Primary hepatocytes maintained in culture progressively down regulate liver-specific genes and lose their characteristic function and morphology. This process, termed dedifferentiation, is a hindrance to in vitro modelling of systems such as xenobiotic metabolism, liver disease and regeneration. However the results presented here demonstrate that dedifferentiated hapatocytes spontaneously induce expression of ductal genes, and therefore represent a useful model of cell reprogramming.

Islet transplantations have been successful in restoring glucose homeostasis in patients with diabetes; however, the limited number of donor organs limits the success of this treatment. The lineage reprograming of different cell sources to beta cells potentially provides an unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells for regenerative therapy for patients with diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability to transdifferentiate two cell lines into an endocrine lineage. Insulin production in pancreatic beta cells can be increased using a small molecule, 3,5-disubstituted isoxazole, N-cyclopropyl-t-(thiophen-2-yl)isoxazole-3-carboxamide (isoxazole) but its effect on other cell types has not been reported. Here, we investigated the lineage reprogramming of PANC-1 pancreatic ductal cells to insulin producing cells by isoxazole treatment. Gene expression was performed using RT-PCR and qPCR for approximately 30 genes critical to beta cell development and function. In addition, quantitative proteomic profiling was performed using LC-MS by monitoring protein abundance in isoxazole-treated PANC-1 cells compared to time-matched controls. Isoxazole treatment stimulated PANC-1 cells to aggregate into islet-like clusters and gene expression analysis revealed induction of important developmental beta cell markers including NGN3, NEUROD1 and INSULIN. In addition, beta cell surface markers were also upregulated such as CD200, GPR50, TROP-2, GLUT2 and SLC30A8. Using LC-MS a catalogue of approximately 2400 identified proteins was generated; 257 proteins were differentially expressed in isoxazole-treated cells compared to DMSO-vehicle controls at p < 0.05. Amongst the proteins upregulated were molecules that regulate metabolic processes and cytoskeletal reorganisation. The expression of the majority of these proteins has not been previously reported or studied in the context of beta cell differentiation. Functional analysis of the relative protein changes was determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, IPA, and gene ontology, GO, software, which revealed the regulation of several cellular canonical pathways including metabolic pathways, cell adhesion, remodelling of epithelial adherens junctions and actin cytoskeleton signalling. The effects of isoxazole were further studied in the A549 lung cancer cell line. Similar effects were observed, such as the induction of pro-endocrine markers NGN3 and NEUROD1 and endocrine-specific hormones INS and GCG. These results indicate that isoxazole has the capacity to transdifferentiate pancreatic and non-pancreatic cell origins into an endocrine lineage. This study reveals the powerful induction capacity of isoxazole in inducing cellular reprogramming events.

Cell therapy involving treatment of diseases with the body’s own cells would benefit both liver diseases and Type 1 diabetes. Liver diseases are associated with a marked reduction in hepatocytes whilst Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the loss of functional insulin-producing β-cells. Treatment is currently achieved by whole organ liver (or hepatocyte) and islet transplantation methods respectively. However the major limitation to this approach is the shortage of organ donors, thus alternative sources of cells must be found. Potential sources with enormous therapeutic potential are existing cells in the liver and pancreas involved during the regeneration process. In vivo studies have shown progenitor oval cells differentiate into hepatocytes during liver regeneration and α-cells transdifferentiate into β-cells during pancreas regeneration. However neither can be fully exploited until the molecular mechanisms governing their proliferation and trans/differentiation are fully elucidated. Herein we characterise two in vitro cell models, a mouse adult oval cell line, known as BMOL-TAT1.1, and mouse adult pancreatic α-cell line, known as α-TC19 by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining. We found that under proliferating culture conditions BMOL-TAT1.1 were heterogenous consisting of two distinct cell types with different β-catenin signalling pathway activation. Inducible differentiation (dexamethasone) induced hepatic and non-hepatic markers in specific cell subtypes, indicating multi-potentiality. Ectopic expression of transcription factor HNF4α in homogenous small BMOL-TAT1.1 cells revealed no hepatic differentiation but potent expression of intestinal markers (Villin, ALPi, ApoAIV). HNF4α was identified as a candidate transcriptional regulator in α- to β-cell transdifferentiation, as ectopic expression in α-TC19 cells, suppressed glucagon and induced expression of several functionally important β-cell markers (GLUT2, GCK, insulin). The contribution of chromatin histone acetylation was also assessed, due to its importance in endocrine fate regulation. In toto these results have important implications for the development of potential therapies to treat liver diseases and Type 1 diabetes.

