A brain-specific angiogenic mechanism enabled by tip cell specialization.

Vertebrate organs require locally adapted blood vessels1,2. The gain of such organotypic vessel specializations is often deemed to be molecularly unrelated to the process of organ vascularization. Here, opposing this model, we reveal a molecular mechanism for brain-specific angiogenesis that operates under the control of Wnt7a/b ligands-well-known blood-brain barrier maturation signals3-5. The control mechanism relies on Wnt7a/b-dependent expression of Mmp25, which we find is enriched in brain endothelial cells. CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis in zebrafish reveals that this poorly characterized glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored matrix metalloproteinase is selectively required in endothelial tip cells to enable their initial migration across the pial basement membrane lining the brain surface. Mechanistically, Mmp25 confers brain invasive competence by cleaving meningeal fibroblast-derived collagen IV α5/6 chains within a short non-collagenous region of the central helical part of the heterotrimer. After genetic interference with the pial basement membrane composition, the Wnt-ß-catenin-dependent organotypic control of brain angiogenesis is lost, resulting in properly patterned, yet blood-brain-barrier-defective cerebrovasculatures. We reveal an organ-specific angiogenesis mechanism, shed light on tip cell mechanistic angiodiversity and thereby illustrate how organs, by imposing local constraints on angiogenic tip cells, can select vessels matching their distinctive physiological requirements.

Host cell egress of Brucella abortus requires BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy.

The facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus interacts with several organelles of the host cell to reach its replicative niche inside the endoplasmic reticulum. However, little is known about the interplay between the intracellular bacteria and the host cell mitochondria. Here, we showed that B. abortus triggers substantive mitochondrial network fragmentation, accompanied by mitophagy and the formation of mitochondrial Brucella-containing vacuoles during the late steps of cellular infection. Brucella-induced expression of the mitophagy receptor BNIP3L is essential for these events and relies on the iron-dependent stabilisation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. Functionally, BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy appears to be advantageous for bacterial exit from the host cell as BNIP3L depletion drastically reduces the number of reinfection events. Altogether, these findings highlight the intricate link between Brucella trafficking and the mitochondria during host cell infection.

A cytoplasmic chemoreceptor and reactive oxygen species mediate bacterial chemotaxis to copper.

Chemotaxis is a widespread strategy used by unicellular and multicellular living organisms to maintain their fitness in stressful environments. We previously showed that bacteria can trigger a negative chemotactic response to a copper (Cu)-rich environment. Cu ion toxicity on bacterial cell physiology has been mainly linked to mismetallation events and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, although the precise role of Cu-generated ROS remains largely debated. Here, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry on cell fractionates, we found that the cytoplasmic Cu ion content mirrors variations of the extracellular Cu ion concentration. ROS-sensitive fluorescent probe and biosensor allowed us to show that the increase of cytoplasmic Cu ion content triggers a dose-dependent oxidative stress, which can be abrogated by superoxide dismutase and catalase overexpression. The inhibition of ROS production in the cytoplasm not only improves bacterial growth but also impedes Cu chemotaxis, indicating that ROS derived from cytoplasmic Cu ions mediate the control of bacterial chemotaxis to Cu. We also identified the Cu chemoreceptor McpR, which binds Cu ions with low affinity, suggesting a labile interaction. In addition, we demonstrate that the cysteine 75 and histidine 99 within the McpR sensor domain are key residues in Cu chemotaxis and Cu coordination. Finally, we discovered that in vitro both Cu(I) and Cu(II) ions modulate McpR conformation in a distinct manner. Overall, our study provides mechanistic insights on a redox-based control of Cu chemotaxis, indicating that the cellular redox status can play a key role in bacterial chemotaxis.

