Genome-wide identification of Tribolium dorsoventral patterning genes

The gene regulatory network controlling dorsoventral axis formation in insects has undergone drastic evolutionary changes. In Drosophila, a stable long-range gradient of Toll signalling specifies ventral cell fates and restricts BMP signalling to the dorsal half of the embryo. In Tribolium, however, Toll signalling is transient and only indirectly controls BMP signalling. In order to gain unbiased insights into the Tribolium network, we performed comparative transcriptome analyses of embryos with various dorsoventral pattering defects produced by parental RNAi for Toll and BMP signalling components. We also included embryos lacking the mesoderm (produced by Tc-twist RNAi) and characterized similarities and differences between Drosophila and Tribolium twist loss-of-function phenotypes. Using stringent conditions, we identified over 750 differentially expressed genes and analysed a subset with altered expression in more than one knockdown condition. We found new genes with localized expression and showed that conserved genes frequently possess earlier and stronger phenotypes than their Drosophila orthologues. For example, the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein Tartan, which has only a minor influence on nervous system development in Drosophila, is essential for early neurogenesis in Tribolium and the Tc-zinc-finger homeodomain protein 1 (Tc-zfh1), the orthologue of which plays a minor role in Drosophila muscle development, is essential for maintaining early Tc-twist expression, indicating an important function for mesoderm specification.

Genetic and biochemical evidence that gastrulation defects in Pofut2 mutants result from defects in ADAMTS9 secretion

Protein O-fucosyltransferase 2 (POFUT2) adds O-linked fucose to Thrombospondin Type 1 Repeats (TSR) in 49 potential target proteins. Nearly half the POFUT2 targets belong to the A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin type-1 motifs (ADAMTS) or ADAMTS-like family of proteins. Both the mouse Pofut2 RST434 gene trap allele and the Adamts9 knockout were reported to result in early embryonic lethality, suggesting that defects in Pofut2 mutant embryos could result from loss of O-fucosylation on ADAMTS9. To address this question, we compared the Pofut2 and Adamts9 knockout phenotypes and used Cre-mediated deletion of Pofut2 and Adamts9 to dissect the tissue-specific role of O-fucosylated ADAMTS9 during gastrulation. Disruption of Pofut2 using the knockout (LoxP) or gene trap (RST434) allele, as well as deletion of Adamts9, resulted in disorganized epithelia (epiblast, extraembryonic ectoderm, and visceral endoderm) and blocked mesoderm formation during gastrulation. The similarity between Pofut2 and Adamts9 mutants suggested that disruption of ADAMTS9 function could be responsible for the gastrulation defects observed in Pofut2 mutants. Consistent with this prediction, CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of POFUT2 in HEK293T cells blocked secretion of ADAMTS9. We determined that Adamts9 was dynamically expressed during mouse gastrulation by trophoblast giant cells, parietal endoderm, the most proximal visceral endoderm adjacent to the ectoplacental cone, extraembryonic mesoderm, and anterior primitive streak. Conditional deletion of either Pofut2 or Adamts9 in the epiblast rescues the gastrulation defects, and identified a new role for O-fucosylated ADAMTS9 during morphogenesis of the amnion and axial mesendoderm. Combined, these results suggested that loss of ADAMTS9 function in the extra embryonic tissue is responsible for gastrulation defects in the Pofut2 knockout. We hypothesize that loss of ADAMTS9 function in the most proximal visceral endoderm leads to slippage of the visceral endoderm and altered characteristics of the extraembryonic ectoderm. Consequently, loss of input from the extraembryonic ectoderm and/or compression of the epiblast by Reichert's membrane blocks gastrulation. In the future, the Pofut2 and Adamts9 knockouts will be valuable tools for understanding how local changes in the properties of the extracellular matrix influence the organization of tissues during mammalian development.

Genetic Analysis Reveals a Hierarchy of Interactions between Polycystin-Encoding Genes and Genes Controlling Cilia Function during Left-Right Determination

During mammalian development, left-right (L-R) asymmetry is established by a cilia-driven leftward fluid flow within a midline embryonic cavity called the node. This 'nodal flow' is detected by peripherally-located crown cells that each assemble a primary cilium which contain the putative Ca2+ channel PKD2. The interaction of flow and crown cell cilia promotes left side-specific expression of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Whilst the PKD2-interacting protein PKD1L1 has also been implicated in L-R patterning, the underlying mechanism by which flow is detected and the genetic relationship between Polycystin function and asymmetric gene expression remains unknown. Here, we characterize a Pkd1l1 mutant line in which Nodal is activated bilaterally, suggesting that PKD1L1 is not required for LPM Nodal pathway activation per se, but rather to restrict Nodal to the left side downstream of nodal flow. Epistasis analysis shows that Pkd1l1 acts as an upstream genetic repressor of Pkd2. This study therefore provides a genetic pathway for the early stages of L-R determination. Moreover, using a system in which cultured cells are supplied artificial flow, we demonstrate that PKD1L1 is sufficient to mediate a Ca2+ signaling response after flow stimulation. Finally, we show that an extracellular PKD domain within PKD1L1 is crucial for PKD1L1 function; as such, destabilizing the domain causes L-R defects in the mouse. Our demonstration that PKD1L1 protein can mediate a response to flow coheres with a mechanosensation model of flow sensation in which the force of fluid flow drives asymmetric gene expression in the embryo.

An Fgf-Shh signaling hierarchy regulates early specification of the zebrafish skull

The neurocranium generates most of the craniofacial skeleton and consists of prechordal and postchordal regions. Although development of the prechordal is well studied, little is known of the postchordal region. Here we characterize a signaling hierarchy necessary for postchordal neurocranial development involving Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling for early specification of mesodermally-derived progenitor cells. The expression of hyaluron synthetase 2 (has2) in the cephalic mesoderm requires Fgf signaling and Has2 function, in turn, is required for postchordal neurocranial development. While Hedgehog (Hh)-deficient embryos also lack a postchordal neurocranium, this appears primarily due to a later defect in chondrocyte differentiation. Inhibitor studies demonstrate that postchordal neurocranial development requires early Fgf and later Hh signaling. Collectively, our results provide a mechanistic understanding of early postchordal neurocranial development and demonstrate a hierarchy of signaling between Fgf and Hh in the development of this structure.

Somatic activating mutations in Pik3ca cause sporadic venous malformations in mice and humans

Venous malformations (VMs) are painful and deforming vascular lesions composed of dilated vascular channels, which are present from birth. Mutations in the TEK gene, encoding the tyrosine kinase receptor TIE2, are found in about half of sporadic (nonfamilial) VMs, and the causes of the remaining cases are unknown. Sclerotherapy, widely accepted as first-line treatment, is not fully efficient, and targeted therapy for this disease remains underexplored. We have generated a mouse model that faithfully mirrors human VM through mosaic expression of Pik3ca(H1047R), a constitutively active mutant of the p110α isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), in the embryonic mesoderm. Endothelial expression of Pik3ca(H1047R)resulted in endothelial cell (EC) hyperproliferation, reduction in pericyte coverage of blood vessels, and decreased expression of arteriovenous specification markers. PI3K pathway inhibition with rapamycin normalized EC hyperproliferation and pericyte coverage in postnatal retinas and stimulated VM regression in vivo. In line with the mouse data, we also report the presence of activating PIK3CA mutations in human VMs, mutually exclusive with TEK mutations. Our data demonstrate a causal relationship between activating Pik3ca mutations and the genesis of VMs, provide a genetic model that faithfully mirrors the normal etiology and development of this human disease, and establish the basis for the use of PI3K-targeted therapies in VMs.

