Notch signaling modulates proliferation and differentiation of intestinal crypt base columnar stem cells

Notch signaling is known to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem and progenitor cells; however, direct cellular targets and specific functions of Notch signals had not been identified. We show here in mice that Notch directly targets the crypt base columnar (CBC) cell to maintain stem cell activity. Notch inhibition induced rapid CBC cell loss, with reduced proliferation, apoptotic cell death and reduced efficiency of organoid initiation. Furthermore, expression of the CBC stem cell-specific marker Olfm4 was directly dependent on Notch signaling, with transcription activated through RBP-Jκ binding sites in the promoter. Notch inhibition also led to precocious differentiation of epithelial progenitors into secretory cell types, including large numbers of cells that expressed both Paneth and goblet cell markers. Analysis of Notch function in Atoh1-deficient intestine demonstrated that the cellular changes were dependent on Atoh1, whereas Notch regulation of Olfm4 gene expression was Atoh1 independent. Our findings suggest that Notch targets distinct progenitor cell populations to maintain adult intestinal stem cells and to regulate cell fate choice to control epithelial cell homeostasis

Altering a Histone H3K4 Methylation Pathway in Glomerular Podocytes Promotes a Chronic Disease Phenotype

Methylation of specific lysine residues in core histone proteins is essential for embryonic development and can impart active and inactive epigenetic marks on chromatin domains. The ubiquitous nuclear protein PTIP is encoded by the Paxip1 gene and is an essential component of a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complex conserved in metazoans. In order to determine if PTIP and its associated complexes are necessary for maintaining stable gene expression patterns in a terminally differentiated, non-dividing cell, we conditionally deleted PTIP in glomerular podocytes in mice. Renal development and function were not impaired in young mice. However, older animals progressively exhibited proteinuria and podocyte ultra structural defects similar to chronic glomerular disease. Loss of PTIP resulted in subtle changes in gene expression patterns prior to the onset of a renal disease phenotype. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed a loss of PTIP binding and lower H3K4 methylation at the Ntrk3 (neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor, type 3) locus, whose expression was significantly reduced and whose function may be essential for podocyte foot process patterning. These data demonstrate that alterations or mutations in an epigenetic regulatory pathway can alter the phenotypes of differentiated cells and lead to a chronic disease state

Role of PTIP in Class Switch Recombination and Long-Range Chromatin Interactions at the Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Locus ▿

How distal transcriptional enhancer sequences interact with proximal promoters is poorly understood within the context of chromatin. In this report, we have used the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus to address the role of the PTIP protein in transcription regulation and class switch recombination in B cells, a process that depends on regulated transcription and DNA recombination via Pax5 and distal 3′ enhancer sequences. We first show that PTIP is recruited to a Pax5 binding site to promote histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation. Using a CD19-Cre driver strain, we deleted PTIP in mature B cells. Loss of PTIP inhibited class switch recombination by suppressing transcription and histone H3K4 methylation at the germ line transcript promoters. In the absence of PTIP, Pax5 binding to the promoter regions is reduced and long-range chromatin interactions between the distal enhancer at the 3′ regulatory region and the germ line transcript promoters are not detected. We propose a model whereby PTIP stabilizes the Pax5 DNA interactions that promote chromatin looping and regulate transcriptional responses needed for class switch recombination

Effect of Schiff base formation on the function of the calcitriol receptor

Effect of Schiff base formation on the function of the calcitriol receptor. The genomic action of calcitriol is mediated through the interaction of the calcitriol receptor (VDR) with vitamin D response elements (VDREs) of the target genes. We have shown that the interaction of VDRs with VDREs is inhibited by uremic toxins. We hypothesize that uremic toxins form Schiff bases with the lysine residues of the VDR DNA binding domain and inhibit the VDR interaction with the VDRE. In this study, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was used as a probe to test Schiff base formation as the inhibitory mechanism, since it forms Schiff bases with steroid receptors. Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate inhibited the VDR binding to the VDREs and chemically modified the DNA binding domain of the VDR in vitro. The inhibition was reversed when pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was preincubated with lysine. Further, this chemical agent also blocked the production of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) enzyme induced by calcitriol in cells transfected with a constructed VDRE attached to a CAT reporter gene. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that pyridoxal 5′-phosphate could interact with the VDR and impair its DNA binding within cells. Since induction of 24-hydroxylase synthesis is a receptor mediated process, we studied the effect of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate on the synthesis of renal 24-hydroxylase in rats. When pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was infused to rats, renal 24-hydroxylase activity was suppressed, consequently, degradation of calcitriol was also reduced in these animals. Thus, chemicals capable of Schiff base formation potentially could alter the physiological function of VDR and calcitriol

