3D Spheroids Facilitate Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Hepatocyte-Like Cells via p300-Mediated H3K56 Acetylation.

Hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) that are differentiated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide a valuable resource for drug screening and cell-based regeneration therapy. Differentiating HLCs into 3D spheroids enhances their phenotypes and functions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MSCs hepatogenic differentiation are not fully understood. In this study, we generated HLCs from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) in both 2D and 3D cultures. We performed an acetyl-proteomics assay on the HLCs derived from both 2D and 3D differentiation and identified a differential change in H3K56 acetylation between the 2 differentiated cells. Our findings revealed that 3D differentiation activated ALB gene transcription by increasing the acetylation level of H3K56, thereby enhancing the phenotypes and functions of HLCs and further promoting their maturation. Notably, inhibiting p300 reduced the acetylation level of H3K56 during hepatogenic differentiation, leading to decreased phenotypes and functions of HLCs, whereas activation of p300 promoted hepatogenic differentiation, suggesting that p300 plays a critical role in this process. In summary, our study demonstrates a potential mechanism through which 3D spheroids differentiation facilitates hADMSCs differentiation into HLCs by promoting p300-mediated H3K56 acetylation, which could have significant clinical applications in liver regeneration and disease modeling.

Microfluidic Platforms for Real-Time In Situ Monitoring of Biomarkers for Cellular Processes.

Cellular processes are mechanisms carried out at the cellular level that are aimed at guaranteeing the stability of the organism they comprise. The investigation of cellular processes is key to understanding cell fate, understanding pathogenic mechanisms, and developing new therapeutic technologies. Microfluidic platforms are thought to be the most powerful tools among all methodologies for investigating cellular processes because they can integrate almost all types of the existing intracellular and extracellular biomarker-sensing methods and observation approaches for cell behavior, combined with precisely controlled cell culture, manipulation, stimulation, and analysis. Most importantly, microfluidic platforms can realize real-time in situ detection of secreted proteins, exosomes, and other biomarkers produced during cell physiological processes, thereby providing the possibility to draw the whole picture for a cellular process. Owing to their advantages of high throughput, low sample consumption, and precise cell control, microfluidic platforms with real-time in situ monitoring characteristics are widely being used in cell analysis, disease diagnosis, pharmaceutical research, and biological production. This review focuses on the basic concepts, recent progress, and application prospects of microfluidic platforms for real-time in situ monitoring of biomarkers in cellular processes.

A disease associated mutant reveals how Ltv1 orchestrates RP assembly and rRNA folding of the small ribosomal subunit head.

Ribosomes are complex macromolecules assembled from 4 rRNAs and 79 ribosomal proteins (RPs). Their assembly is organized in a highly hierarchical manner, which is thought to avoid dead-end pathways, thereby enabling efficient assembly of ribosomes in the large quantities needed for healthy cellular growth. Moreover, hierarchical assembly also can help ensure that each RP is included in the mature ribosome. Nonetheless, how this hierarchy is achieved remains unknown, beyond the examples that depend on direct RP-RP interactions, which account for only a fraction of the observed dependencies. Using assembly of the small subunit head and a disease-associated mutation in the assembly factor Ltv1 as a model system, we dissect here how the hierarchy in RP binding is constructed. A combination of data from yeast genetics, mass spectrometry, DMS probing and biochemical experiments demonstrate that the LIPHAK-disease-associated Ltv1 mutation leads to global defects in head assembly, which are explained by direct binding of Ltv1 to 5 out of 15 RPs, and indirect effects that affect 4 additional RPs. These indirect effects are mediated by conformational transitions in the nascent subunit that are regulated by Ltv1. Mechanistically, Ltv1 aids the recruitment of some RPs via direct protein-protein interactions, but surprisingly also delays the recruitment of other RPs. Delayed binding of key RPs also delays the acquisition of RNA structure that is stabilized by these proteins. Finally, our data also indicate direct roles for Ltv1 in chaperoning the folding of a key rRNA structural element, the three-helix junction j34-35-38. Thus, Ltv1 plays critical roles in organizing the order of both RP binding to rRNA and rRNA folding, thereby enabling efficient 40S subunit assembly.

A disease associated mutant reveals how Ltv1 orchestrates RP assembly and rRNA folding of the small ribosomal subunit head.

