Joint Development Involves a Continuous Influx of Gdf5-Positive Cells.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Shwartz Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4920976 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Growth and Differentiation Factor 5 (GDF5) is a key risk locus for osteoarthritis (OA). However, little is known regarding regulation of Gdf5 expression following joint tissue damage. Here, we employed Gdf5-LacZ reporter mouse lines to assess the spatiotemporal activity of Gdf5 regulatory sequences in experimental OA following destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM) and after acute cartilage injury and repair. Gdf5 expression was upregulated in articular cartilage post-DMM, and was increased in human OA cartilage as determined by immunohistochemistry and microarray analysis. Gdf5 expression was also upregulated during cartilage repair in mice and was switched on in injured synovium in prospective areas of cartilage formation, where it inversely correlated with expression of the transcriptional co-factor Yes-associated protein (Yap). Indeed, overexpression of Yap suppressed Gdf5 expression in chondroprogenitors in vitro. Gdf5 expression in both mouse injury models required regulatory sequence downstream of Gdf5 coding exons. Our findings suggest that Gdf5 upregulation in articular cartilage and synovium is a generic response to knee injury that is dependent on downstream regulatory sequence and in progenitors is associated with chondrogenic specification. We propose a role for Gdf5 in tissue remodelling and repair after injury, which may partly underpin its association with OA risk.
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Project description:BackgroundIndividual skeletal elements of the vertebrate limbs arise through a segmentation process introducing joints in specific locations. However, the molecular pathways controlling joint formation and subsequent joint maintenance are largely unknown. In this study, we focused on SOX11, and its contribution to the regulation of GDF5, a secreted signal necessary for proper joint formation and postnatal joint homeostasis.ResultsSox11 is initially expressed broadly in the murine cartilage condensations at early stages of skeletal development, but its expression is specifically increased in the forming joint interzone as is forms. SOX11 overexpression can directly activate GDF5 expression both in vitro and in micromass cell cultures prepared from chick limb buds. Conserved SOX family binding sites are present in the 5' UTR region of the GDF5 gene and we show SOX11 can specifically bind to one of them. While misexpression of Sox11 in developing chick limbs through RCAS virus infection does not induce Gdf5 expression in ectopic locations, it does enhance its expression. To explore the roles of Sox11 in joint homeostasis, we analyzed adult knee joints in an osteoarthritis mouse model where the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament were removed. We also analyzed knee joints from human subjects who underwent total knee replacement surgery. We find that SOX11 is mainly expressed in the weight-bearing areas of knee joints, and its expression is decreased in degraded cartilage during progression of knee osteoarthritis in both mice and humans.ConclusionsThis work implicates SOX11 as a potential regulator of GDF5 expression in joint maintenance and suggests a possible role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.
| S-EPMC3760452 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genetic variants in cis-regulatory regions of GDF5 can lead to common joint diseases with high degrees of joint specificity.
2021-06-10 | GSE153260 | GEO
Project description:Many genes of large double-stranded DNA viruses have a cellular origin, suggesting that host-to-virus horizontal transfer (HT) of DNA is recurrent. Yet, the frequency of these transfers has never been assessed in viral populations. Here we used ultra-deep DNA sequencing of 21 baculovirus populations extracted from two moth species to show that a large diversity of moth DNA sequences (n = 86) can integrate into viral genomes during the course of a viral infection. The majority of the 86 different moth DNA sequences are transposable elements (TEs, n = 69) belonging to 10 superfamilies of DNA transposons and three superfamilies of retrotransposons. The remaining 17 sequences are moth sequences of unknown nature. In addition to bona fide DNA transposition, we uncover microhomology-mediated recombination as a mechanism explaining integration of moth sequences into viral genomes. Many sequences integrated multiple times at multiple positions along the viral genome. We detected a total of 27,504 insertions of moth sequences in the 21 viral populations and we calculate that on average, 4.8% of viruses harbor at least one moth sequence in these populations. Despite this substantial proportion, no insertion of moth DNA was maintained in any viral population after 10 successive infection cycles. Hence, there is a constant turnover of host DNA inserted into viral genomes each time the virus infects a moth. Finally, we found that at least 21 of the moth TEs integrated into viral genomes underwent repeated horizontal transfers between various insect species, including some lepidopterans susceptible to baculoviruses. Our results identify host DNA influx as a potent source of genetic diversity in viral populations. They also support a role for baculoviruses as vectors of DNA HT between insects, and call for an evaluation of possible gene or TE spread when using viruses as biopesticides or gene delivery vectors.
