Project description:Treg cells play an important role in immune tolerance and tumor immune evasion through suppression of effector T cells. Treg cell lineage instability may be harnessed to trigger anti-tumor T cell immunity. However, the mechanism underlying Treg cell stability remains poorly understand. By characterizing Treg cell-specific heterozygous and homozygous Cdc42 knockout mice, we found that Cdc42 is essential for Treg cell stability. By RNA sequencing of heterozygous and homozygous Cdc42 knockout Treg cells, we found that Cdc42 maintains Treg cell stability through suppression of carbonic anhydrase I (CAI) expression.
Project description:ARHGEF4 expression is associated with t(12;21) acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Our study investigated the substrate specificity of ARHGEF4, a member of the diffuse B-cell lymphoma (DBL) family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), in t(12;21) ALL REH cells. ARHGEF4 was found to activate the small guanine nucleotide binding protein (GTPase) CDC42. In order to determine the function of CDC42 in t(12;21) ALL cells, we performed RNAseq analysis on REH cells treated for 24 hours with DMSO vehicle control in comparison to 25uM ML141, a CDC42 inhibitor.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. However, the mechanism for HCC initiation remains poorly known. Cdc42, a small Rho GTPase, with multiple cellular functions has been shown involved in variant types of human cancers, but its role in HCC initiation remains unclear. Cdc42 liver-specific knockout mice (Cdc42LK) developed HCC at 6-month-old. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression induced by Cdc42 deletion and identified distinct classes of up or down-regulated genes during HCC initial time.
Project description:Cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) is a member of the Rho GTPase family and has pivotal functions in actin organization, cell migration and proliferation. Cdc42 has been shown to regulate antigen (Ag)-uptake in immature dendritic cells (DC) and controls their migration from tissues to lymph nodes. Previous reports demonstrated that Cdc42 is inactivated upon DC-maturation to avoid continued Ag-acquisition. To further study the molecular mechanisms of DC-control by Cdc42, we used bone marrow-derived DCs from Cdc42-deficient mice. We show that Cdc42-deficient DCs are phenotypically mature without additional maturation stimuli, as they upregulate CD86 from intracellular storages to the cell surface. They also accumulate invariant chain (Ii)-MHC class II complexes at the cell surface, which cannot efficiently present peptide Ag for priming of Ag-specific CD4 T cells. Lack of Cdc42 in immature DCs does not allow MHC class II maturation, as lysosomal Cathepsins are lost into the supernatant and Ii-MHC class II complexes cannot mature. Therefore Cdc42-deficient DCs are "pseudomature" and lose most functional hallmarks of antigen-presenting cells. Our results propose that Cdc42 keeps DCs in an immature state, while downregulation of Cdc42-activity during maturation facilitates generation of CD86+MHCII+ mature DCs.
Project description:Epithelial polarity is controlled by a polarity machinery including the Rho GTPase CDC42 and Scribble/PAR. By using intestinal stem cell (ISC)-specific deletion of CDC42 in Olfm4-IRES-eGFPCreERT2;CDC42flox/flox mice, we found that ISC-initiated CDC42 loss caused a drastic hyper-proliferation of transit amplifying (TA) cells and disrupted epithelial polarity. CDC42-null crypts displayed expanded TA cell and diminished ISC populations, accompanied by elevated hippo signaling via YAP/TAZ - Ereg and mTOR activation, independent from canonical Wnt signaling. YAP/TAZ conditional knockout restored the balance of ISC/TA cell populations and crypt proliferation but did not rescue the polarity in CDC42-null small intestine. mTOR or EGFR inhibitor treatment of CDC42 KO mice exhibited similar rescuing effects without affecting YAP/TAZ signaling. Inducible ablation of Scribble in intestinal epithelial cells mimics that of CDC42 KO defects including crypt hyperplasia and hippo signaling activation. Mammalian epithelial polarity regulates ISC and TA cell fate and proliferation via a hippo-Ereg-mTOR cascade.
Project description:Cdc42 is a small GTPase protein whose role in polarity is widely studied. However, in vertebrates there exist 2 isoforms arising due to alternative splicing. The function and localization of these have not been studied with respect to cell polarity and cell migration. We therefore perform a mass spec screen to identify interactors of the isoforms to better understand their cellular functions.
