scholarly journals Human-Specific Regulation of Neurotrophic Factors MANF and CDNF by microRNAs

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 9691
Author(s):  
Julia Konovalova ◽  
Dmytro Gerasymchuk ◽  
Sergio Navarette Arroyo ◽  
Sven Kluske ◽  
Francesca Mastroianni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurotrophic Factors ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Trophic Factors ◽  
Cytoprotective Activity ◽  
Bioinformatic Tools ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
First Time ◽  
Direct Regulation ◽  
Human Specific

Mesencephalic astrocyte derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) and cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) are novel evolutionary conserved trophic factors, which exhibit cytoprotective activity via negative regulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) and inflammation. Despite multiple reports demonstrating detrimental effect of MANF/CDNF downregulation, little is known about the control of their expression. miRNAs—small non-coding RNAs—are important regulators of gene expression. Their dysregulation was demonstrated in multiple pathological processes and their ability to modulate levels of other neurotrophic factors, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), was previously reported. Here, for the first time we demonstrated direct regulation of MANF and CDNF by miRNAs. Using bioinformatic tools, reporter assay and analysis of endogenous MANF and CDNF, we identified that miR-144 controls MANF expression, and miR-134 and miR-141 downregulate CDNF levels. We also demonstrated that this effect is human-specific and is executed via predicted binding sites of corresponding miRNAs. Finally, we found that miR-382 suppressed hCDNF expression indirectly. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time direct regulation of MANF and CDNF expression by specific miRNAs, despite the fact their binding sites are not strongly evolutionary conserved. Furthermore, we demonstrate a functional effect of miR-144 mediated regulation of MANF on ER stress response markers. These findings emphasize that (1) prediction of miRNA targets based on evolutionary conservation may miss biologically meaningful regulatory pairs; and (2) interpretation of miRNA regulatory effects in animal models should be cautiously validated.

scholarly journals Hominini-Specific Regulation of CBLN2 Increases Prefrontal Synaptogenesis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikihito Shibata ◽  
Kartik Pattabiraman ◽  
Sydney K. Muchnik ◽  
Nenad Sestan
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Developmental Constraints ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Synaptic Density ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Cerebral Neocortex ◽  
Anterior Posterior ◽  
Human Specific

AbstractThe similarities and differences between nervous systems of various species result from developmental constraints and specific adaptations 1-4. Comparative analyses of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region of the cerebral cortex involved in higher-order cognition and complex social behaviors, have identified confirmed and putative human-specific structural and molecular changes 4-8. For example, one crucial specialization involves the anterior-posterior gradient in synaptic density, with a disproportionately higher number of dendritic spines specifically in the human PFC compared to other analyzed primates 5. These changes are likely mediated by divergence in spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression 9-17, which are prominent in the mid-fetal human cerebral neocortex 15,18-20. Analyzing developmental human and macaque brain transcriptomic data 15,20, we identified a transient PFC- and laminar-specific upregulation of the gene encoding cerebellin 2 (CBLN2), a neurexin (NRXN) and glutamate receptor delta (GRID/GluD)-associated synaptic organizer 21-27, in human mid-fetal development coinciding with the initiation of synaptogenesis. Moreover, we show that this difference in expression level and laminar distribution of CBLN2, is due to Hominini-specific deletions affecting SOX5 binding sites within a retinoic acid-responsive CBLN2 enhancer. In situ genetic humanization of the mouse Cbln2 enhancer drives increased and ectopic laminar Cbln2 expression and promotes glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptogenesis specifically in the PFC. These findings identify a putative genetic and molecular basis for the disproportionately increased connectivity in the Hominini PFC and suggest a developmental mechanism linking dysfunction of the NRXN-GRID-CBLN2 complex, to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Redox Potential - (Electronic) Structure Relationships in 18- and 17-Electron Mononitrile (or Monocarbonyl) Diphosphine Complexes of Re and Fe

