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1.
Cell ; 183(5): 1234-1248.e25, 2020 11 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33113353

ABSTRACT

Brain metastasis (br-met) develops in an immunologically unique br-met niche. Central nervous system-native myeloid cells (CNS-myeloids) and bone-marrow-derived myeloid cells (BMDMs) cooperatively regulate brain immunity. The phenotypic heterogeneity and specific roles of these myeloid subsets in shaping the br-met niche to regulate br-met outgrowth have not been fully revealed. Applying multimodal single-cell analyses, we elucidated a heterogeneous but spatially defined CNS-myeloid response during br-met outgrowth. We found Ccr2+ BMDMs minimally influenced br-met while CNS-myeloid promoted br-met outgrowth. Additionally, br-met-associated CNS-myeloid exhibited downregulation of Cx3cr1. Cx3cr1 knockout in CNS-myeloid increased br-met incidence, leading to an enriched interferon response signature and Cxcl10 upregulation. Significantly, neutralization of Cxcl10 reduced br-met, while rCxcl10 increased br-met and recruited VISTAHi PD-L1+ CNS-myeloid to br-met lesions. Inhibiting VISTA- and PD-L1-signaling relieved immune suppression and reduced br-met burden. Our results demonstrate that loss of Cx3cr1 in CNS-myeloid triggers a Cxcl10-mediated vicious cycle, cultivating a br-met-promoting, immune-suppressive niche.


Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/immunology , Brain Neoplasms/secondary , Chemokine CXCL10/metabolism , Immunosuppression Therapy , Myeloid Cells/metabolism , Animals , Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism , Brain Neoplasms/genetics , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1/metabolism , Central Nervous System/pathology , Female , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Interferons/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Knockout , Neutralization Tests , Phenotype , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Transcriptome/genetics
2.
Cell ; 161(2): 307-18, 2015 Apr 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25843630

ABSTRACT

Protein-DNA binding is mediated by the recognition of the chemical signatures of the DNA bases and the 3D shape of the DNA molecule. Because DNA shape is a consequence of sequence, it is difficult to dissociate these modes of recognition. Here, we tease them apart in the context of Hox-DNA binding by mutating residues that, in a co-crystal structure, only recognize DNA shape. Complexes made with these mutants lose the preference to bind sequences with specific DNA shape features. Introducing shape-recognizing residues from one Hox protein to another swapped binding specificities in vitro and gene regulation in vivo. Statistical machine learning revealed that the accuracy of binding specificity predictions improves by adding shape features to a model that only depends on sequence, and feature selection identified shape features important for recognition. Thus, shape readout is a direct and independent component of binding site selection by Hox proteins.


Subject(s)
DNA/chemistry , DNA/metabolism , Drosophila Proteins/chemistry , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolism , Transcription Factors/chemistry , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Crystallography, X-Ray , Homeodomain Proteins/chemistry , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Molecular Sequence Data , Nucleic Acid Conformation , Protein Binding , Sequence Alignment
3.
Nature ; 629(8014): 1021-1026, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38750362

ABSTRACT

Nanoscale structures can produce extreme strain that enables unprecedented material properties, such as tailored electronic bandgap1-5, elevated superconducting temperature6,7 and enhanced electrocatalytic activity8,9. While uniform strains are known to elicit limited effects on heat flow10-15, the impact of inhomogeneous strains has remained elusive owing to the coexistence of interfaces16-20 and defects21-23. Here we address this gap by introducing inhomogeneous strain through bending individual silicon nanoribbons on a custom-fabricated microdevice and measuring its effect on thermal transport while characterizing the strain-dependent vibrational spectra with sub-nanometre resolution. Our results show that a strain gradient of 0.112% per nanometre could lead to a drastic thermal conductivity reduction of 34 ± 5%, in clear contrast to the nearly constant values measured under uniform strains10,12,14,15. We further map the local lattice vibrational spectra using electron energy-loss spectroscopy, which reveals phonon peak shifts of several millielectron-volts along the strain gradient. This unique phonon spectra broadening effect intensifies phonon scattering and substantially impedes thermal transport, as evidenced by first-principles calculations. Our work uncovers a crucial piece of the long-standing puzzle of lattice dynamics under inhomogeneous strain, which is absent under uniform strain and eludes conventional understanding.