Regulation of calcitriol receptor and its mRNA in normal and renal failure rats

Regulation of calcitriol receptor and its mRNA in normal and renal failure rats. Homologous up-regulation of calcitriol receptor (VDR) by calcitriol is believed to be a transcriptional event. In this experiment, we studied the effect of calcitriol on VDR in normal and renal failure rats. The time course of the effect of calcitriol on VDR mRNA showed a biphasic change in VDR mRNA in response to calcitriol. The concentration of intestinal VDR mRNA increased at six hours and reached peak levels approximately 15 hours after calcitriol injection. Thereafter, the mRNA began to decrease and by 48 hours the level had declined to below the control values. The VDR levels also increased, though they lagged behind the VDR mRNA, and nearly plateaued at 24 hours after calcitriol treatment. In renal failure, the concentrations of VDR were lower and the levels of VDR mRNA were higher than the respective values of normal rats, suggesting that VDR synthesis was inhibited at post-transcriptional sites. Chronic administration of calcitriol increased the VDR but lowered the VDR mRNA levels in both normal and renal failure rats. Infusion of uremic ultrafiltrate to normal rats resulted in lower VDR and higher VDR mRNA levels similar to those found in rats with renal failure. The results indicate that uremic toxins are responsible for the low VDR and high VDR mRNA in renal failure

Integrin Ligation Results in Nephrin Tyrosine Phosphorylation In Vitro.

Nephrin is expressed at the basolateral aspect of podocytes and is an important signaling protein at the glomerular slit diaphragm. In vitro studies have demonstrated that Nephrin phosphorylation-dependent signaling is able to assemble a protein complex that is able to polymerize actin. However, proximal signaling events that result in nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation are not well understood. Nephrin deletion in mice and human nephrin mutations result in developmental failure of the podocyte intercellular junction resutling in proteinuria. This has been presumed to be due to a failure to respond to an external polarized cue in the absence of nephrin or a failure to transduce an outside-in signal in patients with nephrin mutations. The nephrin extracellular domain binds to itself or neph1 across the foot process intercellular junction. Nephrin is tyrosine phosphorylation-silent in healthy glomeruli when presumably the nephrin extracellular domain is in an engaged state. These observations raise the possibility of an alternate proximal signaling mechanism that might be responsible for nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation. Here we present data showing that integrin engagement at the basal aspect of cultured podocytes results in nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation. This is abrogated by incubating podocytes with an antibody that prevents integrin β1 ligation and activation in response to binding to extracellular matrix. Furthermore, nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation was observed in podocytes expressing a membrane-targeted nephrin construct that lacks the extracellular domain. We propose, integrin-activation based signaling might be responsible for nephrin phosphorylation rather than engagment of the nephrin extracellular domain by a ligand

Drosophila ptip is essential for anterior/posterior patterning in development and interacts with the PcG and trxG pathways

Development of the fruit fly Drosophila depends in part on epigenetic regulation carried out by the concerted actions of the Polycomb and Trithorax group of proteins, many of which are associated with histone methyltransferase activity. Mouse PTIP is part of a histone H3K4 methyltransferase complex and contains six BRCT domains and a glutamine-rich region. In this article, we describe an essential role for the Drosophila ortholog of the mammalian Ptip (Paxip1) gene in early development and imaginal disc patterning. Both maternal and zygotic ptip are required for segmentation and axis patterning during larval development. Loss of ptip results in a decrease in global levels of H3K4 methylation and an increase in the levels of H3K27 methylation. In cell culture, Drosophila ptip is required to activate homeotic gene expression in response to the derepression of Polycomb group genes. Activation of developmental genes is coincident with PTIP protein binding to promoter sequences and increased H3K4 trimethylation. These data suggest a highly conserved function for ptip in epigenetic control of development and differentiation

Src Kinase Fyn is necessary for nephrin phosphorylation.

<p>(A) SYF cells that lack Src, Fyn and Yes were transfected with full-length nephrin. Cells were plated on laminin-coated surface for indicated time points. Nephrin phosphorylation as well as β1 integrin activation was observed only after introduction of Fyn in SYF cells. (B) Band densitometry using ImageJ software for 4 separate experiments showing increase in nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation in the presence and absence of Fyn at different time points. Data are mean values ± SEM. *P<0.001, using two-tailed <i>t</i> test.</p

Nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation on laminin-coated surface is abrogated by pre-incubation of podocytes with β1 blocking antibody.

<p>(A). Mouse podocytes were incubated with β1 blocking mab and mouse IgG (control) prior to plating on laminin coated surface. Time 0 denotes cell in suspension (Su). Cells were lysed at various time points and lysates were resolved using SDS-PAGE. Membranes were probed with the indicated antibodies. FAK Y397 phosphorylation was used as a surrogate for integrin activation. (B) Bands densitometry using ImageJ software for 4 separate experiments showing increase in nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation as well as FAK Y397 phosphorylaton at different time points. Data are mean values ± SEM. *P<0.001, using two-tailed <i>t</i> test.</p