Research progress on the hedgehog signalling pathway in regulating bone formation and homeostasis

Bone formation is a complex regeneration process that was regulated by many signalling pathways, such as Wnt, Notch, BMP and Hedgehog (Hh). All of these signalling have been demonstrated to participate in the bone repair process. In particular, one promising signalling pathway involved in bone formation and homeostasis is the Hh pathway. According to present knowledge, Hh signalling plays a vital role in the development of various tissues and organs in the embryo. In adults, the dysregulation of Hh signalling has been verified to be involved in bone‐related diseases in terms of osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and bone fracture; and during the repair processes, Hh signalling could be reactivated and further modulate bone formation. In this chapter, we summarize our current understanding on the function of Hh signalling in bone formation and homeostasis. Additionally, the current therapeutic strategies targeting this cascade to coordinate and mediate the osteogenesis process have been reviewed.     

Aurora B kinase cooperates with CENP-E to promote timely anaphase onset

Error-free chromosome segregation requires that all chromosomes biorient on the mitotic spindle. The motor protein Centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E) facilitates chromosome congression by mediating the lateral sliding of sister chromatids along existing K-fibers, while the mitotic kinase Aurora B detaches kinetochore–microtubule interactions that are not bioriented. Whether these activities cooperate to promote efficient chromosome biorientation and timely anaphase onset is not known. We here show that the chromosomes that fail to congress after CENP-E depletion displayed high centromeric Aurora B kinase activity. This activity destabilized spindle pole proximal kinetochore–microtubule interactions resulting in a checkpoint-dependent mitotic delay that allowed CENP-E-independent chromosome congression, thus reducing chromosome segregation errors. This shows that Aurora B keeps the mitotic checkpoint active by destabilizing kinetochore fibers of polar chromosomes to permit chromosome congression in CENP-E-compromised cells and implies that this kinase normally prevents pole proximal syntelic attachments to allow CENP-E-mediated congression of mono-oriented chromosomes.     

FBXL5:一种维持细胞内铁稳态的泛素连接酶

细胞内铁稳态的维持主要通过铁调节蛋白(ironregulatory protein,IRP)与几种铁代谢基因如转铁蛋白受体和铁蛋白mRNA上铁应答元件结合来实现。铁不足可增加IRP2活性和含量,而铁过载则诱导了IRP2的泛素化和蛋白降解。F-盒蛋白FBXL5是一种铁和氧依赖的E3泛素连接酶,在铁和氧存在的情况下催化IRP2的泛素化,而缺铁或缺氧则造成FBXL5自身被泛素化修饰和随后的蛋白酶体降解。FBXL5铁调节功能的发现使人们对细胞内铁稳态的理解更为清晰。     

Increased glycolysis in skeletal muscle coordinates with adipose tissue in systemic metabolic homeostasis

Insulin-independent glucose metabolism, including anaerobic glycolysis that is promoted in resistance training, plays critical roles in glucose disposal and systemic metabolic regulation. However, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. In this study, through genetically manipulating the glycolytic process by overexpressing human glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), hexokinase 2 (HK2) and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase-fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in mouse skeletal muscle, we examined the impact of enhanced glycolysis in metabolic homeostasis. Enhanced glycolysis in skeletal muscle promoted accelerated glucose disposal, a lean phenotype and a high metabolic rate in mice despite attenuated lipid metabolism in muscle, even under High-Fat diet (HFD). Further study revealed that the glucose metabolite sensor carbohydrate-response element-binding protein (ChREBP) was activated in the highly glycolytic muscle and stimulated the elevation of plasma fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), possibly mediating enhanced lipid oxidation in adipose tissue and contributing to a systemic effect. PFKFB3 was critically involved in promoting the glucose-sensing mechanism in myocytes. Thus, a high level of glycolysis in skeletal muscle may be intrinsically coupled to distal lipid metabolism through intracellular glucose sensing. This study provides novel insights for the benefit of resistance training and for manipulating insulin-independent glucose metabolism.     

