β3-integrin is required for differentiation in OC-2 cells derived from mammalian embryonic inner ear

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mammalian inner ear contains the organ of Corti which is responsible for the conversion of sound into neuronal signals. This specialised epithelial tissue is the product of a complex developmental process where a common precursor cell type differentiates into the sound transducing hair cells and the non-innervated supporting cells. We hypothesised that integrin proteins, which are involved in cell attachment to extracellular matrix proteins and cellular signalling, play a role in the differentiation process of the precursor inner ear epithelial cells. To test our hypothesis we have utilised a cell line (OC-2) derived from E13 embryonic immortomouse inner ears. In vitro, by switching the incubation temperature from 33°C to 39°C, the OC-2 cells can be induced to differentiate and express hair cells markers, such as Myosin VIIa. The OC-2 cells are thus a useful model system for testing mechanism of hair cells differentiation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have identified 4 integrin subunits which are expressed in OC-2 cells: α6, αv, β1 and β3. Among these, the relative level of expression of the αv, β1 and β3 subunits increased in a time dependent manner when the cells were exposed to the differentiating temperature of 39°C, most notably so for β3 which was not detectable at 33°C. Treatment of fully differentiated OC-2 cells with siRNA against the four integrin subunits reduced the expression of not only the respective integrin proteins but also of the hair cell marker Myosin VIIa. Conversely over-expression of β3 was sufficient to induce the expression of Myosin VIIa at 33°C.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that modulation of integrin expression is associated with the differentiation process of the OC-2 cells. This suggests that the maturation of the organ of Corti, from where OC-2 cells are derived, may also depend on changes of gene expression associated with integrin expression.</p

β3-integrin is required for differentiation in OC-2 cells derived from mammalian embryonic inner ear

Background The mammalian inner ear contains the organ of Corti which is responsible for the conversion of sound into neuronal signals. This specialised epithelial tissue is the product of a complex developmental process where a common precursor cell type differentiates into the sound transducing hair cells and the non-innervated supporting cells. We hypothesised that integrin proteins, which are involved in cell attachment to extracellular matrix proteins and cellular signalling, play a role in the differentiation process of the precursor inner ear epithelial cells. To test our hypothesis we have utilised a cell line (OC-2) derived from E13 embryonic immortomouse inner ears. In vitro, by switching the incubation temperature from 33°C to 39°C, the OC-2 cells can be induced to differentiate and express hair cells markers, such as Myosin VIIa. The OC-2 cells are thus a useful model system for testing mechanism of hair cells differentiation. Results We have identified 4 integrin subunits which are expressed in OC-2 cells: α6, αv, β1 and β3. Among these, the relative level of expression of the αv, β1 and β3 subunits increased in a time dependent manner when the cells were exposed to the differentiating temperature of 39°C, most notably so for β3 which was not detectable at 33°C. Treatment of fully differentiated OC-2 cells with siRNA against the four integrin subunits reduced the expression of not only the respective integrin proteins but also of the hair cell marker Myosin VIIa. Conversely over-expression of β3 was sufficient to induce the expression of Myosin VIIa at 33°C. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that modulation of integrin expression is associated with the differentiation process of the OC-2 cells. This suggests that the maturation of the organ of Corti, from where OC-2 cells are derived, may also depend on changes of gene expression associated with integrin expression

Haematopoietic focal adhesion kinase deficiency alters haematopoietic homeostasis to drive tumour metastasis

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related death and thus understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this process is critical. Here, our data demonstrate, contrary to established dogma, that loss of haematopoietic-derived focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is sufficient to enhance tumour metastasis. Using both experimental and spontaneous metastasis models, we show that genetic ablation of haematopoietic FAK does not affect primary tumour growth but enhances the incidence of metastasis significantly. At a molecular level, haematopoietic FAK deletion results in an increase in PU-1 levels and decrease in GATA-1 levels causing a shift of hematopoietic homeostasis towards a myeloid commitment. The subsequent increase in circulating granulocyte number, with an increase in serum CXCL12 and granulocyte CXCR4 levels, was required for augmented metastasis in mice lacking haematopoietic FAK. Overall our findings provide a mechanism by which haematopoietic FAK controls cancer metastasis

Cognitive behaviour therapy versus counselling intervention for anxiety in young people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: a pilot randomised controlled trial

The use of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been explored in a number of trials. Whilst CBT appears superior to no treatment or treatment as usual, few studies have assessed CBT against a control group receiving an alternative therapy. Our randomised controlled trial compared use of CBT against person-centred counselling for anxiety in 36 young people with ASD, ages 12–18. Outcome measures included parent- teacher- and self-reports of anxiety and social disability. Whilst each therapy produced improvements inparticipants, neither therapy was superior to the other to a significant degree on any measure. This is consistent with findings for adults

