Cell Cycle,Differentiation and Regeneration: Where to Begin?

Hair cells, the sensory cells of inner ear, perform essential functions in hearing and balance. However, mammalian hair cells, like most of the CNS neurons, lack the capacity to regenerate. This is in sharp contrast to lower vertebrates in which hair cell regeneration occurs spontaneously through cell division of supporting cells, which leads to hearing restoration. It is believed that the lack of regeneration in mammals is, to a large degree, due to the block of cell cycle re-entry imposed by negative cell growth genes in the inner ear. Recent studies have identified retinoblastoma gene, a well-known tumor suppressor, as the key gene involved in cell cycle exit of inner ear sensory cells. In the inner ear of pRb conditional knockout mice, hair cells undergo continuous cell division, and at the same time differentiate and become functional. Cell division continues in early postnatal cochlea and adult vestibule. Remarkably, the vestibular hair cells without pRb survive, and function at both the cellular and system levels. The time course and effects of pRb inhibition shows that there is a separation between the roles of pRb in cell cycle exit, and subsequent maturation and apoptosis. Those studies reveal distinctly different roles of pRb in the cochlear and vestibular sensory epithelia. The review discusses additional areas to be studied for regeneration of mature hair cells, and highlights the importance of transient and reversible block of pRb function as one of the routes to be explored for regeneration.     

Heregulin enhances regenerative proliferation in postnatal rat utricular sensory epithelium after ototoxic damage

Hair cell loss due to acoustic and ototoxic damage often leads to hearing and balance impairments. Although a spontaneous event in chicks and lower vertebrates, hair cell replacement occurs at a much lower frequency in mammals presumably due to a very low rate of supporting cell proliferation following injury. We report here that heregulin, a member of the neuregulin family, dramatically enhances proliferation of supporting cells in postnatal rat utricular epithelial sheet cultures after gentamicin treatment, as revealed by bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunocytochemistry. A dose-dependent study shows that the maximal effects of heregulin are achieved at 3 nM. The mitogenic effects of heregulin are confirmed in utricular whole mount cultures. Autoradiography of the utricular whole mount cultures shows that heregulin also enhances the number of tritiated thymidine-labeled cells within the hair cell layer. TaqMan quantitative RT-PCR analysis and immunocytochemistry reveal that heregulin and its binding receptors (ErbB-2, ErbB-3 and ErbB-4) are expressed in the inner ear sensory epithelium. Of several ligands activating various ErbB receptors, including heregulin, neuregulin-3, β-cellulin, heparin binding-epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and EGF, heregulin shows the most potent mitogenic effects on supporting cells. Because neuregulin-3 that signals only through ErbB-4 does not show an effect, these data suggest that activation of the ErbB-2-ErbB-3 heterodimeric complexes, rather than ErbB-4, is critical for the proliferative response in the utricular sensory epithelium. In addition, gentamicin treatment induces an upregulation of heregulin mRNA. Considered together, heregulin may play an important role in hair cell regeneration following ototoxic damage.     

Immune cytokines and dexamethasone influence sensory regeneration in the avian vestibular periphery

Prior studies have shown that macrophages are recruited to sites of hair cell lesions in the avian inner ear in vitro (Warchol, 1997) and in vivo (Bhave et al., 1998). Although the avian ear has a high capacity for sensory regeneration (Oberholtzer & Corwin, 1997; Stone et al., 1998), the role of macrophages in the regenerative process is uncertain. The present study examined the possible influence of macrophages and immune cytokines on regenerative proliferation in the avian utricle, one of the sensory endorgans of the vestibular system. Utricles from post-hatch chicks were placed in organ culture and hair cell lesions were created by incubation in neomycin. The cultures were then maintained for an additional 24–48 hours in vitro, and some cultures were treated with dexamethasone, which inhibits macrophage activation and cytokine production. Following fixation, resident macrophages were identified by immunoreactivity to CD68. Labeled macrophages were present in all specimens and increased numbers of macrophages were observed following neomycin treatment. Regenerative proliferation in dexamethasone-treated specimens was reduced by about 50%, relative to untreated controls. Additional experiments showed that two macrophage secretory products—TGF-α and TNF-α—enhanced the proliferation of utricular supporting cells. The results are consistent with a role for macrophages in hair cell regeneration.     

