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Willsey HR, Seaby EG, Godwin A, Ennis S, Guille M, Grainger RM. Modelling human genetic disorders in Xenopus tropicalis. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050754. [PMID: 38832520 PMCID: PMC11179720 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050754] [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] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent progress in human disease genetics is leading to rapid advances in understanding pathobiological mechanisms. However, the sheer number of risk-conveying genetic variants being identified demands in vivo model systems that are amenable to functional analyses at scale. Here we provide a practical guide for using the diploid frog species Xenopus tropicalis to study many genes and variants to uncover conserved mechanisms of pathobiology relevant to human disease. We discuss key considerations in modelling human genetic disorders: genetic architecture, conservation, phenotyping strategy and rigour, as well as more complex topics, such as penetrance, expressivity, sex differences and current challenges in the field. As the patient-driven gene discovery field expands significantly, the cost-effective, rapid and higher throughput nature of Xenopus make it an essential member of the model organism armamentarium for understanding gene function in development and in relation to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94518, USA
| | - Eleanor G Seaby
- Genomic Informatics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Annie Godwin
- European Xenopus Resource Centre (EXRC), School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Sarah Ennis
- Genomic Informatics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre (EXRC), School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Robert M Grainger
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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Singleton KS, Silva-Rodriguez P, Cunningham DD, Silva EM. Xenopus Sox11 Partner Proteins and Functional Domains in Neurogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:243. [PMID: 38397232 PMCID: PMC10887758 DOI: 10.3390/genes15020243] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Sox11, a member of the SoxC family of transcription factors, has distinct functions at different times in neural development. Studies in mouse, frog, chick, and zebrafish show that Sox11 promotes neural fate, neural differentiation, and neuron maturation in the central nervous system. These diverse roles are controlled in part by spatial and temporal-specific protein interactions. However, the partner proteins and Sox11-interaction domains underlying these diverse functions are not well defined. Here, we identify partner proteins and the domains of Xenopus laevis Sox11 required for protein interaction and function during neurogenesis. Our data show that Sox11 co-localizes and interacts with Pou3f2 and Neurog2 in the anterior neural plate and in early neurons, respectively. We also demonstrate that Sox11 does not interact with Neurog1, a high-affinity partner of Sox11 in the mouse cortex, suggesting that Sox11 has species-specific partner proteins. Additionally, we determined that the N-terminus including the HMG domain of Sox11 is necessary for interaction with Pou3f2 and Neurog2, and we established a novel role for the N-terminal 46 amino acids in the specification of placodal progenitors. This is the first identification of partner proteins for Sox11 and of domains required for partner-protein interactions and distinct roles in neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela S. Singleton
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 200057, USA
| | - Pablo Silva-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (P.S.-R.); (D.D.C.)
| | - Doreen D. Cunningham
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (P.S.-R.); (D.D.C.)
| | - Elena M. Silva
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 200057, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; (P.S.-R.); (D.D.C.)
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3
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Eastment RV, Wong BBM, McGee MD. Convergent genomic signatures associated with vertebrate viviparity. BMC Biol 2024; 22:34. [PMID: 38331819 PMCID: PMC10854053 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01837-w] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viviparity-live birth-is a complex and innovative mode of reproduction that has evolved repeatedly across the vertebrate Tree of Life. Viviparous species exhibit remarkable levels of reproductive diversity, both in the amount of care provided by the parent during gestation, and the ways in which that care is delivered. The genetic basis of viviparity has garnered increasing interest over recent years; however, such studies are often undertaken on small evolutionary timelines, and thus are not able to address changes occurring on a broader scale. Using whole genome data, we investigated the molecular basis of this innovation across the diversity of vertebrates to answer a long held question in evolutionary biology: is the evolution of convergent traits driven by convergent genomic changes? RESULTS We reveal convergent changes in protein family sizes, protein-coding regions, introns, and untranslated regions (UTRs) in a number of distantly related viviparous lineages. Specifically, we identify 15 protein families showing evidence of contraction or expansion associated with viviparity. We additionally identify elevated substitution rates in both coding and noncoding sequences in several viviparous lineages. However, we did not find any convergent changes-be it at the nucleotide or protein level-common to all viviparous lineages. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the value of macroevolutionary comparative genomics in determining the genomic basis of complex evolutionary transitions. While we identify a number of convergent genomic changes that may be associated with the evolution of viviparity in vertebrates, there does not appear to be a convergent molecular signature shared by all viviparous vertebrates. Ultimately, our findings indicate that a complex trait such as viviparity likely evolves with changes occurring in multiple different pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon V Eastment
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Matthew D McGee
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
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Virk SM, Trujillo-Provencio C, Serrano EE. Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes for Differential Expression during Xenopus laevis Inner Ear Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.29.573599. [PMID: 38260420 PMCID: PMC10802236 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.29.573599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background The genes involved in inner ear development and maintenance of the adult organ have yet to be fully characterized. Previous genetic analysis has emphasized the early development that gives rise to the otic vesicle. This study aimed to bridge the knowledge gap and identify candidate genes that are expressed as the auditory and vestibular sensory organs continue to grow and develop until the systems reach postmetamorphic maturity. Methods Affymetrix microarrays were used to assess inner ear transcriptome profiles from three Xenopus laevis developmental ages where all eight endorgans comprise mechanosensory hair cells: larval stages 50 and 56, and the post-metamorphic juvenile. Pairwise comparisons were made between the three developmental stages and the resulting differentially expressed X. laevis Probe Set IDs (Xl-PSIDs) were assigned to four groups based on differential expression patterns. DAVID analysis was undertaken to impart functional annotation to the differentially regulated Xl-PSIDs. Results Analysis identified 1510 candidate genes for differential gene expression in one or more pairwise comparison. Annotated genes not previously associated with inner ear development emerged from this analysis, as well as annotated genes with established inner ear function, such as oncomodulin, neurod1, and sp7. Notably, 36% of differentially expressed Xl-PSIDs were unannotated. Conclusions Results draw attention to the complex gene regulatory patterns that characterize Xenopus inner ear development, and underscore the need for improved annotation of the X. laevis genome. Outcomes can be utilized to select candidate inner ear genes for functional analysis, and to promote Xenopus as a model organism for biomedical studies of hearing and balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene M Virk
- Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM USA 88003
| | | | - Elba E Serrano
- Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM USA 88003
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Cervino AS, Collodel MG, Lopez IA, Roa C, Hochbaum D, Hukriede NA, Cirio MC. Xenopus Ssbp2 is required for embryonic pronephros morphogenesis and terminal differentiation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16671. [PMID: 37794075 PMCID: PMC10551014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43662-1] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The nephron, functional unit of the vertebrate kidney, is specialized in metabolic wastes excretion and body fluids osmoregulation. Given the high evolutionary conservation of gene expression and segmentation patterning between mammalian and amphibian nephrons, the Xenopus laevis pronephric kidney offers a simplified model for studying nephrogenesis. The Lhx1 transcription factor plays several roles during embryogenesis, regulating target genes expression by forming multiprotein complexes with LIM binding protein 1 (Ldb1). However, few Lhx1-Ldb1 cofactors have been identified for kidney organogenesis. By tandem- affinity purification from kidney-induced Xenopus animal caps, we identified single-stranded DNA binding protein 2 (Ssbp2) interacts with the Ldb1-Lhx1 complex. Ssbp2 is expressed in the Xenopus pronephros, and knockdown prevents normal morphogenesis and differentiation of the glomus and the convoluted renal tubules. We demonstrate a role for a member of the Ssbp family in kidney organogenesis and provide evidence of a fundamental function for the Ldb1-Lhx1-Ssbp transcriptional complexes in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailen S Cervino
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Collodel
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ivan A Lopez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Roa
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel Hochbaum
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Neil A Hukriede
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - M Cecilia Cirio
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Cusick JK, Alcaide J, Shi Y. The RELT Family of Proteins: An Increasing Awareness of Their Importance for Cancer, the Immune System, and Development. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2695. [PMID: 37893069 PMCID: PMC10603948 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This review highlights Receptor Expressed in Lymphoid Tissues (RELT), a Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily member, and its two paralogs, RELL1 and RELL2. Collectively, these three proteins are referred to as RELTfms and have gained much interest in recent years due to their association with cancer and other human diseases. A thorough knowledge of their physiological functions, including the ligand for RELT, is lacking, yet emerging evidence implicates RELTfms in a variety of processes including cytokine signaling and pathways that either promote cell death or survival. T cells from mice lacking RELT exhibit increased responses against tumors and increased inflammatory cytokine production, and multiple lines of evidence indicate that RELT may promote an immunosuppressive environment for tumors. The relationship of individual RELTfms in different cancers is not universal however, as evidence indicates that individual RELTfms may be risk factors in certain cancers yet appear to be protective in other cancers. RELTfms are important for a variety of additional processes related to human health including microbial pathogenesis, inflammation, behavior, reproduction, and development. All three proteins have been strongly conserved in all vertebrates, and this review aims to provide a clearer understanding of the current knowledge regarding these interesting proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- John K. Cusick
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
| | - Jessa Alcaide
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
| | - Yihui Shi
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, Sutter Bay Hospitals, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
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Yoder MD, Van Osten S, Weber GF. Gene expression analysis of the Tao kinase family of Ste20p-like map kinase kinase kinases during early embryonic development in Xenopus laevis. Gene Expr Patterns 2023; 48:119318. [PMID: 37011704 PMCID: PMC10453956 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2023.119318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Development of the vertebrate embryo requires strict coordination of a highly complex series of signaling cascades, that drive cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and the general morphogenetic program. Members of the Map kinase signaling pathway are repeatedly required throughout development to activate the downstream effectors, ERK, p38, and JNK. Regulation of these pathways occurs at many levels in the signaling cascade, with the Map3Ks playing an essential role in target selection. The thousand and one amino acid kinases (Taoks) are Map3Ks that have been shown to activate both p38 and JNK and are linked to neurodevelopment in both invertebrate and vertebrate organisms. In vertebrates, there are three Taok paralogs (Taok1, Taok2, and Taok3) which have not yet been ascribed a role in early development. Here we describe the spatiotemporal expression of Taok1, Taok2, and Taok3 in the model organism Xenopus laevis. The X. laevis Tao kinases share roughly 80% identity to each other, with the bulk of the conservation in the kinase domain. Taok1 and Taok3 are highly expressed in pre-gastrula and gastrula stage embryos, with initial expression localized to the animal pole and later expression in the ectoderm and mesoderm. All three Taoks are expressed in the neural and tailbud stages, with overlapping expression in the neural tube, notochord, and many anterior structures (including branchial arches, brain, otic vesicles, and eye). The expression patterns described here provide evidence that the Tao kinases may play a central role in early development, in addition to their function during neural development, and establish a framework to better understand the developmental roles of Tao kinase signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Yoder
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA.