Ihh and PTH1R signaling in limb mesenchyme is required for proper segmentation and subsequent formation and growth of digit bones

Digit formation is a process, which requires the proper segmentation, formation and growth of phalangeal bones and is precisely regulated by several important factors. One such factor is Ihh, a gene linked to BDA1 and distal symphalangism in humans. In existing mouse models, mutations in Ihh have been shown to cause multiple synostosis in the digits but lead to perinatal lethality. To better study the exact biological and pathological events which occur in these fused digits, we used a more viable Prx1-Cre;Ihh(fl/fl) model in which Cre recombinase is expressed during mesenchymal condensation in the earliest limb buds at E9.5 dpc and found that mutant digits continuously fuse postnatally until phalanges are finally replaced by an unsegmented "one-stick bone". Mutant mice displayed osteocalcin-positive mature osteoblasts, but had reduced proliferation and abnormal osteogenesis. Because of the close interaction between Ihh and PTHrP during endochondral ossification, we also examined the digits of Prx1-Cre;PTH1R(fl/fl) mice, where the receptor for PTHrP was conditionally deleted. Surprisingly, we found PTH1R deletion caused symphalangism, demonstrating another novel function of PTH1R signaling in digit formation. We characterized the symphalangism process whereby initial cartilaginous fusion prevented epiphyseal growth plate formation, resulting in resorption and replacement of the remaining cartilage by bony tissue. Chondrocyte differentiation displayed abnormal directionality in both mutants. Lastly, Prx1-Cre;Ihh(fl/fl);Jansen Tg mice, in which a constitutively active PTH1R allele was introduced into Ihh mutants, were established to address the possible involvement of PTH1R signaling in Ihh mutant digits. These rescue mice failed to show significantly improved phenotype, suggesting that PTH1R signaling in chondrocytes is not sufficient to restore digit formation. Our results demonstrate that Ihh and PTH1R signaling in limb mesenchyme are both essential to regulate proper development of digit structures, although they appear to use different mechanisms.

Villification in the mouse: Bmp signals control intestinal villus patterning

In the intestine, finger-like villi provide abundant surface area for nutrient absorption. During murine villus development, epithelial Hedgehog (Hh) signals promote aggregation of subepithelial mesenchymal clusters that drive villus emergence. Clusters arise first dorsally and proximally and spread over the entire intestine within 24 h, but the mechanism driving this pattern in the murine intestine is unknown. In chick, the driver of cluster pattern is tensile force from developing smooth muscle, which generates deep longitudinal epithelial folds that locally concentrate the Hh signal, promoting localized expression of cluster genes. By contrast, we show that in mouse, muscle-induced epithelial folding does not occur and artificial deformation of the epithelium does not determine the pattern of clusters or villi. In intestinal explants, modulation of Bmp signaling alters the spatial distribution of clusters and changes the pattern of emerging villi. Increasing Bmp signaling abolishes cluster formation, whereas inhibiting Bmp signaling leads to merged clusters. These dynamic changes in cluster pattern are faithfully simulated by a mathematical model of a Turing field in which an inhibitor of Bmp signaling acts as the Turing activator. In vivo, genetic interruption of Bmp signal reception in either epithelium or mesenchyme reveals that Bmp signaling in Hh-responsive mesenchymal cells controls cluster pattern. Thus, unlike in chick, the murine villus patterning system is independent of muscle-induced epithelial deformation. Rather, a complex cocktail of Bmps and Bmp signal modulators secreted from mesenchymal clusters determines the pattern of villi in a manner that mimics the spread of a self-organizing Turing field.

Tooth and scale morphogenesis in shark: an alternative process to the mammalian enamel knot system

BACKGROUND

The gene regulatory network involved in tooth morphogenesis has been extremely well described in mammals and its modeling has allowed predictions of variations in regulatory pathway that may have led to evolution of tooth shapes. However, very little is known outside of mammals to understand how this regulatory framework may also account for tooth shape evolution at the level of gnathostomes. In this work, we describe expression patterns and proliferation/apoptosis assays to uncover homologous regulatory pathways in the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula.

RESULTS

Because of their similar structural and developmental features, gene expression patterns were described over the four developmental stages of both tooth and scale buds in the catshark. These gene expression patterns differ from mouse tooth development, and discrepancies are also observed between tooth and scale development within the catshark. However, a similar nested expression of Shh and Fgf suggests similar signaling involved in morphogenesis of all structures, although apoptosis assays do not support a strictly equivalent enamel knot system in sharks. Similarities in the topology of gene expression pattern, including Bmp signaling pathway, suggest that mouse molar development is more similar to scale bud development in the catshark.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the fact that no enamel knot, as described in mammalian teeth, can be described in the morphogenesis of shark teeth or scales. However, homologous signaling pathways are involved in growth and morphogenesis with variations in their respective expression patterns. We speculate that variations in this topology of expression are also a substrate for tooth shape evolution, notably in regulating the growth axis and symmetry of the developing structure.

Recent insights into the morphological diversity in the amniote primary and secondary palates

The assembly of the upper jaw is a pivotal moment in the embryonic development of amniotes. The upper jaw forms from the fusion of the maxillary, medial nasal, and lateral nasal prominences, resulting in an intact upper lip/beak and nasal cavities; together called the primary palate. This process of fusion requires a balance of proper facial prominence shape and positioning to avoid craniofacial clefting, whilst still accommodating the vast phenotypic diversity of adult amniotes. As such, variation in craniofacial ontogeny is not tolerated beyond certain bounds. For clarity, we discuss primary palatogenesis of amniotes into in two categories, according to whether the nasal and oral cavities remain connected throughout ontogeny or not. The transient separation of these cavities occurs in mammals and crocodilians, while remaining connected in birds, turtles and squamates. In the latter group, the craniofacial prominences fuse around a persistent choanal groove that connects the nasal and oral cavities. Subsequently, all lineages except for turtles, develop a secondary palate that ultimately completely or partially separates oral and nasal cavities. Here, we review the shared, early developmental events and highlight the points at which development diverges in both primary and secondary palate formation.

The developmental basis of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs)

BACKGROUND

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) define a population of progenitor cells capable of giving rises to at least three mesodermal lineages in vitro, the chondrocytes, osteoblasts and adipocytes. The validity of MSCs in vivo has been questioned because their existence, either as a homogeneous progenitor cell population or as a stem cell lineage, has been difficult to prove. The wide use of primary MSCs in regenerative and therapeutic applications raises ethical and regulatory concerns in many countries. In contrast to hematopoietic stem cells, a parallel concept which carries an embryological emphasis from its outset, MSCs have attracted little interest among developmental biologists and the embryological basis for their existence, or lack thereof, has not been carefully evaluated.

METHODS

This article provides a brief, embryological overview of these three mesoderm cell lineages and offers a framework of ontological rationales for the potential existence of MSCs in vivo.

RESULTS

Emphasis is given to the common somatic lateral plate mesoderm origin of the majority of body's adipose and skeletal tissues and of the major sources used for MSC derivation clinically. Support for the MSC hypothesis also comes from a large body of molecular and lineage analysis data in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that despite the lack of a definitive proof, the MSC concept has a firm embryological basis and that advances in MSC research can be facilitated by achieving a better integration with developmental biology.

Pronephric tubule morphogenesis in zebrafish depends on Mnx mediated repression of irx1b within the intermediate mesoderm

Mutations in the homeobox transcription factor MNX1 are the major cause of dominantly inherited sacral agenesis. Studies in model organisms revealed conserved mnx gene requirements in neuronal and pancreatic development while Mnx activities that could explain the caudal mesoderm specific agenesis phenotype remain elusive. Here we use the zebrafish pronephros as a simple yet genetically conserved model for kidney formation to uncover a novel role of Mnx factors in nephron morphogenesis. Pronephros formation can formally be divided in four stages, the specification of nephric mesoderm from the intermediate mesoderm (IM), growth and epithelialisation, segmentation and formation of the glomerular capillary tuft. Two of the three mnx genes in zebrafish are dynamically transcribed in caudal IM in a time window that proceeds segmentation. We show that expression of one mnx gene, mnx2b, is restricted to the pronephric lineage and that mnx2b knock-down causes proximal pronephric tubule dilation and impaired pronephric excretion. Using expression profiling of embryos transgenic for conditional activation and repression of Mnx regulated genes, we further identified irx1b as a direct target of Mnx factors. Consistent with a repression of irx1b by Mnx factors, the transcripts of irx1b and mnx genes are found in mutual exclusive regions in the IM, and blocking of Mnx functions results in a caudal expansion of the IM-specific irx1b expression. Finally, we find that knock-down of irx1b is sufficient to rescue proximal pronephric tubule dilation and impaired nephron function in mnx-morpholino injected embryos. Our data revealed a first caudal mesoderm specific requirement of Mnx factors in a non-human system and they demonstrate that Mnx-dependent restriction of IM-specific irx1b activation is required for the morphogenesis and function of the zebrafish pronephros.

