The RNF220 domain nuclear factor Teyrha-Meyrha (Tey) regulates the migration and differentiation of specific visceral and somatic muscles in Drosophila.

Development of the visceral musculature of the Drosophila midgut encompasses a closely coordinated sequence of migration events of cells from the trunk and caudal visceral mesoderm that underlies the formation of the stereotypic orthogonal pattern of circular and longitudinal midgut muscles. Our study focuses on the last step of migration and morphogenesis of longitudinal visceral muscle precursors and shows that these multinucleated precursors utilize dynamic filopodial extensions to migrate in dorsal and ventral directions over the forming midgut tube. The establishment of maximal dorsoventral distances from one another, and anteroposterior alignments, lead to the equidistant coverage of the midgut with longitudinal muscle fibers. We identify Teyrha-Meyhra (Tey), a tissue-specific nuclear factor related to the RNF220 domain protein family, as a crucial regulator of this process of muscle migration and morphogenesis that is further required for proper differentiation of longitudinal visceral muscles. In addition, Tey is expressed in a single somatic muscle founder cell in each hemisegment, regulates the migration of this founder cell, and is required for proper pathfinding of its developing myotube to specific myotendinous attachment sites.

Estrogen induces St6gal1 expression and increases IgG sialylation in mice and patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a potential explanation for the increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) preferentially affects women, with the peak incidence coinciding with estrogen decrease in menopause. Estrogen (E2) may therefore have intrinsic immune-regulatory properties that vanish with menopause. Fc sialylation is a crucial factor determining the inflammatory effector function of antibodies. We therefore analyzed whether E2 affects immunoglobulin G (IgG) sialylation. METHODS: Postmenopausal (ovariectomized) mice were immunized with ovalbumin and treated with E2 or vehicle. Total and ovalbumin-specific IgG concentrations, sialylation, and Fcγ receptor expression were analyzed. Postmenopausal women with RA receiving hormone replacement therapy, including E2, or no treatment were analyzed for IgG sialylation. Furthermore, effects of E2 on the expression of the sialylation enzyme ß-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (St6Gal1) were studied in mouse and human antibody-producing cells. RESULTS: E2 treatment significantly increased Fc sialylation of total and ovalbumin-specific IgG in postmenopausal mice. Furthermore, E2 led to increased expression of inhibitory Fcγ receptor IIb on bone marrow leukocytes. Treatment with E2 also increased St6Gal1 expression in mouse and human antibody-producing cells, providing a mechanistic explanation for the increase in IgG-Fc sialylation. In postmenopausal women with RA, treatment with E2 significantly increased the Fc sialylation of IgG. CONCLUSIONS: E2 induces anti-inflammatory effector functions in IgG by inducing St6Gal1 expression in antibody-producing cells and by increasing Fc sialylation. These observations provide a mechanistic explanation for the increased risk of RA in conditions with low estrogen levels such as menopause.