Sustained ERK1/2 but not STAT1 or 3 activation is required for thanatophoric dysplasia phenotypes in PC12 cells.

Mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) cause the most common genetic form of short-limbed dwarfism, achondroplasia (ACH), as well as neonatal lethal forms, thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) I and II. The causative mutations induce graded levels of constitutive activation of the receptor that correspond to the severity of the disorder, resulting in premature entry into hypertrophic differentiation and reduced proliferation of chondrocytes in developing cartilage. Although FGFR3 promotes growth in most tissues, it is a negative regulator of endochondral bone growth. Several signaling pathways have been implicated in these skeletal disorders including the Ras/MEK/ERK pathway and the JAK/STAT, the latter in the most severe phenotypes, however their functional relevance remains incompletely understood. Using PC12 cell lines stably expressing inducible mutant receptors containing the TDII mutation, K650E, sustained activation of ERK1/2 and activation of STAT1 and STAT3, but not STAT5, is observed in the absence of ligand. This activation leads to neurite outgrowth, a phenotypic readout of constitutive receptor activity, and sustained ERK1/2 activity is required for this ligand-independent differentiation. To assess the functional relevance of STAT activation induced by the mutant receptor, STATs were specifically downregulated using RNA-interference. Silencing of STAT1 or 3 independently or in combination had no significant effect on ligand-independent neurite outgrowth, ERK1/2 activation or p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein levels. These results support a model in which sustained activation of ERK1/2 is a key regulator of the increased transition to hypertrophic differentiation of the growth plate, whereas activation of STATs 1 and 3 is not required.

A cell-based assay for aggregation inhibitors as therapeutics of polyglutamine-repeat disease and validation in Drosophila.

The formation of polyglutamine-containing aggregates and inclusions are hallmarks of pathogenesis in Huntington's disease that can be recapitulated in model systems. Although the contribution of inclusions to pathogenesis is unclear, cell-based assays can be used to screen for chemical compounds that affect aggregation and may provide therapeutic benefit. We have developed inducible PC12 cell-culture models to screen for loss of visible aggregates. To test the validity of this approach, compounds that inhibit aggregation in the PC12 cell-based screen were tested in a Drosophila model of polyglutamine-repeat disease. The disruption of aggregation in PC12 cells strongly correlates with suppression of neuronal degeneration in Drosophila. Thus, the engineered PC12 cells coupled with the Drosophila model provide a rapid and effective method to screen and validate compounds.