The Wnt inhibitor Dkk1 is required for maintaining the normal cardiac differentiation program in Xenopus laevis.

Wnt proteins can activate different intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways need to be tightly regulated for proper cardiogenesis. The canonical Wnt/ß-catenin inhibitor Dkk1 has been shown to be sufficient to trigger cardiogenesis in gain-of-function experiments performed in multiple model systems. Loss-of-function studies however did not reveal any fundamental function for Dkk1 during cardiogenesis. Using Xenopus laevis as a model we here show for the first time that Dkk1 is required for proper differentiation of cardiomyocytes, whereas specification of cardiomyocytes remains unaffected in absence of Dkk1. This effect is at least in part mediated through regulation of non-canonical Wnt signaling via Wnt11. In line with these observations we also found that Isl1, a critical regulator for specification of the common cardiac progenitor cell (CPC) population, acts upstream of Dkk1.

Frizzled 3 acts upstream of Alcam during embryonic eye development.

Formation of a functional eye during vertebrate embryogenesis requires different processes such as cell differentiation, cell migration, cell-cell interactions as well as intracellular signalling processes. It was previously shown that the non-canonical Wnt receptor Frizzled 3 (Fzd3) is required for proper eye formation, however, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that loss of Fzd3 induces severe malformations of the developing eye and that this defect is phenocopied by loss of the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (Alcam). Promoter analysis revealed the presence of a Fzd3 responsive element within the alcam promoter, which is responsible for alcam expression during anterior neural development. In-depth analysis identified the jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1) and the transcription factor paired box 2 (Pax2) to be important for the activation of alcam expression. Altogether our study reveals that alcam is activated through non-canonical Wnt signalling during embryonic eye development in Xenopus laevis and shows that this pathway plays a similar role in different tissues.

The Wnt Target Protein Peter Pan Defines a Novel p53-independent Nucleolar Stress-Response Pathway.

Proper ribosome formation is a prerequisite for cell growth and proliferation. Failure of this process results in nucleolar stress and p53-mediated apoptosis. The Wnt target Peter Pan (PPAN) is required for 45 S rRNA maturation. So far, the role of PPAN in nucleolar stress response has remained elusive. We demonstrate that PPAN localizes to mitochondria in addition to its nucleolar localization and inhibits the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in a p53-independent manner. Loss of PPAN induces BAX stabilization, depolarization of mitochondria, and release of cytochrome c, demonstrating its important role as an anti-apoptotic factor. Staurosporine-induced nucleolar stress and apoptosis disrupt nucleolar PPAN localization and induce its accumulation in the cytoplasm. This is accompanied by phosphorylation and subsequent cleavage of PPAN by caspases. Moreover, we show that PPAN is a novel interaction partner of the anti-apoptotic protein nucleophosmin (NPM). PPAN depletion induces NPM and upstream-binding factor (UBF) degradation, which is independent of caspases. In summary, we provide evidence for a novel nucleolar stress-response pathway involving PPAN, NPM, and BAX to guarantee cell survival in a p53-independent manner.

Amer1/WTX couples Wnt-induced formation of PtdIns(4,5)P2 to LRP6 phosphorylation.

Phosphorylation of the Wnt receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) by glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) and casein kinase 1γ (CK1γ) is a key step in Wnt/ß-catenin signalling, which requires Wnt-induced formation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2)). Here, we show that adenomatous polyposis coli membrane recruitment 1 (Amer1) (also called WTX), a membrane associated PtdIns(4,5)P(2)-binding protein, is essential for the activation of Wnt signalling at the LRP6 receptor level. Knockdown of Amer1 reduces Wnt-induced LRP6 phosphorylation, Axin translocation to the plasma membrane and formation of LRP6 signalosomes. Overexpression of Amer1 promotes LRP6 phosphorylation, which requires interaction of Amer1 with PtdIns(4,5)P(2). Amer1 translocates to the plasma membrane in a PtdIns(4,5)P(2)-dependent manner after Wnt treatment and is required for LRP6 phosphorylation stimulated by application of PtdIns(4,5)P(2). Amer1 binds CK1γ, recruits Axin and GSK3ß to the plasma membrane and promotes complex formation between Axin and LRP6. Fusion of Amer1 to the cytoplasmic domain of LRP6 induces LRP6 phosphorylation and stimulates robust Wnt/ß-catenin signalling. We propose a mechanism for Wnt receptor activation by which generation of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) leads to recruitment of Amer1 to the plasma membrane, which acts as a scaffold protein to stimulate phosphorylation of LRP6.

