ZRF1 is a novel S6 kinase substrate that drives the senescence programme.

The inactivation of S6 kinases mimics several aspects of caloric restriction, including small body size, increased insulin sensitivity and longevity. However, the impact of S6 kinase activity on cellular senescence remains to be established. Here, we show that the constitutive activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) by tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) mutations induces a premature senescence programme in fibroblasts that relies on S6 kinases. To determine novel molecular targets linking S6 kinase activation to the control of senescence, we set up a chemical genetic screen, leading to the identification of the nuclear epigenetic factor ZRF1 (also known as DNAJC2, MIDA1, Mpp11). S6 kinases phosphorylate ZRF1 on Ser47 in cultured cells and in mammalian tissues in vivo Knock-down of ZRF1 or expression of a phosphorylation mutant is sufficient to blunt the S6 kinase-dependent senescence programme. This is traced by a sharp alteration in p16 levels, the cell cycle inhibitor and a master regulator of senescence. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which nutrient sensing pathways impact on cell senescence through the activation of mTORC1-S6 kinases and the phosphorylation of ZRF1.

Development of a pluripotent stem cell derived neuronal model to identify chemically induced pathway perturbations in relation to neurotoxicity: effects of CREB pathway inhibition.

According to the advocated paradigm shift in toxicology, acquisition of knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of chemicals, such as perturbations of biological pathways, is of primary interest. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), offer a unique opportunity to derive physiologically relevant human cell types to measure molecular and cellular effects of such pathway modulations. Here we compared the neuronal differentiation propensity of hESCs and hiPSCs with the aim to develop novel hiPSC-based tools for measuring pathway perturbation in relation to molecular and cellular effects in vitro. Among other fundamental pathways, also, the cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) pathway was activated in our neuronal models and gave us the opportunity to study time-dependent effects elicited by chemical perturbations of the CREB pathway in relation to cellular effects. We show that the inhibition of the CREB pathway, using 2-naphthol-AS-E-phosphate (KG-501), induced an inhibition of neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis, as well as a decrease of MAP2(+) neuronal cells. These data indicate that a CREB pathway inhibition can be related to molecular and cellular effects that may be relevant for neurotoxicity testing, and, thus, qualify the use of our hiPSC-derived neuronal model for studying chemical-induced neurotoxicity resulting from pathway perturbations.

Antagonistic modulation of gliomagenesis by Pax6 and Olig2 in PDGF-induced oligodendroglioma.

Gliomas are aggressive tumors of the central nervous system originating from proliferating neural cells. Regulators of neural stem or progenitor cells biology may thus influence aspects of brain tumorigenesis, such as the maintenance of tumor-propagating potential. We investigated the role of Pax6, a neurogenic transcription factor already suggested as a positive prognostic marker for human gliomas, in a well-characterized in vivo model of PDGF-B-driven oligodendroglioma. In this system, the expression of Pax6 severely impairs tumor propagation by inducing a reduction of cell proliferation and the acquisition of differentiation traits in tumor-initiating cells. The overexpression of Pax6 correlates with a downregulation of Olig2, a bHLH transcription factor that normally antagonizes Pax6 in adult neurogenic niches and that plays a key role in the maintenance of neural stem and progenitor cells. Furthermore, we found that Olig2 is strictly required to maintain the malignancy of oligodendroglioma cells, since its silencing by interfering RNA abrogates tumor propagation. We finally show evidence that this function depends, at least in part, on the silencing of ID4, a dominant negative bHLH protein, whose upregulation follows Olig2 loss. In our model, the upregulation of ID4 mimics the loss of Olig2 in impairing the tumor-propagating potential of glioma cells. Our data, therefore, establish the relevance of physiological regulators of neural stem cell biology in regulating glial tumor malignancy and provide support for their functional interactions in this context.

Role of Btg2 in the progression of a PDGF-induced oligodendroglioma model.

Tumor progression is a key aspect in oncology. Not even the overexpression of a powerful oncogenic stimulus such as platelet derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B) is sufficient per se to confer full malignancy to cells. In previous studies we showed that neural progenitors overexpressing PDGF-B need to undergo progression to acquire the capability to give rise to secondary tumor following transplant. By comparing the expression profile of PDGF-expressing cells before and after progression, we found that progressed tumors consistently downregulate the expression of the antiproliferative gene Btg2. We therefore tested whether the downregulation of Btg2 is sufficient and necessary for glioma progression with loss and gain of function experiments. Our results show that downregulation of Btg2 is not sufficient but is necessary for tumor progression since the re-introduction of Btg2 in fully progressed tumors dramatically impairs their gliomagenic potential. These results suggest an important role of Btg2 in glioma progression. Accordingly with this view, the analysis of public datasets of human gliomas showed that reduced level of Btg2 expression correlates with a significantly worse prognosis.

