The soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment receptors are a large family of membrane-associated proteins that are critical for Ca(2+)-mediated synaptic vesicle release. This family includes the VAMP, synaptosomal-associated protein, and syntaxin proteins. In this report, we describe a mutation in vesicle-associated membrane protein 1(VAMP1)/synaptobrevin in the mouse neurological mutant lethal-wasting (lew). The lethal-wasting mutant phenotype is characterized by a general lack of movement and wasting, eventually leading to death before weaning. Mutants are visibly immobile and lay on their side by postnatal day 10 (P10). Before this stage, mutants can be identified by a failure to attempt to right themselves. Affected mice die on average at P15. We used a positional cloning strategy to identify the mutation associated with this neurological phenotype. Lethal wasting had previously been linked to chromosome 6. We further narrowed the genetic disease interval and selected a small number of candidate genes for mutation screening. Genes were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect differences in their expression levels between control and mutant brain ribonucleic acid (RNA) samples. VAMP1 mRNA was found to be significantly downregulated in the lethal-wasting brain compared to wild-type littermates. Subsequently, a nonsense mutation was identified in the coding region of the gene. This mutation is predicted to truncate approximately half of the protein; however, Western blot analysis showed that no protein is detectable in the mutant. VAMP1 is selectively expressed in the retina and in discrete areas of the brain including the zona incerta and rostral periolivary region, although no gross histological abnormalities were observed in these tissues. Taken together, these data indicate that VAMP1 has a vital role in a subset of central nervous system tissues.
The FZD4:LRP5:TSPAN12 receptor complex is activated by the secreted protein Norrin in retinal endothelial cells and leads to bcatenin-dependent formation of the blood-retina-barrier during development and its homeostasis in adults. Mutations disrupting Norrin signaling have been identified in several congenital diseases leading to hypovascularization of the retina and blindness. Here, we developed F4L5.13, a tetravalent antibody designed to induce FZD4 and LRP5 proximity in such a way as to trigger bcatenin signaling. Treatment of cultured endothelial cells with F4L5.13 rescued permeability induced by VEGF in part by promoting surface expression of junction proteins. Treatment of Tspan12 À/À mice with F4L5.13 restored retinal angiogenesis and barrier function. F4L5.13 treatment also significantly normalized neovascularization in an oxygen-induced retinopathy model revealing a novel therapeutic strategy for diseases characterized by abnormal angiogenesis and/or barrier dysfunction.
Current ISC culture systems face significant challenges such as animal-derived or undefined matrix compositions, batch-to-batch variability (e.g. Matrigel-based organoid culture), and complexity of assaying cell aggregates such as organoids which renders the research and clinical translation of ISCs challenging. Here, through screening for suitable ECM components, we report a defined, collagen based monolayer culture system that supports the growth of mouse and human intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) enriched for an Lgr5 population comparable or higher to the levels found in a standard Matrigel-based organoid culture. The system, referred to as the Bolstering Lgr5 Transformational (BLT) Sandwich culture, comprises a collagen IV-coated porous substrate and a collagen I gel overlay which sandwich an IEC monolayer in between. The distinct collagen cues synergistically regulate IEC attachment, proliferation, and Lgr5 expression through maximizing the engagement of distinct cell surface adhesion receptors (i.e. integrin α2β1, integrin β4) and cell polarity. Further, we apply our BLT Sandwich system to identify that the addition of a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor inhibitor (LDN-193189) improves the expansion of Lgr5-GFP cells from mouse small intestinal crypts by nearly 2.5-fold. Notably, the BLT Sandwich culture is capable of expanding human-derived IECs with higher LGR5 mRNA levels than conventional Matrigel culture, providing superior expansion of human LGR5 ISCs. Considering the key roles Lgr5 ISCs play in intestinal epithelial homeostasis and regeneration, we envision that our BLT Sandwich culture system holds great potential for understanding and manipulating ISC biology in vitro (e.g. for modeling ISC-mediated gut diseases) or for expanding a large number of ISCs for clinical utility (e.g. for stem cell therapy).
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