Ependymal cell lineage reprogramming as a potential therapeutic intervention for hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus is a common neurological condition, characterized by the excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles. Primary treatments for hydrocephalus mainly involve neurosurgical cerebrospinal fluid diversion, which hold high morbidity and failure rates, highlighting the necessity for the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches. Although the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus is highly multifactorial, impaired function of the brain ependymal cells plays a fundamental role in hydrocephalus. Here we show that GemC1 and McIdas, key regulators of multiciliated ependymal cell fate determination, induce direct cellular reprogramming towards ependyma. Our study reveals that ectopic expression of GemC1 and McIdas reprograms cortical astrocytes and programs mouse embryonic stem cells into ependyma. McIdas is sufficient to establish functional activity in the reprogrammed astrocytes. Furthermore, we show that McIdas' expression promotes ependymal cell regeneration in two different postnatal hydrocephalus mouse models: an intracranial hemorrhage and a genetic form of hydrocephalus and ameliorates the cytoarchitecture of the neurogenic niche. Our study provides evidence on the restoration of ependyma in animal models mimicking hydrocephalus that could be exploited towards future therapeutic interventions.

The cell cycle revisited: DNA replication past S phase preserves genome integrity.

Accurate and complete DNA duplication is critical for maintaining genome integrity. Multiple mechanisms regulate when and where DNA replication takes place, to ensure that the entire genome is duplicated once and only once per cell cycle. Although the bulk of the genome is copied during the S phase of the cell cycle, increasing evidence suggests that parts of the genome are replicated in G2 or mitosis, in a last attempt to secure that daughter cells inherit an accurate copy of parental DNA. Remaining unreplicated gaps may be passed down to progeny and replicated in the next G1 or S phase. These findings challenge the long-established view that genome duplication occurs strictly during the S phase, bridging DNA replication to DNA repair and providing novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Alterations in the spatiotemporal expression pattern of geminin during human epidermal morphogenesis.

INTRODUCTION: Geminin, a (25 kDa) protein, was originally identified as a key regulator of DNA replication licensing in the cell cycle and of cell fate during embryonic nervous system formation. Although geminin is involved in mechanisms underlying the regulation of transcription and patterning in embryonic development, its expression and possible significance in human epidermal morphogenesis remains unknown. METHODS: Forty-one skin biopsy specimens obtained from human fetuses (10th to 23rd week of estimated gestational age) were processed for immunohistochemistry using a primary rabbit polyclonal antibody against geminin. RESULTS: Distinct and statistically significant qualitative and quantitative alterations in the spatiotemporal expression pattern of geminin were observed in the developing human epidermis. CONCLUSIONS: The highly ordered expression of geminin in different layers of fetal human epidermis reported here for the first time suggests that this protein may play a significant role in epidermal morphogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying the alterations of the geminin expression pattern during fetal development at the molecular level remain to be elucidated. Further studies are now warranted to address whether the expression pattern of geminin in the developing human epidermis is disturbed in fetuses with genodermatoses and whether these disturbances might be important for prenatal diagnosis of genodermatoses.

Cdt1 overexpression drives colorectal carcinogenesis through origin overlicensing and DNA damage.

Chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (CDT1), a protein of the pre-replicative complex, is essential for loading the minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) helicases onto the origins of DNA replication. While several studies have shown that dysregulation of CDT1 expression causes re-replication and DNA damage in cell lines, and CDT1 is highly expressed in several human cancers, whether CDT1 deregulation is sufficient to enhance tumorigenesis in vivo is currently unclear. To delineate its role in vivo, we overexpressed Cdt1 in the mouse colon and induced carcinogenesis using azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS). Here, we show that mice overexpressing Cdt1 develop a significantly higher number of tumors with increased tumor size, and more severe dysplastic changes (high-grade dysplasia), compared with control mice under the same treatment. These tumors exhibited an increased growth rate, while cells overexpressing Cdt1 loaded greater amounts of Mcm2 onto chromatin, demonstrating origin overlicensing. Adenomas overexpressing Cdt1 showed activation of the DNA damage response (DDR), apoptosis, formation of micronuclei, and chromosome segregation errors, indicating that aberrant expression of Cdt1 results in increased genomic and chromosomal instability in vivo, favoring cancer development. In line with these results, high-level expression of CDT1 in human colorectal cancer tissue specimens and colorectal cancer cell lines correlated significantly with increased origin licensing, activation of the DDR, and microsatellite instability (MSI). © 2022 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Ras suppressor-1 (RSU1) exerts a tumor suppressive role with prognostic significance in lung adenocarcinoma.

