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Ahi EP, Verta JP, Kurko J, Ruokolainen A, Singh P, Debes PV, Erkinaro J, Primmer CR. Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon. BMC Ecol Evol 2025; 25:53. [PMID: 40419966 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-025-02398-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2025] [Accepted: 05/20/2025] [Indexed: 05/28/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pubertal timing is a key life history trait, shaped by ecological pressures to balance reproductive success and survival. Emerging evidence suggests a link between adiposity and early maturation, potentially through hormonal signaling pathways governing puberty timing. The timing of sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon has a strong genetic basis in addition to being linked with environmental shifts and lipid reserves. A gene encoding a co-factor of the Hippo pathway, vgll3, is a major determinant of maturation timing in salmon. The Hippo pathway is known for its evolutionary conserved molecular signal role in both sexual maturation and adipogenesis. RESULTS In this study, we tested the expression of Hippo pathway genes in the brain of immature and mature male Atlantic salmon carrying either the early or the late maturation genotype of vgll3. We found increased brain expression of a major Hippo pathway kinase (lats1b) in individuals with early maturation genotypes of vgll3 before maturation development of testes was evident. Moreover, we found components and regulating partners of the Hippo pathway showing differential expression in brain of individuals with early and late vgll3 genotypes prior to maturation. This may suggest a role for the Hippo pathway in central nervous system processes that regulate the preparation for maturation. CONCLUSIONS This study characterizes transcriptional changes in components of the Hippo pathway in the brain in relation to vgll3-mediated early maturation in Atlantic salmon, highlighting the potential involvement of this pathway in the central regulation of maturation prior to gonadal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland.
| | - Jukka-Pekka Verta
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| | - Johanna Kurko
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Annukka Ruokolainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Pooja Singh
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
- Center for Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Paul Vincent Debes
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Hólar, Iceland
| | - Jaakko Erkinaro
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.B. 412, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Natalia V, Luis GJ, Sara CB, Alejandro RH, Alejandro RB, Fanny N. Acidification affects the early development of Colombian endemic fish Prochilodus magdalenae. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2025; 306:111875. [PMID: 40339979 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2025.111875] [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: 01/24/2025] [Revised: 04/29/2025] [Accepted: 05/05/2025] [Indexed: 05/10/2025]
Abstract
There is a significant knowledge gap regarding the acidification of freshwater ecosystems and its effects on biological systems. The bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae), an endemic and migratory species vital to Colombia's inland fisheries, is currently classified as vulnerable. This study evaluated the impact of different pH levels (6.2, 7.2, and 7.6), previously recorded in the species' natural habitat, on its early development. Using an automated IKS Aquastar system, embryo incubation and larval maintenance were monitored from 0 to 5 days post-fertilization, assessing development, hatching, and survival at both organismal and transcriptional levels. Embryos exposed to pH 6.2 showed delayed development within 4 h post-fertilization, the lowest hatching rate (68.33 ± 3.13 %), and survival (23.88 ± 4.53 %), along with the highest incidence of malformations (37.80 ± 4.4 %). The pH 7.6 group also showed adverse effects, but to a lesser extent. Transcriptome analysis revealed a distinct molecular response in the pH 6.2 group, identifying 1214 differentially expressed genes related to early development, ossification, organ formation, sensory systems, and cellular processes. The findings indicate that pH fluctuations previously observed in the species' natural environment significantly affect P. magdalenae during early life stages, which raises serious concerns about the long-term viability of this endemic species and the sustainability of the artisanal fisheries that depend on it.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rodríguez Hector Alejandro
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Grupo Biotecnología Vegetal, Carrera 65 No 59A-110, Bloque 11, 1226, Colombia.
| | | | - Noisette Fanny
- Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski G5L 3A1, Québec, 310, Allée des Ursulines, C.P. 3300, Canada.
