Project description:The hair follicle misorientation phenotype in Fzd6-/- mice appears to act through the PCP signaling system, but the downstream effectors of Fzd6 remain mysterious. We used microarrays to search for potential downstream effectors of the Fzd6 signaling pathway in regulating hair follicle orientation.
Project description:Frizzleds (FZD) function as receptors for secreted lipoglycoproteins of the Wingless/Int-1 (WNT) family, initiating an important signal transduction network in multicellular organisms. FZDs are classified as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which control a wide variety of physiological functions. GPCRs are well known to be regulated by phosphorylation, which can lead to specification of downstream signaling or receptor desensitization. The role and underlying mechanisms of phosphorylation of FZDs remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the phosphorylation of human FZD6. In order to assess FZD6 phosphorylation experimentally, we employed mass spectrometry. HEK293 cells expressing FZD6-GFP were treated with either control, WNT-3A or WNT-5A containing conditioned medium for 30 min and processed for LC-MS/MS analysis. Six phosphorylated serine residues were detected in the C-terminus of FZD6 − S592, S620, S629, S648, S653 and S656.
Project description:Wnt signaling is a complex pathway consisting of numerous ligands and frizzled (FZD) receptors. These signaling components are widely expressed in human prostate tissues and often undergo upregulation or mutation in advanced prostate cancers. Enhanced Wnt signaling promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. However, targeting pan-Wnt signaling poses challenges due to tissue toxicity. We show that FZD6 is the most highly expressed and frequently amplified Wnt receptor in advanced human prostate cancers. Knockdown of FZD6 suppresses in vitro growth of various prostate cancer cell lines. Additionally, FZD6 knockdown impairs DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, as determined by both resolution of γH2AX foci and DNA DSB repair reporter assays. Mechanistically, FZD6 knockdown-induced growth suppression is linked to reduced activities of the SRC kinase and STAT3, while DNA damage repair deficiency is mediated through WEE1 downregulation. WEE1 downregulation is mediated through PLK1 but is independent of β-Catenin. Knockdown of FZD6 enhances the therapeutic efficacy of genotoxic agents in preclinical prostate cancer models. Our findings demonstrate that targeting a single FZD receptor highly expressed in prostate cancers can achieve significant therapeutic efficacy.
Project description:Pulmonary inflammation compromises lung barrier function and underlies many lung diseases including acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, mechanisms by which lung cells respond to the damage caused by the inflammatory insults are not completely understood. Here we show that Fzd6-deficiency in Foxj1+ ciliated cells reduces pulmonary permeability, lipid peroxidation, and alveolar cell death accompanied with an increase in alveolar number in lungs insulted by LPS or mouse coronavirus MHV-1. Single cell RNA sequencing of lung cells indicates that the lack of Fzd6, which is primarily expressed in Foxj1+ ciliated cells, increases expression of the aldo-keto reductase Akr1b8. Intratracheal administration of the Akr1b8 protein phenocopies Fzd6-deficient lung phenotypes. In addition, ferroptosis inhibitors also phenocopy Fzd6-deficient lung phenotypes and exert no further effects in Fzd6-deficient lungs. These results indicate that Fzd6-deficiency suppresses inflammation-induced ferroptotic death of alveolar cells via the release of Akr1b8, thus revealing a previously unknown mechanism by which Fzd6 signaling regulates ferroptosis via a paracrine pathway. In addition, this study demonstrates the yet-to-be appreciated importance of ciliated cells in protecting alveolar cells during pulmonary inflammation.
Project description:Pulmonary inflammation compromises lung barrier function and underlies many lung diseases including acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, mechanisms by which lung cells respond to the damage caused by the inflammatory insults are not completely understood. Here we show that Fzd6-deficiency in Foxj1+ ciliated cells reduces pulmonary permeability, lipid peroxidation, and alveolar cell death accompanied with an increase in alveolar number in lungs insulted by LPS or mouse coronavirus MHV-1. Single cell RNA sequencing of lung cells indicates that the lack of Fzd6, which is primarily expressed in Foxj1+ ciliated cells, increases expression of the aldo-keto reductase Akr1b8. Intratracheal administration of the Akr1b8 protein phenocopies Fzd6-deficient lung phenotypes. In addition, ferroptosis inhibitors also phenocopy Fzd6-deficient lung phenotypes and exert no further effects in Fzd6-deficient lungs. These results indicate that Fzd6-deficiency suppresses inflammation-induced ferroptotic death of alveolar cells via the release of Akr1b8, thus revealing a previously unknown mechanism by which Fzd6 signaling regulates ferroptosis via a paracrine pathway. In addition, this study demonstrates the yet-to-be appreciated importance of ciliated cells in protecting alveolar cells during pulmonary inflammation.
Project description:Analysis of skin lesions from adult mice with epidermal conditional deletion of heterotrimeric G protein Galpha s in cytokeratin 14 positive cells, compared with control mouse skin. Epidermal Gnas ablation leads to skin defects, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Results provide insight into role of Galpha s in the regulation of stem cells from the skin. Changes in gene expression following Gnas deletion from the mouse epidermis were analyzed. Skin from four independent mice of each wild type (control) and Gnas epidermal knockout (Gnas eKO) were analyzed.
Project description:This experiment used RNA-Seq technology to explore gene expression in mouse Insm1GFP.Cre/+ controls and Insm1 (Insm1GFP.Cre/GFP.Cre), Neurod1 (Insm1GFP.Cre/+; Neurod1LacZ/LacZ), or Pax6 (Insm1GFP.Cre/+; Pax6fl/fl) knockout FACS sorted pancreatic endocrine cells at E15.5. Comparison of Insm1GFP.Cre+/- and knockout animals revealed sets of differentially expressed genes that are required for endocrine cell specification and development.
Project description:Interventions: experimental group :PD-1 Knockout Engineered T Cells
Primary outcome(s): Number of participants with Adverse Events and/or Dose Limiting Toxicities as a Measure of Safety and tolerability of dose of PD-1 Knockout T cells using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v4.0) in patients
Study Design: historical control