Background Hair cells (HCs) are the sensory receptors in both the auditory and the vestibular organs of the inner ear. Supporting cells (SCs) are non-sensory cells embracing the HCs. Injuries of the HCs by aging, acoustic trauma or ototoxic drugs (mainly aminoglycosides, e.g. gentamicin) and cisplatin, often cause permanent impairment of hearing and balance. Birds and amphibians can regenerate their auditory and vestibular HCs after injury through proliferation of SCs or direct transdifferentiation of a SC into a HC. For mammals this ability is limited and spontaneous HC regeneration occurs only in the vestibular sensory epithelia. The utricle is one of the five vestibular organs and contributes to our balance by registering linear acceleration and head tilts. The aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate morphological and morphometric events during spontaneous HC regeneration following gentamicin exposure in neonatal rat utricular explants. Methods Long-term organ culture of macula utriculi, which is stable and reproducible for up to 28 days in vitro (DIV), was used in all papers in the thesis. HC damage was induced by gentamicin. On 2 DIV the explanted utricular maculae were divided into two groups, a control group and a gentamicin-exposed group. In the latter group macular explants were exposed to gentamicin for 48 hours during 2-3 DIV and then allowed to recover. Morphologic and morphometric evaluations were done from utricles harvested at various time points during 28 DIV. Imaging techniques used were light microscopy, including immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. Results In the control group the epithelia were well preserved with a slight decline in HC density after 14 DIV. In the gentamicin-exposed group there was an initial substantial decline in HC density and thereafter the proportion of HCs in relation to SCs increased significantly. Using BrdU as a proliferation marker and myosin 7a as a HC marker, we found no cells that were double marked. At the ultrastructural level, the apical occlusion of the explanted epithelia was intact in both the control and the gentamicin exposed group during the entire in vitro period. Cells that seemed to be in a transitional state, transforming from SCs into HCs were observed in the gentamicin-exposed group. These cells had cytoplasmic extensions basally i.e. foot processes, an assembly of mitochondria basally in the cell or in these foot processes, and often apical SC extensions covering the HC. HCs classified as transitional cells had an increased number of SC connections to their basal parts compared to mature HCs. Conclusions  In these neonatal rat utricular explants: - The morphological structure of the sensory epithelia was well preserved during long-term culture. - The renewal of hair cells after gentamicin exposure occurred through direct transdifferentiation of supporting cells into hair cells. - There was also a proliferative response by the supporting cells, but this supporting cell proliferation did not contribute to the generation of new hair cells. - Cells in a transitional state, showing a characteristic morphology, were observed during the process of transdifferentiation from supporting cells into hair cells. - The tight junctional seal of the epithelia stayed morphologically intact also after gentamicin exposure. - Gap junctions were observed in between supporting cells but not found in between hair cells and supporting cells or between transitional cells and supporting cells.

