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Signal Transduction

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Articles 31 - 54 of 54

Full-Text Articles in Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity

Kras-Mutant Lung Cancer: Targeting Molecular And Immunologic Pathways, Therapeutic Advantages And Restrictions, Nastaran Karimi, Seyed Javad Moghaddam Feb 2023

Kras-Mutant Lung Cancer: Targeting Molecular And Immunologic Pathways, Therapeutic Advantages And Restrictions, Nastaran Karimi, Seyed Javad Moghaddam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

RAS mutations are among the most common oncogenic mutations in human cancers. Among RAS mutations, KRAS has the highest frequency and is present in almost 30% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Lung cancer is the number one cause of mortality among cancers as a consequence of outrageous aggressiveness and late diagnosis. High mortality rates have been the reason behind numerous investigations and clinical trials to discover proper therapeutic agents targeting KRAS. These approaches include the following: direct KRAS targeting; synthetic lethality partner inhibitors; targeting of KRAS membrane association and associated metabolic rewiring; autophagy inhibitors; downstream inhibitors; and immunotherapies and …


Glycolysis Regulates Kras Plasma Membrane Localization And Function Through Defined Glycosphingolipids, Junchen Liu, Ransome Van Der Hoeven, Walaa E Kattan, Jeffrey T Chang, Dina Montufar-Solis, Wei Chen, Maurice Wong, Yong Zhou, Carlito B Lebrilla, John F Hancock Jan 2023

Glycolysis Regulates Kras Plasma Membrane Localization And Function Through Defined Glycosphingolipids, Junchen Liu, Ransome Van Der Hoeven, Walaa E Kattan, Jeffrey T Chang, Dina Montufar-Solis, Wei Chen, Maurice Wong, Yong Zhou, Carlito B Lebrilla, John F Hancock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oncogenic KRAS expression generates a metabolic dependency on aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. We report an effect of increased glycolytic flux that feeds into glycosphingolipid biosynthesis and is directly linked to KRAS oncogenic function. High resolution imaging and genetic approaches show that a defined subset of outer leaflet glycosphingolipids, including GM3 and SM4, is required to maintain KRAS plasma membrane localization, with GM3 engaging in cross-bilayer coupling to maintain inner leaflet phosphatidylserine content. Thus, glycolysis is critical for KRAS plasma membrane localization and nanoscale spatial organization. Reciprocally oncogenic KRAS selectively upregulates cellular content of these same glycosphingolipids, whose …


Tmem161b Regulates Cerebral Cortical Gyration, Sonic Hedgehog Signaling, And Ciliary Structure In The Developing Central Nervous System, Shyam K Akula, Jack H Marciano, Youngshin Lim, David Exposito-Alonso, Norma K Hylton, Grace H Hwang, Jennifer E Neil, Nicole Dominado, Rosie K Bunton-Stasyshyn, Janet H T Song, Maya Talukdar, Aloisia Schmid, Lydia Teboul, Alisa Mo, Taehwan Shin, Benjamin Finander, Samantha G Beck, Rebecca C Yeh, Aoi Otani, Xuyu Qian, Ellen M Degennaro, Fowzan S Alkuraya, Sateesh Maddirevula, Gregory D Cascino, Caterina Giannini, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Lindsay C Burrage, Jill A Rosenfield, Shamika Ketkar, Gary D Clark, Carlos Bacino, Richard A Lewis, Rosalind A Segal, J Fernando Bazan, Kelly A Smith, Jeffrey A Golden, Ginam Cho, Christopher A Walsh Jan 2023