2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fátima C. Guedes Da Silva ◽  
Luísa M. D. R. S. Martins ◽  
João J. R. Fraústo Da Silva ◽  
Armando J. L. Pombeiro
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Voltammetry ◽  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Closed Shell ◽  
Carbonyl Complexes ◽  
Metal Centre ◽  
Pt Electrode ◽  
Metal Site ◽  
Oxidation Potentials ◽  
First Time

The organonitrile or carbonyl complexes cis-[ReCl(RCN)(dppe)2] (1) (R = 4-Et2NC6H4 (1a), 4-MeOC6H4 (1b), 4-MeC6H4 (1c), C6H5 (1d), 4-FC6H4 (1e), 4-ClC6H4 (1f), 4-O2NC6H4 (1g), 4-ClC6H4CH2 (1h), t-Bu (1i); dppe = Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2), or cis-[ReCl(CO)(dppe)2] (2), as well as trans-[FeBr(RCN)(depe)2]BF4 (3) (R = 4-MeOC6H4 (3a), 4-MeC6H4 (3b), C6H5 (3c), 4-FC6H4 (3d), 4-O2NC6H4 (3e), Me (3f), Et (3g), 4-MeOC6H4CH2 (3h); depe = Et2PCH2CH2PEt2), novel trans-[FeBr(CO)(depe)2]BF4 (4) and trans-[FeBr2(depe)2] (5) undergo, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry at a Pt-electrode and in aprotic non-aqueous medium, two consecutive reversible or partly reversible one-electron oxidations assigned as ReI → ReII → ReIII or FeII → FeIII → FeIV. The corresponding values of the oxidation potentials IE1/2ox and IIE1/2ox (waves I and II, respectively) correlate with the Pickett's and Lever's electrochemical ligand and metal site parameters. This allows to estimate these parameters for the various nitrile ligands, depe and binding sites (for the first time for a FeIII/IV couple). The electrochemical ligand parameter show dependence on the "electron-richness" of the metal centre. The values of IE1/2ox for the ReI complexes provide some supporting for a curved overall relationship with the sum of Lever's electrochemical ligand parameter. The Pickett parametrization for closed-shell complexes is extended now also to 17-electron complexes, i.e. with the 15-electron ReII and FeIII centres in cis-{[ReCl(dppe)2]}+ and trans-{FeBr(depe)2}2+, respectively.

scholarly journals Watching Neurons Hand Off Molecules

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-34
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Carmichael
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Neurotrophic Factors ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Nerve Growth ◽  
Hand Off ◽  
Presynaptic Neurons

Since the discovery of nerve growth factor, it has been thought that neurotrophic factors are released or secreted from target cells. However, more recently it has been suggested that a specific neurotrophic factor known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may reach target cells directly from pre-synaptic axons. It has not been known how these molecules get from the neuron in which they are produced to the target cells. Keigo Kohara, Akihiko Kitamura, Mieko Morishima, and Tadaharu Tsumoto have demonstrated that BDNF is transported anterogradely from presynaptic neurons to target neurons.

Antiapoptotic activity maintenance of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and the C fragment of the tetanus toxin genetic fusion protein

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Ciriza ◽  
Marcos García-Ojeda ◽  
Inmaculada Martín-Burriel ◽  
Cendra Agulhon ◽  
Francisco Miana-Mena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Tetanus Toxin ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Trophic Factors ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Neuro2a Cells ◽  
Genetic Fusion ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

AbstractNeurotrophic factors have been widely suggested as a treatment for multiple diseases including motorneuron pathologies, like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. However, clinical trials in which growth factors have been systematically administered to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients have not been effective, owing in part to the short half-life of these factors and their low concentrations at target sites. A possible strategy is the use of the atoxic C fragment of the tetanus toxin as a neurotrophic factor carrier to the motorneurons. The activity of trophic factors should be tested because their genetic fusion to proteins could alter their folding and conformation, thus undermining their neuroprotective properties. For this purpose, in this paper we explored the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) activity maintenance after genetic fusion with the C fragment of the tetanus toxin. We demonstrated that BDNF fused with the C fragment of the tetanus toxin induces the neuronal survival Akt kinase pathway in mouse cortical culture neurons and maintains its antiapoptotic neuronal activity in Neuro2A cells.

