Wnt Gene Expression Research Articles

Homeobox, Wnt, and Fibroblast Growth Factor Signaling is Augmented During Alveogenesis in Mice Lacking Superoxide Dismutase 3, Extracellular

Superoxide dismutase 3, extracellular (SOD3) polymorphisms have been implicated in reduced pulmonary function development and altered risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We previously reported that gene-targeted Sod3-/- mice have impaired lung function and human SOD3 variants are associated with reduced pulmonary function in children. Reduced lung SOD3 levels were reported in mice with lower lung function with the greatest difference occurring during alveogenesis phase [postnatal (P) days 14-28]. Interactions between homeobox (HOX), wingless-type MMTV integration site member (WNT), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling govern complex developmental processes in several organs. A subset of HOX family members, HOXA5 and HOXB5, is expressed in the developing lung. Therefore, in this study we assessed the transcript expression of these family members and their downstream targets in Sod3-/- mice during alveogenesis (P14). In the lung of Sod3-/- mice, Hoxa5 and Hoxb5 increased. These transcription factors regulate WNT gene expression and were accompanied by increases in their downstream targets Wnt2 and Wnt5A, canonical and noncanonical WNT members, respectively. The WNT signaling target, lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (Lef1), also increased along with its downstream targets Fgf2, Fgf7, and Fgf10 in the lungs of Sod3-/- mice. Due to limited knowledge on the role of FGF2 in lung development, we further examined FGF2 protein and found increased levels in the bronchial and alveolar type II epithelial cells of Sod3-/- mice compared to age-matched controls. Thus, our findings suggest that deficient management of extracellular superoxide can lead to altered lung developmental signaling during alveogenesis in mice.

Bmp Induces Osteoblast Differentiation through both Smad4 and mTORC1 Signaling.

The bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) family of secreted molecules has been extensively studied in the context of osteoblast differentiation. However, the intracellular signaling cascades that mediate the osteoblastogenic function of Bmp have not been fully elucidated. By profiling mRNA expression in the bone marrow mesenchymal progenitor cell line ST2, we discover that BMP2 induces not only genes commonly associated with ossification and mineralization but also genes important for general protein synthesis. We define the two groups of genes as mineralization related versus protein anabolism signatures of osteoblasts. Although it induces the expression of several Wnt genes, BMP2 activates the osteogenic program largely independently of de novo Wnt secretion. Remarkably, although Smad4 is necessary for the activation of the mineralization-related genes, it is dispensable for BMP2 to induce the protein anabolism signature, which instead critically depends on the transcription factor Atf4. Upstream of Atf4, BMP2 activates mTORC1 to stimulate protein synthesis, resulting in an endoplasmic reticulum stress response mediated by Perk. Thus, Bmp signaling induces osteoblast differentiation through both Smad4- and mTORC1-dependent mechanisms.

Spatiotemporal Expression of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling during Morphogenesis and Odontogenesis of Deciduous Molar in Miniature Pig.

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been shown to play essential roles in tooth initiation and early tooth development. However, the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cusp patterning and crown calcification in large mammals are largely unknown. In our previous study, miniature pigs were used as the animal model due to the similarity of tooth anatomy and replacement pattern between miniature pig and human. Dynamic gene expression of third deciduous molar (DM3) in miniature pig at early stages was profiled using microarray method and expression of Wnt genes was significantly correlate with odontogenesis. In the present study, dynamic expression patterns of Wnt/β-catenin signaling genes of DM3 at cap, early bell and late bell (secretory) stage were identified. We found that Lef1 and Axin2 were expressed in the enamel knot and underlying mesenchyme regions. Meanwhile, Dkk1 was expressed in the peripheral and lower parts of dental papilla, thus forming the potential Wnt signaling gradient. We also found that β-Catenin, Axin2 and Lef1 were expressed strongly in undifferentiated cells of the inner enamel epithelium (IEE), but weakly in differentiated ameloblasts. Furthermore, we found that both Wnt signaling read-out gene Lef1 and the inhibitor Dkk1 were co-expressed in the pre-odontoblasts. In conclusion, the spatiotemporal distribution and potential gradient of Wnt signaling may contribute to cusp patterning and crown calcification. These data may yield insight into future study of precise control of crown morphogenesis and regeneration in large mammals.