| | - Steven Van Osten
- Sciences Division, Brandywine Campus, The Pennsylvania State University, Media, PA, 19063, USA.
| | - Gregory F Weber
- Department of Biology, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46227, USA.
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Cervino AS, Collodel MG, Lopez IA, Hochbaum D, Hukriede NA, Cirio MC. Xenopus Ssbp2 is required for embryonic pronephros morphogenesis and terminal differentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.15.537039. [PMID: 37090653 PMCID: PMC10120741 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.15.537039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The nephron, functional unit of the vertebrate kidney, is specialized in metabolic wastes excretion and body fluids osmoregulation. Given the high evolutionary conservation of gene expression and segmentation patterning between mammalian and amphibian nephrons, the Xenopus laevis pronephric kidney offers a simplified model for studying nephrogenesis. The Lhx1 transcription factor plays several roles during embryogenesis, regulating target genes expression by forming multiprotein complexes with LIM binding protein 1 (Ldb1). However, few Lhx1-Ldb1 cofactors have been identified for kidney organogenesis. By tandem-affinity purification from kidney-induced Xenopus animal caps, we identified s ingle- s tranded DNA b inding p rotein 2 (Ssbp2) interacts with the Ldb1-Lhx1 complex. Ssbp2 is expressed in the Xenopus pronephros, and knockdown prevents normal morphogenesis and differentiation of the glomus and the convoluted renal tubules. We demonstrate a role for a member of the Ssbp family in kidney organogenesis and provide evidence of a fundamental function for the Ldb1-Lhx1-Ssbp transcriptional complexes in embryonic development.
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9
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Durant-Vesga J, Suzuki N, Ochi H, Le Bouffant R, Eschstruth A, Ogino H, Umbhauer M, Riou JF. Retinoic acid control of pax8 during renal specification of Xenopus pronephros involves hox and meis3. Dev Biol 2023; 493:17-28. [PMID: 36279927 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Development of the Xenopus pronephros relies on renal precursors grouped at neurula stage into a specific region of dorso-lateral mesoderm called the kidney field. Formation of the kidney field at early neurula stage is dependent on retinoic (RA) signaling acting upstream of renal master transcriptional regulators such as pax8 or lhx1. Although lhx1 might be a direct target of RA-mediated transcriptional activation in the kidney field, how RA controls the emergence of the kidney field remains poorly understood. In order to better understand RA control of renal specification of the kidney field, we have performed a transcriptomic profiling of genes affected by RA disruption in lateral mesoderm explants isolated prior to the emergence of the kidney field and cultured at different time points until early neurula stage. Besides genes directly involved in pronephric development (pax8, lhx1, osr2, mecom), hox (hoxa1, a3, b3, b4, c5 and d1) and the hox co-factor meis3 appear as a prominent group of genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) downstream of RA. Supporting the idea of a role of meis3 in the kidney field, we have observed that meis3 depletion results in a severe inhibition of pax8 expression in the kidney field. Meis3 depletion only marginally affects expression of lhx1 and aldh1a2 suggesting that meis3 principally acts upstream of pax8. Further arguing for a role of meis3 and hox in the control of pax8, expression of a combination of meis3, hoxb4 and pbx1 in animal caps induces pax8 expression, but not that of lhx1. The same combination of TFs is also able to transactivate a previously identified pax8 enhancer, Pax8-CNS1. Mutagenesis of potential PBX-Hox binding motifs present in Pax8-CNS1 further allows to identify two of them that are necessary for transactivation. Finally, we have tested deletions of regulatory sequences in reporter assays with a previously characterized transgene encompassing 36.5 kb of the X. tropicalis pax8 gene that allows expression of a truncated pax8-GFP fusion protein recapitulating endogenous pax8 expression. This transgene includes three conserved pax8 enhancers, Pax8-CNS1, Pax8-CNS2 and Pax8-CNS3. Deletion of Pax8-CNS1 alone does not affect reporter expression, but deletion of a 3.5 kb region encompassing Pax8-CNS1 and Pax8-CNS2 results in a severe inhibition of reporter expression both in the otic placode and kidney field domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Durant-Vesga
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développement, UMR7622, 9, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75252, Paris, Cedex05, France
| | - Nanoka Suzuki
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan; Amphibian Research Center / Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagami-yama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan
| | - Ronan Le Bouffant
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développement, UMR7622, 9, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75252, Paris, Cedex05, France
| | - Alexis Eschstruth
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développement, UMR7622, 9, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75252, Paris, Cedex05, France
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Amphibian Research Center / Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagami-yama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Muriel Umbhauer
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développement, UMR7622, 9, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75252, Paris, Cedex05, France
| | - Jean-François Riou
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développement, UMR7622, 9, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75252, Paris, Cedex05, France.
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Feuda R, Peter IS. Homologous gene regulatory networks control development of apical organs and brains in Bilateria. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo2416. [PMID: 36322649 PMCID: PMC9629743 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo2416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Apical organs are relatively simple larval nervous systems. The extent to which apical organs are evolutionarily related to the more complex nervous systems of other animals remains unclear. To identify common developmental mechanisms, we analyzed the gene regulatory network (GRN) controlling the development of the apical organ in sea urchins. We characterized the developmental expression of 30 transcription factors and identified key regulatory functions for FoxQ2, Hbn, Delta/Notch signaling, and SoxC in the patterning of the apical organ and the specification of neurons. Almost the entire set of apical transcription factors is expressed in the nervous system of worms, flies, zebrafish, frogs, and mice. Furthermore, a regulatory module controlling the axial patterning of the vertebrate brain is expressed in the ectoderm of sea urchin embryos. We conclude that GRNs controlling the formation of bilaterian nervous systems share a common origin and that the apical GRN likely resembles an ancestral regulatory program.
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Tingler M, Brugger A, Feistel K, Schweickert A. dmrt2 and myf5 Link Early Somitogenesis to Left-Right Axis Determination in Xenopus laevis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:858272. [PMID: 35813209 PMCID: PMC9260042 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.858272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate left-right axis is specified during neurulation by events occurring in a transient ciliated epithelium termed left-right organizer (LRO), which is made up of two distinct cell types. In the axial midline, central LRO (cLRO) cells project motile monocilia and generate a leftward fluid flow, which represents the mechanism of symmetry breakage. This directional fluid flow is perceived by laterally positioned sensory LRO (sLRO) cells, which harbor non-motile cilia. In sLRO cells on the left side, flow-induced signaling triggers post-transcriptional repression of the multi-pathway antagonist dand5. Subsequently, the co-expressed Tgf-β growth factor Nodal1 is released from Dand5-mediated repression to induce left-sided gene expression. Interestingly, Xenopus sLRO cells have somitic fate, suggesting a connection between LR determination and somitogenesis. Here, we show that doublesex and mab3-related transcription factor 2 (Dmrt2), known to be involved in vertebrate somitogenesis, is required for LRO ciliogenesis and sLRO specification. In dmrt2 morphants, misexpression of the myogenic transcription factors tbx6 and myf5 at early gastrula stages preceded the misspecification of sLRO cells at neurula stages. myf5 morphant tadpoles also showed LR defects due to a failure of sLRO development. The gain of myf5 function reintroduced sLRO cells in dmrt2 morphants, demonstrating that paraxial patterning and somitogenesis are functionally linked to LR axis formation in Xenopus.
