ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Physiol., 05 November 2021

Sec. Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology

Volume 12 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.771691

Doxycycline Changes the Transcriptome Profile of mIMCD3 Renal Epithelial Cells

  • 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States

  • 2. Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States

  • 3. Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States

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Abstract

Tetracycline-inducible gene expression systems have been used successfully to study gene function in vivo and in vitro renal epithelial models but the effects of the common inducing agent, doxycycline (DOX), on gene expression are not well appreciated. Here, we evaluated the DOX effects on the transcriptome of a widely used renal epithelial cell model, mIMCD3 cells, to establish a reference. Cells were grown on permeable filter supports in the absence and presence of DOX (3 or 6 days), and genome-wide transcriptome profiles were assessed using RNA-Seq. We found DOX significantly altered the transcriptome profile, changing the abundance of 1,549 transcripts at 3 days and 2,643 transcripts at 6 days. Within 3 days of treatment, DOX significantly decreased the expression of multiple signaling pathways (ERK, cAMP, and Notch) that are associated with cell proliferation and differentiation. Genes associated with cell cycle progression were subsequently downregulated in cells treated with DOX for 6 days, as were genes involved in cellular immune response processes and several cytokines and chemokines, correlating with a remarkable repression of genes encoding cell proliferation markers. The results provide new insight into responses of renal epithelial cells to DOX and a establish a resource for DOX-mediated gene expression systems.

Introduction

Gene expression systems utilizing drug-induced trans-activation provide the means to conditionally investigate gene function in a temporal manner. They can be used to activate expression of a target gene for study, or to induce Cre-recombinase for conditional knockout cell of floxed alleles. The tetracycline-inducible gene expression system has proven especially popular. Doxycycline (DOX), a synthetic derivative of tetracycline, is widely used in these systems (Kistner et al., 1996; Das et al., 2016) because of its long half live and low cell toxicity. However, effects of DOX on a global gene expression and cellular processes in renal epithelial cell models are not known.

The absence of DOX effects on global gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Wishart et al., 2005) initially suggested DOX might be inert. However, several more recent studies revealed DOX can change gene expression in mammalian tissues. For example, in ex vivo studies with surgically removed pterygia tissue from the eye, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)-based transcriptomic analysis (Larrayoz et al., 2012) revealed DOX affected the expression of mitochondrial genes, the ER stress cascade, growth factors, interleukins, cell cycle regulators, integrins, and components of the extracellular matrix. In rat aortic tissue (Lu et al., 2017), DOX was found to change the expression of other sets of genes, and these were mainly enriched in pathways that control neutrophil chemotaxis, chronic inflammatory responses, and cellular responses to mechanical stimuli and negatively regulate apoptotic processes. In vivo effects of DOX have been documented in studies to characterize the trans-activator (rtTA2) system in the mouse liver (Reboredo et al., 2008), and DOX-sensitive genes were found to enriched in cellular pathways related to cell growth and death and mitochondrial electron transport (Reboredo et al., 2008). Although the sample size still remains small, these few studies question the extent to which DOX may have generalizable responses; the heterogenous nature of responses suggest DOX action may be specifically governed by cell type or experimental condition. More studies are required with other cell types to identify common pathways. It remains unknown if DOX affects gene expression in renal epithelial cells.

Here we focus on characterizing the DOX response in the renal epithelial cell line, mIMCD3. The cells have been engineered to include a tetracycline-inducible gene expression system (Schlimpert et al., 2018; Lashhab et al., 2019; Kang et al., 2019), and the model has proven popular for studying genes in a renal epithelial environment. Here we examine how DOX affects the transcriptome profiles of mIMCD3 cells with RNA-Seq. The data should provide an informative resource for future studies with the tetracycline-inducible mIMCD3 cell line and similar in vitro renal epithelial models.

Materials and Methods

Cell Culture

Mouse kidney epithelial mIMCD3 cells derived from the inner medulla of a simian virus SV40 transgenic mouse were obtained from Maryland Polycystic Kidney Disease Research and Translation Core Center at the University of Maryland, and documented to be mycoplasma free. Cells were grown in T75 flasks with the RenaLife Epithelial Basal Medium (LM-0010, LIFELINE CELL TECHNOLOGY) supplemented with a RenaLife LifeFactors Kit (LS-1048, LIFELINE CELL TECHNOLOGY) and 5% FBS. This culture medium, which contains a nutrient blend of amino acids, vitamins, organic and inorganic supplements and salts, growth factors (0.5 μg/mL Insulin, 1 μM Epinephrine, 0.1 μg/mL Hydrocortisone, 10 nM Triiodothyronine, 10 ng/mL EGF, 5 μg/mL Transferrin, 2.4 mM L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine), and antibiotics (30 μg/mL Gentamicin, 15 ng/mL Amphotericin B), has become the choice for in vitro studies in the Maryland Cell engineering core of the NIH U54 funded Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Consortium. It was used here to provide a reference for on-going and future transcriptome profiling studies in the core. For RNA-Seq studies, cells were plated permeable filters (Polyester membrane) of a 6-well transwell plate (#3450, CORNING) and grown to confluence (10 days) before doxycycline treatment. Doxycycline (2 μg/mL) or vehicle (DMSO) added to both sides of the permeable filter and changed daily for 3 or 6 days.