Wnt gene expression in adult porcine longissimus dorsi and its association with muscle fiber type, energy metabolism, and meat quality

This study investigated the expression profiles of Wnt genes in adult porcine longissimus dorsi (LD) from different porcine genotypes and their associations with meat quality. The results showed that Wnt5a gene expression level was the highest in Jinhua (JHP) pigs, followed by Zhongbai (ZBP), Duroc×Zhongbai (DZB), and Duroc×Yorkshire×Landrace (DYL) pigs, with significant differences between ZBP, DZB, and DYL (P<0.05). This genotypic order was reversed for Wnt7a, Wnt10b, and Wnt11 expression, with JHP and DYL having the lowest and highest expressive levels, respectively. Wnt5a expression was negatively correlated with pH45 min and ΔpH (P<0.01), some glycolytic markers (P<0.05), and positively correlated with meat color (a*), shear force (SF) value (P<0.05), myosion heavy chain (MyHC) I mRNA proportion (P<0.01), turnover ratio of creatine phosphate (CP), and creatine kinase (CK) activity (P<0.05). Opposite correlations were observed for Wnt2, Wnt7a, Wnt10b, and Wnt11. These results revealed that Wnt5a, Wnt7a, Wnt10b, and Wnt11 gene expressions in adult porcine muscle contributed to differences between porcine genotypes and affected pork quality. Wnt5a gene expression could be beneficial for the formation of high quality pork by regulating muscle fiber types and postmortem energy metabolism.

MiR-101 Targets the EZH2/Wnt/β-Catenin the Pathway to Promote the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mounting evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in multiple processes of osteogenic differentiation. MicroRNA-101 (miR-101), identified as a tumor suppressor, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer. However, the expression of miR-101 and its roles in the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) remain unclear. We found that the miR-101 expression level was significantly increased during the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. MiR-101 depletion suppressed osteogenic differentiation, whereas the overexpression of miR-101 was sufficient to promote this process. We further demonstrated that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) was a target gene of miR-101. EZH2 overexpression and depletion reversed the promoting or suppressing effect of osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, respectively, caused by miR-101. In addition, we showed that miR-101 overexpression promoted the expression of Wnt genes, resulting in the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting EZH2, while the activity of β-catenin and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was inhibited by ICG-001, a β-Catenin inhibitor, which reversed the promoting effect of miR-101. Finally, miR-101 also promotes in vivo bone formation by hBMSCs. Collectively, these data suggest that miR-101 is induced by osteogenic stimuli and promotes osteogenic differentiation at least partly by targeting the EZH2/Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway.

WNT1 Gene from WNT Signaling Pathway Is a Direct Target of miR-122 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an invasive form of hepatic cancer arising from the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations. In this study, the causal role of disturbed canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway was approved, and some of HCC-driven important gene candidates were determined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs, are the key regulators of important cancer genes, and their participation in tumorigenesis has been shown. By reviewing literature, WNT1 gene with functional significance was selected to approve miRNAs as new subjects for targeted therapy.For proper and fast miRNA detection and also confirmation of the role of bioinformatics in obtaining practical data, we benefited from different bioinformatics tools such as TargetScan, miRanda, and DIANA. In order to use an HCC model, we used HepG2 cell line. Luciferase assay was applied to assess the ability of the selected miRNAs in targeting WNT1 3'-UTR. To overexpress the selected miRNA in HepG2 cell line, viral construct was prepared. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to evaluate selected miRNA and target gene expression levels. miR-122 was selected according to data concerning various bioinformatics tools.miR-122 was downregulated and WNT1 gene expression was upregulated in HepG2 cell line. After viral construct transduction, miR-122 expression was elevated and WNT1 expression was notably declined. Finally, we introduced WNT1 gene as one of the important genes in HCC, and also, we showed that miR-122 can regulate WNT1 gene expression.Moreover, our study determines the potential of bioinformatics analyses in providing accurate and reliable data for miRNA: messenger RNA (mRNA) prediction.

WNT4 mediates estrogen receptor signaling and endocrine resistance in invasive lobular carcinoma cell lines.

BackgroundInvasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast typically presents with clinical biomarkers consistent with a favorable response to endocrine therapies, and over 90 % of ILC cases express the estrogen receptor (ER). However, a subset of ILC cases may be resistant to endocrine therapies, suggesting that ER biology is unique in ILC. Using ILC cell lines, we previously demonstrated that ER regulates a distinct gene expression program in ILC cells, and we hypothesized that these ER-driven pathways modulate the endocrine response in ILC. One potential novel pathway is via the Wnt ligand WNT4, a critical signaling molecule in mammary gland development regulated by the progesterone receptor.MethodsThe ILC cell lines MDA-MB-134-VI, SUM44PE, and BCK4 were used to assess WNT4 gene expression and regulation, as well as the role of WNT4 in estrogen-regulated proliferation. To assess these mechanisms in the context of endocrine resistance, we developed novel ILC endocrine-resistant long-term estrogen-deprived (ILC-LTED) models. ILC and ILC-LTED cell lines were used to identify upstream regulators and downstream signaling effectors of WNT4 signaling.ResultsILC cells co-opted WNT4 signaling by placing it under direct ER control. We observed that ER regulation of WNT4 correlated with use of an ER binding site at the WNT4 locus, specifically in ILC cells. Further, WNT4 was required for endocrine response in ILC cells, as WNT4 knockdown blocked estrogen-induced proliferation. ILC-LTED cells remained dependent on WNT4 for proliferation, by either maintaining ER function and WNT4 regulation or uncoupling WNT4 from ER and upregulating WNT4 expression. In the latter case, WNT4 expression was driven by activated nuclear factor kappa-B signaling in ILC-LTED cells. In ILC and ILC-LTED cells, WNT4 led to suppression of CDKN1A/p21, which is critical for ILC cell proliferation. CDKN1A knockdown partially reversed the effects of WNT4 knockdown.ConclusionsWNT4 drives a novel signaling pathway in ILC cells, with a critical role in estrogen-induced growth that may also mediate endocrine resistance. WNT4 signaling may represent a novel target to modulate endocrine response specifically for patients with ILC.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-016-0748-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of Dietary-Resistant Starch on Inhibition of Colonic Preneoplasia and Wnt Signaling in Azoxymethane-Induced Rodent Models

ABSTRACTDietary fiber has been reported to prevent preneoplastic colon lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of resistant starches, novel dietary fibers, on the development of colonic preneoplasia and Wnt signaling in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats and mice fed resistant starches at 55% of the diet after AOM treatment. Another objective was to determine the effect of resistant starches on the development of preneoplasia in rats treated with antibiotics (Ab), administered between AOM treatment and resistant starch feeding. Diets containing resistant starches, high-amylose (HA7), high-amylose-octenyl succinic anhydride (OS-HA7), or high-amylose-stearic acid (SA-HA7) were compared with control cornstarch (CS). The resistant starch content of the diets did not alter the yield of colonic lesions but animals treated with AOM and fed the diet with the highest resistant starch content, SA-HA7 developed the highest average aberrant crypt foci (ACF) per animal. Mice fed the OS-HA7 diet had decreased expression of some upstream Wnt genes in the colonic crypts. This study suggests that further research is needed to determine if resistant starch impacts colon carcinogenesis in rodents.

Surprisingly rich repertoire of Wnt genes in the demosponge Halisarca dujardini.