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Patel JH, Schattinger PA, Takayoshi EE, Wills AE. Hif1α and Wnt are required for posterior gene expression during Xenopus tropicalis tail regeneration. Dev Biol 2022; 483:157-168. [PMID: 35065905 PMCID: PMC8881967 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration of complex tissues is initiated by an injury-induced stress response, eventually leading to activation of developmental signaling pathways such as Wnt signaling. How early injury cues are interpreted and coupled to activation of these developmental signals and their targets is not well understood. Here, we show that Hif1α, a stress induced transcription factor, is required for tail regeneration in Xenopus tropicalis. We find that Hif1α is required for regeneration of differentiated axial tissues, including axons and muscle. Using RNA-sequencing, we find that Hif1α and Wnt converge on a broad set of genes required for posterior specification and differentiation, including the posterior hox genes. We further show that Hif1α is required for transcription via a Wnt-responsive element, a function that is conserved in both regeneration and early neural patterning. Our findings indicate that Hif1α has regulatory roles in Wnt target gene expression across multiple tissue contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeet H. Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle WA,Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA
| | | | | | - Andrea E. Wills
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle WA,Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA,To whom correspondence should be addressed:
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Gazolla CB, Ludwig A, de Moura Gama J, Bruschi DP. Evolutionary dynamics of DIRS-like and Ngaro-like retrotransposons in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis genomes. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6430978. [PMID: 34792579 PMCID: PMC9210276 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Anuran genomes have a large number and diversity of transposable elements, but are little explored, mainly in relation to their molecular structure and evolutionary dynamics. Here, we investigated the retrotransposons containing tyrosine recombinase (YR) (order DIRS) in the genome of Xenopus tropicalis and Xenopus laevis. These anurans show 2n = 20 and the 2n = 36 karyotypes, respectively. They diverged about 48 million years ago (mya) and X. laevis had an allotetraploid origin (around 17–18 mya). Our investigation is based on the analysis of the molecular structure and the phylogenetic relationships of 95 DIRS families of Xenopus belonging to DIRS-like and Ngaro-like superfamilies. We were able to identify molecular signatures in the 5' and 3' noncoding terminal regions, preserved open reading frames, and conserved domains that are specific to distinguish each superfamily. We recognize two ancient amplification waves of DIRS-like elements that occurred in the ancestor of both species and a higher density of the old/degenerate copies detected in both subgenomes of X. laevis. More recent amplification waves are seen in X. tropicalis (less than 3.2 mya) and X. laevis (around 10 mya) corroborating with transcriptional activity evidence. All DIRS-like families were found in both X. laevis subgenomes, while a few were most represented in the L subgenome. Ngaro-like elements presented less diversity and quantity in X. tropicalis and X. laevis genomes, although potentially active copies were found in both species and this is consistent with a recent amplification wave seen in the evolutionary landscape. Our findings highlight a differential diversity-level and evolutionary dynamics of the YR retrotransposons in X. tropicalis and X. laevis species expanding our comprehension of the behavior of these elements in both genomes during the diversification process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Borges Gazolla
- Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Citogenética Evolutiva e Conservação Animal (LabCECA), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 80060-000, Brazil
- Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética (PPG-GEN), Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 80060-000, Brazil
| | - Adriana Ludwig
- Laboratório de Ciências e Tecnologias Aplicadas em Saúde (LaCTAS), Instituto Carlos Chagas—Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, PR 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Joana de Moura Gama
- Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética (PPG-GEN), Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 80060-000, Brazil
| | - Daniel Pacheco Bruschi
- Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Citogenética Evolutiva e Conservação Animal (LabCECA), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 80060-000, Brazil
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14
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Wu Y, Devotta A, José-Edwards DS, Kugler JE, Negrón-Piñeiro LJ, Braslavskaya K, Addy J, Saint-Jeannet JP, Di Gregorio A. Xbp1 and Brachyury establish an evolutionarily conserved subcircuit of the notochord gene regulatory network. eLife 2022; 11:e73992. [PMID: 35049502 PMCID: PMC8803312 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks coordinate the formation of organs and structures that compose the evolving body plans of different organisms. We are using a simple chordate model, the Ciona embryo, to investigate the essential gene regulatory network that orchestrates morphogenesis of the notochord, a structure necessary for the proper development of all chordate embryos. Although numerous transcription factors expressed in the notochord have been identified in different chordates, several of them remain to be positioned within a regulatory framework. Here, we focus on Xbp1, a transcription factor expressed during notochord formation in Ciona and other chordates. Through the identification of Xbp1-downstream notochord genes in Ciona, we found evidence of the early co-option of genes involved in the unfolded protein response to the notochord developmental program. We report the regulatory interplay between Xbp1 and Brachyury, and by extending these results to Xenopus, we show that Brachyury and Xbp1 form a cross-regulatory subcircuit of the notochord gene regulatory network that has been consolidated during chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushi Wu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Arun Devotta
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Diana S José-Edwards
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jamie E Kugler
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lenny J Negrón-Piñeiro
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Karina Braslavskaya
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jermyn Addy
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
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15
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Arshinoff BI, Cary GA, Karimi K, Foley S, Agalakov S, Delgado F, Lotay VS, Ku CJ, Pells TJ, Beatman TR, Kim E, Cameron RA, Vize PD, Telmer C, Croce JC, Ettensohn CA, Hinman VF. Echinobase: leveraging an extant model organism database to build a knowledgebase supporting research on the genomics and biology of echinoderms. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:D970-D979. [PMID: 34791383 PMCID: PMC8728261 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Echinobase (www.echinobase.org) is a third generation web resource supporting genomic research on echinoderms. The new version was built by cloning the mature Xenopus model organism knowledgebase, Xenbase, refactoring data ingestion pipelines and modifying the user interface to adapt to multispecies echinoderm content. This approach leveraged over 15 years of previous database and web application development to generate a new fully featured informatics resource in a single year. In addition to the software stack, Echinobase uses the private cloud and physical hosts that support Xenbase. Echinobase currently supports six echinoderm species, focused on those used for genomics, developmental biology and gene regulatory network analyses. Over 38 000 gene pages, 18 000 publications, new improved genome assemblies, JBrowse genome browser and BLAST + services are available and supported by the development of a new echinoderm anatomical ontology, uniformly applied formal gene nomenclature, and consistent orthology predictions. A novel feature of Echinobase is integrating support for multiple, disparate species. New genomes from the diverse echinoderm phylum will be added and supported as data becomes available. The common code development design of the integrated knowledgebases ensures parallel improvements as each resource evolves. This approach is widely applicable for developing new model organism informatics resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley I Arshinoff
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gregory A Cary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kamran Karimi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Saoirse Foley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Sergei Agalakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Francisco Delgado
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vaneet S Lotay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Carolyn J Ku
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Troy J Pells
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thomas R Beatman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Eugene Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - R Andrew Cameron
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Peter D Vize
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Cheryl A Telmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jenifer C Croce
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Charles A Ettensohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Veronica F Hinman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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16
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Leong JCK, Li Y, Uesaka M, Uchida Y, Omori A, Hao M, Wan W, Dong Y, Ren Y, Zhang S, Zeng T, Wang F, Chen L, Wessel G, Livingston BT, Bradham C, Wang W, Irie N. Derivedness Index for Estimating Degree of Phenotypic Evolution of Embryos: A Study of Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Chordates and Echinoderms. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:749963. [PMID: 34900995 PMCID: PMC8661034 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.749963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Species retaining ancestral features, such as species called living fossils, are often regarded as less derived than their sister groups, but such discussions are usually based on qualitative enumeration of conserved traits. This approach creates a major barrier, especially when quantifying the degree of phenotypic evolution or degree of derivedness, since it focuses only on commonly shared traits, and newly acquired or lost traits are often overlooked. To provide a potential solution to this problem, especially for inter-species comparison of gene expression profiles, we propose a new method named "derivedness index" to quantify the degree of derivedness. In contrast to the conservation-based approach, which deals with expressions of commonly shared genes among species being compared, the derivedness index also considers those that were potentially lost or duplicated during evolution. By applying our method, we found that the gene expression profiles of penta-radial phases in echinoderm tended to be more highly derived than those of the bilateral phase. However, our results suggest that echinoderms may not have experienced much larger modifications to their developmental systems than chordates, at least at the transcriptomic level. In vertebrates, we found that the mid-embryonic and organogenesis stages were generally less derived than the earlier or later stages, indicating that the conserved phylotypic period is also less derived. We also found genes that potentially explain less derivedness, such as Hox genes. Finally, we highlight technical concerns that may influence the measured transcriptomic derivedness, such as read depth and library preparation protocols, for further improvement of our method through future studies. We anticipate that this index will serve as a quantitative guide in the search for constrained developmental phases or processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Cheok Kuan Leong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yongxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Masahiro Uesaka
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Japan
| | - Yui Uchida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihito Omori
- Sado Island Center for Ecological Sustainability, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Meng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wenting Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yandong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Si Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Zeng
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fayou Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Luonan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gary Wessel
- Providence Institute of Molecular Oogenesis, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Brian T Livingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia Bradham
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Naoki Irie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Ta AC, Huang LC, McKeown CR, Bestman JE, Van Keuren-Jensen K, Cline HT. Temporal and Spatial Transcriptomic Dynamics across Brain Development in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 12:6423992. [PMID: 34751375 PMCID: PMC8728038 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian metamorphosis is a transitional period that involves significant changes in the cell type populations and biological processes occurring in the brain. Analysis of gene expression dynamics during this process may provide insight into the molecular events underlying these changes. We conducted differential gene expression analyses of the developing X. laevis tadpole brain during this period in two ways: first, over stages of development in the midbrain, and second, across regions of the brain at a single developmental stage. We found that genes pertaining to positive regulation of neural progenitor cell proliferation as well as known progenitor cell markers were upregulated in the midbrain prior to metamorphic climax; concurrently, expression of cell cycle timing regulators decreased across this period, supporting the notion that cell cycle lengthening contributes to a decrease in proliferation by the end of metamorphosis. We also found that at the start of metamorphosis, neural progenitor populations appeared to be similar across the fore-, mid-, and hindbrain regions. Genes pertaining to negative regulation of differentiation were upregulated in the spinal cord compared to the rest of the brain, however, suggesting that a different program may regulate neurogenesis there. Finally, we found that regulation of biological processes like cell fate commitment and synaptic signaling follow similar trajectories in the brain across early tadpole metamorphosis and mid- to late-embryonic mouse development. By comparing expression across both temporal and spatial conditions, we have been able to illuminate cell type and biological pathway dynamics in the brain during metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C Ta
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Hollis T Cline
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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18
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Maerker M, Getwan M, Dowdle ME, McSheene JC, Gonzalez V, Pelliccia JL, Hamilton DS, Yartseva V, Vejnar C, Tingler M, Minegishi K, Vick P, Giraldez AJ, Hamada H, Burdine RD, Sheets MD, Blum M, Schweickert A. Bicc1 and Dicer regulate left-right patterning through post-transcriptional control of the Nodal inhibitor Dand5. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5482. [PMID: 34531379 PMCID: PMC8446035 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25464-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rotating cilia at the vertebrate left-right organizer (LRO) generate an asymmetric leftward flow, which is sensed by cells at the left LRO margin. Ciliary activity of the calcium channel Pkd2 is crucial for flow sensing. How this flow signal is further processed and relayed to the laterality-determining Nodal cascade in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) is largely unknown. We previously showed that flow down-regulates mRNA expression of the Nodal inhibitor Dand5 in left sensory cells. De-repression of the co-expressed Nodal, complexed with the TGFß growth factor Gdf3, drives LPM Nodal cascade induction. Here, we show that post-transcriptional repression of dand5 is a central process in symmetry breaking of Xenopus, zebrafish and mouse. The RNA binding protein Bicc1 was identified as a post-transcriptional regulator of dand5 and gdf3 via their 3'-UTRs. Two distinct Bicc1 functions on dand5 mRNA were observed at pre- and post-flow stages, affecting mRNA stability or flow induced translational inhibition, respectively. To repress dand5, Bicc1 co-operates with Dicer1, placing both proteins in the process of flow sensing. Intriguingly, Bicc1 mediated translational repression of a dand5 3'-UTR mRNA reporter was responsive to pkd2, suggesting that a flow induced Pkd2 signal triggers Bicc1 mediated dand5 inhibition during symmetry breakage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Maerker
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Maike Getwan
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Megan E Dowdle
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jason C McSheene
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Vanessa Gonzalez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - José L Pelliccia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Valeria Yartseva
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Charles Vejnar
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Melanie Tingler
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Katsura Minegishi
- Laboratory for Organismal Patterning, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Philipp Vick
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Antonio J Giraldez
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hiroshi Hamada
- Laboratory for Organismal Patterning, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Michael D Sheets
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Martin Blum
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Axel Schweickert
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Stuttgart, Germany.
