Germ plasm formation is considered to define the first step in germ cell development. Xenopus Dead end represents a germ plasm specific transcript that is homologous to the previously characterized zebrafish dead end, which is required for germ cell migration and survival. XDead end mRNA localizes to the vegetal pole of Xenopus oocytes; in contrast to all other known germ plasm associated transcripts in Xenopus, XDead end is transported via the late transport pathway, suggesting a different mode of germ plasm restriction. Vegetal localization in the oocyte is achieved via a localization element mapping to a 251 nucleotide element in the 3'-UTR. This RNA sequence binds to a set of proteins characteristic for the late localization pathway and to one additional protein of 38 kDa. Inhibition of XDead end translation in Xenopus embryos results in a loss of primordial germ cells at tadpole stages of development. Early specification events do not seem to be affected, but the primordial germ cells fail to migrate dorsally and eventually disappear. This phenotype is very similar to what has been observed in the zebrafish, indicating that the role of XDead end in germ cell development has been conserved in evolution.

Gastrointestinal infections often induce epithelial damage that must be repaired for optimal gut function. While intestinal stem cells are critical for this regeneration process [R. C. van der Wath, B. S. Gardiner, A. W. Burgess, D. W. Smith,PLoS One8, e73204 (2013); S. Kozaret al.,Cell Stem Cell13, 626–633 (2013)], how they are impacted by enteric infections remains poorly defined. Here, we investigate infection-mediated damage to the colonic stem cell compartment and how this affects epithelial repair and recovery from infection. Using the pathogenClostridioides difficile,we show that infection disrupts murine intestinal cellular organization and integrity deep into the epithelium, to expose the otherwise protected stem cell compartment, in a TcdB-mediated process. Exposure and susceptibility of colonic stem cells to intoxication compromises their function during infection, which diminishes their ability to repair the injured epithelium, shown by altered stem cell signaling and a reduction in the growth of colonic organoids from stem cells isolated from infected mice. We also show, using both mouse and human colonic organoids, that TcdB from epidemic ribotype 027 strains does not require Frizzled 1/2/7 binding to elicit this dysfunctional stem cell state. This stem cell dysfunction induces a significant delay in recovery and repair of the intestinal epithelium of up to 2 wk post the infection peak. Our results uncover a mechanism by which an enteric pathogen subverts repair processes by targeting stem cells during infection and preventing epithelial regeneration, which prolongs epithelial barrier impairment and creates an environment in which disease recurrence is likely.

Janes et al. developed an anti-ADAM10 mAb (8C7) that binds to an active form of ADAM10 present in tumors, particularly in stem-like cells. Administration of 8C7 inhibits Notch activity and tumor growth in mouse models, including regrowth after chemotherapy.

The tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) bZIP transcription factor BZI-1 is involved in auxin-mediated growth responses and in establishing pathogen defenses. Transgenic plants expressing a dominant-negative BZI-1-⌬N derivative, which lacks the N-terminal activation domain, showed altered vegetative growth. In particular auxin-induced rooting and formation of tobacco mosaic virus-induced hypersensitive response lesions are affected. BZI-1-related proteins described in various plant species share the conserved domains D1, D2, BD, and D4. To define those BZI-1 domains involved in transcription factor function, BZI-1 deletion derivatives were expressed in transgenic plants. The domains D1 or BD are crucial for BZI-1-⌬N function in planta. The basic BD domain is mediating DNA binding of BZI-1. Yeast twohybrid and in vitro binding studies reveal the ankyrinrepeat protein ANK1, which specifically interacts with a part of the BZI-1 protein (amino acids 73-222) encoding the D1 domain. ANK1 does not bind DNA or act as a co-activator of BZI-1-mediated transcription. Moreover, green fluorescence protein localization studies propose that ANK1 is acting mainly inside the cytosol. Transcription analysis reveals that ANK1 is ubiquitously expressed, but after pathogen attack transcription is transiently down-regulated. Along these lines, ANK1 homologous proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana have been reported to function in pathogen defense. We therefore propose that the D1 domain serves as an interaction surface for ANK1, which appears to regulate BZI-1 function in auxin signaling as well as pathogen response.The tobacco bZIP protein BZI-1 displays all the characteristic features of a transcription factor. It binds DNA, in particular ACGT containing cis-elements (ACEs), 1 it is localized inside the nucleus, and its N-terminal domain acts as a trans-activation domain in plant cells (1). Like CPRF2, a highly homologous bZIP protein from parsley, BZI-1 has been isolated by virtue of its in vitro binding to chalcone synthase promoter cis-elements (1-4). However, using various transgenic approaches that modulate the amount or the activation potential of BZI-1, we were not able to show any influence on transcription of phenylpropanoid pathway genes, such as chalcone synthase or phenylalanine ammonia lyase in vivo (1).Functional analysis has been performed in transgenic plants expressing a dominant-negative BZI-1 derivative lacking the N-terminal activation domain (BZI-1-⌬N). These plants display reduced internodes, small curly leaves, enhanced lateral shoot formation, and flowers that are reduced in size. In particular auxin responses appeared to be reduced with respect to auxininduced rooting and regulation of a GH3 target gene. Moreover, BZI-1 transcription is up-regulated in response to pathogen attack and pathogen-induced phosphorylation of BZI-1-related proteins has been described (1, 3, 4).BZI-1-related transcription factors have been isolated from various plant species, e.g. CPRF2, (2), OHP1/2 (5), BLZ1 (6), or bZIP63 (7). Apart from the N...