BackgroundWnt proteins are secreted signalling molecules found in all animal phyla. In bilaterian animals, including humans, Wnt proteins play key roles in development, maintenance of homeostasis and regeneration. While Wnt gene repertoires and roles are strongly conserved between cnidarians and bilaterians, Wnt genes from basal metazoans (sponges, ctenophores, placozoans) are difficult or impossible to assign to the bilaterian + cnidarian orthologous groups. Moreover, dramatic differences in Wnt numbers among basal metazoan exist, with only three present in the genome of Amphimedon queenslandica, a demosponge, and 21 in the genome of Sycon ciliatum, a calcisponge. To gain insight into the ancestral Wnt repertoire and function, we have chosen to investigate Wnt genes in Halisarca dujardini, a demosponge with relatively well described development and regeneration, and a very distant phylogenetic relationship to Amphimedon.ResultsHere we describe generation of a eukaryotic contamination-free transcriptome of Halisarca dujardini, and analysis of Wnt genes repertoire and expression in this species. We have identified ten Wnt genes, with only one orthologous to Amphimedon Wnt, and six appearing to be a result of a lineage specific expansion. Expression analysis carried out by in situ hybridization of adults and larvae revealed that two Halisarca Wnts are expressed in nested domains in the posterior half of the larvae, and six along the adult body axis, with two specific to the osculum. Strikingly, expression of one of the Wnt genes was elevated in the region undergoing regeneration.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that the three Poriferan lineages (Demospongiae, Calcarea and Homoloscleromorpha) are characterized by highly diverse Wnt gene repertoires which do not display higher similarity to each other than they do to the non-sponge (i.e. ctenophore, cnidarian and bilaterian) repertoires. This is in striking contrast to the uniform Wnt repertoires in Cnidarians and Bilaterians, suggesting that the Wnt family composition became “fixed” only in the last common ancestor of Cnidarians and Bilaterians. In contrast, expression of Wnt genes in the apical region of sponge adults and the posterior region of sponge larvae suggests conservation of the Wnt role in axial patterning across the animal kingdom.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0700-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Wnt, Frizzled, and sFRP gene expression patterns during gastrulation in the starfish Patiria (Asterina) pectinifera

By the initial phase of gastrulation, Wnt pathway regulation mediates endomesoderm specification and establishes the animal-vegetal axis, thereby leading to proper gastrulation in starfish. To provide insight into the ancestral mechanism regulating deuterostome gastrulation, we identified the gene expression patterns of Wnt, Frizzled (Fz), and secreted frizzled-related protein (sFRP) family genes, which play a role in the initial stage of the Wnt pathway, in starfish Patiria (Asterina) pectinifera embryos using whole mount in situ hybridization. We identified ten Wnt, four Fz, and two sFRP paralogues. From the hatching blastula to the late gastrula stage, the majority of the Wnt genes and both Fz5/8 and sFRP1/5 were expressed in the posterior and anterior half of the embryo, respectively. Wnt8, Fz1, and Fz4 showed restricted expression in the lateral ectoderm. On the other hand, several genes were expressed de novo in the restricted domain of the archenteron at the late gastrula stage. These results suggest that the canonical and/or non-canonical Wnt pathway might implicate endomesoderm specification, anterior-posterior axis establishment, anterior-posterior patterning, and archenteron morphogenesis in the developmental context of starfish embryos. From comparison with the expression patterns observed in Patria miniata, we consider that the Wnt pathway is conserved among starfishes.

S6K1 Phosphorylation of H2B Mediates EZH2 Trimethylation of H3: A Determinant of Early Adipogenesis

S6K1 has been implicated in a number of key metabolic responses, which contribute to obesity. Critical among these is the control of a transcriptional program required for the commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to the adipocytic lineage. However, in contrast to its role in the cytosol, the functions and targets of nuclear S6K1 are unknown. Here, we show that adipogenic stimuli trigger nuclear translocation of S6K1, leading to H2BS36 phosphorylation and recruitment of EZH2 to H3, which mediates H3K27 trimethylation. This blocks Wnt gene expression, inducing the upregulation of PPARγ and Cebpaand driving increased adipogenesis. Consistent with this finding, white adipose tissue from S6K1-deficient mice exhibits no detectable H2BS36 phosphorylation or H3K27 trimethylation, whereas both responses are highly elevated in obese humans or in mice fed a high-fat diet. These findings define an S6K1-dependent mechanism in early adipogenesis, contributing to the promotion of obesity.

Wnt4 is required for ostia development in the Drosophila heart

The Drosophila ostia are valve-like structures in the heart with functional similarity to vertebrate cardiac valves. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is critical for valve development in zebrafish and mouse, but the key ligand(s) for valve induction remains unclear. We observed high levels of Wnt4 gene expression in Drosophila ostia progenitor cells, immediately prior to morphological differentiation of these cells associated with ostia formation. This differentiation was blocked in Wnt4 mutants and in flies expressing canonical Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors but not inhibitors of the planar cell polarity pathway. High levels of Wnt4 dependent activation of a canonical Wnt signaling reporter was observed specifically in ostia progenitor cells. In vertebrate valve formation Wnt signaling is active in cells undergoing early endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the Wnt9 homolog of Drosophila Wnt4 is expressed in valve progenitors. In demonstrating an essential role for Wnt4 in ostia development we have identified similarities between molecular and cellular events associated with early EMT during vertebrate valve development and the differentiation and partial delamination of ostia progenitor cells in the process of ostia formation.

A crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin pathways promotes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation

RationaleEndovascular interventions performed for atherosclerotic lesions trigger excessive vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation leading to intimal hyperplasia. Our previous studies show that following endovascular injury, elevated TGF-β/Smad3 promotes SMC proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Furthermore in cultured SMCs, elevated TGF-β/Smad3 increases the expression of several Wnt genes. Here we investigate a crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and its role in SMC proliferation. Methods and resultsTo mimic TGF-β/Smad3 up-regulation in vivo, rat aortic SMCs were treated with Smad3-expressing adenovirus (AdSmad3) or AdGFP control followed by stimulation with TGF-β1 (or solvent). AdSmad3/TGF-β treatment up-regulated Wnt2b, Wnt4, Wnt5a, Wnt9a, and Wnt11 (confirmed by qRT-PCR and ELISA), and also increased β-catenin protein as detected by Western blotting. Blocking Wnt signaling using a Frizzled receptor inhibitor (Niclosamide) abolished TGF-β/Smad3-induced β-catenin stabilization. Increasing β-catenin through degradation inhibition (using SKL2001) or by adenoviral expression enhanced SMC proliferation. Furthermore, application of recombinant Wnt2b, Wnt4, Wnt5a, or Wnt9a, but not Wnt11, stabilized β-catenin and stimulated SMC proliferation as well. In addition, increased β-catenin was found in the neointima of injured rat carotid artery where TGF-β and Smad3 are known to be up-regulated. ConclusionsThese results suggest a novel mechanism whereby elevated TGF-β/Smad3 stimulates the secretion of canonical Wnts which in turn enhances SMC proliferation through β-catenin stabilization. This crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin canonical pathways provides new insights into the pathophysiology of vascular SMCs linked to intimal hyperplasia.

Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 Enhances HSC Self-Renewal through Repressing the Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic gene silencers that have been implicated in stem cell maintenance and cancer development. Genetic and biochemical studies indicate that Polycomb group proteins exist in at least two protein complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), that act in concert to initiate and maintain stable gene repression. While studies on individual PRC1 component suggest that PRC1 plays an important role in hematopoiesis, how PRC1 regulates transcriptional repression in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is largely unknown. Bmi1 and Mel18 are two major homologs of the PCGF subunit within the PRC1 complex. Bmi1 is a positive regulator of HSC self-renewal; however, the role of Mel18 in hematopoiesis has been controversial. To determine whether Bmi1 and Mel18 play redundant or distinct role in HSC self-renewal, we have generated Bmi1 and Mel18 conditional knockout mice. While acute deletion of Mel18 affects neither HSC frequency nor lineage commitment, we found that Mel18-deficent hematopoietic progenitor cells showed enhanced replating potential compared to wild type cells. To determine the role of Mel18 in HSC