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C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway activation is essential for dental papilla cells polarization.

ABSTRACT: During tooth development, dental papilla cells differentiate into odontoblasts with polarized morphology and cell function. Our previous study indicated that the C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway regulates human dental papilla cell adhesion, migration, and formation of focal adhesion complexes. The aim of this study was to further examine the role of the JNK pathway in dental papilla cell polarity formation. Histological staining, qPCR, and Western Blot suggested the activation of JNK signaling in polarized mouse dental papilla tissue. After performing an in vitro tooth germ organ culture and cell culture, we found that JNK inhibitor SP600125 postponed tooth germ development and reduced the polarization, migration and differentiation of mouse dental papilla cells (mDPCs). Next, we screened up-regulated polarity-related genes during dental papilla development and mDPCs or A11 differentiation. We found that Prickle3, Golga2, Golga5, and RhoA were all up-regulated, which is consistent with JNK signaling activation. Further, constitutively active RhoA mutant (RhoA Q63L) partly rescued the inhibition of SP600125 on cell differentiation and polarity formation of mDPCs. To sum up, this study suggests that JNK signaling has a positive role in the formation of dental papilla cell polarization.

SUBMITTER: Luo J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7996994 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs) are an evolutionarily conserved family of serine/threonine protein kinases that play critical roles in the pathological process in species ranging from insects to mammals. However, the function of JNKs in bacteria-induced intestinal inflammation is still poorly understood. In this study, a fish JNK (CiJNK) pathway was identified, and its potential roles in bacterial muramyl dipeptide (MDP)-induced intestinal inflammation were investigated in Ctenopharyngodon idella. The present CiJNK was found to possess a conserved dual phosphorylation motif (TPY) in a serine/threonine protein kinase (S_TKc) domain and to contain several potential immune-related transcription factor binding sites, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), activating protein 1 (AP-1), and signal transducer and activator of downstream transcription 3 (STAT3), in its 5' flanking regions. Quantitative real-time PCR results revealed that the mRNA levels of the JNK pathway genes in the intestine were significantly upregulated after challenge with a bacterial pathogen (Aeromonas hydrophila) and MDP in a time-dependent manner. Additionally, the JNK pathway was found to be involved in regulating the MDP-induced expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) in the intestine of grass carp. Moreover, the nutritional dipeptide carnosine and Ala-Gln could effectively alleviate MDP-induced intestinal inflammation by regulating the intestinal expression of JNK pathway genes and inflammatory cytokines in grass carp. Finally, fluorescence microscopy and dual-reporter assays indicated that CiJNK could associate with CiMKK4 and CiMKK7 involved in the regulation of the AP-1 signaling pathway. Overall, these results provide the first experimental demonstration that the JNK signaling pathway is involved in the intestinal immune response to MDP challenge in C. idella, which may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.

Project description:The major components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are MAPK, MAPK kinase (MAPKK), and MAPKK kinase (MAPKKK). Recent rapid progress in identifying members of MAPK cascades suggests that a number of such signaling pathways exist in cells. To date, however, how the specificity and efficiency of the MAPK cascades is maintained is poorly understood. Here, we have identified a novel mouse protein, termed Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (JSAP1), by a yeast two-hybrid screen, using JNK3 MAPK as the bait. Of the mammalian MAPKs tested (JNK1, JNK2, JNK3, ERK2, and p38alpha), JSAP1 preferentially coprecipitated with the JNKs in cotransfected COS-7 cells. JNK3 showed a higher binding affinity for JSAP1, compared with JNK1 and JNK2. In similar cotransfection studies, JSAP1 also interacted with SEK1 MAPKK and MEKK1 MAPKKK, which are involved in the JNK cascades. The regions of JSAP1 that bound JNK, SEK1, and MEKK1 were distinct from one another. JNK and MEKK1 also bound JSAP1 in vitro, suggesting that these interactions are direct. In contrast, only the activated form of SEK1 associated with JSAP1 in cotransfected COS-7 cells. The unstimulated SEK1 bound to MEKK1; thus, SEK1 might indirectly associate with JSAP1 through MEKK1. Although JSAP1 coprecipitated with MEK1 MAPKK and Raf-1 MAPKKK, and not MKK6 or MKK7 MAPKK, in cotransfected COS-7 cells, MEK1 and Raf-1 do not interfere with the binding of SEK1 and MEKK1 to JSAP1, respectively. Overexpression of full-length JSAP1 in COS-7 cells led to a considerable enhancement of JNK3 activation, and modest enhancement of JNK1 and JNK2 activation, by the MEKK1-SEK1 pathway. Deletion of the JNK- or MEKK1-binding regions resulted in a significant reduction in the enhancement of the JNK3 activation in COS-7 cells. These results suggest that JSAP1 functions as a scaffold protein in the JNK3 cascade. We also discuss a scaffolding role for JSAP1 in the JNK1 and JNK2 cascades.

Project description:BackgroundThe objectives of this study was to explore the activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway and osteogenesis-related factors in the subchondral bone of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsTen patients with primary OA who underwent total knee arthroplasty in the Department of Arthritis Surgery of our hospital were enrolled, and subchondral bone tissue samples were obtained during the operation. He staining and saffron staining were used to observe the arrangement of chondrocytes in the patient tissues. The protein expression levels of JNK, p-JNK, ERK, p-ERK, Runx2 and OMD in subchondral bone were detected by Western Blot. Knee osteoarthritis mice were established. He staining was used to observe the arrangement of subchondral bone cells in the knee joint of mice. Cellular mineralized nodules were determined by alizarin red staining.ResultsFirstly, in general and staining, it was observed that the subchondral bone lesions of knee OA participants were obvious. Compared with normal knee joints, the levels of phosphorylation-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (P-JNK) and phosphorylation-extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (P-ERK) in the subchondral bone of knee arthritis participants were significantly increased (P<0.05). The level of osteomodulin (OMD) was significantly reduced (P<0.05). Secondly, compared with normal mice, the levels of JNK, P-JNK, OMD, ERK, and P-ERK in the model group were significantly different (P<0.05). At 2-8 weeks, the JNK and P-JNK levels in the mice model group increased significantly over time (P<0.05), and the OMD level decreased significantly over time (P<0.05). The levels of ERK and P-ERK fluctuated over time. Thirdly, osteoblasts were treated with different concentrations of anisomycin, and stained with alizarin red after continuous culture for 24 and 48 h, respectively. It was found that all the cells were stained with orange-red mineralized nodules. As the concentration of anisomycin was increased, the number of cell mineralization nodules was significantly larger, and the positive rate of chemical nodules increased. Different concentrations of anisomycin were given to interfere with the osteoblasts of mice. When anisomycin was administered at a dose of 25 ng, the OMD level reached the highest level. When the concentration of anisomycin was increased, the osteocalcin (OCN) level also showed an upward trend.ConclusionsThe process by which the JNK signaling pathway regulates OMD may be closely related to the pathological changes of subchondral bone in patients with knee OA, and is involved in the occurrence and development of knee arthritis.

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C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway activation is essential for dental papilla cells polarization.

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