Total RNA Isolation and RNA Sequencing-Based Transcriptome Profiling

Cells were lysed in Trizol reagent (15596018, Invitrogen). Total RNA was isolated from the Trizol lysate using Direct-Zol RNA Miniprep plus kit (R2070, ZYMO RESEARCH) and eluted in RNase-free water, and RNA concentration was measured using QubitTM RNA HS Assay Kit (Q32852, Invitrogen). To enrich mRNA, 1–3 μg of total RNA was applied to oligo dT-based mRNA isolation using NEBNext® Poly(A) mRNA Magnetic Isolation Module (E7490, NEW ENGLAND BioLabs Inc.) according to manufacturer’s instructions. mRNA (20 ng) was used to create the cDNA libraries, using NEBNext® Ultra II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina (E7760, NEW ENGLAND BioLabs Inc.) and NEBNext® Multiplex Oligos (E7335; E7500, NEW ENGLAND BioLabs Inc.). cDNA libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 4,000 platform. Sequence reads (2 × 75 bp, paired-end) were aligned on Ensembl genome GRCm38p6 using STAR (2.6.0c).

Differential Expression Analysis and Bioinformatic Analysis

To identify differentially expressed genes between vehicle- and doxycycline-treated cells, transcript abundance was quantified using salmon (Patro et al., 2017). Differential expression (DE) analysis was carried out using edgeR (Robinson et al., 2010) on R (3.6.0). Low abundant genes with CPM (Counts Per Million) less than 1 were removed from the data set for the DE analysis. Significance of DE was determined using a modified statistical test (edgeR “glmTreat”) with a threshold of expression changes above 20% at FDR < 0.05 (Chen et al., 2016). Plots were generated using R package ggplot2. Pathway enrichment analysis of DE genes was carried out using Gene Ontology (Biological process) on Metascape platform1 (Zhou et al., 2019). The GO term analysis was performed using NaviGO (Wei et al., 2017).

Statistics

Significance of DE was evaluated using edgeR and p-values were corrected using the Benjamini-Hochberg method. For significance of gene enrichment in the pathway analysis, q < 0.05 was considered as significant enrichment.

Data Availability

All fastq files and a raw count file from RNA-Seq were deposited in GEO (GSE1715732).

Results

Transcriptome Profiles of mIMCD3 on Different Culture Environments

RNA-Seq analysis was performed to provide a transcript database of fully polarized mIMCD3 cells on permeable filter supports in the RenalLife medium which includes growth factors and antibiotics. For these studies, the cells were grown to confluence on the permeable filter supports for 10 days, and then were treated with DMSO or DOX in the RenalLife medium for 3 or 6 days.

To establish the baseline, we first examined the control cells, treated with DMSO. We found a high correlation between the transcriptome of cells treated with DMSO at 3 and 6 days (Pearson correlation: 0.9956, Figure 1A), consistent with stable gene expression and lack of transient DMSO responses. Based comparison of normalized expression values (transcripts per million, TPM), the transcriptome exhibited a high correlation with native mIMCD3 cells grown on plastic solid supports (GSE97770) as reported by Chan et al. (2018) (Figures 1B,C). Whether grown on permeable supports or plastic solid supports, mIMCD3 equally express the conventional epithelial cell markers (Jedroszka et al., 2017), such as Tjp1, Krt18, Dsp, Muc1, and Sdc1 (Figure 1D). Other extracellular matrix components, Col4a2 and Sparc, were also more abundantly expressed in the mIMCD3 cells grown on the solid support compared to mIMCD3 cells on the filter support (Figure 1G). Interestingly, mesenchymal cell marker genes, namely Cdh2, Fn1, Sparc, and Vim, were also more abundant in mIMCD3 cells grown on the solid support compared to mIMCD3 cells grown on the filter support (Figure 1E). By contrast, in mIMCD3 cells grown on the filter supports, tight junction proteins, Cldn4, Cldn7, and Epcam, were more abundant than in cells on the solid support (Figure 1F). Thus, transcriptomic signature of mIMCD3 cells is most compatible with a differentiated epithelial state when cells are grown on permeable supports compared to cells grown on plastic supports. Yet the transcriptome profiles of mIMCD3 cells grown on permeable and non-permeable are more similar than different. Interestingly, we did not identify the enrichment of specific transcripts of medullary collecting duct in this cell line.

