Article
Oncology
Allison R. Pine, Stefano M. Cirigliano, Richa Singhania, James Nicholson, Barbara da Silva, Christina S. Leslie, Howard A. Fine
Summary: Using a glioblastoma cerebral organoid model, the study investigated the epigenetic regulation and cellular states of glioma stem cells. Through chromatin accessibility profiling of single cells, the dynamic chromatin changes and shared cellular compartment in glioblastoma were identified. These findings provide insights into transcriptional regulation and potential therapeutic targets for genetically heterogeneous glioblastomas.
Review
Cell Biology
Sarah A. Neely, David A. Lyons
Summary: Glia are a diverse collection of cells that play essential roles in the nervous system. Recent advances in animal models, particularly using zebrafish, have provided important insights into the function and interactions of glial cells, contributing to our understanding of their complex roles in development and throughout life.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Developmental Biology
Alex Eve
Summary: Tom Nowakowski, an Assistant Professor at UCSF, utilizes single-cell sequencing technologies to investigate neurodevelopment. He is a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator and a Next Generation Leader at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. During our Zoom meeting, he discussed his career, transitioning into a group leader role, and his future plans.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Victor Borrell
Summary: Researchers have found that a population of neural progenitor cells co-expressing Neurog2 and Ascl1 play a key role in the implementation of cortex folding during embryonic development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katrin Gerstmann, Karine Kindbeiter, Ludovic Telley, Muriel Bozon, Florie Reynaud, Emy Theoulle, Camille Charoy, Denis Jabaudon, Frederic Moret, Valerie Castellani
Summary: During corticogenesis, diffusible signals from the cerebrospinal fluid may contribute to the dynamic regulation of apical adhesion, resulting in dual effects on cell positioning and cell progeny.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guillaume Serwe, David Kachaner, Jessica Gagnon, Cedric Plutoni, Driss Lajoie, Eloise Durame, Malha Sahmi, Damien Garrido, Martin Lefrancois, Genevieve Arseneault, Marc K. Saba-El-Leil, Sylvain Meloche, Gregory Emery, Marc Therrien
Summary: Cell motility is a critical feature of invasive tumour cells that is governed by complex signal transduction events. Here, researchers have identified a novel pro-motility pathway in cancer cells, in which the scaffold protein CNK2 and its partner SAMD12 play a crucial role in promoting cell migration by activating ARF6 GTPase.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sho Kohara, Kazushige Ogawa
Summary: Kupffer cells are maintained through self-renewal within liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). In this study, liver macrophages (Mo) were propagated from mice using mixed culture with hepatic fibroblastic cells. The propagated liver Mo expressed specific transcription factors and exhibited similar gene expression and surface markers as primary LSECs, suggesting that their properties resemble those of Kupffer cells. Further investigation revealed the expression of certain Eph receptors and ephrin ligands, as well as integrin subunits and corresponding ligands, potentially contributing to the adhesion and residence of Kupffer cells within the liver sinusoid.
Review
Developmental Biology
Naoya Yamaguchi, Holger Knaut
Summary: Cell-extracellular matrix interactions are essential for cell anchoring and migration, with focal adhesions (FAs) playing a key role. However, the role of FAs in vivo is still not well understood.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Alexander Atamian, Marcella Birtele, Giorgia Quadrato
Summary: This study compares different methods for deriving human cortical organoids and finds that combining WNT and dual SMAD inhibition is more effective in inducing cortical identity in 3D human pluripotent stem-cell aggregates compared to dual SMAD inhibition alone.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Thomas Becker, Catherina G. Becker
Summary: Neural stem cells in fishes and salamanders can switch back to neurogenesis after injury, unlike mammals. Understanding the signaling mechanisms in naturally regenerating species, such as zebrafish, provides insights into how to promote neurogenesis in non-regenerating mammals.
