt-controlled cell fate decision in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Moreover, TAK1 activates NLK, which phosphorylates TCFs bound to (beta)-catenin. This blocks nuclear localization and DNA binding of TCFs. Since TAK1 is activated by TGF-(beta) and various cytokines, it might provide an entry point for regulation of the Wnt system by other pathways. In addition, alterations in TAK1-NLK might play a role in cancer.

Notch restricts lymphatic vessel sprouting induced by vascular endothelial growth factor

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1154-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Tuomas Tammela ◽  
Masahiro Yamamoto ◽  
Andrey Anisimov ◽  
Tanja Holopainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Notch Pathway ◽  
Lymphatic Vessels ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Fibrin Gel ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

Abstract Notch signaling plays a central role in cell-fate determination, and its role in lateral inhibition in angiogenic sprouting is well established. However, the role of Notch signaling in lymphangiogenesis, the growth of lymphatic vessels, is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate Notch pathway activity in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), as well as induction of delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4) and Notch target genes on stimulation with VEGF or VEGF-C. Suppression of Notch signaling by a soluble form of Dll4 (Dll4-Fc) synergized with VEGF in inducing LEC sprouting in 3-dimensional (3D) fibrin gel assays. Expression of Dll4-Fc in adult mouse ears promoted lymphangiogenesis, which was augmented by coexpressing VEGF. Lymphangiogenesis triggered by Notch inhibition was suppressed by a monoclonal VEGFR-2 Ab as well as soluble VEGF and VEGF-C/VEGF-D ligand traps. LECs transduced with Dll4 preferentially adopted the tip cell position over nontransduced cells in 3D sprouting assays, suggesting an analogous role for Dll4/Notch in lymphatic and blood vessel sprouting. These results indicate that the Notch pathway controls lymphatic endothelial quiescence, and explain why LECs are poorly responsive to VEGF compared with VEGF-C. Understanding the role of the Notch pathway in lymphangiogenesis provides further insight for the therapeutic manipulation of the lymphatic vessels.

scholarly journals Jagged–Delta asymmetry in Notch signaling can give rise to a Sender/Receiver hybrid phenotype

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. E402-E409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Boareto ◽  
Mohit Kumar Jolly ◽  
Mingyang Lu ◽  
José N. Onuchic ◽  
Cecilia Clementi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Tumor Stroma ◽  
Notch Receptor ◽  
Toggle Switch ◽  
Cell Fate Determination ◽  
Asymmetric Effect ◽  
Fate Determination

Notch signaling pathway mediates cell-fate determination during embryonic development, wound healing, and tumorigenesis. This pathway is activated when the ligand Delta or the ligand Jagged of one cell interacts with the Notch receptor of its neighboring cell, releasing the Notch Intracellular Domain (NICD) that activates many downstream target genes. NICD affects ligand production asymmetrically––it represses Delta, but activates Jagged. Although the dynamical role of Notch–Jagged signaling remains elusive, it is widely recognized that Notch–Delta signaling behaves as an intercellular toggle switch, giving rise to two distinct fates that neighboring cells adopt––Sender (high ligand, low receptor) and Receiver (low ligand, high receptor). Here, we devise a specific theoretical framework that incorporates both Delta and Jagged in Notch signaling circuit to explore the functional role of Jagged in cell-fate determination. We find that the asymmetric effect of NICD renders the circuit to behave as a three-way switch, giving rise to an additional state––a hybrid Sender/Receiver (medium ligand, medium receptor). This phenotype allows neighboring cells to both send and receive signals, thereby attaining similar fates. We also show that due to the asymmetric effect of the glycosyltransferase Fringe, different outcomes are generated depending on which ligand is dominant: Delta-mediated signaling drives neighboring cells to have an opposite fate; Jagged-mediated signaling drives the cell to maintain a similar fate to that of its neighbor. We elucidate the role of Jagged in cell-fate determination and discuss its possible implications in understanding tumor–stroma cross-talk, which frequently entails Notch–Jagged communication.

scholarly journals 436. Investigation of the role of SRC in capacitation associated tyrosine phosphorylation of human spermatozoa

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
L. A. Mitchell ◽  
B. Nixon ◽  
M. A. Baker ◽  
R. J. Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Human Sperm ◽  
Complex Signal ◽  
Phosphorylation Cascade ◽  
A Site ◽  
Signalling Cascade ◽  
Mammalian Spermatozoa