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1

Transcriptomic characteristics of renal epithelial cell line mIMCD3 in different culture conditions. (A) Transcriptomic correlation was assessed in mIMCD3 cells grown on the permeable filter supports for 3 and 6 days. (B,C) Transcriptome profiles of mIMCD3 grown on the permeable filter support and the solid support were compared. The transcriptome dataset of mIMCD3 cells grown on the solid support was obtained from GSE97770 (Chan et al., 2018). (D–G) Box plots of gene expression associated with epithelial cell, mesenchymal cell, tight junction formation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) in mIMCD3 cells grown on the solid support (Chan et al., 2018) and the permeable filter support.

Nevertheless, the dataset of comprehensive transcriptome profile in mIMCD3 provides an informative resource for further utilization as the in vitro kidney epithelial cell model. To expand understanding of intracellular signaling pathways in mIMCD3 cells grown on solid supports (Valkova and Kultz, 2006; Chan et al., 2018) compared to cells grown on filters, we classified transcriptome profile into genes encoding transcription factors, ion channels, transporters, and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in Tables 14 (Supplementary Table 1). Many of the listed genes have been identified in previous studies. For example, Hnf1b (hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 beta, TPM: 43.0) (Aboudehen et al., 2017), Pax2 (Paired box 2, TPM: 20.8) (Torban et al., 2000; Cai et al., 2005), and Egr1 (Early Growth Response 1, TPM: 49.7) (Cohen et al., 1994, 1996) are transcription factors reliably expressed in the mIMCD3 cells (Supplementary Table 1, “Transcription factors”). In addition to known expression of transcription factors, expression of transcription factors that could be involved in the kidney nephron development, such as Emx2, Pax8, Tfap2a, Hmga2, Hmgb2, and Hoxa11, were identified (Ribes et al., 2003; Schwab et al., 2003; Chambers et al., 2019).

TABLE 1

Gene symbolGene nameTF familyMean (TPM)S.E.M.Rank
Ybx1Y box protein 1CSD696.78.1211
Atf4Activating transcription factor 4TF_bZIP489.018.8269
Id2Inhibitor of DNA binding 2bHLH374.517.0328
Hmgb1High mobility group box 1HMG339.619.4354
Hmga1High mobility group AT-hook 1HMGI/HMGY331.43.9362
Ddit3DNA-damage inducible transcript 3TF_bZIP326.87.5365
GlmpGlycosylated lysosomal membrane proteinNCU-G1296.513.1397
Csde1Cold shock domain containing E1, RNA bindingCSD291.08.5406
Sub1SUB1 homolog (S. cerevisiae)PC4261.58.5458
Ybx3Y box protein 3CSD252.02.6477
Tsc22d1TSC22 domain family, member 1TSC22202.86.2592
Ssrp1Structure specific recognition protein 1HMG191.35.6628
JundJun D proto-oncogeneTF_bZIP190.86.7631
Zbtb18Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 18ZBTB181.012.0666
Cers2Ceramide synthase 2Homeobox169.66.8718
Hmgb2High mobility group box 2HMG159.06.4763
LitafLPS-induced TN factorzf-LITAF-like147.04.9822
Gatad1GATA zinc finger domain containing 1zf-GATA139.22.3877
Smarce1SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily e, member 1HMG136.55.3898
JunbJun B proto-oncogeneTF_bZIP130.56.1950
Cux1Cut-like homeobox 1CUT126.42.8979
Bhlhe40Basic helix-loop-helix family, member e40bHLH124.35.41,000
Tfdp1Transcription factor Dp 1E2F109.13.21,131
Pax8Paired box 8PAX107.53.01,152
Gtf3aGeneral transcription factor III Azf-C2H2103.71.71,198
Zfp91Zinc finger protein 91zf-C2H2101.82.91,222
Hmg20bHigh mobility group 20BHMG97.23.41,284
Mbd3Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 3MBD96.23.51,297
Trp53Transformation related protein 53P5396.03.11,303
Irf7Interferon regulatory factor 7IRF91.12.51,379
Atf5Activating transcription factor 5TF_bZIP83.03.81,543
Mbd2Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2MBD81.43.31,573
Ncor1Nuclear receptor co-repressor 1MYB80.94.21,582

Top 30 transcription factors (see the full transcription factor list in Supplementary Table 1).

