Regulate Cell Fate Decisions Research Articles

Attenuates of NAD+ impair BMSC osteogenesis and fracture repair through OXPHOS

BackgroundControlling the adipo-osteogenic lineage commitment of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) in favor of osteogenesis is considered a promising approach for bone regeneration and repair. Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is involved in regulating cell fate decisions. As an essential cofactor for OXPHOS, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) has been shown to correlate with the differentiation of stem cells. However, whether NAD manipulates BMSC lineage commitment through OXPHOS remains elusive. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the potential role of NAD on energy metabolism in mediating BMSC lineage commitment.MethodsIn this study, the mitochondrial respiration and intracellular NAD+ level were firstly compared between osteogenic and adipogenic cells. For validating the role of NAD in mitochondrial OXPHOS, the inhibitor of NAD+ salvage pathway FK866 and activator P7C3 were used to manipulate the NAD+ level during osteogenesis. Furthermore, a murine femur fracture model was established to evaluate the effect of FK866 on bone fracture repair.ResultsWe elucidated that osteogenic committed BMSCs exhibited increased OXPHOS activity and a decreased glycolysis accompanied by an elevated intracellular NAD+ level. In contrast, adipogenic committed BMSCs showed little change in OXPHOS but an upregulated activity in glycolysis and a decline in intracellular NAD+ level in vitro. Moreover, attenuates of NAD+ via salvage pathway in BMSCs diminished osteogenic commitment due to mitochondria dysfunction and reduced activity of OXPHOS. The cells were rescued by supplementing with nicotinamide mononucleotide. In addition, treatment with NAD+ inhibitor FK866 impaired bone fracture healing in vivo.ConclusionOur data reveals NAD+-mediated mitochondrial OXPHOS is indispensable for osteogenic commitment in BMSCs and bone repair, which might provide a potential therapeutic target for bone repair and regeneration.

A Critical Function for the Transcription Factors GLI1 and GLI2 in the Proliferation and Survival of Human Mast Cells

Mast cell hyperactivity and accumulation in tissues are associated with allergy and other mast cell-related disorders. However, the molecular pathways regulating mast cell survival in homeostasis and disease are not completely understood. As glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) proteins are involved in both tissue homeostasis and in the hematopoietic system by regulating cell fate decisions, we sought to investigate the role for GLI proteins in the control of proliferation and survival of human mast cells. GLI1 transcripts were present in primary human mast cells and mast cell lines harboring or not activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase receptor KIT (HMC-1.1 and HMC-1.2, and LAD2 cells, respectively), while GLI2 transcripts were only present in HMC-1.1 and HMC-1.2 cells, suggesting a role for oncogenic KIT signaling in the regulation of GLI2. Reduction in GLI activity by small molecule inhibitors, or by shRNA-mediated knockdown of GLI1 or GLI2, led to increases in apoptotic cell death in both cultured human and murine mast cells, and reduced the number of peritoneal mast cells in mice. Although GLI proteins are typically activated via the hedgehog pathway, steady-state activation of GLI in mast cells occurred primarily via non-canonical pathways. Apoptosis induced by GLI silencing was associated with a downregulation in the expression of KIT and of genes that influence p53 stability and function including USP48, which promotes p53 degradation; and iASPP, which inhibits p53-induced transcription, thus leading to the induction of p53-regulated apoptotic genes. Furthermore, we found that GLI silencing inhibited the proliferation of neoplastic mast cell lines, an effect that was more pronounced in rapidly growing cells. Our findings support the conclusion that GLI1/2 transcription factors are critical regulators of mast cell survival and that their inhibition leads to a significant reduction in the number of mast cells in vitro and in vivo, even in cells with constitutively active KIT variants. This knowledge can potentially be applicable to reducing mast cell burden in mast cell-related diseases.

Reconstruction of dynamic regulatory networks reveals signaling-induced topology changes associated with germ layer specification.

SummaryElucidating regulatory relationships between transcription factors (TFs) and target genes is fundamental to understanding how cells control their identity and behavior. Unfortunately, existing computational gene regulatory network (GRN) reconstruction methods are imprecise, computationally burdensome, and fail to reveal dynamic regulatory topologies. Here, we present Epoch, a reconstruction tool that uses single-cell transcriptomics to accurately infer dynamic networks. We apply Epoch to identify the dynamic networks underpinning directed differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) guided by multiple signaling pathways, and we demonstrate that modulating these pathways drives topological changes that bias cell fate potential. We also find that Peg3 rewires the pluripotency network to favor mesoderm specification. By integrating signaling pathways with GRNs, we trace how Wnt activation and PI3K suppression govern mesoderm and endoderm specification, respectively. Finally, we identify regulatory circuits of patterning and axis formation that distinguish in vitro and in vivo mesoderm specification.