Tmem161b Regulates Cerebral Cortical Gyration, Sonic Hedgehog Signaling, And Ciliary Structure In The Developing Central Nervous System, Shyam K Akula, Jack H Marciano, Youngshin Lim, David Exposito-Alonso, Norma K Hylton, Grace H Hwang, Jennifer E Neil, Nicole Dominado, Rosie K Bunton-Stasyshyn, Janet H T Song, Maya Talukdar, Aloisia Schmid, Lydia Teboul, Alisa Mo, Taehwan Shin, Benjamin Finander, Samantha G Beck, Rebecca C Yeh, Aoi Otani, Xuyu Qian, Ellen M Degennaro, Fowzan S Alkuraya, Sateesh Maddirevula, Gregory D Cascino, Caterina Giannini, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Lindsay C Burrage, Jill A Rosenfield, Shamika Ketkar, Gary D Clark, Carlos Bacino, Richard A Lewis, Rosalind A Segal, J Fernando Bazan, Kelly A Smith, Jeffrey A Golden, Ginam Cho, Christopher A Walsh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sonic hedgehog signaling regulates processes of embryonic development across multiple tissues, yet factors regulating context-specific Shh signaling remain poorly understood. Exome sequencing of families with polymicrogyria (disordered cortical folding) revealed multiple individuals with biallelic deleterious variants in TMEM161B, which encodes a multi-pass transmembrane protein of unknown function. Tmem161b null mice demonstrated holoprosencephaly, craniofacial midline defects, eye defects, and spinal cord patterning changes consistent with impaired Shh signaling, but were without limb defects, suggesting a CNS-specific role of Tmem161b. Tmem161b depletion impaired the response to Smoothened activation in vitro and disrupted cortical histogenesis in vivo in both mouse and ferret …


Increased Camkk2 Expression Is An Adaptive Response That Maintains The Fitness Of Tumor-Infiltrating Natural Killer Cells, Patrick K Juras, Luigi Racioppi, Debarati Mukherjee, Sandeep Artham, Xia Gao, Laura Akullian D'Agostino, Ching-Yi Chang, Donald P Mcdonnell Jan 2023

Increased Camkk2 Expression Is An Adaptive Response That Maintains The Fitness Of Tumor-Infiltrating Natural Killer Cells, Patrick K Juras, Luigi Racioppi, Debarati Mukherjee, Sandeep Artham, Xia Gao, Laura Akullian D'Agostino, Ching-Yi Chang, Donald P Mcdonnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) is a key regulator of energy homeostasis in several cell types. Expression of this enzyme in tumor cells promotes proliferation and migration, and expression in tumor-associated immune cells facilitates M2 macrophage polarization and the development of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Thus, there has been interest in developing CaMKK2 inhibitors as potential anticancer therapeutics. One impediment to clinical development of these agents is that the roles of CaMKK2 in other cellular compartments within the tumor immune microenvironment remain to be established. We report herein that CaMKK2 is expressed at low basal levels in natural killer (NK) …


The Fgfr1 Signaling Pathway Upregulates The Oncogenic Transcription Factor Foxq1 To Promote Breast Cancer Cell Growth, Yan Lin, Fengkang Lin, Zhuoran Zhang, Lijia Peng, Wenli Yang, Mao Yang, Bo Luo, Ting Wu, Dabing Li, Xuesen Li, Bing Ran, Songyot Anuchapreeda, Rujirek Chaiwongsa, Pinyaphat Khamphikham, Suwit Duangmano, Jianming Xu, Tao He, Sakorn Pornprasert Jan 2023

The Fgfr1 Signaling Pathway Upregulates The Oncogenic Transcription Factor Foxq1 To Promote Breast Cancer Cell Growth, Yan Lin, Fengkang Lin, Zhuoran Zhang, Lijia Peng, Wenli Yang, Mao Yang, Bo Luo, Ting Wu, Dabing Li, Xuesen Li, Bing Ran, Songyot Anuchapreeda, Rujirek Chaiwongsa, Pinyaphat Khamphikham, Suwit Duangmano, Jianming Xu, Tao He, Sakorn Pornprasert

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

FGFR1 is a receptor tyrosine kinase deregulated in certain breast cancers (BCs) with a poor prognosis. Although FGFR1-activated phosphorylation cascades have been mapped, the key genes regulated by FGFR1 in BC are largely unclear. FOXQ1 is an oncogenic transcription factor. Although we found that activation of FGFR1 robustly upregulated FOXQ1 mRNA, how FGFR1 regulates FOXQ1 gene expression and whether FOXQ1 is essential for FGFR1-stimulated cell proliferation are unknown. Herein, we confirmed that activation of FGFR1 robustly upregulated FOXQ1 mRNA and protein in BC cells. Knockdown of FOXQ1 blocked the FGFR1 signaling-stimulated BC cell proliferation, colony formation, and xenograft tumor growth. …