Ribosomes are complex macromolecules assembled from 4 rRNAs and 79 ribosomal proteins (RPs). Their assembly is organized in a highly hierarchical manner, which is thought to avoid dead-end pathways, thereby enabling efficient assembly of ribosomes in the large quantities needed for healthy cellular growth. Moreover, hierarchical assembly also can help ensure that each RP is included in the mature ribosome. Nonetheless, how this hierarchy is achieved remains unknown, beyond the examples that depend on direct RP-RP interactions, which account for only a fraction of the observed dependencies. Using assembly of the small subunit head and a disease-associated mutation in the assembly factor Ltv1 as a model system, we dissect here how the hierarchy in RP binding is constructed. Our data demonstrate that the LIPHAK-disease-associated Ltv1 mutation leads to global defects in head assembly, which are explained by direct binding of Ltv1 to 5 out of 15 RPs, and indirect effects that affect 4 additional RPs. These indirect effects are mediated by conformational transitions in the nascent subunit that are regulated by Ltv1. Mechanistically, Ltv1 aids the recruitment of some RPs via direct protein-protein interactions, but surprisingly also delays the recruitment of other RPs. Delayed binding of key RPs also delays the acquisition of RNA structure that is stabilized by these proteins. Finally, our data also indicate direct roles for Ltv1 in chaperoning the folding of a key rRNA structural element, the three-helix junction j34-35-38. Thus, Ltv1 plays critical roles in organizing the order of both RP binding to rRNA and rRNA folding, thereby enabling efficient 40S subunit assembly.

Using DMS-MaPseq to uncover the roles of DEAD-box proteins in ribosome assembly.

DMS (dimethylsulfate) is a time-tested chemical probe for nucleic acid secondary structure that has recently re-emerged as a powerful tool to study RNA structure and structural changes, by coupling it to high throughput sequencing techniques. This variant, termed DMS-MaPseq, allows for mapping of all RNAs in a cell at the same time. However, if an RNA adopts different structures, for example during the assembly of an RNA-protein complex, or as part of its functional cycle, then DMS-MaPseq cannot differentiate between these structures, and an ensemble average will be produced. This is especially challenging for long-lived RNAs, such as ribosomes, whose steady-state abundance far exceeds that of any assembly intermediates, rendering those inaccessible to DMS-MaPseq on total RNAs. These challenges can be overcome by purification of assembly intermediates stalled at specific assembly steps (or steps in the functional cycle), via a combination of affinity tags and mutants stalled at defined steps, and subsequent DMS probing of these intermediates. Interpretation of the differences in DMS accessibility is facilitated by additional structural information, e.g. from cryo-EM experiments, available for many functional RNAs. While this approach is generally useful for studying RNA folding or conformational changes within RNA-protein complexes, it can be particularly valuable for studying the role(s) of DEAD-box proteins, as these tend to lead to larger conformational rearrangements, often resulting from the release of an RNA-binding protein from a bound RNA. Here we provide an adaptation of the DMS-MaPseq protocol to study RNA conformational transitions during ribosome assembly, which addresses the challenges arising from the presence of many assembly intermediates, all at concentrations far below that of mature ribosomes. While this protocol was developed for the yeast S. cerevisiae, we anticipate that it should be readily transferable to other model organisms for which affinity purification has been established.

The modifying enzyme Tsr3 establishes the hierarchy of Rio kinase binding in 40S ribosome assembly.

Ribosome assembly is an intricate process, which in eukaryotes is promoted by a large machinery comprised of over 200 assembly factors (AFs) that enable the modification, folding, and processing of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and the binding of the 79 ribosomal proteins. While some early assembly steps occur via parallel pathways, the process overall is highly hierarchical, which allows for the integration of maturation steps with quality control processes that ensure only fully and correctly assembled subunits are released into the translating pool. How exactly this hierarchy is established, in particular given that there are many instances of RNA substrate "handover" from one highly related AF to another, remains to be determined. Here we have investigated the role of Tsr3, which installs a universally conserved modification in the P-site of the small ribosomal subunit late in assembly. Our data demonstrate that Tsr3 separates the binding of the Rio kinases, Rio2 and Rio1, with whom it shares a binding site. By binding after Rio2 dissociation, Tsr3 prevents rebinding of Rio2, promoting forward assembly. After rRNA modification is complete, Tsr3 dissociates, thereby allowing for recruitment of Rio1 into its functional site. Inactive Tsr3 blocks Rio1 function, which can be rescued using mutants that bypass the requirement for Rio1 activity. Finally, yeast strains lacking Tsr3 randomize the binding of the two kinases, leading to the release of immature ribosomes into the translating pool. These data demonstrate a role for Tsr3 and its modification activity in establishing a hierarchy for the function of the Rio kinases.

