A key to the pathogenic success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is the capacity to survive within host macrophages. Although several factors required for this survival have been identified, a comprehensive knowledge of such factors and how they work together to manipulate the host environment to benefit bacterial survival are not well understood. To systematically identify Mtb factors required for intracellular growth, we screened an arrayed, non-redundant Mtb transposon mutant library by high-content imaging to characterize the mutant-macrophage interaction. Based on a combination of imaging features, we identified mutants impaired for intracellular survival. We then characterized the phenotype of infection with each mutant by profiling the induced macrophage cytokine response. Taking a systems-level approach to understanding the biology of identified mutants, we performed a multiparametric analysis combining pathogen and host phenotypes to predict functional relationships between mutants based on clustering. Strikingly, mutants defective in two well-known virulence factors, the ESX-1 protein secretion system and the virulence lipid phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM), clustered together. Building upon the shared phenotype of loss of the macrophage type I interferon (IFN) response to infection, we found that PDIM production and export are required for coordinated secretion of ESX-1-substrates, for phagosomal permeabilization, and for downstream induction of the type I IFN response. Multiparametric clustering also identified two novel genes that are required for PDIM production and induction of the type I IFN response. Thus, multiparametric analysis combining host and pathogen infection phenotypes can be used to identify novel functional relationships between genes that play a role in infection.

PurposeThe aquaporin (AQP) family consists of a number of small integral membrane proteins that transport water and glycerol. AQPs are critical for trans-epithelial fluid transport. Recent reports demonstrated that AQPs, particularly AQP1 and AQP5, are expressed in high grade tumor cells of a variety of tissue origins, and that AQPs are involved in cell migration and metastasis. Based on this background, we examined whether AQP3, another important member of the AQP family, could facilitate cell migration in human breast cancers.MethodsPotential role of AQP3 was examined using two representative breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and Bcap-37). Briefly, AQP3 expression was inhibited with a lentivirus construct that stably expressed shRNA against the AQP3 mRNA. AQP3 expression inhibition was verified with Western blot. Cell migration was examined using a wound scratch assay in the presence of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). In additional experiments, AQP3 was inhibited by CuSO4. Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) kinase inhibitor PD173074, PI3K inhibitor LY294002, and MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 were used to dissect the molecular mechanism of FGF-2 induced AQP3 expression.ResultsFGF-2 treatment increased AQP3 expression and induced cell migration in a dose dependent manner. Silencing AQP3 expression by a lentiviral shRNA inhibited FGF-2 induced cell migration. CuSO4, a water transport inhibitor selective for AQP3, also suppressed FGF-2-induced cell migration. The FGFR kinase inhibitor PD173074, significantly inhibited FGF-2-induced AQP3 expression and cell migration. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 inhibited, but not fully blocked, FGF-2-induced AQP3 expression and cell migration.ConclusionsAQP3 is required for FGF-2-induced cell migration in cultured human breast cancer cells. Our findings also suggest the importance of FGFR-PI3K and FGFR-ERK signaling in FGF-2-induced AQP3 expression. In summary, our findings suggest a novel function of AQP3 in cell migration and metastasis of breast cancers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to play essential roles in muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. MicroRNA-1 (miR-1) and microRNA-206 (miR-206), which are similar and have the same seed sequence, have specific roles in modulating skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation in vitro and in vivo. However, there is no information about their function during bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell development. In this study, the profiles of miR-1 and miR-206 and their biological functions in bovine skeletal muscle cell development was investigated. The target genes were predicted, and we used a dual-luciferase reporter assay to demonstrate that miR-1 and miR-206 directly targeted the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of paired-box transcription factor Pax7 and histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4). We showed that miR-1 and miR-206 facilitate bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell myogenic differentiation by restricting the expression of their target gene and that inhibition of miR-1 and miR-206 increased the Pax7 and HDAC4 protein levels and substantially enhanced satellite cell proliferation. Therefore, our results revealed the mechanism in which miR-1 and miR-206 positively regulate bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell myogenic differentiation via Pax7 and HDAC4 downregulation.

Development of skeletal muscle is a complicated biological process regulated by various regulation factors and signal pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are novel gene regulators that control muscle cell development. microRNA-143 (miR-143) is highly expressed in skeletal muscle, and we found that miR-143 level is significantly increased during bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells (MSCs) differentiation process through microarray analysis and qRT-PCR detection. However, the function of miR-143 in bovine muscle development remained unclear. In our work, the functions of miR-143 in bovine MSCs myogenic differentiation were investigated. We discovered that IGFBP5 is directly regulated by miR-143 using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Overexpression of miR-143 led to decreased level of IGFBP5 protein and restrained cell proliferation and differentiation, while downregulation of miR-143 resulted in increased levels of IGFBP5 protein and restrained cell proliferation but improved differentiation. IGFBP5, an important component of IGF signaling pathway, contributes greatly to bovine muscle cell development. A mechanism that miR-143 can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of bovine MSCs through changing expression of IGFBP5 was elucidated by our study.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. The muscle-specific miRNAs miR-1 and miR-206 have been shown to regulate muscle development and promote myogenic differentiation; however, it is likely that a number of other miRNAs play important roles in regulating myogenesis as well. microRNA-128 (miR-128) has been reported to be highly expressed in brain and skeletal muscle, and we found that miR-128 is also up-regulated during bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell differentiation using microarray analysis and qRT-PCR. However, little is known about the functions of miR-128 in bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell development. In this study, we investigated the biological functions of miR-128 in bovine skeletal muscle cell development. Using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, we confirmed that miR-128 regulates the Sp1 gene. Over-expression of miR-128 reduced Sp1 protein levels and inhibited muscle satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. Inhibition of miR-128 increased Sp1 protein levels and promoted muscle satellite cell differentiation but also suppressed proliferation. Changes in miR-128 and Sp1 expression levels also affected the protein levels of MyoD and CDKN1A. Sp1, an activator of MyoD and a suppressor of CDKN1A, plays an important role in bovine muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. The results of our study reveal a mechanism by which miR-128 regulates bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell proliferation and myogenic differentiation via Sp1.