The Nr2f2-Hand2 Signaling Axis Regulates Progesterone Actions In The Uterus At Early Pregnancy, Yeongseok Oh, Elvis Quiroz, Tianyuan Wang, Yassmin Medina-Laver, Skylar Montague Redecke, Francisco Dominguez, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo, San-Pin Wu Jan 2023

The Nr2f2-Hand2 Signaling Axis Regulates Progesterone Actions In The Uterus At Early Pregnancy, Yeongseok Oh, Elvis Quiroz, Tianyuan Wang, Yassmin Medina-Laver, Skylar Montague Redecke, Francisco Dominguez, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo, San-Pin Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometrial function is dependent on a tight crosstalk between the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium. This communication is critical to ensure a fertile uterus and relies on progesterone and estrogen signaling to prepare a receptive uterus for embryo implantation in early pregnancy. One of the key mediators of this crosstalk is the orphan nuclear receptor NR2F2, which regulates uterine epithelial receptivity and stromal cell differentiation. In order to determine the molecular mechanism regulated by NR2F2, RNAseq analysis was conducted on the uterus of


Integrated Multi-Omic Characterization Of Congenital Heart Disease, Matthew C Hill, Zachary A Kadow, Hali Long, Yuka Morikawa, Thomas J Martin, Emma J Birks, Kenneth S Campbell, Jeanne Nerbonne, Kory Lavine, Lalita Wadhwa, Jun Wang, Diwakar Turaga, Iki Adachi, James F Martin Aug 2022

Integrated Multi-Omic Characterization Of Congenital Heart Disease, Matthew C Hill, Zachary A Kadow, Hali Long, Yuka Morikawa, Thomas J Martin, Emma J Birks, Kenneth S Campbell, Jeanne Nerbonne, Kory Lavine, Lalita Wadhwa, Jun Wang, Diwakar Turaga, Iki Adachi, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The heart, the first organ to develop in the embryo, undergoes complex morphogenesis that when defective results in congenital heart disease (CHD). With current therapies, more than 90% of patients with CHD survive into adulthood, but many suffer premature death from heart failure and non-cardiac causes1. Here, to gain insight into this disease progression, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on 157,273 nuclei from control hearts and hearts from patients with CHD, including those with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and tetralogy of Fallot, two common forms of cyanotic CHD lesions, as well as dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. We …


Targeting Syndecan-1: New Opportunities In Cancer Therapy, Zecheng Yang, Shuaitong Chen, Haoqiang Ying, Wantong Yao Jul 2022

Targeting Syndecan-1: New Opportunities In Cancer Therapy, Zecheng Yang, Shuaitong Chen, Haoqiang Ying, Wantong Yao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Syndecan-1 (SDC1, CD138) is one of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans and is essential for maintaining normal cell morphology, interacting with the extracellular and intracellular protein repertoire, as well as mediating signaling transduction upon environmental stimuli. The critical role of SDC1 in promoting tumorigenesis and metastasis has been increasingly recognized in various cancer types, implying a promising potential of utilizing SDC1 as a novel target for cancer therapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge on SDC1 structure and functions, including its role in tumor biology. We also discuss the highlights and limitations of current SDC1-targeted therapies as well as the obstacles …


Ror Activation By Nobiletin Enhances Antitumor Efficacy Via Suppression Of Iκb/Nf-Κb Signaling In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Eunju Kim, Yoon-Jin Kim, Zhiwei Ji, Jin Muk Kang, Marvin Wirianto, Keshav Raj Paudel, Joshua A Smith, Kaori Ono, Jin-Ah Kim, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Xiaobo Zhou, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Ji Young Yoo, Seung-Hee Yoo, Zheng Chen Apr 2022