Ras suppressor-1 (RSU1), originally described as a suppressor of Ras oncogenic transformation, localizes to focal adhesions interacting with the ILK-PINCH-PARVIN (IPP) complex that exerts a well-established oncogenic role in cancer. However, RSU1 implication in lung cancer is currently unknown. Our study aims to address the role of RSU1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUADC). We here show that RSU1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry is downregulated in LUADC human tissue samples and represents a significant prognostic indicator. In silico analysis of gene chip and RNA seq data validated our findings. Depletion of RSU1 by siRNA in lung cancer cells promotes anchorage-independent cell growth, cell motility and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Silencing of RSU1 also alters IPP complex expression in lung cancer cells. The p29 RSU1 truncated isoform is detected in lung cancer cells, and its expression is downregulated upon RSU1 silencing, whereas it is overexpressed upon ILK overexpression. These findings suggest that RSU1 exerts a tumor suppressive role with prognostic significance in LUADC.

Metabolic regulation of the neural stem cell fate: Unraveling new connections, establishing new concepts.

The neural stem cell niche is a key regulator participating in the maintenance, regeneration, and repair of the brain. Within the niche neural stem cells (NSC) generate new neurons throughout life, which is important for tissue homeostasis and brain function. NSCs are regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors with cellular metabolism being lately recognized as one of the most important ones, with evidence suggesting that it may serve as a common signal integrator to ensure mammalian brain homeostasis. The aim of this review is to summarize recent insights into how metabolism affects NSC fate decisions in adult neural stem cell niches, with occasional referencing of embryonic neural stem cells when it is deemed necessary. Specifically, we will highlight the implication of mitochondria as crucial regulators of NSC fate decisions and the relationship between metabolism and ependymal cells. The link between primary cilia dysfunction in the region of hypothalamus and metabolic diseases will be examined as well. Lastly, the involvement of metabolic pathways in ependymal cell ciliogenesis and physiology regulation will be discussed.

Small Molecule Inhibitor Targeting CDT1/Geminin Protein Complex Promotes DNA Damage and Cell Death in Cancer Cells.

DNA replication initiation requires the loading of MCM2-7 complexes at the origins of replication during G1. Replication licensing renders chromatin competent for DNA replication and its tight regulation is essential to prevent aberrant DNA replication and genomic instability. CDT1 is a critical factor of licensing and its activity is controlled by redundant mechanisms, including Geminin, a protein inhibitor of CDT1. Aberrant CDT1 and Geminin expression have been shown to promote tumorigenesis in vivo and are also evident in multiple human tumors. In this study, we developed an in vitro AlphaScreen™ high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for the identification of small-molecule inhibitors targeting the CDT1/Geminin protein complex. Biochemical characterization of the most potent compound, AF615, provided evidence of specific, dose-dependent inhibition of Geminin binding to CDT1 both in-vitro and in cells. Moreover, compound AF615 induces DNA damage, inhibits DNA synthesis and reduces viability selectively in cancer cell lines, and this effect is CDT1-dependent. Taken together, our data suggest that AF615 may serve as a useful compound to elucidate the role of CDT1/Geminin protein complex in replication licensing and origin firing as well as a scaffold for further medicinal chemistry optimisation.

Advanced Gene-Targeting Therapies for Motor Neuron Diseases and Muscular Dystrophies.

Gene therapy is a revolutionary, cutting-edge approach to permanently ameliorate or amend many neuromuscular diseases by targeting their genetic origins. Motor neuron diseases and muscular dystrophies, whose genetic causes are well known, are the frontiers of this research revolution. Several genetic treatments, with diverse mechanisms of action and delivery methods, have been approved during the past decade and have demonstrated remarkable results. However, despite the high number of genetic treatments studied preclinically, those that have been advanced to clinical trials are significantly fewer. The most clinically advanced treatments include adeno-associated virus gene replacement therapy, antisense oligonucleotides, and RNA interference. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advanced gene therapies for motor neuron diseases (i.e., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy) and muscular dystrophies (i.e., Duchenne muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, and myotonic dystrophy) tested in clinical trials. Emphasis has been placed on those methods that are a few steps away from their authoritative approval.

Intrinsic neural stem cell properties define brain hypersensitivity to genotoxic stress.

Impaired replication has been previously linked to growth retardation and microcephaly; however, why the brain is critically affected compared with other organs remains elusive. Here, we report the differential response between early neural progenitors (neuroepithelial cells [NECs]) and fate-committed neural progenitors (NPs) to replication licensing defects. Our results show that, while NPs can tolerate altered expression of licensing factors, NECs undergo excessive replication stress, identified by impaired replication, increased DNA damage, and defective cell-cycle progression, leading eventually to NEC attrition and microcephaly. NECs that possess a short G1 phase license and activate more origins than NPs, by acquiring higher levels of DNA-bound MCMs. In vivo G1 shortening in NPs induces DNA damage upon impaired licensing, suggesting that G1 length correlates with replication stress hypersensitivity. Our findings propose that NECs possess distinct cell-cycle characteristics to ensure fast proliferation, although these inherent features render them susceptible to genotoxic stress.