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19
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Flowers EM, Neely HR, Guo J, Almeida T, Ohta Y, Castro CD, Flajnik MF. Identification of the Fc-alpha/mu receptor in Xenopus provides insight into the emergence of the poly-Ig receptor (pIgR) and mucosal Ig transport. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:2590-2606. [PMID: 34411303 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The polyimmunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) transcytoses J chain-containing antibodies through mucosal epithelia. In mammals, two cis-duplicates of PIGR, FCMR, and FCAMR, flank the PIGR gene. A PIGR duplication is first found in amphibians, previously annotated as PIGR2 (herein xlFCAMR), and is expressed by APCs. We demonstrate that xlFcamR is the equivalent of mammalian FcamR. It has been assumed that pIgR is the oldest member of this family, yet our data could not distinguish whether PIGR or FCAMR emerged first; however, FCMR was the last family member to emerge. Interestingly, bony fish "pIgR" is not an orthologue of tetrapod pIgR, and possibly acquired its function via convergent evolution. PIGR/FCAMR/FCMR are members of a larger superfamily, including TREM, CD300, and NKp44, which we name the "double-disulfide Ig superfamily" (ddIgSF). Domains related to each ddIgSF family were identified in cartilaginous fish (sharks, chimeras) and encoded in a single gene cluster syntenic to the human pIgR locus. Thus, the ddIgSF families date back to the earliest antibody-based adaptive immunity, but apparently not before. Finally, our data strongly suggest that the J chain arose in evolution only for Ig multimerization. This study provides a framework for further studies of pIgR and the ddIgSF in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Flowers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Harold R Neely
- Department of Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tereza Almeida
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuko Ohta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caitlin D Castro
- Committee on Immunology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martin F Flajnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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20
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Hahn I, Voelzmann A, Parkin J, Fülle JB, Slater PG, Lowery LA, Sanchez-Soriano N, Prokop A. Tau, XMAP215/Msps and Eb1 co-operate interdependently to regulate microtubule polymerisation and bundle formation in axons. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009647. [PMID: 34228717 PMCID: PMC8284659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation and maintenance of microtubules requires their polymerisation, but little is known about how this polymerisation is regulated in cells. Focussing on the essential microtubule bundles in axons of Drosophila and Xenopus neurons, we show that the plus-end scaffold Eb1, the polymerase XMAP215/Msps and the lattice-binder Tau co-operate interdependently to promote microtubule polymerisation and bundle organisation during axon development and maintenance. Eb1 and XMAP215/Msps promote each other's localisation at polymerising microtubule plus-ends. Tau outcompetes Eb1-binding along microtubule lattices, thus preventing depletion of Eb1 tip pools. The three factors genetically interact and show shared mutant phenotypes: reductions in axon growth, comet sizes, comet numbers and comet velocities, as well as prominent deterioration of parallel microtubule bundles into disorganised curled conformations. This microtubule curling is caused by Eb1 plus-end depletion which impairs spectraplakin-mediated guidance of extending microtubules into parallel bundles. Our demonstration that Eb1, XMAP215/Msps and Tau co-operate during the regulation of microtubule polymerisation and bundle organisation, offers new conceptual explanations for developmental and degenerative axon pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Hahn
- The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andre Voelzmann
- The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jill Parkin
- The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Judith B. Fülle
- The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Paula G. Slater
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Laura Anne Lowery
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Natalia Sanchez-Soriano
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Prokop
- The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
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21
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Sakata K, Matsuyama S, Kurebayashi N, Hayamizu K, Murayama T, Nakamura K, Kitamura K, Morimoto S, Takeya R. Differential effects of the formin inhibitor SMIFH2 on contractility and Ca 2+ handling in frog and mouse cardiomyocytes. Genes Cells 2021; 26:583-595. [PMID: 34060165 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Genetic mutations in actin regulators have been emerging as a cause of cardiomyopathy, although the functional link between actin dynamics and cardiac contraction remains largely unknown. To obtain insight into this issue, we examined the effects of pharmacological inhibition of formins, a major class of actin-assembling proteins. The formin inhibitor SMIFH2 significantly enhanced the cardiac contractility of isolated frog hearts, thereby augmenting cardiac performance. SMIFH2 treatment had no significant effects on the Ca2+ sensitivity of frog muscle fibers. Instead, it unexpectedly increased Ca2+ concentrations of isolated frog cardiomyocytes, suggesting that the inotropic effect is due to enhanced Ca2+ transients. In contrast to frog hearts, the contractility of mouse cardiomyocytes was attenuated by SMIFH2 treatment with decreasing Ca2+ transients. Thus, SMIFH2 has opposing effects on the Ca2+ transient and contractility between frog and mouse cardiomyocytes. We further found that SMIFH2 suppressed Ca2+ -release via type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2); this inhibitory effect may explain the species differences, since RyR2 is critical for Ca2+ transients in mouse myocardium but absent in frog myocardium. Although the mechanisms underlying the enhancement of Ca2+ transients in frog cardiomyocytes remain unclear, SMIFH2 differentially affects the cardiac contraction of amphibian and mammalian by differentially modulating their Ca2+ handling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Sakata
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Circulatory and Body Fluid Regulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Sho Matsuyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Nagomi Kurebayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kengo Hayamizu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takashi Murayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kunihide Nakamura
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kitamura
- Department of Internal Medicine, Circulatory and Body Fluid Regulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Sachio Morimoto
- Department of Health Sciences Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryu Takeya
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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22
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Pizzo L, Lasser M, Yusuff T, Jensen M, Ingraham P, Huber E, Singh MD, Monahan C, Iyer J, Desai I, Karthikeyan S, Gould DJ, Yennawar S, Weiner AT, Pounraja VK, Krishnan A, Rolls MM, Lowery LA, Girirajan S. Functional assessment of the "two-hit" model for neurodevelopmental defects in Drosophila and X. laevis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009112. [PMID: 33819264 PMCID: PMC8049494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a deletion on chromosome 16p12.1 that is mostly inherited and associated with multiple neurodevelopmental outcomes, where severely affected probands carried an excess of rare pathogenic variants compared to mildly affected carrier parents. We hypothesized that the 16p12.1 deletion sensitizes the genome for disease, while "second-hits" in the genetic background modulate the phenotypic trajectory. To test this model, we examined how neurodevelopmental defects conferred by knockdown of individual 16p12.1 homologs are modulated by simultaneous knockdown of homologs of "second-hit" genes in Drosophila melanogaster and Xenopus laevis. We observed that knockdown of 16p12.1 homologs affect multiple phenotypic domains, leading to delayed developmental timing, seizure susceptibility, brain alterations, abnormal dendrite and axonal morphology, and cellular proliferation defects. Compared to genes within the 16p11.2 deletion, which has higher de novo occurrence, 16p12.1 homologs were less likely to interact with each other in Drosophila models or a human brain-specific interaction network, suggesting that interactions with "second-hit" genes may confer higher impact towards neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Assessment of 212 pairwise interactions in Drosophila between 16p12.1 homologs and 76 homologs of patient-specific "second-hit" genes (such as ARID1B and CACNA1A), genes within neurodevelopmental pathways (such as PTEN and UBE3A), and transcriptomic targets (such as DSCAM and TRRAP) identified genetic interactions in 63% of the tested pairs. In 11 out of 15 families, patient-specific "second-hits" enhanced or suppressed the phenotypic effects of one or many 16p12.1 homologs in 32/96 pairwise combinations tested. In fact, homologs of SETD5 synergistically interacted with homologs of MOSMO in both Drosophila and X. laevis, leading to modified cellular and brain phenotypes, as well as axon outgrowth defects that were not observed with knockdown of either individual homolog. Our results suggest that several 16p12.1 genes sensitize the genome towards neurodevelopmental defects, and complex interactions with "second-hit" genes determine the ultimate phenotypic manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucilla Pizzo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Micaela Lasser
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America
| | - Tanzeen Yusuff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Matthew Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Phoebe Ingraham
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Emily Huber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Mayanglambam Dhruba Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Connor Monahan
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America
