The intestinal epithelium harbors a remarkable adaptability to undergo injury-induced repair. A key part of the regenerative response is the transient reprogramming of epithelial cells into a ...fetal-like state, which drives uniform proliferation, tissue remodeling, and subsequent restoration of the homeostatic state. In this review, we discuss how Wnt and YAP signaling pathways control the intestinal repair response and the transitioning of cell states, in comparison with the process of intestinal development. Furthermore, we highlight how organoid-based applications have contributed to the characterization of the mechanistic principles and key players that guide these developmental and regenerative events.
Mammalian Wnt proteins are believed to act as short-range signals, yet have not been previously visualized in vivo. Self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation are coordinated along a putative ...Wnt gradient in the intestinal crypt. Wnt3 is produced specifically by Paneth cells. Here we have generated an epitope-tagged, functional Wnt3 knock-in allele. Wnt3 covers basolateral membranes of neighbouring stem cells. In intestinal organoids, Wnt3-transfer involves direct contact between Paneth cells and stem cells. Plasma membrane localization requires surface expression of Frizzled receptors, which in turn is regulated by the transmembrane E3 ligases Rnf43/Znrf3 and their antagonists Lgr4-5/R-spondin. By manipulating Wnt3 secretion and by arresting stem-cell proliferation, we demonstrate that Wnt3 mainly travels away from its source in a cell-bound manner through cell division, and not through diffusion. We conclude that stem-cell membranes constitute a reservoir for Wnt proteins, while Frizzled receptor turnover and 'plasma membrane dilution' through cell division shape the epithelial Wnt3 gradient.
Rapidly renewing tissues such as the intestinal epithelium critically depend on the activity of small-sized stem cell populations that continuously generate new progeny to replace lost and damaged ...cells. The complex and tightly regulated process of intestinal homeostasis is governed by a variety of signalling pathways that balance cell proliferation and differentiation. Accumulating evidence suggests that stem cell control and daughter cell fate determination is largely dictated by the microenvironment. Here, we review recent developments in the understanding of intestinal stem cell dynamics, focusing on the roles, mechanisms and interconnectivity of prime signalling pathways that regulate stem cell behaviour in intestinal homeostasis. Furthermore, we discuss how mutational activation of these signalling pathways endows colorectal cancer cells with niche-independent growth advantages during carcinogenesis.
Degradation of cytosolic β-catenin by the APC/Axin1 destruction complex represents the key regulated step of the Wnt pathway. It is incompletely understood how the Axin1 complex exerts its ...Wnt-regulated function. Here, we examine the mechanism of Wnt signaling under endogenous levels of the Axin1 complex. Our results demonstrate that β-catenin is not only phosphorylated inside the Axin1 complex, but also ubiquinated and degraded via the proteasome, all within an intact Axin1 complex. In disagreement with current views, we find neither a disassembly of the complex nor an inhibition of phosphorylation of Axin1-bound β-catenin upon Wnt signaling. Similar observations are made in primary intestinal epithelium and in colorectal cancer cell lines carrying activating Wnt pathway mutations. Wnt signaling suppresses β-catenin ubiquitination normally occurring within the complex, leading to complex saturation by accumulated phospho-β-catenin. Subsequently, newly synthesized β-catenin can accumulate in a free cytosolic form and engage nuclear TCF transcription factors.
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► The composition of the Axin complex does not change upon Wnt signaling ► GSK3 is not inhibited by Wnt; phospho β-catenin accumulates in Axin complex ► β-catenin is removed from Axin complex by the proteasome upon ubiquitination ► Axin complex remains compositionally intact in APC mutant colorectal cancer
Examination of native destruction complexes reveals that, in contrast to current thinking, the Axin1-based complex remains assembled upon Wnt pathway activation. Engagement of Wnt receptors blocks β-catenin ubiquitination, and the Axin1 complex saturates with phospho-β-catenin, allowing newly synthesized β-catenin to accumulate in the cytosol.
Mutation-induced activation of WNT-β-catenin signalling is a frequent driver event in human cancer. Sustained WNT-β-catenin pathway activation endows cancer cells with sustained self-renewing growth ...properties and is associated with therapy resistance. In healthy adult stem cells, WNT pathway activity is carefully controlled by core pathway tumour suppressors as well as negative feedback regulators. Gene inactivation experiments in mouse models unequivocally demonstrated the relevance of WNT tumour suppressor loss-of-function mutations for cancer growth. However, in human cancer, a far more complex picture has emerged in which missense or truncating mutations mediate stable expression of mutant proteins, with distinct functional and phenotypic ramifications. Herein, we review recent advances and challenges in our understanding of how different mutational subsets of WNT tumour suppressor genes link to distinct cancer types, clinical outcomes and treatment strategies.
Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene strongly predispose to development of gastro-intestinal tumors. Central to the tumorigenic events in APC mutant cells is the ...uncontrolled stabilization and transcriptional activation of the protein β-catenin. Many questions remain as to how APC controls β-catenin degradation. Remarkably, the large C-terminal region of APC, which spans over 2000 amino acids and includes critical regions in downregulating β-catenin, is predicted to be natively unfolded. Here we discuss how this uncommonly large disordered region may help to coordinate the multiple cellular functions of APC. Recently, a significant number of germline and somatic missense mutations in the central region of APC were linked to tumorigenesis in the colon as well as extra-intestinal tissues. We classify and localize all currently known missense mutations in the APC structure. The molecular basis by which these mutations interfere with the function of APC remains unresolved. We propose several mechanisms by which cancer-related missense mutations in the large disordered domain of APC may interfere with tumor suppressor activity. Insight in the underlying molecular events will be invaluable in the development of novel strategies to counter dysregulated Wnt signaling by APC mutations in cancer.