FOXF1 inhibits hematopoietic lineage commitment during early mesoderm specification

The molecular mechanisms orchestrating early mesoderm specification are still poorly understood. In particular, how alternate cell fate decisions are regulated in nascent mesoderm remains mostly unknown. In the present study, we investigated both in vitro in differentiating embryonic stem cells, and in vivo in gastrulating embryos, the lineage specification of early mesodermal precursors expressing or not the Forkhead transcription factor FOXF1. Our data revealed that FOXF1-expressing mesoderm is derived from FLK1(+) progenitors and that in vitro this transcription factor is expressed in smooth muscle and transiently in endothelial lineages, but not in hematopoietic cells. In gastrulating embryos, FOXF1 marks most extra-embryonic mesoderm derivatives including the chorion, the allantois, the amnion and a subset of endothelial cells. Similarly to the in vitro situation, FOXF1 expression is excluded from the blood islands and blood cells. Further analysis revealed an inverse correlation between hematopoietic potential and FOXF1 expression in vivo with increased commitment toward primitive erythropoiesis in Foxf1-deficient embryos, whereas FOXF1-enforced expression in vitro was shown to repress hematopoiesis. Altogether, our data establish that during gastrulation, FOXF1 marks all posterior primitive streak extra-embryonic mesoderm derivatives with the remarkable exception of the blood lineage. Our study further suggests that this transcription factor is implicated in actively restraining the specification of mesodermal progenitors to hematopoiesis.

Endoderm convergence controls subduction of the myocardial precursors during heart-tube formation

Coordination between the endoderm and adjacent cardiac mesoderm is crucial for heart development. We previously showed that myocardial migration is promoted by convergent movement of the endoderm, which itself is controlled by the S1pr2/Gα13 signaling pathway, but it remains unclear how the movements of the two tissues is coordinated. Here, we image live and fixed embryos to follow these movements, revealing previously unappreciated details of strikingly complex and dynamic associations between the endoderm and myocardial precursors. We found that during segmentation the endoderm underwent three distinct phases of movement relative to the midline: rapid convergence, little convergence and slight expansion. During these periods, the myocardial cells exhibited different stage-dependent migratory modes: co-migration with the endoderm, movement from the dorsal to the ventral side of the endoderm (subduction) and migration independent of endoderm convergence. We also found that defects in S1pr2/Gα13-mediated endodermal convergence affected all three modes of myocardial cell migration, probably due to the disruption of fibronectin assembly around the myocardial cells and consequent disorganization of the myocardial epithelium. Moreover, we found that additional cell types within the anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM) also underwent subduction, and that this movement likewise depended on endoderm convergence. Our study delineates for the first time the details of the intricate interplay between the endoderm and ALPM during embryogenesis, highlighting why endoderm movement is essential for heart development, and thus potential underpinnings of congenital heart disease.

Specification of the somatic musculature in Drosophila

The somatic muscle system formed during Drosophila embryogenesis is required for larvae to hatch, feed, and crawl. This system is replaced in the pupa by a new adult muscle set, responsible for activities such as feeding, walking, and flight. Both the larval and adult muscle systems are comprised of distinct muscle fibers to serve these specific motor functions. In this way, the Drosophila musculature is a valuable model for patterning within a single tissue: while all muscle cells share properties such as the contractile apparatus, properties such as size, position, and number of nuclei are unique for a particular muscle. In the embryo, diversification of muscle fibers relies first on signaling cascades that pattern the mesoderm. Subsequently, the combinatorial expression of specific transcription factors leads muscle fibers to adopt particular sizes, shapes, and orientations. Adult muscle precursors (AMPs), set aside during embryonic development, proliferate during the larval phases and seed the formation of the abdominal, leg, and flight muscles in the adult fly. Adult muscle fibers may either be formed de novo from the fusion of the AMPs, or are created by the binding of AMPs to an existing larval muscle. While less is known about adult muscle specification compared to the larva, expression of specific transcription factors is also important for its diversification. Increasingly, the mechanisms required for the diversification of fly muscle have found parallels in vertebrate systems and mark Drosophila as a robust model system to examine questions about how diverse cell types are generated within an organism.

A critical role for the chromatin remodeller CHD7 in anterior mesoderm during cardiovascular development

CHARGE syndrome is caused by spontaneous loss-of-function mutations to the ATP-dependant chromatin remodeller chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 7 (CHD7). It is characterised by a distinct pattern of congenital anomalies, including cardiovascular malformations. Disruption to the neural crest lineage has previously been emphasised in the aetiology of this developmental disorder. We present evidence for an additional requirement for CHD7 activity in the Mesp1-expressing anterior mesoderm during heart development. Conditional ablation of Chd7 in this lineage results in major structural cardiovascular defects akin to those seen in CHARGE patients, as well as a striking loss of cardiac innervation and embryonic lethality. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis identified aberrant expression of key components of the Class 3 Semaphorin and Slit-Robo signalling pathways in Chd7(fl/fl);Mesp1-Cre mutant hearts. CHD7 localises at the Sema3c promoter in vivo, with alteration of the local chromatin structure seen following Chd7 ablation, suggestive of direct transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, we uncover a novel role for CHD7 activity upstream of critical calcium handling genes, and demonstrate an associated functional defect in the ability of cardiomyocytes to undergo excitation-contraction coupling. This work therefore reveals the importance of CHD7 in the cardiogenic mesoderm for multiple processes during cardiovascular development.

Endodermal Wnt signaling is required for tracheal cartilage formation

Tracheobronchomalacia is a common congenital defect in which the walls of the trachea and bronchi lack of adequate cartilage required for support of the airways. Deletion of Wls, a cargo receptor mediating Wnt ligand secretion, in the embryonic endoderm using ShhCre mice inhibited formation of tracheal-bronchial cartilaginous rings. The normal dorsal-ventral patterning of tracheal mesenchyme was lost. Smooth muscle cells, identified by Acta2 staining, were aberrantly located in ventral mesenchyme of the trachea, normally the region of Sox9 expression in cartilage progenitors. Wnt/β-catenin activity, indicated by Axin2 LacZ reporter, was decreased in tracheal mesenchyme of Wls(f/f);Shh(Cre/+) embryos. Proliferation of chondroblasts was decreased and reciprocally, proliferation of smooth muscle cells was increased in Wls(f/f);Shh(Cre/+) tracheal tissue. Expression of Tbx4, Tbx5, Msx1 and Msx2, known to mediate cartilage and muscle patterning, were decreased in tracheal mesenchyme of Wls(f/f);Shh(Cre/+) embryos. Ex vivo studies demonstrated that Wnt7b and Wnt5a, expressed by the epithelium of developing trachea, and active Wnt/β-catenin signaling are required for tracheal chondrogenesis before formation of mesenchymal condensations. In conclusion, Wnt ligands produced by the tracheal epithelium pattern the tracheal mesenchyme via modulation of gene expression and cell proliferation required for proper tracheal cartilage and smooth muscle differentiation.

