Variations in Fruit Ploidy Level and Cell Size between Small- and Large-Fruited Olive Cultivars during Fruit Ontogeny.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the major oil fruit tree crops worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying olive fruit growth remain poorly understood. Here, we examine questions regarding the interaction of endoreduplication, cell division, and cell expansion with olive fruit growth in relation to the final fruit size by measuring fruit diameter, pericarp thickness, cell area, and ploidy level during fruit ontogeny in three olive cultivars with different fruit sizes. The results demonstrate that differences in the fruit size are related to the maximum growth rate between olive cultivars during early fruit growth, about 50 days post-anthesis (DPA). Differences in fruit weight between olive cultivars were found from 35 DPA, while the distinctive fruit shape became detectable from 21 DPA, even though the increase in pericarp thickness became detectable from 7 DPA in the three cultivars. During early fruit growth, intense mitotic activity appeared during the first 21 DPA in the fruit, whereas the highest cell expansion rates occurred from 28 to 42 DPA during this phase, suggesting that olive fruit cell number is determined from 28 DPA in the three cultivars. Moreover, olive fruit of the large-fruited cultivars was enlarged due to relatively higher cell division and expansion rates compared with the small-fruited cultivar. The ploidy level of olive fruit pericarp between early and late growth was different, but similar among olive cultivars, revealing that ploidy levels are not associated with cell size, in terms of different 8C levels during olive fruit growth. In the three olive cultivars, the maximum endoreduplication level (8C) occurred just before strong cell expansion during early fruit growth in fruit pericarp, whereas the cell expansion during late fruit growth occurred without preceding endoreduplication. We conclude that the basis for fruit size differences between olive cultivars is determined mainly by different cell division and expansion rates during the early fruit growth phase. These data provide new findings on the contribution of fruit ploidy and cell size to fruit size in olive and ultimately on the control of olive fruit development.

Immunomodulatory effects of inactivated Ligilactobacillus salivarius CECT 9609 on respiratory epithelial cells.

The microbiota in humans and animals play crucial roles in defense against pathogens and offer a promising natural source for immunomodulatory products. However, the development of physiologically relevant model systems and protocols for testing such products remains challenging. In this study, we present an experimental condition where various natural products derived from the registered lactic acid bacteria Ligilactobacillus salivarius CECT 9609, known for their immunomodulatory activity, were tested. These products included live and inactivated bacteria, as well as fermentation products at different concentrations and culture times. Using our established model system, we observed no morphological changes in the airway epithelium upon exposure to Pasteurella multocida, a common respiratory pathogen. However, early molecular changes associated with the innate immune response were detected through transcript analysis. By employing diverse methodologies ranging from microscopy to next-generation sequencing (NGS), we characterized the interaction of these natural products with the airway epithelium and their potential beneficial effects in the presence of P. multocida infection. In particular, our discovery highlights that among all Ligilactobacillus salivarius CECT 9609 products tested, only inactivated cells preserve the conformation and morphology of respiratory epithelial cells, while also reversing or altering the natural immune responses triggered by Pasteurella multocida. These findings lay the groundwork for further exploration into the protective role of these bacteria and their derivatives.

METTL3 regulates breast cancer-associated alternative splicing switches.

Alternative splicing (AS) enables differential inclusion of exons from a given transcript, thereby contributing to the transcriptome and proteome diversity. Aberrant AS patterns play major roles in the development of different pathologies, including breast cancer. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant internal modification of eukaryotic mRNA, influences tumor progression and metastasis of breast cancer, and it has been recently linked to AS regulation. Here, we identify a specific AS signature associated with breast tumorigenesis in vitro. We characterize for the first time the role of METTL3 in modulating breast cancer-associated AS programs, expanding the role of the m6A-methyltransferase in tumorigenesis. Specifically, we find that both m6A deposition in splice site boundaries and in splicing and transcription factor transcripts, such as MYC, direct AS switches of specific breast cancer-associated transcripts. Finally, we show that five of the AS events validated in vitro are associated with a poor overall survival rate for patients with breast cancer, suggesting the use of these AS events as a novel potential prognostic biomarker.

Esrrb Regulates Specific Feed-Forward Loops to Transit From Pluripotency Into Early Stages of Differentiation.