Alterations in the placental proteome in association with the presence of black carbon particles: a discovery study.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to ambient air pollution is known to cause direct and indirect molecular expression changes in the placenta, on the DNA, mRNA, and protein levels. Ambient black carbon (BC) particles can be found in the human placenta already very early in gestation. However, the effect of in utero BC exposure on the entire placental proteome has never been studied to date. OBJECTIVES: We explored whether placental proteome differs between mothers exposed to either high or low BC levels throughout the entire pregnancy. METHODS: We used placental tissue samples from the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, of 20 non-smoking, maternal- and neonate characteristic-matched women exposed to high (n=10) or low (n=10) levels of ambient BC throughout pregnancy. We modeled prenatal BC exposure levels based on the mother's home address and measured BC levels in the fetal side of the placenta. The placental proteome was analyzed by nano-liquid chromatography Q-TOF mass spectrometry. PEAKS software was used for protein identification and label-free quantification. Protein-protein interaction and functional pathway enrichment analyses were performed with the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) software. RESULTS: The accumulation of BC particles in placenta was 2.19 times higher in the high versus low exposure group (20943.4 vs 9542.7 particles/mm³; p=0.007). Thirteen proteins showed a ≥ 2-fold expression difference between the two exposure groups, all overexpressed in the placentas of women prenatally exposed to high BC levels. Three protein-protein interactions were enriched within this group, namely between TIMP3 and COL4A2, SERPINE2 and COL4A2, and SERPINE2 and GP1BB. Functional pathway enrichment analysis put forward pathways involved in extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, fibrin clot formation, and sodium ion transport regulation. DISCUSSION: Prenatal BC exposure affects the placental proteome. Future research should focus on the potential consequences of these alterations on placental functioning, and health and disease during early childhood development.

The Key Role of Mitochondria in Somatic Stem Cell Differentiation: From Mitochondrial Asymmetric Apportioning to Cell Fate.

The study of the mechanisms underlying stem cell differentiation is under intensive research and includes the contribution of a metabolic switch from glycolytic to oxidative metabolism. While mitochondrial biogenesis has been previously demonstrated in number of differentiation models, it is only recently that the role of mitochondrial dynamics has started to be explored. The discovery of asymmetric distribution of mitochondria in stem cell progeny has strengthened the interest in the field. This review attempts to summarize the regulation of mitochondrial asymmetric apportioning by the mitochondrial fusion, fission, and mitophagy processes as well as emphasize how asymmetric mitochondrial apportioning in stem cells affects their metabolism, and thus epigenetics, and determines cell fate.

Endogenous TOM20 Proximity Labeling: A Swiss-Knife for the Study of Mitochondrial Proteins in Human Cells.

Biotin-based proximity labeling approaches, such as BioID, have demonstrated their use for the study of mitochondria proteomes in living cells. The use of genetically engineered BioID cell lines enables the detailed characterization of poorly characterized processes such as mitochondrial co-translational import. In this process, translation is coupled to the translocation of the mitochondrial proteins, alleviating the energy cost typically associated with the post-translational import relying on chaperone systems. However, the mechanisms are still unclear with only few actors identified but none that have been described in mammals yet. We thus profiled the TOM20 proxisome using BioID, assuming that some of the identified proteins could be molecular actors of the co-translational import in human cells. The obtained results showed a high enrichment of RNA binding proteins close to the TOM complex. However, for the few selected candidates, we could not demonstrate a role in the mitochondrial co-translational import process. Nonetheless, we were able to demonstrate additional uses of our BioID cell line. Indeed, the experimental approach used in this study is thus proposed for the identification of mitochondrial co-translational import effectors and for the monitoring of protein entry inside mitochondria with a potential application in the prediction of mitochondrial protein half-life.

Priming of mesenchymal stem cells with a hydrosoluble form of curcumin allows keeping their mesenchymal properties for cell-based therapy development.