| S-EPMC4735498 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Given GDF5 involvement in hip development, and osteoarthritis (OA) and developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) risk, here we sought to assess the role(s) of GDF5 and its regulatory sequence on the development of hip morphology linked to injury risk. The brachypodism (bp) mouse, which harbors a Gdf5 inactivating mutation, was used to survey how Gdf5 loss of function impacts the development of hip morphology. Two transgenic Gdf5 reporter BAC lines were used to assess the spatiotemporal expression of Gdf5 regulatory sequences. Each BAC line was also used to assess the functional roles of upstream and downstream sequence on hip morphology. bp/bp mice had shorter femora with smaller femoral heads and necks as well as larger alpha angles, smaller anterior offsets, and smaller acetabula, compared to bp/+ mice (p<0.04). Regulatory sequences downstream of Gdf5 drove strong prenatal (E17) expression and low postnatal (6 months) expression across regions of femoral head and acetabulum. Conversely, upstream regulatory sequences drove very low expression at E17 and no detectable expression at 6 months. Importantly, downstream, but not upstream Gdf5 regulatory sequences fully restored all the key morphologic features disrupted in bp/bp mice. Hip morphology is profoundly affected by Gdf5 absence, and downstream regulatory sequences mediate its effects by controlling Gdf5 expression during development. This downstream region contains numerous enhancers harboring risk variants related to hip OA, DDH, and dislocation. We posit that subtle alterations to morphology driven by changes in downstream regulatory sequence underlie this locus' role in hip injury risk.
| S-EPMC6214493 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundProteins of the TGFβ family, which are largely studied as homodimers, are also known to form heterodimers with biological activity distinct from their component homodimers. For instance, heterodimers of bone morphogenetic proteins, including BMP2/BMP7, BMP2/BMP6, and BMP9/BMP10, among others, have illustrated the importance of these heterodimeric proteins within the context of TGFβ signaling.ResultsIn this study, we have determined that mature GDF5 can be combined with mature BMP2 or BMP4 to form BMP2/GDF5 and BMP4/GDF5 heterodimer. Intriguingly, this combination of a BMP2 or BMP4 monomer, which exhibit high affinity to heparan sulfate characteristic to the BMP class, with a GDF5 monomer with low heparan sulfate affinity produces a heterodimer with an intermediate affinity. Using heparin affinity chromatography to purify the heterodimeric proteins, we then determined that both the BMP2/GDF5 and BMP4/GDF5 heterodimers consistently signaled potently across an array of cellular and in vivo systems, while the activities of their homodimeric counterparts were more context dependent. These differences were likely driven by an increase in the combined affinities for the type 1 receptors, Alk3 and Alk6. Furthermore, the X-ray crystal structure of BMP2/GDF5 heterodimer was determined, highlighting the formation of two asymmetric type 1 receptor binding sites that are both unique relative to the homodimers.ConclusionsUltimately, this method of heterodimer production yielded a signaling molecule with unique properties relative to the homodimeric ligands, including high affinity to multiple type 1 and moderate heparan binding affinity.
| S-EPMC9893541 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe circadian clock plays a crucial role in regulating physiology and is important for maintaining immune homeostasis and responses to inflammatory stimuli. Inflammatory arthritis often shows diurnal variation in disease symptoms and disease markers, and it is now established that cellular clocks regulate joint inflammation. The clock gene Bmal1 is critical for maintenance of 24-h rhythms and plays a key role in regulating immune responses, as well as in aging-related processes. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are circadian rhythmic joint mesenchymal cells which are important for maintenance of joint health and play a crucial role in the development of inflammatory arthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of the joint mesenchymal cell circadian clock in health and disease.MethodsMice were generated which lack Bmal1 in Col6a1-expressing cells, targeting mesenchymal cells in the ankle joints. Joints of these animals were assessed by X-ray imaging, whole-mount staining and histology, and the composition of the synovium was assessed by flow cytometry. Arthritis was induced using collagen antibodies.ResultsBmal1 deletion in joint mesenchymal cells rendered the FLS and articular cartilage cells arrhythmic. Targeted mice exhibited significant changes in the architecture of the joints, including chondroid metaplasia (suggesting a switch of connective tissue stem cells towards a chondroid phenotype), reductions in resident synovial macrophages and changes in the basal pro-inflammatory activity of FLS. Loss of Bmal1 in FLS rendered these resident immune cells more pro-inflammatory in response to challenge, leading to increased paw swelling, localised infiltration of mononuclear cells and enhanced cytokine production in a model of arthritis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the importance of Bmal1 in joint mesenchymal cells in regulating FLS and chondrocyte development. Additionally, we have identified a role for this core clock component for restraining local responses to inflammation and highlight a role for the circadian clock in regulating inflammatory arthritis.