Characterization of pluripotent states, in which cells can both self-renew or differentiate, with the irreversible loss of pluripotency, are important research areas in developmental biology. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a relevant role in cellular differentiation, the role of miRNAs integrated into gene regulatory networks and its dynamic changes during these early stages of embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation remain elusive. Here we describe the dynamic transcriptional regulatory circuitry of stem cells that incorporate protein-coding and miRNA genes based on miRNA array expression and quantitative sequencing of short transcripts upon the downregulation of the Estrogen Related Receptor Beta (Esrrb). The data reveals how Esrrb, a key stem cell transcription factor, regulates a specific stem cell miRNA expression program and integrates dynamic changes of feed-forward loops contributing to the early stages of cell differentiation upon its downregulation. Together these findings provide new insights on the architecture of the combined transcriptional post-transcriptional regulatory network in embryonic stem cells.

In Silico Research of New Therapeutics Rotenoids Derivatives against Leishmania amazonensis Infection.

Yearly, 1,500,000 cases of leishmaniasis are diagnosed, causing thousands of deaths. To advance in its therapy, we present an interdisciplinary protocol that unifies ethnobotanical knowledge of natural compounds and the latest bioinformatics advances to respond to an orphan disease such as leishmaniasis and specifically the one caused by Leishmania amazonensis. The use of ethnobotanical information serves as a basis for the development of new drugs, a field in which computer-aided drug design (CADD) has been a revolution. Taking this information from Amazonian communities, located in the area with a high prevalence of this disease, a protocol has been designed to verify new leads. Moreover, a method has been developed that allows the evaluation of lead molecules, and the improvement of their affinity and specificity against therapeutic targets. Through this approach, deguelin has been identified as a good lead to treat the infection due to its potential as an ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor, a key enzyme in Leishmania development. Using an in silico-generated combinatorial library followed by docking approaches, we have found deguelin derivatives with better affinity and specificity against ODC than the original compound, suggesting that this approach could be adapted for developing new drugs against leishmaniasis.

ZFP207 sustains pluripotency by coordinating OCT4 stability, alternative splicing and RNA export.

The pluripotent state is not solely governed by the action of the core transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG, but also by a series of co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional events, including alternative splicing (AS) and the interaction of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with defined subpopulations of RNAs. Zinc Finger Protein 207 (ZFP207) is an essential transcription factor for mammalian embryonic development. Here, we employ multiple functional analyses to characterize its role in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We find that ZFP207 plays a pivotal role in ESC maintenance, and silencing of Zfp207 leads to severe neuroectodermal differentiation defects. In striking contrast to human ESCs, mouse ZFP207 does not transcriptionally regulate neuronal and stem cell-related genes but exerts its effects by controlling AS networks and by acting as an RBP. Our study expands the role of ZFP207 in maintaining ESC identity, and underscores the functional versatility of ZFP207 in regulating neural fate commitment.

Junctional Adhesion Molecule 3 Expression in the Mouse Airway Epithelium Is Linked to Multiciliated Cells.

Tight-junction (TJ) proteins are essential for establishing the barrier function between neighbor epithelial cells, but also for recognition of pathogens or cell migration. Establishing the expression pattern and localization of different TJ proteins will help to understand the development and physiology of the airway. Here we identify that the junctional adhesion molecule 3 (Jam3) expression is restricted to multiciliated cells (MCCs) in the airway epithelium. In vitro, Jam3 expression varies along airway basal stem cell (BSC) differentiation and upon DAPT treatment or IL6 exposure. However, Jam3 is not required for BSC differentiation to specific cell types. In addition, we found that MCC lacking Jam3 display normal cilia morphology and cilia beating frequency with a delay in BB assembly/positioning in MCCs during differentiation. Remarkably, Jam3 in MCC is mostly localized to subapical organelles, which are negative for the apical recycling endosome marker Rab11 and positive for EEA1. Our data show that Jam3 expression is connected to mature MCC in the airway epithelium and suggest a Jam3 role unrelated to its known barrier function.

p53 regulation by MDM2 contributes to self-renewal and differentiation of basal stem cells in mouse and human airway epithelium.