Article
Neurosciences
Alex Moore, Kavitha Chinnaiya, Dong Won Kim, Sarah Brown, Iain Stewart, Sarah Robins, Georgina K. C. Dowsett, Charlotte Muir, Marco Travaglio, Jo E. Lewis, Fran Ebling, Seth Blackshaw, Andrew Furley, Marysia Placzek
Summary: This study reveals that the cell adhesion molecule NrCAM regulates tanycytes in adult mice, affecting the expression of tanycyte-specific genes. Loss of NrCAM leads to a reduced number of tanycytes and decreased expression of tanycyte markers, but only has a subtle effect on the metabolic phenotype.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandro E. Trevino, Fabian Mueller, Jimena Andersen, Laksshman Sundaram, Arwa Kathiria, Anna Shcherbina, Kyle Farh, Howard Y. Chang, Anca M. Pasca, Anshul Kundaje, Sergiu P. Pasca, William J. Greenleaf
Summary: Genetic perturbations of cortical development can lead to neurodevelopmental disease like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mapping the activity of gene-regulatory elements generating a single-cell atlas of gene expression and chromatin accessibility reveals gene regulation by key transcription factors, differentiates glial lineages' expression programs, and identifies lineage-determining TFs. High connection genes in early differentiating cells exhibit an active chromatin state consistent with lineage commitment. Neural network models pinpoint cell-type-specific enrichment of noncoding mutations associated with ASD in individuals and frequently disrupted TF binding sites. This highlights how cell-type-specific mapping can unveil insights into human development and disease programs.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Katherine L. O'Shaughnessy, Benjamin D. McMichael, Aubrey L. Sasser, Kiersten S. Bell, Cal Riutta, Jermaine L. Ford, Tammy E. Stoker, Rachel D. Grindstaff, Arun R. Pandiri, Mary E. Gilbert
Summary: Thyroid hormone plays an important role in the spatiotemporal control of brain development. Perinatal hypothyroidism causes the formation of periventricular heterotopia in rats, which is preceded by the loss of radial glia cell polarity. In this study, the authors investigated the role of thyroid hormone in cell signaling in the ventricular zone (VZ) by using laser capture microdissection and RNA-Seq. The results showed that hypothyroidism affected various processes in the VZ, including extracellular matrix maintenance, cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, and cell migration. This study also revealed potential effects of hypothyroidism on the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers in newborns.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenqiang Fan, Jeronimo Jurado-Arjona, Gregorio Alanis-Lobato, Sophie Peron, Christian Berger, Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro, Sven Falk, Benedikt Berninger
Summary: Most adult hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs) remain quiescent, but the activity of the transcriptional co-activator Yap1 is enriched in active NSCs. Genetic deletion of Yap1 reduces the proportion of active NSCs, indicating its role in regulating the transition from quiescence to activation. Overexpression of a gain-of-function Yap1 mutant leads to cell cycle entry in NSCs and astrocytes, and dysregulated Yap1 activity represses neurogenesis and induces glioblastoma stem cell-like characteristics.
Article
Biology
Dongjin R. Lee, Christopher Rhodes, Apratim Mitra, Yajun Zhang, Dragan Maric, Ryan K. Dale, Timothy J. Petros
Summary: This study characterized the transcriptional heterogeneity of radial glia cells in the ganglionic eminences using single-cell RNA sequencing. The results revealed previously unknown spatial and temporal genetic diversity of VZ cells in the ventral forebrain, which will contribute to our understanding of initial fate decisions in the forebrain.