scholarly journals Targeting bone morphogenetic protein signalling in midbrain dopaminergic neurons as a therapeutic approach in Parkinson's disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard W. O'Keeffe ◽  
Shane V. Hegarty ◽  
Aideen M. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neurotrophic Factors ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Axon Growth ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Bmp Receptors

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons and their axons, and aggregation of α-synuclein, which leads to motor and late-stage cognitive impairments. As the motor symptoms of PD are caused by the degeneration of a specific population of mDA neurons, PD lends itself to neurotrophic factor therapy. The goal of this therapy is to apply a neurotrophic factor that can slow down, halt or even reverse the progressive degeneration of mDA neurons. While the best known neurotrophic factors are members of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family, their lack of clinical efficacy to date means that it is important to continue to study other neurotrophic factors. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are naturally secreted proteins that play critical roles during nervous system development and in the adult brain. In this review, we provide an overview of the BMP ligands, BMP receptors (BMPRs) and their intracellular signalling effectors, the Smad proteins. We review the available evidence that BMP–Smad signalling pathways play an endogenous role in mDA neuronal survival in vivo, before outlining how exogenous application of BMPs exerts potent effects on mDA neuron survival and axon growth in vitro and in vivo. We discuss the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, before highlighting the potential of targeting the downstream effectors of BMP–Smad signalling as a novel neuroprotective approach to slow or stop the degeneration of mDA neurons in PD.

scholarly journals The interplay between DNA methylation and sequence divergence in recent human evolution

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Hernando-Herraez ◽  
Holger Heyn ◽  
Marcos Fernandez-Callejo ◽  
Enrique Vidal ◽  
Hugo Fernandez-Bellon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Transcription Factor Binding Sites ◽  
Transcription Factor Binding ◽  
Factor Binding ◽  
Methylation Patterns ◽  
Human Specific

DNA methylation is a key regulatory mechanism in mammalian genomes. Despite the increasing knowledge about this epigenetic modification, the understanding of human epigenome evolution is in its infancy. We used whole genome bisulfite sequencing to study DNA methylation and nucleotide divergence between human and great apes. We identified 360 and 210 differentially hypo- and hypermethylated regions (DMRs) in humans compared to non-human primates and estimated that 20% and 36% of these regions, respectively, were detectable throughout several human tissues. Human DMRs were enriched for specific histone modifications and contrary to expectations, the majority were located distal to transcription start sites, highlighting the importance of regions outside the direct regulatory context. We also found a significant excess of endogenous retrovirus elements in human-specific hypomethylated regions suggesting their association with local epigenetic changes. We also reported for the first time a close interplay between inter-species genetic and epigenetic variation in regions of incomplete lineage sorting, transcription factor binding sites and human differentially hypermethylated regions. Specifically, we observed an excess of human-specific substitutions in transcription factor binding sites located within human DMRs, suggesting that alteration of regulatory motifs underlies some human-specific methylation patterns. We also found that the acquisition of DNA hypermethylation in the human lineage is frequently coupled with a rapid evolution at nucleotide level in the neighborhood of these CpG sites. Taken together, our results reveal new insights into the mechanistic basis of human-specific DNA methylation patterns and the interpretation of inter-species non-coding variation.

scholarly journals αIIbβ3 variants in ten families with autosomal dominant macrothrombocytopenia: Expanding the mutational and clinical spectrum

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0235136
Author(s):  
Sara Morais ◽  
Jorge Oliveira ◽  
Catarina Lau ◽  
Mónica Pereira ◽  
Marta Gonçalves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Autosomal Dominant ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Atp Release ◽  
Cytoplasmic Domains ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Distinct Disease ◽  
And Function ◽  
First Time

