The receptor tyrosine kinase Ror2 has recently been shown to act as an alternative receptor or coreceptor for Wnt5a and to mediate Wnt5a-induced migration of cultured cells. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying this migratory process. Here we show by wound-healing assays that Ror2 plays critical roles in Wnt5a-induced cell migration by regulating formation of lamellipodia and reorientation of microtubule-organizing center (MTOC). Wnt5a stimulation induces activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase JNK at the wound edge in a Ror2-dependent manner, and inhibiting JNK activity abrogates Wnt5a-induced lamellipodia formation and MTOC reorientation. Additionally, the association of Ror2 with the actinbinding protein filamin A is required for Wnt5a-induced JNK activation and polarized cell migration. We further show that Wnt5a-induced JNK activation and MTOC reorientation can be suppressed by inhibiting PKC. Taken together, our findings indicate that Wnt5a/Ror2 activates JNK, through a process involving filamin A and PKC, to regulate polarized cell migration.Ror2 belongs to the Ror family of evolutionally conserved receptor tyrosine kinases (1) and acts as an alternative or coreceptor for Wnt5a, a representative noncanonical Wnt protein (2-4). During mouse development, Ror2 plays essential roles in developmental morphogenesis (5,6) and is expressed in various cell types that display extensive migratory activities, including neural crest-derived cells and mesenchymal cells (7). Loss-or gain-of-function analyses in mice, Xenopus laevis and Caenorhabditis elegans reveal that, like Wnt5a, Ror2 and/or Ror2 orthologs are required for convergent extension movements and for polarity and migration of several cell types during development (4 -6, 8, 9).It has been proposed that Ror2 mediates Wnt5a signaling by activating the Wnt-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 4 pathway, which regulates convergent extension movements in Xenopus gastrulation, and/or inhibiting the ␤-catenin-TCF pathway (2, 4, 10). Wnt5a stimulation is known to promote cell migration (11-13), which Ror2 seems to mediate through its association with filamin A (FLNa) (3). However, it remains largely unknown how Ror2 and FLNa function in Wnt5a-induced cell migration and whether JNK is involved in this process.Polarized cell migration is essential for development and wound-healing and requires rearrangements of microtubule (MT) and actin cytoskeletons (14,15). In directionally migrating cells in wounded monolayers of cultured cells (e.g. fibroblasts) following external stimuli (e.g. epidermal growth factor and lysophosphatidic acid), MT arrays and actin filaments become polarized facing to the wound edge. In such cells, selectively stabilized MTs (post-translationally detyrosinated tubulins or Glu tubulins) orient toward the leading edge and MT organizing center (MTOC) is reoriented to lie between the nucleus and the leading edge (16). At the leading edge, actin cytoskeletons are also reorganized to form lamellipodia, generating driving forc...

Despite the growing evidence for the regulated spindle orientation in mammals, a systematic approach for identifying the responsible genes in mammalian cells has not been established. Here we perform a kinase-targeting RNAi screen in HeLa cells and identify ABL1 as a novel regulator of spindle orientation. Knockdown of ABL1 causes the cortical accumulation of Leu-Gly-Asn repeat-enriched-protein (LGN), an evolutionarily conserved regulator of spindle orientation. This results in the LGN-dependent spindle rotation and spindle misorientation. In vivo inactivation of ABL1 by a pharmacological inhibitor or by ablation of the abl1 gene causes spindle misorientation and LGN mislocalization in mouse epidermis. Furthermore, ABL1 directly phosphorylates NuMA, a binding partner of LGN, on tyrosine 1774. This phosphorylation maintains the cortical localization of NuMA during metaphase, and ensures the LGN/NuMA-dependent spindle orientation control. This study provides a novel approach to identify genes regulating spindle orientation in mammals and uncovers new signalling pathways for this mechanism.

Cell division is controlled by a multitude of protein enzymes, but little is known about roles of metabolites in this mechanism. Here, we show that pregnenolone (P5), a steroid that is produced from cholesterol by the steroidogenic enzyme Cyp11a1, has an essential role in centriole cohesion during mitosis. During prometa-metaphase, P5 is accumulated around the spindle poles. Depletion of P5 induces multipolar spindles that result from premature centriole disengagement, which are rescued by ectopic introduction of P5, but not its downstream metabolites, into the cells. Premature centriole disengagement, induced by loss of P5, is not a result of precocious activation of separase, a key factor for the centriole disengagement in anaphase. Rather, P5 directly binds to the N-terminal coiled-coil domain of short-form of shugoshin 1 (sSgo1), a protector for centriole cohesion and recruits it to spindle poles in mitosis. Our results thus reveal a steroid-mediated centriole protection mechanism.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) containing bridged nucleic acids (BNAs) have been proven to be very powerful. However, ensuring a reliable discovery and translational development scheme for this class of ASOs with wider therapeutic windows remains a fundamental challenge. We here demonstrate the robustness of our scheme in the context of the selection of ASOs having two different BNA chemistries (2, 0 4 0 -BNA/ locked nucleic acid [LNA] and amido-bridged nucleic acid [AmNA]) targeting human proprotein convertase subtilisin/ kexin type 9 (PCSK9). The scheme features a two-step process, including (1) a unique and sensitive in vitro screening approach, called Ca 2+ enrichment of medium (CEM) transfection, and (2) a ligand-targeted drug delivery approach to better reach target tissues, averting unintended accumulation of ASOs. Using CEM screening, we identified a candidate ASO that shows >70% cholesterol-lowering action in monkeys. An N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) ligand then was appended to the candidate ASO to further broaden the therapeutic margin by altering the molecule's pharmacokinetics. The Gal-NAc conjugate, HsPCSK9-1811-LNA, was found to be at least ten times more potent in non-human primates (compared with the unconjugated counterpart), with reduced nephrotoxicity in rats. Overall, we successfully showed that our drug development scheme is better suited for selecting clinically relevant BNA-based ASOs, especially for the treatment of liver-associated diseases.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a "Self-Management Scale of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) during Childrearing Periods" for mothers currently raising children and to examine the validity and reliability of the scale. Methods: Participants included mothers aged 20 to 44 with children six or under. We distributed anonymous, self-administered questionnaires to 1,640 mothers and received 878 responses; 797 were selected for analysis. The questionnaire included 48 items measuring symptoms that accompany PMS during childrearing periods. Results: Five factors were extracted from the 38-items following exploratory factor analyses using principle and promax rotation: (1) feeling of emotional instability before menstruation, (2) positive emotional changes after menstruation, (3) perception of husband' s support before and after menstruation, (4) reduced energy before menstruation, and (5) unpleasant physical symptoms before menstruation. The scale positively correlated with the Parenting Stress Short Form and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and negatively correlated with the social support scale, confirming criterion validity. The Cronbach' s α (0.79 to 0.94) and split-half reliability (ρ＝ 0.74) suggest that the scale is reliable. Conclusions: The scale developed in this study is valid and reliable, suggesting usefulness for PMS self-management for mothers currently raising children.