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Repressive Gene Regulation Synchronizes Development with Cellular Metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic conditions affect the developmental tempo of animals. Developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) must therefore synchronize their dynamics with a variable timescale. We find that layered repression of genes couples GRN output with variable metabolism. When repressors of transcription or mRNA and protein stability are lost, fewer errors in Drosophila development occur when metabolism is lowered. We demonstrate the universality of this phenomenon by eliminating the entire microRNA family of repressors and find that development to maturity can be largely rescued when metabolism is reduced. Using a mathematical model that replicates GRN dynamics, we find that lowering metabolism suppresses the emergence of developmental errors by curtailing the influence of auxiliary repressors on GRN output. We experimentally show that gene expression dynamics are less affected by loss of repressors when metabolism is reduced. Thus, layered repression provides robustness through error suppression and may provide an evolutionary route to a shorter reproductive cycle.

SUBMITTER: Cassidy JJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6865806 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Repressive Gene Regulation Synchronizes Development with Cellular Metabolism.

Cassidy Justin J JJ Bernasek Sebastian M SM Bakker Rachael R Giri Ritika R Peláez Nicolás N Eder Bryan B Bobrowska Anna A Bagheri Neda N Nunes Amaral Luis A LA Carthew Richard W RW

Cell 20190725 4

Metabolic conditions affect the developmental tempo of animals. Developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) must therefore synchronize their dynamics with a variable timescale. We find that layered repression of genes couples GRN output with variable metabolism. When repressors of transcription or mRNA and protein stability are lost, fewer errors in Drosophila development occur when metabolism is lowered. We demonstrate the universality of this phenomenon by eliminating the entire microRNA fam ...[more]

PMID: 31353220

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Project description:Metabolism is the sum of the life-giving chemical processes that occur within a cell. Proper regulation of these processes is essential for all organisms to thrive and prosper. When external factors are too extreme, or if internal regulation is corrupted through genetic or epigenetic changes, metabolic homeostasis is no longer achievable and diseases such as metabolic syndrome or cancer, aging, and, ultimately, death ensue. Metabolic reactions are catalyzed by proteins, and the in vitro kinetic properties of these enzymes have been studied by biochemists for many decades. These efforts led to the appreciation that enzyme activities can be acutely regulated and that this regulation is critical to metabolic homeostasis. Regulation can be mediated through allosteric interactions with metabolites themselves or via post-translational modifications triggered by intracellular signal transduction pathways. More recently, enzyme regulation has attracted the attention of cell biologists who noticed that change in growth conditions often triggers the condensation of diffusely localized enzymes into one or more discrete foci, easily visible by light microscopy. This reorganization from a soluble to a condensed state is best described as a phase separation. As summarized in this review, stimulus-induced phase separation has now been observed for dozens of enzymes suggesting that this could represent a widespread mode of activity regulation, rather than, or in addition to, a storage form of temporarily superfluous enzymes. Building on our recent structure determination of TOROIDs (TORc1 Organized in Inhibited Domain), the condensate formed by the protein kinase Target Of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), we will highlight that the molecular organization of enzyme condensates can vary dramatically and that future work aimed at the structural characterization of enzyme condensates will be critical to understand how phase separation regulates enzyme activity and consequently metabolic homeostasis. This information may ultimately facilitate the design of strategies to target the assembly or disassembly of specific enzymes condensates as a therapeutic approach to restore metabolic homeostasis in certain diseases.

Project description:Background and aimsTapiscia sinensis (Tapisciaceae) is a functional androdioecious species with both male and hermaphroditic individuals, and fruit ripening overlaps with flowering in the hermaphroditic individuals. Pollen vitality was lower in the hermaphrodites than in the males. Anther development requires nutrients, and carbohydrates are the basic nutrients; abnormal carbohydrate metabolism will result in pollen abortion. The aim of this research was to gain insight into the relationship between carbohydrate metabolism and the weakening of the male function of hermaphroditic flowers in T. sinensis.MethodsObservation of morphology and microscopic and sub-microscopic structures was carried out. Sugar measurements and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were performed for the genes related to sugar metabolism and transport in the development of anthers in both males and hermaphrodites. The expression pattern of Cell wall invertase 2 (CWI2) and Sucrose transporter 2 (ST2) was explored by in situ hybridization.Key resultsAt the vacuolate microspore (VM) stage, polysaccharides accumulated in the connective tissue of the hermaphroditic anthers, and the levels of total soluble sugar, sucrose and starch in the hermaphroditic anthers were significantly lower than in the male anthers. Most of the hermaphroditic pollen grains were empty, with degradation of the cytoplasm, absence of an intine layer and defective exines. There was a significant differential expression between male and hermaphroditic flowers of several key genes that are involved in sugar metabolism, transport and intine development. CWI2 and ST2 were expressed in the tapetum and microspores. The expression of CWI2 was significantly lower in hermaphrodites than in the males.ConclusionsFruit ripening overlaps with flowering, leading to a severe reproductive burden on the hermaphroditic individuals. The hermaphroditic flowers regulating carbohydrate metabolism and transport to affect resources are biased towards the female function to ensure reproduction, causing a deficiency in resources for the development of pollen; thus, the pollen viability is lower. This makes it easier for males to invade the hermaphroditic population and form a functional androdioecious breeding system.

Dataset Information

Repressive Gene Regulation Synchronizes Development with Cellular Metabolism.

Publications

Repressive Gene Regulation Synchronizes Development with Cellular Metabolism.

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