RESUMO
Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by aberrant vascularization and a complex tumor microenvironment. The failure of anti-angiogenic therapies suggests pathways of GBM neovascularization, possibly attributable to glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) and their interplay with the tumor microenvironment. It has been established that GSC-derived extracellular vesicles (GSC-EVs) and their cargoes are proangiogenic in vitro. To further elucidate EV-mediated mechanisms of neovascularization in vitro, we perform RNA-seq and DNA methylation profiling of human brain endothelial cells exposed to GSC-EVs. To correlate these results to tumors in vivo, we perform histoepigenetic analysis of GBM molecular profiles in the TCGA collection. Remarkably, GSC-EVs and normal vascular growth factors stimulate highly distinct gene regulatory responses that converge on angiogenesis. The response to GSC-EVs shows a footprint of post-transcriptional gene silencing by EV-derived miRNAs. Our results provide insights into targetable angiogenesis pathways in GBM and miRNA candidates for liquid biopsy biomarkers.
Assuntos
Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Células Endoteliais/metabolismo , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioma/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/patologia , Glioma/patologia , Humanos , Neovascularização PatológicaRESUMO
Dysregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, which is mediated by two structurally and functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, has been implicated in several neurological disorders1-3. Individuals carrying loss-of-function mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene, a negative regulator of mTOR signaling, are prone to developing macrocephaly, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), seizures and intellectual disability2,4,5. It is generally believed that the neurological symptoms associated with loss of PTEN and other mTORopathies (for example, mutations in the tuberous sclerosis genes TSC1 or TSC2) are due to hyperactivation of mTORC1-mediated protein synthesis1,2,4,6,7. Using molecular genetics, we unexpectedly found that genetic deletion of mTORC2 (but not mTORC1) activity prolonged lifespan, suppressed seizures, rescued ASD-like behaviors and long-term memory, and normalized metabolic changes in the brain of mice lacking Pten. In a more therapeutically oriented approach, we found that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mTORC2's defining component Rictor specifically inhibits mTORC2 activity and reverses the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities in adolescent Pten-deficient mice. Collectively, our findings indicate that mTORC2 is the major driver underlying the neuropathophysiology associated with Pten-deficiency, and its therapeutic reduction could represent a promising and broadly effective translational therapy for neurological disorders where mTOR signaling is dysregulated.
Assuntos
Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 2 de Rapamicina/genética , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/genética , PTEN Fosfo-Hidrolase/genética , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Humanos , Mutação com Perda de Função/genética , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina/genética , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/metabolismo , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/patologia , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/genética , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/farmacologia , PTEN Fosfo-Hidrolase/deficiência , Proteína Companheira de mTOR Insensível à Rapamicina/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteína Companheira de mTOR Insensível à Rapamicina/genética , Proteína 1 do Complexo Esclerose Tuberosa/genéticaRESUMO
Inadequate availability of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in the rhizosphere is a common challenge to plants, which activate metabolic and developmental responses to maximize Pi acquisition. The sensory mechanisms that monitor environmental Pi status and regulate root growth via altered meristem activity are unknown. Here, we show that PHOSPHATE DEFICIENCY RESPONSE 2 (PDR2) encodes the single P(5)-type ATPase of Arabidopsis thaliana. PDR2 functions in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is required for proper expression of SCARECROW (SCR), a key regulator of root patterning, and for stem-cell maintenance in Pi-deprived roots. We further show that the multicopper oxidase encoded by LOW PHOSPHATE ROOT 1 (LPR1) is targeted to the ER and that LPR1 and PDR2 interact genetically. Because the expression domains of both genes overlap in the stem-cell niche and distal root meristem, we propose that PDR2 and LPR1 function together in an ER-resident pathway that adjusts root meristem activity to external Pi. Our data indicate that the Pi-conditional root phenotype of pdr2 is not caused by increased Fe availability in low Pi; however, Fe homeostasis modifies the developmental response of root meristems to Pi availability.