NOV/CCN3 induces adhesion of muscle skeletal cells and cooperates with FGF2 and IGF-1 to promote proliferation and survival

During mammalian development, expression of the Nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV/CCN3) is tightly regulated in skeletal muscles. Ex vivo, ectopic expression of NOV blocks myogenic differentiation. NOV also supports endothelial cell adhesion and angiogenesis through interactions with integrins. Integrins play fundamental roles during myogenesis. In this study, we show that NOV mediates adhesion and spreading of myoblasts. Myoblasts adhesion to NOV does not require proteoglycans and is dependent on integrin beta1, whereas spreading involves another RGD-sensitive integrin. The C-Terminal part of NOV as well as full-length is able to support adhesion of myoblasts; in addition, both increase focal-adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation. Furthermore, NOV is an adhesive substrate that, combined with FGF2 or IGF-1, promotes cell specific proliferation and survival, respectively, in a better way than fibronectin. Taken together, these results identify NOV as an adhesion substrate for myoblasts which, in concert with growth factors, could play a role in the physiology of muscle cells.     

PUMA cooperates with direct activator proteins to promote mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and apoptosis

The BCL-2 family of proteins regulates apoptosis by controlling mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). Within the family there are numerous protein?protein interactions that influence MOMP; however, defining the ultimate signal that commits a cell to apoptosis remains controversial. We chose to examine the function of the BH3-only protein, p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), to define its contribution to MOMP and cooperation with the direct activator proteins. PUMA is a potent regulator of MOMP and our data suggest that this function is attributed to two distinct mechanisms which both rely on PUMA binding to the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins: de-repression and sensitization. Here we will define these interactions and discuss our experiments that suggest PUMA cooperates with direct activator proteins to efficiently induce MOMP and apoptosis.     

p27 deficiency cooperates with Bcl-2 but not Bax to promote T-cell lymphoma

The effect of Bcl-2 on oncogenesis is complex and expression may either delay or accelerate oncogenesis. The pro-oncogenic activity is attributed to its well characterized anti-apoptotic function while the anti-oncogenic function has been attributed to its inhibition of cellular proliferation. Recent studies demonstrate that p27 may mediate the effects of Bcl-2 on cellular proliferation. We hypothesized that p27 may suppress tumor formation by Bcl-2 family members. To test this hypothesis, cell cycle inhibition and lymphoma development were examined in Lck-Bcl-2 and Lck-Bax38/1 transgenic mice deficient in p27. Strikingly, p27 deficiency synergistically cooperates with Bcl-2 to increase T cell hyperplasia and development of spontaneous T cell lymphomas. Within 1 year, >90% of these mice had developed thymic T cell lymphomas. This high penetrance contrasts with a one year incidence of <5% of thymic lymphoma in Lck-Bcl-2 or p27 -/- mice alone. In contrast, p27 deficiency had no effect on tumor formation in Lck-Bax38/1 transgenic mice, another model of T cell lymphoma. Histologically the lymphomas in p27 -/- Lck-Bcl-2 mice are lymphoblastic and frequently involve multiple organs suggesting an aggressive phenotype. Interestingly, in mature splenic T cells, Bcl-2 largely retains its anti-proliferative function even in the absence of p27. T cells from p27 -/- Lck-Bcl-2 mice show delayed kinetics of CDK2 Thr-160 phosphorylation. This delay is associated with a delay in the up regulation of both Cyclin D2 and D3. These data demonstrate a complex relationship between the Bcl-2 family, cellular proliferation, and oncogenesis and demonstrate that p27 up-regulation is not singularly important in the proliferative delay observed in T cells expressing Bcl-2 family members. Nonetheless, the results indicate that p27 is a critical tumor suppressor in the context of Bcl-2 expression.     

Sphingolipid metabolism cooperates with BAK and BAX to promote the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis

Mitochondria are functionally and physically associated with heterotypic membranes, yet little is known about how these interactions impact mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and apoptosis. We observed that dissociation of heterotypic membranes from mitochondria inhibited BAK/BAX-dependent cytochrome c (cyto c) release. Biochemical purification of neutral sphingomyelinases that correlated with MOMP sensitization suggested that sphingolipid metabolism coordinates BAK/BAX activation. Using purified lipids and enzymes, sensitivity to MOMP was achieved by in vitro reconstitution of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway. Sphingolipid metabolism inhibitors blocked MOMP from heavy membrane preparations but failed to influence MOMP in the presence of sphingolipid-reconstituted, purified mitochondria. Furthermore, the sphingolipid products, sphingosine-1-PO(4) and hexadecenal, cooperated specifically with BAK and BAX, respectively. Sphingolipid metabolism was also required for cellular responses to apoptosis. Our studies suggest that BAK/BAX activation and apoptosis are coordinated through BH3-only proteins and a specific lipid milieu that is maintained by heterotypic membrane-mitochondrial interactions.     

