RESUMO
The Delta-Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved intercellular signaling mechanism essential for cell fate specification. Mind bomb 1 (Mib1) has been identified as a ubiquitin ligase that promotes the endocytosis of Delta. We now report that mice lacking Mib1 die prior to embryonic day 11.5, with pan-Notch defects in somitogenesis, neurogenesis, vasculogenesis and cardiogenesis. The Mib1-/- embryos exhibit reduced expression of Notch target genes Hes5, Hey1, Hey2 and Heyl, with the loss of N1icd generation. Interestingly, in the Mib1-/- mutants, Dll1 accumulated in the plasma membrane, while it was localized in the cytoplasm near the nucleus in the wild types, indicating that Mib1 is essential for the endocytosis of Notch ligand. In accordance with the pan-Notch defects in Mib1-/- embryos, Mib1 interacts with and regulates all of the Notch ligands, jagged 1 and jagged 2, as well as Dll1, Dll3 and Dll4. Our results show that Mib1 is an essential regulator, but not a potentiator, for generating functional Notch ligands to activate Notch signaling.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética , Animais , Vasos Sanguíneos/embriologia , Desenvolvimento Embrionário/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Coração/embriologia , Ligantes , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Receptores de Superfície Celular/metabolismo , Receptores Notch , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/deficiênciaRESUMO
Osteoprotegerin ligand (OPGL, also known as RANKL), a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily, is essential for mammary gland development during pregnancy in addition to key roles in the immune system and bone development. Here we show that OPGL induces beta-casein transcription through the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPbeta). In both HC11 cell lines and primary mammary epithelial cells, OPGL stimulation triggers rapid nuclear translocation of C/EBPbeta, which is critical for the expression of the beta-casein gene. Mutation of C/EBbeta binding sites in the beta-casein gene promoter completely abrogated OPGL-induced beta-casein promoter activity. By contrast, OPGL stimulation did not result in STAT5 phosphorylation. In vivo immunohistochemistry studies further demonstrated defective nuclear translocation of C/EBPbeta, but normal STAT5 activation, in OPGL-deficient mice. These data show that OPGL is a critical activator of beta-casein gene expression via the transcription factor C/EBPbeta. Our data provide new insights into the understanding of the molecular events involved in milk protein gene expression.