| | - Janani Iyer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Inshya Desai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Siddharth Karthikeyan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Dagny J. Gould
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Sneha Yennawar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Alexis T. Weiner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Vijay Kumar Pounraja
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Arjun Krishnan
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Melissa M. Rolls
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Laura Anne Lowery
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
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23
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Schuh L, Loos C, Pokrovsky D, Imhof A, Rupp RAW, Marr C. H4K20 Methylation Is Differently Regulated by Dilution and Demethylation in Proliferating and Cell-Cycle-Arrested Xenopus Embryos. Cell Syst 2020; 11:653-662.e8. [PMID: 33296683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
DNA replication during cell division leads to dilution of histone modifications and can thus affect chromatin-mediated gene regulation, raising the question of how the cell-cycle shapes the histone modification landscape, particularly during embryogenesis. We tackled this problem by manipulating the cell cycle during early Xenopus laevis embryogenesis and analyzing in vivo histone H4K20 methylation kinetics. The global distribution of un-, mono-, di-, and tri-methylated histone H4K20 was measured by mass spectrometry in normal and cell-cycle-arrested embryos over time. Using multi-start maximum likelihood optimization and quantitative model selection, we found that three specific biological methylation rate constants were required to explain the measured H4K20 methylation state kinetics. While demethylation is essential for regulating H4K20 methylation kinetics in non-cycling cells, demethylation is very likely dispensable in rapidly dividing cells of early embryos, suggesting that cell-cycle-mediated dilution of H4K20 methylation is an essential regulatory component for shaping its epigenetic landscape during early development. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the Supplemental Information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Schuh
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Carolin Loos
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich, Garching 85748, Germany; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Daniil Pokrovsky
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Axel Imhof
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Ralph A W Rupp
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Carsten Marr
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg 85764, Germany.
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24
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Waylen LN, Nim HT, Martelotto LG, Ramialison M. From whole-mount to single-cell spatial assessment of gene expression in 3D. Commun Biol 2020; 3:602. [PMID: 33097816 PMCID: PMC7584572 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Unravelling spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression is crucial to understanding core biological principles from embryogenesis to disease. Here we review emerging technologies, providing automated, high-throughput, spatially resolved quantitative gene expression data. Novel techniques expand on current benchmark protocols, expediting their incorporation into ongoing research. These approaches digitally reconstruct patterns of embryonic expression in three dimensions, and have successfully identified novel domains of expression, cell types, and tissue features. Such technologies pave the way for unbiased and exhaustive recapitulation of gene expression levels in spatial and quantitative terms, promoting understanding of the molecular origin of developmental defects, and improving medical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Waylen
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute and Systems Biology Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Hieu T Nim
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute and Systems Biology Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Transcriptomics and Bioinformatics Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Luciano G Martelotto
- Single Cell Core Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Department of System Biology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mirana Ramialison
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute and Systems Biology Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Transcriptomics and Bioinformatics Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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25
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Yasuoka Y. Morphogenetic mechanisms forming the notochord rod: The turgor pressure-sheath strength model. Dev Growth Differ 2020; 62:379-390. [PMID: 32275068 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The notochord is a defining feature of chordates. During notochord formation in vertebrates and tunicates, notochord cells display dynamic morphogenetic movement, called convergent extension, in which cells intercalate and align at the dorsal midline. However, in cephalochordates, the most basal group of chordates, the notochord is formed without convergent extension. It is simply developed from mesodermal cells at the dorsal midline. This suggests that convergent extension movement of notochord cells is a secondarily acquired developmental attribute in the common ancestor of olfactores (vertebrates + tunicates), and that the chordate ancestor innovated the notochord upon a foundation of morphogenetic mechanisms independent of cell movement. Therefore, this review focuses on biological features specific to notochord cells, which have been well studied using clawed frogs, zebrafish, and tunicates. Attributes of notochord cells, such as vacuolation, membrane trafficking, extracellular matrix formation, and apoptosis, can be understood in terms of two properties: turgor pressure of vacuoles and strength of the notochord sheath. To maintain the straight rod-like structure of the notochord, these parameters must be counterbalanced. In the future, the turgor pressure-sheath strength model, proposed in this review, will be examined in light of quantitative molecular data and mathematical simulations, illuminating the evolutionary origin of the notochord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuri Yasuoka
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
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26
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Evolutionarily conserved Tbx5- Wnt2/2b pathway orchestrates cardiopulmonary development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10615-E10624. [PMID: 30352852 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811624115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Codevelopment of the lungs and heart underlies key evolutionary innovations in the transition to terrestrial life. Cardiac specializations that support pulmonary circulation, including the atrial septum, are generated by second heart field (SHF) cardiopulmonary progenitors (CPPs). It has been presumed that transcription factors required in the SHF for cardiac septation, e.g., Tbx5, directly drive a cardiac morphogenesis gene-regulatory network. Here, we report instead that TBX5 directly drives Wnt ligands to initiate a bidirectional signaling loop between cardiopulmonary mesoderm and the foregut endoderm for endodermal pulmonary specification and, subsequently, atrial septation. We show that Tbx5 is required for pulmonary specification in mice and amphibians but not for swim bladder development in zebrafish. TBX5 is non-cell-autonomously required for pulmonary endoderm specification by directly driving Wnt2 and Wnt2b expression in cardiopulmonary mesoderm. TBX5 ChIP-sequencing identified cis-regulatory elements at Wnt2 sufficient for endogenous Wnt2 expression domains in vivo and required for Wnt2 expression in precardiac mesoderm in vitro. Tbx5 cooperated with Shh signaling to drive Wnt2b expression for lung morphogenesis. Tbx5 haploinsufficiency in mice, a model of Holt-Oram syndrome, caused a quantitative decrement of mesodermal-to-endodermal Wnt signaling and subsequent endodermal-to-mesodermal Shh signaling required for cardiac morphogenesis. Thus, Tbx5 initiates a mesoderm-endoderm-mesoderm signaling loop in lunged vertebrates that provides a molecular basis for the coevolution of pulmonary and cardiac structures required for terrestrial life.
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27
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Somorjai IML, Martí-Solans J, Diaz-Gracia M, Nishida H, Imai KS, Escrivà H, Cañestro C, Albalat R. Wnt evolution and function shuffling in liberal and conservative chordate genomes. Genome Biol 2018; 19:98. [PMID: 30045756 PMCID: PMC6060547 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND What impact gene loss has on the evolution of developmental processes, and how function shuffling has affected retained genes driving essential biological processes, remain open questions in the fields of genome evolution and EvoDevo. To investigate these problems, we have analyzed the evolution of the Wnt ligand repertoire in the chordate phylum as a case study. RESULTS We conduct an exhaustive survey of Wnt genes in genomic databases, identifying 156 Wnt genes in 13 non-vertebrate chordates. This represents the most complete Wnt gene catalog of the chordate subphyla and has allowed us to resolve previous ambiguities about the orthology of many Wnt genes, including the identification of WntA for the first time in chordates. Moreover, we create the first complete expression atlas for the Wnt family during amphioxus development, providing a useful resource to investigate the evolution of Wnt expression throughout the radiation of chordates. CONCLUSIONS Our data underscore extraordinary genomic stasis in cephalochordates, which contrasts with the liberal and dynamic evolutionary patterns of gene loss and duplication in urochordate genomes. Our analysis has allowed us to infer ancestral Wnt functions shared among all chordates, several cases of function shuffling among Wnt paralogs, as well as unique expression domains for Wnt genes that likely reflect functional innovations in each chordate lineage. Finally, we propose a potential relationship between the evolution of WntA and the evolution of the mouth in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó M L Somorjai
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK.