The neuronal proteins CIPP, Cypin and IRSp53 form a tripartite complex mediated by PDZ and SH3 domains.

Here we report the dissection of a tripartite complex formed by CIPP (channel-interacting PDZ protein), IRSp53 (insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate protein) and Cypin (cytosolic PSD-95 interactor) in cultured cells. The three proteins are expressed in similar neuronal districts, where CIPP binds to different membrane channels and receptors, IRSp53 regulates the morphogenesis of actin-rich dendritic spines, and Cypin promotes dendrite branching and patterning by binding to tubulin heterodimers. We observed that the interaction among the three proteins is mediated by small binding domains: CIPP works as a bridge, linking the carboxy-termini of IRSp53 and Cypin with its PDZ domains; IRSp53 connects Cypin, through an unusual SH3-mediated association, which can be impaired by substituting two crucial positively charged residues of Cypin. The observation that the three engineered proteins co-localize in the cytoplasm, and at the tip of induced neurites in neuronal cells, raises the interesting possibility that they work together in the formation of neuronal protrusions.

Channel-interacting PDZ protein, 'CIPP', interacts with proteins involved in cytoskeletal dynamics.

Neuronal CIPP (channel-interacting PDZ protein) is a multivalent PDZ protein that interacts with specific channels and receptors highly expressed in the brain. It is composed of four PDZ domains that behave as a scaffold to clusterize functionally connected proteins. In the present study, we selected a set of potential CIPP interactors that are involved directly or indirectly in mechanisms of cytoskeletal remodelling and membrane protrusion formation. For some of these, we first proved the direct binding to specific CIPP PDZ domains considered as autonomous elements, and then confirmed the interaction with the whole protein. In particular, the small G-protein effector IRSp53 (insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate protein p53) specifically interacts with the second PDZ domain of CIPP and, when co-transfected in cultured mammalian cells with a tagged full-length CIPP, it induces a marked reorganization of CIPP cytoplasmic localization. Large punctate structures are generated as a consequence of CIPP binding to the IRSp53 C-terminus. Analysis of the puncta nature, using various endocytic markers, revealed that they are not related to cytoplasmic vesicles, but rather represent multi-protein assemblies, where CIPP can tether other potential interactors.

Assessment of acute and chronic toxicity of doxorubicin in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

The present study assesses acute and chronic toxicity of doxorubicin in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), with the aim to obtain in vitro biomarkers that can be used as readouts to predict in vivo cardiotoxicity. Possible acute toxicity was investigated by assessing effects on the beating rate and the field potential duration (FPD) of doxorubicin-exposed cardiomyocytes by measuring electrical activity using multi-electrode array (MEA) analyses. No effects on the beating rate and FPD were found at concentrations up to 6µM, whereas at 12µM no electrical activity was recorded, indicating that the cardiomyocytes stopped beating. Acute and chronic effects of doxorubicin on mitochondria, which have been reported to be affected in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, were assessed using high content imaging techniques. To this end hiPSC-CMs were exposed to 150 or 300nM doxorubicin using both single dosing (3h and 2days) and repetitive dosing (3 times, of 2days each), including washout studies to assess delayed effects (assessment at day 14) and effects on cell number, mitochondrial density, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial superoxide levels and mitochondrial calcium levels were assessed. No effects of doxorubicin were found on mitochondrial density and mitochondrial superoxide levels, whereas doxorubicin reduced cell survival and slightly altered mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial calcium levels, which was most profound in the washout studies. Altogether, the results of the present study show that concentrations of doxorubicin in the micromolar range were required to affect electrical activity of hiPSC-CMs, whereas nanomolar concentrations already affected cell viability and caused mitochondrial disturbances. Integration of these data with other in vitro data may enable the selection of a series of in vitro biomarkers that can be used as readouts to screen chemicals for possible cardiotoxicity.

Kidins220/ARMS interacts with Pdzrn3, a protein containing multiple binding domains.

We report the identification of a novel partner of Kidins220/ARMS (Kinase D-interacting substrate of 220 kDa/Ankyrin Repeat-rich Membrane Spanning) an adaptor of neurotrophin receptors playing crucial roles during neurogenesis. Screening a phage display library of brain cDNA products we found that D. rerio Pdzrn3, a protein containing RING-finger and PDZ-domains, interacts with Kidins220/ARMS through its first PDZ-domain. Both zebrafish proteins share high homology with the corresponding mammalian proteins and both genes are developmentally expressed in neural districts where early neurogenesis occurs. The interaction was also confirmed by biochemical assays and by co-localization at the tips of growing neurites of PC12 cells induced with nerve growth factor.