Ror Activation By Nobiletin Enhances Antitumor Efficacy Via Suppression Of Iκb/Nf-Κb Signaling In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Eunju Kim, Yoon-Jin Kim, Zhiwei Ji, Jin Muk Kang, Marvin Wirianto, Keshav Raj Paudel, Joshua A Smith, Kaori Ono, Jin-Ah Kim, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Xiaobo Zhou, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Ji Young Yoo, Seung-Hee Yoo, Zheng Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by poor response to standard therapies and therefore unfavorable clinical outcomes. Better understanding of TNBC and new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. ROR nuclear receptors are multifunctional transcription factors with important roles in circadian pathways and other processes including immunity and tumorigenesis. Nobiletin (NOB) is a natural compound known to display anticancer effects, and our previous studies showed that NOB activates RORs to enhance circadian rhythms and promote physiological fitness in mice. Here, we identified several TNBC cell lines being sensitive to NOB, by itself or in combination. Cell and xenograft …


Interplay Between Soluble Cd74 And Macrophage-Migration Inhibitory Factor Drives Tumor Growth And Influences Patient Survival In Melanoma, Yasunari Fukuda, Matias A Bustos, Sung-Nam Cho, Jason Roszik, Suyeon Ryu, Victor M Lopez, Jared K Burks, Jeffrey E Lee, Elizabeth A Grimm, Dave S B Hoon, Suhendan Ekmekcioglu Feb 2022

Interplay Between Soluble Cd74 And Macrophage-Migration Inhibitory Factor Drives Tumor Growth And Influences Patient Survival In Melanoma, Yasunari Fukuda, Matias A Bustos, Sung-Nam Cho, Jason Roszik, Suyeon Ryu, Victor M Lopez, Jared K Burks, Jeffrey E Lee, Elizabeth A Grimm, Dave S B Hoon, Suhendan Ekmekcioglu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Soluble forms of receptors play distinctive roles in modulating signal-transduction pathways. Soluble CD74 (sCD74) has been identified in sera of inflammatory diseases and implicated in their pathophysiology; however, few relevant data are available in the context of cancer. Here we assessed the composition and production mechanisms, as well as the clinical significance and biological properties, of sCD74 in melanoma. Serum sCD74 levels were significantly elevated in advanced melanoma patients compared with normal healthy donors, and the high ratio of sCD74 to macrophage-migration inhibitory factor (MIF) conferred significant predictive value for prolonged survival in these patients (p = 0.0035). Secretion of …


Characterization Of The Copd Alveolar Niche Using Single-Cell Rna Sequencing, Maor Sauler, John E Mcdonough, Taylor S Adams, Neeharika Kothapalli, Thomas Barnthaler, Rhiannon B Werder, Jonas C Schupp, Jessica Nouws, Matthew J Robertson, Cristian Coarfa, Tao Yang, Maurizio Chioccioli, Norihito Omote, Carlos Cosme, Sergio Poli, Ehab A Ayaub, Sarah G Chu, Klaus H Jensen, Jose L Gomez, Clemente J Britto, Micha Sam B Raredon, Laura E Niklason, Andrew A Wilson, Pascal N Timshel, Naftali Kaminski, Ivan O Rosas Jan 2022

Characterization Of The Copd Alveolar Niche Using Single-Cell Rna Sequencing, Maor Sauler, John E Mcdonough, Taylor S Adams, Neeharika Kothapalli, Thomas Barnthaler, Rhiannon B Werder, Jonas C Schupp, Jessica Nouws, Matthew J Robertson, Cristian Coarfa, Tao Yang, Maurizio Chioccioli, Norihito Omote, Carlos Cosme, Sergio Poli, Ehab A Ayaub, Sarah G Chu, Klaus H Jensen, Jose L Gomez, Clemente J Britto, Micha Sam B Raredon, Laura E Niklason, Andrew A Wilson, Pascal N Timshel, Naftali Kaminski, Ivan O Rosas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide, however our understanding of cell specific mechanisms underlying COPD pathobiology remains incomplete. Here, we analyze single-cell RNA sequencing profiles of explanted lung tissue from subjects with advanced COPD or control lungs, and we validate findings using single-cell RNA sequencing of lungs from mice exposed to 10 months of cigarette smoke, RNA sequencing of isolated human alveolar epithelial cells, functional in vitro models, and in situ hybridization and immunostaining of human lung tissue samples. We identify a subpopulation of alveolar epithelial type II cells with transcriptional evidence for aberrant …