Die Infektion von Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 Pflanzen mit dem Verticillium longisporum Isolat VL43 und dem Verticillium dahliae Isolat VdJR2 resultiert in klar zu unterscheidenden Krankheitssymptomen, wie die verfrühte Seneszenz (early senescence) bzw. die Welke (wilting). Um herauszustellen ob VL43- und VdJR2-ähnliche Infektionssymptome Spezies-spezifische Merkmale sind, wurde eine Verticillium Stammkollektion, bestehend aus 21 amphihaploiden V. longisporum und 46 haploiden V. dahliae Isolaten systematisch analysiert und kategorisiert in Bezug auf die Induktion von Krankheitssymptomen auf den A. thaliana Ökotyp Col-0. Die Analysen ließen die Klassifizierung von drei unterschiedlichen Interaktionsklassen zu: „early senescence”, „wilting” und „asymptomatic”. Für die detaillierte Charakterisierung der Interaktionsklassen „early senescence” und „wilting” wurden Verticillium Isolate gewählt, die auf robuste Weise diese Infektionssymptome induzieren. Diese wurden untereinander in Bezug auf ihre Fähigkeit innerhalb der Pflanze zu proliferieren und entwicklungsorientierte Veränderungen innerhalb der Blattvaskulatur der Pflanze zu induzieren verglichen. Die Analysen zeigten, dass Isolate der „wilting“ Interaktionsklasse eine erhöhte Lignifizierung der Xylemzellwände in Blättern auslösen. Im Gegensatz dazu induziert die Infektion mit Isolaten der „early senescence“ Interaktionsklasse die verfrühte Seneszenz der Pflanze, sowie eine entwicklungsorientierte Umprogrammierung der Blattvaskulatur. Interessanterweise stellen entwicklungsorientierte Veränderungen der Blattvaskulatur eine generelle Antwort von Wirtspflanzen auf diese Verticillium Interaktionsklasse dar, da dieses Symptom ebenso in Nicotiana benthamiana, eine Solanaceae Spezies, induziert wird. Somit wurde postuliert, dass Isolate der Interaktionsklasse „early senescence“ spezielle pilzliche Effektormoleküle besitzen, die diese Infektionssymptome auslösen. Um potentielle pilzliche Effektormoleküle zu identifizieren, die spezifisch für die „early senescence” Interaktionsklasse sind, wurden vergleichende Genomsequenzanalysen mit haploiden V. dahliae Isolaten der drei Interaktionsklassen durchgeführt. Die Daten deuteten auf Sequenzen hin, die in der „early senescence” Interaktionsklasse existieren, aber nicht in den Genomen von Isolaten der „wilting” und „asymptomatic” Interaktionsklassen vorkommen und somit möglicherweise Gene für pilzliche Effektoren beherbergen, die in der Symptomentwicklung der verfrühten Seneszenz eine Rolle spielen. Darüberhinaus wurden vergleichende in planta Transkriptomanalysen mit V. dahliae Isolaten durchgeführt, die Welke oder verfrühte Seneszenz auslösen. Hierbei wurden pilzliche Gene identifiziert, die im Vergleich zur „wilting“ Interaktionsklasse eine erhöhte Transkriptmenge in der Interaktionsklasse “early senescence” aufwiesen. Aus dieser Gruppe von Genen wurden Effektorkandidaten ausgewählt. Bemerkenswerterweise war unter den hochregulierten Effektormolekülen eine Ligninase, CEL, die möglicherweise Lignin hydrolysiert und somit einen Einfluss auf die Unterschiede der Lignifizierungsmenge von Xylemzellwänden hat. Die Gene zweier Kandidateneffektoren, CEL und CE1, wurden bezüglich ihrer Promotersequenzen zwischen den Isolaten der zwei Interaktionsklassen untersucht. Nennenswerterweise wurden keine eindeutigen Sequenzunterschiede in den Promoterregionen der drei Kandidatengene gefunden, die ihre differentielle Expression zwischen der „wilting“ und „early senescence“ Interaktionsklasse erklären würden. Somit wurde angenommen, dass die Expression dieser Gene epigenetisch kontrolliert wird.

There are well over 100,000 Americans on the kidney transplant list with a median wait time of 3.6 years. However, about 17 American die each day waiting for a kidney transplant, with vascular calcification being one of the most common causes [1, 2]. One vessel that is highly susceptible to vascular calcification is the aorta leading to negative cardiovascular outcomes that are secondary to kidney disease [3]. Therefore, understanding the effects that kidney disease has on disrupting the physiology of the vasculature, and finding potential therapeutic options, are imperative to those waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant. The present study aimed to test two hypotheses: (1) Aortic calcification leads to a decrease in stress in the thoracic and abdominal aorta of a young adult mouse. (2) The attenuated aortic stress seen in aortic calcification is due to the decreased expression of smooth muscle ⍺-actin (SM⍺-Actin). To test these hypotheses, calcification was induced in the ex vivo mouse aorta, followed by histological staining for calcium deposits, immunoblots for SM⍺-Actin, and measurements of aortic stress. The results of this study support the hypotheses in that calcification impairs aortic stress and it does so by decreasing the expression of SM⍺-Actin. The present study is the first to show the effect of phosphate-induced calcification on stress and expression of SM⍺-Actin in an ex vivo mouse aorta. This study is relevant to researchers as it shows key differences between studying vascular calcification in vitro compared to ex vivo. Therefore, investigating the mechanisms of aortic calcification using an ex vivo model, may be more applicable to human patients. / 2024-05-17T00:00:00Z

No description available.

