Biased left-right asymmetry is a fascinating and medically important phenomenon. We provide molecular genetic and physiological characterization of a novel, conserved, early, biophysical event that is crucial for correct asymmetry: H + flux. A pharmacological screen implicated the H + -pump H + -V-ATPase in Xenopus asymmetry, where it acts upstream of early asymmetric markers. Immunohistochemistry revealed an actin-dependent asymmetry of H + -V-ATPase subunits during the first three cleavages. H + -flux across plasma membranes is also asymmetric at the four-and eight-cell stages, and this asymmetry requires H + -V-ATPase activity. Abolishing the asymmetry in H + flux, using a dominant-negative subunit of the H + -V-ATPase or an ectopic H + pump, randomized embryonic situs without causing any other defects. To understand the mechanism of action of H + -V-ATPase, we isolated its two physiological functions, cytoplasmic pH and membrane voltage (V mem ) regulation. Varying either pH or V mem , independently of direct manipulation of H + -V-ATPase, caused disruptions of normal asymmetry, suggesting roles for both functions. V-ATPase inhibition also abolished the normal early localization of serotonin, functionally linking these two early asymmetry pathways. The involvement of H + -V-ATPase in asymmetry is conserved to chick and zebrafish. Inhibition of the H + -V-ATPase induces heterotaxia in both species; in chick, H + -V-ATPase activity is upstream of Shh; in fish, it is upstream of Kupffer's vesicle and Spaw expression. Our data implicate H + -V-ATPase activity in patterning the LR axis of vertebrates and reveal mechanisms upstream and downstream of its activity. We propose a pH-and V mem -dependent model of the early physiology of LR patterning. Development 133, 1657Development 133, -1671Development 133, (2006 DEVELOPMENT 1658 necessary to characterize the endogenous behavior of the relevant pumps in embryos and to place their function in the context of known LR patterning mechanisms. Here, we explore the properties of H + -V-ATPase function in several vertebrate embryos. Through endogenous localization of the H + -V-ATPase and gain-and loss-offunction experiments in chick, frog and zebrafish, we identify the H + -V-ATPase as a novel, conserved, obligate component of LR patterning upstream of asymmetric gene expression. KEY WORDS: Left-right asymmetry, H + -V-ATPase, V-ATPase, Xenopus, Chick, Zebrafish, Axial patterning, Cytoplasmic pH, Membrane voltage MATERIALS AND METHODS Animal husbandryXenopus embryos were collected according to standard protocols (Sive et al., 2000) in 0.1ϫ Modified Marc's Ringers (MMR) pH 7.8 + 0.1% Gentamicin. Xenopus embryos were staged according to Nieuwkoop and Faber (Nieuwkoop and Faber, 1967). Chick embryos from Charles River Laboratories, maintained at 38°C, were staged according to Hamburger and Hamilton (Hamburger and Hamilton, 1992). Zebrafish embryos (Westerfield, 1995) were maintained at 28.5°C in water containing 1 drop per gallon Methyl Blue. Assaying organ situsXenopus e...

Serotonin is present in very early chick and frog embryos. 5-HT pathway function is required for normal asymmetry and is upstream of asymmetric gene expression. The microinjection data reveal asymmetry existing in frog embryos by the 4-cell stage and suggest novel intracellular 5-HT mechanisms. These functional and localization data identify a novel role for the neurotransmitter serotonin and implicate prenervous serotonergic signaling as an obligate aspect of very early left-right patterning conserved to two vertebrate species.

The neurotransmitter serotonin has been shown to regulate a number of embryonic patterning events in addition to its crucial role in the nervous system. Here, we examine the role of two serotonin transporters, the plasma membrane serotonin transporter (SERT) and the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), in embryonic left-right asymmetry. Pharmacological or genetic inhibitors of either SERT or VMAT specifically randomized the laterality of the heart and viscera in Xenopus embryos. This effect takes place during cleavage stages, and is upstream of the left-sided gene XNR-1. Targeted microinjection of an SERT-dominant negative construct confirmed the necessity for SERT function in embryonic laterality and revealed that the descendants of the right ventral blastomere are the most dependant upon SERT signaling in left-right patterning. Moreover, the importance of SERT and VMAT in laterality is conserved in chick embryos, being upstream of the early left-sided gene Shh. Endogenous transcripts of SERT and VMAT are expressed from the initiation of the primitive streak in chick and are asymmetrically expressed in Hensen’s node. Taken together our data characterize two new right-sided markers in chick gastrulation, identify a novel, early component of the left-right pathway in two vertebrate species, and reveal a new biological role for serotonin transport.