Golgi anti-apoptotic proteins redundantly counteract cell death by inhibiting production of reactive oxygen species under endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Maintaining proteostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is critical for cell viability and plant survival under adverse conditions. The unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways interact with reactive oxygen species (ROS) to precisely trigger adaptive outputs or cell death under ER stress with varying degrees. However, little information is known about the relationship between UPR signalling and ROS regulation. Here, Arabidopsis GOLGI ANTI-APOPTOTIC PROTEIN1 (GAAP1)-GAAP4 were found to play redundant positive roles under ER stress. Genetic analysis showed that GAAP4 played a role in INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME (IRE1)-dependent and -independent pathways. In addition, GAAPs played negative roles to activate the adaptive UPR under conditions of stress. Quantitative biochemical analysis showed that mutations in GAAP genes decreased the oxidised glutathione content and altered the pattern of ROS and glutathione in early ER stress. When plants were challenged with unmitigated ER stress, mutations in GAAP advanced ROS accumulation, which was associated with a decline in adaptive UPR. These data indicated that GAAPs resist cell death by regulating glutathione content to inhibit ROS accumulation and maintain UPR during ER stress. They provide a basis for further analysis of the regulation of cell fate decision under ER stress.

Analytical Investigations of the Mechanotransduction of Mesenchymal Stem Cell for Regulating Cell Fate Decisions

Background: The evolution of new biomaterials in tissue engineering is under constant investigation. These biomaterials undergo mechanical stimuli induced cell-differentiation of the mesenchymal stem cell in their transition stage, and the developed dynamic model for this mechanotransduction (mechanical stimuli) process for regulating the fate of the mesenchymal stem cell is a set of coupled nonlinear differential equations whose exact solutions cannot be easily obtained with the common analytical methods. Objective: The analytical investigation of the dynamical model for the mechanotransduction of mesenchymal stem cell for regulating cell fate decisions is presented. Methods: A special analytic technique known as Differential transform method (DTM) was applied to obtain the solutions for the developed dynamic model and was validated with the fourth order Runge-Kutta numerical method (RK4). Results: The obtained analytical solutions have good agreement with the RK4 numerical solutions and past simulated studies. The effects of systems’ large (30k–300k) and low (0k–1.0k) stiffness levels, k 1 and degradation rate of the corresponding gene factor d1 on effective stiffness adhesion area were investigated. At low values of the system’s high stiffness (30k–300k), the effective stiffness adhesion area reduces, and at large stiffness level, the curve becomes asymptotic, but when it is further increased, it has a negligible impact on the effective stiffness adhesion area. It is also observed that at low values of the system’s low stiffness (0k–1.0k), the low stiffness k 1 and degradation rate of the corresponding gene factor d1 shows a negligible impact on the effective stiffness adhesion area at the initial state of response, while an increase in the low stiffness k 1 causes a corresponding increase in effective stiffness adhesion area, but an increase in degradation rate factor d1 causes a decrease in effective stiffness adhesion area. Conclusion: The obtained results from the dynamical analysis can be applied in developing new techniques in controlling the fate of mesenchymal stem cell’s transplantation and designs of new biomaterials.

An Evolving Role for the Long Non-Coding RNA H19 in Aging and Senescence

The Weathering Hypothesis states BIPOC face more stressors, by which over a lifetime they are subjected to the negative consequences of stress (e.g., poorer emotional health). Using ecological momentary assessments, we examined whether subtle discrimination moderated the within-person stressor slope on positive and negative affect. We predicted emotional wellbeing would be worse at stressor moments, and those with greater discrimination experience would be more impacted by stressors. Participants were 334 diverse adults (25-65 years, Mage = 47, 63% Female) from Bronx, New York. Positive affect decreased and negative affect increased significantly at stressor moments (p<.0001). Unexpectedly, subtle discrimination was not a significant moderator for the within-person stressor slope on positive affect and negative affect. Unlike the predictions of the Weathering Hypothesis, these results show that prior discrimination experiences may not exacerbate responses to stressors and entail additional risk in daily life.