Rationale: Autologous bone marrow- or cardiac-derived stem cell therapy for heart disease has demonstrated safety and efficacy in clinical trials but has only offered limited functional improvements. Finding the optimal stem cell type best suited for cardiac regeneration remains a key goal toward improving clinical outcomes. Objective: To determine the mechanism by which novel bone-derived stem cells support the injured heart. Methods and Results: Cortical bone stem cells (CBSCs) and cardiac-derived stem cells (CDCs) were isolated from EGFP+ transgenic mice and were shown to express c-kit and Sca-1 as well as 8 paracrine factors involved in cardioprotection, angiogenesis and stem cell function. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice underwent sham operation (n=21) or myocardial infarction (MI) with injection of CBSCs (n=57), CDCs (n=31) or saline (n=57). Cardiac function was monitored using echocardiography with strain analysis. EGFP+ CBSCs in vivo were shown to express only 2/8 factors tested (basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor) and this expression was associated with increased neovascularization of the infarct border zone. CBSC and CDC therapy improved survival, cardiac function, attenuated adverse remodeling, and decreased infarct size relative to saline-treated MI controls. CBSC treated animals showed the most pronounced improvements in all parameters. By 6 weeks post-MI, EGFP+ cardiomyocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells could be identified on histology in CBSC-treated animals but not in CDC-treated animals. EGFP+ myocytes isolated from CBSC-treated animals were smaller, more frequently mononucleated, and demonstrated fractional shortening and calcium currents indistinguishable from EGFP- myocytes from the same hearts. Conclusions: CBSCs improve survival, cardiac function, and attenuate remodeling more so than CDCs and this occurs through two mechanisms: 1) secretion of the proangiogenic factors bFGF and VEGF (which stimulates endogenous neovascularization), and 2) differentiation into functional adult myocytes and vascular cells. / Physiology

Yes-associated protein (Yap) transcriptional co-activator, a major downstream effector of Hippo signaling pathway, controls organ size by modulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. The Hippo signaling cascade phosphorylates Yap, and this phosphorylation inhibits the nuclear retention of Yap, which is essential for cell proliferation. Thus, the loss of Hippo pathway components leads to enlarged organs through increased Yap activity in the nucleus. Our initial study showed that Yap was expressed in the developing retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), suggesting Yap's tissue-specific roles during the eye development. Intriguingly, Yap proteins were localized at the apical junctions in addition to the nucleus and cytosol of the retinal progenitor cells, adding another level of regulation. To uncover the tissue- and localization-specific functions of Yap, we generated a Yap conditional knockout mouse with Rx-Cre for the ablation of the Yap gene in the developing retina and RPE. Upon deletion of Yap, the retina showed severe lamination defects with numerous folding, which is reminiscent of the polarity and adhesion loss. The RPE, a single pigmented cell layer overlying the retina, lost pigmentation and changed into a multi-layered epithelium. The marker analysis revealed that 1) in the retina, the localization of the polarity complex proteins such as Pals1, Crb1 and atypical PKC were disrupted, suggesting Yap's indispensable role in junctional stability, and 2) the level of Otx2 in RPE decreased while those of Chx10 and beta-tubulin increased, suggesting transdifferentiation of RPE into the retina. In addition, the deletion of Yap induced a decrease in proliferation and an increase in apoptosis, ultimately resulting in microphthalmia. In conclusion, our results are consistent with the model that Yap functions in the stabilization of apical proteins for maintenance of the laminar organization, determination of RPE territory, and regulation of proliferation and apoptosis during the eye development. / Cell Biology

The use of adult hepatic stem cells for the treatment of diabetes, based both on the close embryological association of the pancreas and liver, and on a putative shared tissue stem cell, has been proposed by a number of studies. This study investigated the capacity of hepatic oval cells to differentiate into pancreatic endocrine cells in the presence of pancreatic mesoderm. The GaIN model of hepatic injury was used to induce oval cell activation in Male Sprague-Dawley rats. A viable and significant oval cell population could not however, be isolated and propagated in culture. In order to continue experimentation, a PHeSC-A2 cell line, derived from normal adult porcine liver, was cultured with quail pancreatic mesoderm in the GFRM-Ham s F12.ITS culture system. Cells demonstrating positive immulocalization of the pancreatic markers, insulin and glucagon, were identified as PHeSC-A2-derived, by visual assessment of their nuclear morphology. Techniques used to confirm these results and preclude the derivation of the pancreatic endocrine cells from pancreatic endodermal contamination, proved ineffectual. The tentative results obtained in this study have lead to the following postulations: firstly, the PHeSC-A2 cell line may possess a higher level of potentiality than previously demonstrated; secondly, this potential may be due to the shared embryological origins of the pancreas and liver, and thirdly, permissive signaling from pancreatic mesoderm may have the capacity to induce the differentiation of hepatic oval cells into pancreatic endocrine cells. Further research is required to confirm the results obtained in this study and to substantiate the aforementioned propositions.