TABLE 2

Gene symbolGene nameClassMean (TPM)S.E.M.Rank
Vdac1Voltage-dependent anion channel 1Voltage dependent anion channels269.454.56441
Clic1Chloride intracellular channel 1Chloride intracellular channels232.354.91517
Vdac3Voltage-dependent anion channel 3Voltage dependent anion channels177.175.61687
Vdac2Voltage-dependent anion channel 2Voltage dependent anion channels160.054.23757
Kcnk1Potassium channel, subfamily K, member 1Potassium two pore domain channel subfamily K90.093.461,393
Cacnb3Calcium channel, voltage-dependent, beta 3 subunitCalcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary beta subunits59.262.192,174
Mcoln1Mucolipin 1Transient receptor potential cation channels50.482.502,573
Clic4Chloride intracellular channel 4 (mitochondrial)Chloride intracellular channels40.511.323,207
Clcn3Chloride channel, voltage-sensitive 3Chloride voltage-gated channels40.190.953,227
Trpv4Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 4Transient receptor potential cation channels29.761.384,145
Lrrc8dLeucine rich repeat containing 8DVolume regulated anion channel subunits29.741.064,149
Ano1Anoctamin 1, calcium activated chloride channelAnoctamins23.780.574,972
Piezo1Piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1Mechanosensitive Piezo Ion Channels23.691.314,993
Trpm7Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 7Transient receptor potential cation channels23.671.204,995
Ano6Anoctamin 6Anoctamins20.911.055,396
Pkd2Polycystic kidney disease 2Transient receptor potential cation channels20.650.775,441
Clcn7Chloride channel, voltage-sensitive 7Chloride voltage-gated channels18.620.925,830
Tpcn1Two pore channel 1Two pore segment channels16.830.636,237
Kcnk5Potassium channel, subfamily K, member 5Potassium two pore domain channel subfamily K16.820.636,243
Lrrc8bLeucine rich repeat containing 8 family, member BVolume regulated anion channel subunits15.280.646,604
Trpm4Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 4Transient receptor potential cation channels13.870.606,909
Ano10Anoctamin 10Anoctamins13.730.476,952
Itpr3Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor 3Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors12.860.477,187
Ano9Anoctamin 9Anoctamins12.670.917,244
Kcnj16Potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 16Potassium inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J12.520.837,289
Clcn4Chloride channel, voltage-sensitive 4Chloride voltage-gated channels9.460.438,239
Lrrc8aLeucine rich repeat containing 8AVolume regulated anion channel subunits9.420.438,249
Itpr1Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors8.120.488,722
Clcn5Chloride channel, voltage-sensitive 5Chloride voltage-gated channels7.650.288,888
Ano8Anoctamin 8Anoctamins6.100.279,514

Top 30 ion channels (see the full ion channel list in Supplementary Table 1).

TABLE 3

Gene symbolGene nameClassMean (TPM)S.E.M.Rank
Slc25a3Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, phosphate carrier), member 3Solute carriers542.862.91248
Atp1a1ATPase, Na+/K+ transporting, alpha 1 polypeptideATPase Na+/K+ transporting subunits314.467.63376
Slc3a2Solute carrier family 3 (activators of dibasic and neutral amino acid transport), member 2Solute carriers257.2911.12465
Slc25a5Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, adenine nucleotide translocator), member 5Solute carriers239.924.94498
Atp1b1ATPase, Na+/K+ transporting, beta 1 polypeptideATPase Na+/K+ transporting subunits197.257.02610
Slc25a4Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, adenine nucleotide translocator), member 4Solute carriers188.524.34644
Slc2a1Solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 1Solute carriers186.907.97650
Mtch2Mitochondrial carrier 2Solute carriers155.596.19782
Slc25a39Solute carrier family 25, member 39Solute carriers125.902.54986
Spns2Spinster homolog 2Solute carriers125.843.80988
Atp2a2ATPase, Ca++ transporting, cardiac muscle, slow twitch 2ATPases Ca2+ transporting101.643.641,224
Ucp2Uncoupling protein 2 (mitochondrial, proton carrier)Solute carriers97.342.431,280
Mpc2Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 2Solute carriers96.234.441,296
Slc30a9Solute carrier family 30 (zinc transporter), member 9Solute carriers92.352.381,357
Mtch1Mitochondrial carrier 1Solute carriers86.901.631,455
Tusc3Tumor suppressor candidate 3Solute carriers84.862.481,502
Slc25a1Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, citrate transporter), member 1Solute carriers83.641.261,532
Slc50a1Solute carrier family 50 (sugar transporter), member 1Solute carriers76.953.151,670
Abcf2ATP-binding cassette, sub-family F (GCN20), member 2ATP binding cassette subfamily F70.262.231,822
Slc38a2Solute carrier family 38, member 2Solute carriers69.632.951,844
Slc39a1Solute carrier family 39 (zinc transporter), member 1Solute carriers67.521.211,896
Abce1ATP-binding cassette, sub-family E (OABP), member 1ATP binding cassette subfamily E67.422.991,899
Slc25a24Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, phosphate carrier), member 24Solute carriers66.162.281,938
Slc35b1Solute carrier family 35, member B1Solute carriers64.591.891,987
Slc39a7Solute carrier family 39 (zinc transporter), member 7Solute carriers61.092.312,108
Slc25a11Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier oxoglutarate carrier), member 11Solute carriers57.792.342,234
Slc25a17Solute carrier family 25 (mitochondrial carrier, peroxisomal membrane protein), member 17Solute carriers56.161.542,284
Slc35a4Solute carrier family 35, member A4Solute carriers55.693.652,306
Abcf1ATP-binding cassette, sub-family F (GCN20), member 1ATP binding cassette subfamily F53.811.982,386
Slc44a2Solute carrier family 44, member 2Solute carriers52.711.492,458

