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Deng Z, Carpinelli MR, Butt T, Magor GW, Zhao P, Gillinder KR, Perkins AC, Jane SM. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals the cellular identity of a novel progenitor population crucial for murine neural tube closure. Heliyon 2024; 10:e37259. [PMID: 39296075 PMCID: PMC11408003 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural tube closure in vertebrates is achieved through a highly dynamic and coordinated series of morphogenic events involving neuroepithelium, surface ectoderm, and neural plate border. Failure of this process in the caudal region causes spina bifida. Grainyhead-like 3 (GRHL3) is an indispensable transcription factor for neural tube closure as constitutive inactivation of the Grhl3 gene in mice leads to fully penetrant spina bifida. Here, through single-cell transcriptomics we show that at E8.5, the time-point preceding mouse neural tube closure, co-expression of Grhl3, Tfap2a, and Tfap2c defines a previously unrecognised progenitor population of surface ectoderm integral for neural tube closure. Deletion of Grhl3 expression in this cell population using a Tfap2a-Cre transgene recapitulates the spina bifida observed in Grhl3-null animals. Moreover, conditional inactivation of Tfap2c expression in Grhl3-expressing neural plate border cells also induces spina bifida. These findings indicate that a specific neural plate border cellular cohort is required for the early-stage neurulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Deng
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Marina R Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Tariq Butt
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Graham W Magor
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Kevin R Gillinder
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Genetic Medicine and North-East England Stem Cell Institute, Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Perkins
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Stephen M Jane
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
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Tindula G, Issac B, Mukherjee SK, Ekramullah SM, Arman DM, Islam J, Suchanda HS, Sun L, Rockowitz S, Christiani DC, Warf BC, Mazumdar M. Genome-wide analysis of spina bifida risk variants in a case-control study from Bangladesh. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2331. [PMID: 38526198 PMCID: PMC10963057 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human studies of genetic risk factors for neural tube defects, severe birth defects associated with long-term health consequences in surviving children, have predominantly been restricted to a subset of candidate genes in specific biological pathways including folate metabolism. METHODS In this study, we investigated the association of genetic variants spanning the genome with risk of spina bifida (i.e., myelomeningocele and meningocele) in a subset of families enrolled from December 2016 through December 2022 in a case-control study in Bangladesh, a population often underrepresented in genetic studies. Saliva DNA samples were analyzed using the Illumina Global Screening Array. We performed genetic association analyses to compare allele frequencies between 112 case and 121 control children, 272 mothers, and 128 trios. RESULTS In the transmission disequilibrium test analyses with trios only, we identified three novel exonic spina bifida risk loci, including rs140199800 (SULT1C2, p = 1.9 × 10-7), rs45580033 (ASB2, p = 4.2 × 10-10), and rs75426652 (LHPP, p = 7.2 × 10-14), after adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing. Association analyses comparing cases and controls, as well as models that included their mothers, did not identify genome-wide significant variants. CONCLUSIONS This study identified three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in biological pathways not previously associated with neural tube defects. The study warrants replication in larger groups to validate findings and to inform targeted prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwen Tindula
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Biju Issac
- Research Computing, Information Technology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Sudipta Kumer Mukherjee
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Agargoan, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
| | - Sheikh Muhammad Ekramullah
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Agargoan, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
| | - DM Arman
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Agargoan, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
| | - Joynul Islam
- Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Agargoan, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
| | - Hafiza Sultana Suchanda
- Pediatric Neurosurgery Research Committee, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Agargoan, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
| | - Liang Sun
- Research Computing, Information Technology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Shira Rockowitz
- Research Computing, Information Technology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - David C. Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Benjamin C. Warf
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Maitreyi Mazumdar
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