Rspo2 And Rankl Signal Through Lgr4 To Regulate Osteoclastic Premetastatic Niche Formation And Bone Metastasis, Zhiying Yue, Xin Niu, Zengjin Yuan, Qin Qin, Wenhao Jiang, Liang He, Jingduo Gao, Yi Ding, Yanxi Liu, Ziwei Xu, Zhenxi Li, Zhengfeng Yang, Rong Li, Xiwen Xue, Yankun Gao, Fei Yue, Xiang H-F Zhang, Guohong Hu, Yi Wang, Yi Li, Geng Chen, Stefan Siwko, Alison Gartland, Ning Wang, Jianru Xiao, Mingyao Liu, Jian Luo Jan 2022

Rspo2 And Rankl Signal Through Lgr4 To Regulate Osteoclastic Premetastatic Niche Formation And Bone Metastasis, Zhiying Yue, Xin Niu, Zengjin Yuan, Qin Qin, Wenhao Jiang, Liang He, Jingduo Gao, Yi Ding, Yanxi Liu, Ziwei Xu, Zhenxi Li, Zhengfeng Yang, Rong Li, Xiwen Xue, Yankun Gao, Fei Yue, Xiang H-F Zhang, Guohong Hu, Yi Wang, Yi Li, Geng Chen, Stefan Siwko, Alison Gartland, Ning Wang, Jianru Xiao, Mingyao Liu, Jian Luo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Therapeutics targeting osteoclasts are commonly used treatments for bone metastasis; however, whether and how osteoclasts regulate premetastatic niche and bone tropism are largely unknown. In this study, we report that osteoclast precursors (OPs) can function as a premetastatic niche component that facilitates breast cancer (BCa) bone metastasis at early stages. At the molecular level, unbiased GPCR ligand/agonist screening in BCa cells suggested that R-spondin 2 (RSPO2) and RANKL, through interaction with their receptor LGR4, promoted osteoclastic premetastatic niche formation and enhanced BCa bone metastasis. This was achieved by RSPO2/RANKL-LGR4 signal modulating the WNT inhibitor DKK1 through Gαq and β-catenin signaling. …


Hypermethylation Of Pi3k-Akt Signalling Pathway Genes Is Associated With Human Neural Tube Defects, Tian Tian, Xinyuan Lai, Kuanhui Xiang, Xiao Han, Shengju Yin, Robert M Cabrera, John W Steele, Yunping Lei, Xuanye Cao, Richard H Finnell, Linlin Wang, Aiguo Ren Jan 2022

Hypermethylation Of Pi3k-Akt Signalling Pathway Genes Is Associated With Human Neural Tube Defects, Tian Tian, Xinyuan Lai, Kuanhui Xiang, Xiao Han, Shengju Yin, Robert M Cabrera, John W Steele, Yunping Lei, Xuanye Cao, Richard H Finnell, Linlin Wang, Aiguo Ren

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of common and severe congenital malformations. The PI3K-AKT signalling pathway plays a crucial role in the neural tube development. There is limited evidence concerning any possible association between aberrant methylation in PI3K-AKT signalling pathway genes and NTDs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate potential associations between aberrant methylation of PI3K-AKT pathway genes and NTDs. Methylation studies of PI3K-AKT pathway genes utilizing microarray genome-methylation data derived from neural tissues of ten NTD cases and eight non-malformed controls were performed. Targeted DNA methylation analysis was subsequently performed in an independent cohort of 73 NTD cases and …


Gene Therapy Knockdown Of Hippo Signaling Induces Cardiomyocyte Renewal In Pigs After Myocardial Infarction, Shijie Liu, Ke Li, Leonardo Wagner Florencio, Li Tang, Todd R Heallen, John P Leach, Yidan Wang, Francisco Grisanti, James T Willerson, Emerson C Perin, Sui Zhang, James F Martin Jun 2021

