Project description:Cooperation between FGF and WNT signaling is well documented in normal development, stem cell biology and cancer progression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this cooperativity remain poorly understood. In this study, we employed an inducible FGFR1 to interrogate the dynamics of RNA, ribosome occupancy and protein expression as a function of FGFR signaling in the mouse mammary gland with constitutive WNT hyperactivation. We demonstrate that FGFR signaling increases the translation efficiency of WNT signaling components with structured 5’ UTRs harboring a (CGG)4 motif that can potentially form G-quadruplex structures, and that tumorigenesis driven by this mechanism is vulnerable to inhibition of eIF4A, a RNA helicase important in translation initiation. This study also provides novel insights into the contribution of RNA levels and translational regulation to protein expression in pre-malignant mammary epithelial cells dynamically responding to FGFR signaling.
Project description:Both FGF and WNT pathways play important roles in embryonic development, stem cell self-renewal and are frequently deregulated in breast cancer. To study the cooperation between FGF and WNT signaling, we have generated a mouse model, MMTV-WNT1/MMTV-iFGFR1 (WNT/iR1), in which we could chemically overactivate iFGFR1 in a ligand-independent manner.
Project description:The fibroblast growth factor pathway is known to cooperate with the highly oncogenic Wnt/ï¢-catenin pathway in mouse models of breast cancer. To investigate the mechanisms involved in this cooperativity, we utilized MMTV-driven transgenic mouse lines expressing a drug-inducible model for FGF Receptor signaling (iFGFR) crossed with the previously characterized MMTV-Wnt-1 mouse model. In these bigenic mice, both iFGFR1 and iFGFR2 activation resulted in a dramatic enhancement of mammary tumorigenesis. Tumor microarray analysis identified no transcriptional enhancement of Wnt/ï¢-catenin targets, however, identified a protein translational gene signature that also correlated with elevated FGFR1 and FGFR2 expression in several human breast cancer data sets. Additionally, iFGFR1 activation resulted in enhanced polysome recruitment and a marked increase in protein expression of several different Wnt/ï¢-catenin target oncogenes. Rapid FGFR-induced ERK activation and phosphorylation of key translation regulators was observed both in vivo in the transgenic mouse model, and in human breast cancer cell lines treated with exogenous FGF. These studies suggest that translational regulation is a key rate-limiting step required for oncogenic cooperativity between the Wnt and FGF pathways. reference X sample
Project description:The fibroblast growth factor pathway is known to cooperate with the highly oncogenic Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in mouse models of breast cancer. To investigate the mechanisms involved in this cooperativity, we utilized MMTV-driven transgenic mouse lines expressing a drug-inducible model for FGF Receptor signaling (iFGFR) crossed with the previously characterized MMTV-Wnt-1 mouse model. In these bigenic mice, both iFGFR1 and iFGFR2 activation resulted in a dramatic enhancement of mammary tumorigenesis. Tumor microarray analysis identified no transcriptional enhancement of Wnt/beta-catenin targets, however, identified a protein translational gene signature that also correlated with elevated FGFR1 and FGFR2 expression in several human breast cancer data sets. Additionally, iFGFR1 activation resulted in enhanced polysome recruitment and a marked increase in protein expression of several different Wnt/beta-catenin target oncogenes. Rapid FGFR-induced ERK activation and phosphorylation of key translation regulators was observed both in vivo in the transgenic mouse model, and in human breast cancer cell lines treated with exogenous FGF. These studies suggest that translational regulation is a key rate-limiting step required for oncogenic cooperativity between the Wnt and FGF pathways.
Project description:We aimed to expand the knowledge of Fgf and Wnt signaling in the zebrafish tailbud. Both pathways are required for proper axis elongation and segmentation and we wished to explore the genes under the control of each pathway during this process. In addition, we saught to identify crosstalk between the two pathways by determining whether pathway effector expression was being changed after time-resolved modification of each pathway using pharmacological modifiers. Embryos were treated with either 0.3M LiCl, 50uM SU5402, or E2 for 3hours or 7 hours (E2 and SU5402), followed by tailbud dissection and RNA extraction. Conditions were replicated in triplicate.