Gankyrin activates the hedgehog signalling to drive metastasis in osteosarcoma

Gankyrin is a regulatory subunit of the 26-kD proteasome complex and promotes the occurrence and progression of many malignancies. However, the role of gankyrin in osteosarcoma (OS) metastasis remains unclear. Hedgehog signalling has been shown to regulate stem cell homeostasis and cancer metastasis, but the mechanisms that activate this pathway in OS are still poorly understood. Here, a series of in vitro and in vivo assays were carried out to explore the function and mechanism of gankyrin regulating Hedgehog signalling in OS. We demonstrated that gankyrin promotes migration, invasion and regulates the expression of some stemness factors by up-regulating Gli1 in OS. Importantly, our data showed an interaction between gankyrin and Gli1. Moreover, gankyrin suppresses the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of Gli1 protein in OS. Gankyrin also significantly promotes the lung metastasis of OS in vivo. Our findings suggest that gankyrin drives metastasis and regulates the expression of some stemness factors in osteosarcoma by activating Hedgehog signalling, indicating that drug screening for compounds targeting gankyrin may contribute to the development of novel and effective therapies for OS.     

Werner protein cooperates with the XRCC4-DNA ligase IV complex in end-processing

Werner syndrome is a rare human disease characterized by the premature onset of aging-associated pathologies, cancer predisposition, and genomic instability. The Werner protein (WRN), which is defective in Werner syndrome ( WS) patients, belongs to the RecQ family helicases and interacts with several DNA metabolic proteins, including DNA repair factors and telomere associated proteins. Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is an important pathway in the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), and the DNA-PK complex, composed of the heterodimer Ku 70/86 and the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), together with the XRCC4-DNA ligase IV complex (X4L4), are major factors. One of the most prominent protein interactions of WRN is with Ku 70/86, and it is possible that WRN is involved in NHEJ via its associations with Ku 70/86 and DNA-PKcs. This study demonstrates that WRN physically interacts with the major NHEJ factor, X4L4, which stimulates WRN exonuclease but not its helicase activity. The human RecQ helicase, BLM, which possesses only helicase activity, does not bind to X4L4, and its helicase activity is not affected by X4L4. In a DNA end-joining assay, we find that a substrate, which is processed by WRN, is ligated by X4L4, thus further supporting the significance of their functional interaction.     

Indian hedgehog signals independently of PTHrP to promote chondrocyte hypertrophy

Chondrocyte hypertrophy is an essential process required for endochondral bone formation. Proper regulation of chondrocyte hypertrophy is also required in postnatal cartilage homeostasis. Indian hedgehog (Ihh) and PTHrP signaling play crucial roles in regulating the onset of chondrocyte hypertrophy by forming a negative feedback loop, in which Ihh signaling regulates chondrocyte hypertrophy by controlling PTHrP expression. To understand whether there is a PTHrP-independent role of Ihh signaling in regulating chondrocyte hypertrophy, we have both activated and inactivated Ihh signaling in the absence of PTHrP during endochondral skeletal development. We found that upregulating Ihh signaling in the developing cartilage by treating PTHrP(-/-) limb explants with sonic hedgehog (Shh) protein in vitro, or overexpressing Ihh in the cartilage of PTHrP(-/-) embryos or inactivating patched 1 (Ptch1), a negative regulator of hedgehog (Hh) signaling, accelerated chondrocyte hypertrophy in the PTHrP(-/-) embryos. Conversely, when Hh signaling was blocked by cyclopamine or by removing Smoothened (Smo), a positive regulator of Hh signaling, chondrocyte hypertrophy was delayed in the PTHrP(-/-) embryo. Furthermore, we show that upregulated Hh signaling in the postnatal cartilage led to accelerated chondrocyte hypertrophy during secondary ossification, which in turn caused reduction of joint cartilage. Our results revealed a novel role of Ihh signaling in promoting chondrocyte hypertrophy independently of PTHrP, which is particularly important in postnatal cartilage development and homeostasis. In addition, we found that bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the cartilage may both mediate the effect of upregulated Ihh signaling in promoting chondrocyte hypertrophy.     

A Golgi-resident GPR108 cooperates with E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 to suppress antiviral innate immunity

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