self-renewal, we performed serial HSC transplantation assays and found that the repopulating ability of Mel18-/- HSCs was significantly higher than WT HSCs in both primary and secondary transplantation assays, demonstrating that the loss of Mel18 enhances HSC self-renewal in vivo. We hypothesize that loss of Bmi1 and Mel18 in hematopoietic stem cells will disrupt PRC1 complex and impairs HSC self-renewal. To determine the role of PRC1 complex in HSCs, we analyzed the HSC behavior in Bmi1 and Mel18 double-deficient mice. While we found that Bmi1-deficient HSCs showed decreased repopulating potential compared to WT HSCs 16 weeks following transplantation, loss of both Bmi1 and Mel18 in HSCs resulted in even more severe self-renewal defects. In addition, loss of both Bmi1 and Mel18 resulted in decreased myeloid differentiation and increased B cell differentiation compared to WT, Mel18 KO, and Bmi1 KO mice. These data demonstrate that Bmi1 and Mel18 have non-overlapping role in HSC maintenance and lineage commitment.Given that Bmi1 plays a dominant role in the PRC1 complex, we decided to identify Bmi1 target genes in hematopoietic stem cells to understand how PRC1 complex regulates HSC self-renewal. We performed transcript profiling assays to compare gene expression in HSCs isolated from wild type and Bmi1-/- mice. The Ingenuity Pathways indicates that the canonical Wnt signaling is significantly elevated in Bmi1 null HSCs compared to WT HSCs. We confirmed the upregulation of several genes of the Wnt pathway in Bmi1 null HSCs by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. To determine whether Bmi1 can repress the activation of Wnt signaling in cells, we utilized the Top-Flash Wnt reporter system. Stimulation of 293T cells with Wnt3a activates the Wnt reporter and this activation can be efficiently repressed by Bmi1. Furthermore, we detected the association of Bmi1 with the Lef1, Tcf4, and Axin2 promoters in Baf3 cells by ChIP experiment. Thus, Bmi1 directly represses the expression of several Wnt genes in hematopoietic cells. To determine the functional significance of activation of Wnt signaling in Bmi1 null HSCs, we have generated R26StopFL Bmi1-Apcf/f-Mx1-Cre+ and Bmi1f/f-Ctnnb1f/f-Mx1-Cre+ mice. Loss of Apc in hematopoietic cells activates the Wnt signaling pathway and impairs HSC self-renewal. We found that expressing three-copies of Bmi1 from the Rosa26 locus enhanced the self-renewal capabilities of Apc deficient HSCs in transplantation assays. Ctnnb1 encodes b-catenin and loss of Ctnnb1 in HSCs diminishes Wnt signaling. Acute deletion of Bmi1 in hematopoietic compartments resulted in decreased bone marrow cellularity and enhanced apoptosis of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Deletion of Ctnnb1 in Bmi1 null hematopoietic cells rescued these defects. Thus, impaired HSC self-renewal seen in Bmi1 null mice is, at least in part, due to activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway.Taken together, we demonstrate that PRC1 complex enhances HSC self-renewal through inhibiting the canonical Wnt signaling. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Single-pulsed electromagnetic field therapy increases osteogenic differentiation through Wnt signaling pathway and sclerostin downregulation.

