Biology subjects

Strege, P. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Strege, P. R..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Deficiency of Hv1 Proton Channel Enhances Macrophage Antigen Presentation and Anti-Tumor Responses in Glioma

In the tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma, myeloid cells act as a double-edged sword--they are a major cellular component modulating the immune response while presenting a potential therapeutic target. Our study highlights the voltage-gated proton channel Hv1, predominantly expressed in myeloid cells, as a crucial regulator of their physiological functions. We discovered a strong correlation between increased Hv1 expression and poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Depleting Hv1 significantly extended survival in a mouse model of glioma. Employing multiple novel transgenic mouse lines, we demonstrated that Hv1 is upregulated in response to tumor presence, with glioma-associated macrophages as the principal contributors. Specifically, we identified that Hv1 in infiltrating macrophages as the major driver of survival phenotype differences. Through a combination of in vivo two-photon imaging, spectral flow cytometry, and spatial transcriptomic sequencing, we found that Hv1 depletion leads to reduced macrophage infiltration and enhanced antigen presentation, ultimately fostering a stronger adaptive immune response. These findings establish the Hv1 channel as a crucial new immune regulator within the brain tumor milieu, offering a promising target for reprogramming macrophage function to combat glioblastoma.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Mechanosensitive pore opening of a prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel

Voltage-gated ion channels orchestrate electrical activities that drive mechanical functions in contractile tissues such as the heart and gut. In turn, contractions change membrane tension and impact ion channels. Voltage-gated ion channels are mechanosensitive, but the mechanisms of mechanosensitivity remain poorly understood. Here, we leverage the relative simplicity of NaChBac, a prokaryotic sodium channel from Bacillus halodurans, to investigate its mechanosensitivity. In whole-cell experiments on heterologously transfected HEK293 cells, shear stress reversibly altered the kinetic properties of NaChBac and increased its maximum current, comparably to the mechanosensitive eukaryotic sodium channel NaV1.5. In single-channel experiments, patch suction reversibly increased the open probability of a NaChBac mutant with inactivation removed. A simple kinetic mechanism featuring a mechanosensitive pore opening transition explained the overall response to force, whereas an alternative model with mechanosensitive voltage sensor activation diverged from the data. Structural analysis of NaChBac identified a large displacement of the hinged intracellular gate, and mutagenesis at the hinge abolished NaChBac mechanosensitivity, further supporting the proposed mechanism. Overall, our results suggest that NaChBac responds to force because its pore is intrinsically mechanosensitive. This mechanism may apply to other voltage-gated ion channels, including NaV1.5.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Capsaicin alters human NaV1.5 mechanosensitivity

SCN5A-encoded NaV1.5 is a voltage-gated Na+ channel expressed in cardiac myocytes and human gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscle cells (SMCs). NaV1.5 contributes to electrical excitability in the heart and slow waves in the gut. NaV1.5 is also mechanosensitive, and mechanical force modulates several modes of NaV1.5s voltage-dependent function. NaV1.5 mutations in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and gastrointestinal diseases lead to abnormal mechano- and voltage-sensitivity. Membrane permeable amphipathic drugs that target NaV1.5 in the heart and GI tract alter NaV1.5 mechanosensitivity (MS), suggesting that amphipaths may be a viable therapeutic option for modulating NaV1.5 function. We therefore searched for membrane-permeable amphipathic agents that would modulate NaV1.5 MS with minimal effect on NaV1.5 voltage-gating intact to more selectively target mechanosensitivity. We used two methods to assess NaV1.5 MS: (1) membrane suction in cell-attached macroscopic patches and (2) fluid shear stress on whole cells. We tested the effect of capsaicin on NaV1.5 MS by examining macropatch and whole-cell Na+ current parameters with and without force. The pressure- and shear-mediated peak current increase and acceleration were effectively abolished by capsaicin. Capsaicin abolished the mechanosensitive shifts in the voltage-dependence of activation (shear) and inactivation (pressure and shear). Exploring the recovery from inactivation and use-dependent entry into inactivation, we found divergent stimulus-dependent effects that could potentiate or mitigate the effect of capsaicin, suggesting that mechanical stimuli may differentially modulate NaV1.5 MS. We conclude that selective modulation of MS makes capsaicin is a novel modulator of NaV1.5 MS and a promising therapeutic candidate.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

Ezh2-dependent epigenetic reprogramming controls a developmental switch between modes of gastric neuromuscular regulation

Physiological interconversion between specialized cell types has only been described in a few mammalian tissues and the mechanisms remain obscure. Using genetic lineage tracing during postnatal development and in-vitro models we demonstrate conversion of gastric interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), regulatory cells that electrically pace phasic contractions and mediate nitrergic and cholinergic neural control of smooth muscle cells, into phenotypically distinct \"fibroblast-like\" interstitial cells (FLC), which only mediate purinergic signaling. Mechanistically, we find this transition to be epigenetically governed by H3K27 trimethylation of cell identity-related promoters whose susceptibility to repression is predicted by H3K27 acetylation patterns in ICC. The phenotypic switch was reversible by inhibition, knockdown or in-vivo genomic inactivation of the polycomb H3K27 methyl-transferase Ezh2. These results demonstrate a role for Ezh2-mediated epigenetic repression in physiological mammalian transdifferentiation and identify FLC as a reserve from which ICC can potentially be restored in common gastrointestinal disorders where ICC are depleted.\n\nGRAPHICAL ABSTRACT\n\nO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=157 SRC=\"FIGDIR/small/486423v1_ufig1.gif\" ALT=\"Figure 1\">\nView larger version (38K):\norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e12f42org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e5c7beorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@9cbc21org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@34f28_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG HIGHLIGHTSO_LIGastric pacemaker cells (ICC) transdifferentiate into quiescent cells (FLC) in vivo\nC_LIO_LIICC-to-FLC shift switches neural control from nitrergic/cholinergic to purinergic\nC_LIO_LIEzh2-mediated H3K27me3 represses cell-identity genes during ICC-to-FLC transition\nC_LIO_LIEzh2 inhibition restores ICC numbers, phenotype and function\nC_LI\n\neTOC BLURBSyed et al. find aging to cause transdifferentiation of gastric pacemaker cells (interstitial cells of Cajal, ICC), which also communicate cholinergic and nitrergic neurotransmission to smooth muscle cells, into quiescent \"fibroblast-like cells\" (FLC), which only mediate purinergic signals. This switch is governed by Ezh2, whose inhibition can reverse ICC depletion.

molecular biology↗