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Deng Z, Butt T, Arhatari BD, Darido C, Auden A, Swaroop D, Partridge DD, Haigh K, Nguyen T, Haigh JJ, Carpinelli MR, Jane SM. Dysregulation of Grainyhead-like 3 expression causes widespread developmental defects. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:647-667. [PMID: 36606449 PMCID: PMC10952483 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gene encoding the transcription factor, Grainyhead-like 3 (Grhl3), plays critical roles in mammalian development and homeostasis. Grhl3-null embryos exhibit thoraco-lumbo-sacral spina bifida and soft-tissue syndactyly. Additional studies reveal that these embryos also exhibit an epidermal proliferation/differentiation imbalance. This manifests as skin barrier defects resulting in peri-natal lethality and defective wound repair. Despite these extensive analyses of Grhl3 loss-of-function models, the consequences of gain-of-function of this gene have been difficult to achieve. RESULTS In this study, we generated a novel mouse model that expresses Grhl3 from a transgene integrated in the Rosa26 locus on an endogenous Grhl3-null background. Expression of the transgene rescues both the neurulation and skin barrier defects of the knockout mice, allowing survival into adulthood. Despite this, the mice are not normal, exhibiting a range of phenotypes attributable to dysregulated Grhl3 expression. In mice homozygous for the transgene, we observe a severe Shaker-Waltzer phenotype associated with hearing impairment. Micro-CT scanning of the inner ear revealed profound structural alterations underlying these phenotypes. In addition, these mice exhibit other developmental anomalies including hair loss, digit defects, and epidermal dysmorphogenesis. CONCLUSION Taken together, these findings indicate that diverse developmental processes display low tolerance to dysregulation of Grhl3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Deng
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Tariq Butt
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Benedicta D. Arhatari
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and PhysicsLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTOClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Charbel Darido
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Alana Auden
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Dijina Swaroop
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Darren D. Partridge
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Katharina Haigh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Research Institute in Oncology and HematologyCancerCare ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Thao Nguyen
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jody J. Haigh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Research Institute in Oncology and HematologyCancerCare ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Marina R. Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Stephen M. Jane
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Deng Z, Carpinelli MR, Butt T, Magor GW, Perkins AC, Jane SM. Inhibition of retinoic acid signaling impairs cranial and spinal neural tube closure in mice lacking the Grainyhead-like 3 transcription factor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 635:244-251. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Yan K, Qie Z, Vásquez E, Guo F, Zhang L, Lin Z, Qin H. Tea consumption during the periconceptional period does not significantly increase the prevalence of neural tube defects: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutr Res 2022; 102:13-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gasperoni JG, Fuller JN, Darido C, Wilanowski T, Dworkin S. Grainyhead-like (Grhl) Target Genes in Development and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052735. [PMID: 35269877 PMCID: PMC8911041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Grainyhead-like (GRHL) factors are essential, highly conserved transcription factors (TFs) that regulate processes common to both natural cellular behaviours during embryogenesis, and de-regulation of growth and survival pathways in cancer. Serving to drive the transcription, and therefore activation of multiple co-ordinating pathways, the three GRHL family members (GRHL1-3) are a critical conduit for modulating the molecular landscape that guides cellular decision-making processes during proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration. Animal models and in vitro approaches harbouring GRHL loss or gain-of-function are key research tools to understanding gene function, which gives confidence that resultant phenotypes and cellular behaviours may be translatable to humans. Critically, identifying and characterising the target genes to which these factors bind is also essential, as they allow us to discover and understand novel genetic pathways that could ultimately be used as targets for disease diagnosis, drug discovery and therapeutic strategies. GRHL1-3 and their transcriptional targets have been shown to drive comparable cellular processes in Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish and mice, and have recently also been implicated in the aetiology and/or progression of a number of human congenital disorders and cancers of epithelial origin. In this review, we will summarise the state of knowledge pertaining to the role of the GRHL family target genes in both development and cancer, primarily through understanding the genetic pathways transcriptionally regulated by these factors across disparate disease contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma G. Gasperoni
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
| | - Jarrad N. Fuller
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
| | - Charbel Darido
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Tomasz Wilanowski
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Sebastian Dworkin
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
- Correspondence:
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