| | - Josep Martí-Solans
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Diaz-Gracia
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kaoru S Imai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hector Escrivà
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650, Banyuls/Mer, France
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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28
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Rogers CD, Nie S. Specifying neural crest cells: From chromatin to morphogens and factors in between. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e322. [PMID: 29722151 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) cells are a stem-like multipotent population of progenitor cells that are present in vertebrate embryos, traveling to various regions in the developing organism. Known as the "fourth germ layer," these cells originate in the ectoderm between the neural plate (NP), which will become the brain and spinal cord, and nonneural tissues that will become the skin and the sensory organs. NC cells can differentiate into more than 30 different derivatives in response to the appropriate signals including, but not limited to, craniofacial bone and cartilage, sensory nerves and ganglia, pigment cells, and connective tissue. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that control the induction and specification of NC cells include epigenetic control, multiple interactive and redundant transcriptional pathways, secreted signaling molecules, and adhesion molecules. NC cells are important not only because they transform into a wide variety of tissue types, but also because their ability to detach from their epithelial neighbors and migrate throughout developing embryos utilizes mechanisms similar to those used by metastatic cancer cells. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms required for the induction and specification of NC cells in various vertebrate species, focusing on the roles of early morphogenesis, cell adhesion, signaling from adjacent tissues, and the massive transcriptional network that controls the formation of these amazing cells. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal D Rogers
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California
| | - Shuyi Nie
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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29
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Sniezewski L, Janik S, Laszkiewicz A, Majkowski M, Kisielow P, Cebrat M. The evolutionary conservation of the bidirectional activity of the NWC gene promoter in jawed vertebrates and the domestication of the RAG transposon. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 81:105-115. [PMID: 29175053 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes form a recombinase complex that is indispensable for V(D)J recombination, which generates the diversity of immunoglobulins and T-cell receptors. It is widely accepted that the presence of RAGs in the genomes of jawed vertebrates and other lineages is a result of the horizontal transfer of a mobile genetic element. While a substantial amount of evidence has been gathered that clarifies the nature of the RAG transposon, far less attention has been paid to the genomic site of its integration in various host organisms. In all genomes of the jawed vertebrates that have been studied to date, the RAG genes are located in close proximity to the NWC gene. We have previously shown that the promoter of the murine NWC genes exhibits a bidirectional activity, which may have facilitated the integration and survival of the RAG transposon in the host genome. In this study, we characterise the promoters of the NWC homologues that are present in the representatives of other jawed vertebrates (H. sapiens, X. tropicalis and D. rerio). We show that the features that are characteristic for promoters as the hosts of a successful transposon integration (in terms of the arrangement, bidirectional and constitutive activity and the involvement of the Zfp143 transcription factor in the promoter regulation) are evolutionarily conserved, which indicates that the presence of RAG genes in jawed vertebrates is a direct result of a successful transposon integration into the NWC locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Sniezewski
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Sylwia Janik
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Laszkiewicz
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Michal Majkowski
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Kisielow
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland; Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Cebrat
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
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30
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Sanchez E, Küpfer E, Goedbloed DJ, Nolte AW, Lüddecke T, Schulz S, Vences M, Steinfartz S. Morphological and transcriptomic analyses reveal three discrete primary stages of postembryonic development in the common fire salamander,Salamandra salamandra. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:96-108. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Sanchez
- Zoological Institute; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
| | - Eliane Küpfer
- Zoological Institute; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
| | - Daniel J. Goedbloed
- Zoological Institute; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
| | - Arne W. Nolte
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology; Plön Germany
- Ecological Genomics; Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences; Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg; Oldenburg Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Zoological Institute; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig Germany
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31
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El-Hodiri HM, Kelly LE. Visualization of Gene Expression Patterns by In Situ Hybridization on Early Stages of Development of Xenopus laevis. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1797:325-335. [PMID: 29896701 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7883-0_17] [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] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In situ hybridization performed using whole fixed embryos provides accurate and detailed visualization of gene expression patterns. These patterns are useful for investigating spatial patterns of gene expression in normally developing embryos but can also be useful in investigating the effects of genetic or environmental changes on expression of genetic markers characteristic of particular tissues, organs, or genetic pathways. Our lab's protocol for whole-mount in situ hybridization is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heithem M El-Hodiri
- Center for Molecular and Human Genetics, Nationwide Children's Hospital Research Institute, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Lisa E Kelly
- Center for Molecular and Human Genetics, Nationwide Children's Hospital Research Institute, Columbus, OH, USA
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32
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Oh D, Houston DW. Role of maternal Xenopus syntabulin in germ plasm aggregation and primordial germ cell specification. Dev Biol 2017; 432:237-247. [PMID: 29037933 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The localization and organization of mitochondria- and ribonucleoprotein granule-rich germ plasm is essential for many aspects of germ cell development. In Xenopus, germ plasm is maternally inherited and is required for the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs). Germ plasm is aggregated into larger patches during egg activation and cleavage and is ultimately translocated perinuclearly during gastrulation. Although microtubule dynamics and a kinesin (Kif4a) have been implicated in Xenopus germ plasm localization, little is known about how germ plasm distribution is regulated. Here, we identify a role for maternal Xenopus Syntabulin in the aggregation of germ plasm following fertilization. We show that depletion of sybu mRNA using antisense oligonucleotides injected into oocytes results in defects in the aggregation and perinuclear transport of germ plasm and subsequently in reduced PGC numbers. Using live imaging analysis, we also characterize a novel role for Sybu in the collection of germ plasm in vegetal cleavage furrows by surface contraction waves. Additionally, we show that a localized kinesin-like protein, Kif3b, is also required for germ plasm aggregation and that Sybu functionally interacts with Kif3b and Kif4a in germ plasm aggregation. Overall, these data suggest multiple coordinate roles for kinesins and adaptor proteins in controlling the localization and distribution of a cytoplasmic determinant in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Oh
- The University of Iowa, Department of Biology, 257 BB, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA
| | - Douglas W Houston
- The University of Iowa, Department of Biology, 257 BB, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA.
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33
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Anderson GA, Gelens L, Baker JC, Ferrell JE. Desynchronizing Embryonic Cell Division Waves Reveals the Robustness of Xenopus laevis Development. Cell Rep 2017; 21:37-46. [PMID: 28978482 PMCID: PMC5679461 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The early Xenopus laevis embryo is replete with dynamic spatial waves. One such wave, the cell division wave, emerges from the collective cell division timing of first tens and later hundreds of cells throughout the embryo. Here, we show that cell division waves do not propagate between neighboring cells and do not rely on cell-to-cell coupling to maintain their division timing. Instead, intrinsic variation in division period autonomously and gradually builds these striking patterns of cell division. Disrupting this pattern of division by placing embryos in a temperature gradient resulted in highly asynchronous entry to the midblastula transition and misexpression of the mesodermal marker Xbra. Remarkably, this gene expression defect is corrected during involution, resulting in delayed yet normal Xbra expression and viable embryos. This implies the existence of a previously unknown mechanism for normalizing mesodermal gene expression during involution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A Anderson
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA
| | - Lendert Gelens
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA; Laboratory of Dynamics in Biological Systems, KU Leuven, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Applied Physics Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Julie C Baker
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5120, USA
| | - James E Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5307, USA.
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Khedgikar V, Abbruzzese G, Mathavan K, Szydlo H, Cousin H, Alfandari D. Dual control of pcdh8l/PCNS expression and function in Xenopus laevis neural crest cells by adam13/33 via the transcription factors tfap2α and arid3a. eLife 2017; 6:26898. [PMID: 28829038 PMCID: PMC5601995 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adam13/33 is a cell surface metalloprotease critical for cranial neural crest (CNC) cell migration. It can cleave multiple substrates including itself, fibronectin, ephrinB, cadherin-11, pcdh8 and pcdh8l (this work). Cleavage of cadherin-11 produces an extracellular fragment that promotes CNC migration. In addition, the adam13 cytoplasmic domain is cleaved by gamma secretase, translocates into the nucleus and regulates multiple genes. Here, we show that adam13 interacts with the arid3a/dril1/Bright transcription factor. This interaction promotes a proteolytic cleavage of arid3a and its translocation to the nucleus where it regulates another transcription factor: tfap2α. Tfap2α in turn activates multiple genes including the protocadherin pcdh8l (PCNS). The proteolytic activity of adam13 is critical for the release of arid3a from the plasma membrane while the cytoplasmic domain appears critical for the cleavage of arid3a. In addition to this transcriptional control of pcdh8l, adam13 cleaves pcdh8l generating an extracellular fragment that also regulates cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Khedgikar
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Genevieve Abbruzzese
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Ketan Mathavan
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States.,Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Hannah Szydlo
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Helene Cousin
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Dominique Alfandari
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States.,Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
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35
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Justice ED, Barnum SJ, Kidd T. The WAGR syndrome gene PRRG4 is a functional homologue of the commissureless axon guidance gene. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006865. [PMID: 28859078 PMCID: PMC5578492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
WAGR syndrome is characterized by Wilm's tumor, aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities and intellectual disabilities. WAGR is caused by a chromosomal deletion that includes the PAX6, WT1 and PRRG4 genes. PRRG4 is proposed to contribute to the autistic symptoms of WAGR syndrome, but the molecular function of PRRG4 genes remains unknown. The Drosophila commissureless (comm) gene encodes a short transmembrane protein characterized by PY motifs, features that are shared by the PRRG4 protein. Comm intercepts the Robo axon guidance receptor in the ER/Golgi and targets Robo for degradation, allowing commissural axons to cross the CNS midline. Expression of human Robo1 in the fly CNS increases midline crossing and this was enhanced by co-expression of PRRG4, but not CYYR, Shisa or the yeast Rcr genes. In cell culture experiments, PRRG4 could re-localize hRobo1 from the cell surface, suggesting that PRRG4 is a functional homologue of Comm. Comm is required for axon guidance and synapse formation in the fly, so PRRG4 could contribute to the autistic symptoms of WAGR by disturbing either of these processes in the developing human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth D. Justice
- Department of Biology/ms 314, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Sarah J. Barnum
- Department of Biology/ms 314, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Thomas Kidd
- Department of Biology/ms 314, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
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36
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no privacy, a Xenopus tropicalis mutant, is a model of human Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome and allows visualization of internal organogenesis during tadpole development. Dev Biol 2017; 426:472-486. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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37
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Limited genomic consequences of hybridization between two African clawed frogs, Xenopus gilli and X. laevis (Anura: Pipidae). Sci Rep 2017; 7:1091. [PMID: 28439068 PMCID: PMC5430669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01104-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cape platanna, Xenopus gilli, an endangered frog, hybridizes with the African clawed frog, X. laevis, in South Africa. Estimates of the extent of gene flow between these species range from pervasive to rare. Efforts have been made in the last 30 years to minimize hybridization between these two species in the west population of X. gilli, but not the east populations. To further explore the impact of hybridization and the efforts to minimize it, we examined molecular variation in one mitochondrial and 13 nuclear genes in genetic samples collected recently (2013) and also over two decades ago (1994). Despite the presence of F1 hybrids, none of the genomic regions we surveyed had evidence of gene flow between these species, indicating a lack of extensive introgression. Additionally we found no significant effect of sampling time on genetic diversity of populations of each species. Thus, we speculate that F1 hybrids have low fitness and are not backcrossing with the parental species to an appreciable degree. Within X. gilli, evidence for gene flow was recovered between eastern and western populations, a finding that has implications for conservation management of this species and its threatened habitat.