Emx2 and early hair cell development in the mouse inner ear

Emx2 is a homeodomain protein that plays a critical role in inner ear development. Homozygous null mice die at birth with a range of defects in the CNS, renal system and skeleton. The cochlea is shorter than normal with about 60% fewer auditory hair cells. It appears to lack outer hair cells and some supporting cells are either absent or fail to differentiate. Many of the hair cells differentiate in pairs and although their hair bundles develop normally their planar cell polarity is compromised. Measurements of cell polarity suggest that classic planar cell polarity molecules are not directly influenced by Emx2 and that polarity is compromised by developmental defects in the sensory precursor population or by defects in epithelial cues for cell alignment. Planar cell polarity is normal in the vestibular epithelia although polarity reversal across the striola is absent in both the utricular and saccular maculae. In contrast, cochlear hair cell polarity is disorganized. The expression domain for Bmp4 is expanded and Fgfr1 and Prox1 are expressed in fewer cells in the cochlear sensory epithelium of Emx2 null mice. We conclude that Emx2 regulates early developmental events that balance cell proliferation and differentiation in the sensory precursor population.     

Growth factor regulation of the cell Cycle in developing and mature inner ear sensory epithelia

Growth factors and other extracellular signals regulate cell division in many tissues. Consequently, growth factors may have therapeutic uses to stimulate the production of replacement sensory hair cells in damaged human inner ears, thereby assisting in alleviating hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction. Assessment of the ability of growth factors to stimulate cell proliferation in inner ear sensory epithelia is at an early stage. This paper provides a brief account of what we know regarding growth factor regulation of cell proliferation in developing and mature inner ear sensory epithelia.     

GABA immunoreactivity of calyceal nerve endings in the vestibular system of the guinea pig

Summary Neurotransmitters involved in the vestibular system are largely uncharacterized. On the basis of results of earlier electrophysiological and immunohistochemical experiments, glutamate and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) have been proposed in both mammalian and non-mammalian species as afferent transmitters between the sensory cell and the afferent dendrite. GABA is also suspected to act as an efferent neurotransmitter in the cochlea. We describe in this study the immunocytochemical localization of GABA within the vestibular end organs in the guinea pig. GABA immunoreactivity was found in the calyceal nerve endings surrounding type I hair cells of the vestibular epithelia. The most significant labelings were obtained in the crista ampullaris. Labeling was more difficult to observe in the utricular and saccular macula. These results contribute to the recent proposal that the calyx has a secretory function, and suggest that GABA may have a modulatory influence upon the type I hair cells.     

Variations in shape-sensitive restriction points mirror differences in the regeneration capacities of avian and mammalian ears

When inner ear hair cells die, humans and other mammals experience permanent hearing and balance deficits, but non-mammalian vertebrates quickly recover these senses after epithelial supporting cells give rise to replacement hair cells. A postnatal decline in cellular plasticity appears to limit regeneration in mammalian balance organs, where declining proliferation responses are correlated with decreased spreading of supporting cells on artificial and native substrates. By culturing balance epithelia on substrates that differed in flexibility, we assessed spreading effects independent of age, showing a strong correlation between shape change and supporting cell proliferation. Then we made excision wounds in utricles cultured from young and old chickens and mice and compared quantified levels of spreading and proliferation. In utricles from young mice, and both young and old chickens, wounds re-epithelialized in <24 hours, while those in utricles from mature mice took three times longer. More cells changed shape in the fastest healing wounds, which accounted for some differences in the levels of proliferation, but inter-species and age-related differences in shape-sensitive restriction points, i.e., the cellular thresholds for shape changes that promote S-phase, were evident and may be particularly influential in the responses to hair cell losses in vivo.     

