J Biol Chem. 2018 Oct 12.
El Jellas K, Johansson BB, Fjeld K, Antonopoulos A, Immervoll H, Choi MH, Hoem D, Lowe ME, Lombardo D, Njølstad PR, Dell A, Mas E, Haslam SM, Molven A.
PMID: 30315106 | DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.001934
Carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) is a pancreatic fat-digesting enzyme associated with human disease. Rare mutations in the CEL gene cause a syndrome of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine dysfunction denoted MODY8, whereas a recombined CEL allele increases the risk for chronic pancreatitis. Moreover, CEL has been linked to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) through a postulated oncofetal CEL variant termed feto-acinar pancreatic protein (FAPP). The monoclonal antibody mAb16D10 was previously reported to detect a glycotope in the highly O-glycosylated, mucin-like C-terminus of CEL/FAPP. We here assessed the expression of human CEL in malignant pancreatic lesions and cell lines. CEL was not detectably expressed in neoplastic cells, implying that FAPP is unlikely to be a glycoisoform of CEL in pancreatic cancer. Testing of the mAb16D10 antibody in glycan microarrays then demonstrated that it recognized structures containing terminal GalNAc-α1,3(Fuc-α1,2)Gal (blood group A antigen) and also repeated protein sequences containing GalNAc residues linked to Ser/Thr (Tn antigen), findings that were supported by immunostainings of human pancreatic tissue. To examine whether the CEL glycoprotein might be modified by blood group antigens, we used high-sensitivity MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to characterize the released O-glycan pool of CEL immunoprecipitated from human pancreatic juice. We found that the O-glycome of CEL consisted mainly of core 1/2 structures with a composition depending on FUT2 and ABO gene polymorphisms. Thus, among digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas, CEL is a glycoprotein with some unique characteristics, supporting the view that it could serve additional biological functions to its cholesteryl esterase activity in the duodenum.
J Vet Med Sci. 2018 Oct 17.
Shiwa N, Nakajima C, Kimitsuki K, Manalo DL, Noguchi A, Inoue S, Park CH.
PMID: 30333382 | DOI: 10.1292/jvms.18-0519
Recently, we reported that follicle-sinus complexes (FSCs) in the muzzle skin are useful for postmortem diagnosis of rabid dogs. Here, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of detecting the viral antigen in the brain and FSCs of 226 suspected rabid dogs, and assessed whether the FSC harbored the virus genome and particles. The viral antigen was detected in 211 of 226 samples with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Viral RNA and particles were observed in the cytoplasm of Merkel cells (MCs). These results suggest that MCs are targets of virus infection and FSCs are useful material for diagnosing rabies.
Am J Clin Pathol. 2018 Oct 18.
Gibbons-Fideler IS, Nitta H, Murillo A, Tozbikian G, Banks P, Parwani AV, Li Z.
PMID: 30339245 | DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqy136
OBJECTIVES:
Either immunohistochemistry (IHC) or in situ hybridization (ISH) can be used to determine human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Breast cancers (BCs) with HER2 IHC-negative (IHC-) and ISH-amplified (ISH+) results have been rarely reported but not well studied. We investigated the frequency of HER2 IHC-/ISH+ BCs and their response to anti-HER2 neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).
METHODS:
Seventeen BCs with HER2 IHC-/ISH+ results were identified from 1,107 consecutive invasive BCs (1.5%, 17/1,107).
RESULTS:
Gene protein assay confirmed the original HER2 IHC and ISH results. Increased HER2 RNA level was detected in HER2 IHC-/ISH+ cases compared with HER2 IHC-/ISH- cases. Eight patients had anti-HER2 NAC; three had pathologic complete response, and five had residual tumors.
CONCLUSIONS:
A small percentage of patients (1.5%) showed discordant HER2 IHC and ISH results (IHC-/ISH+) and would have lost the opportunity for potentially beneficial anti-HER2-targeted therapy if only HER2 IHC testing had been used."
Baskozos G, Dawes JM, Austin JS, Antunes-Martins A, McDermott L, Clark AJ, Trendafilova T, Lees JG, McMahon SB, Mogil JS, Orengo C, Bennett DL.