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3
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Duclos KK, Grünbaum T, Angers B, Cloutier R, Jamniczky HA. Topological and variational modularity: A case study using the pectoral girdle across the Chrosomus eos-neogaeus hybridization complex. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2025. [PMID: 40275719 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2025] [Accepted: 03/21/2025] [Indexed: 04/26/2025]
Abstract
Modularity and integration are key developmental properties and have remained central in evo-devo research because of how they relate to evolvability. While modularity and integration have commonly been assessed with landmark-based geometric morphometrics (GMM), other methods such as anatomical network analysis (AnNA) are increasingly being explored. Nonetheless, AnNA has seldom been used to assess variability within taxa, and there have been no attempts to verify whether its results are commensurate with GMM. We used the pectoral girdle of members of the Chrosomus eos-neogaeus hybridization complex as a case study system to assess differences between AnNA and GMM-based approaches and discuss how they should be best used. The general anatomy and composition of the pectoral girdle do not vary much within the complex; however, bones within the pectoral girdle show significant diversity in morphology and in the presence of sutures. Indeed, C. neogaeus displays characteristically enlarged coracoids and radials, and bone fusion between the cleithra, coracoids, and radials, while C. eos displays a gracile and unfused pectoral girdle. Hybrids display morphologies that are distinct from both parental species. AnNA detected multiple potential patterns of modularity, and GMM supported similar patterns of modularity across the complex but suggested different trajectories of morphological variation. Altogether, AnNA can be a valuable tool to formulate novel hypotheses in understudied taxa, which may then be tested using GMM, but careful morphological descriptions of skeletal systems are a valuable addition to the interpretation of both AnNA and GMM approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Duclos
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Thomas Grünbaum
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
| | - Bernard Angers
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Richard Cloutier
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
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4
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Dhar A, Moinuddin FM, Zamanian CA, Sharar AD, Dominari A, Graepel S, Windebank AJ, Bydon M. SOX Genes in Spinal Cord Injury: Redefining Neural Stem Cell Regeneration Strategies. Mol Neurobiol 2025:10.1007/s12035-025-04882-w. [PMID: 40156684 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-025-04882-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2025] [Indexed: 04/01/2025]
Abstract
The study design is literature review. The sex-determining region Y gene (SRY)-related high mobility group box (HMG)-box (SOX) gene family has primarily been associated with neural development and sex determination and is a key component of human embryonic development. Recent studies on zebrafish models have demonstrated that the unique ability of the latter for central nervous tissue (CNS) repair following injury is largely mediated by SOX genes. Given that efforts aimed at the structural regeneration and functional restoration of neural tissue still represent a major therapeutic challenge in patients suffering CNS injury, these findings have initiated a discussion regarding the development of novel therapeutic strategies for SCI focusing on neural tissue regeneration. Spinal cord injury (SCI), in particular, represents a field that could greatly benefit from studies related to the function of the SOX genes. Neuro-informatics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A literature review was conducted, with a focus on SOX gene that has been described in the experimental studies of SCI. In this review, the existing evidence linking the SOX gene family to the pathophysiology of SCI is summarized, and future research steps regarding the potential implications of the SOX genes in neurological recovery following SCI are discussed, especially focusing on highlighting potential therapeutic targets. The potential implications of the latter could play a crucial role in future efforts to advance the treatment approaches to SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashis Dhar
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - F M Moinuddin
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Cameron A Zamanian
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ahnaf Dil Sharar
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Asimina Dominari
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Stephen Graepel
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Mohamad Bydon
- Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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5
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Liu S, Xu L, Kashima M, Narumi R, Takahata Y, Nakamura E, Shibuya H, Tamura M, Shida Y, Inubushi T, Nukada Y, Miyazawa M, Hata K, Nishimura R, Yamashiro T, Tasaki J, Kurosaka H. Expression analysis of genes including Zfhx4 in mice and zebrafish reveals a temporospatial conserved molecular basis underlying craniofacial development. Dev Dyn 2025; 254:257-271. [PMID: 39320016 PMCID: PMC11877995 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.740] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Embryonic craniofacial development involves several cellular and molecular events that are evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. Vertebrate models such as mice and zebrafish have been used to investigate the molecular and cellular etiologies underlying human craniofacial disorders, including orofacial clefts. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic development in these two species are unknown. Therefore, elucidating the shared mechanisms of craniofacial development between disease models is crucial to understanding the underlying mechanisms of phenotypes in individual species. RESULTS We selected mice and zebrafish as model organisms to compare various events during embryonic craniofacial development. We identified genes (Sox9, Zfhx3 and 4, Cjun, and Six1) exhibiting similar temporal expression patterns between these species through comprehensive and stage-matched gene expression analyses. Expression analysis revealed similar gene expression in hypothetically corresponding tissues, such as the mice palate and zebrafish ethmoid plate. Furthermore, loss-of-function analysis of Zfhx4/zfhx4, a causative gene of human craniofacial anomalies including orofacial cleft, in both species resulted in deformed skeletal elements such as the palatine and ethmoid plate in mice and zebrafish, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that these disease models share common molecular mechanisms, highlighting their usefulness in modeling craniofacial defects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie Liu
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao CorporationKawasakiJapan
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Makoto Kashima
- Department of Chemistry and Biological ScienceCollege of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin UniversitySagamiharaJapan
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Faculty of ScienceToho UniversityFunabashiJapan
| | - Rika Narumi
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao CorporationKawasakiJapan
| | - Yoshifumi Takahata
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiochemistryOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Eriko Nakamura
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiochemistryOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Hirotoshi Shibuya
- Mouse Phenotype Analysis Division, RIKEN BioResource Research CenterTsukubaJapan
| | - Masaru Tamura
- Mouse Phenotype Analysis Division, RIKEN BioResource Research CenterTsukubaJapan
| | - Yuki Shida
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Toshihiro Inubushi
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Yuko Nukada
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao CorporationTochigiJapan
| | | | - Kenji Hata
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiochemistryOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Riko Nishimura
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiochemistryOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Takashi Yamashiro
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
| | - Junichi Tasaki
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao CorporationKawasakiJapan
| | - Hiroshi Kurosaka
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsOsaka University Graduate School of DentistrySuitaJapan
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6
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Thiruppathy M, Teubner L, Roberts RR, Lasser MC, Moscatello A, Chen YW, Hochstim C, Ruffins S, Sarkar A, Tassey J, Evseenko D, Lozito TP, Willsey HR, Gillis JA, Crump JG. Repurposing of a gill gene regulatory program for outer-ear evolution. Nature 2025; 639:682-690. [PMID: 39788155 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08577-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 12/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025]
Abstract
How new structures emerge during evolution has long fascinated biologists. An example is how the diminutive bones of the mammalian middle ear arose from ancestral fish jawbones1. By contrast, the evolutionary origin of the outer ear, another mammalian innovation, remains a mystery, partly because it is supported by non-mineralized elastic cartilage, which is rarely recovered in fossils. Whether the outer ear arose de novo or through the reuse of ancestral developmental programs has remained unknown. Here we show that the outer ear shares gene regulatory programs with the gills of fishes and amphibians for both its initial outgrowth and the later development of the elastic cartilage. Comparative single-nucleus multiomics of the human outer ear and zebrafish gills reveals conserved gene expression and putative enhancers enriched for common transcription factor binding motifs. This is reflected by the transgenic activity of human outer-ear enhancers in gills, and of fish gill enhancers in the outer ear. Furthermore, single-cell multiomics of the cartilaginous book gills of horseshoe crabs reveals a developmental program shared with the distal-less homeobox (DLX)-mediated gill program of vertebrates, with a book-gill distal-less enhancer driving expression in zebrafish gills. We propose that elements of an invertebrate gill program were reutilized in vertebrates to generate first gills and then the outer ear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathi Thiruppathy
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Teubner
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan R Roberts
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Micaela C Lasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alessandra Moscatello
- School of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ya-Wen Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute of Airway Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Hochstim
- Division of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Clinical Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Seth Ruffins
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arijita Sarkar
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jade Tassey
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Denis Evseenko
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas P Lozito
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Andrew Gillis
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - J Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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7