Transcriptome profiles of Penaeus (Marsupenaeus) japonicus animal and vegetal half-embryos: identification of sex determination, germ line, mesoderm, and other developmental genes

There is virtually no knowledge of the molecular events controlling early embryogenesis in Penaeid shrimp. A combination of controlled spawning environment, shrimp embryo micro-dissection techniques, and next-generation sequencing was used to produce transcriptome EST datasets of Penaeus japonicus animal and vegetal half-embryos. Embryos were collected immediately after spawning, and then blastomeres were separated at the two-cell stage and allowed to develop to late gastrulation, then pooled for RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis. Ion Torrent sequencing of cDNA from approximately 500 pooled animal and vegetal half-embryos from multiple spawnings resulted in 560,516 and 493,703 reads, respectively. Reads from each library were assembled and Gene Ontogeny analysis produced 3479 annotated animal contigs and 4173 annotated vegetal contigs, with 159/139 hits for developmental processes in the animal/vegetal contigs, respectively. Contigs were subject to BLAST for selected developmental toolbox genes. Some of the genes found included the sex determination genes sex-lethal and transformer; the germ line genes argonaute 1, boule, germ cell-less, gustavus, maelstrom, mex-3, par-1, pumilio, SmB, staufen, and tudor; the mesoderm genes brachyury, mef2, snail, and twist; the axis determination/segmentation genes β-catenin, deformed, distal-less, engrailed, giant, hairy, hunchback, kruppel, orthodenticle, patched, tailless, and wingless/wnt-8c; and a number of cell-cycle regulators. Animal and vegetal contigs were computationally subtracted from each other to produce sets unique to either half-embryo library. Genes expressed only in the animal half included bmp1, kruppel, maelstrom, and orthodenticle. Genes expressed only in the vegetal half included boule, brachyury, deformed, dorsal, engrailed, hunchback, spalt, twist, and wingless/wnt-8c.

Gata2b is a restricted early regulator of hemogenic endothelium in the zebrafish embryo

The adult blood system is established by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which arise during development from an endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition of cells comprising the floor of the dorsal aorta. Expression of aortic runx1 has served as an early marker of HSC commitment in the zebrafish embryo, but recent studies have suggested that HSC specification begins during the convergence of posterior lateral plate mesoderm (PLM), well before aorta formation and runx1 transcription. Further understanding of the earliest stages of HSC specification necessitates an earlier marker of hemogenic endothelium. Studies in mice have suggested that GATA2 might function at early stages within hemogenic endothelium. Two orthologs of Gata2 exist in zebrafish: gata2a and gata2b. Here, we report that gata2b expression initiates during the convergence of PLM, becoming restricted to emerging HSCs. We observe Notch-dependent gata2b expression within the hemogenic subcompartment of the dorsal aorta that is in turn required to initiate runx1 expression. Our results indicate that Gata2b functions within hemogenic endothelium from an early stage, whereas Gata2a functions more broadly throughout the vascular system.

Creating cellular diversity through transcription factor competition

The development of blood cells has long served as a model system to study the generation of diverse mature cells from multipotent progenitors. The article by Org et al (2015) reveals how transcription factor competition on primed DNA templates may contribute to embryonic blood cell specification during the early stages of mesoderm development. The study not only provides new insights into the functionality of the key haematopoietic transcription factor Scl/Tal1, but also provides a potentially widely applicable framework for transcription factor-mediated cell fate specification.

A novel allele of Alx4 results in reduced Fgf10 expression and failure of eyelid fusion in mice

Normal fusion of developing eyelids requires coordination of inductive signals from the eyelid mesenchyme with migration of the periderm cell layer and constriction of the eyelids across the eye. Failure of this process results in an eyelids open at birth (EOB) phenotype in mice. We have identified a novel spontaneous allele of Alx4 that displays EOB, in addition to polydactyly and cranial malformations. Alx4 is expressed in the eyelid mesenchyme prior to and during eyelid fusion in a domain overlapping the expression of genes that also play a role in normal eyelid development. We show that Alx4 mutant mice have reduced expression of Fgf10, a key factor expressed in the mesenchyme that is required for initiation of eyelid fusion by the periderm. This is accompanied by a reduced number of periderm cells expressing phosphorylated c-Jun, consistent with the incomplete ablation of Fgf10 expression. Together, these data demonstrate that eyelid fusion in mice requires the expression of Alx4, accompanied by the loss of normal expression of essential components of the eyelid fusion pathway.

A novel TGFβ modulator that uncouples R-Smad/I-Smad-mediated negative feedback from R-Smad/ligand-driven positive feedback

As some of the most widely utilised intercellular signalling molecules, transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily members play critical roles in normal development and become disrupted in human disease. Establishing appropriate levels of TGFβ signalling involves positive and negative feedback, which are coupled and driven by the same signal transduction components (R-Smad transcription factor complexes), but whether and how the regulation of the two can be distinguished are unknown. Genome-wide comparison of published ChIP-seq datasets suggests that LIM domain binding proteins (Ldbs) co-localise with R-Smads at a substantial subset of R-Smad target genes including the locus of inhibitory Smad7 (I-Smad7), which mediates negative feedback for TGFβ signalling. We present evidence suggesting that zebrafish Ldb2a binds and directly activates the I-Smad7 gene, whereas it binds and represses the ligand gene, Squint (Sqt), which drives positive feedback. Thus, the fine tuning of TGFβ signalling derives from positive and negative control by Ldb2a. Expression of ldb2a is itself activated by TGFβ signals, suggesting potential feed-forward loops that might delay the negative input of Ldb2a to the positive feedback, as well as the positive input of Ldb2a to the negative feedback. In this way, precise gene expression control by Ldb2a enables an initial build-up of signalling via a fully active positive feedback in the absence of buffering by the negative feedback. In Ldb2a-deficient zebrafish embryos, homeostasis of TGFβ signalling is perturbed and signalling is stably enhanced, giving rise to excess mesoderm and endoderm, an effect that can be rescued by reducing signalling by the TGFβ family members, Nodal and BMP. Thus, Ldb2a is critical to the homeostatic control of TGFβ signalling and thereby embryonic patterning.

The non-canonical BMP and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways orchestrate early tooth development

BMP and Wnt signaling pathways play a crucial role in organogenesis, including tooth development. Despite extensive studies, the exact functions, as well as if and how these two pathways act coordinately in regulating early tooth development, remain elusive. In this study, we dissected regulatory functions of BMP and Wnt pathways in early tooth development using a transgenic noggin (Nog) overexpression model (K14Cre;pNog). It exhibits early arrested tooth development, accompanied by reduced cell proliferation and loss of odontogenic fate marker Pitx2 expression in the dental epithelium. We demonstrated that overexpression of Nog disrupted BMP non-canonical activity, which led to a dramatic reduction of cell proliferation rate but did not affect Pitx2 expression. We further identified a novel function of Nog by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling, causing loss of Pitx2 expression. Co-immunoprecipitation and TOPflash assays revealed direct binding of Nog to Wnts to functionally prevent Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In situ PLA and immunohistochemistry on Nog mutants confirmed in vivo interaction between endogenous Nog and Wnts and modulation of Wnt signaling by Nog in tooth germs. Genetic rescue experiments presented evidence that both BMP and Wnt signaling pathways contribute to cell proliferation regulation in the dental epithelium, with Wnt signaling also controlling the odontogenic fate. Reactivation of both BMP and Wnt signaling pathways, but not of only one of them, rescued tooth developmental defects in K14Cre;pNog mice, in which Wnt signaling can be substituted by transgenic activation of Pitx2. Our results reveal the orchestration of non-canonical BMP and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in the regulation of early tooth development.

E3 ubiquitin ligases promote progression of differentiation during C. elegans embryogenesis

Regulated choice between cell fate maintenance and differentiation provides decision points in development to progress toward more restricted cell fates or to maintain the current one. Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis follows an invariant cell lineage where cell fate is generally more restricted upon each cell division. EMS is a progenitor cell in the four-cell embryo that gives rise to the endomesoderm. We recently found that when ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation is compromised, the anterior daughter of EMS, namely MS, reiterates the EMS fate. This observation demonstrates an essential function of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation in driving the progression of EMS-to-MS differentiation. Here we report a genome-wide screen of the ubiquitin pathway and extensive lineage analyses. The results suggest a broad role of E3 ligases in driving differentiation progression. First, we identified three substrate-binding proteins for two Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL) E3 complexes that promote the progression from the EMS fate to MS, namely LIN-23/β-TrCP and FBXB-3 for the CRL1/SCF complex and ZYG-11/ZYG-11B for the CRL2 complex. Genetic analyses suggest these E3 ligases function through a multifunctional protein OMA-1 and the endomesoderm lineage specifier SKN-1 to drive differentiation. Second, we found that depletion of components of the CRL1/SCF complex induces fate reiteration in all major founder cell lineages. These data suggest that regulated choice between self-renewal and differentiation is widespread during C. elegans embryogenesis as in organisms with regulative development, and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation drives the choice towards differentiation. Finally, bioinformatic analysis of time series gene expression data showed that expression of E3 genes is transiently enriched during time windows of developmental stage transitions. Transcription factors show similar enrichment, but not other classes of regulatory genes. Based on these findings we propose that ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, like many transcription factors, function broadly as regulators driving developmental progression during embryogenesis in C. elegans.