PMID: 30335683 | DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001416
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons provide connectivity between peripheral tissues and spinal cord. Transcriptional plasticity within DRG sensory neurons after peripheral nerve injury contributes to nerve repair but also leads to maladaptive plasticity, including the development of neuropathic pain. This study presents tissue and neuron specific expression profiling of both known and novel Long Non-Coding RNAs (LncRNAs) in rodent DRG following nerve injury. We have identified a large number of novel LncRNAs expressed within rodent DRG, a minority of which were syntenically conserved between mouse, rat and human and which including both- intergenic and antisense LncRNAs. We have also identified neuron type-specific LncRNAs in mouse DRG, and LncRNAs that are expressed in human IPS cell-derived sensory neurons. We show significant plasticity in LncRNA expression following nerve injury, which in mouse is strain and gender dependant. This resource is publicly available and will aid future studies of DRG neuron identity and the transcriptional landscape in both naïve and injured DRG. We present our work regarding novel antisense and intergenic LncRNAs as an online searchable database, accessible from PainNetworks (http://www.painnetworks.org/). We have also integrated all annotated gene expression data in PainNetworks so they can be examined in the context of their protein interactions.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Li L, Mao A, Wang P, Ning G, Cao Y, Wang Q.
PMID: 30341107 | DOI: 10.1242/bio.035444
Pharyngeal pouches, a series of outpocketings derived from the foregut endoderm, are essential for craniofacial skeleton formation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying endodermal pouch-regulated head cartilage development are not fully understood. In this study, we find that zebrafish dmrt2b, a gene encoding Doublesex and Mab-3-related transcription factor, is specifically expressed in endodermal pouches and required for normal pharyngeal cartilage development. Loss of dmrt2b doesn't affect cranial neural crest (CNC) specification and migration, but leads to prechondrogenic condensation defects by reducing cxcl12b expression after CNC cell movement into the pharyngeal arches. Moreover, dmrt2b inactivation results in reduced proliferation and impaired differentiation of CNC cells. We also show that dmrt2b suppresses crossveinless 2 expression in endodermal pouches to maintain BMP/Smad signaling in the arches, thereby facilitating CNC cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation. This work provides insight into how transcription factors expressed in endodermal pouches regulate pharyngeal skeleton development through tissue-tissue interactions.
Brain Struct Funct. 2018 Oct 28.
Albert-Gasco H, Sanchez-Sarasua S, Ma S, García-Díaz C, Gundlach AL, Sanchez-Perez AM, Olucha-Bordonau FE.
PMID: 30368554 | DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1763-5
In mammals, the extended amygdala is a neural hub for social and emotional information processing. In the rat, the extended amygdala receives inhibitory GABAergic projections from the nucleus incertus (NI) in the pontine tegmentum. NI neurons produce the neuropeptide relaxin-3, which acts via the Gi/o-protein-coupled receptor, RXFP3. A putative role for RXFP3 signalling in regulating social interaction was investigated by assessing the effect of intracerebroventricular infusion of the RXFP3 agonist, RXFP3-A2, on performance in the 3-chamber social interaction paradigm. Central RXFP3-A2, but not vehicle, infusion, disrupted the capacity to discriminate between a familiar and novel conspecific subject, but did not alter differentiation between a conspecific and an inanimate object. Subsequent studies revealed that agonist-infused rats displayed increased phosphoERK(pERK)-immunoreactivity in specific amygdaloid nuclei at 20 min post-infusion, with levels similar to control again after 90 min. In parallel, we used immunoblotting to profile ERK phosphorylation dynamics in whole amygdala after RXFP3-A2 treatment; and multiplex histochemical labelling techniques to reveal that after RXFP3-A2 infusion and social interaction, pERK-immunopositive neurons in amygdala expressed vesicular GABA-transporter mRNA and displayed differential profiles of RXFP3 and oxytocin receptor mRNA. Overall, these findings demonstrate that central relaxin-3/RXFP3 signalling can modulate social recognition in rats via effects within the amygdala and likely interactions with GABA and oxytocin signalling.
Danopoulos S, Thornton ME, Grubbs BH, Frey MR, Warburton D, Bellusci S, Al Alam D.