Article
Biology
Shima Ghoroghi, Benjamin Mary, Annabel Larnicol, Nandini Asokan, Annick Klein, Nael Osmani, Ignacio Busnelli, Francois Delalande, Nicodeme Paul, Sebastien Halary, Frederic Gros, Laetitia Fouillen, Anne-Marie Haeberle, Cathy Royer, Coralie Spiegelhalter, Gwennan Andre-Gregoire, Vincent Mittelheisser, Alexandre Detappe, Kendelle Murphy, Paul Timpson, Raphael Carapito, Marcel Blot-Chabaud, Julie Gavard, Christine Carapito, Nicolas Vitale, Olivier Lefebvre, Jacky G. Goetz, Vincent Hyenne
Summary: This study identifies Ral GTPases as central molecules linking the mechanisms of EV secretion and cargo loading to their capacity to disseminate and induce pre-metastatic niches. Depletion of RalA or RalB in cells leads to limited organotropic capacities in vivo and less efficient promotion of metastasis, as well as reduced levels of the adhesion molecule MCAM/CD146 in EVs, which favors EV-mediated metastasis by targeting to the lungs. RalA, RalB, and MCAM/CD146 are factors of poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Enrico Falcone, Michael Okafor, Nicolas Vitale, Laurent Raibaut, Angelique Sour, Peter Faller
Summary: The study focuses on sensors of the Cu2+ state and discusses the challenges in detecting labile and thermodynamically accessible Cu2+ using luminescent or MRI-active probes in extracellular fluids. The specificity, affinity for Cu2+, and competition with other ligands like Zn2+ play crucial roles in designing potential sensors for measuring Cu2+ accurately. However, current research shows that developing sensors capable of specifically detecting Cu2+ in biological systems remains a significant challenge.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Laura Streit, Sophie Moog, Sylvain Hugel, Marion Rame, Emeline Tanguy, Virginie Andry, Herbert A. Schmid, Laurent Brunaud, Florence Bihain, Claire Nomine-Criqui, Yannick Goumon, Stephanie Lacomme, Sandra Lomazzi, Michel Vix, Didier Mutter, Nicolas Vitale, Stephane Ory, Stephane Gasman
Summary: NETs like pheochromocytoma can cause severe symptoms and life-threatening conditions. Treatment with somatostatin analogues may help inhibit the secretion of catecholamines. The study found that SOM230 could effectively inhibit catecholamine secretion and be considered a potential anti-secretory treatment for patients with pheochromocytoma.
Article
Cell Biology
Valentin Guyard, Vera Filipa Monteiro-Cardoso, Mohyeddine Omrane, Cecile Sauvanet, Audrey Houcine, Claire Boulogne, Kalthoum Ben Mbarek, Nicolas Vitale, Orestis Faklaris, Naima El Khallouki, Abdou Rachid Thiam, Francesca Giordano
Summary: This study reveals the role of lipid transfer proteins ORP5 and ORP8 in controlling lipid droplet (LD) biogenesis at mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM) subdomains. It uncovers their involvement in LD nucleation and growth and emphasizes the importance of the integrity of ER-mitochondria contact sites for this process.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Sebastien Houy, Laura Streit, Ines Drissa, Marion Rame, Charles Decraene, Sophie Moog, Laurent Brunaud, Joel Lanoix, Rabie Chelbi, Florence Bihain, Stephanie Lacomme, Sandra Lomazzi, Philippe Campoli, Michel Vix, Didier Mutter, Eustache Paramithiotis, Christophe Dubessy, Nicolas Vitale, Stephane Ory, Stephane Gasman
Summary: This study reveals that dysfunction of calcium-regulated exocytosis at the individual cell level is the cause of tumor-associated hypersecretion of catecholamines in pheochromocytoma.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chao-Chieh Lin, Jin Yan, Meghan D. Kapur, Kristi L. Norris, Cheng-Wei Hsieh, De Huang, Nicolas Vitale, Kah-Leong Lim, Ziqiang Guan, Xiao-Fan Wang, Jen-Tsan Chi, Wei-Yuan Yang, Tso-Pang Yao
Summary: This study reveals that Parkin activates lipid remodeling on ubiquitinated mitochondria, leading to the production of DAG and assembly of autophagosomes for efficient disposal. Inhibition of lipid remodeling factors or autophagy receptors disrupts the process, highlighting the importance of mitochondrial DAG production in mitophagy.
