11 research outputs found
Conservation of epigenetic regulation by the MLL3/4 tumour suppressor in planarian pluripotent stem cells
Currently, little is known about the evolution of epigenetic regulation in animal stem cells. Here we demonstrate, using the planarian stem cell system to investigate the role of the COMPASS family of MLL3/4 histone methyltransferases that their function as tumor suppressors in mammalian stem cells is conserved over a long evolutionary distance. To investigate the potential conservation of a genome-wide epigenetic regulatory program in animal stem cells, we assess the effects of Mll3/4 loss of function by performing RNA-seq and ChIP-seq on the G2/M planarian stem cell population, part of which contributes to the formation of outgrowths. We find many oncogenes and tumor suppressors among the affected genes that are likely candidates for mediating MLL3/4 tumor suppression function. Our work demonstrates conservation of an important epigenetic regulatory program in animals and highlights the utility of the planarian model system for studying epigenetic regulation
Explorer l'immunité des mammifères contre les bactéries intracellulaires à partir des planaires
Les interactions hôte-pathogène sont un jeu vaste et complexe entre agent pathogène et hôtepour la victoire de la bataille de la pathogenèse. Plusieurs organismes modèles sont étudiéspour illustrer les mécanismes impliqués dans ces interactions. Dans ma thèse, j'ai utilisé lesplanaires comme un organisme modèle pour explorer les interactions hôte-pathogène. Comme les différents organismes modèles peuvent mettre enévidence les différentes caractéristiques de l'immunité, j'ai décidé de tirer avantage del'absence de connaissances sur l'immunité des planaires en explorant l'inexplorée. Dans monprojet, j'ai infecté les planaires avec 16 bactéries pathogènes : les planaires y sont très résistantes. Pour en explorer lemécanisme j'ai effectué un profilage du transcriptome à partir deplanaires infectées, suivie par un criblage par ARN interférence des gènes up-régulés. J'aidécouvert les gènes qui régissent la résistance antibactérienne dans les planaires, et de façonintéressante, le criblage a permis de mettre en évidence un gène, MORN2, dont la fonctionimmunologique était complètement inconnue. L'induction et l'extinction de l'expression de MORN2dans les macrophages ont révélé que MORN2 contrôle l'internalisation, la réplication et letrafic des bactéries à l'intérieur de la cellule. Dans mon étude, j'ai démontré que MORN2 estun composant de la phagocytose associée à LC3 et qu'il peut surmonter le blocage de lafusion phagolysosomale imposée par les bactéries pathogènes. Ainsi ma thèse met en avantl'importance d'utiliser des organismes modèles inhabituels afin de dévoiler des mécanismesinexplorées et des molécules impliquées dans les interactions hôte-pathogène.Host-pathogen interaction is a vast and complex interplay between pathogen and hostto conquer the battle of pathogenesis. Several model organisms are being studied to illustratethe mechanisms involved in these interactions. In my thesis I have used planarians as a modelorganism to explore host-pathogen interactions. As different model organismscan highlight different features of immunity I decided to take advantage of lack of knowledgeabout planarian immunity and get benefits from exploring unexplored. In my project I haveinfected planarians with 16 pathogenic bacteria and I found that in contrary to othercommonly used model organisms such as Drosophila, C. elegans and zebrafish the planariansare highly resistant to bacterial infections. To explore the mechanism behind this resistance Iperformed infection induced transcriptome profiling followed by RNA interference screeningof up-regulated gens. I discovered genes governing antibacterial resistance in planarians andinterestingly the screening highlighted a gene MORN2 of which the immunological functionwas completely unknown. The human ortholog of MORN2 is then further assessed for itsantimicrobial function. Induced expression and down regulation of MORN2 in macrophagesrevealed that MORN2 controls uptake, replication and trafficking of bacteria inside the cell.In my study I demonstrated that MORN2 is a component of LC3-associated phagocytosis andit can overcome phagosome maturation blockage imposed by pathogenic bacteria. Thus mythesis propounds the importance of using unusual model organisms to unveil unexploredmechanisms and molecules involved in host-pathogen interactions
What RNAi screens in model organisms revealed about microbicidal response in mammals?