Background Rare pathogenic variants in either the ITGA2B or ITGB3 genes have been linked to autosomal dominant macrothrombocytopenia associated with abnormal platelet production and function, deserving the designation of Glanzmann Thrombasthenia-Like Syndrome (GTLS) or ITGA2B/ITGB3-related thrombocytopenia. Objectives To describe a series of patients with familial macrothrombocytopenia and decreased expression of αIIbβ3 integrin due to defects in the ITGA2B or ITGB3 genes. Methods We reviewed the clinical and laboratory records of 10 Portuguese families with GTLS (33 patients and 11 unaffected relatives), including the functional and genetic defects. Results Patients had absent to moderate bleeding, macrothrombocytopenia, low αIIbβ3 expression, impaired platelet aggregation/ATP release to physiological agonists and low expression of activation-induced binding sites on αIIbβ3 (PAC-1) and receptor-induced binding sites on its ligand (bound fibrinogen), upon stimulation with TRAP-6 and ADP. Evidence for constitutive αIIbβ3 activation, occurred in 2 out of 9 patients from 8 families studied, but also in 2 out of 12 healthy controls. We identified 7 missense variants: 3 in ITGA2B (5 families), and 4 in ITGB3 (5 families). Three variants (αIIb: p.Arg1026Trp and p.Arg1026Gln and β3: p.Asp749His) were previously reported. The remaining (αIIb: p.Gly1007Val and β3: p.Thr746Pro, p.His748Pro and p.Arg760Cys) are new, expanding the αIIbβ3 defects associated with GTLS. The integration of the clinical and laboratory data allowed the identification of two GTLS subgroups, with distinct disease severity. Conclusions Previously reported ITGA2B and ITGB3 variants related to thrombocytopenia were clustered in a confined region of the membrane-proximal cytoplasmic domains, the inner membrane clasp. For the first time, variants are reported at the outer membrane clasp, at the transmembrane domain of αIIb, and at the membrane distal cytoplasmic domains of β3. This is the largest single-center series of inherited macrothrombocytopenia associated with αIIbβ3 variants published to date.

Minimal subenhancer requirements for high-level polyomavirus DNA replication: a cell-specific synergy of PEA3 and PEA1 sites

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 4996-5001 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Rochford ◽  
C T Davis ◽  
K K Yoshimoto ◽  
L P Villarreal
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Simian Virus 40 ◽  
Mouse Cell ◽  
Simian Virus ◽  
Viral Dna ◽  
Viral Dna Replication ◽  
Factor Binding ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
High Level

The cell-specific regulation of DNA replication has important implications for the molecular strategy of cellular gene control. Mouse polyomavirus (Py) DNA replication is examined as a model of cell-specific replication control. Using an FM3A-derived mouse cell line which expresses early viral proteins (FOP cells), we determined the minimal sequence requirements for viral DNA replication. FOP cells were observed to have much simpler enhancer requirements than 3T6 and many other cells and did not need a B enhancer for high levels of DNA replication. Using these cells, we show that the individual or tandem binding sites for several unrelated trans-acting factors which are generally subfunctional as transcriptional enhancers (simian virus 40 A core, TGTGGAATG; EBP20, TGTGGTTTT; PEA1 [an AP-1 analog], GTGACTAA; PEA2, GACCGCAG; and PEA3, AGGAAG) stimulated low levels of Py DNA replication. The ordered dimeric combination of PEA3 and PEA1 factor-binding sites, however, acted synergistically to stimulate viral DNA replication to high wild-type levels. This is in contrast to prior results in which much larger enhancer sequences were necessary for high-level viral DNA replication. PEA3/PEA1-stimulated DNA replication showed a distance and orientation independence relative to the origin, which disagrees with some but not other prior analyses of enhancer-dependent DNA replication. It therefore appears that trans-acting factor-binding sites (enhansons) can generally activate DNA replication and that the AP-1 family of sites may act synergistically with other associated trans-acting factors to strongly affect Py DNA replication in specific cells.

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