Polymerase iota plays a key role during translesion synthesis of UV-induced lesions in the absence of polymerase eta.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) variant cells are deficient in the translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase Polη (eta). This protein contributes to DNA damage tolerance, bypassing unrepaired UV photoproducts and allowing S-phase progression with minimal delay. In the absence of Polη, backup polymerases perform TLS of UV lesions. However, which polymerase plays this role in human cells remains an open question. Here, we investigated the potential role of Polι (iota) in bypassing ultraviolet (UV) induced photoproducts in the absence of Polη, using NER-deficient (XP-C) cells knocked down for Polι and/or Polη genes. Our results indicate that cells lacking either Polι or Polη have increased sensitivity to UVC radiation. The lack of both TLS polymerases led to increased cell death and defects in proliferation and migration. Loss of both polymerases induces a significant replication fork arrest and G1/S-phase blockage, compared to the lack of Polη alone. In conclusion, we propose that Polι acts as a bona fide backup for Polη in the TLS of UV-photoproducts.

Fibrillin-1 regulates endothelial sprouting during angiogenesis.

Fibrillin-1 is an extracellular matrix protein that assembles into microfibrils which provide critical functions in large blood vessels and other tissues. Mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene are associated with cardiovascular, ocular, and skeletal abnormalities in Marfan syndrome. Here, we reveal that fibrillin-1 is critical for angiogenesis which is compromised by a typical Marfan mutation. In the mouse retina vascularization model, fibrillin-1 is present in the extracellular matrix at the angiogenic front where it colocalizes with microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1, MAGP1. In Fbn1C1041G/+ mice, a model of Marfan syndrome, MAGP1 deposition is reduced, endothelial sprouting is decreased, and tip cell identity is impaired. Cell culture experiments confirmed that fibrillin-1 deficiency alters vascular endothelial growth factor-A/Notch and Smad signaling which regulate the acquisition of endothelial tip cell/stalk cell phenotypes, and we showed that modulation of MAGP1 expression impacts these pathways. Supplying the growing vasculature of Fbn1C1041G/+ mice with a recombinant C-terminal fragment of fibrillin-1 corrects all defects. Mass spectrometry analyses showed that the fibrillin-1 fragment alters the expression of various proteins including ADAMTS1, a tip cell metalloprotease and matrix-modifying enzyme. Our data establish that fibrillin-1 is a dynamic signaling platform in the regulation of cell specification and matrix remodeling at the angiogenic front and that mutant fibrillin-1-induced defects can be rescued pharmacologically using a C-terminal fragment of the protein. These findings, identify fibrillin-1, MAGP1, and ADAMTS1 in the regulation of endothelial sprouting, and contribute to our understanding of how angiogenesis is regulated. This knowledge may have critical implications for people with Marfan syndrome.

Angiogenesis Invasion Assay to Study Endothelial Cell Invasion and Sprouting Behavior.

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature. It is a fundamental process in developmental biology but also a pathological event that initiates or aggravates many diseases. In this complex multistep process, endothelial cells are activated by angiogenic stimuli; undergo specialization in response to VEGF/Notch signaling; degrade the basement membrane of the parent vessel; sprout, migrate, and proliferate to form capillary tubes that branch; and ultimately anastomose with adjacent vessels. Here we describe an assay that mimics the invasion step in vitro. Human microvascular endothelial cells are confronted by a VEGF-enriched basement membrane material in a three-dimensional environment that promotes endothelial cell sprouting, tube formation, and anastomosis. After a few hours, endothelial cells have become tip cells, and vascular sprouts can be observed by phase contrast, fluorescence, or time-lapse microscopy. Sprouting endothelial cells express tip cell markers, display podosomes and filopodia, and exhibit cell dynamics similar to those of angiogenic endothelial cells in vivo. This model provides a system that can be manipulated genetically to study physiological or pathological angiogenesis and that can be used to screen compounds for pro-/anti-angiogenic properties. In this chapter, we describe the key steps in setting up this assay.

miR-155 regulates physiological angiogenesis but an miR-155-rich microenvironment disrupts the process by promoting unproductive endothelial sprouting.

Angiogenesis involves cell specification orchestrated by regulatory interactions between the vascular endothelial growth factor and Notch signaling pathways. However, the role of microRNAs in these regulations remains poorly explored. Here we show that a controlled level of miR-155 is essential for proper angiogenesis. In the mouse retina angiogenesis model, antimiR-155 altered neovascularization. In vitro assays established that endogenous miR-155 is involved in podosome formation, activation of the proteolytic machinery and cell migration but not in morphogenesis. The role of miR-155 was explored using miR-155 mimics. In vivo, exposing the developing vasculature to miR-155 promoted hypersprouting, thus phenocopying defects associated with Notch deficiency. Mechanistically, miR-155 overexpression weakened Notch signaling by reducing Smad1/5 expression, leading to the formation of tip cell-like cells which did not reach full invasive capacity and became unable to undergo morphogenesis. These results identify miR-155 as a novel regulator of physiological angiogenesis and as a novel actor of pathological angiogenesis.