International audienceThe strategies evolved by pathogens to infect hosts and the mechanisms used by the host to eliminate intruders are highly complex. Because several biological pathways and processes are conserved across model organisms, these organisms have been used for many years to elucidate and understand the mechanisms of the host-pathogen relationship and particularly to unravel the molecular processes enacted by the host to kill pathogens. The emergence of RNA interference (RNAi) and the ability to apply it toward studies in model organisms have allowed a breakthrough in the elucidation of host-pathogen interactions. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight and describe recent breakthroughs in the field of host-pathogen interactions using RNAi screens of model organisms. We will focus specifically on the model organisms Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio. Moreover, a recent study examining the immune system of planarian will be discussed
The Act of Controlling Adult Stem Cell Dynamics: Insights from Animal Models
International audienceAdult stem cells (ASCs) are the undifferentiated cells that possess self-renewal and differentiation abilities. They are present in all major organ systems of the body and are uniquely reserved there during development for tissue maintenance during homeostasis, injury, and infection. They do so by promptly modulating the dynamics of proliferation, differentiation, survival, and migration. Any imbalance in these processes may result in regeneration failure or developing cancer. Hence, the dynamics of these various behaviors of ASCs need to always be precisely controlled. Several genetic and epigenetic factors have been demonstrated to be involved in tightly regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal of ASCs. Understanding these mechanisms is of great importance, given the role of stem cells in regenerative medicine. Investigations on various animal models have played a significant part in enriching our knowledge and giving In Vivo in-sight into such ASCs regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we have discussed the recent In Vivo studies demonstrating the role of various genetic factors in regulating dynamics of different ASCs viz. intestinal stem cells (ISCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and epidermal stem cells (Ep-SCs)
Planarians (Platyhelminthes)—An Emerging Model Organism for Investigating Innate Immune Mechanisms
International audienceAn organism responds to the invading pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi by engaging innate and adaptive immune system, which functions by activating various signal transduction pathways. As invertebrate organisms (such as sponges, worms, cnidarians, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, and echinoderms) are devoid of an adaptive immune system, and their defense mechanisms solely rely on innate immune system components. Investigating the immune response in such organisms helps to elucidate the immune mechanisms that vertebrates have inherited or evolved from invertebrates. Planarians are non-parasitic invertebrates from the phylum Platyhelminthes and are being investigated for several decades for understanding the whole-body regeneration process. However, recent findings have emerged planarians as a useful model for studying innate immunity as they are resistant to a broad spectrum of bacteria. This review intends to highlight the research findings on various antimicrobial resistance genes, signaling pathways involved in innate immune recognition, immune-related memory and immune cells in planarian flatworms
Coxiella burnetii Lipopolysaccharide: What Do We Know?
International audienceA small gram-negative bacterium, Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), is responsible for a zoonosis called Q fever. C. burnetii is an intracellular bacterium that can survive inside microbicidal cells like monocytes and macrophages by hijacking several functions of the immune system. Among several virulence factors, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of C. burnetii is one of the major factors involved in this immune hijacking because of its atypical composition and structure. Thus, the aim of this mini-review is to summarize the repressive effects of C. burnetii LPS on the antibacterial immunity of cells
Staphylococcus aureus Promotes Smed-PGRP-2/Smed-setd8-1 Methyltransferase Signalling in Planarian Neoblasts to Sensitize Anti-bacterial Gene Responses During Re-infection
International audienceLittle is known about how organisms exposed to recurrent infections adapt their innate immune responses. Here, we report that planarians display a form of instructed immunity to primo-infection by Staphylococcus aureus that consists of a transient state of heightened resistance to re-infection that persists for approximately 30 days after primo-infection. We established the involvement of stem cell-like neoblasts in this instructed immunity using the complementary approaches of RNA-interference-mediated cell depletion and tissue grafting-mediated gain of function. Mechanistically, primo-infection leads to expression of the peptidoglycan receptor Smed-PGRP-2, which in turn promotes Smed-setd8-1 histone methyltransferase expression and increases levels of lysine meth-ylation in neoblasts. Depletion of neoblasts did not affect S. aureus clearance in primo-infection but, in re-infection , abrogated the heightened elimination of bacteria and reduced Smed-PGRP-2 and Smed-setd8-1 expression. Smed-PGRP-2 and Smed-setd8-1 sensitize animals to heightened expression of Smed-p38 MAPK and Smed-morn2, which are downstream components of anti-bacterial responses. Our study reveals a central role of neoblasts in innate immunity against S. aureus to establish a resistance state facilitating Smed-sted8-1-dependent expression of anti-bacterial genes during re-infection
Screening in Planarians Identifies MORN2 as a Key Component in LC3-Associated Phagocytosis and Resistance to Bacterial Infection
International audienceDugesia japonica planarian flatworms are naturally exposed to various microbes but typically survive this challenge. We show that planarians eliminate bacteria pathogenic to Homo sapiens, Caenorhabditis elegans, and/or Drosophila melanogaster and thus represent a model to identify innate resistance mechanisms. Whole-transcriptome analysis coupled with RNAi screening of worms infected with Staphylococcus aureus or Legionella pneumophila identified 18 resistance genes with nine human orthologs, of which we examined the function of MORN2. Human MORN2 facilitates phagocytosis-mediated restriction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, L. pneumophila, and S. aureus in macrophages. MORN2 promotes the recruitment of LC3, an autophagy protein also involved in phagocytosis, to M. tuberculosis-containing phagosomes and subsequent maturation to degradative phagolysosomes. MORN2-driven trafficking of M. tuberculosis to single-membrane, LC3-positive compartments requires autophagy-related proteins Atg5 and Beclin-1, but not Ulk-1 and Atg13, highlighting the importance of MORN2 in LC3-associated phagocytosis. These findings underscore the value of studying planarian defenses to identify immune factors