4.
Nature ; 614(7947): 303-308, 2023 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36697825

ABSTRACT

Flowering plants have evolved numerous intraspecific and interspecific prezygotic reproductive barriers to prevent production of unfavourable offspring1. Within a species, self-incompatibility (SI) is a widely utilized mechanism that rejects self-pollen2,3 to avoid inbreeding depression. Interspecific barriers restrain breeding between species and often follow the SI × self-compatible (SC) rule, that is, interspecific pollen is unilaterally incompatible (UI) on SI pistils but unilaterally compatible (UC) on SC pistils1,4-6. The molecular mechanisms underlying SI, UI, SC and UC and their interconnections in the Brassicaceae remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that the SI pollen determinant S-locus cysteine-rich protein/S-locus protein 11 (SCR/SP11)2,3 or a signal from UI pollen binds to the SI female determinant S-locus receptor kinase (SRK)2,3, recruits FERONIA (FER)7-9 and activates FER-mediated reactive oxygen species production in SI stigmas10,11 to reject incompatible pollen. For compatible responses, diverged pollen coat protein B-class12-14 from SC and UC pollen differentially trigger nitric oxide, nitrosate FER to suppress reactive oxygen species in SC stigmas to facilitate pollen growth in an intraspecies-preferential manner, maintaining species integrity. Our results show that SRK and FER integrate mechanisms underlying intraspecific and interspecific barriers and offer paths to achieve distant breeding in Brassicaceae crops.


Subject(s)
Brassicaceae , Flowers , Hybridization, Genetic , Plant Proteins , Pollination , Brassicaceae/genetics , Brassicaceae/metabolism , Inbreeding Depression , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Phosphotransferases/metabolism , Plant Breeding , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Pollen/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Species Specificity , Flowers/metabolism , Self-Fertilization
5.
Cell ; 148(5): 873-85, 2012 Mar 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22385957

ABSTRACT

Tumor heterogeneity presents a challenge for inferring clonal evolution and driver gene identification. Here, we describe a method for analyzing the cancer genome at a single-cell nucleotide level. To perform our analyses, we first devised and validated a high-throughput whole-genome single-cell sequencing method using two lymphoblastoid cell line single cells. We then carried out whole-exome single-cell sequencing of 90 cells from a JAK2-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm patient. The sequencing data from 58 cells passed our quality control criteria, and these data indicated that this neoplasm represented a monoclonal evolution. We further identified essential thrombocythemia (ET)-related candidate mutations such as SESN2 and NTRK1, which may be involved in neoplasm progression. This pilot study allowed the initial characterization of the disease-related genetic architecture at the single-cell nucleotide level. Further, we established a single-cell sequencing method that opens the way for detailed analyses of a variety of tumor types, including those with high genetic complex between patients.


Subject(s)
Clonal Evolution , Gene Expression Profiling , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods , Janus Kinase 2/genetics , Myeloproliferative Disorders/genetics , Myeloproliferative Disorders/pathology , Single-Cell Analysis/methods , Thrombocythemia, Essential/genetics , Exome , Genome, Human , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mutation
6.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(25): e2321614121, 2024 Jun 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38857401

ABSTRACT

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key brain structure for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and goal-directed behavior, many of which require awareness of spatial variables including one's current position within the surrounding environment. Although previous studies have reported spatially tuned activities in mPFC during memory-related trajectory, the spatial tuning of mPFC network during freely foraging behavior remains elusive. Here, we reveal geometric border or border-proximal representations from the neural activity of mPFC ensembles during naturally exploring behavior, with both allocentric and egocentric boundary responses. Unlike most of classical border cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) discharging along a single wall, a large majority of border cells in mPFC fire particularly along four walls. mPFC border cells generate new firing fields to external insert, and remain stable under darkness, across distinct shapes, and in novel environments. In contrast to hippocampal theta entrainment during spatial working memory tasks, mPFC border cells rarely exhibited theta rhythmicity during spontaneous locomotion behavior. These findings reveal spatially modulated activity in mPFC, supporting local computation for cognitive functions involving spatial context and contributing to a broad spatial tuning property of cortical circuits.