Proper physiological function of mammalian airways requires the differentiation of basal stem cells into secretory or multiciliated cells, among others. In addition, the self-renewal ability of these basal stem cells is crucial for developing a quick response to toxic agents in order to re-establish the epithelial barrier function of the airways. Although these epithelial missions are vital, little is known about those mechanism controlling airway epithelial regeneration in health and disease. p53 has been recently proposed as the guardian of homeostasis, promoting differentiation programs, and antagonizing a de-differentiation program. Here, we exploit mouse and human tracheal epithelial cell culture models to study the role of MDM2-p53 signaling in self-renewal and differentiation in the airway epithelium. We show that p53 protein regulation by MDM2 is crucial for basal stem cell differentiation and to keep proper cell proliferation. Therefore, we suggest that MDM2/p53 interaction modulation is a potential target to control regeneration of the mammalian airway epithelia without massively affecting the epithelium integrity and differentiation potential.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor controls skin homeostasis, regeneration, and hair follicle cycling by adjusting epidermal stem cell function.

Skin integrity requires constant maintenance of a quiescent, yet responsive, population of stem cells. While interfollicular epidermal progenitors control normal homeostasis, hair follicle stem cells residing within the bulge provide regenerative potential during hair cycle and in response to wounding. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) modulates cell plasticity and differentiation and its overactivation results in severe skin lesions in humans. However, its physiological role in skin homeostasis and hair growth is unknown. Reconstitution assays grafting primary keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts into nude mice and 3-D epidermal equivalents revealed a positive role for AhR in skin regeneration, epidermal differentiation, and stem cell maintenance. Furthermore, lack of receptor expression in AhR-/- mice delayed morphogenesis and impaired hair regrowth with a phenotype closely correlating with a reduction in suprabasal bulge stem cells (α6low CD34+ ). Moreover, RNA-microarray and RT-qPCR analyses of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-isolated bulge stem cells revealed that AhR depletion impaired transcriptional signatures typical of both epidermal progenitors and bulge stem cells but upregulated differentiation markers likely compromising their undifferentiated phenotype. Altogether, our findings support that AhR controls skin regeneration and homeostasis by ensuring epidermal stem cell identity and highlights this receptor as potential target for the treatment of cutaneous pathologies.

Distribution of planar cell polarity proteins in the developing avian retina.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) is evolutionary conserved and play a critical role in proper tissue development and function. During central nervous system development, PCP proteins exhibit specific patterns of distribution and are indispensable for axonal growth, dendritogenesis, neuronal migration, and neuronal differentiation. The retina constitutes an excellent model in which to study molecular mechanisms involved in neural development. The analysis of the spatiotemporal expression of PCP proteins in this model constitutes an useful histological approach in order to identify possible roles of these proteins in retinogenesis. Immunohistochemical techniques revealed that Frz6, Celsr1, Vangl1, Pk1, Pk3, and Fat1 were present in emerging axons from recently differentiated ganglion cells in the chicken retina. Except for Vangl1, they were also asymmetrically distributed in differentiated amacrine cells. Pk1 and Pk3 were restricted in the outer nuclear layer to the outer segment of photoreceptors. Vangl1 was also located in the cell somata of Müller glia. Given these findings together, the distribution of PCP proteins in the developing chicken retina suggest essential roles in axonal guidance during early retinogenesis and a possible involvement in the establishment of cell asymmetry and maintenance of retinal cell phenotypes.

Title: p38δ Regulates IL6 Expression Modulating ERK Phosphorylation in Preadipocytes.

IL6 is an essential cytokine in metabolism regulation and for intercommunication among different organs and tissues. IL6 produced by different tissues has different functions and therefore it is very important to understand the mechanism of its expression in adipose tissue. In this work we demonstrated that IL6 expression in mouse preadipocytes, like in human, is partially dependent on Wnt5a and JNK. Using mouse preadipocytes lacking each one of the p38 SAPK family members, we have shown that IL6 expression is also p38γ and p38δ dependent. In fact, the lack of some of these two kinases increases IL6 expression without altering that of Wnt5a. Moreover, we show that the absence of p38δ promotes greater ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a MEK1/2 independent manner, and that this increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation state is contributing to the higher IL6 expression in p38δ-/- preadipocytes. These results suggest a new crosstalk between two MAPK signaling pathway, p38δ and ERK1/2, where p38δ modulates the phosphorylation state of ERK1/2.