Assembly factors chaperone ribosomal RNA folding by isolating helical junctions that are prone to misfolding.

While RNAs are known to misfold, the underlying molecular causes have been mainly studied in fragments of biologically relevant larger RNAs. As these small RNAs are dominated by secondary structures, misfolding of these secondary structures remains the most-explored cause for global RNA misfolding. Conversely, how RNA chaperones function in a biological context to promote native folding beyond duplex annealing remains unknown. Here, in a combination of dimethylsulfate mutational profiling with sequencing (DMS-MaPseq), structural analyses, biochemical experiments, and yeast genetics, we show that three-helix junctions are prone to misfolding during assembly of the small ribosomal subunit in vivo. We identify ubiquitous roles for ribosome assembly factors in chaperoning their folding by preventing the formation of premature tertiary interactions, which otherwise kinetically trap misfolded junctions, thereby blocking further progress in the assembly cascade. While these protein chaperones act indirectly by binding the interaction partners of junctions, our analyses also suggest direct roles for small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in binding and chaperoning helical junctions during transcription. While these assembly factors do not utilize energy to ameliorate misfolding, our data demonstrate how their dissociation renders reversible folding steps irreversible, thereby driving native folding and assembly and setting up a timer that dictates the propensity of misfolded intermediates to escape quality control. Finally, the data demonstrate that RNA chaperones act locally on individual tertiary interactions, in contrast to protein chaperones, which globally unfold misfolded proteins.

An open interface in the pre-80S ribosome coordinated by ribosome assembly factors Tsr1 and Dim1 enables temporal regulation of Fap7.

During their maturation, nascent 40S subunits enter a translation-like quality control cycle, where they are joined by mature 60S subunits to form 80S-like ribosomes. While these assembly intermediates are essential for maturation and quality control, how they form, and how their structure promotes quality control, remains unknown. To address these questions, we determined the structure of an 80S-like ribosome assembly intermediate to an overall resolution of 3.4 Å. The structure, validated by biochemical data, resolves a large body of previously paradoxical data and illustrates how assembly and translation factors cooperate to promote the formation of an interface that lacks many mature subunit contacts but is stabilized by the universally conserved methyltransferase Dim1. We also show how Tsr1 enables this interface by blocking the canonical binding of eIF5B to 40S subunits, while maintaining its binding to 60S. The structure also shows how this interface leads to unfolding of the platform, which allows for temporal regulation of the ATPase Fap7, thus linking 40S maturation to quality control during ribosome assembly.

Quality control of 40S ribosome head assembly ensures scanning competence.

During translation initiation, 40S ribosomes scan the mRNA until they encounter the start codon, where conformational changes produce a translation-competent 80S complex. Destabilizing the scanning complex results in misinitiation at non-AUG codons, demonstrating its importance for fidelity. Here, we use a combination of biochemical and genetic analyses to demonstrate that the ability of the nascent subunit to adopt the scanning complex is tested during assembly via structural mimicry. Specifically, formation of the 80S-like assembly intermediate, which structurally resembles scanning complexes, requires the correct folding of two rRNA elements in the subunit head and the proper positioning of the universally conserved head proteins Rps3, Rps15, Rps20, and Rps29. rRNA misfolding impairs the formation of 80S-like ribosomes, and bypass of individual checkpoints using cancer-associated mutations produces ribosomes defective in accurate start-site selection. Thus, the formation of 80S-like assembly intermediates is a quality control step that ensures scanning competence of the nascent subunit.

Psp2, a novel regulator of autophagy that promotes autophagy-related protein translation.