Subject(s)
Prefrontal Cortex , Theta Rhythm , Prefrontal Cortex/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/cytology , Animals , Theta Rhythm/physiology , Male , Mice , Entorhinal Cortex/physiology , Neurons/physiology , Hippocampus/physiology , Spatial Memory/physiology , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Memory, Short-Term/physiology
7.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(13): e2314802121, 2024 Mar 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38498715

ABSTRACT

The molecular basis for cortical expansion during evolution remains largely unknown. Here, we report that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling promotes the self-renewal and expansion of cortical radial glial (RG) cells. Furthermore, FGF-ERK signaling induces bone morphogenic protein 7 (Bmp7) expression in cortical RG cells, which increases the length of the neurogenic period. We demonstrate that ERK signaling and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling mutually inhibit each other in cortical RG cells. We provide evidence that ERK signaling is elevated in cortical RG cells during development and evolution. We propose that the expansion of the mammalian cortex, notably in human, is driven by the ERK-BMP7-GLI3R signaling pathway in cortical RG cells, which participates in a positive feedback loop through antagonizing SHH signaling. We also propose that the relatively short cortical neurogenic period in mice is partly due to mouse cortical RG cells receiving higher SHH signaling that antagonizes ERK signaling.


Subject(s)
Ependymoglial Cells , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases , Animals , Mice , Humans , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism , Ependymoglial Cells/metabolism , Cell Proliferation , Hedgehog Proteins/genetics , Hedgehog Proteins/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Fibroblast Growth Factors , Mammals/metabolism
8.
PLoS Pathog ; 20(6): e1012260, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38885242

ABSTRACT

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes from primates are being developed and clinically used as vectors for human gene therapy. However, the evolutionary mechanism of AAV variants is far from being understood, except that genetic recombination plays an important role. Furthermore, little is known about the interaction between AAV and its natural hosts, human and nonhuman primates. In this study, natural AAV capsid genes were subjected to systemic evolutionary analysis with a focus on selection drives during the diversification of AAV lineages. A number of positively selected sites were identified from these AAV lineages with functional relevance implied by their localization on the AAV structures. The selection drives of the two AAV2 capsid sites were further investigated in a series of biological experiments. These observations did not support the evolution of the site 410 of the AAV2 capsid driven by selection pressure from the human CD4+ T-cell response. However, positive selection on site 548 of the AAV2 capsid was directly related to host humoral immunity because of the profound effects of mutations at this site on the immune evasion of AAV variants from human neutralizing antibodies at both the individual and population levels. Overall, this work provides a novel interpretation of the genetic diversity and evolution of AAV lineages in their natural hosts, which may contribute to their further engineering and application in human gene therapy.


Subject(s)
Capsid Proteins , Dependovirus , Evolution, Molecular , Selection, Genetic , Dependovirus/genetics , Dependovirus/immunology , Humans , Animals , Capsid Proteins/genetics , Capsid Proteins/immunology , Genetic Variation , Genetic Therapy
9.
Nature ; 577(7792): 695-700, 2020 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31969708

ABSTRACT

Increased cardiac contractility during the fight-or-flight response is caused by ß-adrenergic augmentation of CaV1.2 voltage-gated calcium channels1-4. However, this augmentation persists in transgenic murine hearts expressing mutant CaV1.2 α1C and ß subunits that can no longer be phosphorylated by protein kinase A-an essential downstream mediator of ß-adrenergic signalling-suggesting that non-channel factors are also required. Here we identify the mechanism by which ß-adrenergic agonists stimulate voltage-gated calcium channels. We express α1C or ß2B subunits conjugated to ascorbate peroxidase5 in mouse hearts, and use multiplexed quantitative proteomics6,7 to track hundreds of proteins in the proximity of CaV1.2. We observe that the calcium-channel inhibitor Rad8,9, a monomeric G protein, is enriched in the CaV1.2 microenvironment but is depleted during ß-adrenergic stimulation. Phosphorylation by protein kinase A of specific serine residues on Rad decreases its affinity for ß subunits and relieves constitutive inhibition of CaV1.2, observed as an increase in channel open probability. Expression of Rad or its homologue Rem in HEK293T cells also imparts stimulation of CaV1.3 and CaV2.2 by protein kinase A, revealing an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that confers adrenergic modulation upon voltage-gated calcium channels.


