The conserved C2 phospholipid‐binding domain in Delta contributes to robust Notch signalling

Accurate Notch signalling is critical for development and homeostasis. Fine‐tuning of Notch–ligand interactions has substantial impact on signalling outputs. Recent structural studies have identified a conserved N‐terminal C2 domain in human Notch ligands which confers phospholipid binding in vitro. Here, we show that Drosophila ligands Delta and Serrate adopt the same C2 domain structure with analogous variations in the loop regions, including the so‐called β1‐2 loop that is involved in phospholipid binding. Mutations in the β1‐2 loop of the Delta C2 domain retain Notch binding but have impaired ability to interact with phospholipids in vitro. To investigate its role in vivo, we deleted five residues within the β1‐2 loop of endogenous Delta. Strikingly, this change compromises ligand function. The modified Delta enhances phenotypes produced by Delta loss‐of‐function alleles and suppresses that of Notch alleles. As the modified protein is present on the cell surface in normal amounts, these results argue that C2 domain phospholipid binding is necessary for robust signalling in vivo fine‐tuning the balance of trans and cis ligand–receptor interactions.     

IFN‐β rescues neurodegeneration by regulating mitochondrial fission via STAT5, PGAM5, and Drp1

Mitochondrial homeostasis is essential for providing cellular energy, particularly in resource‐demanding neurons, defects in which cause neurodegeneration, but the function of interferons (IFNs) in regulating neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis is unknown. We found that neuronal IFN‐β is indispensable for mitochondrial homeostasis and metabolism, sustaining ATP levels and preventing excessive ROS by controlling mitochondrial fission. IFN‐β induces events that are required for mitochondrial fission, phosphorylating STAT5 and upregulating PGAM5, which phosphorylates serine 622 of Drp1. IFN‐β signaling then recruits Drp1 to mitochondria, oligomerizes it, and engages INF2 to stabilize mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum (ER) platforms. This process tethers damaged mitochondria to the ER to separate them via fission. Lack of neuronal IFN‐β in the Ifnb ^–/– model of Parkinson disease (PD) disrupts STAT5‐PGAM5‐Drp1 signaling, impairing fission and causing large multibranched, damaged mitochondria with insufficient ATP production and excessive oxidative stress to accumulate. In other PD models, IFN‐β rescues dopaminergic neuronal cell death and pathology, associated with preserved mitochondrial homeostasis. Thus, IFN‐β activates mitochondrial fission in neurons through the pSTAT5/PGAM5/^S622Drp1 pathway to stabilize mitochondria/ER platforms, constituting an essential neuroprotective mechanism.     

Negative Regulation of Notch Signaling by Xylose

The Notch signaling pathway controls a large number of processes during animal development and adult homeostasis. One of the conserved post-translational modifications of the Notch receptors is the addition of an O-linked glucose to epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) repeats with a C-X-S-X-(P/A)-C motif by Protein O-glucosyltransferase 1 (POGLUT1; Rumi in Drosophila). Genetic experiments in flies and mice, and in vivo structure-function analysis in flies indicate that O-glucose residues promote Notch signaling. The O-glucose residues on mammalian Notch1 and Notch2 proteins are efficiently extended by the addition of one or two xylose residues through the function of specific mammalian xylosyltransferases. However, the contribution of xylosylation to Notch signaling is not known. Here, we identify the Drosophila enzyme Shams responsible for the addition of xylose to O-glucose on EGF repeats. Surprisingly, loss- and gain-of-function experiments strongly suggest that xylose negatively regulates Notch signaling, opposite to the role played by glucose residues. Mass spectrometric analysis of Drosophila Notch indicates that addition of xylose to O-glucosylated Notch EGF repeats is limited to EGF14–20. A Notch transgene with mutations in the O-glucosylation sites of Notch EGF16–20 recapitulates the shams loss-of-function phenotypes, and suppresses the phenotypes caused by the overexpression of human xylosyltransferases. Antibody staining in animals with decreased Notch xylosylation indicates that xylose residues on EGF16–20 negatively regulate the surface expression of the Notch receptor. Our studies uncover a specific role for xylose in the regulation of the Drosophila Notch signaling, and suggest a previously unrecognized regulatory role for EGF16–20 of Notch.     

MicroRNA‐181a restricts human γδ T cell differentiation by targeting Map3k2 and Notch2

γδ T cells are a conserved population of lymphocytes that contributes to anti‐tumor responses through its overt type 1 inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. We have previously shown that human γδ T cells acquire this profile upon stimulation with IL‐2 or IL‐15, in a differentiation process dependent on MAPK/ERK signaling. Here, we identify microRNA‐181a as a key modulator of human γδ T cell differentiation. We observe that miR‐181a is highly expressed in patients with prostate cancer and that this pattern associates with lower expression of NKG2D, a critical mediator of cancer surveillance. Interestingly, miR‐181a expression negatively correlates with an activated type 1 effector profile obtained from in vitro differentiated γδ T cells and miR‐181a overexpression restricts their levels of NKG2D and TNF‐α. Upon in silico analysis, we identify two miR‐181a candidate targets, Map3k2 and Notch2, which we validate via overexpression coupled with luciferase assays. These results reveal a novel role for miR‐181a as critical regulator of human γδ T cell differentiation and highlight its potential for manipulation of γδ T cells in next‐generation immunotherapies.     