Gene Therapy Knockdown Of Hippo Signaling Induces Cardiomyocyte Renewal In Pigs After Myocardial Infarction, Shijie Liu, Ke Li, Leonardo Wagner Florencio, Li Tang, Todd R Heallen, John P Leach, Yidan Wang, Francisco Grisanti, James T Willerson, Emerson C Perin, Sui Zhang, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human heart failure, a leading cause of death worldwide, is a prominent example of a chronic disease that may result from poor cell renewal. The Hippo signaling pathway is an inhibitory kinase cascade that represses adult heart muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) proliferation and renewal after myocardial infarction in genetically modified mice. Here, we investigated an adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)–based gene therapy to locally knock down the Hippo pathway gene Salvador (Sav) in border zone cardiomyocytes in a pig model of ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial infarction. Two weeks after myocardial infarction, when pigs had left ventricular systolic dysfunction, we administered AAV9-Sav …


Cell Signaling Regulation In Salivary Gland Development, Akiko Suzuki, Kenichi Ogata, Junichi Iwata Apr 2021

Cell Signaling Regulation In Salivary Gland Development, Akiko Suzuki, Kenichi Ogata, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The mammalian salivary gland develops as a highly branched structure designed to produce and secrete saliva. This review focuses on research conducted on mammalian salivary gland development, particularly on the differentiation of acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells. We discuss recent studies that provide conceptual advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of salivary gland development. In addition, we describe the organogenesis of submandibular glands (SMGs), model systems used for the study of SMG development, and the key signaling pathways as well as cellular processes involved in salivary gland development. The findings from the recent studies elucidating the identity of …


Inhibition Of Camkk2 Impairs Autophagy And Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Via Suppression Of Ampk-Ulk1 Signaling, Chenchu Lin, Alicia M Blessing, Thomas L Pulliam, Yan Shi, Sandi R Wilkenfeld, Jenny J Han, Mollianne M Murray, Alexander H Pham, Kevin Duong, Sonja N Brun, Reuben J Shaw, Michael M Ittmann, Daniel E Frigo Mar 2021

Inhibition Of Camkk2 Impairs Autophagy And Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Via Suppression Of Ampk-Ulk1 Signaling, Chenchu Lin, Alicia M Blessing, Thomas L Pulliam, Yan Shi, Sandi R Wilkenfeld, Jenny J Han, Mollianne M Murray, Alexander H Pham, Kevin Duong, Sonja N Brun, Reuben J Shaw, Michael M Ittmann, Daniel E Frigo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Previous work has suggested androgen receptor (AR) signaling mediates prostate cancer progression in part through the modulation of autophagy. However, clinical trials testing autophagy inhibition using chloroquine derivatives in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have yet to yield promising results, potentially due to the side effects of this class of compounds. We hypothesized that identification of the upstream activators of autophagy in prostate cancer could highlight alternative, context-dependent targets for blocking this important cellular process during disease progression. Here, we used molecular, genetic and pharmacological approaches to elucidate an AR-mediated autophagy cascade involving Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2; …


Examining Multiple Cellular Pathways At Once Using Multiplex Hextuple Luciferase Assaying, Alejandro Sarrion-Perdigones, Lyra Chang, Yezabel Gonzalez, Tatiana Gallego-Flores, Damian W Young, Koen J T Venken Dec 2019

Examining Multiple Cellular Pathways At Once Using Multiplex Hextuple Luciferase Assaying, Alejandro Sarrion-Perdigones, Lyra Chang, Yezabel Gonzalez, Tatiana Gallego-Flores, Damian W Young, Koen J T Venken

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sensitive simultaneous assessment of multiple signaling pathways within the same cells requires orthogonal reporters that can assay over large dynamic ranges. Luciferases are such genetically encoded candidates due to their sensitivity, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. We expand luciferase multiplexing in post-lysis endpoint luciferase assays from two to six. Light emissions are distinguished by a combination of distinct substrates and emission spectra deconvolution. All six luciferase reporter units are stitched together into one plasmid facilitating delivery of all reporter units through a process we termed solotransfection, minimizing experimental errors. We engineer a multiplex hextuple luciferase assay to probe pathway fluxes through five …