Amer2 protein is a novel negative regulator of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling involved in neuroectodermal patterning.

Wnt/ß-catenin signaling is negatively controlled by the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor, which induces proteasomal degradation of ß-catenin as part of the ß-catenin destruction complex. Amer2 (APC membrane recruitment 2; FAM123A) is a direct interaction partner of APC, related to the tumor suppressor Amer1/WTX, but its function in Wnt signaling is not known. Here, we show that Amer2 recruits APC to the plasma membrane by binding to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate lipids via lysine-rich motifs and that APC links ß-catenin and the destruction complex components axin and conductin to Amer2. Knockdown of Amer2 increased Wnt target gene expression and reporter activity in cell lines, and overexpression reduced reporter activity, which required membrane association of Amer2. In Xenopus embryos, Amer2 is expressed mainly in the dorsal neuroectoderm and neural tissues. Down-regulation of Amer2 by specific morpholino oligonucleotides altered neuroectodermal patterning, which could be rescued by expression of a dominant-negative mutant of Lef1 that interferes with ß-catenin-dependent transcription. Our data characterize Amer2 for the first time as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling both in cell lines and in vivo and define Amer proteins as a novel family of Wnt pathway regulators.

Amer2 protein interacts with EB1 protein and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and controls microtubule stability and cell migration.

EB1 is key factor in the organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton by binding to the plus-ends of microtubules and serving as a platform for a number of interacting proteins (termed +TIPs) that control microtubule dynamics. Together with its direct binding partner adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), EB1 can stabilize microtubules. Here, we show that Amer2 (APC membrane recruitment 2), a previously identified membrane-associated APC-binding protein, is a direct interaction partner of EB1 and acts as regulator of microtubule stability together with EB1. Amer2 binds to EB1 via specific (S/T)xIP motifs and recruits it to the plasma membrane. Coexpression of Amer2 and EB1 generates stabilized microtubules at the plasma membrane, whereas knockdown of Amer2 leads to destabilization of microtubules. Knockdown of Amer2, APC, or EB1 reduces cell migration, and morpholino-mediated down-regulation of Xenopus Amer2 blocks convergent extension cell movements, suggesting that the Amer2-EB1-APC complex regulates cell migration by altering microtubule stability.

An Update on Nucleolar Stress: The Transcriptional Control of Autophagy.

Nucleolar stress reflects a misfunction of the nucleolus caused by a failure in ribosome biogenesis and defective nucleolar architecture. Various causes have been reported, most commonly mutation of ribosomal proteins and ribosome processing factors, as well as interference with these processes by intracellular or ectopic stress, such as RNA polymerase I inhibition, ROS, UV and others. The nucleolus represents the place for ribosome biogenesis and serves as a crucial hub in the cellular stress response. It has been shown to stimulate multiple downstream consequences, interfering with cell growth and survival. Nucleolar stress induction is most classically known to stimulate p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Nucleolar stress represents a friend and enemy at the same time: From a pathophysiological perspective, inactivation of the nucleolar function by mutation or stress conditions is connected to multiple diseases, such as neurodegeneration, cancer and ribosomopathy syndromes. However, triggering the nucleolar stress response via specific chemotherapeutics, which interfere with nucleolar function, has beneficial effects for anti-cancer therapy. Interestingly, since the nucleolar stress response also triggers p53-independent mechanisms, it possesses the potential to specifically target p53-mutated tumors, which reflects the most common aberration in human cancer. More recent data have shown that the nucleolar stress response can activate autophagy and diverse signaling cascades that might allow initial pro-survival mechanisms. Nevertheless, it depends on the situation whether the cells undergo autophagy-mediated apoptosis or survive, as seen for autophagy-dependent drug resistance of chemotherapy-exposed tumor cells. Given the relatively young age of the research field, precise mechanisms that underly the involvement of autophagy in nucleolar stress are still under investigation. This review gives an update on the emerging contribution of nucleolar stress in the regulation of autophagy at a transcriptional level. It also appears that in autophagy p53-dependent as well as -independent responses are induced. Those could be exploited in future therapies against diseases connected to nucleolar stress.

Structural and functional characterization of the Wnt inhibitor APC membrane recruitment 1 (Amer1).