Top 30 transporters (see the full transporter list in Supplementary Table 1).

TABLE 4

Gene symbolGene nameClassMean (TPM)S.E.M.Rank
Adgrg1Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor G1Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily G93.066.391,343
Gprc5cG protein-coupled receptor, family C, group 5, member CG protein-coupled receptors, Class C orphans87.392.361,443
Gprc5aG protein-coupled receptor, family C, group 5, member AG protein-coupled receptors, Class C orphans74.502.491,719
F2rCoagulation factor II (thrombin) receptorF2R receptors43.621.652,992
Tpra1Transmembrane protein, adipocyte associated 17TM orphan receptors34.630.793,641
Adgrl2Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L2Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily L29.261.344,220
F2rl1Coagulation factor II (thrombin) receptor-like 1F2R receptors23.201.075,055
Adgre5Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E5Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily E23.000.835,088
SmoSmoothened, frizzled class receptorG protein-coupled receptors, Class F frizzled22.860.745,106
Gpr137G protein-coupled receptor 1377TM orphan receptors21.520.755,291
Gpr108G protein-coupled receptor 1087TM orphan receptors21.060.885,368
Fzd6Frizzled class receptor 6G protein-coupled receptors, Class F frizzled20.980.825,385
Gpr107G protein-coupled receptor 1077TM orphan receptors19.891.065,600
Gabbr1Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) B receptor, 1Gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptor subunits16.971.366,202
Adora1Adenosine A1 receptorAdenosine receptors15.320.646,594
Lgr4Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans13.870.546,910
Adgra3Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor A3Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily A12.810.977,206
Ptger4Prostaglandin E receptor 4 (subtype EP4)Prostaglandin receptors11.670.437,534
Gpr161G protein-coupled receptor 161G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans11.520.347,593
Gpr19G protein-coupled receptor 19G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans11.310.507,664
Celsr2Cadherin, EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptor 2Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily C11.290.897,667
Adgrg6Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor G6Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors, subfamily G10.660.697,856
Gpr160G protein-coupled receptor 160G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans10.300.507,948
Fzd1Frizzled class receptor 1G protein-coupled receptors, Class F frizzled9.190.318,316
Fzd7Frizzled class receptor 7G protein-coupled receptors, Class F frizzled7.650.278,887
P2ry2Purinergic receptor P2Y, G-protein coupled 2P2Y receptors6.670.179,291
Gpr39G protein-coupled receptor 39G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans5.720.209,673
Pitpnm3PITPNM family member 3Atypical chemokine receptors5.700.409,679
Lgr6Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 6G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans5.350.339,813
Gpr146G protein-coupled receptor 146G protein-coupled receptors, Class A orphans5.160.259,903

Top 30 GPCRs (see the full GPCR list in Supplementary Table 1).

As shown in the previous studies (Slaats et al., 2015; Liu et al., 2018), expression of two ion transport proteins, Pkd2 (Polycystic kidney disease 2, TPM: 20.6) and Clcn4 (H+/Cl exchange transporter 4, TPM: 9.5), were found in the current transcriptome (Table 2). We also identified the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1 (piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1) (Coste et al., 2010; Table 2). Expression of ion channels, Trpm4 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 4, TPM: 13.9), Trpm6 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 6, TPM: 3.3), and Trpm7 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 7, TPM: 23.7), as well as a Mg+ transporter, Magt1 (TPM: 20.1), suggests further utilization as an in vitro model for studying transepithelial Mg+ transport mechanisms in kidney epithelial cells (Groenestege et al., 2006; Tables 2, 3 and Supplementary Table 1, “Ion channels” and “Transporters”).