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Dhillon-Richardson RM, Haugan AK, Lyons LW, McKenna JK, Bronner ME, Martik ML. Reactivation of an Embryonic Cardiac Neural Crest Transcriptional Subcircuit During Zebrafish Heart Regeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.16.633462. [PMID: 39868190 PMCID: PMC11760256 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.16.633462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2025]
Abstract
During vertebrate development, the heart primarily arises from mesoderm, with crucial contributions from cardiac neural crest cells that migrate to the heart and form a variety of cardiovascular derivatives. Here, by integrating bulk and single cell RNA-seq with ATAC-seq, we identify a gene regulatory subcircuit specific to migratory cardiac crest cells composed of key transcription factors egr1, sox9a, tfap2a and ets1. Notably, we show that cells expressing the canonical neural crest gene sox10 are essential for proper cardiac regeneration in adult zebrafish. Furthermore, expression of all transcription factors from the migratory cardiac crest gene subcircuit are reactivated after injury at the wound edge. Together, our results uncover a developmental gene regulatory network that is important for cardiac neural crest fate determination, with key factors reactivated during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra K. Haugan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Luke W. Lyons
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joseph K. McKenna
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Megan L. Martik
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA, USA
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8
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Masiero C, Aresi C, Forlino A, Tonelli F. Zebrafish Models for Skeletal and Extraskeletal Osteogenesis Imperfecta Features: Unveiling Pathophysiology and Paving the Way for Drug Discovery. Calcif Tissue Int 2024; 115:931-959. [PMID: 39320469 PMCID: PMC11607041 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-024-01282-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
In the last decades, the easy genetic manipulation, the external fertilization, the high percentage of homology with human genes and the reduced husbandry costs compared to rodents, made zebrafish a valid model for studying human diseases and for developing new therapeutical strategies. Since zebrafish shares with mammals the same bone cells and ossification types, it became widely used to dissect mechanisms and possible new therapeutic approaches in the field of common and rare bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), respectively. OI is a heritable skeletal disorder caused by defects in gene encoding collagen I or proteins/enzymes necessary for collagen I synthesis and secretion. Nevertheless, OI patients can be also characterized by extraskeletal manifestations such as dentinogenesis imperfecta, muscle weakness, cardiac valve and pulmonary abnormalities and skin laxity. In this review, we provide an overview of the available zebrafish models for both dominant and recessive forms of OI. An updated description of all the main similarities and differences between zebrafish and mammal skeleton, muscle, heart and skin, will be also discussed. Finally, a list of high- and low-throughput techniques available to exploit both larvae and adult OI zebrafish models as unique tools for the discovery of new therapeutic approaches will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Masiero
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3B, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Carla Aresi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3B, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonella Forlino
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3B, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Francesca Tonelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3B, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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9
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Tasnim M, Wahlquist P, Hill JT. Zebrafish: unraveling genetic complexity through duplicated genes. Dev Genes Evol 2024; 234:99-116. [PMID: 39079985 PMCID: PMC11612004 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-024-00720-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 12/06/2024]
Abstract
The zebrafish is an invaluable model organism for genetic, developmental, and disease research. Although its high conservation with humans is often cited as justification for its use, the zebrafish harbors oft-ignored genetic characteristics that may provide unique insights into gene structure and function. Zebrafish, along with other teleost fish, underwent an additional round of whole genome duplication after their split from tetrapods-resulting in an abundance of duplicated genes when compared to other vertebrates. These duplicated genes have evolved in distinct ways over the ensuing 350 million years. Thus, each gene within a duplicated gene pair has nuanced differences that create a unique identity. By investigating both members of the gene pair together, we can elucidate the mechanisms that underly protein structure and function and drive the complex interplay within biological systems, such as signal transduction cascades, genetic regulatory networks, and evolution of tissue and organ function. It is crucial to leverage such studies to explore these molecular dynamics, which could have far-reaching implications for both basic science and therapeutic development. Here, we will review the role of gene duplications and the existing models for gene divergence and retention following these events. We will also highlight examples within each of these models where studies comparing duplicated genes in the zebrafish have yielded key insights into protein structure, function, and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maliha Tasnim