Capacitation is a pre-requisite for mammalian spermatozoa allowing them to gain the ability to fertilise an oocyte. A fundamental part of this mechanism is a dramatic increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. Implicated in this process in the mouse is a unique cAMP/PKA-mediated pathway involving a PKA-activated tyrosine kinase suggested to be pp60c-src (SRC). The Src kinases examined were predominantly expressed in the human sperm tail, a site compatible with a role in mediating the capacitation-associated tyrosine phosphorylation cascade. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that PKA-c could be isolated from sperm and this interaction was restricted to capacitated cells, suggesting PKA-mediated activation of SRC forms an integral part of the signalling cascade assembled during capacitation. Upon activation, SRC undergoes autophosphorylation of Y416 and thus phosphorylation of this residue indicates the presence of active SRC kinase. The phosphorylation status of SRC was compared using both 2D-immunoblotting and immunocytochemical studies, both revealing a significant increase in SRC activation during capacitation. Furthermore, suppression of PKA and SRC through application of SU6656, or H89, a PKA inhibitor, led to a dramatic decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation and SRC activity. In conclusion, this study has provided evidence for the involvement of non-receptor tyrosine kinase, SRC, in regulating tyrosine phosphorylation associated with capacitation. Inhibition of SRC did not completely suppress tyrosine phosphorylation suggesting this complex signal transduction pathway exhibits a degree of functional redundancy.

scholarly journals O-GlcNAc Homeostasis Controls Cell Fate Decisions During Hematopoiesis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhang ◽  
Matt P. Parker ◽  
Stefan Graw ◽  
Lesya V. Novikova ◽  
Halyna Fedosyuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Leukemia Cells ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
All Trans Retinoic Acid ◽  
Glcnac Transferase

AbstractThe addition of O-GlcNAc (a single β-D-N-acetylglucosamine sugar at serine and threonine residues) by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and removal by O-GlcNAcase (OGA) maintains homeostatic levels of O-GlcNAc. We investigated the role of O-GlcNAc homeostasis in hematopoiesis utilizing G1E-ER4 cells carrying a GATA-1 transcription factor fused to the estrogen receptor (GATA-1ER) that undergo erythropoiesis following the addition of β-estradiol (E2) and myeloid leukemia cells that differentiate into neutrophils in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid. During G1E-ER4 differentiation, a decrease in overall O-GlcNAc levels and an increase in GATA-1 interactions with OGT and OGA were observed. Transcriptome analysis on G1E-ER4 cells differentiated in the presence of Thiamet-G (TMG), an OGA inhibitor, identified expression changes in 433 GATA-1 target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that the occupancy of GATA-1, OGT, and OGA atLaptm5gene GATA site was decreased with TMG. Myeloid leukemia cells showed a decline in O-GlcNAc levels during differentiation and TMG reduced the expression of genes involved in differentiation. Sustained treatment with TMG in G1E-ER4 cells prior to differentiation caused a reduction of hemoglobin positive cells during differentiation. Our results show that alterations in O-GlcNAc homeostasis disrupt transcriptional programs causing differentiation errors suggesting a vital role of O-GlcNAcylation in control of cell fate.

The transcription factor Schnurri plays a dual role in mediating Dpp signaling during embryogenesis

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (9) ◽  
pp. 1657-1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Torres-Vazquez ◽  
S. Park ◽  
R. Warrior ◽  
K. Arora
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Embryonic Patterning ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
Positive Input ◽  
Affect Gene Expression

Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a homolog of vertebrate bone morphogenic protein 2/4, is crucial for embryonic patterning and cell fate specification in Drosophila. Dpp signaling triggers nuclear accumulation of the Smads Mad and Medea, which affect gene expression through two distinct mechanisms: direct activation of target genes and relief of repression by the nuclear protein Brinker (Brk). The zinc-finger transcription factor Schnurri (Shn) has been implicated as a co-factor for Mad, based on its DNA-binding ability and evidence of signaling dependent interactions between the two proteins. A key question is whether Shn contributes to both repression of brk as well as to activation of target genes. We find that during embryogenesis, brk expression is derepressed in shn mutants. However, while Mad is essential for Dpp-mediated repression of brk, the requirement for shn is stage specific. Analysis of brk; shn double mutants reveals that upregulation of brk does not account for all aspects of the shn mutant phenotype. Several Dpp target genes are expressed at intermediate levels in double mutant embryos, demonstrating that shn also provides a brk-independent positive input to gene activation. We find that Shn-mediated relief of brk repression establishes broad domains of gene activation, while the brk-independent input from Shn is crucial for defining the precise limits and levels of Dpp target gene expression in the embryo.

scholarly journals Targeted Disruption of Lats1 and Lats2 in Mice Impairs Adrenal Cortex Development and Alters Adrenocortical Cell Fate

Endocrinology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 161 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Ménard ◽  
Nour Abou Nader ◽  
Adrien Levasseur ◽  
Guillaume St-Jean ◽  
Marie Le Gad-Le Roy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Hippo Signaling ◽  
Adrenocortical Cell ◽  
Adrenocortical Cells ◽  
Large Tumor ◽  
Marked Accumulation ◽  
Steroidogenic Cells