The mIMCD3 cell line has been widely used in several studies of primary cilia conformation and function. The current transcriptome profile provides information about ciliary GPCRs expressed in mIMCD3 cells. Among the ciliary GPCRs, as previously reported (Hilgendorf et al., 2016; Mykytyn and Askwith, 2017), we identified expression of Gpr161 (G protein-coupled receptor 161, TPM: 11.5), Ptger4 (prostaglandin E receptor 4, TPM: 11.7), and Smo (Smoothened homolog, TPM: 22.86) in mIMCD3 cells (Table 4). In addition to ciliary GPCRs, expression of two adenylyl cyclases, Adcy1 (TPM: 8.9) and Adcy6 (TPM: 31.5), was found in the transcriptome profile. These adenylyl cyclases could be considered in further studies for examining cAMP responses in mIMCD3 cells (Strait et al., 2010).

Doxycycline-Responsive Transcriptome Changes in mIMCD3 Cells

To characterize the DOX response in mIMCD3 cells, we compared the transcriptomes of DOX-treated mIMCD3 cells and DMSO-treated mIMCD3 cells (Figure 2 and Supplementary Table 2). We found DOX changed the gene expression profile, reflecting a change in abundance of 1,662 genes at 3 days (Figure 2A) and 2,858 genes at 6 days of treatment (Figure 2B). A total of 1,157 genes were consistently changed at both times. Downstream analysis identified GO Biological Processes (GOBPs) that are enriched in DOX-treated cells (Figure 2C). The NaviGO based GO term association analysis, which classifies similarity within GO term hierarchies, revealed three major clusters of GOBPs: (1) cell proliferation/differentiation; (2) signal transduction; and (3) immune responses (Figure 2D). In the cells treated with DOX for 3 days, differentially expressed genes were enriched for signal transduction pathways and cell proliferation/differentiation (Figures 2C,D). In particular, this involved significant changes of genes associated with ERK, cAMP, and Notch signaling pathways, known to mainly involve cell proliferation and development processes (Figure 2C). Differentially expressed genes from the 6 days-dataset were also especially enriched in biological processes associated with cell proliferation/differentiation but were also enriched in immune response pathways (Figures 2C,D). As shown in the heatmap (Figure 2E), expression of genes involved in cell proliferation/differentiation processes and immune responses were mostly decreased at both times. The results indicate that DOX attenuates gene expression associated with cell proliferation and immune responses. Full list of genes associated with these pathways are provided in Supplementary Table 3.

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2

DOX-responsive transcriptomic changes in mIMCD3 cells. (A,B) Identification of transcriptomic changes in mIMCD3 cells treated with DOX for 3 and 6 days using RNA-Seq-based differential expression analysis. Significantly changed genes (FDR < 0.05 over 20% expression change threshold) were labeled as green in volcano plots and used further downstream analysis. (C) Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes significantly enriched by DOX-responsive genes. Cellular processes (GO Biological Process) were identified from significantly changed genes by DOX treatment for 3 and 6 days. To avoid sample-source bias, whole transcriptome was used as a background gene set. Significant enrichment was considered as q < 0.05. (D) Bubble chart view of the GO term association using NaviGO. In the plot, the X-axis is the Resnik semantic similarity score (RSS) and the Y-axis chosen is Lin’s similarity score (LSS). GO terms are colored according to time point when DE genes are found, day 3, pink; day 6: green; and day 3 and 6: blue. The number of GO terms are listed in (C). (E) Heatmap of gene sets associated with “cell proliferation/differentiation” and “immune responses.” Full list of genes associated with GO terms are provided in Supplementary Table 4.

Examination of genes encoding downstream factors in signal transduction processes, including transcription factors and kinases, revealed alterations in three different signaling pathways (cAMP, ERK, Notch). Remarkable downregulation of several transcription factors and protein kinases was found in DOX-treated cells (Figure 3A). Especially, Hnf1b (Chung et al., 2017), Egr1 (Sukhatme et al., 1988), Tead1 (Zhao et al., 2008), and members of the Fox family (Kume et al., 2000; Aschauer et al., 2013), which have been proposed previously as key players in epithelial cell proliferation. Additionally, several protein kinases downregulated in response to DOX, namely Tgfbr2 (LeBleu et al., 2013), Kit (Gomes et al., 2018), and protein kinase A (Amsler et al., 1991), are highly related to regulation of epithelial cell function (Figure 3A). Furthermore, the effects of DOX to decrease the expression of genes involved in each step of the cell cycle and cell cycle progression suggest that DOX may have proclivity to inhibit cell proliferation (Figure 3B).