An Evolving Role for the Long Non-Coding RNA H19 in Aging and Senescence

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 is a maternally imprinted gene transcript that, in conjunction with the neighboring Igf2 gene, is critical in controlling embryonic growth. Loss of H19 results in fetal overgrowth associated with Beckwith Weidemann syndrome, while elevated H19 occurs in human cancers. In the adult, H19 functions in cancer cells where it promotes migration and is correlated with poor prognosis, and in adult stem cells where it is a key regulator of cell fate decisions during differentiation. While the function of H19 in primary somatic cells has not been defined, a reduction in the abundance of H19 has been reported during senescence in endothelial cells. Given the critical importance of H19 in cell fate decisions, it is likely that understanding the precise function of H19 in somatic cells in general and why reduced levels occur with cellular senescence will provide novel insights into both somatic cell maintenance and the senescence program. Towards this end, we examined the role of H19 in somatic cell growth using cardiac interstitial fibroblasts. Our results indicate that H19 is not only vital for somatic cell proliferation and survival, but that depletion of H19 leads to cell cycle arrest and the formation of abnormal nuclei resulting in senescent cells. We are defining both the upstream regulators of H19 and the downstream mediators of senescence following H19 depletion. Overall, these results indicate an essential role for H19 in cell cycle progression, chromatin structure, and possibly proper mitotic division.

An ECHO of Cartilage: In Silico Prediction of Combinatorial Treatments to Switch Between Transient and Permanent Cartilage Phenotypes With Ex Vivo Validation.

A fundamental question in cartilage biology is: what determines the switch between permanent cartilage found in the articular joints and transient hypertrophic cartilage that functions as a template for bone? This switch is observed both in a subset of OA patients that develop osteophytes, as well as in cell-based tissue engineering strategies for joint repair. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms regulating cell fate provides opportunities for treatment of cartilage disease and tissue engineering strategies. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanisms that regulate the switch between permanent and transient cartilage using a computational model of chondrocytes, ECHO. To investigate large signaling networks that regulate cell fate decisions, we developed the software tool ANIMO, Analysis of Networks with interactive Modeling. In ANIMO, we generated an activity network integrating 7 signal transduction pathways resulting in a network containing over 50 proteins with 200 interactions. We called this model ECHO, for executable chondrocyte. Previously, we showed that ECHO could be used to characterize mechanisms of cell fate decisions. ECHO was first developed based on a Boolean model of growth plate. Here, we show how the growth plate Boolean model was translated to ANIMO and how we adapted the topology and parameters to generate an articular cartilage model. In ANIMO, many combinations of overactivation/knockout were tested that result in a switch between permanent cartilage (SOX9+) and transient, hypertrophic cartilage (RUNX2+). We used model checking to prioritize combination treatments for wet-lab validation. Three combinatorial treatments were chosen and tested on metatarsals from 1-day old rat pups that were treated for 6 days. We found that a combination of IGF1 with inhibition of ERK1/2 had a positive effect on cartilage formation and growth, whereas activation of DLX5 combined with inhibition of PKA had a negative effect on cartilage formation and growth and resulted in increased cartilage hypertrophy. We show that our model describes cartilage formation, and that model checking can aid in choosing and prioritizing combinatorial treatments that interfere with normal cartilage development. Here we show that combinatorial treatments induce changes in the zonal distribution of cartilage, indication possible switches in cell fate. This indicates that simulations in ECHO aid in describing pathologies in which switches between cell fates are observed, such as OA.

Inhibition of PINK1-Dependent Mitochondrial Quality Control Pathways Induces Senescence of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells

Current treatments for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often ineffective in eliminating leukemic stem cells (LSCs), which perpetuate the disease. Novel therapies that target LSCs have the potential to improve clinical outcomes. An important step towards achieving this goal is identifying the fundamental processes that regulate cell fate decisions in LSCs. Perturbation of these processes may impair LSC activity and form the basis of novel therapies.Here, we investigated the role of mitochondrial quality control in the regulation of LSCs by inhibiting PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1). PINK1 is a serine/threonine kinase that serves as a critical sensor of mitochondrial damage and is at the apex of multiple quality control pathways that maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Damage to mitochondria results in activation of PINK1 on the outer mitochondrial membrane, which in turn triggers mitochondrial fission and mitophagy.We first determined if the overall quality of the mitochondrial pool differs between LSCs and their more differentiated progenies (henceforth termed “non-LSCs”) in two human AML cultures known as OCI-AML-8227 and OCI-AML-21. In both cultures, LSCs assayed by xenotransplantation are found only in the CD34 +CD38 -fraction and not in the CD34 +CD38 + and CD34 - fractions. We monitored the turnover rate of the mitochondrial pool in the different fractions by expressing MitoTimer, a mitochondria-targeted fluorescent protein that matures from green to red fluorescence over 48 hours. A high ratio of green to red fluorescence is indicative of active mitochondrial protein turnover and high overall mitochondrial quality. In both cell lines, the fluorescence ratio was highest in the CD34 +CD38 - fraction compared with the other fractions, suggesting that LSCs maintain a higher quality pool of mitochondria than non-LSCs.Based on the above findings, we hypothesized that PINK1-dependent mitochondrial quality control mechanisms are involved in the regulation of LSC fate. To test this hypothesis, we silenced the expression of PINK1 in OCI-AML-8227 cells using lentiviral vectors expressing validated shRNAs under a doxycycline-inducible promoter. Depletion of PINK1 shifted the MitoTimer fluorescence from green to red, reduced oxygen consumption rate, and disrupted mitochondrial ultrastructure in all cell fractions, consistent with a reduction in mitochondrial quality. Unexpectedly, PINK1 downregulation resulted in a block in differentiation and cell cycle arrest at G1/G0 phase in CD34 +CD38 - cells. Re-expression of PINK1 was unable to reverse the cell cycle arrest, suggestive of a state of cellular senescence. Indeed, we observed other hallmarks of senescence including an increase in p21 WAF1 and p16 INK4a expression and SA-β-gal activity. To determine the mechanism by which PINK1 depletion causes senescence, we performed RNA sequencing analysis of sorted CD34 +CD38 - cells expressing PINK1 shRNAs. This analysis revealed a marked decrease in the expression of MYC target genes, with TERT (Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase) being the most downregulated gene. Consistent with the role of TERT in telomere maintenance and telomere shortening as a trigger of senescence, we found that PINK1 knockdown decreased telomere length in CD34 +CD38 - cells, and overexpression of TERT effectively rescued the senescence phenotype. These findings collectively indicate that inhibition of PINK1-dependent mitochondrial quality control pathways induces senescence of LSCs through telomere shortening.To determine whether these changes translated to a reduction in functional LSC activity, we performed colony forming unit assays and serial xenotransplantation assays in immunodeficient NSG mice. Depletion of PINK1reduced the colony forming capacity and engraftment potential of 3 primary AML samples in primary and secondary recipients. Importantly, PINK1 depletion had minimal impact on the colony forming capacity and engraftment potential of normal CD34 + hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) derived from cord blood, suggestive of a therapeutic window in vivo.In summary, our results demonstrate that mitochondrial quality control pathways regulate cell fate decision in LSCs. Inhibition of PINK1 activity impairs LSC activity by inducing senescence, while sparing normal HSPCs. Our findings provide the basis for exploring PINK1 as a therapeutic target against LSCs in AML. DisclosuresChan: AbbVie: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding.

Chronotherapy for the p53 system under DNA damage response

ABSTRACT p53 is a signaling molecule that orchestrates smart responses to diverse stimuli and employs temporal dynamics for the selective activation of downstream target genes and ultimately for cell fate decisions. Emerging evidences support that the tumor suppressor p53 is the most frequently mutated protein in human cancers. However, it remains elusive how to regulate cell fate decisions and control the direction of cell fates. In this paper, we aim to study the effects of drug dose, the drug frequency, and the drug time on the cell fate decisions of the system. We find that a certain dose of the drug can indeed change the fate of the p53 system, initiate DNA repair procedures, and ultimately allow the cells to survive. Compared with the single dose, the multiple use of the drug not only greatly reduces the dose, but also can more quickly initiate the repair mechanism of the p53 system. We also find that taking medicine at the trough of p53 concentration requires more medication so that the number of pulses is below the threshold. However, the dose is greatly reduced if we take medicine at the peak. All of these results are very meaningful in the treatment of cancer.

