Artificial spider silk supports and guides neurite extension in vitro.

Surgical intervention with the use of autografts is considered the gold standard to treat peripheral nerve injuries. However, a biomaterial that supports and guides nerve growth would be an attractive alternative to overcome problems with limited availability, morbidity at the site of harvest, and nerve mismatches related to autografts. Native spider silk is a promising material for construction of nerve guidance conduit (NGC), as it enables regeneration of cm-long nerve injuries in sheep, but regulatory requirements for medical devices demand synthetic materials. Here, we use a recombinant spider silk protein (NT2RepCT) and a functionalized variant carrying a peptide derived from vitronectin (VN-NT2RepCT) as substrates for nerve growth support and neurite extension, using a dorsal root ganglion cell line, ND7/23. Two-dimensional coatings were benchmarked against poly-d-lysine and recombinant laminins. Both spider silk coatings performed as the control substrates with regards to proliferation, survival, and neurite growth. Furthermore, NT2RepCT and VN-NT2RepCT spun into continuous fibers in a biomimetic spinning set-up support cell survival, neurite growth, and guidance to an even larger extent than native spider silk. Thus, artificial spider silk is a promising biomaterial for development of NGCs.

In ß-actin knockouts, epigenetic reprogramming and rDNA transcription inactivation lead to growth and proliferation defects.

Actin and nuclear myosin 1 (NM1) are regulators of transcription and chromatin organization. Using a genome-wide approach, we report here that ß-actin binds intergenic and genic regions across the mammalian genome, associated with both protein-coding and rRNA genes. Within the rDNA, the distribution of ß-actin correlated with NM1 and the other subunits of the B-WICH complex, WSTF and SNF2h. In ß-actin(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), we found that rRNA synthesis levels decreased concomitantly with drops in RNA polymerase I (Pol I) and NM1 occupancies across the rRNA gene. Reintroduction of wild-type ß-actin, in contrast to mutated forms with polymerization defects, efficiently rescued rRNA synthesis underscoring the direct role for a polymerization-competent form of ß-actin in Pol I transcription. The rRNA synthesis defects in the ß-actin(-/-) MEFs are a consequence of epigenetic reprogramming with up-regulation of the repressive mark H3K4me1 (monomethylation of lys4 on histone H3) and enhanced chromatin compaction at promoter-proximal enhancer (T0 sequence), which disturb binding of the transcription factor TTF1. We propose a novel genome-wide mechanism where the polymerase-associated ß-actin synergizes with NM1 to coordinate permissive chromatin with Pol I transcription, cell growth, and proliferation.-Almuzzaini, B., Sarshad, A. A. , Rahmanto, A. S., Hansson, M. L., Von Euler, A., Sangfelt, O., Visa, N., Farrants, A.-K. Ö., Percipalle, P. In ß-actin knockouts, epigenetic reprogramming and rDNA transcription inactivation lead to growth and proliferation defects.

Efficient delivery and functional expression of transfected modified mRNA in human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelial cells.

Gene- and cell-based therapies are promising strategies for the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, Stargardt disease, and retinitis pigmentosa. Cellular engineering before transplantation may allow the delivery of cellular factors that can promote functional improvements, such as increased engraftment or survival of transplanted cells. A current challenge in traditional DNA-based vector transfection is to find a delivery system that is both safe and efficient, but using mRNA as an alternative to DNA can circumvent these major roadblocks. In this study, we show that both unmodified and modified mRNA can be delivered to retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells with a high efficiency compared with conventional plasmid delivery systems. On the other hand, administration of unmodified mRNA induced a strong innate immune response that was almost absent when using modified mRNA. Importantly, transfection of mRNA encoding a key regulator of RPE gene expression, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), confirmed the functionality of the delivered mRNA. Immunostaining showed that transfection with either type of mRNA led to the expression of roughly equal levels of MITF, primarily localized in the nucleus. Despite these findings, quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that the activation of the expression of MITF target genes was higher following transfection with modified mRNA compared with unmodified mRNA. Our findings, therefore, show that modified mRNA transfection can be applied to human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cells and that the method is safe, efficient, and functional.