Development and organization of polarity-specific segregation of primary vestibular afferent fibers in mice

A striking feature of vestibular hair cells is the polarized arrangement of their stereocilia as the basis for their directional sensitivity. In mammals, each of the vestibular end organs is characterized by a distinct distribution of these polarized cells. We utilized the technique of post-fixation transganglionic neuronal tracing with fluorescent lipid soluble dyes in embryonic and postnatal mice to investigate whether these polarity characteristics correlate with the pattern of connections between the endorgans and their central targets; the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum. We found that the cerebellar and brainstem projections develop independently from each other and have a non-overlapping distribution of neurons and afferents from E11.5 on. In addition, we show that the vestibular fibers projecting to the cerebellum originate preferentially from the lateral half of the utricular macula and the medial half of the saccular macula. In contrast, the brainstem vestibular afferents originate primarily from the medial half of the utricular macula and the lateral half of the saccular macula. This indicates that the line of hair cell polarity reversal within the striola region segregates almost mutually exclusive central projections. A possible interpretation of this feature is that this macular organization provides an inhibitory side-loop through the cerebellum to produce synergistic tuning effects in the vestibular nuclei. The canal cristae project to the brainstem vestibular nuclei and cerebellum, but the projection to the vestibulocerebellum originates preferentially from the superior half of each of the cristae. The reason for this pattern is not clear, but it may compensate for unequal activation of crista hair cells or may be an evolutionary atavism reflecting a different polarity organization in ancestral vertebrate ears.     

Insulin-like growth factor I triggers nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 in MCF-7S breast cancer cells

Stimulation of the breast cancer-derived MCF-7S cell line with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I; 20 ng/ml) leads to enhanced expression of cyclin D1, hyperphosphorylation of pRb, DNA synthesis, and cell division. 17beta-Estradiol (E(2); 10(-9) m) is not able to stimulate proliferation of MCF-7S cells, although addition of E(2) to serum-starved cells does result in induction of cyclin D1. However, in combination with submitogenic amounts of IGF-I (2 ng/ml), E(2) induces cell proliferation. We have previously shown that the synergistic action of E(2) and IGF-I emanates from the ability of both hormones to induce cyclin D1 expression and that IGF-I action is required to induce activity of the cyclin D1-CDK4 complex, which triggers cell cycle progression. Here, we show that IGF-I (but not E(2)) is able to induce nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mechanism. Nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 and cell cycle progression were also observed when LiCl, a known inhibitor of GSK3beta, was added to E(2)-stimulated cells. Thus, inhibition of GSK3beta activity appears to trigger nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 and cell cycle progression. This notion was confirmed by overexpression of constitutively active GSK3beta, which blocks IGF-I-induced nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 as well as S phase transition.     

Augmentation of therapeutic angiogenesis using genetically modified human endothelial progenitor cells with altered glycogen synthase kinase-3beta activity

Previously we reported that inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta), a key regulator in many intracellular signaling pathways, enhances the survival and migration of vascular endothelial cells. Here we investigated the effect of inhibition of GSK3beta activity on the angiogenic function of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) and demonstrated a new therapeutic angiogenesis strategy using genetically modified EPC. As we previously reported, two biologically distinct types of EPC, spindle-shaped "early EPC" and cobblestone-shaped "late EPC" could be cultivated from human peripheral blood. Catalytically inactive GSK3beta gene was transduced into both EPC. Inhibition of GSK3beta signaling pathway led to increased nuclear translocation of beta-catenin and increased secretion of angiogenic cytokines (vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-8). It enhanced the survival and proliferation of early EPC, whereas it promoted the survival and differentiation of late EPC. Transplantation of either of these genetically modified EPC into the ischemic hind limb model of athymic nude mouse significantly improved blood flow, limb salvage, and tissue capillary density compared with nontransduced EPC. Inhibition of GSK3beta signaling of either of these genetically modified EPC augmented the in vitro and in vivo angiogenic potency of these cell populations. These data provide evidence that GSK3beta has a key role in the angiogenic properties of EPC. Furthermore, the genetic modification of EPC to alter this signaling step can improve the efficacy of cell-based therapeutic vasculogenesis.     