A novel gain-of-function mutation of the proneural IRX1 and IRX2 genes disrupts axis elongation in the Araucana rumpless chicken

Axis elongation of the vertebrate embryo involves the generation of cell lineages from posterior progenitor populations. We investigated the molecular mechanism governing axis elongation in vertebrates using the Araucana rumpless chicken. Araucana embryos exhibit a defect in axis elongation, failing to form the terminal somites and concomitant free caudal vertebrae, pygostyle, and associated tissues of the tail. Through whole genome sequencing of six Araucana we have identified a critical 130 kb region, containing two candidate causative SNPs. Both SNPs are proximal to the IRX1 and IRX2 genes, which are required for neural specification. We show that IRX1 and IRX2 are both misexpressed within the bipotential chordoneural hinge progenitor population of Araucana embryos. Expression analysis of BRA and TBX6, required for specification of mesoderm, shows that both are downregulated, whereas SOX2, required for neural patterning, is expressed in ectopic epithelial tissue. Finally, we show downregulation of genes required for the protection and maintenance of the tailbud progenitor population from the effects of retinoic acid. Our results support a model where the disruption in balance of mesoderm and neural fate results in early depletion of the progenitor population as excess neural tissue forms at the expense of mesoderm, leading to too few mesoderm cells to form the terminal somites. Together this cascade of events leads to axis truncation.

Comprehensive single cell-resolution analysis of the role of chromatin regulators in early C. elegans embryogenesis

Chromatin regulators are widely expressed proteins with diverse roles in gene expression, nuclear organization, cell cycle regulation, pluripotency, physiology and development, and are frequently mutated in human diseases such as cancer. Their inhibition often results in pleiotropic effects that are difficult to study using conventional approaches. We have developed a semi-automated nuclear tracking algorithm to quantify the divisions, movements and positions of all nuclei during the early development of Caenorhabditis elegans and have used it to systematically study the effects of inhibiting chromatin regulators. The resulting high dimensional datasets revealed that inhibition of multiple regulators, including F55A3.3 (encoding FACT subunit SUPT16H), lin-53 (RBBP4/7), rba-1 (RBBP4/7), set-16 (MLL2/3), hda-1 (HDAC1/2), swsn-7 (ARID2), and let-526 (ARID1A/1B) affected cell cycle progression and caused chromosome segregation defects. In contrast, inhibition of cir-1 (CIR1) accelerated cell division timing in specific cells of the AB lineage. The inhibition of RNA polymerase II also accelerated these division timings, suggesting that normal gene expression is required to delay cell cycle progression in multiple lineages in the early embryo. Quantitative analyses of the dataset suggested the existence of at least two functionally distinct SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex activities in the early embryo, and identified a redundant requirement for the egl-27 and lin-40 MTA orthologs in the development of endoderm and mesoderm lineages. Moreover, our dataset also revealed a characteristic rearrangement of chromatin to the nuclear periphery upon the inhibition of multiple general regulators of gene expression. Our systematic, comprehensive and quantitative datasets illustrate the power of single cell-resolution quantitative tracking and high dimensional phenotyping to investigate gene function. Furthermore, the results provide an overview of the functions of essential chromatin regulators during the early development of an animal.

Pref-1 marks very early mesenchymal precursors required for adipose tissue development and expansion

Pref-1 is an EGF-repeat-containing protein that inhibits adipocyte differentiation. To better understand the origin and development of white adipose tissue (WAT), we generated transgenic mouse models for transient or permanent fluorescent labeling of cells using the Pref-1 promoter, facilitating inducible ablation. We show that Pref-1-marked cells retain proliferative capacity and are very early adipose precursors, prior to expression of Zfp423 or PPARγ. In addition, the Pref-1-marked cells establish that adipose precursors are mesenchymal, but not endothelial or pericytal, in origin. During embryogenesis, Pref-1-marked cells first appear in the dorsal mesenteric region as early as embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). These cells become lipid-laden adipocytes at E17.5 in the subcutaneous region, whereas visceral WAT develops after birth. Finally, ablation of Pref-1-marked cells prevents not only embryonic WAT development but also later adult adipose expansion upon high-fat feeding, demonstrating the requirement of Pref-1 cells for adipogenesis.

Visualizing late insect embryogenesis: extraembryonic and mesodermal enhancer trap expression in the beetle Tribolium castaneum

The beetle Tribolium castaneum has increasingly become a powerful model for comparative research on insect development. One recent resource is a collection of piggyBac transposon-based enhancer trap lines. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of three selected lines and demonstrate their value for investigations in the second half of embryogenesis, which has thus far lagged behind research on early stages. Two lines, G12424 and KT650, show enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression throughout the extraembryonic serosal tissue and in a few discrete embryonic domains. Intriguingly, both lines show for the first time a degree of regionalization within the mature serosa. However, their expression profiles illuminate distinct aspects of serosal biology: G12424 tracks the tissue's rapid maturation while KT650 expression likely reflects ongoing physiological processes. The third line, G04609, is stably expressed in mesodermal domains, including segmental muscles and the heart. Genomic mapping followed by in situ hybridization for genes near to the G04609 insertion site suggests that the transposon has trapped enhancer information for the Tribolium orthologue of midline (Tc-mid). Altogether, our analyses provide the first live imaging, long-term characterizations of enhancer traps from this collection. We show that EGFP expression is readily detected, including in heterozygote crosses that permit the simultaneous visualization of multiple tissue types. The tissue specificity provides live, endogenous marker gene expression at key developmental stages that are inaccessible for whole mount staining. Furthermore, the nonlocalized EGFP in these lines illuminates both the nucleus and cytoplasm, providing cellular resolution for morphogenesis research on processes such as dorsal closure and heart formation. In future work, identification of regulatory regions driving these enhancer traps will deepen our understanding of late developmental control, including in the extraembryonic domain, which is a hallmark of insect development but which is not yet well understood.

Delayed transition to new cell fates during cellular reprogramming

In many embryos specification toward one cell fate can be diverted to a different cell fate through a reprogramming process. Understanding how that process works will reveal insights into the developmental regulatory logic that emerged from evolution. In the sea urchin embryo, cells at gastrulation were found to reprogram and replace missing cell types after surgical dissections of the embryo. Non-skeletogenic mesoderm (NSM) cells reprogrammed to replace missing skeletogenic mesoderm cells and animal caps reprogrammed to replace all endomesoderm. In both cases evidence of reprogramming onset was first observed at the early gastrula stage, even if the cells to be replaced were removed earlier in development. Once started however, the reprogramming occurred with compressed gene expression dynamics. The NSM did not require early contact with the skeletogenic cells to reprogram, but the animal cap cells gained the ability to reprogram early in gastrulation only after extended contact with the vegetal halves prior to that time. If the entire vegetal half was removed at early gastrula, the animal caps reprogrammed and replaced the vegetal half endomesoderm. If the animal caps carried morpholinos to either hox11/13b or foxA (endomesoderm specification genes), the isolated animal caps failed to reprogram. Together these data reveal that the emergence of a reprogramming capability occurs at early gastrulation in the sea urchin embryo and requires activation of early specification components of the target tissues.

Discrete levels of Twist activity are required to direct distinct cell functions during gastrulation and somatic myogenesis

Twist (Twi), a conserved basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional regulator, directs the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and regulates changes in cell fate, cell polarity, cell division and cell migration in organisms from flies to humans. Analogous to its role in EMT, Twist has been implicated in metastasis in numerous cancer types, including breast, pancreatic and prostate. In the Drosophila embryo, Twist is essential for discrete events in gastrulation and mesodermal patterning. In this study, we derive a twi allelic series by examining the various cellular events required for gastrulation in Drosophila. By genetically manipulating the levels of Twi activity during gastrulation, we find that coordination of cell division is the most sensitive cellular event, whereas changes in cell shape are the least sensitive. Strikingly, we show that by increasing levels of Snail expression in a severe twi hypomorphic allelic background, but not a twi null background, we can reconstitute gastrulation and produce viable adult flies. Our results demonstrate that the level of Twi activity determines whether the cellular events of ventral furrow formation, EMT, cell division and mesodermal migration occur.