Amer1/WTX binds to the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli and acts as an inhibitor of Wnt signaling by inducing ß-catenin degradation. We show here that Amer1 directly interacts with the armadillo repeats of ß-catenin via a domain consisting of repeated arginine-glutamic acid-alanine (REA) motifs, and that Amer1 assembles the ß-catenin destruction complex at the plasma membrane by recruiting ß-catenin, adenomatous polyposis coli, and Axin/Conductin. Deletion or specific mutations of the membrane binding domain of Amer1 abolish its membrane localization and abrogate negative control of Wnt signaling, which can be restored by artificial targeting of Amer1 to the plasma membrane. In line, a natural splice variant of Amer1 lacking the plasma membrane localization domain is deficient for Wnt inhibition. Knockdown of Amer1 leads to the activation of Wnt target genes, preferentially in dense compared with sparse cell cultures, suggesting that Amer1 function is regulated by cell contacts. Amer1 stabilizes Axin and counteracts Wnt-induced degradation of Axin, which requires membrane localization of Amer1. The data suggest that Amer1 exerts its negative regulatory role in Wnt signaling by acting as a scaffold protein for the ß-catenin destruction complex and promoting stabilization of Axin at the plasma membrane.

Identification of dynamic driver sets controlling phenotypical landscapes.

Controlling phenotypical landscapes is of vital interest to modern biology. This task becomes highly demanding because cellular decisions involve complex networks engaging in crosstalk interactions. Previous work on control theory indicates that small sets of compounds can control single phenotypes. However, a dynamic approach is missing to determine the drivers of the whole network dynamics. By analyzing 35 biologically motivated Boolean networks, we developed a method to identify small sets of compounds sufficient to decide on the entire phenotypical landscape. These compounds do not strictly prefer highly related compounds and show a smaller impact on the stability of the attractor landscape. The dynamic driver sets include many intervention targets and cellular reprogramming drivers in human networks. Finally, by using a new comprehensive model of colorectal cancer, we provide a complete workflow on how to implement our approach to shift from in silico to in vitro guided experiments.

Nucleolar Stress Functions Upstream to Stimulate Expression of Autophagy Regulators.

Ribosome biogenesis is essential for protein synthesis, cell growth and survival. The process takes places in nucleoli and is orchestrated by various proteins, among them RNA polymerases I-III as well as ribosome biogenesis factors. Perturbation of ribosome biogenesis activates the nucleolar stress response, which classically triggers cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Nucleolar stress is utilized in modern anti-cancer therapies, however, also contributes to the development of various pathologies, including cancer. Growing evidence suggests that nucleolar stress stimulates compensatory cascades, for instance bulk autophagy. However, underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that induction of nucleolar stress activates expression of key autophagic regulators such as ATG7 and ATG16L1, essential for generation of autophagosomes. We show that knockdown of the ribosomopathy factor SBDS, or of key ribosome biogenesis factors (PPAN, NPM, PES1) is associated with enhanced levels of ATG7 in cancer cells. The same holds true when interfering with RNA polymerase I function by either pharmacological inhibition (CX-5461) or depletion of the transcription factor UBF-1. Moreover, we demonstrate that RNA pol I inhibition by CX-5461 stimulates autophagic flux. Together, our data establish that nucleolar stress affects transcriptional regulation of autophagy. Given the contribution of both axes in propagation or cure of cancer, our data uncover a connection that might be targeted in future.

The Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway is Activated as a Novel Nucleolar Stress Response.

Ribosomes are mandatory for growth and survival. The complex process of ribosome biogenesis is located in nucleoli and requires action of the RNA polymerases I-III, together with a multitude of processing factors involved in rRNA cleavage and maturation. Impaired ribosome biogenesis and loss of nucleolar integrity triggers nucleolar stress, which classically stabilizes the tumor suppressor p53 and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Nucleolar stress is implemented in modern anti-cancer therapies, however, also emerges as contributor to diverse pathological conditions. These include ribosomopathies, such as the Shwachman Bodian Diamond Syndrome (SBDS), which are not only characterized by nucleolar stress, but paradoxically also increased cancer incidence. Wnt signaling is tightly coupled to cell proliferation and is constitutively activated in various tumor types. In addition, the Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway regulates ribosome formation. Here, we demonstrate that induction of nucleolar stress by different strategies stimulates the Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway. We show that depletion of the key ribosomopathy factor SBDS, or the nucleolar factors Nucleophosmin (NPM), Pescadillo 1 (PES1) or Peter Pan (PPAN) by si RNA-mediated knockdown or CRISPR/Cas9 strategy activates Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling in a ß-Catenin-dependent manner and stabilizes ß-Catenin in human cancer cells. Moreover, triggering nucleolar stress by the chemotherapeutic agents Actinomycin D or the RNA polymerase I inhibitor CX-5461 stimulates expression of Wnt/ß-Catenin targets, which is followed by the p53 target CDKN1A (p21). As PPAN expression is induced by Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling, our data establish a novel feedback mechanism and reveal that nucleolar stress over-activates the Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway, which most likely serves as compensatory mechanism to sustain ribosome biogenesis.