Testing Models of the APC Tumor Suppressor/β-Catenin Interaction Reshapes Our View of the Destruction Complex in Wnt Signaling

The Wnt pathway is a conserved signal transduction pathway that contributes to normal development and adult homeostasis, but is also misregulated in human diseases such as cancer. The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is an essential negative regulator of Wnt signaling inactivated in >80% of colorectal cancers. APC participates in a multiprotein “destruction complex” that targets the proto-oncogene β-catenin for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis; however, the mechanistic role of APC in the destruction complex remains unknown. Several models of APC function have recently been proposed, many of which have emphasized the importance of phosphorylation of high-affinity β-catenin-binding sites [20-amino-acid repeats (20Rs)] on APC. Here we test these models by generating a Drosophila APC2 mutant lacking all β-catenin-binding 20Rs and performing functional studies in human colon cancer cell lines and Drosophila embryos. Our results are inconsistent with current models, as we find that β-catenin binding to the 20Rs of APC is not required for destruction complex activity. In addition, we generate an APC2 mutant lacking all β-catenin-binding sites (including the 15Rs) and find that a direct β-catenin/APC interaction is also not essential for β-catenin destruction, although it increases destruction complex efficiency in certain developmental contexts. Overall, our findings support a model whereby β-catenin-binding sites on APC do not provide a critical mechanistic function per se, but rather dock β-catenin in the destruction complex to increase the efficiency of β-catenin destruction. Furthermore, in Drosophila embryos expressing some APC2 mutant transgenes we observe a separation of β-catenin destruction and Wg/Wnt signaling outputs and suggest that cytoplasmic retention of β-catenin likely accounts for this difference.     

Phosphorylation of β‐catenin Ser60 by polo‐like kinase 1 drives the completion of cytokinesis

β‐Catenin is a multifunctional protein and participates in numerous processes required for embryonic development, cell proliferation, and homeostasis through various molecular interactions and signaling pathways. To date, however, there is no direct evidence that β‐catenin contributes to cytokinesis. Here, we identify a novel p‐S60 epitope on β‐catenin generated by Plk1 kinase activity, which can be found at the actomyosin contractile ring of early telophase cells and at the midbody of late telophase cells. Depletion of β‐catenin leads to cytokinesis‐defective phenotypes, which eventually result in apoptotic cell death. In addition, phosphorylation of β‐catenin Ser60 by Plk1 is essential for the recruitment of Ect2 to the midbody, activation of RhoA, and interaction between β‐catenin, Plk1, and Ect2. Time‐lapse image analysis confirmed the importance of β‐catenin phospho‐Ser60 in furrow ingression and the completion of cytokinesis. Taken together, we propose that phosphorylation of β‐catenin Ser60 by Plk1 in cooperation with Ect2 is essential for the completion of cytokinesis. These findings may provide fundamental knowledge for the research of cytokinesis failure‐derived human diseases.     

Gut inflammation triggers C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase‐dependent gut‐to‐brain propagation of Aβ and Tau fibrils in Alzheimer’s disease

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer''s disease (AD). Some evidence suggests that misfolded protein aggregates found in AD brains may have originated from the gut, but the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is not fully understood. C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase signaling in the colon was investigated in a 3xTg AD mouse model in an age‐dependent manner. We applied chronic administration of 1% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to trigger gut leakage or colonic injection of Aβ or Tau fibrils or AD patient brain lysates in 3xTg mice and combined it with excision/cutting of the gut–brain connecting vagus nerve (vagotomy), in order to explore the role of the gut–brain axis in the development of AD‐like pathologies and to monitor C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase signaling under those conditions. We found that C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase signaling is temporally activated in the gut of AD patients and 3xTg mice, initiating formation of Aβ and Tau fibrils that spread to the brain. DSS treatment promotes gut leakage and facilitates AD‐like pathologies in both the gut and the brain of 3xTg mice in a C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase‐dependent manner. Vagotomy selectively blunts this signaling, attenuates Aβ and Tau pathologies, and restores learning and memory. Aβ or Tau fibrils or AD patient brain lysates injected into the colon propagate from the gut into the brain via the vagus nerve, triggering AD pathology and cognitive dysfunction. The results indicate that inflammation activates C/EBPβ/δ‐secretase and initiates AD‐associated pathologies in the gut, which are subsequently transmitted to the brain via the vagus nerve.     