Fascin 1 is dispensable for developmental and tumour angiogenesis

The actin bundling protein fascin 1 is not expressed in adult epithelial tissues, but during development it is transiently expressed in many different cell types, and later in adults it is expressed in a subset of immune cells, nervous tissues, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and pericytes. In contrast to the wealth of knowledge about the role of fascin 1 in cancer cell migration and invasion, little is known about the involvement of fascin 1 in angiogenesis. We speculated that as angiogenesis involves migration and invasion of tissues by endothelial cells, fascin 1 might have a role in both normal and tumour angiogenesis. Here, we provide evidence that loss of fascin 1 causes relatively minor reductions to angiogenesis during embryonic, postnatal and cancerous development by examining E12.5 hindbrains, postnatal retinas and B16F0 tumour cell allografts in fascin 1-null mice. We also find that in fascin 1 null tissues, endothelial cells display reduced filopodia formation during sprouting. We thus propose that fascin 1 expression promotes angiogenesis via filopodia formation, but is largely dispensable for both normal and tumour angiogenesis

The endothelial transcription factor ERG promotes vascular stability and growth through Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Blood vessel stability is essential for embryonic development; in the adult, many diseases are associated with loss of vascular integrity. The ETS transcription factor ERG drives expression of VE-cadherin and controls junctional integrity. We show that constitutive endothelial deletion of ERG (Erg(cEC-KO)) in mice causes embryonic lethality with vascular defects. Inducible endothelial deletion of ERG (Erg(iEC-KO)) results in defective physiological and pathological angiogenesis in the postnatal retina and tumors, with decreased vascular stability. ERG controls the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by promoting β-catenin stability, through signals mediated by VE-cadherin and the Wnt receptor Frizzled-4. Wnt signaling is decreased in ERG-deficient endothelial cells; activation of Wnt signaling with lithium chloride, which stabilizes β-catenin levels, corrects vascular defects in Erg(cEC-KO) embryos. Finally, overexpression of ERG in vivo reduces permeability and increases stability of VEGF-induced blood vessels. These data demonstrate that ERG is an essential regulator of angiogenesis and vascular stability through Wnt signaling.This work was funded by grants from the British Heart Foundation (PG/09/096 and RG/11/17/29256). A.V.S. is a recipient of a National Lung and Heart Institute Foundation Studentship. I.M.A. is a recipient of a DOC-fFORTE fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences at the London Research Institute.This paper was published by Cell Press in Developmental Cell (GM Birdsey, AV Shah, N Dufton, LE Reynolds, LO Almagro, Y Yang, IM Aspalter, ST Khan, JC Mason, E Dejana, B Göttgens, K Hodivala-Dilke, Gerhardt, RH Adams, AM Randi, Developmental Cell 2015, 32, 82-96

Changing contexts and critical moments: interim outcomes for children and young people living through involuntary relocation

The aim of this article is to understand how involuntary relocation – in the context of transformational regeneration – affects children and young people’s (CYP) interim outcomes through its impacts on residential contexts, and its intersections with their transitions and critical moments. Findings are based on a longitudinal qualitative study of 13 families’ (comprising 32 CYP) lives as they relocated from high rise flats to different housing and neighbourhoods over three years. Relocation altered two key contexts directly, home and neighbourhood, and may have indirectly altered the other contexts – peers, school and family. However, we found there were as many non-relocation related factors as relocation factors associated with outcomes, and a number of significant critical moments affecting CYP’s lives. Whilst relocation can seem the ‘big thing’ from the point of view of practitioners and researchers, from the perspective of CYP, it can seem a small part of the much bigger picture of change in their lives

A HIF-LIMD1 negative feedback mechanism mitigates the pro-tumorigenic effects of hypoxia

The adaptive cellular response to low oxygen tensions is mediated by the hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs), a family of heterodimeric transcription factors composed of HIF-α and β subunits. Prolonged HIF expression is a key contributor to cellular transformation, tumourigenesis and metastasis. As such, HIF degradation under hypoxic conditions is an essential homeostatic and tumour suppressive mechanism. LIMD1 complexes with PHD2 and VHL in physiological oxygen levels (normoxia) to facilitate proteasomal degradation of the HIF-α subunit. Here, we identify LIMD1 as a HIF-1 target gene, which mediates a previously uncharacterised, negative regulatory feedback mechanism for hypoxic HIF-α degradation by modulating PHD2-LIMD1- VHL complex formation. Hypoxic induction of LIMD1 expression results in increased HIF-α protein degradation, inhibiting HIF-1 target-gene expression, tumour growth and vascularisation. Furthermore, we report that copy number variation at the LIMD1 locus occurs in 47.1% of lung adenocarcinoma patients, correlates with enhanced expression of a HIF target gene signature and is a negative prognostic indicator. Taken together, our data open a new field of research into the aetiology, diagnosis and prognosis of LIMD1-negative lung cancers