Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family plays an important role in many developmental processes and when mutated often contributes to various diseases. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease with an occurrence of approximately 1 in 5,000. The disease is caused by mutations in fibrillin, which l...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jing Lin, Mehul Vora, Nanci S Kane, Ryan J Gleason, Richard W Padgett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2019-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216628
_version_ 1818581099937267712
author Jing Lin
Mehul Vora
Nanci S Kane
Ryan J Gleason
Richard W Padgett
author_facet Jing Lin
Mehul Vora
Nanci S Kane
Ryan J Gleason
Richard W Padgett
author_sort Jing Lin
collection DOAJ
description The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family plays an important role in many developmental processes and when mutated often contributes to various diseases. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease with an occurrence of approximately 1 in 5,000. The disease is caused by mutations in fibrillin, which lead to an increase in TGFβ ligand activity, resulting in abnormalities of connective tissues which can be life-threatening. Mutations in other components of TGFβ signaling (receptors, Smads, Schnurri) lead to similar diseases with attenuated phenotypes relative to Marfan syndrome. In particular, mutations in TGFβ receptors, most of which are clustered at the C-terminal end, result in Marfan-like (MFS-like) syndromes. Even though it was assumed that many of these receptor mutations would reduce or eliminate signaling, in many cases signaling is active. From our previous studies on receptor trafficking in C. elegans, we noticed that many of these receptor mutations that lead to Marfan-like syndromes overlap with mutations that cause mis-trafficking of the receptor, suggesting a link between Marfan-like syndromes and TGFβ receptor trafficking. To test this hypothesis, we introduced three of these key MFS and MFS-like mutations into the C. elegans TGFβ receptor and asked if receptor trafficking is altered. We find that in every case studied, mutated receptors mislocalize to the apical surface rather than basolateral surface of the polarized intestinal cells. Further, we find that these mutations result in longer animals, a phenotype due to over-stimulation of the nematode TGFβ pathway and, importantly, indicating that function of the receptor is not abrogated in these mutants. Our nematode models of Marfan syndrome suggest that MFS and MFS-like mutations in the type II receptor lead to mis-trafficking of the receptor and possibly provides an explanation for the disease, a phenomenon which might also occur in some cancers that possess the same mutations within the type II receptor (e.g. colon cancer).
first_indexed 2024-12-16T07:28:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-8755a46eb3f34695b7f3dfd5d897d1ec
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-16T07:28:07Z
publishDate 2019-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-8755a46eb3f34695b7f3dfd5d897d1ec2022-12-21T22:39:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01145e021662810.1371/journal.pone.0216628Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.Jing LinMehul VoraNanci S KaneRyan J GleasonRichard W PadgettThe transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family plays an important role in many developmental processes and when mutated often contributes to various diseases. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease with an occurrence of approximately 1 in 5,000. The disease is caused by mutations in fibrillin, which lead to an increase in TGFβ ligand activity, resulting in abnormalities of connective tissues which can be life-threatening. Mutations in other components of TGFβ signaling (receptors, Smads, Schnurri) lead to similar diseases with attenuated phenotypes relative to Marfan syndrome. In particular, mutations in TGFβ receptors, most of which are clustered at the C-terminal end, result in Marfan-like (MFS-like) syndromes. Even though it was assumed that many of these receptor mutations would reduce or eliminate signaling, in many cases signaling is active. From our previous studies on receptor trafficking in C. elegans, we noticed that many of these receptor mutations that lead to Marfan-like syndromes overlap with mutations that cause mis-trafficking of the receptor, suggesting a link between Marfan-like syndromes and TGFβ receptor trafficking. To test this hypothesis, we introduced three of these key MFS and MFS-like mutations into the C. elegans TGFβ receptor and asked if receptor trafficking is altered. We find that in every case studied, mutated receptors mislocalize to the apical surface rather than basolateral surface of the polarized intestinal cells. Further, we find that these mutations result in longer animals, a phenotype due to over-stimulation of the nematode TGFβ pathway and, importantly, indicating that function of the receptor is not abrogated in these mutants. Our nematode models of Marfan syndrome suggest that MFS and MFS-like mutations in the type II receptor lead to mis-trafficking of the receptor and possibly provides an explanation for the disease, a phenomenon which might also occur in some cancers that possess the same mutations within the type II receptor (e.g. colon cancer).https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216628
spellingShingle Jing Lin
Mehul Vora
Nanci S Kane
Ryan J Gleason
Richard W Padgett
Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
PLoS ONE
title Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
title_full Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
title_fullStr Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
title_full_unstemmed Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
title_short Human Marfan and Marfan-like Syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the Type II TGFβ receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans.
title_sort human marfan and marfan like syndrome associated mutations lead to altered trafficking of the type ii tgfβ receptor in caenorhabditis elegans
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216628
work_keys_str_mv AT jinglin humanmarfanandmarfanlikesyndromeassociatedmutationsleadtoalteredtraffickingofthetypeiitgfbreceptorincaenorhabditiselegans
AT mehulvora humanmarfanandmarfanlikesyndromeassociatedmutationsleadtoalteredtraffickingofthetypeiitgfbreceptorincaenorhabditiselegans
AT nanciskane humanmarfanandmarfanlikesyndromeassociatedmutationsleadtoalteredtraffickingofthetypeiitgfbreceptorincaenorhabditiselegans
AT ryanjgleason humanmarfanandmarfanlikesyndromeassociatedmutationsleadtoalteredtraffickingofthetypeiitgfbreceptorincaenorhabditiselegans
AT richardwpadgett humanmarfanandmarfanlikesyndromeassociatedmutationsleadtoalteredtraffickingofthetypeiitgfbreceptorincaenorhabditiselegans