bioRxiv Science⌕ Search

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.09.05.611429

ADAR1 orchestrates the ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis and heart transplant rejection

Abstract

BackgroundPANoptosis is an integrated form of cell death that combines features of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis and is regulated by a complex network of signaling proteins. The roles of ADAR1 (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1) and RIPK1 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1) in orchestrating the ZBP1 (Z-DNA binding protein 1)-RIPK3 complex to mediate PANoptosis is not fully understood, particularly in the context of heart transplantation. ObjectiveThis study investigated how ADAR1 and RIPK1 coordinate the activation of the ZBP1-RIPK3 complex to mediate PANoptosis and its implications in mouse heart transplantation. MethodsUsing both in vitro and in vivo models, we analyzed the interactions between ADAR1, RIPK1, ZBP1, and RIPK3. We employed western blotting, and siRNA to elucidate the dynamics of these interactions. Additionally, we assessed the impact of ZBP1 on mouse heart transplantation outcomes. ResultsOur studies revealed that ADAR1 regulates the activation of the ZBP1-RIPK3 complex for PANoptosis. The interaction of ADAR1 with ZBP1 protected against Z-DNA-induced cell death by limiting activations of ZBP1 and RIPK3. In mouse heart transplantation study, we found that ZBP1 and its ligand Z-DNA/Z-RNA were significantly increased in the graft post-transplantation. Furthermore, ZBP1 deficiency in the heart graft inhibited cardiac PANoptosis, attenuated acute graft injury, and induced long-term graft survival. ConclusionThis study elucidates the role of ADAR1 in ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis. Inhibition of ZBP1 can prevent heart graft injury and rejection. Understanding these mechanisms provides valuable insights into the regulation of cell death and may inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve transplant outcomes.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Lu, H., Jiang, J., Huang, X., Haig, A., Gunaratnam, L., Jevnikar, A., Zhang, Z.-X.. 2024-09-05. ADAR1 orchestrates the ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis and heart transplant rejection. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.05.611429

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

Simvastatin and Primaquine Identified as Potential Endometriosis Therapeutics via a Novel Epithelial-Stromal Assembloid Drug Screening Assay

Background: Endometriosis is an estrogen-driven, inflammatory disorder affecting ~10% of menstruators, causing severe pain. Current treatments that reduce estrogen or inflammation have inconsistent efficacy and poor tolerability. Therapies identified via drug-repositioning methods, which target patient-specific pathways, offer a promising alternative. Simvastatin and primaquine were identified as potential treatments, strongly reversing endometriosis-associated gene expression pathways, and behavioral testing in an animal model showed that these drugs diminish endometriosis-associated pain. This paper examines their effects in human assembloids to provide proof-of-concept validation and insights into their mechanisms of action relevant to endometriosis. Methods: We established human endometrial assembloids using immortalized epithelial (12Z) and stromal fibroblast (iEc) cell lines, as well as primary tissue from patients. Assembloids were generated in 96-well agarose molds with both cell types. We tested ibuprofen, fenoprofen, primaquine, and simvastatin. Following a 24-hour exposure, assembloids and monolayer cultures were harvested and stranded mRNA-seq libraries were sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeqX Plus System. Results: Gene set enrichment analysis showed key pathway reversals: Primaquine reversed the chemical carcinogenesis ROS pathway in assembloids. Simvastatin reversed cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction in both epithelial and stromal cell lines, and the cytoskeleton in muscle cells pathway in stromal cell lines. Fenoprofen reversed the calcium signaling pathway in stromal cell lines. Conclusion: Simvastatin induced the most significant gene expression changes, notably reversing cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions in both cell lines, mirroring findings from our rat model. Despite the small sample size limitation, these experiments highlight the promise of assembloid models to test therapeutic candidates for endometriosis.

molecular biology↗

A feed-forward UHRF1 read-write mechanism supports H3 multi- mono-ubiquitination and DNA methylation maintenance at CpG-sparse regions

The epigenetic inheritance of mammalian DNA methylation requires DNMT1 and its E3 ligase cofactor UHRF1. At newly replicated chromatin, UHRF1 recognition of hemi-methylated DNA and histone H3 N-terminal tails directs catalysis of H3K14, H3K18, and/or H3K23 mono-ubiquitination to recruit DNMT1. While it is appreciated that UHRF1 can deposit multiple mono-ubiquitin marks on a single H3 tail and that DNMT1 recognizes this state through tandem ubiquitin interacting motifs, the mechanism that promotes successive ubiquitination and the biological function of multi-mono-ubiquitination are unknown. Here, we show that UHRF1 directly binds its mono-ubiquitinated H3 products through a previously uncharacterized LGDDSL loop in Tudor 2 of its tandem Tudor domain (TTD) to promote further ubiquitin deposition. Disruption of this ubiquitin reading activity impairs H3 multi-mono-ubiquitination and accelerates DNA methylation loss within late-replicating, CpG-sparse genomic regions that are characteristic of partially methylated domains (PMDs) in cancer and aging cells. These methylation defects overlap those observed by disruption of UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity, providing convergent evidence that both writing and reading of H3 ubiquitination support CpG-sparse DNA methylation maintenance. Together, these findings establish a feed-forward ubiquitin read-write mechanism that generates multi-mono-ubiquitinated H3 and safeguards DNMT1-dependent DNA methylation maintenance at vulnerable genomic regions of the mammalian methylome.

molecular biology↗

Calcium dysregulation amplifies fibrotic responses to TGFβ in human Friedreich's ataxia fibroblasts

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an inherited disease caused by loss of frataxin (FXN) and characterized by neurodegeneration and fatal cardiomyopathy. Cardiac fibrosis contributes to cardiomyopathy by stiffening the heart wall, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we investigated pro-fibrotic predisposition in FA patient-derived fibroblasts, focusing on the role of cytosolic calcium (Ca) in TGF{beta}-driven fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). We found pro-fibrotic transcriptional priming in FA fibroblasts, alongside elevated expression of genes controlled by the Ca-responsive transcription factor NFAT. Upon FMT, FA myofibroblasts showed amplified induction of pro-fibrotic (CCN2, NOX4) and suppression of anti-fibrotic (CCN3) genes, which were inversely correlated with residual FXN. Mechanistically, FA fibroblasts exhibited elevated cytosolic Ca and strongly downregulated expression of the Na-Ca exchanger NCX1, which directly correlated with FXN. Furthermore, NCX1 inhibition in control fibroblasts recapitulated FA Ca phenotypes, whereas NCX1 transduction in FA fibroblasts normalized Ca dynamics and blunted CCN2 induction in FMT. These findings highlight NCX1 as a modulator of fibrotic reprogramming in FA and identify Ca dyshomeostasis as an intrinsic mechanism of fibrosis that could be targeted therapeutically.

molecular biology↗