Role of Autophagy in Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis

Le renouvellement de l’épithélium intestinal repose sur la prolifération incessante de cellules souches intestinales (CSI) capables de régénérer l’intégralité de l’épithélium en 3 à 5 jours. Des altérations de ces dernières sont à l’origine de la transformation tumorale. L’étude des mécanismes impliqués dans la protection des CSI face à différents stress est donc essentielle pour mieux comprendre l’homéostasie et les pathologies intestinales. Dans un modèle de souris prédisposées à développer des tumeurs suite à la perte du gène Apc, notre équipe a pu précédemment démontrer une activation de l’autophagie nécessaire à la croissance tumorale. Nos travaux visent à étudier le rôle de ce processus catabolique dans l’homéostasie des CSI. Pour ce faire, nous utilisons des modèles murins génétiquement modifiés et des cultures d’organoïdes afin d’étudier les effets de l’inhibition de l’autophagie dans l’homéostasie intestinale et en particulier dans les CSI.Nos travaux indiquent que l’inhibition de l’autophagie par l’invalidation du gène Atg7 conduit à une activation de p53 et de l’apoptose spécifique des CSI. L’invalidation simultanée du gène Tp53 empêche la mort des CSI déficientes en autophagie. De plus, au long terme, ces souris développent des tumeurs, contrairement aux souris invalidées uniquement pour les gènes Atg7 ou Tp53. Nous avons donc émis l’hypothèse que l’inhibition de l’autophagie sensibilisait les CSI à l’apoptose suite à une accumulation de dommages cytotoxiques. Par une analyse d’expressions géniques des CSI issues de cryptes contrôles et invalidées pour le gène Atg7, nous avons mis en évidence une altération des réponses associées au stress oxydant et à la réparation de l’ADN. Confirmant ces signatures, nous avons observé des dommages de l’ADN dans les cryptes déficientes en autophagie et un défaut de réparation de ces dommages suite à une irradiation. Nous observons également une accumulation d’espèces réactives de l’oxygène dans les CSI déficientes en autophagie associée à une atténuation de la réponse antioxidante médiée par NRF2. Des traitements antibiotiques à large-spectre ou antioxydants améliorent la survie des CSI déficientes en autophagie et soutiennent l’influence des espèces réactives de l’oxygène et de la flore intestinale sur la mort des CSI. Nos travaux indiquent donc un rôle important de l’autophagie dans la protection et le maintien des CSI, de par son contrôle des espèces réactives de l’oxygène, du microenvironnement bactérien et des voies de réparation de l’ADN.The renewal of the intestinal epithelium relies on the continuous proliferation of stem cells capable of regenerating the entire epithelium every 3 to 5 days. These intestinal stem cells (ISC) are thought to be the cell of origin for colorectal cancer. Thus, characterizing the mechanisms involved the protection of ISC against different stresses is key to understanding both intestinal homeostasis and tumor development. In tumoral tissue from mice predisposed to intestinal tumor development following the loss of the tumor suppressor gene Apc, our laboratory previously showed an upregulation of autophagy required for tumor growth. Our work aims to understand the role this catabolic mechanism in the homeostasis of ISC. To this end, we use genetically modified mouse models and intestinal organoid culture to study the effects of autophagy inhibition in intestinal homeostasis and in particular in ISC.We found that the inhibition of autophagy upon deletion of the gene Atg7 results in p53 activation and apoptosis of ISC specifically. The simultaneous deletion of Tp53 prevents the death of autophagy-deficient ISC. Moreover, over time, mice deficient for both Atg7 and Tp53 develop tumors, contrary to those deficient for either Atg7 or Tp53 alone. We therefore hypothesized that the inhibition of autophagy sensitizes ISC to p53-mediated apoptosis as a result of accumulated pro-tumorigenic damages. Transcriptomic analysis on sorted control or Atg7-deficient ISC revealed aterations in oxidative stress and DNA damage responses. Confirming these signatures, we observed DNA damages in autophagy-deficient crypts along with a defect in the repair of induced damages following irradiation. We additionally observed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species in autophagy-deficient ISC linked to a downregulation of the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response. Wide-spectrum antibiotic or antioxidant treatments improve the survival of autophagy-deficient ISC and support the contribution of both reactive oxygen species and the intestinal microbiota to the death of ISC. Our work therefore reveals we find an important function of autophagy in the integrity and maintenance of ISC by controlling reactive oxygen species, the microbial microenvironment and DNA repair pathways