Abstract It has recently been shown that the loss of the Hippo signaling effectors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in adrenocortical steroidogenic cells impairs the postnatal maintenance of the adrenal gland. To further explore the role of Hippo signaling in mouse adrenocortical cells, we conditionally deleted the key Hippo kinases large tumor suppressor homolog kinases 1 and -2 (Lats1 and Lats2, two kinases that antagonize YAP and TAZ transcriptional co-regulatory activity) in steroidogenic cells using an Nr5a1-cre strain (Lats1flox/flox;Lats2flox/flox;Nr5a1-cre). We report here that developing adrenocortical cells adopt characteristics of myofibroblasts in both male and female Lats1flox/flox;Lats2flox/flox;Nr5a1-cre mice, resulting in a loss of steroidogenic gene expression, adrenal failure and death by 2 to 3 weeks of age. A marked accumulation of YAP and TAZ in the nuclei of the myofibroblast-like cell population with an accompanying increase in the expression of their transcriptional target genes in the adrenal glands of Lats1flox/flox;Lats2flox/flox;Nr5a1-cre animals suggested that the myofibroblastic differentiation could be attributed in part to YAP and TAZ. Taken together, our results suggest that Hippo signaling is required to maintain proper adrenocortical cell differentiation and suppresses their differentiation into myofibroblast-like cells.

scholarly journals Signal transduction by the Wnt family of ligands

1998 ◽  
Vol 329 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Trevor DALE
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Wnt Signalling ◽  
Intracellular Signalling Pathway ◽  
Mediate Cell

The Wnt genes encode a large family of secreted polypeptides that mediate cell-cell communication in diverse developmental processes. The loss or inappropriate activation of Wnt expression has been shown to alter cell fate, morphogenesis and mitogenesis. Recent progress has identified Wnt receptors and components of an intracellular signalling pathway that mediate Wnt-dependent transcription. This review will highlight this ‘core’ Wnt signal-transduction pathway, but also aims to reveal the potential diversity of Wnt signalling targets. Particular attention will be paid to the overlap between developmental biology and oncogenesis, since recent progress shows Wnt signalling forms a paradigm for an interdisciplinary approach.

scholarly journals CSIG-20. L3MBTL3 SUPPRESSES MEDULLOBLASTOMA TUMORIGENESIS THROUGH MODULATION OF THE NOTCH/RBPJ SIGNALING PATHWAY

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii32-ii32
Author(s):  
Honglai Zhang ◽  
Tao Xu ◽  
Claire Peabody ◽  
Ester Calvo Fernández ◽  
Rashmi Budhathoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Analysis ◽  
Tumor Suppressor ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Rna Seq

Abstract The NOTCH/RBPJ pathway governs cell proliferation in many biological contexts, including SHH and Group#3medulloblastoma (MB) tumorigenesis. Using our proteomic platform, we discovered an interaction between RBPJ, a key co-factor of NOTCH for the modulation of the NOTCH/RBPJ signaling pathway, and L3MBTL3, a methyllysine reader. L3MBTL3 is recruited by RBPJ on chromatin at the enhancers of NOTCH/RBPJ target genes to repress their expression. Deletions of the L3MBTL3 locus are observed in patients with WNT and Group#3 MB and expression of L3MBTL3 in the SHH MB-derived cell DAOY inhibits cell growth, suggesting a putative tumor suppressor role for L3MBTL3 in MB. To further investigate the putative role of L3MBTL3 as a suppressor of MB tumorigenesis, we used our novel L3mbtl3 KO mouse in combination with a genetically engineered ND2:SmoA1 mouse model of SHH MB in a survival analysis. Furthermore, to identify the biological processes regulated by L3mbtl3 in MB, we analyzed by RNA-seq the transcriptome of L3mbtl3 KO mouse cerebella. Our survival analysis validated in vivo our hypothesis that L3mbtl3 is a tumor suppressor in this disease context. Indeed, our data show that [ND2:SmoA1; L3mbtl3+/-] mice have a significantly lower survival rate than ND2:SmoA1 mice (P = 0.032; Log-rank test). Moreover, our RNA-seq studies showed that L3MBTL3 regulates cell fate in the cerebellum via modulation the NOTCH/RBPJ signaling pathway. Hence, the RBPJ-L3MBTL3 interaction is at the heart of a molecular mechanism governing the repression of NOTCH/RBPJ target genes and malfunction of this molecular mechanism contributes to L3MBTL3’s tumor suppressor role in MB through aberrant “de-repression” of NOTCH/RBPJ target genes. Our discovery provides insights into the tumor suppressor role of the L3MBTL3 in MB that could be harnessed in the future for the therapeutic benefit of patients with MB.

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