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38
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Toolbox in a tadpole: Xenopus for kidney research. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 369:143-157. [PMID: 28401306 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2611-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Xenopus is a versatile model organism increasingly used to study organogenesis and genetic diseases. The rapid embryonic development, targeted injections, loss- and gain-of-function experiments and an increasing supply of tools for functional in vivo analysis are unique advantages of the Xenopus system. Here, we review the vast array of methods available that have facilitated its transition into a translational model. We will focus primarily on how these methods have been employed in the study of kidney development, renal function and kidney disease. Future advances in the fields of genome editing, imaging and quantitative 'omics approaches are likely to enable exciting and novel applications for Xenopus to deepen our understanding of core principles of renal development and molecular mechanisms of human kidney disease. Thus, using Xenopus in clinically relevant research diversifies the narrowing pool of "standard" model organisms and provides unique opportunities for translational research.
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Taslimifar M, Oparija L, Verrey F, Kurtcuoglu V, Olgac U, Makrides V. Quantifying the relative contributions of different solute carriers to aggregate substrate transport. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40628. [PMID: 28091567 PMCID: PMC5238446 DOI: 10.1038/srep40628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining the contributions of different transporter species to overall cellular transport is fundamental for understanding the physiological regulation of solutes. We calculated the relative activities of Solute Carrier (SLC) transporters using the Michaelis-Menten equation and global fitting to estimate the normalized maximum transport rate for each transporter (Vmax). Data input were the normalized measured uptake of the essential neutral amino acid (AA) L-leucine (Leu) from concentration-dependence assays performed using Xenopus laevis oocytes. Our methodology was verified by calculating Leu and L-phenylalanine (Phe) data in the presence of competitive substrates and/or inhibitors. Among 9 potentially expressed endogenous X. laevis oocyte Leu transporter species, activities of only the uniporters SLC43A2/LAT4 (and/or SLC43A1/LAT3) and the sodium symporter SLC6A19/B0AT1 were required to account for total uptake. Furthermore, Leu and Phe uptake by heterologously expressed human SLC6A14/ATB0,+ and SLC43A2/LAT4 was accurately calculated. This versatile systems biology approach is useful for analyses where the kinetics of each active protein species can be represented by the Hill equation. Furthermore, its applicable even in the absence of protein expression data. It could potentially be applied, for example, to quantify drug transporter activities in target cells to improve specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Taslimifar
- The Interface Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Epithelial Transport Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lalita Oparija
- Epithelial Transport Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francois Verrey
- Epithelial Transport Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,National Center of Competence in Research, Kidney CH, Switzerland
| | - Vartan Kurtcuoglu
- The Interface Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,National Center of Competence in Research, Kidney CH, Switzerland
| | - Ufuk Olgac
- The Interface Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,National Center of Competence in Research, Kidney CH, Switzerland
| | - Victoria Makrides
- Epithelial Transport Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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BMP and retinoic acid regulate anterior-posterior patterning of the non-axial mesoderm across the dorsal-ventral axis. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12197. [PMID: 27406002 PMCID: PMC4947171 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the fundamental importance of patterning along the dorsal–ventral (DV) and anterior–posterior (AP) axes during embryogenesis, uncertainty exists in the orientation of these axes for the mesoderm. Here we examine the origin and formation of the zebrafish kidney, a ventrolateral mesoderm derivative, and show that AP patterning of the non-axial mesoderm occurs across the classic gastrula stage DV axis while DV patterning aligns along the animal–vegetal pole. We find that BMP signalling acts early to establish broad anterior and posterior territories in the non-axial mesoderm while retinoic acid (RA) functions later, but also across the classic DV axis. Our data support a model in which RA on the dorsal side of the embryo induces anterior kidney fates while posterior kidney progenitors are protected ventrally by the RA-catabolizing enzyme Cyp26a1. This work clarifies our understanding of vertebrate axis orientation and establishes a new paradigm for how the kidney and other mesodermal derivatives arise during embryogenesis. It is unclear how the dorsal-ventral (DV) and anterior-posterior (AP) axes established in the gastrula affect tissues. Here, the authors show that in zebrafish kidney development, with regard to non-axial mesoderm, the classic DV axis corresponds to the AP axis, and is regulated by BMP and retinoic acid.
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41
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Gaur S, Mandelbaum M, Herold M, Majumdar HD, Neilson KM, Maynard TM, Mood K, Daar IO, Moody SA. Neural transcription factors bias cleavage stage blastomeres to give rise to neural ectoderm. Genesis 2016; 54:334-49. [PMID: 27092474 PMCID: PMC4912902 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The decision by embryonic ectoderm to give rise to epidermal versus neural derivatives is the result of signaling events during blastula and gastrula stages. However, there also is evidence in Xenopus that cleavage stage blastomeres contain maternally derived molecules that bias them toward a neural fate. We used a blastomere explant culture assay to test whether maternally deposited transcription factors bias 16-cell blastomere precursors of epidermal or neural ectoderm to express early zygotic neural genes in the absence of gastrulation interactions or exogenously supplied signaling factors. We found that Foxd4l1, Zic2, Gmnn, and Sox11 each induced explants made from ventral, epidermis-producing blastomeres to express early neural genes, and that at least some of the Foxd4l1 and Zic2 activities are required at cleavage stages. Similarly, providing extra Foxd4l1 or Zic2 to explants made from dorsal, neural plate-producing blastomeres significantly increased the expression of early neural genes, whereas knocking down either significantly reduced them. These results show that maternally delivered transcription factors bias cleavage stage blastomeres to a neural fate. We demonstrate that mouse and human homologs of Foxd4l1 have similar functional domains compared to the frog protein, as well as conserved transcriptional activities when expressed in Xenopus embryos and blastomere explants. genesis 54:334-349, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailly Gaur
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
| | - Max Mandelbaum
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
| | - Mona Herold
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
| | - Himani Datta Majumdar
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
| | - Karen M. Neilson
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Kathy Mood
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ira O. Daar
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Sally A. Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I Street, NW, Washington DC, USA
- George Washington University Institute for Neuroscience
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42
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Short S, Peterkin T, Guille M, Patient R, Sharpe C. Short linear motif acquisition, exon formation and alternative splicing determine a pathway to diversity for NCoR-family co-repressors. Open Biol 2016; 5:rsob.150063. [PMID: 26289800 PMCID: PMC4554918 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.150063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate NCoR-family co-repressors play central roles in the timing of embryo and stem cell differentiation by repressing the activity of a range of transcription factors. They interact with nuclear receptors using short linear motifs (SLiMs) termed co-repressor for nuclear receptor (CoRNR) boxes. Here, we identify the pathway leading to increasing co-repressor diversity across the deuterostomes. The final complement of CoRNR boxes arose in an ancestral cephalochordate, and was encoded in one large exon; the urochordates and vertebrates then split this region between 10 and 12 exons. In Xenopus, alternative splicing is prevalent in NCoR2, but absent in NCoR1. We show for one NCoR1 exon that alternative splicing can be recovered by a single point mutation, suggesting NCoR1 lost the capacity for alternative splicing. Analyses in Xenopus and zebrafish identify that cellular context, rather than gene sequence, predominantly determines species differences in alternative splicing. We identify a pathway to diversity for the NCoR family beginning with the addition of a SLiM, followed by gene duplication, the generation of alternatively spliced isoforms and their differential deployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Short
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Tessa Peterkin
- The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Matthew Guille
- Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, St Michael's Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Roger Patient
- The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Colin Sharpe
- Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, St Michael's Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
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43
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Ding Y, Colozza G, Zhang K, Moriyama Y, Ploper D, Sosa EA, Benitez MDJ, De Robertis EM. Genome-wide analysis of dorsal and ventral transcriptomes of the Xenopus laevis gastrula. Dev Biol 2016; 426:176-187. [PMID: 27016259 PMCID: PMC5033668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
RNA sequencing has allowed high-throughput screening of differential gene expression in many tissues and organisms. Xenopus laevis is a classical embryological and cell-free extract model system, but its genomic sequence had been lacking due to difficulties arising from allotetraploidy. There is currently much excitement surrounding the release of the completed X. laevis genome (version 9.1) by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), which provides a platform for genome-wide studies. Here we present a deep RNA-seq dataset of transcripts expressed in dorsal and ventral lips of the early Xenopus gastrula embryo using the new genomic information, which was further annotated by blast searches against the human proteome. Overall, our findings confirm previous results from differential screenings using other methods that uncovered classical dorsal genes such as Chordin, Noggin and Cerberus, as well as ventral genes such as Sizzled, Ventx, Wnt8 and Bambi. Complete transcriptome-wide tables of mRNAs suitable for data mining are presented, which include many novel dorsal- and ventral-specific genes. RNA-seq was very quantitative and reproducible, and allowed us to define dorsal and ventral signatures useful for gene set expression analyses (GSEA). As an example of a new gene, we present here data on an organizer-specific secreted protein tyrosine kinase known as Pkdcc (protein kinase domain containing, cytoplasmic) or Vlk (vertebrate lonesome kinase). Overexpression experiments indicate that Pkdcc can act as a negative regulator of Wnt/ β-catenin signaling independently of its kinase activity. We conclude that RNA-Seq in combination with the X. laevis complete genome now available provides a powerful tool for unraveling cell-cell signaling pathways during embryonic induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ding
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Gabriele Colozza
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Kelvin Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yuki Moriyama
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Diego Ploper
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Eric A Sosa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Maria D J Benitez
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Edward M De Robertis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA.