Rôles de l’autophagie dans l'homéostasie des cellules souches intestinales

The renewal of the intestinal epithelium relies on the continuous proliferation of stem cells capable of regenerating the entire epithelium every 3 to 5 days. These intestinal stem cells (ISC) are thought to be the cell of origin for colorectal cancer. Thus, characterizing the mechanisms involved the protection of ISC against different stresses is key to understanding both intestinal homeostasis and tumor development. In tumoral tissue from mice predisposed to intestinal tumor development following the loss of the tumor suppressor gene Apc, our laboratory previously showed an upregulation of autophagy required for tumor growth. Our work aims to understand the role this catabolic mechanism in the homeostasis of ISC. To this end, we use genetically modified mouse models and intestinal organoid culture to study the effects of autophagy inhibition in intestinal homeostasis and in particular in ISC.We found that the inhibition of autophagy upon deletion of the gene Atg7 results in p53 activation and apoptosis of ISC specifically. The simultaneous deletion of Tp53 prevents the death of autophagy-deficient ISC. Moreover, over time, mice deficient for both Atg7 and Tp53 develop tumors, contrary to those deficient for either Atg7 or Tp53 alone. We therefore hypothesized that the inhibition of autophagy sensitizes ISC to p53-mediated apoptosis as a result of accumulated pro-tumorigenic damages. Transcriptomic analysis on sorted control or Atg7-deficient ISC revealed aterations in oxidative stress and DNA damage responses. Confirming these signatures, we observed DNA damages in autophagy-deficient crypts along with a defect in the repair of induced damages following irradiation. We additionally observed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species in autophagy-deficient ISC linked to a downregulation of the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response. Wide-spectrum antibiotic or antioxidant treatments improve the survival of autophagy-deficient ISC and support the contribution of both reactive oxygen species and the intestinal microbiota to the death of ISC. Our work therefore reveals we find an important function of autophagy in the integrity and maintenance of ISC by controlling reactive oxygen species, the microbial microenvironment and DNA repair pathways.Le renouvellement de l’épithélium intestinal repose sur la prolifération incessante de cellules souches intestinales (CSI) capables de régénérer l’intégralité de l’épithélium en 3 à 5 jours. Des altérations de ces dernières sont à l’origine de la transformation tumorale. L’étude des mécanismes impliqués dans la protection des CSI face à différents stress est donc essentielle pour mieux comprendre l’homéostasie et les pathologies intestinales. Dans un modèle de souris prédisposées à développer des tumeurs suite à la perte du gène Apc, notre équipe a pu précédemment démontrer une activation de l’autophagie nécessaire à la croissance tumorale. Nos travaux visent à étudier le rôle de ce processus catabolique dans l’homéostasie des CSI. Pour ce faire, nous utilisons des modèles murins génétiquement modifiés et des cultures d’organoïdes afin d’étudier les effets de l’inhibition de l’autophagie dans l’homéostasie intestinale et en particulier dans les CSI.Nos travaux indiquent que l’inhibition de l’autophagie par l’invalidation du gène Atg7 conduit à une activation de p53 et de l’apoptose spécifique des CSI. L’invalidation simultanée du gène Tp53 empêche la mort des CSI déficientes en autophagie. De plus, au long terme, ces souris développent des tumeurs, contrairement aux souris invalidées uniquement pour les gènes Atg7 ou Tp53. Nous avons donc émis l’hypothèse que l’inhibition de l’autophagie sensibilisait les CSI à l’apoptose suite à une accumulation de dommages cytotoxiques. Par une analyse d’expressions géniques des CSI issues de cryptes contrôles et invalidées pour le gène Atg7, nous avons mis en évidence une altération des réponses associées au stress oxydant et à la réparation de l’ADN. Confirmant ces signatures, nous avons observé des dommages de l’ADN dans les cryptes déficientes en autophagie et un défaut de réparation de ces dommages suite à une irradiation. Nous observons également une accumulation d’espèces réactives de l’oxygène dans les CSI déficientes en autophagie associée à une atténuation de la réponse antioxidante médiée par NRF2. Des traitements antibiotiques à large-spectre ou antioxydants améliorent la survie des CSI déficientes en autophagie et soutiennent l’influence des espèces réactives de l’oxygène et de la flore intestinale sur la mort des CSI. Nos travaux indiquent donc un rôle important de l’autophagie dans la protection et le maintien des CSI, de par son contrôle des espèces réactives de l’oxygène, du microenvironnement bactérien et des voies de réparation de l’ADN

L’autophagie, l’homéostasie intestinale et ses pathologies

L’épithélium intestinal est la plus grande surface du corps exposée à l’environnement. L’homéostasie intestinale repose essentiellement sur l’intégrité des cellules épithéliales, processus complexe impliquant un équilibre avec la flore intestinale, le système immunitaire et les dépenses énergétiques liées au métabolisme. L’autophagie est au centre de ces fonctions et permet à l’épithélium de s’adapter à son environnement et aux différentes situations de stress en participant aux défenses antibactériennes, en contrôlant la composition de la flore intestinale, la réponse immunitaire et en participant à l’homéostasie énergétique. Une altération de ce mécanisme de protection est observée dans les maladies inflammatoires chroniques de l’intestin et le cancer colorectal

From gut to glutes: The critical role of niche signals in the maintenance and renewal of adult stem cells

Stem cell behavior is tightly regulated by spatiotemporal signaling from the niche, which is a four-dimensional microenvironment that can instruct stem cells to remain quiescent, self-renew, proliferate, or differentiate. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the signaling cues provided by the stem cell niche in two contrasting adult tissues, the rapidly cycling intestinal epithelium and the slowly renewing skeletal muscle. Drawing comparisons between these two systems, we discuss the effects of niche-derived growth factors and signaling molecules, metabolic cues, the extracellular matrix and biomechanical cues, and immune signals on stem cells. We also discuss the influence of the niche in defining stem cell identity and function in both normal and pathophysiologic states

Transit-Amplifying Cells Coordinate Changes in Intestinal Epithelial Cell-Type Composition

Renewing tissues have the remarkable ability to continually produce both proliferative progenitor and specialized differentiated cell types. How are complex milieus of microenvironmental signals interpreted to coordinate tissue-cell-type composition? Here, we investigate the responses of intestinal epithelium to individual and paired perturbations across eight epithelial signaling pathways. Using a high-throughput approach that combines enteroid monolayers and quantitative imaging, we identified conditions that enrich for specific cell types as well as interactions between pathways. Importantly, we found that modulation of transit-amplifying cell proliferation changes the ratio of differentiated secretory to absorptive cell types. These observations highlight an underappreciated role for transit-amplifying cells in the tuning of differentiated cell-type composition

Programming multicellular assembly with synthetic cell adhesion molecules.

Cell adhesion molecules are ubiquitous in multicellular organisms, specifying precise cell-cell interactions in processes as diverse as tissue development, immune cell trafficking and the wiring of the nervous system1-4. Here we show that a wide array of synthetic cell adhesion molecules can be generated by combining orthogonal extracellular interactions with intracellular domains from native adhesion molecules, such as cadherins and integrins. The resulting molecules yield customized cell-cell interactions with adhesion properties that are similar to native interactions. The identity of the intracellular domain of the synthetic cell adhesion molecules specifies interface morphology and mechanics, whereas diverse homotypic or heterotypic extracellular interaction domains independently specify the connectivity between cells. This toolkit of orthogonal adhesion molecules enables the rationally programmed assembly of multicellular architectures, as well as systematic remodelling of native tissues. The modularity of synthetic cell adhesion molecules provides fundamental insights into how distinct classes of cell-cell interfaces may have evolved. Overall, these tools offer powerful abilities for cell and tissue engineering and for systematically studying multicellular organization

Axin1 Protects Colon Carcinogenesis by an Immune-Mediated EffectSummary

Background & Aims: Axin1 is a negative regulator of wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 1 (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling with tumor-suppressor function. The Wnt pathway has a critical role in the intestine, both during homeostasis and cancer, but the role of Axin1 remains elusive. Methods: We assessed the role of Axin1 in normal intestinal homeostasis, with control, epithelial-specific, Axin1-knockout mice (Axin1ΔIEC) and Axin2-knockout mice. We evaluated the tumor-suppressor function of Axin1 during chemically induced colorectal tumorigenesis and dextran sulfate sodium–induced colitis, and performed comparative gene expression profiling by whole-genome RNA sequencing. The clinical relevance of the Axin1-dependent gene expression signature then was tested in a database of 2239 clinical colorectal cancer (CRC) samples. Results: We found that Axin1 was dispensable for normal intestinal homeostasis and redundant with Axin2 for Wnt pathway down-regulation. Axin1 deficiency in intestinal epithelial cells rendered mice more susceptible to chemically induced colon carcinogenesis, but reduced dextran sulfate sodium–induced colitis by attenuating the induction of a proinflammatory program. RNA-seq analyses identified an interferon γ/T-helper1 immune program controlled by Axin1 that enhances the inflammatory response and protects against CRC. The Axin1-dependent gene expression signature was applied to human CRC samples and identified a group of patients with potential vulnerability to immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Conclusions: Our study establishes, in vivo, that Axin1 has redundant function with Axin2 for Wnt down-regulation and infers a new role for Axin1. Physiologically, Axin1 stimulates gut inflammation via an interferon γ/Th1 program that prevents tumor growth. Linked to its T-cell–mediated effect, the colonic Axin1 signature offers therapeutic perspectives for CRC

Paneth cells promote angiogenesis and regulate portal hypertension in response to microbial signals.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Paneth cells (PCs) synthesize and secrete antimicrobial peptides that are key mediators of host-microbe interactions, establishing a balance between intestinal microflora and enteric pathogens. We observed that their number increases in experimental portal hypertension and aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which these cells can contribute to the regulation of portal pressure. METHODS We first treated Math1Lox/LoxVilcreERT2 mice with tamoxifen to induce the complete depletion of intestinal PCs. Subsequently, we performed partial portal vein or bile duct ligation. We then studied the effects of these interventions on hemodynamic parameters, proliferation of blood vessels and the expression of genes regulating angiogenesis. Intestinal organoids were cultured and exposed to different microbial products to study the composition of their secreted products (by proteomics) and their effects on the proliferation and tube formation of endothelial cells (ECs). In vivo confocal laser endomicroscopy was used to confirm the findings on blood vessel proliferation. RESULTS Portal hypertension was significantly attenuated in PC-depleted mice compared to control mice and was associated with a decrease in portosystemic shunts. Depletion of PCs also resulted in a significantly decreased density of blood vessels in the intestinal wall and mesentery. Furthermore, we observed reduced expression of intestinal genes regulating angiogenesis in Paneth cell depleted mice using arrays and next generation sequencing. Tube formation and wound healing responses were significantly decreased in ECs treated with conditioned media from PC-depleted intestinal organoids exposed to intestinal microbiota-derived products. Proteomic analysis of conditioned media in the presence of PCs revealed an increase in factors regulating angiogenesis and additional metabolic processes. In vivo endomicroscopy showed decreased vascular proliferation in the absence of PCs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that in response to intestinal flora and microbiota-derived factors, PCs secrete not only antimicrobial peptides, but also pro-angiogenic signaling molecules, thereby promoting intestinal and mesenteric angiogenesis and regulating portal hypertension. LAY SUMMARY Paneth cells are present in the lining of the small intestine. They prevent the passage of bacteria from the intestine into the blood circulation by secreting substances to fight bacteria. In this paper, we discovered that these substances not only act against bacteria, but also increase the quantity of blood vessels in the intestine and blood pressure in the portal vein. This is important, because high blood pressure in the portal vein may result in several complications which could be targeted with novel approaches

Additional microscopy replicates related to the Article: Programming multicellular assembly with synthetic cell adhesion molecules

 Additional microscopy replicates extended data related to Figure 6 of the Article 'Programming multicellular assembly with synthetic cell adhesion molecules'.</p