Review

Physiological function of nerve injury-induced protein 1 and its role in relevant diseases

  • Zhaoyu WU ,
  • Zhijue XU ,
  • Hongji PU ,
  • Xin WANG ,
  • Xinwu LU
Expand
  • Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; Vascular Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
LU Xinwu, E-mail: luxinwu@shsmu.edu.cn.

Received date: 2022-08-18

  Accepted date: 2023-02-13

  Online published: 2023-03-28

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of China(81900410)

Abstract

Nerve injury-induced protein 1 (NINJ1) is a cell-surface adhesion molecule containing an extracellular adhesion domain and two transmembrane domains. NINJ1 is named for its original discovery in damaged nerve endings. It is expressed in a variety of tissues and cells, with high expression in epithelial and myeloid cells. NINJ1 regulates nerve regeneration by promoting Schwann cell precursors and pluripotent pericytes to differentiate into Schwann cells. In diabetes-induced peripheral nerve and vascular damage, NINJ1 not only promotes nerve repair, but also regulates penile angiogenesis via angiopoietin 1 (ANG1)/tyrosine-protein kinase receptor tie-2 (TIE2) signaling pathway. NINJ1 also participates in the maturation of vitreous vascular network, which is associated with changes in the proportion of ANG1 and ANG2 in pericytes. NINJ1 mediates inflammatory cell migration across the endothelium through its extracellular adhesion domain, and thus aggravates central nervous system inflammation. However, NINJ1 cleaved by matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) can inhibit macrophage inflammatory activation, and its mimic peptide is expected to treat atherosclerosis. In addition to regulating the inflammatory phenotypes of myeloid cells, NINJ1 actively mediates plasma membrane rupture and regulates programmed cell death, which is involved in host defense against exogenous infection. Moreover, NINJ1 is up-regulated in a variety of tumor tissues, and regulates tumor suppressor P53 activity via the P53-NINJ1 loop, which mediates tumor growth and metastasis. The current review summarizes the physiological function of NINJ1 and its key regulatory roles in pathological processes, and discusses its potential value in immunomodulation and tissue regeneration, in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of injury, inflammation and tumor-related diseases.

Cite this article

Zhaoyu WU , Zhijue XU , Hongji PU , Xin WANG , Xinwu LU . Physiological function of nerve injury-induced protein 1 and its role in relevant diseases[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Medical Science), 2023 , 43(3) : 358 -364 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8115.2023.03.012