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3

DOX-responsive genes associated with cell proliferation and differentiation. (A) DOX-responsive expressional change of transcription factors (TFs) and protein kinases in three signaling pathways (ERK, cAMP, and Notch). Full list of DOX-responsive genes involved in these signaling pathways was provided in Supplementary Table 3. (B) Expressional change of gene associated with cell cycle progression. Gene sets of each stage of cell cycle progression were obtained from Gene Ontology database (GO:0022402: cell cycle process).

The transcriptome dataset showing the attenuated cell cycle progression also exhibited that several genes known as cell proliferation markers were consistently downregulated by DOX treatment at 6 days (Figure 4). The result confirmed that DOX treatment suppresses cell proliferation. In addition to cell proliferation markers, DOX treatment for 3 and 6 days induced significant changes of immune response-associated cellular pathways (Figure 2), largely reflecting DOX-responsive reduction in cytokine production at day 3 and comprehensive alteration of cellular inflammatory response at day 6. In particularly, we identified several chemokines that were significantly downregulated at 3 days after DOX treatment from the literature-based gene sets of immunologic mediators (Commins et al., 2010; Figure 4), corresponding the pathways involved in the repression of epithelial cell proliferation, which are associated with epithelial responses to cytokines (Stadnyk, 1994).

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4

DOX-responsive cytokines and cell proliferation markers. Significantly changed genes encoding cytokines including chemokines were identified and listed in the plot. In addition, expressional changes of genes previously known as cell proliferation markers were listed in the plot.

Discussion

The mIMCD3 cell line, an inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cell line derived from a simian virus 40 (SV40) T-antigen transgenic mice, has been widely used as an in vitro model to study renal epithelial physiology and cell biology (Rauchman et al., 1993; Yu et al., 2013; Flannery et al., 2015; Siroky et al., 2017). With inclusion of a DOX-inducible gene expression system, the cell line has become an invaluable model to study gene function in renal epithelial background. Here, we applied next-generation sequencing technology to characterize how the mIMCD3 transcriptome is affected by DOX with the goal of creating a database to guide interpretation of these studies.

Appropriate differentiation of epithelial cells and development of apical-basolateral polarity in vitro is commonly believed to require growth on a permeable surface. Comparison of the mIMCD3 transcriptome of cells grown on permeable polyester (PE) filter membrane surface, as defined here, with the published the transcriptome profile of mIMCD3 cells grown on plastic (Chan et al., 2018) lends credence to this idea. Although we found transcriptome profiles of mIMCD3 cells grown on filters exhibit a surprising degree of similarity with the transcriptome profile of cells grown on a solid surface (Reboredo et al., 2008), the profile of cells grown on filters is consistent with a more differentiated state. We found genes encoding key junctional stability components (Cldn4, Cldn7, Epcam) are induced when cells are grown on filters, whereas mesenchymal markers and ECM components were less abundant in filter-grown cells. Cldn4 (Claudin-4) and Cldn7 (Claudin-7) are among claudin family proteins that are specifically expressed in the loop of Henle (LOH) and distal nephron (Leiz and Schmidt-Ott, 2019), dictating the unique pericellular solute permeation profile and the electrical resistance of these nephron segments. Epcam (Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule) is best known as a marker of epithelial oncogenesis, but it is highly expressed in the LOH and collecting duct, where its natural role in cell adhesion and morphogenesis may determine the differentiated state of these nephron segments by interaction with Claudin-7 to negatively regulate epithelial migration by inhibiting ERK and actomyosin contractility (Barth et al., 2018). The increased abundances of ECM components may identify a gene expression signature of solid support grown cells, reflecting a futile cellular response to establish a permeable basement membrane, and thereby influence cell proliferation and differentiation (Matter et al., 2005; Ichikawa-Tomikawa et al., 2011; Bonnans et al., 2014; Diaz-Coranguez et al., 2019). Supporting this idea, the upregulated ECM are ubiquitous components of most basement membranes, including members of type IV collagen family proteins, Col4a1 and Col4a2, and the Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC, aka Osteonectin).

We found the subtle growth substrate-dependent changes occur against an otherwise, remarkably stable mIMCD3 transcriptome profile. Constancy of the gene expression profile may explain why the phenotypic properties of the cell line have been so stable over time and numerous different studies. Comparison of the mIMCD3 transcriptome to the single cell RNA profiles of mouse cell kidney (Ransick et al., 2019) indicates that stability has come at the cost of lost nephron cell definition, however. The transcriptome profile of mIMCD3 does not uniquely resemble transcriptomes of any cell type in the kidney. Instead, it is compatible with a generic renal epithelial cell model, presumably reflecting a dedifferentiated state.