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, 701 E. University Pkwy, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Preston Wahlquist
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, 701 E. University Pkwy, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Jonathon T Hill
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, 701 E. University Pkwy, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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10
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Marconi A, Vernaz G, Karunaratna A, Ngochera MJ, Durbin R, Santos ME. Genetic and Developmental Divergence in the Neural Crest Program between Cichlid Fish Species. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae217. [PMID: 39412298 PMCID: PMC11558072 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae217] [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: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 10/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific embryonic progenitor cell population at the basis of important vertebrate features such as the craniofacial skeleton and pigmentation patterns. Despite the wide-ranging variation of NC-derived traits across vertebrates, the contribution of NC to species diversification remains underexplored. Here, leveraging the adaptive diversity of African Great Lakes' cichlid species, we combined comparative transcriptomics and population genomics to investigate the evolution of the NC genetic program in the context of their morphological divergence. Our analysis revealed substantial differences in transcriptional landscapes across somitogenesis, an embryonic period coinciding with NC development and migration. This included dozens of genes with described functions in the vertebrate NC gene regulatory network, several of which showed signatures of positive selection. Among candidates showing between-species expression divergence, we focused on teleost-specific paralogs of the NC-specifier sox10 (sox10a and sox10b) as prime candidates to influence NC development. These genes, expressed in NC cells, displayed remarkable spatio-temporal variation in cichlids, suggesting their contribution to interspecific morphological differences, such as craniofacial structures and pigmentation. Finally, through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we demonstrated the functional divergence between cichlid sox10 paralogs, with the acquisition of a novel skeletogenic function by sox10a. When compared with teleost models zebrafish and medaka, our findings reveal that sox10 duplication, although retained in most teleost lineages, had variable functional fates across their phylogeny. Altogether, our study suggests that NC-related processes-particularly those controlled by sox10s-are involved in generating morphological diversification between species and lays the groundwork for further investigations into the mechanisms underpinning vertebrate NC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Maxon J Ngochera
- Malawi Fisheries Department, Senga Bay Fisheries Research Center, P.O. Box 316, Salima, Malawi
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Shang T, Jiang T, Cui X, Pan Y, Feng X, Dong L, Wang H. Diverse functions of SOX9 in liver development and homeostasis and hepatobiliary diseases. Genes Dis 2024; 11:100996. [PMID: 38523677 PMCID: PMC10958229 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The liver is the central organ for digestion and detoxification and has unique metabolic and regenerative capacities. The hepatobiliary system originates from the foregut endoderm, in which cells undergo multiple events of cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation to form the liver parenchyma and ductal system under the hierarchical regulation of transcription factors. Studies on liver development and diseases have revealed that SRY-related high-mobility group box 9 (SOX9) plays an important role in liver embryogenesis and the progression of hepatobiliary diseases. SOX9 is not only a master regulator of cell fate determination and tissue morphogenesis, but also regulates various biological features of cancer, including cancer stemness, invasion, and drug resistance, making SOX9 a potential biomarker for tumor prognosis and progression. This review systematically summarizes the latest findings of SOX9 in hepatobiliary development, homeostasis, and disease. We also highlight the value of SOX9 as a novel biomarker and potential target for the clinical treatment of major liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyu Shang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaowen Cui
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Yufei Pan
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Xiaofan Feng
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Liwei Dong
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hongyang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University & Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200438, China
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12
