Maf family transcription factors are required for nutrient uptake in the mouse neonatal gut.

There are fundamental differences in how neonatal and adult intestines absorb nutrients. In adults, macromolecules are broken down into simpler molecular components in the lumen of the small intestine, then absorbed. In contrast, neonates are thought to rely on internalization of whole macromolecules and subsequent degradation in the lysosome. Here, we identify the Maf family transcription factors MAFB and c-MAF as markers of terminally differentiated intestinal enterocytes throughout life. The expression of these factors is regulated by HNF4α and HNF4γ, master regulators of enterocyte cell fate. Loss of Maf factors results in a neonatal-specific failure to thrive and loss of macromolecular nutrient uptake. RNA-Seq and CUT&RUN analyses defined an endo-lysosomal program as being downstream of these transcription factors. We demonstrate major transcriptional changes in metabolic pathways, including fatty acid oxidation and increases in peroxisome number, in response to loss of Maf proteins. Finally, we show that loss of BLIMP1, a repressor of adult enterocyte genes, shows highly overlapping changes in gene expression and similar defects in macromolecular uptake. This work defines transcriptional regulators that are necessary for nutrient uptake in neonatal enterocytes.

RYK-mediated filopodial pathfinding facilitates midgut elongation.

Between embryonic days 10.5 and 14.5, active proliferation drives rapid elongation of the murine midgut epithelial tube. Within this pseudostratified epithelium, nuclei synthesize DNA near the basal surface and move apically to divide. After mitosis, the majority of daughter cells extend a long, basally oriented filopodial protrusion, building a de novo path along which their nuclei can return to the basal side. WNT5A, which is secreted by surrounding mesenchymal cells, acts as a guidance cue to orchestrate this epithelial pathfinding behavior, but how this signal is received by epithelial cells is unknown. Here, we have investigated two known WNT5A receptors: ROR2 and RYK. We found that epithelial ROR2 is dispensable for midgut elongation. However, loss of Ryk phenocopies the Wnt5a-/- phenotype, perturbing post-mitotic pathfinding and leading to apoptosis. These studies reveal that the ligand-receptor pair WNT5A-RYK acts as a navigation system to instruct filopodial pathfinding, a process that is crucial for continuous cell cycling to fuel rapid midgut elongation.

Actin-related protein2/3 complex regulates tight junctions and terminal differentiation to promote epidermal barrier formation.

The epidermis provides an essential seal from the external environment and retains fluids within the body. To form an effective barrier, cells in the epidermis must form tight junctions and terminally differentiate into cornified envelopes. Here, we demonstrate that the branched actin nucleator, the actin-related protein (Arp)2/3 complex, is unexpectedly required for both these activities. Loss of the ArpC3 subunit of the Arp2/3 complex resulted in minimal changes in the morphogenesis and architecture of this stratified squamous epithelium, but resulted in profound defects in its physiology. Mutant embryos did not develop an effective barrier to the external environment and died within hours of birth. We discovered two underlying causes for these effects. First, ArpC3 was essential for robust assembly and function of tight junctions, specialized cell-cell adhesions that restrict water loss in the epidermis. Second, there were defects in differentiation of the epidermis and the production of cornified envelopes, structures essential for barrier activity. Underlying this defect, we found that YAP was inappropriately active not only in the ArpC3 mutant tissue, but also in cultured cells. Inhibition of YAP activity rescued the differentiation and barrier defects caused by loss of ArpC3. These results demonstrate previously unappreciated roles for the Arp2/3 complex and highlight the functions of branched actin networks in a complex tissue.

Regulated spindle orientation buffers tissue growth in the epidermis.

Tissue homeostasis requires a balance between progenitor cell proliferation and loss. Mechanisms that maintain this robust balance are needed to avoid tissue loss or overgrowth. Here we demonstrate that regulation of spindle orientation/asymmetric cell divisions is one mechanism that is used to buffer changes in proliferation and tissue turnover in mammalian skin. Genetic and pharmacologic experiments demonstrate that asymmetric cell divisions were increased in hyperproliferative conditions and decreased under hypoproliferative conditions. Further, active K-Ras also increased the frequency of asymmetric cell divisions. Disruption of spindle orientation in combination with constitutively active K-Ras resulted in massive tissue overgrowth. Together, these data highlight the essential roles of spindle orientation in buffering tissue homeostasis in response to perturbations.

Pain, fatigue, and intensity of practice in people with stroke who are receiving constraint-induced movement therapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is little available information about changes in pain and fatigue status among people receiving constraint-induced movement therapy (CI therapy). This study examined such changes. SUBJECTS: All participants were a subset of individuals with stroke enrolled in the Extremity Constraint-Induced Therapy Evaluation (EXCITE) trial and received 2 weeks of CI therapy either 3 to 9 months after stroke (subacute therapy group, n=18) or 1 year later (chronic therapy group, n=14). METHODS: Pain, fatigue, and intensity of therapy were evaluated. The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the pain scale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the upper extremity were administered before and after training. Single-item measures for pain and fatigue were administered twice daily during therapy. RESULTS: All participants reported low mean pain (X=2.0, SD=0.93) and fatigue (X=2.7, SD=1.23) scores. Generally, differences between the subacute and the chronic therapy groups for pain, fatigue, intensity, and WMFT change scores were nonsignificant. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: For selected patients with stroke, the intensive practice associated with CI therapy may be administered without exacerbation of pain or fatigue, even early during the recovery process.

Identification of a new mechanism for targeting myosin II heavy chain phosphorylation by Dictyostelium myosin heavy chain kinase B.

BACKGROUND: Heavy chain phosphorylation plays a central role in regulating myosin II bipolar filament assembly in Dictyostelium, as well as in higher eukaryotic nonmuscle cells. Our previous work has demonstrated that the WD-repeat domain of Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase B (MHCK-B), unlike its counterpart in MHCK-A, is not absolutely required for targeting of the kinase to phosphorylate MHC. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that an asparagine-rich and structurally disordered region that is unique to MHCK-B can by itself function in substrate targeting. FINDINGS: Biochemical assays comparing the activities of full-length MHCK-B, a truncation lacking only the WD-repeat domain (B-Delta-WD), and a truncation lacking both the N-rich region and the WD-repeat domain (B-Delta-N-WD) revealed that the N-rich region targets MHCK-B to phosphorylate MHC in a manner that leads to bipolar filament disassembly. This targeting is physiologically relevant since cellular over-expression of the B-Delta-WD truncation, but not the B-Delta-N-WD truncation, leads to dramatically reduced levels of myosin II filament assembly and associated defects in cytokinesis and multicellular development. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented here demonstrate that an intrinsically unstructured, and asparagine-rich, region of a MHCK-B can mediate specific targeting of the kinase to phosphorylate myosin II heavy chain. This targeting involves a direct binding interaction with myosin II filaments. In terms of regulating myosin bipolar filament assembly, our results suggest that factors affecting the activity of this unique region of MHCK-B could allow for regulation of MHCK-B in a manner that is distinct from the other MHCKs in Dictyostelium.