The Drosophila segment polarity gene fused encodes a putative protein-serine/threonine kinase, and plays a critical role in the signal transduction for Hedgehog

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in prostate cancer progression to the castration-resistant (CR) lethal state.L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) is an AR coactivator that increases in expression with disease progression and is coexpressed with the receptor in prostate adenocarcinoma cells, where it may enhance AR activity. Here, we hypothesize that the DDC enzymatic inhibitor, carbidopa, can suppress DDC-coactivation of AR and retard prostate tumor growth. Treating LNCaP prostate cancer cells with carbidopa in transcriptional assays suppressed the enhanced AR transactivation seen with DDC overexpression and decreased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA levels. Carbidopa dose-dependently inhibited cell growth and decreased survival in LNCaP cell proliferation and apoptosis assays. The inhibitory effect of carbidopa on DDC-coactivation of AR and cell growth/survival was also observed in PC3 prostate cancer cells (stably expressing AR). In vivo studies demonstrated that serum PSA velocity and tumor growth rates elevated~2-fold in LNCaP xenografts, inducibly overexpressing DDC, were reverted to control levels with carbidopa administration. In castrated mice, treating LNCaP tumors, expressing endogenous DDC, with carbidopa delayed progression to the CR state from 6 to 10 weeks, while serum PSA and tumor growth decreased 4.3-fold and 5.4-fold, respectively. Our study is a first time demonstration that carbidopa can abrogate DDC-coactivation of AR in prostate cancer cells and tumors, decrease serum PSA, reduce tumor growth and delay CR progression. Since carbidopa is clinically approved, it may be readily used as a novel therapeutic strategy to suppress aberrant AR activity and delay prostate cancer progression.Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related death in men of Western countries. 1,2 Early diagnosed organ-confined prostate tumors are frequently curable by surgery or radiotherapy, while standard treatment for localized advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). 3,4 The efficacy of ADT is temporary due to progression of disease to a castration-resistant (CR) state, which is incurable with a median life expectancy of 18 months, 5 and only temporary survival extensions are achievable using current docetaxel-based chemotherapy protocols. 6 The androgen receptor (AR) is a central transcription factor that mediates androgenic signals and has been widely studied for its role in the development and progression of prostate cancer to CR disease. 7,8 CR progression is a complex process by which tumor cells gain the ability to survive and proliferate under androgen-deprived conditions. This event in part can involve mechanisms that lead to reactivation of AR through the convergence of alternative growth factor and cytokine signaling pathways, as well as altered activity and expression of AR coregulators. [9][10][11] AR coregulator proteins bind to the receptor and activate (coactivator) or repress (corepressor) AR transcript...

Abstract. Prostate cancer is one of the most common tumors in males and its incidence is steadily increasing worldwide. Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a well-known neurotransmitter that mediates a wide variety of physiological effects. An increase in the number of 5-HT-releasing neuroendocrine (NE) cells has been correlated with tumor progression. However, it is particularly unclear whether released 5-HT or the release of 5-HT has a role in tumor cell growth. We hypothesized that 5-HT synthesis and metabolism in NE cells regulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. In the present study, 5-HT was found to play a role as a cell growth factor in prostate cancer cells. Moreover, the pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis and metabolism interrupted the growth of prostate cancer cells. To confirm the existence of 5-HT in prostate cancer cells, we performed ELISA, HPLC, RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses. A high expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH-1), dopa decarboxylase (DDC) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) was noted in the prostate cancer cells when compared with normal prostate cells. Previous studies showed that 5-HT stimulated the proliferation of prostate cancer cells mediated by 5-HT receptors 5-HTR1A and R1B. However, cell proliferation was significantly inhibited when siRNA for both DDC and TPH-1 was transfected to the cells. Consequently, we propose that the secretion system of prostate NE cells capable of 5-HT synthesis and metabolism plays a significant role in prostate tumor generation and progression. These findings provide crucial clues for the development of potential pharmacotherapeutics to slow prostate tumor progression.

No abstract

Abstract. Several endometrial signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STaT3)-activating cytokines are reported to be essential for blastocyst implantation, with inhibition of STaT3 activation in the endometrium also reported to prevent implantation. To investigate STaT3 signals in endometrial epithelial cells, the activation and inactivation effects of STaT3 signals were examined in the human endometrial epithelial cell line HHua, which is thought to retain many of the intracellular signaling pathways found in normal human endometrial epithelial cells.