Hypoxia-induced miR-15a promotes mesenchymal ablation and adaptation to hypoxia during lung development in chicken

The lungs undergo changes that are adaptive for high elevation in certain animal species. In chickens, animals bred at high elevations (e.g., Tibet chickens) are better able to hatch and survive under high-altitude conditions. In addition, lowland chicken breeds undergo physiological effects and suffer greater mortality when they are exposed to hypoxic conditions during embryonic development. Although these physiological effects have been noted, the mechanisms that are responsible for hypoxia-induced changes in lung development and function are not known. Here we have examined the role of a particular microRNA (miRNA) in the regulation of lung development under hypoxic conditions. When chicks were incubated in low oxygen (hypoxia), miR-15a was significantly increased in embryonic lung tissue. The expression level of miR-15a in hypoxic Tibet chicken embryos increased and remained relatively high at embryonic day (E)16–20, whereas in normal chickens, expression increased and peaked at E19–20, at which time the cross-current gas exchange system (CCGS) is developing. Bcl-2 was a translationally repressed target of miR-15a in these chickens. miR-16, a cluster and family member of miR-15a, was detected but did not participate in the posttranscriptional regulation of bcl-2. Around E19, the hypoxia-induced decrease in Bcl-2 protein resulted in apoptosis in the mesenchyme around the migrating tubes, which led to an expansion and migration of the tubes that would become the air capillary network and the CCGS. Thus, interfering with miR-15a expression in lung tissue may be a novel therapeutic strategy for hypoxia insults and altitude adaptation.

Morphological comparison of the craniofacial phenotypes of mouse models expressing the Apert FGFR2 S252W mutation in neural crest- or mesoderm-derived tissues

Bones of the craniofacial skeleton are derived from two distinct cell lineages, cranial neural crest and mesoderm, and articulate at sutures and synchondroses which represent major bone growth sites. Premature fusion of cranial suture(s) is associated with craniofacial dysmorphogenesis caused in part by alteration in the growth potential at sutures and can occur as an isolated birth defect or as part of a syndrome, such as Apert syndrome. Conditional expression of the Apert FGFR2 S252W mutation in cells derived from mesoderm was previously shown to be necessary and sufficient to cause coronal craniosynostosis. Here we used micro computed tomography images of mice expressing the Apert mutation constitutively in either mesoderm- or neural crest-derived cells to quantify craniofacial shape variation and suture fusion patterns, and to identify shape changes in craniofacial bones derived from the lineage not expressing the mutation, referred to here as secondary shape changes. Our results show that at postnatal day 0: (i) conditional expression of the FGFR2 S252W mutation in neural crest-derived tissues causes a more severe craniofacial phenotype than when expressed in mesoderm-derived tissues; and (ii) both mesoderm- and neural crest-specific mouse models display secondary shape changes. We also show that premature suture fusion is not necessarily dependent on the expression of the FGFR2 S252W mutation in the sutural mesenchyme. More specifically, it appears that suture fusion patterns in both mouse models are suture-specific resulting from a complex combination of the influence of primary abnormalities of biogenesis or signaling within the sutures, and timing.

The dlx5a/dlx6a genes play essential roles in the early development of zebrafish median fin and pectoral structures

The Dlx5 and Dlx6 genes encode homeodomain transcription factors essential for the proper development of limbs in mammalian species. However, the role of their teleost counterparts in fin development has received little attention. Here, we show that dlx5a is an early marker of apical ectodermal cells of the pectoral fin buds and of the median fin fold, but also of cleithrum precursor cells during pectoral girdle development. We propose that early median fin fold establishment results from the medial convergence of dlx5a-expressing cells at the lateral edges of the neural keel. Expression analysis also shows involvement of dlx5a during appendage skeletogenesis. Using morpholino-mediated knock down, we demonstrate that disrupted dlx5a/6a function results in pectoral fin agenesis associated with misexpression of bmp4, fgf8a, and1 and msx genes. In contrast, the median fin fold presents defects in mesenchymal cell migration and actinotrichia formation, whereas the initial specification seems to occur normally. Our results demonstrate that the dlx5a/6a genes are essential for the induction of pectoral fin outgrowth, but are not required during median fin fold specification. The dlx5a/6a knock down also causes a failure of cleithrum formation associated with a drastic loss of runx2b and col10a1 expression. The data indicate distinct requirements for dlx5a/6a during median and pectoral fin development suggesting that initiation of unpaired and paired fin formation are not directed through the same molecular mechanisms. Our results refocus arguments on the mechanistic basis of paired appendage genesis during vertebrate evolution.

Jagged1 is essential for osteoblast development during maxillary ossification

Maxillary hypoplasia occurs due to insufficient maxillary intramembranous ossification, leading to poor dental occlusion, respiratory obstruction and cosmetic deformities. Conditional deletion of Jagged1 (Jag1) in cranial neural crest (CNC) cells using Wnt1-cre; Jagged1(f/f) (Jag1CKO) led to maxillary hypoplasia characterized by intrinsic differences in bone morphology and density using μCT evaluation. Jag1CKO maxillas revealed altered collagen deposition, delayed ossification, and reduced expression of early and late determinants of osteoblast development during maxillary ossification. In vitro bone cultures on Jag1CKO mouse embryonic maxillary mesenchymal (MEMM) cells demonstrated decreased mineralization that was also associated with diminished induction of osteoblast determinants. BMP receptor expression was dysregulated in the Jag1CKO MEMM cells suggesting that these cells were unable to respond to BMP-induced differentiation. JAG1-Fc rescued in vitro mineralization and osteoblast gene expression changes. These data suggest that JAG1 signaling in CNC-derived MEMM cells is required for osteoblast development and differentiation during maxillary ossification.

Conserved odontogenic potential in embryonic dental tissues

Classic tissue recombination studies have demonstrated that, in the early developing mouse tooth germ, the odontogenic potential, known as the tooth-inductive capability, resides initially in the dental epithelium and then shifts to the dental mesenchyme. However, it remains unknown if human embryonic dental tissues also acquire such odontogenic potential. Here we present evidence that human embryonic dental tissues indeed possess similar tooth-inductive capability. We found that human dental epithelium from the cap stage but not the bell stage was able to induce tooth formation when confronted with human embryonic lip mesenchyme. In contrast, human dental mesenchyme from the bell stage but not the cap stage could induce mouse embryonic second-arch epithelium as well as human keratinocyte stem cells, to become enamel-secreting ameloblasts. We showed that neither post-natal human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) nor stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) possess odontogenic potential or are odontogenic-competent. Our results demonstrate a conservation of odontogenic potential in mouse and human dental tissues during early tooth development, and will have an implication in the future generation of stem-cell-based bioengineered human replacement teeth.

Collier/OLF/EBF-dependent transcriptional dynamics control pharyngeal muscle specification from primed cardiopharyngeal progenitors

In vertebrates, pluripotent pharyngeal mesoderm progenitors produce the cardiac precursors of the second heart field as well as the branchiomeric head muscles and associated stem cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the transition from multipotent progenitors to distinct muscle precursors remain obscured by the complexity of vertebrate embryos. Using Ciona intestinalis as a simple chordate model, we show that bipotent cardiopharyngeal progenitors are primed to activate both heart and pharyngeal muscle transcriptional programs, which progressively become restricted to corresponding precursors. The transcription factor COE (Collier/OLF/EBF) orchestrates the transition to pharyngeal muscle fate both by promoting an MRF-associated myogenic program in myoblasts and by maintaining an undifferentiated state in their sister cells through Notch-mediated lateral inhibition. The latter are stem cell-like muscle precursors that form most of the juvenile pharyngeal muscles. We discuss the implications of our findings for the development and evolution of the chordate cardiopharyngeal mesoderm.