KAT2A complexes ATAC and SAGA play unique roles in cell maintenance and identity in hematopoiesis and leukemia

AbstractEpigenetic histone modifiers are key regulators of cell fate decisions in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Their enzymatic activities are of particular significance as putative therapeutic targets in leukemia. In contrast, less is known about the contextual role in which those enzymatic activities are exercised and specifically how different macromolecular complexes configure the same enzymatic activity with distinct molecular and cellular consequences. We focus on KAT2A, a lysine acetyltransferase responsible for histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation, which we recently identified as a dependence in acute myeloid leukemia stem cells and that participates in 2 distinct macromolecular complexes: Ada two-A-containing (ATAC) and Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyltransferase (SAGA). Through analysis of human cord blood hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors, and of myeloid leukemia cells, we identify unique respective contributions of the ATAC complex to regulation of biosynthetic activity in undifferentiated self-renewing cells and of the SAGA complex to stabilization or correct progression of cell type–specific programs with putative preservation of cell identity. Cell type and stage-specific dependencies on ATAC and SAGA-regulated programs explain multilevel KAT2A requirements in leukemia and in erythroid lineage specification and development. Importantly, they set a paradigm against which lineage specification and identity can be explored across developmental stem cell systems.

Cdk8 Kinase Module: A Mediator of Life and Death Decisions in Times of Stress.

The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) of the multi-subunit mediator complex plays an essential role in cell fate decisions in response to different environmental cues. In the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, the CKM consists of four conserved subunits (cyclin C and its cognate cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk8, Med13, and Med12) and predominantly negatively regulates a subset of stress responsive genes (SRG’s). Derepression of these SRG’s is accomplished by disassociating the CKM from the mediator, thus allowing RNA polymerase II-directed transcription. In response to cell death stimuli, cyclin C translocates to the mitochondria where it induces mitochondrial hyper-fission and promotes regulated cell death (RCD). The nuclear release of cyclin C requires Med13 destruction by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). In contrast, to protect the cell from RCD following SRG induction induced by nutrient deprivation, cyclin C is rapidly destroyed by the UPS before it reaches the cytoplasm. This enables a survival response by two mechanisms: increased ATP production by retaining reticular mitochondrial morphology and relieving CKM-mediated repression on autophagy genes. Intriguingly, nitrogen starvation also stimulates Med13 destruction but through a different mechanism. Rather than destruction via the UPS, Med13 proteolysis occurs in the vacuole (yeast lysosome) via a newly identified Snx4-assisted autophagy pathway. Taken together, these findings reveal that the CKM regulates cell fate decisions by both transcriptional and non-transcriptional mechanisms, placing it at a convergence point between cell death and cell survival pathways.

Par3 cooperates with Sanpodo for the assembly of Notch clusters following asymmetric division of Drosophila sensory organ precursor cells.

In multiple cell lineages, Delta-Notch signalling regulates cell fate decisions owing to unidirectional signalling between daughter cells. In Drosophila pupal sensory organ lineage, Notch regulates the intra-lineage pIIa/pIIb fate decision at cytokinesis. Notch and Delta that localise apically and basally at the pIIa-pIIb interface are expressed at low levels and their residence time at the plasma membrane is in the order of minutes. How Delta can effectively interact with Notch to trigger signalling from a large plasma membrane area remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the signalling interface possesses a unique apico-basal polarity with Par3/Bazooka localising in the form of nano-clusters at the apical and basal level. Notch is preferentially targeted to the pIIa-pIIb interface, where it co-clusters with Bazooka and its cofactor Sanpodo. Clusters whose assembly relies on Bazooka and Sanpodo activities are also positive for Neuralized, the E3 ligase required for Delta activity. We propose that the nano-clusters act as snap buttons at the new pIIa-pIIb interface to allow efficient intra-lineage signalling.

MicroRNA-directed pathway discovery elucidates an miR-221/222-mediated regulatory circuit in class switch recombination.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) regulate cell fate decisions by post-transcriptionally tuning networks of mRNA targets. We used miRNA-directed pathway discovery to reveal a regulatory circuit that influences Ig class switch recombination (CSR). We developed a system to deplete mature, activated B cells of miRNAs, and performed a rescue screen that identified the miR-221/222 family as a positive regulator of CSR. Endogenous miR-221/222 regulated B cell CSR to IgE and IgG1 in vitro, and miR-221/222-deficient mice exhibited defective IgE production in allergic airway challenge and polyclonal B cell activation models in vivo. We combined comparative Ago2-HITS-CLIP and gene expression analyses to identify mRNAs bound and regulated by miR-221/222 in primary B cells. Interrogation of these putative direct targets uncovered functionally relevant downstream genes. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of Foxp1 and Arid1a confirmed their roles as key modulators of CSR to IgE and IgG1.