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Marconi A, Vernaz G, Karunaratna A, Ngochera MJ, Durbin R, Santos ME. Genetic and developmental divergence in the neural crest programme between cichlid fish species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.578004. [PMID: 38352436 PMCID: PMC10862805 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific embryonic progenitor cell population at the basis of important vertebrate features such as the craniofacial skeleton and pigmentation patterns. Despite the wide-ranging variation of NC-derived traits across vertebrates, the contribution of NC to species diversification remains underexplored. Here, leveraging the adaptive diversity of African Great Lakes' cichlid species, we combined comparative transcriptomics and population genomics to investigate the evolution of the NC genetic programme in the context of their morphological divergence. Our analysis revealed substantial differences in transcriptional landscapes across somitogenesis, an embryonic period coinciding with NC development and migration. This included dozens of genes with described functions in the vertebrate NC gene regulatory network, several of which showed signatures of positive selection. Among candidates showing between-species expression divergence, we focused on teleost-specific paralogs of the NC-specifier sox10 (sox10a and sox10b) as prime candidates to influence NC development. These genes, expressed in NC cells, displayed remarkable spatio-temporal variation in cichlids, suggesting their contribution to inter-specific morphological differences. Finally, through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we demonstrated the functional divergence between cichlid sox10 paralogs, with the acquisition of a novel skeletogenic function by sox10a. When compared to the teleost models zebrafish and medaka, our findings reveal that sox10 duplication, although retained in most teleost lineages, had variable functional fates across their phylogeny. Altogether, our study suggests that NC-related processes - particularly those controlled by sox10s - might be involved in generating morphological diversification between species and lays the groundwork for further investigations into mechanisms underpinning vertebrate NC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maxon J. Ngochera
- Senga Bay Fisheries Research Center, Malawi Fisheries Department, P.O. Box 316, Salima, Malawi
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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13
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Pereur R, Dambroise E. Insights into Craniofacial Development and Anomalies: Exploring Fgf Signaling in Zebrafish Models. Curr Osteoporos Rep 2024; 22:340-352. [PMID: 38739352 DOI: 10.1007/s11914-024-00873-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To illustrate the value of using zebrafish to understand the role of the Fgf signaling pathway during craniofacial skeletal development under normal and pathological conditions. RECENT FINDINGS Recent data obtained from studies on zebrafish have demonstrated the genetic redundancy of Fgf signaling pathway and have identified new molecular partners of this signaling during the early stages of craniofacial skeletal development. Studies on zebrafish models demonstrate the involvement of the Fgf signaling pathway at every stage of craniofacial development. They particularly emphasize the central role of Fgf signaling pathway during the early stages of the development, which significantly impacts the formation of the various structures making up the craniofacial skeleton. This partly explains the craniofacial abnormalities observed in disorders associated with FGF signaling. Future research efforts should focus on investigating zebrafish Fgf signaling during more advanced stages, notably by establishing zebrafish models expressing mutations responsible for diseases such as craniosynostoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Pereur
- Laboratory of Molecular and Physiopathological Bases of Osteochondrodysplasia, Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR 1163, Imagine Institut, 24 boulevard Montparnasse, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Emilie Dambroise
- Laboratory of Molecular and Physiopathological Bases of Osteochondrodysplasia, Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR 1163, Imagine Institut, 24 boulevard Montparnasse, 75015, Paris, France.
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14
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Wilson CA, Batzel P, Postlethwait JH. Direct male development in chromosomally ZZ zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1362228. [PMID: 38529407 PMCID: PMC10961373 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1362228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetics of sex determination varies across taxa, sometimes even within a species. Major domesticated strains of zebrafish (Danio rerio), including AB and TU, lack a strong genetic sex determining locus, but strains more recently derived from nature, like Nadia (NA), possess a ZZ male/ZW female chromosomal sex-determination system. AB fish pass through a juvenile ovary stage, forming oocytes that survive in fish that become females but die in fish that become males. To understand mechanisms of gonad development in NA zebrafish, we studied histology and single cell transcriptomics in developing ZZ and ZW fish. ZW fish developed oocytes by 22 days post-fertilization (dpf) but ZZ fish directly formed testes, avoiding a juvenile ovary phase. Gonads of some ZW and WW fish, however, developed oocytes that died as the gonad became a testis, mimicking AB fish, suggesting that the gynogenetically derived AB strain is chromosomally WW. Single-cell RNA-seq of 19dpf gonads showed similar cell types in ZZ and ZW fish, including germ cells, precursors of gonadal support cells, steroidogenic cells, interstitial/stromal cells, and immune cells, consistent with a bipotential juvenile gonad. In contrast, scRNA-seq of 30dpf gonads revealed that cells in ZZ gonads had transcriptomes characteristic of testicular Sertoli, Leydig, and germ cells while ZW gonads had granulosa cells, theca cells, and developing oocytes. Hematopoietic and vascular cells were similar in both sex genotypes. These results show that juvenile NA zebrafish initially develop a bipotential gonad; that a factor on the NA W chromosome, or fewer than two Z chromosomes, is essential to initiate oocyte development; and without the W factor, or with two Z doses, NA gonads develop directly into testes without passing through the juvenile ovary stage. Sex determination in AB and TU strains mimics NA ZW and WW zebrafish, suggesting loss of the Z chromosome during domestication. Genetic analysis of the NA strain will facilitate our understanding of the evolution of sex determination mechanisms.
