Idax and Rinf facilitate expression of Tet enzymes to promote neural and suppress trophectodermal programs during differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

The Inhibitor of disheveled and axin (Idax) and its ortholog the Retinoid inducible nuclear factor (Rinf) are DNA binding proteins with nuclear and cytoplasmic functions. Rinf is expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) where it regulates transcription of the Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) enzymes, promoting neural and suppressing mesendoderm/trophectoderm differentiation. Here, we find that Idax, which is not expressed in ESCs, is induced upon differentiation. Like Rinf, Idax facilitates neural and silences trophectodermal programs. Individual or combined loss of Idax and Rinf led to downregulation of neural and upregulation of trophectoderm markers during differentiation of ESCs to embryoid bodies as well as during directed differentiation of ESCs to neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and trophoblast-like cells. These defects resemble those of Tet-deficient ESCs. Consistently, Tet genes are direct targets of Idax and Rinf, and loss of Idax and Rinf led to downregulation of Tet enzymes during ESC differentiation to NPCs and trophoblast-like cells. While Idax and Rinf single and double knockout (DKO) mice were viable and overtly normal, DKO embryos had reduced expression of several NPC markers in embryonic forebrains and deregulated expression of selected trophoblast markers in placentas. NPCs derived from DKO forebrains had reduced self-renewal while DKO placentas had increased junctional zone and reduced labyrinth layers. Together, our findings establish Idax and Rinf as regulators of Tet enzymes for proper differentiation of ESCs.

Loss of the adaptor protein ShcA in endothelial cells protects against monocyte macrophage adhesion, LDL-oxydation, and atherosclerotic lesion formation.

ShcA is an adaptor protein that binds to the cytoplasmic tail of receptor tyrosine kinases and of the Low Density Lipoprotein-related receptor 1 (LRP1), a trans-membrane receptor that protects against atherosclerosis. Here, we examined the role of endothelial ShcA in atherosclerotic lesion formation. We found that atherosclerosis progression was markedly attenuated in mice deleted for ShcA in endothelial cells, that macrophage content was reduced at the sites of lesions, and that adhesion molecules such as the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were severely reduced. Our data indicate that transcriptional regulation of ShcA by the zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) and the Hippo pathway effector YAP, promotes ICAM-1 expression independently of p-NF-κB, the primary driver of adhesion molecules expressions. In addition, ShcA suppresses endothelial Akt and nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expressions. Thus, through down regulation of eNOS and ZEB1-mediated ICAM-1 up regulation, endothelial ShcA promotes monocyte-macrophage adhesion and atherosclerotic lesion formation. Reducing ShcA expression in endothelial cells may represent an obvious therapeutic approach to prevent atherosclerosis.

Author Correction: Loss of the adaptor protein ShcA in endothelial cells protects against monocyte macrophage adhesion, LDL-oxydation, and atherosclerotic lesion formation.

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