Posttranslational modification of microtubules by the MATCAP detyrosinase.

The detyrosination-tyrosination cycle involves the removal and religation of the C-terminal tyrosine of α-tubulin and is implicated in cognitive, cardiac, and mitotic defects. The vasohibin-small vasohibin-binding protein (SVBP) complex underlies much, but not all, detyrosination. We used haploid genetic screens to identify an unannotated protein, microtubule associated tyrosine carboxypeptidase (MATCAP), as a remaining detyrosinating enzyme. X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy structures established MATCAP's cleaving mechanism, substrate specificity, and microtubule recognition. Paradoxically, whereas abrogation of tyrosine religation is lethal in mice, codeletion of MATCAP and SVBP is not. Although viable, defective detyrosination caused microcephaly, associated with proliferative defects during neurogenesis, and abnormal behavior. Thus, MATCAP is a missing component of the detyrosination-tyrosination cycle, revealing the importance of this modification in brain formation.

Fanconi anemia proteins and genome fragility: unraveling replication defects for cancer therapy.

Accurate and complete genome duplication is crucial to maintain cell survival and prevent malignant transformation. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway has traditionally been associated with the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks that impede the progression of the replication machinery. Recent studies demonstrate that FA proteins also regulate cell-cycle checkpoints and/or promote replication fork remodeling in response to multiple DNA impediments, and redefine the FA pathway as a fundamental mechanism to preserve genome integrity upon different insults. Alterations in FA genes fuel genomic fragility and constitute a driving force of tumorigenesis. We highlight current understanding of FA signaling in safeguarding genome stability during replication, and discuss the identification of novel determinants of cancer cell survival in FA-deficient tumors.

Ribosomal DNA and the nucleolus at the heart of aging.

The rRNA genes [ribosomal DNA (rDNA)] are organized in a prominent nuclear compartment, the nucleolus. It is now well established that the nucleolus functions beyond ribosome biosynthesis, regulating several physiological cellular responses. The nucleoli constitute dynamic genomic/nuclear hubs and demonstrate unique inherent characteristics, rendering them ideal to sense, signal, and respond to various intrinsic and environmental insults. Here, we discuss emerging findings supporting direct links between rDNA/nucleolar instability and cellular senescence/organismal aging from yeast to mammals. Moreover, we highlight evidence that nucleolar functionality and rDNA architecture impact on meiotic/transgenerational rejuvenation, thus revealing causality underlying connections between rDNA/nucleolar instability and aging.

3D Reconstitution of the Neural Stem Cell Niche: Connecting the Dots.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are important constituents of the nervous system, and they become constrained in two specific regions during adulthood: the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus. The SVZ niche is a limited-space zone where NSCs are situated and comprised of growth factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) components that shape the microenvironment of the niche. The interaction between ECM components and NSCs regulates the equilibrium between self-renewal and differentiation. To comprehend the niche physiology and how it controls NSC behavior, it is fundamental to develop in vitro models that resemble adequately the physiologic conditions present in the neural stem cell niche. These models can be developed from a variety of biomaterials, along with different biofabrication approaches that permit the organization of neural cells into tissue-like structures. This review intends to update the most recent information regarding the SVZ niche physiology and the diverse biofabrication approaches that have been used to develop suitable microenvironments ex vivo that mimic the NSC niche physiology.

Fine-tuning multiciliated cell differentiation at the post-transcriptional level: contribution of miR-34/449 family members.

Cell differentiation is a process that must be precisely regulated for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Differentiation towards a multiciliated cell fate is characterized by well-defined stages, where a transcriptional cascade is activated leading to the formation of multiple centrioles and cilia. Centrioles migrate and dock to the apical cell surface and, acting as basal bodies, give rise to multiple motile cilia. The concerted movement of cilia ensures directional fluid flow across epithelia and defects either in their number or structure can lead to disease phenotypes. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs; miRs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that play an important role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miR-34b/c and miR-449a/b/c specifically function throughout the differentiation of multiciliated cells, fine-tuning the expression of many different centriole- and cilia-related genes. They strictly regulate the expression levels of genes that are required both for commitment towards the multiciliated cell fate (e.g. Notch) and for the establishment and maintenance of this fate by regulating the expression of transcription factors and structural components of the pathway. Herein we review miR-34 and miR-449 spatiotemporal regulation along with their roles during the different stages of multiciliogenesis.

In silico analysis of DNA re-replication across a complete genome reveals cell-to-cell heterogeneity and genome plasticity.