Mesenchymal stem cells are increasingly studied for their use as drug-carrier in addition to their intrinsic potential for regenerative medicine. They could be used to transport molecules with a poor bioavailability such as curcumin in order to improve their clinical usage. This natural polyphenol, well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has a poor solubility that limits its clinical potential. For this purpose, the use of NDS27, a curcumin salt complexed with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPßCD), displaying an increased solubility in aqueous solution, is preferred. This study aims to evaluate the uptake of NDS27 into skeletal muscle-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mdMSCs) and the effects of such uptake onto their mesenchymal properties. It appeared that the uptake of NDS27 into mdMSCs is concentration-dependent and not time-dependent. The use of a concentration of 7 µmol/L which does not affect the viability and proliferation also allows preservation of their adhesion, invasion and T cell immunomodulatory abilities.

Mild mitochondrial uncoupling induces HSL/ATGL-independent lipolysis relying on a form of autophagy in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Obesity is characterized by an excessive triacylglycerol accumulation in white adipocytes. Various mechanisms allowing the tight regulation of triacylglycerol storage and mobilization by lipid droplet-associated proteins as well as lipolytic enzymes have been identified. Increasing energy expenditure by inducing a mild uncoupling of mitochondria in adipocytes might represent a putative interesting anti-obesity strategy as it reduces the adipose tissue triacylglycerol content (limiting alterations caused by cell hypertrophy) by stimulating lipolysis through yet unknown mechanisms, limiting the adverse effects of adipocyte hypertrophy. Herein, the molecular mechanisms involved in lipolysis induced by a mild uncoupling of mitochondria in white 3T3-L1 adipocytes were characterized. Mitochondrial uncoupling-induced lipolysis was found to be independent from canonical pathways that involve lipolytic enzymes such as HSL and ATGL. Finally, enhanced lipolysis in response to mitochondrial uncoupling relies on a form of autophagy as lipid droplets are captured by endolysosomal vesicles. This new mechanism of triacylglycerol breakdown in adipocytes exposed to mild uncoupling provides new insights on the biology of adipocytes dealing with mitochondria forced to dissipate energy.

The Transcription Factor 7-Like 2-Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator-1 Alpha Axis Connects Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Metabolic Shift with Stem Cell Commitment to Hepatic Differentiation.

Increasing evidence supports that modifications in the mitochondrial content, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) activity, and cell metabolism influence the fate of stem cells. However, the regulators involved in the crosstalk between mitochondria and stem cell fate remains poorly characterized. Here, we identified a transcriptional regulatory axis, composed of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) (a downstream effector of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, repressed during differentiation) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) (the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, induced during differentiation), coupling the loss of pluripotency and early commitment to differentiation, to the initiation of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolic shift toward OXPHOS. PGC-1α induction during differentiation is required for both mitochondrial biogenesis and commitment to the hepatocytic lineage, and TCF7L2 repression is sufficient to increase PGC-1α expression, mitochondrial biogenesis and OXPHOS activity. We further demonstrate that OXPHOS activity is required for the differentiation toward the hepatocytic lineage, thus providing evidence that bi-directional interactions control stem cell differentiation and mitochondrial abundance and activity. Stem Cells 2017;35:2184-2197.

HOXA1 binds RBCK1/HOIL-1 and TRAF2 and modulates the TNF/NF-κB pathway in a transcription-independent manner.

HOX proteins define a family of key transcription factors regulating animal embryogenesis. HOX genes have also been linked to oncogenesis and HOXA1 has been described to be active in several cancers, including breast cancer. Through a proteome-wide interaction screening, we previously identified the TNFR-associated proteins RBCK1/HOIL-1 and TRAF2 as HOXA1 interactors suggesting that HOXA1 is functionally linked to the TNF/NF-κB signaling pathway. Here, we reveal a strong positive correlation between expression of HOXA1 and of members of the TNF/NF-κB pathway in breast tumor datasets. Functionally, we demonstrate that HOXA1 can activate NF-κB and operates upstream of the NF-κB inhibitor IκB. Consistently, we next demonstrate that the HOXA1-mediated activation of NF-κB is non-transcriptional and that RBCK1 and TRAF2 influences on NF-κB are epistatic to HOXA1. We also identify an 11 Histidine repeat and the homeodomain of HOXA1 to be required both for RBCK1 and TRAF2 interaction and NF-κB stimulation. Finally, we highlight that activation of NF-κB is crucial for HOXA1 oncogenic activity.