MAML1 acts cooperatively with EGR1 to activate EGR1-regulated promoters: implications for nephrogenesis and the development of renal cancer.

Mastermind-like 1 (MAML1) is a transcriptional coregulator of activators in various signaling pathways, such as Notch, p53, myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) and beta-catenin. In earlier studies, we demonstrated that MAML1 enhanced p300 acetyltransferase activity, which increased the acetylation of Notch by p300. In this study, we show that MAML1 strongly induced acetylation of the transcription factor early growth response-1 (EGR1) by p300, and increased EGR1 protein expression in embryonic kidney cells. EGR1 mRNA transcripts were also upregulated in the presence of MAML1. We show that MAML1 physically interacted with, and acted cooperatively with EGR1 to increase transcriptional activity of the EGR1 and p300 promoters, which both contain EGR1 binding sites. Bioinformatics assessment revealed a correlation between p300, EGR1 and MAML1 copy number and mRNA alterations in renal clear cell carcinoma and p300, EGR1 and MAML1 gene alterations were associated with increased overall survival. Our findings suggest MAML1 may be a component of the transcriptional networks which regulate EGR1 target genes during nephrogenesis and could also have implications for the development of renal cell carcinoma.

Ubiquitination of Notch1 is regulated by MAML1-mediated p300 acetylation of Notch1.

Earlier studies demonstrated the involvement of the p300 histone acetyltransferase in Notch signaling but the precise mechanisms by which p300 might modulate Notch function remains to be investigated. In this study, we show that p300 acetylates Notch1 ICD in cell culture assay and in vitro, and conserved lysines located within the Notch C-terminal nuclear localization signal are essential for Notch acetylation. MAML1 and CSL, which are components of the Notch transcription complex, enhance Notch acetylation and we suggest that MAML1 increases Notch acetylation by potentiating p300 autoacetylation. Furthermore, MAML1-dependent acetylation of Notch1 ICD by p300 decreases the ubiquitination of Notch1 ICD in cellular assays. CDK8 has been shown to target Notch1 for ubiquitination and proteosomal degradation. We show that CDK8 inhibits Notch acetylation and Notch transcription enhanced by p300. Therefore, we speculate that acetylation of Notch1 might be a mechanism to regulate Notch activity by interfering with ubiquitin-dependent pathways.

SUMO modification regulates the transcriptional activity of MAML1.

The Mastermindlike (MAML) family, comprising human MAML1, MAML2, and MAML3, are transcriptional regulators in Notch signaling. MAML proteins contain two consensus sites for SUMOylation at Lysine217 and Lysine299 that are conserved in humans, mice, and Xenopus. In this report, we show that MAML1 is SUMOylated at both sites. The E2-conjugating enzyme UBC9 is essential for MAML1 SUMOylation, and the E3 ligase PIAS1 stimulates this activity. Mutation of the lysines abolishes SUMOylation of MAML1 and strongly increases MAML1-activated transcription in cell culture assays. The protease SENP1 reverses SUMOylation of MAML1 and potentiates the transcription factor activity of MAML1. Furthermore, SUMOylation enhances MAML1 interaction with HDAC7, which decreases MAML1 transcriptional activity. Taken together, our data indicate that SUMOylation of MAML1 is a mechanism for repressing MAML1 activity by influencing its interaction with HDAC7.