糖原合酶激酶3β以细胞周期蛋白D1依赖性方式引发人肺腺癌细胞A549细胞周期阻滞

对糖原合酶激酶3β（glycogen synthase kinase 3β,6SK3β）在细胞增殖中的作用研究,在不同细胞系和不同刺激因素作用下得出了不同结论,本文旨在探讨GSK3β在人肺腺癌细胞系A549细胞生长中的直接作用。A549细胞瞬时转染持续激活型S9A-GSK3β以及显性负突变型KM-GSK3β两种GSK3β突变型质粒,改变GSK3β活性。24 h后,分别进行细胞计数,流式细胞术及Western blot检测。结果显示,增强GSK3β活性可导致细胞数量下降,G．期细胞百分比升高。细胞周期蛋白D1表达水平被GSK3β下调。结果提示,GSK3β可能以细胞周期蛋白D1依赖性方式引发A549细胞的G,期阻滞,从而发挥生长抑制效应。     

Suppression of androgen receptor-mediated transactivation and cell growth by the glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta in prostate cells

Androgens play important roles in the growth of normal prostate and prostate cancer via binding to the androgen receptor (AR). In addition to androgens, AR activity can also be modulated by selective growth factors and/or kinases. Here we report a new kinase signaling pathway by showing that AR transactivation was repressed by wild type glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3 beta) or constitutively active S9A-GSK3 beta in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, the catalytically inactive kinase mutant GSK3 beta showed little effect on the AR transactivation. The suppression of AR transactivation by GSK3 beta was abolished by the GSK3 beta inhibitor lithium chloride. The in vitro kinase assay showed that GSK3 beta prefers to phosphorylate the amino terminus of AR that may lead to the suppression of activation function 1 activity located in the NH(2)-terminal region of AR. GSK3 beta interrupted the interaction between the NH(2) and COOH termini of AR, and overexpression of the constitutively active form of GSK3 beta, S9A-GSK3 beta, reduced the androgen-induced prostate cancer cell growth in stably transfected CWR22R cells. Together, our data demonstrated that GSK3 beta may function as a repressor to suppress AR-mediated transactivation and cell growth, which may provide a new strategy to modulate the AR-mediated prostate cancer growth.     

Hair cells in the inner ear of the pirouette and shaker 2 mutant mice

The shaker 2 (sh2) and pirouette (pi) mouse mutants display severe inner ear dysfunction that involves both auditory and vestibular manifestation. Pathology of the stereocilia of hair cells has been found in both mutants. This study was designed to further our knowledge of the pathological characteristics of the inner ear sensory epithelia in both the sh2 and pi strains. Measurements of auditory brainstem responses indicated that both mutants were profoundly deaf. The morphological assays were specifically designed to characterize a pathological actin bundle that is found in both the inner hair cells and the vestibular hair cells in all five vestibular organs in these two mutants. Using light microscope analysis of phalloidin-stained specimens, these actin bundles could first be detected on postnatal day 3. As the cochleae matured, each inner hair cell and type I vestibular hair cell contained a bundle that spans from the region of the cuticular plate to the basal end of the cell, then extends along with cytoplasm and membrane, towards the basement membrane. Abnormal contact with the basement membrane was found in vestibular hair cells. Based on the shape of the cellular extension and the actin bundle that supports it, we propose to name these extensions “cytocauds.” The data suggest that the cytocauds in type I vestibular hair cells and inner hair cells are associated with a failure to differentiate and detach from the basement membrane.     

Regulation of angiogenesis by glycogen synthase kinase-3beta

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) plays important roles in metabolism, embryonic development, and tumorigenesis. Here we investigated the role of GSK3beta signaling in vascular biology by examining its function in endothelial cells (ECs). In EC, the regulatory phosphorylation of GSK3beta was found to be under the control of phosphoinositide 3-kinase-, MAPK-, and protein kinase A-dependent signaling pathways. The transduction of a nonphosphorylatable constitutively active mutant of GSKbeta promoted apoptosis under the conditions of prolonged serum deprivation or the disruption of cell-matrix attachments. Conversely, the transduction of catalytically inactive GSK3beta promoted EC survival under the conditions of cellular stress. Under normal cell culture conditions, the activation of GSK3beta signaling inhibited the migration of EC to vascular endothelial growth factor or basic fibroblast growth factor. Angiogenesis was inhibited by GSK3beta activation in an in vivo Matrigel plug assay, whereas the inhibition of GSK3beta signaling enhanced capillary formation. These data suggest that GSK3beta functions at the nodal point of converging signaling pathways in EC to regulate vessel growth through its control of vascular cell migration and survival.