Gli proteins in development and disease Hui, Chi-Chung; Angers, Stephane
Annual review of cell and developmental biology,
01/2011, Volume:
27
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Gli zinc-finger proteins are transcription factors involved in the intracellular signal transduction controlled by the Hedgehog family of secreted molecules. They are frequently mutated in human ...congenital malformations, and their abnormal regulation leads to tumorigenesis. Genetic studies in several model systems indicate that their activity is tightly regulated by Hedgehog signaling through various posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, ubiquitin-mediated degradation, and proteolytic processing, as well as through nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. In vertebrate cells, primary cilia are required for the sensing of Hedgehog pathway activity and involved in the processing and activation of Gli proteins. Two evolutionarily conserved Hedgehog pathway components, Suppressor of fused and Kif7, are core intracellular regulators of mammalian Gli proteins. Recent studies revealed that Gli proteins are also regulated transcriptionally and posttranslationally through noncanonical mechanisms independent of Hedgehog signaling. In this review, we describe the regulation of Gli proteins during development and discuss possible mechanisms for their abnormal activation during tumorigenesis.
The Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted proteins governs a wide variety of processes during embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular ...and cellular basis of Hh morphogen gradient formation and signal transduction, and the multifaceted roles of Hh signaling in development and tumorigenesis. We discuss how the Hh pathway has diverged during evolution and how it integrates with other signaling pathways to control cell growth and patterning.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In this study, the authors used epigenetics, allelic activity, motif conservation, and other techniques to dissect the regulatory circuitry and mechanistic basis of the association between the
FTO
...region and obesity. An adipocyte thermogenesis pathway that appears important was found.
Obesity affects more than 500 million people worldwide and contributes to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer.
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Obesity is the result of a positive energy balance, whereby energy intake exceeds expenditure, resulting in the storage of energy, primarily as lipids in white adipocytes. Energy balance is modulated by food consumption and physical activity, as well as by the dissipation of energy as heat through constitutive thermogenesis in mitochondria-rich brown adipocytes in brown fat and through inducible thermogenesis in beige adipocytes in white fat.
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Thermogenesis is triggered by mechanisms within the cells themselves or by the sympathetic nervous system . . .
An ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. Affected patients were geographically linked with a local wet market as a ...potential source. No data on person-to-person or nosocomial transmission have been published to date.
In this study, we report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and microbiological findings of five patients in a family cluster who presented with unexplained pneumonia after returning to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, after a visit to Wuhan, and an additional family member who did not travel to Wuhan. Phylogenetic analysis of genetic sequences from these patients were done.
From Jan 10, 2020, we enrolled a family of six patients who travelled to Wuhan from Shenzhen between Dec 29, 2019 and Jan 4, 2020. Of six family members who travelled to Wuhan, five were identified as infected with the novel coronavirus. Additionally, one family member, who did not travel to Wuhan, became infected with the virus after several days of contact with four of the family members. None of the family members had contacts with Wuhan markets or animals, although two had visited a Wuhan hospital. Five family members (aged 36–66 years) presented with fever, upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms, or diarrhoea, or a combination of these 3–6 days after exposure. They presented to our hospital (The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen) 6–10 days after symptom onset. They and one asymptomatic child (aged 10 years) had radiological ground-glass lung opacities. Older patients (aged >60 years) had more systemic symptoms, extensive radiological ground-glass lung changes, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and increased C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase levels. The nasopharyngeal or throat swabs of these six patients were negative for known respiratory microbes by point-of-care multiplex RT-PCR, but five patients (four adults and the child) were RT-PCR positive for genes encoding the internal RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and surface Spike protein of this novel coronavirus, which were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of these five patients' RT-PCR amplicons and two full genomes by next-generation sequencing showed that this is a novel coronavirus, which is closest to the bat severe acute respiatory syndrome (SARS)-related coronaviruses found in Chinese horseshoe bats.
Our findings are consistent with person-to-person transmission of this novel coronavirus in hospital and family settings, and the reports of infected travellers in other geographical regions.
The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, Respiratory Viral Research Foundation Limited, Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited, Marina Man-Wai Lee, the Hong Kong Hainan Commercial Association South China Microbiology Research Fund, Sanming Project of Medicine (Shenzhen), and High Level-Hospital Program (Guangdong Health Commission).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Alteration of tissue mechanical properties is a physical hallmark of solid tumors including gliomas. How tumor cells sense and regulate tissue mechanics is largely unknown. Here, we show that ...mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo regulates mitosis and tissue stiffness of Drosophila gliomas, but not non-transformed brains. PIEZO1 is overexpressed in aggressive human gliomas and its expression inversely correlates with patient survival. Deleting PIEZO1 suppresses the growth of glioblastoma stem cells, inhibits tumor development, and prolongs mouse survival. Focal mechanical force activates prominent PIEZO1-dependent currents from glioma cell processes, but not soma. PIEZO1 localizes at focal adhesions to activate integrin-FAK signaling, regulate extracellular matrix, and reinforce tissue stiffening. In turn, a stiffer mechanical microenvironment elevates PIEZO1 expression to promote glioma aggression. Therefore, glioma cells are mechanosensory in a PIEZO1-dependent manner, and targeting PIEZO1 represents a strategy to break the reciprocal, disease-aggravating feedforward circuit between tumor cell mechanotransduction and the aberrant tissue mechanics.