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15
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Truong BT, Shull LC, Zepeda BJ, Lencer E, Artinger KB. Human split hand/foot variants are not as functional as wildtype human PRDM1 in the rescue of craniofacial defects. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2327. [PMID: 38456586 PMCID: PMC10949536 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2327] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Split hand/foot malformation (SHFM) is a congenital limb disorder presenting with limb anomalies, such as missing, hypoplastic, or fused digits, and often craniofacial defects, including a cleft lip/palate, microdontia, micrognathia, or maxillary hypoplasia. We previously identified three novel variants in the transcription factor, PRDM1, that are associated with SHFM phenotypes. One individual also presented with a high arch palate. Studies in vertebrates indicate that PRDM1 is important for development of the skull; however, prior to our study, human variants in PRDM1 had not been associated with craniofacial anomalies. METHODS Using transient mRNA overexpression assays in prdm1a-/- mutant zebrafish, we tested whether the PRDM1 SHFM variants were functional and could lead to a rescue of the craniofacial defects observed in prdm1a-/- mutants. We also mined previously published CUT&RUN and RNA-seq datasets that sorted EGFP-positive cells from a Tg(Mmu:Prx1-EGFP) transgenic line that labels the pectoral fin, pharyngeal arches, and dorsal part of the head to examine Prdm1a binding and the effect of Prdm1a loss on craniofacial genes. RESULTS The prdm1a-/- mutants exhibit craniofacial defects including a hypoplastic neurocranium, a loss of posterior ceratobranchial arches, a shorter palatoquadrate, and an inverted ceratohyal. Injection of wildtype (WT) hPRDM1 in prdm1a-/- mutants partially rescues the palatoquadrate phenotype. However, injection of each of the three SHFM variants fails to rescue this skeletal defect. Loss of prdm1a leads to a decreased expression of important craniofacial genes by RNA-seq, including emilin3a, confirmed by hybridization chain reaction expression. Other genes including dlx5a/dlx6a, hand2, sox9b, col2a1a, and hoxb genes are also reduced. Validation by real-time quantitative PCR in the anterior half of zebrafish embryos failed to confirm the expression changes suggesting that the differences are enriched in prx1 expressing cells. CONCLUSION These data suggest that the three SHFM variants are likely not functional and may be associated with the craniofacial defects observed in the humans. Finally, they demonstrate how Prdm1a can directly bind and regulate genes involved in craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany T Truong
- Human Medical Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Craniofacial Development, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Lomeli C Shull
- Department of Craniofacial Development, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Bryan J Zepeda
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ezra Lencer
- Biology Department, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kristin B Artinger
- Department of Craniofacial Development, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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16
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Fox SC, Waskiewicz AJ. Transforming growth factor beta signaling and craniofacial development: modeling human diseases in zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1338070. [PMID: 38385025 PMCID: PMC10879340 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1338070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans and other jawed vertebrates rely heavily on their craniofacial skeleton for eating, breathing, and communicating. As such, it is vital that the elements of the craniofacial skeleton develop properly during embryogenesis to ensure a high quality of life and evolutionary fitness. Indeed, craniofacial abnormalities, including cleft palate and craniosynostosis, represent some of the most common congenital abnormalities in newborns. Like many other organ systems, the development of the craniofacial skeleton is complex, relying on specification and migration of the neural crest, patterning of the pharyngeal arches, and morphogenesis of each skeletal element into its final form. These processes must be carefully coordinated and integrated. One way this is achieved is through the spatial and temporal deployment of cell signaling pathways. Recent studies conducted using the zebrafish model underscore the importance of the Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) and Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathways in craniofacial development. Although both pathways contain similar components, each pathway results in unique outcomes on a cellular level. In this review, we will cover studies conducted using zebrafish that show the necessity of these pathways in each stage of craniofacial development, starting with the induction of the neural crest, and ending with the morphogenesis of craniofacial elements. We will also cover human skeletal and craniofacial diseases and malformations caused by mutations in the components of these pathways (e.g., cleft palate, craniosynostosis, etc.) and the potential utility of zebrafish in studying the etiology of these diseases. We will also briefly cover the utility of the zebrafish model in joint development and biology and discuss the role of TGF-β/BMP signaling in these processes and the diseases that result from aberrancies in these pathways, including osteoarthritis and multiple synostoses syndrome. Overall, this review will demonstrate the critical roles of TGF-β/BMP signaling in craniofacial development and show the utility of the zebrafish model in development and disease.
