TY - JOUR A1 - Cai, Kai A1 - El-Merahbi, Rabih A1 - Loeffler, Mona A1 - Mayer, Alexander E. A1 - Sumara, Grzegorz T1 - Ndrg1 promotes adipocyte differentiation and sustains their function JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Adipocytes play a central role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis in the body. Differentiation of adipocyte precursor cells requires the transcriptional activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (Pparγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/Ebps). Transcriptional activity is regulated by signaling modules activated by a plethora of hormones and nutrients. Mechanistic target of rapamacin complexes (mTORC) 1 and 2 are central for the coordination of hormonal and nutritional inputs in cells and are essential for adipogenesis. Serum glucocorticoid kinase 1 (Sgk1)-dependent phosphorylation of N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) is a hallmark of mTORC2 activation in cells. Moreover, Pparγ activation promotes Ndrg1 expression. However, the impact of Ndrg1 on adipocyte differentiation and function has not yet been defined. Here, we show that Ndrg1 expression and its Sgk1-dependent phosphorylation are induced during adipogenesis. Consistently, we demonstrate that Ndrg1 promotes adipocyte differentiation and function by inducing Pparγ expression. Additionally, our results indicate that Ndrg1 is required for C/Ebpα phosphorylation. Moreover, we found that Ndrg1 phosphorylation by Sgk1 promotes adipocyte formation. Taken together, we show that induction of Ndrg1 expression by Pparγ and its phosphorylation by Sgk1 kinase are required for the acquisition of adipocyte characteristics by precursor cells. KW - differentiation KW - cell signalling KW - adipocytes KW - Ndrg1 Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170565 VL - 7 IS - 7191 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weider, Matthias A1 - Wegener, Amélie A1 - Schmitt, Christian A1 - Küspert, Melanie A1 - Hillgärtner, Simone A1 - Bösl, Michael R. A1 - Hermans-Borgmeyer, Irm A1 - Nait-Oumesmar, Brahim A1 - Wegner, Michael T1 - Elevated in vivo levels of a single transcription factor directly convert satellite glia into oligodendrocyte-like cells JF - PLoS Genetics N2 - Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating glia of the central nervous system and ensure rapid saltatory conduction. Shortage or loss of these cells leads to severe malfunctions as observed in human leukodystrophies and multiple sclerosis, and their replenishment by reprogramming or cell conversion strategies is an important research aim. Using a transgenic approach we increased levels of the transcription factor Sox10 throughout the mouse embryo and thereby prompted Fabp7-positive glial cells in dorsal root ganglia of the peripheral nervous system to convert into cells with oligodendrocyte characteristics including myelin gene expression. These rarely studied and poorly characterized satellite glia did not go through a classic oligodendrocyte precursor cell stage. Instead, Sox10 directly induced key elements of the regulatory network of differentiating oligodendrocytes, including Olig2, Olig1, Nkx2.2 and Myrf. An upstream enhancer mediated the direct induction of the Olig2 gene. Unlike Sox10, Olig2 was not capable of generating oligodendrocyte-like cells in dorsal root ganglia. Our findings provide proof-of-concept that Sox10 can convert conducive cells into oligodendrocyte-like cells in vivo and delineates options for future therapeutic strategies. KW - peripheral nervous system KW - Hirschsprung disease KW - spinal-cord KW - boundary cap KW - differentiation KW - stem cells KW - factor Sox10 KW - mouse model KW - expression KW - Olig2 Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144123 VL - 11 IS - 2 ER - TY - THES A1 - Griesmann, Heidi T1 - p73 in Differenzierung und Tumorigenese T1 - p73 in differentiation and tumorigenesis N2 - Um der ungehinderten Vermehrung maligne entarteter Zellen vorzubeugen, besitzt der Organismus Tumorsuppressorgene. Die Blockade von tumorsuppressiven Signalwegen ist Voraussetzung für die neoplastische Transformation von Zellen. Während die