Subject(s)
Calcium Channels, L-Type/metabolism , Proteomics , Receptors, Adrenergic, beta/metabolism , Animals , Calcium Channels, L-Type/chemistry , Calcium Channels, N-Type/metabolism , Cellular Microenvironment , Cyclic AMP/metabolism , Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism , Female , HEK293 Cells , Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Male , Mice , Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Myocardium/metabolism , Phosphorylation , Protein Domains , Protein Subunits/chemistry , Protein Subunits/metabolism , Signal Transduction , ras Proteins/chemistry , ras Proteins/metabolism
10.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 52(D1): D701-D713, 2024 Jan 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37897356

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in the loss of millions of lives and severe global economic consequences. Every time SARS-CoV-2 replicates, the viruses acquire new mutations in their genomes. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes led to increased transmissibility, severe disease outcomes, evasion of the immune response, changes in clinical manifestations and reducing the efficacy of vaccines or treatments. To date, the multiple resources provide lists of detected mutations without key functional annotations. There is a lack of research examining the relationship between mutations and various factors such as disease severity, pathogenicity, patient age, patient gender, cross-species transmission, viral immune escape, immune response level, viral transmission capability, viral evolution, host adaptability, viral protein structure, viral protein function, viral protein stability and concurrent mutations. Deep understanding the relationship between mutation sites and these factors is crucial for advancing our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and for developing effective responses. To fill this gap, we built COV2Var, a function annotation database of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation, available at http://biomedbdc.wchscu.cn/COV2Var/. COV2Var aims to identify common mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants and assess their effects, providing a valuable resource for intensive functional annotations of common mutations among SARS-CoV-2 variants.


Subject(s)
Databases, Genetic , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Mutation , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Molecular Sequence Annotation , Genetic Variation
11.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 52(18): 11188-11202, 2024 Oct 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39271120

ABSTRACT

Cytidine base editors (CBEs) hold significant potential in genetic disease treatment and in breeding superior traits into animals. However, their large protein sizes limit their delivery by adeno-associated virus (AAV), given its packing capacity of <4.7 kb. To overcome this, we employed a web-based fast generic discovery (WFG) strategy, identifying several small ssDNA deaminases (Sdds) and constructing multiple Sdd-CBE 1.0 versions. SflSdd-CBE 1.0 demonstrated high C-to-T editing efficiency, comparable to AncBE4max, while SviSdd-CBE 1.0 exhibited moderate C-to-T editing efficiency with a narrow editing window (C3 to C5). Utilizing AlphaFold2, we devised a one-step miniaturization strategy, reducing the size of Sdds while preserving their efficiency. Notably, we administered AAV8 expressing PCSK9 targeted sgRNA and SflSdd-CBEs (nSaCas9) 2.0 into mice, leading to gene-editing events (with editing efficiency up to 15%) and reduced serum cholesterol levels, underscoring the potential of Sdds in gene therapy. These findings offer new single-stranded editing tools for the treatment of rare genetic diseases.


Subject(s)
Cytidine Deaminase , Dependovirus , Gene Editing , Animals , Gene Editing/methods , Dependovirus/genetics , Mice , Humans , Cytidine Deaminase/genetics , Cytidine Deaminase/metabolism , DNA, Single-Stranded/metabolism , DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics , Proprotein Convertase 9/genetics , Proprotein Convertase 9/metabolism , HEK293 Cells , Genetic Therapy/methods , CRISPR-Cas Systems , Mice, Inbred C57BL , RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
12.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 2024 Oct 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39470734

ABSTRACT

Efficient DNA replication requires highly coordinated programs for the timely recruitment of protein complexes to DNA replication forks. Defects in this process result in replication stress, which in turn activates cell cycle checkpoints, suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis. In response to persistent cell growth signals that speed up DNA replication processes, cells accelerate the recruitment of DNA replication proteins to avoid DNA replication stress. The mechanisms by which cell growth signals induce processes to facilitate the recruitment of DNA replication proteins onto the replication sites remain unclear. Here, we report that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylates heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) for DNA replication. Such a modification promotes nuclear localization and chromatin association of HSP70, which interacts with the DNA replication coordinator, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). HSP70 subsequently facilitates the loading of PCNA onto chromatin. Knockdown or chemical inhibition of HSP70 suppresses PCNA association with chromatin and impairs DNA synthesis and Okazaki fragment maturation, leading to replicative DNA double-strand breaks and apoptosis. Furthermore, chemical inhibition of HSP70 potentiates EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor-induced tumor reduction in vivo. This work expands our understanding of oncogenesis-induced DNA replication processes and provides a foundation for improved treatments for EGFR-mutated lung cancer by simultaneously targeting HSP70.