YY1 acts as a transcriptional activator of Hoxa5 gene expression in mouse organogenesis

The Hox gene family encodes homeodomain-containing transcriptional regulators that confer positional information to axial and paraxial tissues in the developing embryo. The dynamic Hox gene expression pattern requires mechanisms that differentially control Hox transcription in a precise spatio-temporal fashion. This implies an integrated regulation of neighbouring Hox genes achieved through the sharing and the selective use of defined enhancer sequences. The Hoxa5 gene plays a crucial role in lung and gut organogenesis. To position Hoxa5 in the regulatory hierarchy that drives organ morphogenesis, we searched for cis-acting regulatory sequences and associated trans-acting factors required for Hoxa5 expression in the developing lung and gut. Using mouse transgenesis, we identified two DNA regions included in a 1.5-kb XbaI-XbaI fragment located in the Hoxa4-Hoxa5 intergenic domain and known to control Hoxa4 organ expression. The multifunctional YY1 transcription factor binds the two regulatory sequences in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the mesenchymal deletion of the Yy1 gene function in mice results in a Hoxa5-like lung phenotype with decreased Hoxa5 and Hoxa4 gene expression. Thus, YY1 acts as a positive regulator of Hoxa5 expression in the developing lung and gut. Our data also support a role for YY1 in the coordinated expression of Hox genes for correct organogenesis.

Distinct spatiotemporal expression of ISM1 during mouse and chick development

Isthmin 1 (ISM1) constitutes the founder of a new family of secreted proteins characterized by the presence of 2 functional domains: thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR1) and adhesion-associated domain in MUC4 and other proteins (AMOP). ISM1 was identified in the frog embryo as a member of the FGF8 synexpression group due to its expression in the brain midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) or isthmus. In zebrafish, ISM1 was described as a WNT- and NODAL-regulated gene. The function of ISM1 remains largely elusive. So far, ISM1 has been described as an angiogenesis inhibitor that has a dual function in endothelial cell survival and cell death. For a better understanding of ISM1 function, we examined its spatiotemporal distribution in mouse and chick using RT-PCR, ISH, and IHC analyses. In the mouse, ISM1 transcripts are found in tissues such as the anterior mesendoderm, paraxial and lateral plate mesoderm, MHB and trunk neural tube, as well as in the somites and dermomyotome. In the newborn and adult, ISM1 is prominently expressed in the lung and brain. In addition to its putative role during embryonic and postnatal development, ISM1 may also be important for organ homeostasis in the adult. In the chick embryo, ISM1 transcripts are strongly detected in the ear, eye, and spinal cord primordia. Remarkable differences in ISM1 spatiotemporal expression were found during mouse and chick development, despite the high homology of ISM1 orthologs in these species.

Mesodermal Nkx2.5 is necessary and sufficient for early second heart field development

The vertebrate heart develops from mesoderm and requires inductive signals secreted from early endoderm. During embryogenesis, Nkx2.5 acts as a key transcription factor and plays essential roles for heart formation from Drosophila to human. In mice, Nkx2.5 is expressed in the early first heart field, second heart field pharyngeal mesoderm, as well as pharyngeal endodermal cells underlying the second heart field. Currently, the specific requirements for Nkx2.5 in the endoderm versus mesoderm with regard to early heart formation are incompletely understood. Here, we performed tissue-specific deletion in mice to dissect the roles of Nkx2.5 in the pharyngeal endoderm and mesoderm. We found that heart development appeared normal after endodermal deletion of Nkx2.5 whereas mesodermal deletion engendered cardiac defects almost identical to those observed on Nkx2.5 null embryos (Nkx2.5(-/-)). Furthermore, re-expression of Nkx2.5 in the mesoderm rescued Nkx2.5(-/-) heart defects. Our findings reveal that Nkx2.5 in the mesoderm is essential while endodermal expression is dispensable for early heart formation in mammals.

Ectodermal Wnt signaling regulates abdominal myogenesis during ventral body wall development

Defects of the ventral body wall are prevalent birth anomalies marked by deficiencies in body wall closure, hypoplasia of the abdominal musculature and multiple malformations across a gamut of organs. However, the mechanisms underlying ventral body wall defects remain elusive. Here, we investigated the role of Wnt signaling in ventral body wall development by inactivating Wls or β-catenin in murine abdominal ectoderm. The loss of Wls in the ventral epithelium, which blocks the secretion of Wnt proteins, resulted in dysgenesis of ventral musculature and genito-urinary tract during embryonic development. Molecular analyses revealed that the dermis and myogenic differentiation in the underlying mesenchymal progenitor cells was perturbed by the loss of ectodermal Wls. The activity of the Wnt-Pitx2 axis was impaired in the ventral mesenchyme of the mutant body wall, which partially accounted for the defects in ventral musculature formation. In contrast, epithelial depletion of β-catenin or Wnt5a did not resemble the body wall defects in the ectodermal Wls mutant. These findings indicate that ectodermal Wnt signaling instructs the underlying mesodermal specification and abdominal musculature formation during ventral body wall development, adding evidence to the theory that ectoderm-mesenchyme signaling is a potential unifying mechanism for the origin of ventral body wall defects.

Immunomodulation stimulates the innervation of engineered tooth organ

The sensory innervation of the dental mesenchyme is essential for tooth function and protection. Sensory innervation of the dental pulp is mediated by axons originating from the trigeminal ganglia and is strictly regulated in time. Teeth can develop from cultured re-associations between dissociated dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells from Embryonic Day 14 mouse molars, after implantation under the skin of adult ICR mice. In these conditions however, the innervation of the dental mesenchyme did not occur spontaneously. In order to go further with this question, complementary experimental approaches were designed. Cultured cell re-associations were implanted together with trigeminal ganglia for one or two weeks. Although axonal growth was regularly observed extending from the trigeminal ganglia to all around the forming teeth, the presence of axons in the dental mesenchyme was detected in less than 2.5% of samples after two weeks, demonstrating a specific impairment of their entering the dental mesenchyme. In clinical context, immunosuppressive therapy using cyclosporin A was found to accelerate the innervation of transplanted tissues. Indeed, when cultured cell re-associations and trigeminal ganglia were co-implanted in cyclosporin A-treated ICR mice, nerve fibers were detected in the dental pulp, even reaching odontoblasts after one week. However, cyclosporin A shows multiple effects, including direct ones on nerve growth. To test whether there may be a direct functional relationship between immunomodulation and innervation, cell re-associations and trigeminal ganglia were co-implanted in immunocompromised Nude mice. In these conditions as well, the innervation of the dental mesenchyme was observed already after one week of implantation, but axons reached the odontoblast layer after two weeks only. This study demonstrated that immunodepression per se does stimulate the innervation of the dental mesenchyme.

Sox17 is required for normal pulmonary vascular morphogenesis

The SRY-box containing transcription factor Sox17 is required for endoderm formation and vascular morphogenesis during embryonic development. In the lung, Sox17 is expressed in mesenchymal progenitors of the embryonic pulmonary vasculature and is restricted to vascular endothelial cells in the mature lung. Conditional deletion of Sox17 in splanchnic mesenchyme-derivatives using Dermo1-Cre resulted in substantial loss of Sox17 from developing pulmonary vascular endothelial cells and caused pulmonary vascular abnormalities before birth, including pulmonary vein varices, enlarged arteries, and decreased perfusion of the microvasculature. While survival of Dermo1-Cre;Sox17Δ/Δ mice (herein termed Sox17Δ/Δ) was unaffected at E18.5, most Sox17Δ/Δ mice died by 3 weeks of age. After birth, the density of the pulmonary microvasculature was decreased in association with alveolar simplification, biventricular cardiac hypertrophy, and valvular regurgitation. The severity of the postnatal cardiac phenotype was correlated with the severity of pulmonary vasculature abnormalities. Sox17 is required for normal formation of the pulmonary vasculature and postnatal cardiovascular homeostasis.