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy has been used for more than three decades to treat bone diseases. The main complaint about using PEMF is that it is time-consuming. Previously, we showed single-pulsed electromagnetic field (SPEMF) applied for 3 min daily increased osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and accelerated bone growth in a long bone defect model. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism of SPEMF to increase osteogenic differentiation in osteoblastic cells. We found that both short-term (SS) and long-term (SL) SPEMF treatment increased mineralization, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity increased during the first 5 days of SPEMF treatment. SS treatment increased gene expression of Wnt1, Wnt3a, Wnt10b, Fzd9, ALP, and Bmp2. Also, SPEMF inhibited sclerostin after 5 days of treatment, and that inhibition was more significant with SL treatment. SL SPEMF increased expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) but decreased expression of Sost gene, which encodes sclerostin. Together, the early osteogenic effect of SPEMF utilizes the canonical Wnt signaling pathway while the inhibitory effect of long-term SPEMF on sclerostin may be attributable to PTHrP upregulation. This study enhances our understanding of cellular mechanisms to support the previous finding and may provide new insight for clinical applications.

Vitamin D3 enhances the tumouricidal effects of 5-Fluorouracil through multipathway mechanisms in azoxymethane rat model of colon cancer.

BackgroundVitamin D3 and its analogues have recently been shown to enhance the anti-tumour effects of 5- Fluorouracil (5-FU) both in vitro and in xenograft mouse model of colon cancer. This study measured the potential mechanism(s) by which vitamin D3 could synergise the tumouricidal activities of 5-FU in azoxymethane (AOM) rat model of colon cancer.MethodsSeventy-five male Wistar rats were divided equally into 5 groups: Control, AOM, AOM-treated by 5-FU (5-FU), AOM-treated by vitamin D3 (VitD3), and AOM-treated by 5-FU + vitamin D3 (5-FU/D). The study duration was 15 weeks. AOM was injected subcutaneously for 2 weeks (15 mg/kg/week). 5-FU was injected intraperitoneally in the 9th and 10th weeks post AOM (8 total injections were given: 12 mg/kg/day for 4 successive days, then 6 mg/kg every other day for another 4 doses) and oral vitamin D3 (500 IU/rat/day; 3 days/week) was given from week 7 post AOM till the last week of the study. The colons were collected following euthanasia for gross and histopathological examination. The expression of β-catenin, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), TGF-β type 2 receptor (TGF-βR2), smad4, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and heat shock protein-90 (HSP-90) proteins was measured by immunohistochemistry. In colonic tissue homogenates, quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of Wnt, β-catenin, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) genes, while ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of TGF-β1, HSP-90 and COX-2 proteins.ResultsMonotherapy with 5-FU or vitamin D3 significantly decreased the number of grown tumours induced by AOM (P < 0.05); however, their combination resulted in more significant tumouricidal effects (P < 0.05) compared with monotherapy groups. Mechanistically, vitamin D3/5-FU co-therapy significantly decreased the expression of Wnt, β-catenin, iNOS, COX-2 and HSP-90 and significantly increased the expression of DKK-1, TGF-β1, TGF-βR2, smad4 (P < 0.05), in comparison with their corresponding monotherapy groups.ConclusionsVitamin D3 and 5-FU synergise together and exhibit better anticancer effects by modulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway, TGF-β1 signals, iNOS, COX-2 and HSP-90. Further studies are required to illustrate the clinical value of vitamin D supplementation during the treatment of colon cancer with 5-FU in human patients.

High basal Wnt signaling is further induced by PI3K/mTor inhibition but sensitive to cSRC inhibition in mammary carcinoma cell lines with HER2/3 overexpression.

BackgroundElevated basal, ligand-independent, Wnt signaling in some canine breast cancer cells is not caused by classical mutations in APC, β-Catenin or GSK3β but, at least partially, by enhanced LEF1 expression. We examined the expression and function of EGFR/HER-regulated pathways on the ligand-independent Wnt signaling.MethodsTwelve canine mammary tumor cell lines with previously reported differential basal Wnt activity were used. The expression levels of genes related to EGF-signaling were analyzed by cluster analysis. Cell lines with a combined overexpression of EGF-related genes and enhanced basal Wnt activity were treated with PI3K/mTor or cSRC inhibitors or transfected with a construct expressing wild-type PTEN. Subsequently, effects were measured on Wnt activity, cell proliferation, gene expression and protein level.ResultsHigh basal Wnt/LEF1 activity was associated with overexpression of HER2/3, ID1, ID2, RAC1 and HSP90 together with low to absent cMET and PTEN mRNA expression, suggesting a connection between Wnt- and HER-signaling pathways. Inhibition of the HER-regulated PI3K/mTor pathway using the dual PI3K/mTor inhibitor BEZ235 or the mTor inhibitor Everolimus® resulted in reduced cell proliferation. In the cell line with high basal Wnt activity, however, an unexpected further increased Wnt activity was found that could be greatly reduced after inhibition of the HER-regulated cSRC activity. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTor pathway was associated with enhanced expression of β-Catenin, Axin2, MUC1, cMET, EGFR and HER2 and a somewhat increased β-Catenin protein content, whereas cSRC inhibition was associated with slightly enhanced HER3 and SLUG mRNA expression. A high protein expression of HER3 was found only in a cell line with high basal Wnt activity.ConclusionsHigh basal Wnt activity in some mammary cancer cell lines is associated with overexpression of HER-receptor related genes and HER3 protein, and the absence of PTEN. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTor pathway further stimulated, however, canonical Wnt signaling, whereas the inhibitory effect with the cSRC inhibitor Src-I1 on the Wnt activity further suggested a connection between Wnt and HER2/3-signaling.

Expression of Wnt and Notch signaling pathways in inflammatory bowel disease treated with mesenchymal stem cell transplantation: evaluation in a rat model.