13.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 52(D1): D1024-D1032, 2024 Jan 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37941143

ABSTRACT

The silkworm Bombyx mori is a domesticated insect that serves as an animal model for research and agriculture. The silkworm super-pan-genome dataset, which we published last year, is a unique resource for the study of global genomic diversity and phenotype-genotype association. Here we present SilkMeta (http://silkmeta.org.cn), a comprehensive database covering the available silkworm pan-genome and multi-omics data. The database contains 1082 short-read genomes, 546 long-read assembled genomes, 1168 transcriptomes, 294 phenotype characterizations (phenome), tens of millions of variations (variome), 7253 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), 18 717 full length transcripts and a set of population statistics. We have compiled publications on functional genomics research and genetic stock deciphering (mutant map). A range of bioinformatics tools is also provided for data visualization and retrieval. The large batch of omics data and tools were integrated in twelve functional modules that provide useful strategies and data for comparative and functional genomics research. The interactive bioinformatics platform SilkMeta will benefit not only the silkworm but also the insect biology communities.


Subject(s)
Bombyx , Genome, Insect , Animals , Bombyx/genetics , Computational Biology , Genomics , Metadata , Multiomics
14.
Development ; 149(4)2022 02 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35156680

ABSTRACT

The striatum is a central regulator of behavior and motor function through the actions of D1 and D2 medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), which arise from a common lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) progenitor. The molecular mechanisms of cell fate specification of these two neuronal subtypes are incompletely understood. Here, we found that deletion of murine Meis2, which is highly expressed in the LGE and derivatives, led to a large reduction in striatal MSNs due to a block in their differentiation. Meis2 directly binds to the Zfp503 and Six3 promoters and is required for their expression and specification of D1 and D2 MSNs, respectively. Finally, Meis2 expression is regulated by Dlx1/2 at least partially through the enhancer hs599 in the LGE subventricular zone. Overall, our findings define a pathway in the LGE whereby Dlx1/2 drives expression of Meis2, which subsequently promotes the fate determination of striatal D1 and D2 MSNs via Zfp503 and Six3.


Subject(s)
Corpus Striatum/metabolism , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Animals , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Eye Proteins/genetics , Eye Proteins/metabolism , Homeodomain Proteins/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Lateral Ventricles/metabolism , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Transgenic , Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Neural Stem Cells/cytology , Neural Stem Cells/metabolism , Neurogenesis , Neurons/cytology , Olfactory Bulb/growth & development , Olfactory Bulb/metabolism , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Protein Binding , Transcription Factors/genetics , Tubulin/genetics , Tubulin/metabolism , Homeobox Protein SIX3
15.
Development ; 149(11)2022 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35666088

ABSTRACT

The evolutionarily conserved C-terminal binding protein (CtBP) has been well characterized as a transcriptional co-repressor. Herein, we report a previously unreported function for CtBP, showing that lowering CtBP dosage genetically suppresses Polycomb group (PcG) loss-of-function phenotypes while enhancing that of trithorax group (trxG) in Drosophila, suggesting that the role of CtBP in gene activation is more pronounced in fly development than previously thought. In fly cells, we show that CtBP is required for the derepression of the most direct PcG target genes, which are highly enriched by homeobox transcription factors, including Hox genes. Using ChIP and co-IP assays, we demonstrate that CtBP is directly required for the molecular switch between H3K27me3 and H3K27ac in the derepressed Hox loci. In addition, CtBP physically interacts with many proteins, such as UTX, CBP, Fs(1)h and RNA Pol II, that have activation roles, potentially assisting in their recruitment to promoters and Polycomb response elements that control Hox gene expression. Therefore, we reveal a prominent activation function for CtBP that confers a major role for the epigenetic program of fly segmentation and development.