Effects of a Sublethal and Transient Stress of the Endoplasmic Reticulum on the Mitochondrial Population.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are not discrete intracellular organelles but establish close physical and functional interactions involved in several biological processes including mitochondrial bioenergetics, calcium homeostasis, lipid synthesis, and the regulation of apoptotic cell death pathways. As many cell types might face a transient and sublethal ER stress during their lifetime, it is thus likely that the adaptive UPR response might affect the mitochondrial population. The aim of this work was to study the putative effects of a non-lethal and transient endoplasmic reticulum stress on the mitochondrial population in HepG2 cells. The results show that thapsigargin and brefeldin A, used to induce a transient and sublethal ER stress, rapidly lead to the fragmentation of the mitochondrial network associated with a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, O2 (•-) production and less efficient respiration. These changes in mitochondrial function are transient and preceded by the phosphorylation of JNK. Inhibition of JNK activation by SP600125 prevents the decrease in O2 (•-) production and the mitochondrial network fragmentation observed in cells exposed to the ER stress but has no impact on the reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential. In conclusion, our data show that a non-lethal and transient ER stress triggers a rapid activation of JNK without inducing apoptosis, leading to the fragmentation of the mitochondrial network and a reduction of O2 (•-) production. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1913-1931, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mitochondria Retrograde Signaling and the UPR mt: Where Are We in Mammals?

Mitochondrial unfolded protein response is a form of retrograde signaling that contributes to ensuring the maintenance of quality control of mitochondria, allowing functional integrity of the mitochondrial proteome. When misfolded proteins or unassembled complexes accumulate beyond the folding capacity, it leads to alteration of proteostasis, damages, and organelle/cell dysfunction. Extensively studied for the ER, it was recently reported that this kind of signaling for mitochondrion would also be able to communicate with the nucleus in response to impaired proteostasis. The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)) is activated in response to different types and levels of stress, especially in conditions where unfolded or misfolded mitochondrial proteins accumulate and aggregate. A specific UPR(mt) could thus be initiated to boost folding and degradation capacity in response to unfolded and aggregated protein accumulation. Although first described in mammals, the UPR(mt) was mainly studied in Caenorhabditis elegans, and accumulating evidence suggests that mechanisms triggered in response to a UPR(mt) might be different in C. elegans and mammals. In this review, we discuss and integrate recent data from the literature to address whether the UPR(mt) is relevant to mitochondrial homeostasis in mammals and to analyze the putative role of integrated stress response (ISR) activation in response to the inhibition of mtDNA expression and/or accumulation of mitochondrial mis/unfolded proteins.

miR-212/132 expression and functions: within and beyond the neuronal compartment.

During the last two decades, microRNAs (miRNAs) emerged as critical regulators of gene expression. By modulating the expression of numerous target mRNAs mainly at the post-transcriptional level, these small non-coding RNAs have been involved in most, if not all, biological processes as well as in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. miR-132 and miR-212 are tandem miRNAs whose expression is necessary for the proper development, maturation and function of neurons and whose deregulation is associated with several neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies (neurodegenerative diseases resulting from the pathological aggregation of tau protein in the human brain). Although their involvement in neuronal functions is the most described, evidences point towards a role of these miRNAs in many other biological processes, including inflammation and immune functions. Incidentally, miR-132 was recently classified as a 'neurimmiR', a class of miRNAs operating within and between the neural and immune compartments. In this review, we propose an outline of the current knowledge about miR-132 and miR-212 functions in neurons and immune cells, by describing the signalling pathways and transcription factors regulating their expression as well as their putative or demonstrated roles and validated mRNA targets.

New Pathophysiological Insights from Serum Proteome Profiling in Equine Atypical Myopathy.

Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is a severe environmental intoxication linked to the ingestion of protoxins contained in seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Europe. The toxic metabolites cause a frequently fatal rhabdomyolysis syndrome in grazing horses. Since these toxic metabolites can also be present in cograzing horses, it is still unclear as to why, in a similar environmental context, some horses show signs of AM, whereas others remain clinically healthy. Label-free proteomic analyses on the serum of 26 diseased AM, 23 cograzers, and 11 control horses were performed to provide insights into biological processes and pathways. A total of 43 and 44 differentially abundant proteins between "AM vs cograzing horses" and "AM vs control horses" were found. Disease-linked changes in the proteome of different groups were found to correlate with detected amounts of toxins, and principal component analyses were performed to identify the 29 proteins representing a robust AM signature. Among the pathway-specific changes, the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, the coagulation/complement cascade, and the biosynthesis of amino acids were affected. Sycamore maple poisoning results in a combination of inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired lipid metabolism, which is trying to be counteracted by enhanced glycolysis.

Functional and morphological impact of ER stress on mitochondria.

Over the past years, knowledge and evidence about the existence of crosstalks between cellular organelles and their potential effects on survival or cell death have been constantly growing. More recently, evidence accumulated showing an intimate relationship between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. These close contacts not only establish extensive physical links allowing exchange of lipids and calcium but they can also coordinate pathways involved in cell life and death. It is now obvious that ER dysfunction/stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) as well as mitochondria play major roles in apoptosis. However, while the effects of major ER stress on cell death have been largely studied and reviewed, it becomes more and more evident that cells might regularly deal with sublethal ER stress, a condition that does not necessarily lead to cell death but might affect the function/activity of other organelles such as mitochondria. In this review, we will particularly focus on these new, interesting and intriguing metabolic and morphological events that occur during the early adaptative phase of the ER stress, before the onset of cell death, and that remain largely unknown. Relevance and implication of these mitochondrial changes in response to ER stress conditions for human diseases such as type II diabetes and Alzheimer's disease will also be considered.

A critical role for heme synthesis and succinate in the regulation of pluripotent states transitions.

Using embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in regenerative medicine or in disease modeling requires a complete understanding of these cells. Two main distinct developmental states of ESCs have been stabilized in vitro, a naïve pre-implantation stage and a primed post-implantation stage. Based on two recently published CRISPR-Cas9 knockout functional screens, we show here that the exit of the naïve state is impaired upon heme biosynthesis pathway blockade, linked in mESCs to the incapacity to activate MAPK- and TGFß-dependent signaling pathways after succinate accumulation. In addition, heme synthesis inhibition promotes the acquisition of 2 cell-like cells in a heme-independent manner caused by a mitochondrial succinate accumulation and leakage out of the cell. We further demonstrate that extracellular succinate acts as a paracrine/autocrine signal, able to trigger the 2C-like reprogramming through the activation of its plasma membrane receptor, SUCNR1. Overall, this study unveils a new mechanism underlying the maintenance of pluripotency under the control of heme synthesis.

Characterization of the Proteins Secreted by Equine Muscle-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exposed to Cartilage Explants in Osteoarthritis Model.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent joint degenerative disease for which therapeutic treatments are limited or invasive. Cell therapy based on mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) is therefore seen as a promising approach for this disease, in both human and horses. As the regenerative potential of MSCs is mainly conferred by paracrine function, the goal of this study was to characterize the secreted proteins of muscle-derived MSCs (mdMSCs) in an in vitro model of OA to evaluate the putative clinical interest of mdMSCs as cell therapy for joint diseases like osteoarthritis. METHODS: An equine osteoarthritis model composed of cartilage explants exposed to pro-inflammatory cytokines was first developed. Then, the effects of mdMSC co-culture on cartilage explant were studied by measuring the glycosaminoglycan release and the NO2- production. To identify the underlying molecular actors, stable isotope-labeling by amino acids in cell culture based secreted protein analyses were conducted, in the presence of serum. The relative abundance of highly sequenced proteins was finally confirmed by western blot. RESULTS: Co-culture with muscle-derived MSCs decreases the cytokine-induced glycosaminoglycan release by cartilage explants, suggesting a protecting effect of mdMSCs. Among the 52 equine proteins sequenced in the co-culture conditioned medium, the abundance of decorin and matrix metalloproteinase 3 was significantly modified, as confirmed by western blot analyses. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that muscle-derived MSCs could reduce the catabolic effect of TNFα and IL-1ß on cartilage explant by decreasing the secretion and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and increasing the decorin secretion. mdMSCs capacity to reduce the catabolic consequences of cartilage exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines. These effects can be explained by mdMSC-secreted bioactive such as TIMP-1 and decorin, known as an inhibitor of MMP3 and an anti-inflammatory protein, respectively.

