scholarly journals Functional Roles of FGF Signaling in Early Development of Vertebrate Embryos

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2148
Author(s):  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
Ravi Shankar Goutam ◽  
Soochul Park ◽  
Unjoo Lee ◽  
Jaebong Kim

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a large family of growth factors, regulating diverse biological processes including cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Each FGF binds to a set of FGF receptors to initiate certain intracellular signaling molecules. Accumulated evidence suggests that in early development and adult state of vertebrates, FGFs also play exclusive and context dependent roles. Although FGFs have been the focus of research for therapeutic approaches in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome, in this review, we mainly focused on their role in germ layer specification and axis patterning during early vertebrate embryogenesis. We discussed the functional roles of FGFs and their interacting partners as part of the gene regulatory network for germ layer specification, dorsal–ventral (DV), and anterior-posterior (AP) patterning. Finally, we briefly reviewed the regulatory molecules and pharmacological agents discovered that may allow modulation of FGF signaling in research.

Physiology ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Rozengurt ◽  
SS Ober

Mitogenic agents such as polypeptide growth factors, regulatory peptides, hormones, and pharmacological agents produce a variety of early intracellular signaling events in quiescent fibroblast cell systems. The nature of these initial events is discussed in connection with the evidence for their synergistic roles in the cellular mitogenic response.


1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (S 01) ◽  
pp. 32-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karlheinz Peter ◽  
Wolfgang Kübler ◽  
Johannes Ruef ◽  
Thomas K. Nordt ◽  
Marschall S. Runge ◽  
...  

SummaryThe initiating event of atherogenesis is thought to be an injury to the vessel wall resulting in endothelial dysfunction. This is followed by key features of atherosclerotic plaque formation such as inflammatory responses, cell proliferation and remodeling of the vasculature, finally leading to vascular lesion formation, plaque rupture, thrombosis and tissue infarction. A causative relationship exists between these events and oxidative stress in the vessel wall. Besides leukocytes, vascular cells are a potent source of oxygen-derived free radicals. Oxidants exert mitogenic effects that are partially mediated through generation of growth factors. Mitogens, on the other hand, are potent stimulators of oxidant generation, indicating a putative self-perpetuating mechanism of atherogenesis. Oxidants influence the balance of the coagulation system towards platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. Therapeutic approaches by means of antioxidants are promising in both experimental and clinical designs. However, additional clinical trials are necessary to assess the role of antioxidants in cardiovascular disease.


Author(s):  
Leslie Iversen

The endocannabinoids are part of a large family of lipid signaling molecules derived from arachidonic acid, including the prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are important mediators of inflammation. Far less is known about the newer members of the endocannabinoid group, and it remains unclear whether they all play important functional roles. This chapter reviews the multiple members of this family and their biosynthesis and inactivation. Physiological functions, including retrograde synaptic signaling, control of energy metabolism, regulation of pain sensitivity, and cardiovascular control, are discussed. In addition, the chapter reports the synthesis of novel agonists, antagonists, and compounds inhibiting endocannabinoid inactivation as novel medicines.


Author(s):  
Gleb Nikolaevich Zyuz’kov ◽  
Larisa Arkad`evna Miroshnichenko ◽  
Elena Vladislavovna Simanina ◽  
Larisa Alexandrovna Stavrova ◽  
Tatyana Yur`evna Polykova

Abstract Objectives The development of approaches to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases caused by alcohol abuse by targeted pharmacological regulation of intracellular signaling transduction of progenitor cells of nerve tissue is promising. We studied peculiarities of participation of NF-кB-, сАМР/РКА-, JAKs/STAT3-, ERK1/2-, p38-pathways in the regulation of neural stem cells (NSC) and neuronal-committed progenitors (NCP) in the simulation of ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo. Methods In vitro, the role of signaling molecules (NF-кB, сАМР, РКА, JAKs, STAT3, ERK1/2, p38) in realizing the growth potential of neural stem cells (NSC) and neuronal-committed progenitors (NCP) in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration modeled in vitro and in vivo was studied. To do this, the method of the pharmacological blockade with the use of selective inhibitors of individual signaling molecules was used. Results Several of fundamental differences in the role of certain intracellular signaling molecules (SM) in proliferation and specialization of NSC and NCP have been revealed. It has been shown that the effect of ethanol on progenitors is accompanied by the formation of a qualitatively new pattern of signaling pathways. Data have been obtained on the possibility of stimulation of nerve tissue regeneration in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration by NF-кB and STAT3 inhibitors. It has been found that the blockage of these SM stimulates NSC and NCP in conditions of ethanol intoxication and does not have a «negative» effect on the realization of the growth potential of intact progenitors (which will appear de novo during therapy). Conclusions The results may serve as a basis for the development of fundamentally new drugs to the treatment of alcoholic encephalopathy and other diseases of the central nervous system associated with alcohol abuse.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3606
Author(s):  
Samuel P. Boyson ◽  
Cong Gao ◽  
Kathleen Quinn ◽  
Joseph Boyd ◽  
Hana Paculova ◽  
...  

Histone acetylation is generally associated with an open chromatin configuration that facilitates many cellular processes including gene transcription, DNA repair, and DNA replication. Aberrant levels of histone lysine acetylation are associated with the development of cancer. Bromodomains represent a family of structurally well-characterized effector domains that recognize acetylated lysines in chromatin. As part of their fundamental reader activity, bromodomain-containing proteins play versatile roles in epigenetic regulation, and additional functional modules are often present in the same protein, or through the assembly of larger enzymatic complexes. Dysregulated gene expression, chromosomal translocations, and/or mutations in bromodomain-containing proteins have been correlated with poor patient outcomes in cancer. Thus, bromodomains have emerged as a highly tractable class of epigenetic targets due to their well-defined structural domains, and the increasing ease of designing or screening for molecules that modulate the reading process. Recent developments in pharmacological agents that target specific bromodomains has helped to understand the diverse mechanisms that bromodomains play with their interaction partners in a variety of chromatin processes, and provide the promise of applying bromodomain inhibitors into the clinical field of cancer treatment. In this review, we explore the expression and protein interactome profiles of bromodomain-containing proteins and discuss them in terms of functional groups. Furthermore, we highlight our current understanding of the roles of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer, as well as emerging strategies to specifically target bromodomains, including combination therapies using bromodomain inhibitors alongside traditional therapeutic approaches designed to re-program tumorigenesis and metastasis.


Physiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sriram M. Ajay ◽  
Upinder S. Bhalla

Synaptic plasticity provides a record of neuronal activity and is a likely basis for memory. The early apparent simplicity of the process of synaptic plasticity has been lost in a flood of experimental data that now implicates some 200 signaling molecules in cellular memory. It is now clear that these signaling networks perform surprisingly sophisticated cellular decisions that weigh factors such as input patterns, location of stimulus, history of activity, and context. Computer models have followed experiments into this maze of molecular detail, often matching closely with their experimental counterparts, but perhaps losing simplicity in the process. Here, we suggest that the merger of models and experiment have begun to restore the earlier simplicity by outlining a few key functional roles for signaling networks in synaptic plasticity. In this review, we discuss the current state of understanding of synaptic plasticity in terms of models and experiments.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document