References

1 ARAKI T, MILBRANDT J. Ninjurin, a novel adhesion molecule, is induced by nerve injury and promotes axonal growth[J]. Neuron, 1996, 17(2): 353-361.
2 IGNATIUS M J, GEBICKE-H?RTER P J, SKENE J H, et al. Expression of apolipoprotein E during nerve degeneration and regeneration[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1986, 83(4): 1125-1129.
3 FUJITA Y, KAWAMOTO A. Ninjurin1: a novel regulator of angiogenesis mediated by pericytes[J]. Circ J, 2015, 79(6): 1218-1219.
4 EKANAYAKE P, AHN M, KIM J, et al. Immunohistochemical localization of nerve injury-induced protein-1 in mouse tissues[J]. Anat Cell Biol, 2019, 52(4): 455-461.
5 LEE H J, AHN B J, SHIN M W, et al. Ninjurin1: a potential adhesion molecule and its role in inflammation and tissue remodeling[J]. Mol Cells, 2010, 29(3): 223-227.
6 AHN B J, LEE H J, SHIN M W, et al. Ninjurin1 is expressed in myeloid cells and mediates endothelium adhesion in the brains of EAE rats[J]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2009, 387(2): 321-325.
7 AHN B J, LE H, SHIN M W, et al. Ninjurin1 deficiency attenuates susceptibility of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice[J]. J Biol Chem, 2014, 289(6): 3328-3338.
8 IFERGAN I, KEBIR H, TEROUZ S, et al. Role of ninjurin-1 in the migration of myeloid cells to central nervous system inflammatory lesions[J]. Ann Neurol, 2011, 70(5): 751-763.
9 YIN G N, CHOI M J, KIM W J, et al. Inhibition of ninjurin 1 restores erectile function through dual angiogenic and neurotrophic effects in the diabetic mouse[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2014, 111(26): E2731-E2740.
10 YIN G N, KIM W J, JIN H R, et al. Nerve injury-induced protein 1 (ninjurin-1) is a novel therapeutic target for cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction in mice[J]. J Sex Med, 2013, 10(6): 1488-1501.
11 KIM D K, YIN G N, RYU J K, et al. Differential expression of nerve injury-induced protein 1 (ninjurin 1) in in vivo and in vitro models for diabetic erectile dysfunction[J]. Korean J Urol, 2012, 53(9): 636-642.
12 CHO S J, ROSSI A, JUNG Y S, et al. Ninjurin1, a target of p53, regulates p53 expression and p53-dependent cell survival, senescence, and radiation-induced mortality[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2013, 110(23): 9362-9367.
13 YANG H J, ZHANG J, YAN W S, et al. Ninjurin 1 has two opposing functions in tumorigenesis in a p53-dependent manner[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2017, 114(43): 11500-11505.
14 KAYAGAKI N, KORNFELD O S, LEE B L, et al. NINJ1 mediates plasma membrane rupture during lytic cell death[J]. Nature, 2021, 591(7848): 131-136.
15 TOMITA Y, HORIUCHI K, KANO K, et al. Ninjurin 1 mediates peripheral nerve regeneration through Schwann cell maturation of NG2-positive cells[J]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2019, 519(3): 462-468.
16 KIM J W, MOON A R, KIM J H, et al. Up-Regulation of ninjurin expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma associated with cirrhosis and chronic viral hepatitis[J]. Mol Cells, 2001, 11(2): 151-157.
17 TOYAMA T, SASAKI Y, HORIMOTO M, et al. Ninjurin1 increases p21 expression and induces cellular senescence in human hepatoma cells[J]. J Hepatol, 2004, 41(4): 637-643.
18 JANG Y S, KANG J H, WOO J K, et al. Ninjurin1 suppresses metastatic property of lung cancer cells through inhibition of interleukin 6 signaling pathway[J]. Int J Cancer, 2016, 139(2): 383-395.
19 HYUN S Y, MIN H Y, LEE H J, et al. Ninjurin1 drives lung tumor formation and progression by potentiating Wnt/β-catenin signaling through Frizzled2-LRP6 assembly[J]. J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2022, 41(1): 133.
20 PARK J, JOUNG J Y, HWANG J E, et al. Ninjurin1 is up-regulated in circulating prostate tumor cells and plays a critical role in prostate cancer cell motility[J]. Anticancer Res, 2017, 37(4): 1687-1696.
21 KANG J H, WOO J K, JANG Y S, et al. Radiation potentiates monocyte infiltration into tumors by ninjurin1 expression in endothelial cells[J]. Cells, 2020, 9(5): 1086.
22 WOO J K, JANG Y S, KANG J H, et al. Ninjurin1 inhibits colitis-mediated colon cancer development and growth by suppression of macrophage infiltration through repression of FAK signaling[J]. Oncotarget, 2016, 7(20): 29592-29604.