Residues And Residue Pairs Of Evolutionary Importance Differentially Direct Signaling Bias Of D2 Dopamine Receptors, María E Terrón-Díaz, Sara J Wright, Melina A Agosto, Olivier Lichtarge, Theodore G Wensel Dec 2019

Residues And Residue Pairs Of Evolutionary Importance Differentially Direct Signaling Bias Of D2 Dopamine Receptors, María E Terrón-Díaz, Sara J Wright, Melina A Agosto, Olivier Lichtarge, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The D2 dopamine receptor and the serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2A) are closely-related G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) from the class A bioamine subfamily. Despite structural similarity, they respond to distinct ligands through distinct downstream pathways, whose dysregulation is linked to depression, bipolar disorder, addiction, and psychosis. They are important drug targets, and it is important to understand how their bias toward G-protein versus β-arrestin signaling pathways is regulated. Previously, evolution-based computational approaches, difference Evolutionary Trace and Evolutionary Trace–Mutual information (ET-Mip), revealed residues and residue pairs that, when switched in the D2 receptor to the corresponding residues from 5-HT2A, altered ligand potency …


The Zinc Transporter Zipt-7.1 Regulates Sperm Activation In Nematodes, Yanmei Zhao, Chieh-Hsiang Tan, Amber Krauchunas, Andrea Scharf, Nicholas Dietrich, Kurt Warnhoff, Zhiheng Yuan, Marina Druzhinina, Sam Guoping Gu, Long Miao, Andrew Singson, Ronald E Ellis, Kerry Kornfeld Jun 2018

The Zinc Transporter Zipt-7.1 Regulates Sperm Activation In Nematodes, Yanmei Zhao, Chieh-Hsiang Tan, Amber Krauchunas, Andrea Scharf, Nicholas Dietrich, Kurt Warnhoff, Zhiheng Yuan, Marina Druzhinina, Sam Guoping Gu, Long Miao, Andrew Singson, Ronald E Ellis, Kerry Kornfeld

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Sperm activation is a fascinating example of cell differentiation, in which immotile spermatids undergo a rapid and dramatic transition to become mature, motile sperm. Because the sperm nucleus is transcriptionally silent, this transition does not involve transcriptional changes. Although Caenorhabditis elegans is a leading model for studies of sperm activation, the mechanisms by which signaling pathways induce this transformation remain poorly characterized. Here we show that a conserved transmembrane zinc transporter, ZIPT-7.1, regulates the induction of sperm activation in Caenorhabditis nematodes. The zipt-7.1 mutant hermaphrodites cannot self-fertilize, and males reproduce poorly, because mutant spermatids are defective in responding to activating …


Protein Trafficking Of Bk Channel Β1 Subunits In Cerebral Artery Myocytes, Xue Zhai May 2018

Protein Trafficking Of Bk Channel Β1 Subunits In Cerebral Artery Myocytes, Xue Zhai

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Rationale: Large-conductance calcium (Ca2+)-activated potassium channels (BK) are expressed in arterial myocytes to control arterial contractility. It is composed of pore- forming BKα and auxiliary β1 subunits. Auxiliary β1 subunits associate with BKα which modulate Ca2+ sensitivity of BK channel. Previous data showed that BKα locates at cell membrane, whereas β1 subunits are primarily intracellular which regulated by Rab11A- positive recycling endosomes. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoconstrictor, induces contraction of myocytes. ET-1 inhibits BK channel but mechanisms are not fully understood. It is unclear that vasoconstrictors regulate the cellular distribution of BK channels. Furthermore, BK channels are involved …


Mitochondrial Akt Regulation Of Hypoxic Tumor Reprogramming., Young Chan Chae, Valentina Vaira, M. Cecilia Caino, Hsin-Yao Tang, Jae Ho Seo, Andrew V. Kossenkov, Luisa Ottobrini, Cristina Martelli, Giovanni Lucignani, Irene Bertolini, Marco Locatelli, Kelly G. Bryant, Jagadish C. Ghosh, Sofia Lisanti, Bonsu Ku, Silvano Bosari, Lucia R. Languino, David W. Speicher, Dario C. Altieri Aug 2016