Heme Oxygenase-1 at the Nexus of Endothelial Cell Fate Decision Under Oxidative Stress.

Endothelial cells (ECs) form the inner lining of blood vessels and are central to sensing chemical perturbations that can lead to oxidative stress. The degree of stress is correlated with divergent phenotypes such as quiescence, cell death, or senescence. Each possible cell fate is relevant for a different aspect of endothelial function, and hence, the regulation of cell fate decisions is critically important in maintaining vascular health. This study examined the oxidative stress response (OSR) in human ECs at the boundary of cell survival and death through longitudinal measurements, including cellular, gene expression, and perturbation measurements. 0.5 mM hydrogen peroxide (HP) produced significant oxidative stress, placed the cell at this junction, and provided a model to study the effectors of cell fate. The use of systematic perturbations and high-throughput measurements provide insights into multiple regimes of the stress response. Using a systems approach, we decipher molecular mechanisms across these regimes. Significantly, our study shows that heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) acts as a gatekeeper of cell fate decisions. Specifically, HP treatment of HMOX1 knockdown cells reversed the gene expression of about 51% of 2,892 differentially expressed genes when treated with HP alone, affecting a variety of cellular processes, including anti-oxidant response, inflammation, DNA injury and repair, cell cycle and growth, mitochondrial stress, metabolic stress, and autophagy. Further analysis revealed that these switched genes were highly enriched in three spatial locations viz., cell surface, mitochondria, and nucleus. In particular, it revealed the novel roles of HMOX1 on cell surface receptors EGFR and IGFR, mitochondrial ETCs (MTND3, MTATP6), and epigenetic regulation through chromatin modifiers (KDM6A, RBBP5, and PPM1D) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) in orchestrating the cell fate at the boundary of cell survival and death. These novel aspects suggest that HMOX1 can influence transcriptional and epigenetic modulations to orchestrate OSR affecting cell fate decisions.

The Role of Post-Translational Acetylation and Deacetylation of Signaling Proteins and Transcription Factors after Cerebral Ischemia: Facts and Hypotheses

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) regulate transcription and the most important functions of cells by acetylating/deacetylating histones and non-histone proteins. These proteins are involved in cell survival and death, replication, DNA repair, the cell cycle, and cell responses to stress and aging. HDAC/HAT balance in cells affects gene expression and cell signaling. There are very few studies on the effects of stroke on non-histone protein acetylation/deacetylation in brain cells. HDAC inhibitors have been shown to be effective in protecting the brain from ischemic damage. However, the role of different HDAC isoforms in the survival and death of brain cells after stroke is still controversial. HAT/HDAC activity depends on the acetylation site and the acetylation/deacetylation of the main proteins (c-Myc, E2F1, p53, ERK1/2, Akt) considered in this review, that are involved in the regulation of cell fate decisions. Our review aims to analyze the possible role of the acetylation/deacetylation of transcription factors and signaling proteins involved in the regulation of survival and death in cerebral ischemia.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species regulate porcine embryo development during pre-implantation period: A mini-review.

Significant porcine embryonic loss occurs during conceptus morphological elongation and attachment from d 10 to 20 of pregnancy, which directly decreases the reproductive efficiency of sows. A successful establishment of pregnancy mainly depends on the endometrium receptivity, embryo quality, and utero-placental microenvironment, which requires complex cross-talk between the conceptus and uterus. The understanding of the molecular mechanism regulating the uterine-conceptus communication during porcine conceptus elongation and attachment has developed in the past decades. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are intracellular reactive metabolites that regulate cell fate decisions and alter their biological functions, have recently reportedly been involved in porcine conceptus elongation and attachment. This mini-review will mainly focus on the recent researches about the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in regulating porcine embryo development during the pre-implantation period.

Wnt-Dependent Activation of ERK Mediates Repression of Chondrocyte Fate during Calvarial Development.