The global downregulation of protein synthesis observed during hepatogenic maturation is associated with a decrease in TOP mRNA translation.

Translational regulation is of paramount importance for proteome remodeling during stem cell differentiation at both the global and the transcript-specific levels. In this study, we characterized translational remodeling during hepatogenic differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by polysome profiling. We demonstrate that protein synthesis increases during exit from pluripotency and is then globally repressed during later steps of hepatogenic maturation. This global downregulation of translation is accompanied by a decrease in the abundance of protein components of the translation machinery, which involves a global reduction in translational efficiency of terminal oligopyrimidine tract (TOP) mRNA encoding translation-related factors. Despite global translational repression during hepatogenic differentiation, key hepatogenic genes remain efficiently translated, and the translation of several transcripts involved in hepatospecific functions and metabolic maturation is even induced. We conclude that, during hepatogenic differentiation, a global decrease in protein synthesis is accompanied by a specific translational rewiring of hepatospecific transcripts.

Crosstalk between mitochondrial (dys)function and mitochondrial abundance.

A controlled regulation of mitochondrial mass through either the production (biogenesis) or the degradation (mitochondrial quality control) of the organelle represents a crucial step for proper mitochondrial and cell function. Key steps of mitochondrial biogenesis and quality control are overviewed, with an emphasis on the role of mitochondrial chaperones and proteases that keep mitochondria fully functional, provided the mitochondrial activity impairment is not excessive. In this case, the whole organelle is degraded by mitochondrial autophagy or "mitophagy." Beside the maintenance of adequate mitochondrial abundance and functions for cell homeostasis, mitochondrial biogenesis might be enhanced, through discussed signaling pathways, in response to various physiological stimuli, like contractile activity, exposure to low temperatures, caloric restriction, and stem cells differentiation. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction might also initiate a retrograde response, enabling cell adaptation through increased mitochondrial biogenesis.

Mild mitochondrial uncoupling does not affect mitochondrial biogenesis but downregulates pyruvate carboxylase in adipocytes: role for triglyceride content reduction.

In adipocytes, mitochondrial uncoupling is known to trigger a triglyceride loss comparable with the one induced by TNFα, a proinflammatory cytokine. However, the impact of a mitochondrial uncoupling on the abundance/composition of mitochondria and its connection with triglyceride content in adipocytes is largely unknown. In this work, the effects of a mild mitochondrial uncoupling triggered by FCCP were investigated on the mitochondrial population of 3T3-L1 adipocytes by both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We found that mild mitochondrial uncoupling does not stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis in adipocytes but induces an adaptive cell response characterized by quantitative modifications of mitochondrial protein content. Superoxide anion radical level was increased in mitochondria of both TNFα- and FCCP-treated adipocytes, whereas mitochondrial DNA copy number was significantly higher only in TNFα-treated cells. Subproteomic analysis revealed that the abundance of pyruvate carboxylase was reduced significantly in mitochondria of TNFα- and FCCP-treated adipocytes. Functional study showed that overexpression of this major enzyme of lipid metabolism is able to prevent the triglyceride content reduction in adipocytes exposed to mitochondrial uncoupling or TNFα. These results suggest a new mechanism by which the effects of mitochondrial uncoupling might limit triglyceride accumulation in adipocytes.