Chordin forms a self-organizing morphogen gradient in the extracellular space between ectoderm and mesoderm in the Xenopus embryo

The vertebrate body plan follows stereotypical dorsal-ventral (D-V) tissue differentiation controlled by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and secreted BMP antagonists, such as Chordin. The three germ layers--ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm--are affected coordinately by the Chordin-BMP morphogen system. However, extracellular morphogen gradients of endogenous proteins have not been directly visualized in vertebrate embryos to date. In this study, we improved immunolocalization methods in Xenopus embryos and analyzed the distribution of endogenous Chordin using a specific antibody. Chordin protein secreted by the dorsal Spemann organizer was found to diffuse along a narrow region that separates the ectoderm from the anterior endoderm and mesoderm. This Fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix is called "Brachet's cleft" in the Xenopus gastrula and is present in all vertebrate embryos. Chordin protein formed a smooth gradient that encircled the embryo, reaching the ventral-most Brachet cleft. Depletion with morpholino oligos showed that this extracellular gradient was regulated by the Chordin protease Tolloid and its inhibitor Sizzled. The Chordin gradient, as well as the BMP signaling gradient, was self-regulating and, importantly, was able to rescale in dorsal half-embryos. Transplantation of Spemann organizer tissue showed that Chordin diffused over long distances along this signaling highway between the ectoderm and mesoderm. Chordin protein must reach very high concentrations in this narrow region. We suggest that as ectoderm and mesoderm undergo morphogenetic movements during gastrulation, cells in both germ layers read their positional information coordinately from a single morphogen gradient located in Brachet's cleft.

Lypd6 enhances Wnt/β-catenin signaling by promoting Lrp6 phosphorylation in raft plasma membrane domains

Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays critical roles during embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. How Wnt-receptor complex activity is regulated is not yet fully understood. Here, we identify the Ly6 family protein LY6/PLAUR domain-containing 6 (Lypd6) as a positive feedback regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. lypd6 enhances Wnt signaling in zebrafish and Xenopus embryos and in mammalian cells, and it is required for wnt8-mediated patterning of the mesoderm and neuroectoderm during zebrafish gastrulation. Lypd6 is GPI anchored to the plasma membrane and physically interacts with the Wnt receptor Frizzled8 and the coreceptor Lrp6. Biophysical and biochemical evidence indicates that Lypd6 preferentially localizes to raft membrane domains, where Lrp6 is phosphorylated upon Wnt stimulation. lypd6 knockdown or mislocalization of the Lypd6 protein to nonraft membrane domains shifts Lrp6 phosphorylation to these domains and inhibits Wnt signaling. Thus, Lypd6 appears to control Lrp6 activation specifically in membrane rafts, which is essential for downstream signaling.

Gli activity is critical at multiple stages of embryonic mammary and nipple development

Gli3 is a transcriptional regulator of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling that functions as a repressor (Gli3^R) or activator (Gli3^A) depending upon cellular context. Previously, we have shown that Gli3^R is required for the formation of mammary placodes #3 and #5. Here, we report that this early loss of Gli3 results in abnormal patterning of two critical regulators: Bmp4 and Tbx3, within the presumptive mammary rudiment (MR) #3 zone. We also show that Gli3 loss leads to failure to maintain mammary mesenchyme specification and loss of epithelial Wnt signaling, which impairs the later development of remaining MRs: MR#2 showed profound evagination and ectopic hairs formed within the presumptive areola; MR#4 showed mild invagination defects and males showed inappropriate retention of mammary buds in Gli3^xt/xt mice. Importantly, mice genetically manipulated to misactivate Hh signaling displayed the same phenotypic spectrum demonstrating that the repressor function of Gli3^R is essential during multiple stages of mammary development. In contrast, positive Hh signaling occurs during nipple development in a mesenchymal cuff around the lactiferous duct and in muscle cells of the nipple sphincter. Collectively, these data show that repression of Hh signaling by Gli3^R is critical for early placodal patterning and later mammary mesenchyme specification whereas positive Hh signaling occurs during nipple development.

Crossing the frontier: a hypothesis for the origins of meristic constraint in mammalian axial patterning

Serially homologous systems with high internal differentiation frequently exhibit meristic constraints, although the developmental basis for constraint is unknown. Constraints in the counts of the cervical and lumbosacral vertebral series are unique to mammals, and appeared in the Triassic, early in their history. Concurrent adaptive modifications of the mammalian respiratory and locomotor systems involved a novel source of cells for muscularization of the diaphragm from cervical somites, and the loss of ribs from lumbar vertebrae. Each of these innovations increased the modularity of the somitic mesoderm, and altered somitic and lateral plate mesodermal interactions across the lateral somitic frontier. These developmental innovations are hypothesized here to constrain the anteroposterior transposition of the limbs along the column, and thus also cervical and thoracolumbar count. Meristic constraints are therefore regarded here as the nonadaptive, secondary consequences of adaptive respiratory and locomotor traits.

Generation of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor protein-deficient blood cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells

PIG-A is an X-linked gene required for the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors; thus, PIG-A mutant cells have a deficiency or absence of all GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). Acquired mutations in hematopoietic stem cells result in the disease paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and hypomorphic germline PIG-A mutations lead to severe developmental abnormalities, seizures, and early death. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can differentiate into cell types derived from all three germ layers, providing a novel developmental system for modeling human diseases. Using PIG-A gene targeting and an inducible PIG-A expression system, we have established, for the first time, a conditional PIG-A knockout model in human iPSCs that allows for the production of GPI-AP-deficient blood cells. PIG-A-null iPSCs were unable to generate hematopoietic cells or any cells expressing the CD34 marker and were defective in generating mesodermal cells expressing KDR/VEGFR2 (kinase insert domain receptor) and CD56 markers. In addition, PIG-A-null iPSCs had a block in embryonic development prior to mesoderm differentiation that appears to be due to defective signaling through bone morphogenetic protein 4. However, early inducible PIG-A transgene expression allowed for the generation of GPI-AP-deficient blood cells. This conditional PIG-A knockout model should be a valuable tool for studying the importance of GPI-APs in hematopoiesis and human development.

Tbx2a is required for specification of endodermal pouches during development of the pharyngeal arches

Tbx2 is a member of the T-box family of transcription factors essential for embryo- and organogenesis. A deficiency in the zebrafish paralogue tbx2a causes abnormalities of the pharyngeal arches in a p53-independent manner. The pharyngeal arches are formed by derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers: endodermal pouches, mesenchymal condensations and neural crest cells. While tbx2a expression is restricted to the endodermal pouches, its function is required for the normal morphogenesis of the entire pharyngeal arches. Given the similar function of Tbx1 in craniofacial development, we explored the possibility of an interaction between Tbx1 and Tbx2a. The use of bimolecular fluorescence complementation revealed the interaction between Tbx2a and Tbx1, thus providing support for the idea that functional interaction between different, co-expressed Tbx proteins could be a common theme across developmental processes in cell lineages and tissues. Together, this work provides mechanistic insight into the role of TBX2 in human disorders affecting the face and neck.

TORC2 signaling antagonizes SKN-1 to induce C. elegans mesendodermal embryonic development

The evolutionarily conserved target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase controls fundamental metabolic processes to support cell and tissue growth. TOR functions within the context of two distinct complexes, TORC1 and TORC2. TORC2, with its specific component Rictor, has been recently implicated in aging and regulation of growth and metabolism. Here, we identify rict-1/Rictor as a regulator of embryonic development in C. elegans. The transcription factor skn-1 establishes development of the mesendoderm in embryos, and is required for cellular homeostasis and longevity in adults. Loss of maternal skn-1 function leads to mis-specification of the mesendodermal precursor and failure to form intestine and pharynx. We found that genetic inactivation of rict-1 suppressed skn-1-associated lethality by restoring mesendodermal specification in skn-1 deficient embryos. Inactivation of other TORC2 but not TORC1 components also partially rescued skn-1 embryonic lethality. The SGK-1 kinase mediated these functions downstream of rict-1/TORC2, as a sgk-1 gain-of-function mutant suppressed the rict-1 mutant phenotype. These data indicate that TORC2 and SGK-1 antagonize SKN-1 during embryonic development.