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44
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Owens NDL, Blitz IL, Lane MA, Patrushev I, Overton JD, Gilchrist MJ, Cho KWY, Khokha MK. Measuring Absolute RNA Copy Numbers at High Temporal Resolution Reveals Transcriptome Kinetics in Development. Cell Rep 2016; 14:632-647. [PMID: 26774488 PMCID: PMC4731879 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcript regulation is essential for cell function, and misregulation can lead to disease. Despite technologies to survey the transcriptome, we lack a comprehensive understanding of transcript kinetics, which limits quantitative biology. This is an acute challenge in embryonic development, where rapid changes in gene expression dictate cell fate decisions. By ultra-high-frequency sampling of Xenopus embryos and absolute normalization of sequence reads, we present smooth gene expression trajectories in absolute transcript numbers. During a developmental period approximating the first 8 weeks of human gestation, transcript kinetics vary by eight orders of magnitude. Ordering genes by expression dynamics, we find that "temporal synexpression" predicts common gene function. Remarkably, a single parameter, the characteristic timescale, can classify transcript kinetics globally and distinguish genes regulating development from those involved in cellular metabolism. Overall, our analysis provides unprecedented insight into the reorganization of maternal and embryonic transcripts and redefines our ability to perform quantitative biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick D L Owens
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Ira L Blitz
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Maura A Lane
- Program in Vertebrate Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ilya Patrushev
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | - John D Overton
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Center for Genome Analysis , Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Michael J Gilchrist
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
| | - Ken W Y Cho
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA.
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Program in Vertebrate Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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45
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Kumari A, Kanchan S, Sinha RP, Kesheri M. Applications of Bio-molecular Databases in Bioinformatics. MEDICAL IMAGING IN CLINICAL APPLICATIONS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-33793-7_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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46
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Green YS, Kwon S, Christian JL. Expression pattern of bcar3, a downstream target of Gata2, and its binding partner, bcar1, during Xenopus development. Gene Expr Patterns 2015; 20:55-62. [PMID: 26631802 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Primitive hematopoiesis generates red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the developing embryo. Mesodermal cells commit to a primitive blood cell fate during gastrulation and, in order to do so the mesoderm must receive non-cell autonomous signals transmitted from other germ layers. In Xenopus, the transcription factor Gata2 functions in ectodermal cells to generate or transmit the non-cell autonomous signals. Here we have identified Breast Cancer Antiestrogen Resistance 3 (bcar3) as a gene that is induced in ectodermal cells downstream of Gata2. Bcar3 and its binding partner Bcar1 function to transduce integrin signaling, leading to changes in cellular morphology, motility and adhesion. We show that gata2, bcar3 and bcar1 are co-expressed in ventral ectoderm from early gastrula to early tailbud stages. At later stages of development, bcar3 and bcar1 are co-expressed in the spinal cord, notochord, fin mesenchyme and pronephros but each shows additional unique sites of expression. These co-expression and unique expression patterns suggest that Bcar3 and Bcar1 may function together but also independently during Xenopus development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangsook Song Green
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA
| | - Sunjong Kwon
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, School of Medicine, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
| | - Jan L Christian
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 94132, USA.
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47
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Peshkin L, Wühr M, Pearl E, Haas W, Freeman RM, Gerhart JC, Klein AM, Horb M, Gygi SP, Kirschner MW. On the Relationship of Protein and mRNA Dynamics in Vertebrate Embryonic Development. Dev Cell 2015; 35:383-94. [PMID: 26555057 PMCID: PMC4776761 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A biochemical explanation of development from the fertilized egg to the adult requires an understanding of the proteins and RNAs expressed over time during embryogenesis. We present a comprehensive characterization of protein and mRNA dynamics across early development in Xenopus. Surprisingly, we find that most protein levels change little and duplicated genes are expressed similarly. While the correlation between protein and mRNA levels is poor, a mass action kinetics model parameterized using protein synthesis and degradation rates regresses protein dynamics to RNA dynamics, corrected for initial protein concentration. This study provides detailed data for absolute levels of ∼10,000 proteins and ∼28,000 transcripts via a convenient web portal, a rich resource for developmental biologists. It underscores the lasting impact of maternal dowry, finds surprisingly few cases where degradation alone drives a change in protein level, and highlights the importance of transcription in shaping the dynamics of the embryonic proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid Peshkin
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Martin Wühr
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Esther Pearl
- National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Wilhelm Haas
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert M Freeman
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John C Gerhart
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 96704, USA
| | - Allon M Klein
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marko Horb
- National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Marc W Kirschner
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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48
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Ptbp1 and Exosc9 knockdowns trigger skin stability defects through different pathways. Dev Biol 2015; 409:489-501. [PMID: 26546114 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In humans, genetic diseases affecting skin integrity (genodermatoses) are generally caused by mutations in a small number of genes that encode structural components of the dermal-epidermal junctions. In this article, we first show that inactivation of both exosc9, which encodes a component of the RNA exosome, and ptbp1, which encodes an RNA-binding protein abundant in Xenopus embryonic skin, impairs embryonic Xenopus skin development, with the appearance of dorsal blisters along the anterior part of the fin. However, histological and electron microscopy analyses revealed that the two phenotypes are distinct. Exosc9 morphants are characterized by an increase in the apical surface of the goblet cells, loss of adhesion between the sensorial and peridermal layers, and a decrease in the number of ciliated cells within the blisters. Ptbp1 morphants are characterized by an altered goblet cell morphology. Gene expression profiling by deep RNA sequencing showed that the expression of epidermal and genodermatosis-related genes is also differentially affected in the two morphants, indicating that alterations in post-transcriptional regulations can lead to skin developmental defects through different routes. Therefore, the developing larval epidermis of Xenopus will prove to be a useful model for dissecting the post-transcriptional regulatory network involved in skin development and stability with significant implications for human diseases.
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49
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Liu W, Li F. Identification and Bioinformatics Analyses of the Basic Helix-loop-helix Transcription Factors in Xenopus laevis. Pak J Biol Sci 2015; 18:149-65. [PMID: 26506645 DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2015.149.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Xenopus laevis is a long established model organism for developmental, behavioral and neurological studies. Herein, an updated genome-wide survey was conducted using the ongoing genome project of Xenopus laevis and 106 non-redundant Basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) genes were identified in the Xenopus laevis genome databases. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment statistics showed 51 significant GO annotations of biological processes and molecular functions and 5 significant KEGG pathways and a number of Xenopus laevis bHLH genes play significant role in specific development or special physiology processes like the development processes of muscle and eye and other organs. Furthermore, each sub-group of the bHLH family has its special gene functions except for the common GO term categories. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that among these identified bHLH proteins, 105 sequences could classified into 39 families with 46, 25, 10, 5, 16 and 3 members in the corresponding high-order groups A, B, C, D, E and F, respectively with an addition bHLH member categorized as an orphan. The present study provides much useful information for further researches on Xenopus laevis.
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50
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Saritas-Yildirim B, Pliner HA, Ochoa A, Silva EM. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression of Xenopus F-Box Family of Proteins. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136929. [PMID: 26327321 PMCID: PMC4556705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein degradation via the multistep ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway is a rapid way to alter the protein profile and drive cell processes and developmental changes. Many key regulators of embryonic development are targeted for degradation by E3 ubiquitin ligases. The most studied family of E3 ubiquitin ligases is the SCF ubiquitin ligases, which use F-box adaptor proteins to recognize and recruit target proteins. Here, we used a bioinformatics screen and phylogenetic analysis to identify and annotate the family of F-box proteins in the Xenopus tropicalis genome. To shed light on the function of the F-box proteins, we analyzed expression of F-box genes during early stages of Xenopus development. Many F-box genes are broadly expressed with expression domains localized to diverse tissues including brain, spinal cord, eye, neural crest derivatives, somites, kidneys, and heart. All together, our genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the Xenopus F-box family of proteins provide a foundation for future research aimed to identify the precise role of F-box dependent E3 ubiquitin ligases and their targets in the regulatory circuits of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banu Saritas-Yildirim
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Hannah A. Pliner
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Angelica Ochoa
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Elena M. Silva
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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