23 MATSUKI M, KABARA M, SAITO Y, et al. Ninjurin1 is a novel factor to regulate angiogenesis through the function of pericytes[J]. Circ J, 2015, 79(6): 1363-1371.
24 MINOSHIMA A, KABARA M, MATSUKI M, et al. Pericyte-specific ninjurin1 deletion attenuates vessel maturation and blood flow recovery in hind limb ischemia[J]. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2018, 38(10): 2358-2370.
25 KIM S W, LEE H K, SEOL S I, et al. Ninjurin 1 dodecamer peptide containing the N-terminal adhesion motif (N-NAM) exerts proangiogenic effects in HUVECs and in the postischemic brain[J]. Sci Rep, 2020, 10(1): 16656.
26 HORIUCHI K, KANO K, MINOSHIMA A, et al. Pericyte-specific deletion of ninjurin-1 induces fragile vasa vasorum formation and enhances intimal hyperplasia of injured vasculature[J]. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 2021, 320(6): H2438-H2447.
27 WANG X, QIN J B, ZHANG X, et al. Functional blocking of ninjurin1 as a strategy for protecting endothelial cells in diabetes mellitus[J]. Clin Sci (Lond), 2018, 132(2): 213-229.
28 LEE H K, LEE H, LUO L D, et al. Induction of nerve injury-induced protein 1 (ninjurin 1) in myeloid cells in rat brain after transient focal cerebral ischemia[J]. Exp Neurobiol, 2016, 25(2): 64-74.
29 LEE H K, KIM I D, LEE H, et al. Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of a dodecamer peptide harboring ninjurin 1 cell adhesion motif in the postischemic brain[J]. Mol Neurobiol, 2018, 55(7): 6094-6111.
30 JEON S, KIM T K, JEONG S J, et al. Anti-inflammatory actions of soluble ninjurin-1 ameliorate atherosclerosis[J]. Circulation, 2020, 142(18): 1736-1751.
31 HWANG S J, AHN B J, SHIN M W, et al. miR-125a-5p attenuates macrophage-mediated vascular dysfunction by targeting Ninjurin1[J]. Cell Death Differ, 2022, 29(6): 1199-1210.
32 JUNG H J, KANG J H, PAK S, et al. Detrimental role of nerve injury-induced protein 1 in myeloid cells under intestinal inflammatory conditions[J]. Int J Mol Sci, 2020, 21(2): 614.
33 CHOI H, BAE S J, CHOI G, et al. Ninjurin1 deficiency aggravates colitis development by promoting M1 macrophage polarization and inducing microbial imbalance[J]. FASEB J, 2020, 34(6): 8702-8720.
34 CHOI S, WOO J K, JANG Y S, et al. Ninjurin1 plays a crucial role in pulmonary fibrosis by promoting interaction between macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells[J]. Sci Rep, 2018, 8: 17542.
35 AHN B J, LE H, SHIN M W, et al. Ninjurin1 enhances the basal motility and transendothelial migration of immune cells by inducing protrusive membrane dynamics[J]. J Biol Chem, 2014, 289(32): 21926-21936.
36 JENNEWEIN C, SOWA R, FABER A C, et al. Contribution of ninjurin1 to Toll-like receptor 4 signaling and systemic inflammation[J]. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, 2015, 53(5): 656-663.
37 SHIN M W, BAE S J, WEE H J, et al. Ninjurin1 regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation through direct binding[J]. Int J Oncol, 2016, 48(2): 821-828.
38 LEE H J, AHN B J, SHIN M W, et al. Ninjurin1 mediates macrophage-induced programmed cell death during early ocular development[J]. Cell Death Differ, 2009, 16(10): 1395-1407.
39 KAYAGAKI N, DIXIT V M. Rescue from a fiery death: a therapeutic endeavor[J]. Science, 2019, 366(6466): 688-689.
40 GAIDT M M, HORNUNG V. Pore formation by GSDMD is the effector mechanism of pyroptosis[J]. EMBO J, 2016, 35(20): 2167-2169.
41 KRISTJANSSON R P, ODDSSON A, HELGASON H, et al. Common and rare variants associating with serum levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase[J]. Nat Commun, 2016, 7: 10572.
42 NEWTON K, DIXIT V M, KAYAGAKI N. Dying cells fan the flames of inflammation[J]. Science, 2021, 374(6571): 1076-1080.
43 WANG Y P, SHAO F. NINJ1, rupturing swollen membranes for cataclysmic cell lysis[J]. Mol Cell, 2021, 81(7): 1370-1371.
44 PANDEY A, SHEN C, FENG S Y, et al. Cell biology of inflammasome activation[J]. Trends Cell Biol, 2021, 31(11): 924-939.
45 TAJOURI L, MELLICK A S, ASHTON K J, et al. Quantitative and qualitative changes in gene expression patterns characterize the activity of plaques in multiple sclerosis[J]. Brain Res Mol Brain Res, 2003, 119(2): 170-183.
46 MARES J, SZAKACSOVA M, SOUKUP V, et al. Prediction of recurrence in low and intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer by real-time quantitative PCR analysis: cDNA microarray results[J]. Neoplasma, 2013, 60(3): 295-301.
Outlines

/