Macroautophagy/autophagy defines an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process that targets cytoplasmic components for lysosomal degradation. The process of autophagy from initiation to closure is tightly executed and controlled by the concerted action of autophagy-related (Atg) proteins. Although substantial progress has been made in characterizing transcriptional and post-translational regulation of ATG/Atg genes/proteins, little is known about the translational control of autophagy. Here we report that Psp2, an RGG motif protein, positively regulates autophagy through promoting the translation of Atg1 and Atg13, two proteins that are crucial in the initiation of autophagy. During nitrogen starvation conditions, Psp2 interacts with the 5' UTR of ATG1 and ATG13 transcripts in an RGG motif-dependent manner and with eIF4E and eIF4G2, components of the translation initiation machinery, to regulate the translation of these transcripts. Deletion of the PSP2 gene leads to a decrease in the synthesis of Atg1 and Atg13, which correlates with reduced autophagy activity and cell survival. Furthermore, deactivation of the methyltransferase Hmt1 constitutes a molecular switch that regulates Psp2 arginine methylation status as well as its mRNA binding activity in response to starvation. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which Atg proteins become upregulated to fulfill the increased demands of autophagy activity as part of translational reprogramming during stress conditions, and help explain how ATG genes bypass the general block in protein translation that occurs during starvation.

Ribosome biogenesis factor Ltv1 chaperones the assembly of the small subunit head.

The correct assembly of ribosomes from ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and ribosomal proteins (RPs) is critical, as indicated by the diseases caused by RP haploinsufficiency and loss of RP stoichiometry in cancer cells. Nevertheless, how assembly of each RP is ensured remains poorly understood. We use yeast genetics, biochemistry, and structure probing to show that the assembly factor Ltv1 facilitates the incorporation of Rps3, Rps10, and Asc1/RACK1 into the small ribosomal subunit head. Ribosomes from Ltv1-deficient yeast have substoichiometric amounts of Rps10 and Asc1 and show defects in translational fidelity and ribosome-mediated RNA quality control. These defects provide a growth advantage under some conditions but sensitize the cells to oxidative stress. Intriguingly, relative to glioma cell lines, breast cancer cells have reduced levels of LTV1 and produce ribosomes lacking RPS3, RPS10, and RACK1. These data describe a mechanism to ensure RP assembly and demonstrate how cancer cells circumvent this mechanism to generate diverse ribosome populations that can promote survival under stress.

Effect of Cell Sex on Uptake of Nanoparticles: The Overlooked Factor at the Nanobio Interface.

Cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) depends on the nature of the nanobio system including the solid nanocomponents ( e. g., physicochemical properties of NPs), nanobio interfaces ( e. g., protein corona composition), and the cellular characteristics ( e. g., cell type). In this study, we document the role of sex in cellular uptake of NPs as an "overlooked" factor in nanobio interface investigations. We demonstrate that cell sex leads to differences in NP uptake between male and female human amniotic stem cells (hAMSCs), with greater uptake by female cells. hAMSCs are one of the earliest sources of somatic stem cells. The experiments were replicated with primary fibroblasts isolated from the salivary gland of adult male and female donors of similar ages, and again the extent of NP uptake was altered by cell sex. However, in contrast to hAMSCs, uptake was greater in male cells. We also found out that female versus male amniotic stem cells exhibited different responses to reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by the Yamanaka factors. Thus, future studies should consider the effect of sex on the nanobio interactions to optimize clinical translation of NPs and iPSC biology and to help researchers to better design and produce safe and efficient therapeutic sex-specific NPs.

Deep nuclear invaginations are linked to cytoskeletal filaments - integrated bioimaging of epithelial cells in 3D culture.

The importance of context in regulation of gene expression is now an accepted principle; yet the mechanism by which the microenvironment communicates with the nucleus and chromatin in healthy tissues is poorly understood. A functional role for nuclear and cytoskeletal architecture is suggested by the phenotypic differences observed between epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Capitalizing on recent advances in cryogenic techniques, volume electron microscopy and super-resolution light microscopy, we studied human mammary epithelial cells in three-dimensional (3D) cultures forming growth-arrested acini. Intriguingly, we found deep nuclear invaginations and tunnels traversing the nucleus, encasing cytoskeletal actin and/or intermediate filaments, which connect to the outer nuclear envelope. The cytoskeleton is also connected both to other cells through desmosome adhesion complexes and to the extracellular matrix through hemidesmosomes. This finding supports a physical and/or mechanical link from the desmosomes and hemidesmosomes to the nucleus, which had previously been hypothesized but now is visualized for the first time. These unique structures, including the nuclear invaginations and the cytoskeletal connectivity to the cell nucleus, are consistent with a dynamic reciprocity between the nucleus and the outside of epithelial cells and tissues.