Stable Foxp3 expression is required for the development of functional regulatory T (Treg) cells. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 can be regulated through ...the polyubiquitination of multiple lysine residues, resulting in proteasome-mediated degradation. Expression of the deubiquitinase (DUB) USP7 was found to be upregulated and active in Treg cells, being associated with Foxp3 in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of USP7 decreased Foxp3 polyubiquitination and increased Foxp3 expression. Conversely, either treatment with DUB inhibitor or USP7 knockdown decreased endogenous Foxp3 protein expression and decreased Treg-cell-mediated suppression in vitro. Furthermore, in a murine adoptive-transfer-induced colitis model, either inhibition of DUB activity or USP7 knockdown in Treg cells abrogated their ability to resolve inflammation in vivo. Our data reveal a molecular mechanism in which rapid temporal control of Foxp3 expression in Treg cells can be regulated by USP7, thereby modulating Treg cell numbers and function.
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•DUBs regulate Foxp3 protein expression through the inhibition of degradation•Expression of the DUB USP7 is selectively upregulated during Treg cell differentiation•Foxp3 protein expression is increased by USP7-mediated Foxp3 deubiquitination•USP7 modulates Treg-cell-mediated suppression both in vitro and in vivo
Intestinal organoids grown from adult stem cells have emerged as prototype 3D organotypic models for studying tissue renewal and homeostasis. Owing to their strict dependence on Wnt signaling, ...intestinal organoids offer an unprecedented opportunity to examine Wnt pathway regulation in normal physiology and cancer. We review how alterations in growth factor dependency and organoid morphology can be exploited to identify Wnt signaling mechanisms, characterize mutated pathway components, and predict responses of patient-derived tumors to targeted therapy. We discuss current deficits in the understanding of genotype–phenotype relationships that are to be considered when interpreting mutation-induced changes in organoid morphology.
Using organoid technology, adult epithelial stem cells can be expanded in vitro to generate self-organizing 3D epithelial structures that closely recapitulate the architecture and cellular composition of the tissue of origin.Because of their strict dependence on Wnt ligands for survival and growth, intestinal organoids have become the tool of choice for in vitro studies aimed at revealing mechanistic aspects of Wnt signaling.Adult stem cell- and patient-derived intestinal organoids can serve as a platform for investigating mutation-induced disease mechanisms. Insights into how specific mutations alter Wnt activity are becoming a key determinant for tailored therapeutic approaches.Given the rapid expansion of the organoid field and its applications, there is an increasing need for a standardized method to interpret organoid genotype–phenotype relationships.
Wnt-induced β-catenin-mediated transcription is a driving force for stem cell self-renewal during adult tissue homeostasis. Enhanced Wnt receptor expression due to mutational inactivation of the ...ubiquitin ligases RNF43/ZNRF3 recently emerged as a leading cause for cancer development. Consequently, targeting canonical Wnt receptors such as LRP5/6 holds great promise for treatment of such cancer subsets. Here, we employ CIS display technology to identify single-domain antibody fragments (VHH) that bind the LRP6 P3E3P4E4 region with nanomolar affinity and strongly inhibit Wnt3/3a-induced β-catenin-mediated transcription in cells, while leaving Wnt1 responses unaffected. Structural analysis reveal that individual VHHs variably employ divergent antigen-binding regions to bind a similar surface in the third β-propeller of LRP5/6, sterically interfering with Wnt3/3a binding. Importantly, anti-LRP5/6 VHHs block the growth of Wnt-hypersensitive Rnf43/Znrf3-mutant intestinal organoids through stem cell exhaustion and collective terminal differentiation. Thus, VHH-mediated targeting of LRP5/6 provides a promising differentiation-inducing strategy for treatment of Wnt-hypersensitive tumors.
Wnt binding to members of the seven-span transmembrane Frizzled (Fz) receptor family controls essential cell fate decisions and tissue polarity during development and in adulthood. The Fz-mediated ...membrane recruitment of the cytoplasmic effector Dishevelled (Dvl) is a critical step in Wnt/β-catenin signaling initiation, but how Fz and Dvl act together to drive downstream signaling events remains largely undefined. Here, we use an Fz peptide-based microarray to uncover a mechanistically important role of the bipartite Dvl DEP domain and C terminal region (DEP-C) in binding a three-segmented discontinuous motif in Fz. We show that cooperative use of two conserved motifs in the third intracellular loop and the classic C-terminal motif of Fz is required for DEP-C binding and Wnt-induced β-catenin activation in cultured cells and Xenopus embryos. Within the complex, the Dvl DEP domain mainly binds the Fz C-terminal tail, whereas a short region at the Dvl C-terminal end is required to bind the Fz third loop and stabilize the Fz-Dvl interaction. We conclude that Dvl DEP-C binding to Fz is a key event in Wnt-mediated signaling relay to β-catenin. The discontinuous nature of the Fz-Dvl interface may allow for precise regulation of the interaction in the control of Wnt-dependent cellular responses.
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