scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms of Renal Progenitor Regulation: How Many Pieces in the Puzzle?

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Anna Julie Peired ◽  
Maria Elena Melica ◽  
Alice Molli ◽  
Cosimo Nardi ◽  
Paola Romagnani ◽  
...  

Kidneys of mice, rats and humans possess progenitors that maintain daily homeostasis and take part in endogenous regenerative processes following injury, owing to their capacity to proliferate and differentiate. In the glomerular and tubular compartments of the nephron, consistent studies demonstrated that well-characterized, distinct populations of progenitor cells, localized in the parietal epithelium of Bowman capsule and scattered in the proximal and distal tubules, could generate segment-specific cells in physiological conditions and following tissue injury. However, defective or abnormal regenerative responses of these progenitors can contribute to pathologic conditions. The molecular characteristics of renal progenitors have been extensively studied, revealing that numerous classical and evolutionarily conserved pathways, such as Notch or Wnt/β-catenin, play a major role in cell regulation. Others, such as retinoic acid, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, TLR2 (Toll-like receptor 2) and leptin, are also important in this process. In this review, we summarize the plethora of molecular mechanisms directing renal progenitor responses during homeostasis and following kidney injury. Finally, we will explore how single-cell RNA sequencing could bring the characterization of renal progenitors to the next level, while knowing their molecular signature is gaining relevance in the clinic.

Author(s):  
Anna Julie Peired ◽  
Maria Elena Melica ◽  
Alice Molli ◽  
Cosimo Nardi ◽  
Paola Romagnani ◽  
...  

Kidneys of mice, rats and humans possess progenitors that maintain daily homeostasis and take part in endogenous regenerative processes following injury, owing to their capacity to proliferate and differentiate. In the glomerular and tubular compartments of the nephron, consistent studies demonstrated that well-characterized, distinct populations of progenitor cells, localized in the parietal epithelium of Bowman capsule and scattered in the proximal and distal tubules, could generate segment-specific cells in physiological conditions and following tissue injury. However, defective or abnormal regenerative responses of these progenitors can contribute to pathologic conditions. The molecular characteristics of renal progenitors have been extensively studied, revealing that numerous classical and evolutionarily conserved pathways, such as Notch or Wnt/β-catenin, play a major role in cell regulation. Others, such as retinoic acid, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, TLR2 (Toll-Like Receptor 2) and leptin, are also important in this process. In this review, we summarize the plethora of molecular mechanisms directing renal progenitor responses during homeostasis and following kidney injury. Finally, we will explore how single cell RNA sequencing could bring the characterization of renal progenitors to the next level, while knowing their molecular signature is gaining relevance in the clinic.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Li ◽  
Shaogui Wang ◽  
Hong-Min Ni ◽  
Heqing Huang ◽  
Wen-Xing Ding

Autophagy is a genetically programmed, evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradation pathway involved in the trafficking of long-lived proteins and cellular organelles to the lysosome for degradation to maintain cellular homeostasis. Alcohol consumption leads to injury in various tissues and organs including liver, pancreas, heart, brain, and muscle. Emerging evidence suggests that autophagy is involved in alcohol-induced tissue injury. Autophagy serves as a cellular protective mechanism against alcohol-induced tissue injury in most tissues but could be detrimental in heart and muscle. This review summarizes current knowledge about the role of autophagy in alcohol-induced injury in different tissues/organs and its potential molecular mechanisms as well as possible therapeutic targets based on modulation of autophagy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (536) ◽  
pp. eaaw6003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Julie Peired ◽  
Giulia Antonelli ◽  
Maria Lucia Angelotti ◽  
Marco Allinovi ◽  
Francesco Guzzi ◽  
...  

Acute tissue injury causes DNA damage and repair processes involving increased cell mitosis and polyploidization, leading to cell function alterations that may potentially drive cancer development. Here, we show that acute kidney injury (AKI) increased the risk for papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) development and tumor relapse in humans as confirmed by data collected from several single-center and multicentric studies. Lineage tracing of tubular epithelial cells (TECs) after AKI induction and long-term follow-up in mice showed time-dependent onset of clonal papillary tumors in an adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Among AKI-related pathways, NOTCH1 overexpression in human pRCC associated with worse outcome and was specific for type 2 pRCC. Mice overexpressing NOTCH1 in TECs developed papillary adenomas and type 2 pRCCs, and AKI accelerated this process. Lineage tracing in mice identified single renal progenitors as the cell of origin of papillary tumors. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that human renal progenitor transcriptome showed similarities to PT1, the putative cell of origin of human pRCC. Furthermore, NOTCH1 overexpression in cultured human renal progenitor cells induced tumor-like 3D growth. Thus, AKI can drive tumorigenesis from local tissue progenitor cells. In particular, we find that AKI promotes the development of pRCC from single progenitors through a classical adenoma-carcinoma sequence.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrey Gandhi ◽  
Anika Witten ◽  
Federica deMajo ◽  
Martijn Gilbers ◽  
Jos Maessen ◽  
...  

AbstractCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. A deeper characterization of the regional transcription patterns within different heart chambers may aid to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the function of the heart as well as our ability to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we determined differentially expressed protein coding, long non-coding (lncRNA) and circular RNA (CircRNA) genes within various heart chambers across seven vertebrate species. We identified chamber specific genes, lncRNAs and pathways that are evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates. Further, we identified lncRNA homologs based on sequence, secondary structure, synteny and expressional conservation. Interestingly, most lncRNAs were found to be syntenically conserved. Various factors affect the co-expression patterns of transcripts including (i) genomic overlap, (ii) strandedness and (iii) transcript biotype. We also provide a catalogue of CircRNAs which are abundantly expressed across vertebrate hearts. Finally, we established a repository called EvoACTG (http://evoactg.uni-muenster.de/), which provides information about the conserved expression patterns for both PC genes and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the various heart chambers, and may serve as a community resource for investigators interested in the (patho)-physiology of CVD. We believe that this study will inform researchers working in the field of cardiovascular biology to explore the conserved yet intertwined nature of both coding and non-coding cardiac transcriptome across various popular model organisms in CVD research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Julie Peired ◽  
Marco Allinovi ◽  
Giulia Antonelli ◽  
Maria Lucia Angelotti ◽  
Francesco Guzzi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 2% of all cancers, with about 190,000 new cases per year worldwide. Risk factors for RCC include obesity, diabetes, hypertension and genetic factors, but the majority of cancers occur in apparent absence of clear risk factors. Acute tissue injury (AKI) causes DNA damage and repair processes involving increased cell mitosis and polyploidization, leading to cell function alterations that may potentially drive cancer development. We proposed to verify whether AKI plays a role in RCC development, and to identify the cellular origin of RCC. Method We used the following techniques: 1. observational, retrospective clinical trial to identify a possible association of AKI with RCC. 2. Experimental AKI induction in wild-type mice to study tumor development over 36 weeks. 3. Analysis of TCGA Research Network dataset on human papillary RCC (pRCC) molecular characterization, focusing on AKI-driven pathways. 4. Development of mouse models in which the intracellular domain of Notch 1 (NICD1), a molecule modulated during AKI, is expressed constitutively by all Pax8+ tubular epithelial cells (Pax8/NICD1) or only by Pax2+ renal progenitors (Pax2/NICD1) upon induction in adult mice. The mice were sacrificed at 36 weeks or 4 weeks after AKI. 5. Clonal analysis of tumoral lesions with Confetti reporter. 6. Examination of single cell RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data from pRCC patients. Results We observed that an AKI episode is a major risk factor for pRCC development and recurrence in patients. Wild-type mice subjected to AKI developed pRCC over time in an adenoma-carcinoma sequence, corroborating our human findings. Among AKI-related pathways, Notch1 overexpression in human pRCC associated with worse outcome, prompting us to generate Notch1-overexpressing mice. At 36 weeks o at 4 weeks following AKI, Pax8/NICD1 mice presented a significant decline of renal excretory function as well as type 2 pRCCs. Confetti lineage tracing showed that most of the pRCCs were monoclonal or biclonal, suggesting that they could originate from a local stem cell/progenitor population. Pax2/NICD1 mice presented type 2 pRCCs, and lineage tracing identified single Pax2+ tubular progenitors as the source of pRCCs. Single cell RNAseq analysis confirmed that the molecular signature of the pRCC cell of origin matched the one of human tubular progenitors. Conclusion This study expose the link between AKI and pRCC development in patients, with important clinical implications. In mice, AKI promotes long-term development of type 2 papillary tumors by activating the AKI-associated Notch1 pathway. Additionally, pRCC originates from clonal proliferation of renal progenitors in a classical adenoma-carcinoma sequence leading to invasive pRCC growth and metastatization in mice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gongping Sun ◽  
Xun Austin Ding ◽  
Yewubdar Argaw ◽  
Xiaoran Guo ◽  
Denise J. Montell

AbstractApoptosis is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved cell suicide program. During apoptosis, executioner caspase enzyme activation has been considered a point of no return. However, emerging evidence suggests that some cells can survive caspase activation following exposure to apoptosis-inducing stresses, raising questions as to the physiological significance and underlying molecular mechanisms of this unexpected phenomenon. Here, we show that, following severe tissue injury, Drosophila wing disc cells that survive executioner caspase activation contribute to tissue regeneration. Through RNAi screening, we identify akt1 and a previously uncharacterized Drosophila gene CG8108, which is homologous to the human gene CIZ1, as essential for survival from the executioner caspase activation. We also show that cells expressing activated oncogenes experience apoptotic caspase activation, and that Akt1 and dCIZ1 are required for their survival and overgrowth. Thus, survival following executioner caspase activation is a normal tissue repair mechanism usurped to promote oncogene-driven overgrowth.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 4941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Guzzi ◽  
Luigi Cirillo ◽  
Rosa Maria Roperto ◽  
Paola Romagnani ◽  
Elena Lazzeri

Increasing evidence has demonstrated the bidirectional link between acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) such that, in the clinical setting, the new concept of a unified syndrome has been proposed. The pathophysiological reasons, along with the cellular and molecular mechanisms, behind the ability of a single, acute, apparently self-limiting event to drive chronic kidney disease progression are yet to be explained. This acute injury could promote progression to chronic disease through different pathways involving the endothelium, the inflammatory response and the development of fibrosis. The interplay among endothelial cells, macrophages and other immune cells, pericytes and fibroblasts often converge in the tubular epithelial cells that play a central role. Recent evidence has strengthened this concept by demonstrating that injured tubules respond to acute tubular necrosis through two main mechanisms: The polyploidization of tubular cells and the proliferation of a small population of self-renewing renal progenitors. This alternative pathophysiological interpretation could better characterize functional recovery after AKI.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung-Eun Nam ◽  
Yiu Wing Sunny Cheung ◽  
Thanh Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Michael Gong ◽  
Samuel Chan ◽  
...  

AbstractPivotal to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved degradation system that involves sequestration of cytoplasmic material into the double-membrane autophagosome and targeting of this transport vesicle to the lysosome/late endosome for degradation. EPG5 is a large-sized metazoan protein proposed to serve as a tethering factor to enforce autophagosome–lysosome/late endosome fusion specificity, and its deficiency causes a severe multisystem disorder known as Vici syndrome. Here, we show that human EPG5 (hEPG5) adopts an extended “shepherd’s staff” architecture. We find that hEPG5 binds preferentially to members of the GABARAP subfamily of human ATG8 proteins critical to autophagosome–lysosome fusion. The hEPG5–GABARAPs interaction, which is mediated by tandem LIR motifs that exhibit differential affinities, is required for hEPG5 recruitment to mitochondria during PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Lastly, we find that the Vici syndrome mutation Gln336Arg does not affect the hEPG5’s overall stability nor its ability to engage in interaction with the GABARAPs. Collectively, results from our studies reveal new insights into how hEPG5 recognizes mature autophagosome and establish a platform for examining the molecular effects of Vici syndrome disease mutations on hEPG5.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian-Hao Zhu ◽  
Warwick Stiller ◽  
Philippe Moncuquet ◽  
Stuart Gordon ◽  
Yuman Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract Fiber mutants are unique and valuable resources for understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling initiation and development of cotton fibers that are extremely elongated single epidermal cells protruding from the seed coat of cottonseeds. In this study, we reported a new fuzzless-tufted cotton mutant (Gossypium hirsutum) and showed that fuzzless-tufted near-isogenic lines (NILs) had similar agronomic traits and a higher ginning efficiency compared to their recurrent parents with normal fuzzy seeds. Genetic analysis revealed that the mutant phenotype is determined by a single incomplete dominant locus, designated N5. The mutation was fine mapped to an approximately 250-kb interval containing 33 annotated genes using a combination of bulked segregant sequencing, SNP chip genotyping, and fine mapping. Comparative transcriptomic analysis using 0–6 days post-anthesis (dpa) ovules from NILs segregating for the phenotypes of fuzzless-tufted (mutant) and normal fuzzy cottonseeds (wild-type) uncovered candidate genes responsible for the mutant phenotype. It also revealed that the flanking region of the N5 locus is enriched with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mutant and wild-type. Several of those DEGs are members of the gene families with demonstrated roles in cell initiation and elongation, such as calcium-dependent protein kinase and expansin. The transcriptome landscape of the mutant was significantly reprogrammed in the 6 dpa ovules and, to a less extent, in the 0 dpa ovules, but not in the 2 and 4 dpa ovules. At both 0 and 6 dpa, the reprogrammed mutant transcriptome was mainly associated with cell wall modifications and transmembrane transportation, while transcription factor activity was significantly altered in the 6 dpa mutant ovules. These results imply a similar molecular basis for initiation of lint and fuzz fibers despite certain differences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4209
Author(s):  
Karolina Kot ◽  
Natalia Łanocha-Arendarczyk ◽  
Michał Ptak ◽  
Aleksandra Łanocha ◽  
Elżbieta Kalisińska ◽  
...  

Leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, and acanthamoebiasis are protozoan parasitic infections. They remain important contributors to the development of kidney disease, which is associated with increased patients’ morbidity and mortality. Kidney injury mechanisms are not fully understood in protozoan parasitic diseases, bringing major difficulties to specific therapeutic interventions. The aim of this review is to present the biochemical and molecular mechanisms in kidneys infected with Leishmania spp., Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Acanthamoeba spp. We present available mechanisms of an immune response, oxidative stress, apoptosis process, hypoxia, biomarkers of renal injury in the serum or urine, and the histopathological changes of kidneys infected with the selected parasites. Pathomechanisms of Leishmania spp. and Plasmodium spp. infections have been deeply investigated, while Toxoplasma gondii and Acanthamoeba spp. infections in the kidneys are not well known yet. Deeper knowledge of kidney involvement in leishmaniasis and malaria by presenting their mechanisms provides insight into how to create novel and effective treatments. Additionally, the presented work shows gaps in the pathophysiology of renal toxoplasmosis and acanthamoebiasis, which need further research.


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