The importance of Wnt signaling for postnatal testis function has been previously studied in several mouse models, with chronic pathway disruption addressing its function in Sertoli cells and in postmeiotic germ cells. While chronic beta-catenin deletion in Sertoli cells does not profoundly affect testis development, new data indicate that Wnt signaling is required at multiple stages of spermatogenesis. We used two mouse models that allow acute disruption of Wnt signaling to explore the importance of regulated Wnt pathway activity for normal germ cell development in adult male mice. Short-term induction of mutations in Adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) and beta-catenin (Ctnnbl), which increase and decrease Wnt signaling levels, were generated in AhCre Apc(fl/fl) and AhCre Ctnnb1(fl/fl) mice, respectively. Each exhibited a distinct phenotype of disrupted spermatogenesis that was evident within 24 h and persisted for up to 4 days. Outcomes included germ cell apoptosis and rapid loss and altered blood-testis barrier protein distribution and morphology. The functional significance of nuclear localized beta-catenin protein in spermatocytes and round spermatids, indicative of active Wnt signaling, was highlighted by the profound loss of postmitotic germ cells in both models. Developmentally regulated Wnt signaling mediators identified through transcriptional profiling of wild-type and AhCre Ctnnb1(fl/fl) mouse testes identified Wnt receptors (e.g., Fzd4) and ligands (e.g., Wnt3, Wnt3a, Wnt5b, Wnt7a, and Wnt8b). This demonstration that Wnt signaling control is essential for adult spermatogenesis supports the growing understanding that its disruption may underpin certain cases of male infertility.

Snail family members regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during invasion of intestinal tumours, but their role in normal intestinal homeostasis is unknown. Studies in breast and skin epithelia indicate that Snail proteins promote an undifferentiated state. Here, we demonstrate that conditional knockout of Snai1 in the intestinal epithelium results in apoptotic loss of crypt base columnar stem cells and bias towards differentiation of secretory lineages. In vitro organoid cultures derived from Snai1 conditional knockout mice also undergo apoptosis when Snai1 is deleted. Conversely, ectopic expression of Snai1 in the intestinal epithelium in vivo results in the expansion of the crypt base columnar cell pool and a decrease in secretory enteroendocrine and Paneth cells. Following conditional deletion of Snai1, the intestinal epithelium fails to produce a proliferative response following radiation-induced damage indicating a fundamental requirement for Snai1 in epithelial regeneration. These results demonstrate that Snai1 is required for regulation of lineage choice, maintenance of CBC stem cells and regeneration of the intestinal epithelium following damage.

Snail genes are transcriptional repressors well known to play important roles in epithelial to mesenchymal transitions during both embryogenesis and cancer metastasis. Although they are generally regarded as markers of mesenchymal cells, Snail genes have also recently been implicated in regulating stem cell populations in both Drosophila and vertebrates. In this study we investigate Snai1, a member of the mouse Snail family, in the intestinal stem cell niche and examine the relationship between canonical Wnt signaling, a key regulatory pathway of intestinal stem cells, and expression and cellular localization of Snai1. Strong nuclear expression of Snai1 was detected in the crypt base columnar stem cells in the adult small intestine while Snai1 was mostly found in the cytoplasm of differentiated enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. Expression and cellular localization of Snai1 in the intestinal epithelium appears to be regulated by the canonical Wnt signaling pathway as Snai1 expression was dramatically reduced after conditional deletion of β-catenin. Conversely, significant nuclear Snai1 was detected in polyps derived from Apc(min) mice and in intestinal villi after conditional mutation of Apc in AhCre, Apc(f/f) mice, indicating that upregulation of the Wnt pathway in the intestinal epithelium induces both increased expression and nuclear localization of Snai1.

RNAs that localize to the vegetal cortex of Xenopus oocytes are involved in early embryonic patterning and cell fate specification. Two mechanistically distinct pathways lead to RNA enrichment at the vegetal cortex: the early and the late. While several candidate proteins that seem to operate in the late localization pathway have been identified, proteins involved in the early pathway remain to be identified. In this study, we report on the isolation of a novel vegetally localized RNA in Xenopusoocytes that makes use of the early pathway and encodes a protein with a conserved but functionally uncharacterized NIF-motif. The localization signal of XNIF was mapped to a 300-nucleotide region in the 5′-UTR, which is able to mediate both accumulation to the mitochondrial cloud in stage I oocytes, as well as vegetal transport in later stage oocytes. The XNIF-LE contains 16 copies of the previously defined CAC-containing signal motifs for RNA localization. A critical number of such repeats seems to be required for accumulation in the mitochondrial cloud along the early pathway, but additional repeats seem to be required for localization along the late pathway. Cross-linking experiments identify two novel proteins of 62 and 64 kDa that interact with the XNIF-LE but not with the Vg1-LE that operates in the late pathway. Conversely, at least two of the previously identified VgRBPs, Vg1RBP1 and Prrp, also bind to the XNIF-LE. Thus, overlapping, but not identical, protein machineries mediate vegetal RNA localization along early and late pathways in Xenopus oocytes.