G protein-coupled receptor 183 facilitates endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition via Notch1 inhibition

In vertebrates, embryonic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are derived from a subset of endothelial cells, the hemogenic endothelium (HE), through the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT). Notch signaling is essential for HSPC development during embryogenesis across vertebrates. However, whether and how it regulates EHT remains unclear. Here, we show that G protein-coupled receptor 183 (Gpr183) signaling serves as an indispensable switch for HSPC emergence by repressing Notch signaling before the onset of EHT. Inhibition of Gpr183 significantly upregulates Notch signaling and abolishes HSPC emergence. Upon activation by its ligand 7α-25-OHC, Gpr183 recruits β-arrestin1 and the E3 ligase Nedd4 to degrade Notch1 in specified HE cells and then facilitates the subsequent EHT. Importantly, 7α-25-OHC stimulation promotes HSPC emergence in vivo and in vitro, providing an attractive strategy for enhancing the in vitro generation of functional HSPCs.     

α‐synuclein suppresses microglial autophagy and promotes neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

The cell‐to‐cell transfer of α‐synuclein (α‐Syn) greatly contributes to Parkinson''s disease (PD) pathogenesis and underlies the spread of α‐Syn pathology. During this process, extracellular α‐Syn can activate microglia and neuroinflammation, which plays an important role in PD. However, the effect of extracellular α‐Syn on microglia autophagy is poorly understood. In the present study, we reported that extracellular α‐Syn inhibited the autophagy initiation, as indicated by LC3‐II reduction and p62 protein elevation in BV2 and cultured primary microglia. The in vitro findings were verified in microglia‐enriched population isolated from α‐Syn‐overexpressing mice induced by adeno‐associated virus (AAV2/9)‐encoded wildtype human α‐Syn injection into the substantia nigra (SN). Mechanistically, α‐Syn led to microglial autophagic impairment through activating toll‐like receptor 4 (Tlr4) and its downstream p38 and Akt‐mTOR signaling because Tlr4 knockout and inhibition of p38, Akt as well as mTOR prevented α‐Syn‐induced autophagy inhibition. Moreover, inhibition of Akt reversed the mTOR activation but failed to affect p38 phosphorylation triggered by α‐Syn. Functionally, the in vivo evidence showed that lysozyme 2 Cre (Lyz2 ^cre)‐mediated depletion of autophagy‐related gene 5 (Atg5) in microglia aggravated the neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neuron losses in the SN and exacerbated the locomotor deficit in α‐Syn‐overexpressing mice. Taken together, the results suggest that extracellular α‐Syn, via Tlr4‐dependent p38 and Akt‐mTOR signaling cascades, disrupts microglial autophagy activity which synergistically contributes to neuroinflammation and PD development.     

Spectrin Tetramer Formation Is Not Required for Viable Development in Drosophila

The dominant paradigm for spectrin function is that (αβ)₂-spectrin tetramers or higher order oligomers form membrane-associated two-dimensional networks in association with F-actin to reinforce the plasma membrane. Tetramerization is an essential event in such structures. We characterize the tetramerization interaction between α-spectrin and β-spectrins in Drosophila. Wild-type α-spectrin binds to both β- and β_H-chains with high affinity, resembling other non-erythroid spectrins. However, α-spec^R22S, a tetramerization site mutant homologous to the pathological α-spec^R28S allele in humans, eliminates detectable binding to β-spectrin and reduces binding to β_H-spectrin ∼1000-fold. Even though spectrins are essential proteins, α-spectrin^R22S rescues α-spectrin mutants to adulthood with only minor phenotypes indicating that tetramerization, and thus conventional network formation, is not the essential function of non-erythroid spectrin. Our data provide the first rigorous test for the general requirement for tetramer-based non-erythroid spectrin networks throughout an organism and find that they have very limited roles, in direct contrast to the current paradigm.     

Identification of Glycosyltransferase 8 Family Members as Xylosyltransferases Acting on O-Glucosylated Notch Epidermal Growth Factor Repeats

The epidermal growth factor repeats of the Notch receptor are extensively glycosylated with three different O-glycans. O-Fucosylation and elongation by the glycosyltransferase Fringe have been well studied and shown to be essential for proper Notch signaling. In contrast, biosynthesis of O-glucose and O-N-acetylglucosamine is less well understood. Recently, the isolation of the Drosophila mutant rumi has shown that absence of O-glucose impairs Notch function. O-Glucose is further extended by two contiguous α1,3-linked xylose residues. We have identified two enzymes of the human glycosyltransferase 8 family, now named GXYLT1 and GXYLT2 (glucoside xylosyltransferase), as UDP-d-xylose:β-d-glucoside α1,3-d-xylosyltransferases adding the first xylose. The enzymes are specific for β-glucose-terminating acceptors and UDP-xylose as donor substrate. Generation of the α1,3-linkage was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance. Activity on a natural acceptor could be shown by in vitro xylosylation of a Notch fragment expressed in a UDP-xylose-deficient cell line and in vivo by co-expression of the enzymes and the Notch fragment in insect cells followed by mass spectrometric analysis of peptide fragments.