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•Drosophila Piezo regulates cell proliferation and tissue stiffening of gliomas•Human PIEZO1 is overexpressed in aggressive gliomas and predicts poor survival•Piezo/PIEZO1 interacts with integrin-FAK signaling to regulate tumor stiffness•PIEZO1 co-opts aberrant tissue mechanics to promote glioma aggression
PIEZO1 is an ion channel that converts mechanical stimuli into cellular signaling. Here, Chen et al. perform multi-species studies to define a feedforward circuit mediated by PIEZO1 and tumor tissue mechanics to promote glioma growth.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The relationship between heavy metal exposure and human health has been investigated mostly for individual metals, failing to consider their potential interactions. In this study, we assessed the ...joint effects of multiple metals using generalized weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression on the risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC). Also, we performed mediation analysis to evaluate the mediator %5-MedC in DNA involved in the mechanism of urothelial carcinogenesis. We conducted a hospital-based case–control study of 355 UC patients and 710 controls, where diagnosis of UC was histologically confirmed. All data were collected from face-to-face interviews and medical records. Also, we measured six metals and 8-OHdG in urine samples along with %5-MedC in peripheral blood. Ni and Pb levels increased with UC risk in single-pollutant analysis using traditional logistic regression, and similar results were obtained in multi-pollutant analysis, where all metals analyzed were considered. In WQS analysis, the weights of Ni (27%), Pb (20%), Cr (18%), and Co (16%) predominated in the metal mixture index. WQS score and UC risk showed odds ratios of 1.65 (95%CI: 1.26, 2.15) and 1.43 (95%CI: 1.00, 2.05) for a linear and non-linear relationship, respectively. Finally, we did not observe a natural indirect effect of %5-MedC in DNA; however, a marginal effect of WQS score and natural direct effect were still found after considering a natural indirect effect. In conclusion, positive associations between WQS scores and increased risk of UC were observed. Interactions of multiple metals should be considered in assessing human health risk.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Stomach and intestinal stem cells are located in discrete niches called the isthmus and crypt, respectively. Recent studies have demonstrated a surprisingly conserved role for Wnt signaling in ...gastrointestinal development. Although intestinal stromal cells secrete Wnt ligands to promote stem cell renewal, the source of stomach Wnt ligands is still unclear. Here, by performing single cell analysis, we identify gastrointestinal stromal cell populations with transcriptome signatures that are conserved between the stomach and intestine. In close proximity to epithelial cells, these perictye-like cells highly express telocyte and pericyte markers as well as Wnt ligands, and they are enriched for Hh signaling. By analyzing mice activated for Hh signaling, we show a conserved mechanism of GLI2 activation of Wnt ligands. Moreover, genetic inhibition of Wnt secretion in perictye-like stromal cells or stromal cells more broadly demonstrates their essential roles in gastrointestinal regeneration and development, respectively, highlighting a redundancy in gastrointestinal stem cell niches.
Previous studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the impact of traffic pollution on the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, using frequency matching and ...propensity scores, we explored the association between traffic pollution and COPD in a cohort of 8284 residents in a major agricultural county in Taiwan.
All subjects completed a structured questionnaire interview and health checkups. Subjects with COPD were identified using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Databases. A hybrid kriging/LUR model was used to identify levels of traffic-related air pollutants (PM
and O
). Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PRs) of COPD and evaluate the role played by traffic-related indices between air pollutants and COPD. The distributed lag nonlinear model was applied in the analysis; we excluded current or ever smokers to perform the sensitivity analysis.
Increased PRs of COPD per SD increment of PM
were 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.15) and 1.25 (95% CI 1.13-1.40) in the population with age and sex matching as well as propensity-score matching, respectively. The results of the sensitivity analysis were similar between the single and two pollutant models. PM
concentrations were significantly associated with traffic flow including sedans, buses, and trucks (p < 0.01). The higher road area and the higher PM
concentrations near the subject's residence correlated with a greater risk of developing COPD (p for interaction < 0.01).
Our results suggest that long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution may be positively associated with the prevalence of COPD.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, with heavy metal exposure an important risk factor. Additionally, the antioxidant folic acid has been studied for reducing blood arsenic levels and related ...tissue damage. Therefore, we explored the association and mediation effects among various heavy metal levels in blood, plasma folate, other CKD risk factors, and impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
We constructed a community-based cross-sectional study from the Human Biomonitoring and Environmental Health Program in central Taiwan. A total of 1643 participants had lived locally for > 5 years, > 40 years old, and completely received health examinations and biospecimen collections. Impaired eGFR was defined as one single eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m
. Plasma folate and metal levels in blood were determined, as well as urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine as an oxidative stress marker. Generalized weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression analysis was used to calculate a WQS score, reflecting overall body-burden of multiple metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead) in blood.
Impaired eGFR was identified in 225 participants. Participants with high WQS scores had increased risk of impaired eGFR (odds ratio = 1.67; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.34, 2.07). Of five metals, arsenic, lead, and cadmium were weighted highly in impaired eGFR. Participants with high WQS and folate insufficiency (< 6 ng/mL) had 2.38-fold risk of impaired eGFR compared to those with low WQS and high folate (≥6 ng/mL) (95% CI: 1.55, 5.17). Similar increased 4.16-fold risk of impaired eGFR was shown in participants with high WQS and uric acid levels (95% CI: 2.63, 6.58). However, there were no significant WQS-folate (p = 0.87) or WQS-uric acid (p = 0.38) interactions on impaired eGFR risk. As a mediator, uric acid contributed 24% of the association between WQS score and impaired eGFR risk (p < 0.0001). However, no mediation effect of plasma folate was observed.
WQS analysis could be applied to evaluate the joint effects of multiple metals exposure. High WQS scores may influence impaired eGFR risk through increased uric acid levels. A large-scale and prospective cohort study is necessary to validate these results and demonstrate any causal relationship.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK