EphA2/Ephrin-A1 Mediate Corneal Epithelial Cell Compartmentalization via ADAM10 Regulation of EGFR Signaling.

Purpose: Progenitor cells of the limbal epithelium reside in a discrete area peripheral to the more differentiated corneal epithelium and maintain tissue homeostasis. What regulates the limbal-corneal epithelial boundary is a major unanswered question. Ephrin-A1 ligand is enriched in the limbal epithelium, whereas EphA2 receptor is concentrated in the corneal epithelium. This reciprocal pattern led us to assess the role of ephrin-A1 and EphA2 in limbal-corneal epithelial boundary organization. Methods: EphA2-expressing corneal epithelial cells engineered to express ephrin-A1 were used to study boundary formation in vitro in a manner that mimicked the relative abundance of these juxtamembrane signaling proteins in the limbal and corneal epithelium in vivo. Interaction of these two distinct cell populations following initial seeding into discrete culture compartments was assessed by live cell imaging. Immunofluoresence and immunoblotting was used to evaluate the contribution of downstream growth factor signaling and cell-cell adhesion systems to boundary formation at sites of heterotypic contact between ephrin-A1 and EphA2 expressing cells. Results: Ephrin-A1-expressing cells impeded and reversed the migration of EphA2-expressing corneal epithelial cells upon heterotypic contact formation leading to coordinated migration of the two cell populations in the direction of an ephrin-A1-expressing leading front. Genetic silencing and pharmacologic inhibitor studies demonstrated that the ability of ephrin-A1 to direct migration of EphA2-expressing cells depended on an a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway that limited E-cadherin-mediated adhesion at heterotypic boundaries. Conclusions: Ephrin-A1/EphA2 signaling complexes play a key role in limbal-corneal epithelial compartmentalization and the response of these tissues to injury

Alien Registration- Ventrella, Rosa (Livermore Falls, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/27303/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Ventrella, Rosa (Livermore Falls, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/27303/thumbnail.jp

Rho-Associated Protein Kinase Activity Is Required for Tissue Homeostasis in the <i>Xenopus laevis</i> Ciliated Epithelium

Lung epithelial development relies on the proper balance of cell proliferation and differentiation to maintain homeostasis. When this balance is disturbed, it can lead to diseases like cancer, where cells undergo hyperproliferation and then can undergo migration and metastasis. Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and even though there are a variety of therapeutic approaches, there are cases where treatment remains elusive. The rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) has been thought to be an ideal molecular target due to its role in activating oncogenic signaling pathways. However, in a variety of cases, inhibition of ROCK has been shown to have the opposite outcome. Here, we show that ROCK inhibition with y-27632 causes abnormal epithelial tissue development in Xenopus laevis embryonic skin, which is an ideal model for studying lung cancer development. We found that treatment with y-27632 caused an increase in proliferation and the formation of ciliated epithelial outgrowths along the tail edge. Our results suggest that, in certain cases, ROCK inhibition can disturb tissue homeostasis. We anticipate that these findings could provide insight into possible mechanisms to overcome instances when ROCK inhibition results in heightened proliferation. Also, these findings are significant because y-27632 is a common pharmacological inhibitor used to study ROCK signaling, so it is important to know that in certain in vivo developmental models and conditions, this treatment can enhance proliferation rather than lead to cell cycle suppression

Alpha Actinin-1 Regulates Cell-Matrix Adhesion Organization in Keratinocytes: Consequences for Skin Cell Motility

The migration of keratinocytes in wound healing requires coordinated activities of the motility machinery of a cell, the cytoskeleton, and matrix adhesions. In this study, we assessed the role of alpha actinin-1 (ACTN1), one of the two alpha actinin isoforms expressed in keratinocytes, in skin cell migration via a small hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown approach. Keratinocytes deficient in ACTN1 exhibit changes in their actin cytoskeleton organization, a loss in front-rear polarity, and impaired lamellipodial dynamics. They also display aberrant directed motility and move slower compared with their wild-type counterparts. Moreover, they have abnormally arranged matrix adhesion sites. Specifically, the focal adhesions in ACTN1 knockdown keratinocytes are not organized as distinct entities. Rather, focal adhesion proteins are arranged in a circle subjacent to cortical fibers of actin. In the same cells, hemidesmosome proteins arrange in cat paw patterns, more typical of confluent, stationary cells, and β4 integrin dynamics are reduced in knockdown cells compared with control keratinocytes. In summary, our data suggest a mechanism by which ACTN1 determines the motility of keratinocytes by regulating the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, focal adhesion, and hemidesmosome proteins complexes, thereby modulating cell speed, lamellipodial dynamics, and directed migration

A role for Cep70 in centriole amplification in multiciliated cells

International audienceCentriole amplification in multiciliated cells occurs in a pseudo-cell cycle regulated process that typically utilizes a poorly characterized molecularly dense structure called the deuterosome. We identified the centrosomal protein Cep70 as a novel deuterosome-associated protein that forms a complex with other deuterosome proteins, CCDC78 and Deup1. Cep70 dynamically associates with deuterosomes during centriole amplification in the ciliated epithelia of Xenopus embryos. Cep70 is not found in nascent deuterosomes prior to amplification. However, it becomes localized at deuterosomes at the onset of centriole biogenesis and remains there after the completion of centriole amplification. Deuterosome localization requires a conserved C-terminal "Cep70" motif. Depletion of Cep70 using morpholino oligos or CRISPR/Cas9 editing in F0 embryos leads to a severe decrease in centriole formation in both endogenous MCCs, as well as ectopically induced MCCs. Consistent with a decrease in centrioles, endogenous MCCs have defects in the process of radial intercalation. We propose that Cep70 represents a novel regulator of centriole biogenesis in MCCs

Response of rainbow trout gill (Na++K+)-ATPase and chloride cells to T3 and NaCl administration

With the aim of comparing the effects of oral T 3 and NaC1 administration on trout hypoosmoregulatory mechanisms, three groups of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) held in freshwater (FW) were fed a basal diet (C), the same diet containing 8.83 ppm of 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) (T) or 10% (w/w) NaC1 (N) respectively for 30 d. They were then transferred to brackish water (BW) for 22 d and fed on diet C. Gill (Na++K+)-ATPase activity and its dependence on ATP, Na + and pH, number of gill chloride cells (CC), serum T 3 level as well as fish growth, condition factor (K) and mortality were evaluated. During the FW phase, as compared to C trout, T trout showed a two fold higher serum T 3 level, had unchanged gill (Na~+K+)-ATPase activity and increased CC number, whereas N trout showed higher gill (Na~+K+)- ATPase activity and CC number. At the end of the experiment the enzyme activity was in the order T &gt; N &gt; C groups and all groups showed similar CC number. Both treatments changed the enzyme activation kinet- ics by ATP and Na +. A transient increase in K value occurred in N group during the period of salt adminis- tration. In BW, T and N groups had higher and lower survival than C group respectively. Other parameters were unaffected by the treatments. This trial suggests that T 3 administration promotes the development of hypoosmoregulatory mechanisms of trout but it leaves the (Na++K+)-ATPase activity unaltered till the transfer to a hyperosmotic environment