GSK3beta is a negative regulator of the transcriptional coactivator MAML1.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) is involved in several cellular signaling systems through regulation of the activity of diverse transcription factors such as Notch, p53 and beta-catenin. Mastermind-like 1 (MAML1) was originally identified as a Notch coactivator, but has also been reported to function as a transcriptional coregulator of p53, beta-catenin and MEF2C. In this report, we show that active GSK3beta directly interacts with the MAML1 N-terminus and decreases MAML1 transcriptional activity, suggesting that GSK3beta might target a coactivator in its regulation of gene expression. We have previously shown that MAML1 increases global acetylation of histones, and here we show that the GSK3 inhibitor SB41, further enhances MAML1-dependent histone acetylation in cells. Finally, MAML1 translocates GSK3beta to nuclear bodies; this function requires full-length MAML1 protein.

The transcriptional coactivator MAML1 regulates p300 autoacetylation and HAT activity.

MAML1 is a transcriptional coregulator originally identified as a Notch coactivator. MAML1 is also reported to interact with other coregulator proteins, such as CDK8 and p300, to modulate the activity of Notch. We, and others, previously showed that MAML1 recruits p300 to Notch-regulated genes through direct interactions with the DNA-CSL-Notch complex and p300. MAML1 interacts with the C/H3 domain of p300, and the p300-MAML1 complex specifically acetylates lysines of histone H3 and H4 tails in chromatin in vitro. In this report, we show that MAML1 potentiates p300 autoacetylation and p300 transcriptional activation. MAML1 directly enhances p300 HAT activity, and this coincides with the translocation of MAML1, p300 and acetylated histones to nuclear bodies.

Phosphorylation of steroidogenic factor 1 is mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase 7.

The nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1) is critical for development and function of steroidogenic tissues. Posttranslational modifications are known to influence the transcriptional capacity of SF1, and it was previously demonstrated that serine 203 is phosphorylated. In this paper we report that serine 203 is phosphorylated by a cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7)-mediated process. As part of the CDK-activating kinase complex, CDK7 is a component of the basal transcription factor TFIIH, and phosphorylation of SF1 as well as SF1-dependent transcription was clearly reduced in cells carrying a mutation that renders the CDK-activating kinase complex unable to interact with the TFIIH core. Coimmunoprecipitation analyses revealed that SF1 and CDK7 reside in the same complex, and kinase assays demonstrated that immunoprecipitated CDK7 and purified TFIIH phosphorylate SF1 in vitro. The CDK inhibitor roscovitine blocked phosphorylation of SF1, and an inactive form of CDK7 repressed the phosphorylation level and the transactivation capacity of SF1. Structural studies have identified phosphoinositides as potential ligands for SF1. Interestingly, we found that mutations designed to block phospholipid binding dramatically decreased the level of SF1 phosphorylation. Together our results suggest a connection between ligand occupation and phosphorylation and association with the basic transcriptional machinery, indicating an intricate regulation of SF1 transactivation.

A proline repeat domain in the Notch co-activator MAML1 is important for the p300-mediated acetylation of MAML1.

Ligand activation of Notch leads to the release of Notch IC (the intracellular receptor domain), which translocates to the nucleus and interacts with the DNA-binding protein CSL to control expression of specific target genes. In addition to ligand-mediated activation, Notch signalling can be further modulated by interactions of Notch IC with a number of other proteins. MAML1 has previously been shown to act co-operatively with the histone acetyltransferase p300 in Notch IC-mediated transcription. In the present study we show that the N-terminal domain of MAML1 directly interacts with both p300 and histones, and the p300-MAML1 complex specifically acetylates histone H3 and H4 tails in chromatin. Furthermore, p300 acetylates MAML1 and evolutionarily conserved lysine residues in the MAML1 N-terminus are direct substrates for p300-mediated acetylation. The N-terminal domain of MAML1 contains a proline repeat motif (PXPAAPAP) that was previously shown to be present in p53 and important for the p300-p53 interaction. We show that the MAML1 proline repeat motif interacts with p300 and enhances the activity of the MAML1 N-terminus in vivo. These findings suggest that the N-terminal domain of MAML1 plays an important role in Notch-regulated transcription, by direct interactions with Notch, p300 and histones.