PMID: 30357827 | DOI: 10.1002/path.5188
Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) signaling plays an important role in lung organogenesis. Over recent decades, FGF signaling in lung development has been extensively studied in animal models. However, little is known about the expression, localization and functional roles of FGF ligands during human fetal lung development. Therefore, we aimed to determine the expression and function of several FGF ligands and receptors in human lung development. Using in situ hybridization (ISH) and RNA-sequencing, we assessed their expression and distribution in native human fetal lung. Human fetal lung explants were treated with recombinant FGF7, FGF9 or FGF10 in air-liquid interface culture. Explants were analyzed grossly, to observe differences in branching pattern, as well as at the cellular and molecular level. ISH demonstrated that FGF7 is expressed in both the epithelium and mesenchyme; FGF9 is mainly localized in the distal epithelium, whereas FGF10 demonstrated diffuse expression throughout the parenchyma with some expression in the smooth muscle cells (SMCs). FGFR2 expression was high in both proximal and distal epithelial cells as well as the SMCs. FGFR3 was expressed mostly in the epithelial cells, with lower expression in the mesenchyme, while FGFR4 was highly expressed throughout the mesenchyme and in the distal epithelium. Using recombinant FGFs, we demonstrated that FGF7 and FGF9 had similar effects on human fetal lung as on mouse; however, FGF10 caused the human explants to expand and form cysts as opposed to inducing epithelial branching as seen in the mouse. In conjunction with decreased branching, treatment with recombinant FGF7, FGF9 and FGF10 also resulted in decreased double-positive SOX2/SOX9 progenitor cells, which are exclusively present in the distal epithelial tips in early human fetal lung. Although FGF ligand localization may be somewhat comparable between developing mouse and human lungs, their functional roles may differ substantially.
Breast Cancer Res. 2018 Oct 26;20(1):131.
Mao SPH, Park M, Cabrera RM, Christin JR, Karagiannis GS, Oktay MH, Zaiss DMW, Abrams SI, Guo W, Condeelis JS, Kenny PA, Segall JE.
PMID: 30367629 | DOI: 10.1186/s13058-018-1057-0
Abstract BACKGROUND: Amphiregulin (AREG), a ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor, is not only essential for proper mammary ductal development, but also associated with breast cancer proliferation and growth. In the absence of AREG, mammary ductal growth is stunted and fails to expand. Furthermore, suppression of AREG expression in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumor cells inhibits in-vitro and in-vivo growth. METHODS: We crossed AREG-null (AREG-/-) mice with the murine luminal B breast cancer model, MMTV-PyMT (PyMT), to generate spontaneous breast tumors that lack AREG (AREG-/- PyMT). We evaluated tumor growth, cytokeratin-8 (K8)-positive luminal cells, cytokeratin-14 (K14)-positive myoepithelial cells, and expression of AREG, Ki67, and PyMT. Primary myoepithelial cells from nontumor-bearing AREG+/+ mice underwent fluorescence-activated cell sorting and were adapted to culture for in-vitro coculture studies with AT-3 cells, a cell line derived from C57Bl/6 PyMT mammary tumors. RESULTS: Intriguingly, PyMT-induced lesions progress more rapidly in AREG-/- mice than in AREG+/+ mice. Quantification of K8+ luminal and K14+ myoepithelial cells in non-PyMT AREG-/- mammary glands showed fewer K14+ cells and a thinner myoepithelial layer. Study of AT-3 cells indicated that coculture with myoepithelial cells or exposure to AREG, epidermal growth factor, or basic fibroblast growth factor can suppress PyMT expression. Late-stage AREG-/- PyMT tumors are significantly less solid in structure, with more areas of papillary and cystic growth. Papillary areas appear to be both less proliferative and less necrotic. In The Cancer Genome Atlas database, luminal-B invasive papillary carcinomas have lower AREG expression than luminal B invasive ductal carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has revealed a previously unknown role of AREG in myoepithelial cell development and PyMT expression. AREG expression is essential for proper myoepithelial coverage of mammary ducts. Both AREG and myoepithelial cells can suppress PyMT expression. We find that lower AREG expression is associated with invasive papillary breast cancer in both the MMTV-PyMT model and human breast cancer.
Molecular Cell 72, 1–15, November 1, 2018
Perry RBT, Hezroni H, Goldrich MJ, Ulitsky I.
PMID: - | DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.09.021
In mammals, neurons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) have regenerative capacity following injury, but it is generally absent in the CNS. This difference is attributed, at least in part, to the intrinsic ability of PNS neurons to activate a unique regenerative transcriptional program following injury. Here, we profiled gene expression following sciatic nerve crush in mice and identified long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that act in the regenerating neurons and which are typically not expressed in other contexts. We show that two of these lncRNAs regulate the extent of neuronal outgrowth. We then focus on one of these, Silc1, and show that it regulates neuroregeneration in cultured cells and in vivo, through cis-acting activation of the transcription factor Sox11.