Project description:We aimed to expand the knowledge of Fgf and Wnt signaling in the zebrafish tailbud. Both pathways are required for proper axis elongation and segmentation and we wished to explore the genes under the control of each pathway during this process. In addition, we saught to identify crosstalk between the two pathways by determining whether pathway effector expression was being changed after time-resolved modification of each pathway using pharmacological modifiers.
Project description:The neuroectoderm is patterned along a rostral-caudal axis in response to localized factors in the embryo, but exactly how these factors act as positional information for this patterning is not yet fully understood. Here, using the self-organizing properties of mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC), we report that ESC-derived neuroectoderm self-generates a Six3+ rostral and a Irx3+ caudal bipolarized patterning. In this instance, localized Fgf signaling performs dual roles, as it regulates Six3+ rostral polarization at an earlier stage and promotes Wnt signaling at a later stage. The Wnt signaling components are differentially expressed in the polarized tissues, leading to genome-wide Irx3+ caudal-polarization signals. Surprisingly, differentially expressed Wnt agonists and antagonists have essential roles in orchestrating the formation of a balanced rostral-caudal neuroectoderm pattern. Together, our findings provide key processes for dynamic self-patterning and evidence that a temporally and locally regulated interaction between Fgf and Wnt signaling controls self-patterning in ESC-derived neuroectoderm.
Project description:Based on the ability of FGF and/or WNT signaling to control posterior fate and intestinal lineage commitment, several groups have reported that treating mouse or human Pluripotent Stem Cell (PSC) derived definitive endoderm (DE) with small molecules or ligands that activate WNT signaling, or a combination of WNT and FGF signaling can induce an intestinal fate in human DE. In this current study, we leverage hESC derived human intestinal organoids (HIOs) to test the hypothesis that the duration of exposure to high levels of FGF and WNT signaling controls regional intestinal identity, with shorter durations generating intestine similar to the proximal duodenum, and longer durations distalizing HIOs to become similar to jejunum/ileum. Our results demonstrate that exposing human definitive endoderm (DE) cultures to short or long incubations of media that activate WNT and FGF siganling results in gene and protein expression profiles that are consistent with tissue that has been patterned into proximal (duodenum) or distal (ileum) small intestine, respectively.
Project description:The mesodermal precursor populations for different internal organ systems are specified during gastrulation by the combined activity of extracellular signaling systems such as BMP, Wnt, Nodal, and FGF. The BMP, Wnt and Nodal signaling requirements for the differentiation of specific mesoderm subtypes in mammals have been mapped in detail, but which mesodermal cell types depend on FGF signaling is not precisely known. It is also not clear how FGF signaling modulates the activity of orthogonal signaling systems involved in mesoderm differentiation. Here, we address these questions by analyzing the effects of targeted signaling manipulations in differentiating stem cell populations with single cell resolution. We identify opposing functions of BMP and FGF, and map the boundary between FGF-dependent and -independent mesodermal lineages. Stimulation with exogenous FGF boosts the expression of endogenous Fgfs while repressing Bmp ligands. This intercellular positive autoregulation of FGF signaling coupled to the repression of BMP signaling may contribute to the specification of reproducible and coherent cohorts of cells with the same identity via a community effect, both in the embryo and in synthetic embryo-like systems.
Project description:CCD, which is characterized by hypoplastic clavicles, open fontanelles, supernumerary teeth, and short stature, are caused by heterozygous mutation of RUNX2. However, the reason why the suture closure is severely impaired in CCD patients remains to be clarified. The closure of posterior frontal (PF) and sagittal sutures was completely interrupted in Runx2+/– mice, and the proliferation of the suture mesenchymal cells was reduced compared with that in wild-type mice. To reveal the molecular mechanism, the differentially expressed genes between wild-type and Runx2+/– PF sutures were identified by microarray and real-time RT-PCR analyses. The expression of hedgehog, Fgf, Wnt, Pthlh signaling pathway genes, including Gli1, Ptch1, Ihh, Fgfr1-3, Tcf7, Wnt10b, Wnt1, and Pth1r, was reduced in PF sutures of Runx2+/– mice. These findings indicated that more than half dosage of Runx2 is required for the proliferation of suture mesenchymal cells, their commitment into osteoblast-lineage cells, and the induction of the hedgehog, Fgf, Wnt, and Pthlh signaling pathway gene expression in the sutures.