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Project description:Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) membrane-bound transcription factors (MTFs) play important roles in regulating plant growth and development, abiotic stress responses, and disease resistance. Most bZIP MTFs are key components of signaling pathways in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. In this study, a full-length cDNA sequence encoding bZIP MTF, designated TabZIP74, was isolated from a cDNA library of wheat near-isogenic lines of Taichung29*6/Yr10 inoculated with an incompatible race CYR32 of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Phylogenic analysis showed that TabZIP74 is highly homologous to ZmbZIP60 in maize and OsbZIP74 in rice. The mRNA of TabZIP74 was predicted to form a secondary structure with two kissing hairpin loops that could be spliced, causing an open reading frame shift immediately before the hydrophobic region to produce a new TabZIP74 protein without the transmembrane domain. Pst infection and the abiotic polyethylene glycol (PEG) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments lead to TabZIP74 mRNA splicing in wheat seedling leaves, while both spliced and unspliced forms in roots were detected. In the confocal microscopic examination, TabZIP74 is mobilized in the nucleus from the membrane of tobacco epidermal cells in response to wounding. Knocking down TabZIP74 with barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (BSMV-VIGS) enhanced wheat seedling susceptibility to stripe rust and decreased drought tolerance and lateral roots of silenced plants. These findings demonstrate that TabZIP74 mRNA is induced to splice when stressed by biotic and abiotic factors, acts as a critically positive regulator for wheat stripe rust resistance and drought tolerance, and is necessary for lateral root development.
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Project description:The expression of endothelins (ETs) and ET-receptors is often upregulated in brain pathology. ET-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, also inhibits the expression of astrocyte glutamate transporters and is mitogenic for astrocytes, glioma cells, neurons, and brain capillary endothelia. We have previously shown that mechanical stress stimulates ET-1 production by adult rat astrocytes. We now show in adult astrocytes that ET-1 production is driven by calcium influx through stretch-activated ion channels (SACs) and the ET-1 production correlates with cell proliferation. Mechanical stimulation using biaxial stretch (<20%) of a rubber substrate increased ET-1 secretion, and 4 μM GsMTx-4 (a specific inhibitor of SACs) inhibited secretion by 30%. GsMTx-4 did not alter basal ET-1 levels in the absence of stretch. Decreasing the calcium influx by lowering extracellular calcium also inhibited stretch-induced ET-1 secretion without effecting ET-1 secretion in unstretched controls. Furthermore, inhibiting SACs with the less specific inhibitor streptomycin also inhibited stretch-induced ET-1 secretion. The data can be explained with a simple model in which ET-1 secretion depends on an internal Ca(2+) threshold. This coupling of mechanical stress to the astrocyte endothelin system through SACs has treatment implications, since all pathology deforms the surrounding parenchyma.
| S-EPMC3124868 | biostudies-literature
Project description:It has been established in the mouse model that during embryogenesis joint cartilage is generated from a specialized progenitor cell type, distinct from that responsible for the formation of growth plate cartilage. We recently found that mesodermal progeny of human pluripotent stem cells gave rise to two types of chondrogenic mesenchymal cells in culture: SOX9+ and GDF5+ cells. The fast-growing SOX9+ cells formed in vitro cartilage that expressed chondrocyte hypertrophy markers and readily underwent mineralization after ectopic transplantation. In contrast, the slowly growing GDF5+ cells derived from SOX9+ cells formed cartilage that tended to express low to undetectable levels of chondrocyte hypertrophy markers, but expressed PRG4, a marker of embryonic articular chondrocytes. The GDF5+-derived cartilage remained largely unmineralized in vivo. Interestingly, chondrocytes derived from the GDF5+ cells seemed to elicit these activities via non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. Genome-wide transcriptomic analyses suggested that GDF5+ cells might contain a teno/ligamento-genic potential, whereas SOX9+ cells resembled neural crest-like progeny-derived chondroprogenitors. Thus, human pluripotent stem cell-derived GDF5+ cells specified to generate permanent-like cartilage seem to emerge coincidentally with the commitment of the SOX9+ progeny to the tendon/ligament lineage.
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