Nat Neurosci. 2018 Nov;21(11):1530-1540.
Piñol RA, Zahler SH, Li C, Saha A, Tan BK, Škop V, Gavrilova O, Xiao C, Krashes MJ, Reitman ML.
PMID: 30349101 | DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0249-3
Bombesin-like receptor 3 (BRS3) is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor that regulates energy homeostasis and heart rate. We report that acute activation of Brs3-expressing neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMHBrs3) increased body temperature (Tb), brown adipose tissue temperature, energy expenditure, heart rate, and blood pressure, with no effect on food intake or physical activity. Conversely, activation of Brs3 neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus had no effect on Tb or energy expenditure, but suppressed food intake. Inhibition of DMHBrs3 neurons decreased Tb and energy expenditure, suggesting a necessary role in Tb regulation. We found that the preoptic area provides major input (excitatory and inhibitory) to DMHBrs3 neurons. Optogenetic stimulation of DMHBrs3 projections to the raphe pallidus increased Tb. Thus, DMHBrs3→raphe pallidus neurons regulate Tb, energy expenditure, and heart rate, and Brs3 neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus regulate food intake. Brs3 expression is a useful marker for delineating energy metabolism regulatory circuitry.
Cell Rep. 2018 Oct 23;25(4):871-883.
Cheng JB, Sedgewick AJ, Finnegan AI, Harirchian P, Lee J, Kwon S, Fassett MS, Golovato J, Gray M, Ghadially R, Liao W, Perez White BE, Mauro TM, Mully T, Kim EA, Sbitany H, Neuhaus IM, Grekin RC, Yu SS, Gray JW, Purdom E, Paus R, Vaske CJ, Benz SC, Song JS, Cho RJ.
PMID: 30355494 | DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.006
Perturbations in the transcriptional programs specifying epidermal differentiation cause diverse skin pathologies ranging from impaired barrier function to inflammatory skin disease. However, the global scope and organization of this complex cellular program remain undefined. Here we report single-cell RNA sequencing profiles of 92,889 human epidermal cells from 9 normal and 3 inflamed skin samples. Transcriptomics-derived keratinocyte subpopulations reflect classic epidermal strata but also sharply compartmentalize epithelial functions such as cell-cell communication, inflammation, and WNT pathway modulation. In keratinocytes, ∼12% of assessed transcript expression varies in coordinate patterns, revealing undescribed gene expression programs governing epidermal homeostasis. We also identify molecular fingerprints of inflammatory skin states, including S100 activation in the interfollicular epidermis of normal scalp, enrichment of a CD1C+CD301A+ myeloid dendritic cell population in psoriatic epidermis, and IL1βhiCCL3hiCD14+ monocyte-derived macrophages enriched in foreskin. This compendium of RNA profiles provides a critical step toward elucidating epidermal diseases of development, differentiation, and inflammation.
Nat Commun. 2018 Oct 22;9(1):4386.
Liu J, Li Y, Tong J, Gao J, Guo Q, Zhang L, Wang B, Zhao H, Wang H, Jiang E, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Tanabe O, Engel JD, Bresnick EH, Zhou J, Shi L.
PMID: 30349036 | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06883-x
In addition to serving as a prosthetic group for enzymes and a hemoglobin structural component, heme is a crucial homeostatic regulator of erythroid cell development and function. While lncRNAs modulate diverse physiological and pathological cellular processes, their involvement in heme-dependent mechanisms is largely unexplored. In this study, we elucidated a lncRNA (UCA1)-mediated mechanism that regulates heme metabolism in human erythroid cells. We discovered that UCA1 expression is dynamically regulated during human erythroid maturation, with a maximal expression in proerythroblasts. UCA1 depletion predominantly impairs heme biosynthesis and arrests erythroid differentiation at the proerythroblast stage. Mechanistic analysis revealed that UCA1 physically interacts with the RNA-binding protein PTBP1, and UCA1 functions as an RNA scaffold to recruit PTBP1 to ALAS2 mRNA, which stabilizes ALAS2 mRNA. These results define a lncRNA-mediated posttranscriptional mechanism that provides a new dimension into how the fundamental heme biosynthetic process is regulated as a determinant of erythrocyte development.