Emerging Role of the Nucleolar Stress Response in Autophagy.

Autophagy represents a conserved self-digestion program, which allows regulated degradation of cellular material. Autophagy is activated by cellular stress, serum starvation and nutrient deprivation. Several autophagic pathways have been uncovered, which either non-selectively or selectively target the cellular cargo for lysosomal degradation. Autophagy engages the coordinated action of various key regulators involved in the steps of autophagosome formation, cargo targeting and lysosomal fusion. While non-selective (macro)autophagy is required for removal of bulk material or recycling of nutrients, selective autophagy mediates specific targeting of damaged organelles or protein aggregates. By proper action of the autophagic machinery, cellular homeostasis is maintained. In contrast, failure of this fundamental process is accompanied by severe pathophysiological conditions. Hallmarks of neuropathological disorders are for instance accumulated, mis-folded protein aggregates and damaged mitochondria. The nucleolus has been recognized as central hub in the cellular stress response. It represents a sub-nuclear organelle essential for ribosome biogenesis and also functions as stress sensor by mediating cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Thus, proper nucleolar function is mandatory for cell growth and survival. Here, I highlight the emerging role of nucleolar factors in the regulation of autophagy. Moreover, I discuss the nucleolar stress response as a novel signaling pathway in the context of autophagy, health and disease.

Loss of Peter Pan (PPAN) Affects Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Autophagic Flux.

Nucleolar stress is a cellular response to inhibition of ribosome biogenesis or nucleolar disruption leading to cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. Emerging evidence points to a tight connection between nucleolar stress and autophagy as a mechanism underlying various diseases such as neurodegeneration and treatment of cancer. Peter Pan (PPAN) functions as a key regulator of ribosome biogenesis. We previously showed that human PPAN localizes to nucleoli and mitochondria and that PPAN knockdown triggers a p53-independent nucleolar stress response culminating in mitochondrial apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate a novel role of PPAN in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and autophagy. Our present study characterizes PPAN as a factor required for maintaining mitochondrial integrity and respiration-coupled ATP production. PPAN interacts with cardiolipin, a lipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Down-regulation of PPAN enhances autophagic flux in cancer cells. PPAN knockdown promotes recruitment of the E3-ubiquitin ligase Parkin to damaged mitochondria. Moreover, we provide evidence that PPAN knockdown decreases mitochondrial mass in Parkin-expressing cells. In summary, our study uncovers that PPAN knockdown is linked to mitochondrial damage and stimulates autophagy.

Loss of Peter Pan protein is associated with cell cycle defects and apoptotic events.

The nucleolus is a subnuclear compartment, which governs ribosome biogenesis. Moreover, it functions as hub in the stress response by orchestrating a variety of processes, such as regulation of cell cycle progression, senescence and apoptosis. Emerging evidence links the nucleolus also to the control of genomic stability and the development of human malignancies. Peter Pan (PPAN) is an essential ribosome biogenesis factor localized to nucleoli and mitochondria. We earlier showed that PPAN depletion triggers p53-independent nucleolar stress and apoptosis. In this study we investigated the precise localization of nucleolar PPAN during cell cycle and its function in cell cycle regulation. We show that PPAN knockdown impairs cell proliferation and induces G0/G1 as well as later G2/M cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Although PPAN knockdown stabilizes the tumor suppressor p53 and induces CDKN1A/p21, the proliferation defects occur largely in a p53/p21-independent manner. We noticed a reduced number of knockdown cells entering cytokinesis and an elevation of binucleation. PPAN knockdown is also associated with increased H2A.X phosphorylation (γH2A.X) in cancer cells. We evaluated a potential signaling axis through the DNA damage response kinases ATM and ATR and alternatively apoptosis as a potent driver of γH2A.X. Interestingly, PPAN knockdown does not involve activation of ATM/ATR. Instead, γH2A.X is generated as a consequence of apoptosis induction in cancer cells. Strikingly, PPAN depletion in human fibroblasts did neither provoke apoptosis nor H2A.X phosphorylation, but recapitulated p53 stabilization. In summary, our data underline the notion that the PPAN-mediated, p53-independent nucleolar stress response has multiple facets.

Representing dynamic biological networks with multi-scale probabilistic models.