Alu retrotransposons modulate Nanog expression through dynamic changes in regional chromatin conformation via aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

Transcriptional repression of Nanog is an important hallmark of stem cell differentiation. Chromatin modifications have been linked to the epigenetic profile of the Nanog gene, but whether chromatin organization actually plays a causal role in Nanog regulation is still unclear. Here, we report that the formation of a chromatin loop in the Nanog locus is concomitant to its transcriptional downregulation during human NTERA-2 cell differentiation. We found that two Alu elements flanking the Nanog gene were bound by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the insulator protein CTCF during cell differentiation. Such binding altered the profile of repressive histone modifications near Nanog likely leading to gene insulation through the formation of a chromatin loop between the two Alu elements. Using a dCAS9-guided proteomic screening, we found that interaction of the histone methyltransferase PRMT1 and the chromatin assembly factor CHAF1B with the Alu elements flanking Nanog was required for chromatin loop formation and Nanog repression. Therefore, our results uncover a chromatin-driven, retrotransposon-regulated mechanism for the control of Nanog expression during cell differentiation.

Centriole Positioning: Not Just a Little Dot in the Cell.

Organelle positioning as many other morphological parameters in a cell is not random. Centriole positioning as centrosomes or ciliary basal bodies is not an exception to this rule in cell biology. Indeed, centriole positioning is a tightly regulated process that occurs during development, and it is critical for many organs to function properly, not just during development but also in the adulthood. In this book chapter, we overview our knowledge on centriole positioning in different and highly specialized animal cells like photoreceptor or ependymal cells. We will also discuss recent advances in the discovery of molecular pathways involved in this process, mostly related to the cytoskeleton and the cell polarity pathways. And finally, we present quantitative methods that have been used to assess centriole positioning in different cell types although mostly in epithelial cells.

Diminished Expression of Fat and Dachsous PCP Proteins Impaired Centriole Planar Polarization in Drosophila.

Proper ciliary basal body positioning within a cell is key for cilia functioning. Centriole and basal body positioning depends on signaling pathways such as the planar cell polarity pathway (PCP) governed by Frizzled (Fz-PCP). There have been described two PCP pathways controlled by different protein complexes, the Frizzled-PCP and the Fat-PCP pathway. Centriole planar polarization in non-dividing cells is a dynamic process that depends on the Fz-PCP pathway to properly occur during development from flies to humans. However, the function of the Ft-PCP pathway in centrioles polarization is elusive. Here, we present a descriptive initial analysis of centrioles polarization in Fat-PCP loss of function (LOF) conditions. We found that Fat (Ft) and Dachsous (Ds) LOF showed a marked centrioles polarization defect similar to what we have previously reported in Fz-PCP alterations. Altogether, our data suggest that centriole planar polarization in Drosophila wings depends on both Ft-PCP and Fz-PCP pathways. Further analyses in single and double mutant conditions will be required to address the functional connection between PCP and centriole polarization in flies.

Centriole planar polarity assessment in Drosophila wings.

In vertebrates, planar polarization of ciliary basal bodies has been associated with actin polymerization that occurs downstream of the Frizzled-planar cell polarity (Fz-PCP) pathway. In Drosophila wing epithelial cells, which do not have cilia, centrioles also polarize in a Fz-PCP-dependent manner, although the relationship with actin polymerization remains unknown. By combining existing and new quantitative methods, we unexpectedly found that known PCP effectors linked to actin polymerization phenotypes affect neither final centriole polarization nor apical centriole distribution. But actin polymerization is required upstream of Fz-PCP to maintain the centrioles in restricted areas in the apical-most planes of those epithelial cells before and after the actin-based hair is formed. Furthermore, in the absence of proper core Fz-PCP signalling, actin polymerization is insufficient to drive this off-centred centriole migration. Altogether, the results reveal that there are at least two pathways controlling centriole positioning in Drosophila pupal wings - an upstream actin-dependent mechanism involved in centriole distribution that is PCP independent, and an unknown mechanism that links core Fz-PCP and centriole polarization.

Histone H4 acetylation regulates behavioral inter-individual variability in zebrafish.