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of Wnt and Notch signaling pathway-related genes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT).MethodsTNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid) was used to establish IBD in a rat model. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were transplanted via tail vein transfusion. Saline water was used in a control group. The expression of Wnt and Notch main signaling molecules was screened by gene chips and verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the IBD rat model on day 14 and day 28 after transplantation.ResultsThe IBD rat models were successfully established and MSCs were transplanted into those models. Genome-wide expression profile chips identified a total of 388 differentially expressive genes, of which 191 were upregulated and 197 were downregulated in the MSC-transplanted group in comparison with the IBD control group. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that the level of Olfm4 mRNA expression in the IBD group (2.54±0.20) was significantly increased compared with the MSCT group (1.39±0.54) and the normal group (1.62±0.25) (P <0.05). The Wnt3a mRNA was more highly expressed in IBD rats (2.92±0.94) and decreased in MSCT rats (0.17±0.63, P <0.05). The expression of GSK-3β mRNA was decreased in the setting of inflammation (0.65±0.04 versus 1.00±0.01 in normal group, P <0.05) but returned to normal levels after MSCT (0.81±0.17). The expression of β-catenin was observed to increase in IBD tissues (1.76±0.44) compared with normal tissues (1.00±0.01, P <0.05), but no difference was found in the MSCT group (1.12±0.36). Wnt11 declined at 14 days and returned to normal levels at 28 days in the IBD group; in comparison, a significantly lower expression was found in MSCT rats. There were no differences in the expression of Fzd3, c-myc, TCF4, and Wnt5a in inflammation, but all of those genes declined after MSCT treatment.ConclusionsThe canonical Wnt and Notch signaling pathways are activated in IBD and may be suppressed by stem cell transplantation to differentiate into intestinal epithelium after MSCT. Moreover, the non-canonical Wnt signaling may be inhibited by canonical Wnt signaling in the setting of inflammation and may also be suppressed by MSCT.

Expression of WNT genes in cervical cancer-derived cells: Implication of WNT7A in cell proliferation and migration

According to the multifactorial model of cervical cancer (CC) causation, it is now recognized that other modifications, in addition to Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, are necessary for the development of this neoplasia. Among these, it has been proposed that a dysregulation of the WNT pathway might favor malignant progression of HPV-immortalized keratinocytes. The aim of this study was to identify components of the WNT pathway differentially expressed in CC vs. non-tumorigenic, but immortalized human keratinocytes. Interestingly, WNT7A expression was found strongly downregulated in cell lines and biopsies derived from CC. Restoration of WNT7A in CC-derived cell lines using a lentiviral gene delivery system or after adding a recombinant human protein decreases cell proliferation. Likewise, WNT7A silencing in non-tumorigenic cells markedly accelerates proliferation. Decreased WNT7A expression was due to hypermethylation at particular CpG sites. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting reduced WNT7A levels in CC-derived cells and that ectopic WNT7A restoration negatively affects cell proliferation and migration.

Differential Expression of Wnt‐pathway in Late Fetal Ovine Heart and Lung Development

Wnt signalling pathways critical to early cardiogenesis have not been extensively studied in sheep. The activity of Wnt signalling during the rapid heart growth occurring between late‐fetal and early newborn development is not known but may be important given that a right ventricular (RV) functional dominance occurs in utero, but a left ventricular (LV) dominance after birth. Thus our aims were to measure cardiopulmonary changes in 7 key proteins (Wnt3a, Wnt5a, Dvl‐1, phospho‐GSK3β, cdc42, ROCK2 and TCF7L2) and genes (Wnt4 and Wnt7b) in the Wnt signalling pathway in fetal and neonatal sheep. Lung, ventricular and atrial samples from pre‐term (age=128‐129 days; term=147 days), near‐term fetal (age=139‐141 days), and neonatal lambs (age= 5‐7 days post birth) were processed for western immunoblots and qRT‐PCR assays. Four main developmental patterns were evident. In the first pattern, the relative ventricular and atrial expression of Wnt3a, Dvl‐1, phospho‐GSK3β increased during fetal development (P&lt;0.05), but decreased after birth (P&lt;0.05). In the second pattern, fetal and newborn Wnt5a and ROCK2 expression was relatively constant, but with RV expression 2‐3 fold higher (P&lt;0.025 – P&lt;0.001). cdc42 expression decreased in both the ventricular and atrial samples. TCF7L2 expression decreased progressively in both ventricles from preterm to neonatal stages, but increased in the atria. Gene expression of Wnt4 and Wnt7b were greater in atrial samples than ventricular samples. Wnt3a, cdc42 and ROCK2 expression decreased in the lungs post birth but increased for Wnt5a and Dvl‐1. These data show that distinct patterns in Wnt signalling occur during ovine fetal growth, with evidence of differential expression between ventricles and atria.