DNA replication is a complex and remarkably robust process: despite its inherent uncertainty, manifested through stochastic replication timing at a single-cell level, multiple control mechanisms ensure its accurate and timely completion across a population. Disruptions in these mechanisms lead to DNA re-replication, closely connected to genomic instability and oncogenesis. Here, we present a stochastic hybrid model of DNA re-replication that accurately portrays the interplay between discrete dynamics, continuous dynamics and uncertainty. Using experimental data on the fission yeast genome, model simulations show how different regions respond to re-replication and permit insight into the key mechanisms affecting re-replication dynamics. Simulated and experimental population-level profiles exhibit a good correlation along the genome, robust to model parameters, validating our approach. At a single-cell level, copy numbers of individual loci are affected by intrinsic properties of each locus, in cis effects from adjoining loci and in trans effects from distant loci. In silico analysis and single-cell imaging reveal that cell-to-cell heterogeneity is inherent in re-replication and can lead to genome plasticity and a plethora of genotypic variations.

Integrin-Linked-Kinase Overexpression Is Implicated in Mechanisms of Genomic Instability in Human Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer cells contributing to tumor development and progression. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a focal adhesion protein with well-established role in carcinogenesis. We have previously shown that ILK overexpression is critically implicated in human colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. In light of the recent findings that ILK regulates centrosomes and mitotic spindle formation, we aimed to determine its implication in mechanisms of genomic instability in human CRC. METHODS: Association of ILK expression with markers of genomic instability (micronuclei formation, nucleus size, and intensity) was investigated in diploid human colon cancer cells HCT116 upon ectopic ILK overexpression, by immunofluorescence and in human CRC samples by Feulgen staining. We also evaluated the role of ILK in mitotic spindle formation, by immunofluorescence, in HCT116 cells upon inhibition and overexpression of ILK. Finally, we evaluated association of ILK overexpression with markers of DNA damage (p-H2AX, p-ATM/ATR) in human CRC tissue samples by immunohistochemistry and in ILK-overexpressing cells by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: We showed that ILK overexpression is associated with genomic instability markers in human colon cancer cells and tissues samples. Aberrant mitotic spindles were observed in cells treated with specific ILK inhibitor (QLT0267), while ILK-overexpressing cells failed to undergo nocodazole-induced mitotic arrest. ILK overexpression was also associated with markers of DNA damage in HCT116 cells and human CRC tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings indicate that overexpression of ILK is implicated in mechanisms of genomic instability in CRC suggesting a novel role of this protein in cancer.

Ιn vivo imaging of DNA-bound minichromosome maintenance complex in embryonic mouse cortex.

The recruitment of the minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) on DNA replication origins is a critical process for faithful genome duplication termed licensing. Aberrant licensing has been associated with cancer and, recently, with neurodevelopmental diseases. Investigating MCM loading in complicated tissues, such as brain, remains challenging. Here, we describe an optimized approach for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of DNA-bound MCMs in the developing mouse cortex through direct imaging, offering an innovative insight into the research of origin licensing in vivo.

A Custom Ultra-Low-Cost 3D Bioprinter Supports Cell Growth and Differentiation.

Advances in 3D bioprinting have allowed the use of stem cells along with biomaterials and growth factors toward novel tissue engineering approaches. However, the cost of these systems along with their consumables is currently extremely high, limiting their applicability. To address this, we converted a 3D printer into an open source 3D bioprinter and produced a customized bioink based on accessible alginate/gelatin precursors, leading to a cost-effective solution. The bioprinter's resolution, including line width, spreading ratio and extrusion uniformity measurements, along with the rheological properties of the bioinks were analyzed, revealing high bioprinting accuracy within the printability window. Following the bioprinting process, cell survival and proliferation were validated on HeLa Kyoto and HEK293T cell lines. In addition, we isolated and 3D bioprinted postnatal neural stem cell progenitors derived from the mouse subventricular zone as well as mesenchymal stem cells derived from mouse bone marrow. Our results suggest that our low-cost 3D bioprinter can support cell proliferation and differentiation of two different types of primary stem cell populations, indicating that it can be used as a reliable tool for developing efficient research models for stem cell research and tissue engineering.

Chromatin and Nuclear Architecture: Shaping DNA Replication in 3D.

In eukaryotes, DNA replication progresses through a finely orchestrated temporal and spatial program. The 3D genome structure and nuclear architecture have recently emerged as fundamental determinants of the replication program. Factors with established roles in replication have been recognized as genome organization regulators. Exploiting paradigms from yeasts and mammals, we discuss how DNA replication is regulated in time and space through DNA-associated trans-acting factors, diffusible limiting replication initiation factors, higher-order chromatin folding, dynamic origin localization, and specific nuclear microenvironments. We present an integrated model for the regulation of DNA replication in 3D and highlight the importance of accurate spatio-temporal regulation of DNA replication in physiology and disease.