BACKGROUND: Animals can show very different behaviors even in isogenic populations, but the underlying mechanisms to generate this variability remain elusive. We use the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model to test the influence of histone modifications on behavior. RESULTS: We find that laboratory and isogenic zebrafish larvae show consistent individual behaviors when swimming freely in identical wells or in reaction to stimuli. This behavioral inter-individual variability is reduced when we impair the histone deacetylation pathway. Individuals with high levels of histone H4 acetylation, and specifically H4K12, behave similarly to the average of the population, but those with low levels deviate from it. More precisely, we find a set of genomic regions whose histone H4 acetylation is reduced with the distance between the individual and the average population behavior. We find evidence that this modulation depends on a complex of Yin-yang 1 (YY1) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) that binds to and deacetylates these regions. These changes are not only maintained at the transcriptional level but also amplified, as most target regions are located near genes encoding transcription factors. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that stochasticity in the histone deacetylation pathway participates in the generation of genetic-independent behavioral inter-individual variability.

Toward a Molecular Profile of Self-Representation.

Feeling embodiment over our body or body part has a major role in the understanding of the self and control of self-actions. Even though it is crucial in our daily life, embodiment is not an homogenous phenotype across population, as quantified by implicit and explicit measures (i.e., neuroimaging or self-reports). Studies have shown differences in neuropathological conditions compared to healthy controls, but also across healthy individuals. We discuss examples of self-perception differences, and the molecular origin of embodiment, focusing on clinical cases, during the first and second section. We then discuss two important questions in this molecular-to-embodiment relationship: (i) which are the molecular levels (and their associated techniques) that can be relevant to embodiment, and (ii) which are the most adequate experiments to correlate molecular profiles and embodiment quantification across individuals. Potential answers for both questions will be outlined during the third and fourth sections, respectively, in order to design a framework to study the molecular profile of body embodiment.

Positioning of centrioles is a conserved readout of Frizzled planar cell polarity signalling.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling is a well-conserved developmental pathway regulating cellular orientation during development. An evolutionarily conserved pathway readout is not established and, moreover, it is thought that PCP mediated cellular responses are tissue-specific. A key PCP function in vertebrates is to regulate coordinated centriole/cilia positioning, a function that has not been associated with PCP in Drosophila. Here we report instructive input of Frizzled-PCP (Fz/PCP) signalling into polarized centriole positioning in Drosophila wings. We show that centrioles are polarized in pupal wing cells as a readout of PCP signalling, with both gain and loss-of-function Fz/PCP signalling affecting centriole polarization. Importantly, loss or gain of centrioles does not affect Fz/PCP establishment, implicating centriolar positioning as a conserved PCP-readout, likely downstream of PCP-regulated actin polymerization. Together with vertebrate data, these results suggest a unifying model of centriole/cilia positioning as a common downstream effect of PCP signalling from flies to mammals.

RNA-Seq Analysis to Measure the Expression of SINE Retroelements.

The intrinsic features of retroelements, like their repetitive nature and disseminated presence in their host genomes, demand the use of advanced methodologies for their bioinformatic and functional study. The short length of SINE (short interspersed elements) retrotransposons makes such analyses even more complex. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are currently one of the most widely used tools to characterize the whole repertoire of gene expression in a specific tissue. In this chapter, we will review the molecular and computational methods needed to perform NGS analyses on SINE elements. We will also describe new methods of potential interest for researchers studying repetitive elements. We intend to outline the general ideas behind the computational analyses of NGS data obtained from SINE elements, and to stimulate other scientists to expand our current knowledge on SINE biology using RNA-seq and other NGS tools.

The clathrin adaptor AP-1 complex and Arf1 regulate planar cell polarity in vivo.

A key step in generating planar cell polarity (PCP) is the formation of restricted junctional domains containing Frizzled/Dishevelled/Diego (Fz/Dsh/Dgo) or Van Gogh/Prickle (Vang/Pk) complexes within the same cell, stabilized via Flamingo (Fmi) across cell membranes. Although models have been proposed for how these complexes acquire and maintain their polarized localization, the machinery involved in moving core PCP proteins around cells remains unknown. We describe the AP-1 adaptor complex and Arf1 as major regulators of PCP protein trafficking in vivo. AP-1 and Arf1 disruption affects the accumulation of Fz/Fmi and Vang/Fmi complexes in the proximo-distal axis, producing severe PCP phenotypes. Using novel tools, we demonstrate a direct and specific Arf1 involvement in Fz trafficking in vivo. Moreover, we uncover a conserved Arf1 PCP function in vertebrates. Our data support a model whereby the trafficking machinery plays an important part during PCP establishment, promoting formation of polarized PCP-core complexes in vivo.