Wnt signaling regulates cell fate decisions in diverse contexts during development, and loss of Wnt signaling in the cranial mesenchyme results in a robust and binary cell fate switch from cranial bone to ectopic cartilage. The Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and Wnt signaling pathways are activated during calvarial osteoblast cell fate selection. Here, we test the hypothesis that ERK signaling is a mediator of Wnt-dependent cell fate decisions in the cranial mesenchyme. First, we show that loss of Erk1/2 in the cranial mesenchyme results in a diminished domain of osteoblast marker expression and increased expression of cartilage fate markers and ectopic cartilage formation in the frontal bone primordia. Second, we show that mesenchyme Wnt/β-catenin signaling and Wntless are required for ERK activation in calvarial osteoblasts. Third, we demonstrate that Wnt and ERK signaling pathways function together to repress SOX9 expression in mouse cranial mesenchyme. Our results demonstrate an interaction between the Wnt and ERK signaling pathways in regulating lineage selection in a subset of calvarial cells and provide new insights into Wnt-dependent cell fate decisions.

Histone Acetyl-Transferase Kat2a Regulates Transcriptional Heterogeneity and Impacts Self-Renewal of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells in a Disease-Specific Manner

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by transcriptional and epigenetic dysregulation. Lysine acetylation is a highly dynamic post-translational modification of histones that correlates with active transcription. Promoter acetylation influences heterogeneity, or noise, of gene expression, which has been postulated to alter the balance of cell fate decisions.Here we show that Kat2a, the mammalian orthologue of founder yeast histone acetyl-transferase and candidate noise regulator Gcn5, controls the frequency of self-renewing leukemia-propagating cells (LSC) in a retroviral mouse model of MLL-AF9 leukemia. Conditional Kat2a gene knockout (KO) results in delayed leukemia initiation with erosion of self-renewing LSC in secondary transplants. Accordingly, serial re-plating of Kat2a KO MLL-AF9 -transduced mouse bone marrow cells associates with an increased probability of cell differentiation.Through single-cell RNA-sequencing transcriptional analysis, we identify a distinct cell clustering organization in Kat2a KO primary MLL-AF9 leukemias, with relative depletion of cell subsets characterized by higher expression of self-renewal-associated genes. Transcriptionally-defined cell compartments are dissociated from conventional cell surface phenotyping, compatible with a functional definition of LSC. Kat2a loss associates with global enhancement of transcriptional heterogeneity amongst MLL-AF9 leukemic cells, which may underlie destabilization of self-renewal programs and allow exploitation of differentiation networks.Intriguingly, we observe that loss of Kat2a in the more protracted AML1-ETO9a retroviral model of AML, instead promotes transformation in vitro, and accelerates disease initiation in vivo, once again with unmodified representation of conventional cell surface phenotypic markers when compared to Kat2a wild-type (WT) leukemias.Taken together, our data position histone acetyl-transferase Kat2a as a novel multifaceted regulator of cell fate decisions in AML, and suggest a differential contribution of transcriptional activation to the implementation of leukemic programs in a disease-specific manner. DisclosuresPrabakaran:Noncodomics: Other: Co-founder of Noncodomics, a data analysis company.

Spindle positioning and its impact on vertebrate tissue architecture and cell fate.

In multicellular systems, oriented cell divisions are essential for morphogenesis and homeostasis as they determine the position of daughter cells within the tissue and also, in many cases, their fate. Early studies in invertebrates led to the identification of conserved core mechanisms of mitotic spindle positioning centred on the Gαi-LGN-NuMA-dynein complex. In recent years, much has been learnt about the way this complex functions in vertebrate cells. In particular, studies addressed how the Gαi-LGN-NuMA-dynein complex dynamically crosstalks with astral microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton, and how it is regulated to orient the spindle according to cellular and tissue-wide cues. We have also begun to understand how dynein motors and actin regulators interact with mechanosensitive adhesion molecules sensing extracellular mechanical stimuli, such as cadherins and integrins, and with signalling pathways so as to respond to extracellular cues instructing the orientation of the division axis in vivo. In this Review, with the focus on epithelial tissues, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of mitotic spindle orientation in vertebrate cells, and how this machinery is regulated by epithelial cues and extracellular signals to maintain tissue cohesiveness during mitosis. We also outline recent knowledge of how spindle orientation impacts tissue architecture in epithelia and its emerging links to the regulation of cell fate decisions. Finally, we describe how defective spindle orientation can be corrected or its effects eliminated in tissues under physiological conditions, and the pathological implications associated with spindle misorientation.