Project description:Fasting triggers diverse physiological adaptations including increases in circulating fatty acids and mitochondrial respiration to facilitate organismal survival. The mechanisms driving mitochondrial adaptations and respiratory sufficiency during fasting remain incompletely understood. Here we show that fasting or lipid availability stimulates mTORC2 activity. Activation of mTORC2 and phosphorylation of its downstream target NDRG1 at Ser336 sustains mitochondrial fission and respiratory sufficiency. Timelapse imaging shows that NDRG1, but not phosphorylation-deficient NDRG1Ser336Ala mutant, engages with mitochondria to facilitate fission in both control and Drp1-deficient cells, reflecting independency from Drp1. Using proteomics, an siRNA screen, and epistasis experiments, we show that mTORC2-phosphorylated NDRG1 cooperates with small GTPase Cdc42 and effectors and regulators of Cdc42 to orchestrate fission. Accordingly, RictorKO, NDRG1Ser336Ala mutants, and Cdc42-deficient cells each display mitochondrial phenotypes reminiscent of fission failure. During nutrient surplus, mTOR complexes perform anabolic functions; however, paradoxical reactivation of mTORC2 during fasting unexpectedly drives mitochondrial fission and respiration.
Project description:A central factor in maintenance of tissue integrity is the response of stem cells to variations in the levels of niche signals. In the gut, intestinal stem cells (ISCs) depend on Wnt ligands for self-renewal and proliferation. Transient increases in Wnt signaling promote regeneration after injury or in inflammatory bowel diseases, whereas constitutive activation of this pathway leads to colorectal cancer. Here, we report that Discs large 1 (Dlg1) is dispensable for polarity and cellular turnover during intestinal homeostasis; however, Dlg1 is required for ISC survival in the context of increased Wnt signaling. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and genetic mouse models demonstrated that DLG1 regulates the cellular response to increased canonical Wnt signaling. This occurs via transcriptional regulation of Arhgap31, a GTPase-activating protein that deactivates CDC42, an effector of the non-canonical Wnt pathway. These findings reveal a DLG1-ARHGAP31-CDC42 axis that is essential for the ISC response to fluctuating niche Wnt signaling.
Project description:Bergmann glia (BG) are important in the inward type of radial migration of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). However, details regarding the functions of Cdc42 and Rac in BG for radial migration of CGN are unknown. To examine the roles of Cdc42 and Rac in BG during cerebellar corticogenesis, mice with a single deletion of Cdc42 or Rac1 and those with double deletions of Cdc42 and Rac1 under control of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter: GFAP-Cre;Cdc42flox/flox (Cdc42-KO), GFAP–Cre;Rac1flox/flox (Rac1-KO), and GFAP-Cre;Cdc42 flox/flox;Rac1flox/flox (Cdc42/Rac1-DKO) mice, were generated. Both Cdc42-KO and Rac1-KO mice, but more obviously Cdc42-KO mice, had disturbed alignment of BG in the Purkinje cell layer (PCL). We found that Cdc42-KO, but not Rac1-KO, induced impaired radial migration of CGNs in the late phase of radial migration, leading to retention of CGNs in the inferior half of the molecular layer (ML). Cdc42-KO, but not Rac1-KO, mice also showed aberrantly aligned Purkinje cells (PCs). These phenotypes were exacerbated in Cdc42/Rac1-DKO mice. Alignment of BG radial fibers in the ML and BG endfeet at the pial surface of the cerebellum evaluated by GFAP staining was disturbed and weak in Cdc42/Rac1-DKO mice, respectively. Our data indicate that that Cdc42 and Rac, but predominantly Cdc42, in BG play important roles during the late phase of radial migration of CGNs. We also report here that Cdc42 is involved in gliophilic migration of CGNs, in contrast to Rac, which is more closely connected to regulating neurophilic migration.
Project description:Bergmann glia (BG) are important in the inward type of radial migration of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). However, details regarding the functions of Cdc42 and Rac in BG for radial migration of CGN are unknown. To examine the roles of Cdc42 and Rac in BG during cerebellar corticogenesis, mice with a single deletion of Cdc42 or Rac1 and those with double deletions of Cdc42 and Rac1 under control of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter: GFAP-Cre;Cdc42flox/flox (Cdc42-KO), GFAP–Cre;Rac1flox/flox (Rac1-KO), and GFAP-Cre;Cdc42 flox/flox;Rac1flox/flox (Cdc42/Rac1-DKO) mice, were generated. Both Cdc42-KO and Rac1-KO mice, but more obviously Cdc42-KO mice, had disturbed alignment of BG in the Purkinje cell layer (PCL). We found that Cdc42-KO, but not Rac1-KO, induced impaired radial migration of CGNs in the late phase of radial migration, leading to retention of CGNs in the inferior half of the molecular layer (ML). Cdc42-KO, but not Rac1-KO, mice also showed aberrantly aligned Purkinje cells (PCs). These phenotypes were exacerbated in Cdc42/Rac1-DKO mice. Alignment of BG radial fibers in the ML and BG endfeet at the pial surface of the cerebellum evaluated by GFAP staining was disturbed and weak in Cdc42/Rac1-DKO mice, respectively. Our data indicate that that Cdc42 and Rac, but predominantly Cdc42, in BG play important roles during the late phase of radial migration of CGNs. We also report here that Cdc42 is involved in gliophilic migration of CGNs, in contrast to Rac, which is more closely connected to regulating neurophilic migration.