Subject(s)
Drosophila Proteins , Genes, Homeobox , Alcohol Oxidoreductases , Animals , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Drosophila/genetics , Drosophila/metabolism , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Polycomb-Group Proteins/genetics , Polycomb-Group Proteins/metabolism , Protein Binding , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcriptional Activation/genetics
16.
Plant Physiol ; 2024 Aug 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39213415

ABSTRACT

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a mechanism in plants that prevents self-fertilization and promotes out-crossing. SI is also widely utilized in the breeding of Brassicaceae crops. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of SI is essential but has been greatly restrained in most Brassicaceae crops due to inefficient transformation. Here, we developed methods for studying signaling pathways and genes of pollen-stigma interactions in Brassicaceae crops lacking an efficient genetic transformation system. We pretreated excised stigmas of Brassica rapa (Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekinensis) in vitro with chemicals to modify signaling pathways or with phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides (AS-ODNs) to modify the expression of the corresponding genes involved in pollen-stigma interactions. Using this method, we firstly determined the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SI with the understanding that the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), which inhibits ROS production, eliminated SI of B. rapa. We further identified the key gene for ROS production in SI and used AS-ODNs targeting BrRBOHF (Brassica rapa RESPIRATORY-BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGF), which encodes one of the NADPH oxidases, to effectively suppress its expression, reduce stigmatic ROS, and promote the growth of self-pollen in B. rapa stigmas. Moreover, pistils treated in planta with the ROS scavenger sodium salicylate (Na-SA) disrupted SI and resulted in enlarged ovules with inbred embryos 12 days after pollination. This method will enable the functional study of signaling pathways and genes regulating SI and other pollen-stigma interactions in different Brassicaceae plants.

17.
Blood ; 141(15): 1817-1830, 2023 04 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36706355

ABSTRACT

The challenge of eradicating leukemia in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after initial cytoreduction has motivated modern efforts to combine synergistic active modalities including immunotherapy. Recently, the ETCTN/CTEP 10026 study tested the combination of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine together with the immune checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab for AML/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) either after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or in the HSCT-naïve setting. Integrative transcriptome-based analysis of 304 961 individual marrow-infiltrating cells for 18 of 48 subjects treated on study revealed the strong association of response with a high baseline ratio of T to AML cells. Clinical responses were predominantly driven by decitabine-induced cytoreduction. Evidence of immune activation was only apparent after ipilimumab exposure, which altered CD4+ T-cell gene expression, in line with ongoing T-cell differentiation and increased frequency of marrow-infiltrating regulatory T cells. For post-HSCT samples, relapse could be attributed to insufficient clearing of malignant clones in progenitor cell populations. In contrast to AML/MDS bone marrow, the transcriptomes of leukemia cutis samples from patients with durable remission after ipilimumab monotherapy showed evidence of increased infiltration with antigen-experienced resident memory T cells and higher expression of CTLA-4 and FOXP3. Altogether, activity of combined decitabine and ipilimumab is impacted by cellular expression states within the microenvironmental niche of leukemic cells. The inadequate elimination of leukemic progenitors mandates urgent development of novel approaches for targeting these cell populations to generate long-lasting responses. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02890329.


Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute , Myelodysplastic Syndromes , Humans , Ipilimumab/therapeutic use , Decitabine/therapeutic use , Myelodysplastic Syndromes/genetics , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology , Recurrence
18.
FASEB J ; 38(9): e23622, 2024 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38703029

ABSTRACT

Endometriosis (EMs)-related infertility commonly has decreased endometrial receptivity and normal decidualization is the basis for establishing and maintaining endometrial receptivity. However, the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms of impaired endometrial decidualization in patients with EMs have not been fully clarified. We confirmed the existence of reduced endometrial receptivity in patients with EMs by scanning electron microscopy and quantitative real-time PCR. Here we identified an lncRNA, named BMPR1B-AS1, which is significantly downregulated in eutopic endometrium in EMs patients and plays an essential role in decidual formation. Furthermore, RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, RNA immunoprecipitation, and rescue analyses revealed that BMPR1B-AS1 positively regulates decidual formation through interaction with the RNA-binding protein insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2). Downregulation of IGF2BP2 led to a decreased stability of BMPR1B-AS1 and inhibition of activation of the SMAD1/5/9 pathway, an inhibitory effect which diminished decidualization in human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) decidualization. In conclusion, our identified a novel regulatory mechanism in which the IGF2BP2-BMPR1B-AS1-SMAD1/5/9 axis plays a key role in the regulation of decidualization, providing insights into the potential link between abnormal decidualization and infertility in patients with EMs, which will be of clinical significance for the management and treatment of infertility in patients with EMs.