Article
Cell Biology
Christian Leveque, Yves Maulet, Qili Wang, Marion Rame, Lea Rodriguez, Sumiko Mochida, Marion Sangiardi, Fahamoe Youssouf, Cecile Iborra, Michael Seagar, Nicolas Vitale, Oussama El Far
Summary: V-ATPase plays a crucial role in synaptic vesicle acidification and synaptic transmission. The V1 sector rotation drives proton transfer through the V0 sector, and the V0 subunits V0a and V0c interact with SNARE proteins. The soluble subunit V0d is essential for the proton transfer activity of V-ATPase and can inhibit the interaction between V0c and SNAREs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qili Wang, Alexander Wolf, Sebahat Ozkan, Ludovic Richert, Yves Mely, Sylvette Chasserot-Golaz, Stephane Ory, Stephane Gasman, Nicolas Vitale
Summary: Although the importance of lipids in cells and human diseases is increasingly recognized, their specific roles, especially in neurosecretion, are still largely unknown. Recent research has highlighted the critical role of lipid localization and fusogenic lipids in membrane fusion, but the regulatory mechanisms behind lipid synthesis and neurosecretion are poorly understood.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michael Okafor, Paulina Gonzalez, Pascale Ronot, Islah El Masoudi, Anne Boos, Stephane Ory, Sylvette Chasserot-Golaz, Stephane Gasman, Laurent Raibaut, Christelle Hureau, Nicolas Vitale, Peter Faller
Summary: Copper homeostasis is crucial for mammal's health and its dysregulation is implicated in diseases like Alzheimer's. In this study, a novel peptide-based copper shuttle is designed, which can selectively transport copper ions into cells and remove copper from amyloid plaques, inhibiting oxidative stress and cell toxicity. This mechanism shows potential applications in treating copper-related diseases.
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicolas Vitale
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Duo Yang, Xiaoli Wang, Xinna Zhou, Jing Zhao, Huabing Yang, Shuo Wang, Michael A. Morse, Jiangping Wu, Yanhua Yuan, Sha Li, Amy Hobeika, Herbert Kim Lyerly, Jun Ren
Summary: Human microbiota influence the response of malignancies to treatment with immune checkpoint blockade. This study explored the effect of blood microbiota on clinical efficacy of combined chemotherapy and adoptive cellular therapy in advanced colon cancer patients. The diversity of the blood microbiome is a promising predictive marker for clinical responses to chemotherapy combined with DC-CIK.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Franck Delavoie, Cathy Royer, Stephane Gasman, Nicolas Vitale, Sylvette Chasserot-Golaz
Summary: By generating plasma membrane sheets on electron microscopy grids, the formation and architecture of the exocytotic site can be studied, allowing visualization and quantitative analysis of membrane organization, specific proteins, and lipids. This approach utilizes mechanical forces to break open cells and visualize inner membrane surfaces with different electron-dense colorations, detecting specific proteins or lipids with gold-conjugated probes. Additionally, the technique is resistant enough to support automated acquisition of multiple-tilt projections for electron tomography and obtain 3D ultrastructural images of secretory granules docked to the plasma membrane.
EXOCYTOSIS AND ENDOCYTOSIS: Methods and Protocols
(2021)
Article
Biology
Nawal Kassas, Laetitia Fouillen, Stephane Gasman, Nicolas Vitale
Summary: Lipids, especially phosphatidic acid (PA), have been shown to play crucial roles in membrane trafficking, with up to 50 different PA species identified in cellular membranes.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Emeline Tanguy, Tamou Thahouly, Cathy Royer, Valerie Demais, Stephane Gasman, Sylvette Chasserot-Golaz, Nicolas Vitale
Summary: The protocol provides a method for determining the spatial distribution of PA at exocytotic sites using electron microscopy, and can be applied to various cell models and membrane lipids.
Article
Oncology
Xiaoli Wang, Guoliang Qiao, Ni Jiang, Michael A. Morse, Xinna Zhou, Shuo Wang, Jiangping Wu, Yuguang Song, Yanjie Zhao, Lei Zhou, Yanhua Yuan, Amy Hobeika, Jun Ren, Herbert Kim Lyerly
Summary: The administration of activated T cell immunotherapy may prevent progression of NMIBC by reducing immunosuppressive cell populations. DC/CIK infusions resulted in increased cytotoxic T cells, decreased suppressive T cell populations, improvements in T cell phenotype and TCR repertoire, decreased circulating tumor DNA, and sustained recurrence-free survival.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)