Mitochondrial Akt Regulation Of Hypoxic Tumor Reprogramming., Young Chan Chae, Valentina Vaira, M. Cecilia Caino, Hsin-Yao Tang, Jae Ho Seo, Andrew V. Kossenkov, Luisa Ottobrini, Cristina Martelli, Giovanni Lucignani, Irene Bertolini, Marco Locatelli, Kelly G. Bryant, Jagadish C. Ghosh, Sofia Lisanti, Bonsu Ku, Silvano Bosari, Lucia R. Languino, David W. Speicher, Dario C. Altieri

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Hypoxia is a universal driver of aggressive tumor behavior, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Using a phosphoproteomics screen, we now show that active Akt accumulates in the mitochondria during hypoxia and phosphorylates pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) on Thr346 to inactivate the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. In turn, this pathway switches tumor metabolism toward glycolysis, antagonizes apoptosis and autophagy, dampens oxidative stress, and maintains tumor cell proliferation in the face of severe hypoxia. Mitochondrial Akt-PDK1 signaling correlates with unfavorable prognostic markers and shorter survival in glioma patients and may provide an "actionable" therapeutic target in cancer.


Positional Information Generated By Spatially Distributed Signaling Cascades., Javier Muñoz-García, Zoltan Neufeld, Boris N Kholodenko Mar 2009

Positional Information Generated By Spatially Distributed Signaling Cascades., Javier Muñoz-García, Zoltan Neufeld, Boris N Kholodenko

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The temporal and stationary behavior of protein modification cascades has been extensively studied, yet little is known about the spatial aspects of signal propagation. We have previously shown that the spatial separation of opposing enzymes, such as a kinase and a phosphatase, creates signaling activity gradients. Here we show under what conditions signals stall in the space or robustly propagate through spatially distributed signaling cascades. Robust signal propagation results in activity gradients with long plateaus, which abruptly decay at successive spatial locations. We derive an approximate analytical solution that relates the maximal amplitude and propagation length of each activation profile …


Stat5 Regulation Of Bcl10 Parallels Constitutive Nfkappab Activation In Lymphoid Tumor Cells., Zsuzsanna S Nagy, Matthew J Lebaron, Jeremy A Ross, Abhisek Mitra, Hallgeir Rui, Robert A Kirken Jan 2009

Stat5 Regulation Of Bcl10 Parallels Constitutive Nfkappab Activation In Lymphoid Tumor Cells., Zsuzsanna S Nagy, Matthew J Lebaron, Jeremy A Ross, Abhisek Mitra, Hallgeir Rui, Robert A Kirken

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 A and B (STAT5) are key survival factors in cells of the lymphoid lineage. Identification of novel, tissue-specific STAT5 regulated genes would advance the ability to combat diseases due to aberrant STAT5 signaling. In the present work a library of human STAT5 bound genomic elements was created and validated. RESULTS: Of several STAT5 responsive genomic regulatory elements identified, one was located within the first intron of the human BCL10 gene. Chromatin immuno-precipitation reactions confirmed constitutive in vivo STAT5 binding to this intronic fragment in various human lymphoid tumor cell lines. Interestingly, non-phosphorylated …


The Use Of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Imaging In The Study Of Protein Kinase C Localisation In Cells., Christopher D Stubbs, Stanley W Botchway, Simon J Slater, Anthony W Parker Jan 2005

The Use Of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Imaging In The Study Of Protein Kinase C Localisation In Cells., Christopher D Stubbs, Stanley W Botchway, Simon J Slater, Anthony W Parker

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Two-photon-excitation fluorescence lifetime imaging (2P-FLIM) was used to investigate the association of protein kinase C alpha (PKCalpha) with caveolin in CHO cells. PKCalpha is found widely in the cytoplasm and nucleus in most cells. Upon activation, as a result of increased intracellular Ca2+ and production of DAG, through G-protein coupled-phospholipase C signalling, PKC translocates to a variety of regions in the cell where it phosphorylates and interacts with many signalling pathways. Due to its wide distribution, discerning a particular interaction from others within the cell is extremely difficult. RESULTS: Fluorescence energy transfer (FRET), between GFP-PKCalpha and DsRed-caveolin, was used …