Subject(s)
Endometriosis , RNA, Long Noncoding , RNA-Binding Proteins , Adult , Female , Humans , Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type I/metabolism , Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type I/genetics , Decidua/metabolism , Decidua/pathology , Endometriosis/metabolism , Endometriosis/genetics , Endometriosis/pathology , Endometrium/metabolism , Endometrium/pathology , Infertility, Female/metabolism , Infertility, Female/genetics , Infertility, Female/pathology , RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics , RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism , RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Signal Transduction , Stromal Cells/metabolism , Smad Proteins , Young Adult
19.
FASEB J ; 38(5): e23519, 2024 Mar 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38457249

ABSTRACT

ARL3 is essential for cilia development, and mutations in ARL3 are closely associated with ciliopathies. In a previous study, we observed distinct phenotypes of retinal dystrophy in patients with heterozygous ARL3T31A and compound heterozygous ARL3T31A/C118F mutations, indicating that different mutation types may exert diverse effects on their functions. Here, we generated transformed immortal fibroblast cells from patients carrying heterozygous ARL3T31A and compound heterozygous ARL3T31A/C118F mutations, and systematically evaluated their cilia morphology and function, which were further validated in ARPE-19 cells. Results showed that both ARL3T31A and ARL3T31A/C118F mutations led to a decrease in cilium formation. The ARL3T31A/C118F mutations caused significantly elongated cilia and impaired retrograde transport, whereas the ARL3T31A mutation did not induce significant changes in fibroblasts. RNA-sequencing results indicated that compared to ARL3T31A , ARL3T31A/C118F fibroblasts exhibited a higher enrichment of biological processes related to neuron projection development, tissue morphogenesis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, with noticeable alterations in pathways such as ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and TGF-ß signaling. Similar changes were observed in the proteomic results in ARPE-19 cells. Core regulated genes including IQUB, UNC13D, RAB3IP, and GRIP1 were specifically downregulated in the ARL3T31A/C118F group, and expressions of IQUB, NPM2, and SLC38A4 were further validated. Additionally, IQUB showed a rescuing effect on the overlong cilia observed in ARL3T31A/C118F fibroblasts. Our results not only enhance our understanding of ARL3-related diseases but also provide new insights into the analysis of heterozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in genetics.


Subject(s)
Cilia , Proteomics , Humans , Cilia/genetics , Cilia/metabolism , Protein Transport , ADP-Ribosylation Factors/genetics , ADP-Ribosylation Factors/metabolism , Mutation , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/metabolism
20.
Cell Mol Life Sci ; 81(1): 79, 2024 Feb 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38334836

ABSTRACT

Metastasis accounts for 90% of cancer-related deaths among the patients. The transformation of epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells with molecular alterations can occur during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The EMT mechanism accelerates the cancer metastasis and drug resistance ability in human cancers. Among the different regulators of EMT, Wnt/ß-catenin axis has been emerged as a versatile modulator. Wnt is in active form in physiological condition due to the function of GSK-3ß that destructs ß-catenin, while ligand-receptor interaction impairs GSK-3ß function to increase ß-catenin stability and promote its nuclear transfer. Regarding the oncogenic function of Wnt/ß-catenin, its upregulation occurs in human cancers and it can accelerate EMT-mediated metastasis and drug resistance. The stimulation of Wnt by binding Wnt ligands into Frizzled receptors can enhance ß-catenin accumulation in cytoplasm that stimulates EMT and related genes upon nuclear translocation. Wnt/ß-catenin/EMT axis has been implicated in augmenting metastasis of both solid and hematological tumors. The Wnt/EMT-mediated cancer metastasis promotes the malignant behavior of tumor cells, causing therapy resistance. The Wnt/ß-catenin/EMT axis can be modulated by upstream mediators in which non-coding RNAs are main regulators. Moreover, pharmacological intervention, mainly using phytochemicals, suppresses Wnt/EMT axis in metastasis suppression.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms , beta Catenin , Humans , beta Catenin/genetics , beta Catenin/metabolism , Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism , Wnt Signaling Pathway , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Neoplasms/genetics
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