Dynamic models analyzing gene regulation and metabolism face challenges when adapted to modeling signal transduction networks. During signal transduction, molecular reactions and mechanisms occur in different spatial and temporal frames and involve feedbacks. This impedes the straight-forward use of methods based on Boolean networks, Bayesian approaches, and differential equations. We propose a new approach, ProbRules, that combines probabilities and logical rules to represent the dynamics of a system across multiple scales. We demonstrate that ProbRules models can represent various network motifs of biological systems. As an example of a comprehensive model of signal transduction, we provide a Wnt network that shows remarkable robustness under a range of phenotypical and pathological conditions. Its simulation allows the clarification of controversially discussed molecular mechanisms of Wnt signaling by predicting wet-lab measurements. ProbRules provides an avenue in current computational modeling by enabling systems biologists to integrate vast amounts of available data on different scales.

Of Wnts and Ribosomes.

Wnt proteins are secreted glycoproteins that activate different intracellular signal transduction pathways. They regulate cell proliferation and are required for proper embryonic development. Misregulation of Wnt signaling can result in various diseases including cancer. In most circumstances, cell growth is essential for cell division and thus cell proliferation. Therefore, several reports have highlighted the key role of Wnt proteins for cell growth. Ribosomes represent the cellular protein synthesis machinery and cells need to be equipped with an appropriate number of ribosomes to allow cell growth. Recent findings suggest a role for Wnt proteins in regulating ribosome biogenesis and we here summarize these findings representing a previously unknown function of Wnt proteins. Understanding this role of Wnt signaling might open new avenues to slow down proliferation by drugs for instance in cancer therapy.

A Boolean network of the crosstalk between IGF and Wnt signaling in aging satellite cells.

Aging is a complex biological process, which determines the life span of an organism. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Wnt signaling pathways govern the process of aging. Both pathways share common downstream targets that allow competitive crosstalk between these branches. Of note, a shift from IGF to Wnt signaling has been observed during aging of satellite cells. Biological regulatory networks necessary to recreate aging have not yet been discovered. Here, we established a mathematical in silico model that robustly recapitulates the crosstalk between IGF and Wnt signaling. Strikingly, it predicts critical nodes following a shift from IGF to Wnt signaling. These findings indicate that this shift might cause age-related diseases.

Comparative analysis reveals distinct and overlapping functions of Mef2c and Mef2d during cardiogenesis in Xenopus laevis.

The family of vertebrate Mef2 transcription factors is comprised of four members named Mef2a, Mef2b, Mef2c, and Mef2d. These transcription factors are regulators of the myogenic programs with crucial roles in development of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle cells. Mef2a and Mef2c are essential for cardiac development in mice. In Xenopus, mef2c and mef2d but not mef2a were recently shown to be expressed during cardiogenesis. We here investigated the function of Mef2c and Mef2d during Xenopus laevis cardiogenesis. Knocking down either gene by corresponding antisense morpholino oligonucleotides led to profound heart defects including morphological abnormalities, pericardial edema, and brachycardia. Marker gene expression analyses and rescue experiments revealed that (i) both genes are required for proper cardiac gene expression, (ii) Mef2d can compensate for the loss of Mef2c but not vice versa, and (iii) the γ domain of Mef2c is required for early cardiac development. Taken together, our data provide novel insights into the function of Mef2 during cardiogenesis, highlight evolutionary differences between species and might have an impact on attempts of direct reprogramming.

Lypd6 enhances Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by promoting Lrp6 phosphorylation in raft plasma membrane domains.

Wnt/ß-catenin signaling plays critical roles during embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. How Wnt-receptor complex activity is regulated is not yet fully understood. Here, we identify the Ly6 family protein LY6/PLAUR domain-containing 6 (Lypd6) as a positive feedback regulator of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. lypd6 enhances Wnt signaling in zebrafish and Xenopus embryos and in mammalian cells, and it is required for wnt8-mediated patterning of the mesoderm and neuroectoderm during zebrafish gastrulation. Lypd6 is GPI anchored to the plasma membrane and physically interacts with the Wnt receptor Frizzled8 and the coreceptor Lrp6. Biophysical and biochemical evidence indicates that Lypd6 preferentially localizes to raft membrane domains, where Lrp6 is phosphorylated upon Wnt stimulation. lypd6 knockdown or mislocalization of the Lypd6 protein to nonraft membrane domains shifts Lrp6 phosphorylation to these domains and inhibits Wnt signaling. Thus, Lypd6 appears to control Lrp6 activation specifically in membrane rafts, which is essential for downstream signaling.