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The Oct1 homolog Nubbin is a repressor of NF-kappa B-dependent immune gene expression that increases the tolerance to gut microbiota
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9875-8829
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2013 (English)In: BMC Biology, E-ISSN 1741-7007, Vol. 11, article id 99Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Innate immune responses are evolutionarily conserved processes that provide crucial protection against invading organisms. Gene activation by potent NF-kappa B transcription factors is essential both in mammals and Drosophila during infection and stress challenges. If not strictly controlled, this potent defense system can activate autoimmune and inflammatory stress reactions, with deleterious consequences for the organism. Negative regulation to prevent gene activation in healthy organisms, in the presence of the commensal gut flora, is however not well understood. Results: We show that the Drosophila homolog of mammalian Oct1/POU2F1 transcription factor, called Nubbin (Nub), is a repressor of NF-kappa B/Relish-driven antimicrobial peptide gene expression in flies. In nub(1) mutants, which lack Nub-PD protein, excessive expression of antimicrobial peptide genes occurs in the absence of infection, leading to a significant reduction of the numbers of cultivatable gut commensal bacteria. This aberrant immune gene expression was effectively blocked by expression of Nub from a transgene. We have identified an upstream regulatory region, containing a cluster of octamer sites, which is required for repression of antimicrobial peptide gene expression in healthy flies. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Nub binds to octamer-containing promoter fragments of several immune genes. Gene expression profiling revealed that Drosophila Nub negatively regulates many genes that are involved in immune and stress responses, while it is a positive regulator of genes involved in differentiation and metabolism. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a large number of genes that are activated by NF-kappa B/Relish in response to infection are normally repressed by the evolutionarily conserved Oct/POU transcription factor Nub. This prevents uncontrolled gene activation and supports the existence of a normal gut flora. We suggest that Nub protein plays an ancient role, shared with mammalian Oct/POU transcription factors, to moderate responses to immune challenge, thereby increasing the tolerance to biotic stress.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2013. Vol. 11, article id 99
Keywords [en]
Antimicrobial peptides, Drosophila, Gene regulation, Host-pathogen interaction, Immune signaling, Innate immunity, NF-kappaB, Oct /POU transcription factors, Stress response
National Category
Biological Sciences
Research subject
Molecular Biology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-95772DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-11-99ISI: 000325347400001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-95772DiVA, id: diva2:661754
Note

AuthorCount:8;

Available from: 2013-11-04 Created: 2013-11-04 Last updated: 2024-01-17Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Isoform-specific regulation of Drosophila gut immunity and regeneration by the POU/Oct transcription factor Nub/Pdm1
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Isoform-specific regulation of Drosophila gut immunity and regeneration by the POU/Oct transcription factor Nub/Pdm1
2018 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Innate immune reactions protect organisms against a variety of infections.  In metazoans, these reactions involve both cellular and humoral responses. The immune responses have to be well-tuned, as excessive immune activation is associated with tissue-specific pathologies. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying how immune responses are balanced are still not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the Drosophila POU/Oct transcription factor Nubbin (Nub) in regulating Drosophila innate immunity, with a special focus on intestinal immune and epithelium homeostasis.

In Paper I, we show that the nub gene encodes two independent transcription factor isoforms, Nub-PB and Nub-PD. The short isoform, Nub-PD, acts as a repressor of NF-κB/Relish-dependent antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression in healthy flies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Nub-PD directly binds to Oct sequence motifs located in the distal promoter region of several AMP genes, thereby inhibiting gene transcription. In addition, loss of Nub-PD diminishes the number of cultivatable gut bacteria, possibly due to high expression levels of AMP genes. In Paper II, we show that the large isoform, Nub-PB, in a sharp contrast to Nub-PD, activates AMP gene expression, both independently of and together with Relish. Importantly, Nub-PB and Nub-PD regulated the same target AMP gene expression antagonistically. In addition, Nub-PB expression in gut enterocytes (ECs) negatively correlated with gut microbial loads and host lifespan. Finally, we found that enforced Nub-PB expression in ECs promotes a pro-inflammatory signature and stimulated epithelium renewal. In Paper III, we show that Nub-PB and Nub-PD are not only expressed in differentiated gut ECs, but also present in midgut progenitor cells. Depletion of Nub-PB in gut progenitor cells results in hyperproliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs), via direct or indirect de-repression of Escargot expression. Furthermore, enforced Nub-PB expression in ISCs and enteroblasts (EBs) inhibited Notch RNAi-induced tumor formation. In addition, Nub-PD was necessary for both basal and infection-induced ISC proliferation. Strikingly, Nub-PB and Nub-PD regulated ISC proliferation in antagonistic manners. In Paper IV, we created a Nub-PB-specific mutant and found that this mutant impairs normal gut development, giving rise to short and wide anterior midguts. Furthermore, loss of Nub-PB promoted rapid ISC proliferation, increased EC delamination, and increased numbers of enteroendocrine cells in the anterior midgut.

Taken together, we have characterized a novel isoform-specific regulatory mechanism, involved in maintaining Drosophila intestinal immune homeostasis and epithelial regeneration. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 2018. p. 62
Keywords
POU, Nubbin, Drosophila, intestinal stem cell, epithelium regeneration, midgut, mitosis, Antimicrobial peptides, innate immunity, NF-κB, bacterial infection, transcriptional regulation, homeostasis
National Category
Biological Sciences
Research subject
Molecular Biology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-155393 (URN)978-91-7797-276-1 (ISBN)978-91-7797-277-8 (ISBN)
Public defence
2018-06-07, Vivi Täckholmsalen (Q-salen), NPQ-huset, Svante Arrehnius väg 20, Stockholm, 13:00 (English)
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Note

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.

Available from: 2018-05-15 Created: 2018-04-19 Last updated: 2022-02-26Bibliographically approved

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