tumorsuppressive Funktion von p53 bestens untersucht ist, war die Bedeutung des p53-Familienmitglieds p73 als Tumorsuppressor umstritten. Komplizierend war hierbei, dass das p73-Gen sowohl ein p53-ähnliches, putativ tumorsuppressives Protein (TAp73) als auch ein funktionell antagonistisches, potentiell onkogenes Protein (ΔNp73) exprimiert. Die in dieser Arbeit dargestellten Untersuchungen zeigen, dass TAp73 tatsächlich tumorsuppressiv agiert: zum einen verhindert es zusammen mit p53 und TAp63 durch Induktion von myogener Differenzierung die Entstehung von Rhabdomyosarkomen - zum anderen unterdrückt es substratunabhängiges Wachstum als Charakteristikum von Tumorzellen und bildet so eine Barriere auf dem Weg der malignen Transformation. Eine Inaktivierung der tumorsuppressiven Aktivitäten von TAp73 erfolgt bei Tumorpatienten – anders als bei p53 – entweder durch eine Reduktion der p73-Expression aufgrund von Gendeletion bzw. Promotormethylierung oder durch eine verstärkte Expression von Inhibitoren wie ΔNp73. Eine reduzierte p73-Expression wird z.B. bei einigen hämatologischen Neoplasien beobachet. Entsprechend beobachteten wir in einem Myc-induzierten Lymphommodell der Maus eine geringfügig aber signifikant beschleunigte Lymphomentstehung nach Deletion eines p73-Allels. Eine verstärkte Expression von ΔNp73 ist dagegen die charakteristische Expressionsveränderung von p73 in soliden Tumoren. Entsprechend beobachteten wir in >85% aller Rhabdomyosarkome stark erhöhte ΔNp73-Spiegel, die sich als essentiell für Tumorentstehung und Tumorprogression erwiesen. Diese Ergebnisse in unterschiedlichen in vitro und in vivo Modellen belegen mechanistisch, dass TAp73 als Tumorsuppressor wirkt, dessen Funktion in Tumoren häufig inaktiviert ist. Proof-of-principle Experimente in dieser Arbeit unterstreichen ferner, dass eine Reaktivierung der Tumorsuppressorfunktion von TAp73, z.B. durch Blockade von ΔNp73, eine Möglichkeit darstellt, um Tumore auf molekularer Ebene zu therapieren. N2 - The organism possesses tumour suppressor genes to prevent an unchecked expansion of malignant cells. For neoplastic cell transformation inhibition of these tumour suppressive pathways is required. Whereas the tumour suppressor function of p53 is well elucidated, the role of the p53 family member p73 as a tumour suppressor was controversially discussed. This was complicated because the p73 gene generates both a p53-like putative tumour suppressive protein (TAp73) and a functionally antagonistic and potentially oncogenic protein (ΔNp73). The work described in this thesis shows, that TAp73 indeed acts tumour suppressive. On the one hand, together with p53 and TAp63, TAp73 prevented the development of rhabdomyosarcomas by inducing myogenic differentiation. On the other hand, TAp73 posed a barrier to malignant transformation by impairing anchorage-independent growth as a hallmark of tumour cells. Unlike p53, inactivation of the tumour suppressive activities of TAp73 in patients occurs either by reduced expression of p73 due to gene deletion or promoter methylation or by enhanced expression of inhibitors like ΔNp73. A reduced p73 expression is commonly observed in some hematopoetic neoplasias. Accordingly, we observed a small but significant acceleration of lymphoma development after inactivation of a single p73 allele in a Myc-driven lymphoma mouse model. In contrast, an increased ΔNp73 expression is characteristic for solid tumours. Consistently, we observed in >85% of all rhabdomyosarcomas highly increased ΔNp73 levels which proved to be essential for tumour development and progression. These findings in different in vitro and in vivo models support mechanistically that TAp73 acts as a tumour suppressor the function of which is often inactivated in tumours. Proof of principal experiments in this work further underline that reactivation of TAp73's tumour suppressor function, for example by blocking ΔNp73, presents a novel possibility for a molecular targeted cancer therapy. KW - TPp73 KW - Differenzierung KW - Lymphom KW - Rhabdomyosarkom KW - TPp73 KW - differentiation KW - lymphoma KW - rhabdomyosarcoma Y1 - 2008 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-34994 ER -