Tetracycline drugs, like Doxycycline (DOX), are widely used in eukaryotic cell gene expression systems, in part, because they have been assumed to have limited toxicity profiles. They inhibit protein synthesis in a broad spectrum of bacteria by binding to rRNAs of ribosomal complexes and double-strand RNAs (Chukwudi, 2016; Chukwudi and Good, 2016), but do not usually accumulate enough in mammalian cells to affect protein synthesis. We found DOX, at least at the higher concentrations commonly used in vitro cell models to drive tet-o gene expression, has a larger than anticipated toxic profile. Differentially expressed genes in response to DOX were especially enriched in the suppression of cell proliferation processes, including a decrease in cell cycle progression genes (Figures 3, 4). DOX also has been reported to suppress cell proliferation in epithelial-derived cancers (Fife et al., 1998), providing reason to speculate that tetracycline derivatives might be developed as anti-cancer therapeutics (Kroon et al., 1984; van den Bogert et al., 1985, 1986; Mortison et al., 2018). In human epithelial cell lines, DOX reduces cell proliferation, associated with alterations in mitochondrial function (Sourdeval et al., 2006; Chang et al., 2010; Ahler et al., 2013).

Although future studies will be required to unravel the mechanisms by which DOX suppresses cell proliferation, the change in the mIMCD3 transcriptome profile provides important insights. Decreased expression of cytokines and chemokines (Colombo et al., 2018; Koga et al., 2019), together with the attenuation of intracellular signal transduction pathways (cAMP, ERK, and Notch) that are known to regulate cell proliferation (Yamaguchi et al., 2000; Stork and Schmitt, 2002; Kim and Shivdasani, 2011) provide reason to suggest that DOX suppresses the production of autocrine cell growth factors that are required for mIMCD3 proliferation. Additionally, DOX activated the interferon-beta pathway, involving guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs) and interferon activated genes (Lubeseder-Martellato et al., 2002; Klamp et al., 2003; MacMicking, 2004), which is known to inhibit cell proliferation and differentiation (Hertzog et al., 1994; Garrison et al., 1996; Vitale et al., 2006). It will be interesting to learn if either of these pathways can be manipulated to reduce the anti-proliferation effects of DOX. It will be important to corroborate that changes in protein abundance track changes in transcript levels.

The effects of DOX to rapidly induce an anti-proliferative transcriptomic signature in mIMCD3 cells should not be taken as a reason to discontinue use of the otherwise highly effective DOX-based gene induction system. Because it seems likely that all induction agents will have some off-target effects, it more practical to develop strategies to work around the off-target responses. Washing out DOX after gene induction is an obvious remedy. However, future studies will be required to determine the longevity of the DOX response, after withdrawal.

Growth and differentiation of cells in vitro can be profoundly influenced by the cell culture medium, nutrients, growth factors, hormones, and other supplements. They were not varied in the present study, and thus should not contribute to differences in the transcriptome profiles between vehicle and DOX treated cells. However, the basal transcriptome profile is likely to be influenced by the supplements in the media. Moreover, potential synergistic actions between DOX and any one of the many supplements is unknowable. Consequently, caution should be exercised in generalizing our results with other studies that use different culture media.

In summary, we have assessed the transcriptomic response to DOX in mIMCD3 at genome-wide resolution. The data base provides an atlas to guide future interpretation of studies using the DOX-inducible gene expression system in renal epithelial cells.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Statements

Data availability statement

All fastq files and a raw count file from RNA-Seq were deposited in GEO (GSE1715732).

Author contributions

HJ, OW, and PW conceived and designed the studies. HJ, RC, OW, and PW performed the experiments, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All authors discussed and reviewed the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Grants DK054231, 1U54DK126114, and DK093501) and the Leducq Foundation.

Acknowledgments

Next-generation DNA sequencing for RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis was performed by the Genomic Resource Center, Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine (Director: Dr. Lisa DeShong Sadzewicz).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.771691/full#supplementary-material

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Summary

Keywords

doxycycline, RNA-seq, transcriptional response, cell proliferation, mIMCD3

Citation

Jung HJ, Coleman R, Woodward OM and Welling PA (2021) Doxycycline Changes the Transcriptome Profile of mIMCD3 Renal Epithelial Cells. Front. Physiol. 12:771691. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.771691

Received

06 September 2021

Accepted

18 October 2021

Published

05 November 2021

Volume

12 - 2021

Edited by

Carolyn Mary Ecelbarger, Georgetown University, United States

Reviewed by

Lihe Chen, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (NIH), United States; Mohammad Al-bataineh, University of Pittsburgh, United States

Updates

Copyright

*Correspondence: Paul A. Welling,

This article was submitted to Renal and Epithelial Physiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Physiology

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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