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17
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Wilson CA, Batzel P, Postlethwait JH. Direct Male Development in Chromosomally ZZ Zebrafish. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.27.573483. [PMID: 38234788 PMCID: PMC10793451 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The genetics of sex determination varies across taxa, sometimes even within a species. Major domesticated strains of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ), including AB and TU, lack a strong genetic sex determining locus, but strains more recently derived from nature, like Nadia (NA), possess a ZZ male/ZW female chromosomal sex-determination system. AB strain fish pass through a juvenile ovary stage, forming oocytes that survive in fish that become females but die in fish that become males. To understand mechanisms of gonad development in NA zebrafish, we studied histology and single cell transcriptomics in developing ZZ and ZW fish. ZW fish developed oocytes by 22 days post-fertilization (dpf) but ZZ fish directly formed testes, avoiding a juvenile ovary phase. Gonads of some ZW and WW fish, however, developed oocytes that died as the gonad became a testis, mimicking AB fish, suggesting that the gynogenetically derived AB strain is chromosomally WW. Single-cell RNA-seq of 19dpf gonads showed similar cell types in ZZ and ZW fish, including germ cells, precursors of gonadal support cells, steroidogenic cells, interstitial/stromal cells, and immune cells, consistent with a bipotential juvenile gonad. In contrast, scRNA-seq of 30dpf gonads revealed that cells in ZZ gonads had transcriptomes characteristic of testicular Sertoli, Leydig, and germ cells while ZW gonads had granulosa cells, theca cells, and developing oocytes. Hematopoietic and vascular cells were similar in both sex genotypes. These results show that juvenile NA zebrafish initially develop a bipotential gonad; that a factor on the NA W chromosome or fewer than two Z chromosomes is essential to initiate oocyte development; and without the W factor or with two Z doses, NA gonads develop directly into testes without passing through the juvenile ovary stage. Sex determination in AB and TU strains mimics NA ZW and WW zebrafish, suggesting loss of the Z chromosome during domestication. Genetic analysis of the NA strain will facilitate our understanding of the evolution of sex determination mechanisms.
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18
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Cintrón-Rivera LG, Burns N, Patel R, Plavicki JS. Exposure to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist dioxin disrupts formation of the muscle, nerves, and vasculature in the developing jaw. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 337:122499. [PMID: 37660771 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to environmental pollutants can disrupt embryonic development and impact juvenile and adult health outcomes by adversely affecting cell and organ function. Notwithstanding, environmental contamination continues to increase due to industrial development, insufficient regulations, and the mobilization of pollutants as a result of extreme weather events. Dioxins are a class of structurally related persistent organic pollutants that are highly toxic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent dioxin compound and has been shown to induce toxic effects in developing organisms by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand activated transcription factor targeted by multiple persistent organic pollutants. Contaminant-induced AHR activation results in malformations of the craniofacial cartilages and neurocranium; however, the mechanisms mediating these phenotypes are not well understood. In this study, we utilized the optically transparent zebrafish model to elucidate novel cellular targets and potential transcriptional targets underlying TCDD-induced craniofacial malformations. To this end, we exposed zebrafish embryos at 4 h post fertilization to TCDD and employed a mixed-methods approach utilizing immunohistochemistry staining, transgenic reporter lines, fixed and in vivo confocal imaging, and timelapse microscopy to determine the targets mediating TCDD-induced craniofacial phenotypes. Our data indicate that embryonic TCDD exposure reduced jaw and pharyngeal arch Sox10+ chondrocytes and Tcf21+ pharyngeal mesoderm progenitors. Exposure to TCDD correspondingly led to a reduction in collagen type II deposition in Sox10+ domains. Embryonic TCDD exposure impaired development of tissues derived from or guided by Tcf21+ progenitors, namely: nerves, muscle, and vasculature. Specifically, TCDD exposure disrupted development of the hyoid and mandibular arch muscles, decreased neural innervation of the jaw, resulted in compression of cranial nerves V and VII, and led to jaw vasculature malformations. Collectively, these findings reveal novel structural targets and potential transcriptional targets of TCDD-induced toxicity, showcasing how contaminant exposures lead to congenital craniofacial malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layra G Cintrón-Rivera
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, 70 Ship St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Nicole Burns
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, 70 Ship St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Ratna Patel
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, 70 Ship St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Jessica S Plavicki
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, 70 Ship St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
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19
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Bañón A, Alsina B. Pioneer statoacoustic neurons guide neuroblast behaviour during otic ganglion assembly. Development 2023; 150:dev201824. [PMID: 37938828 PMCID: PMC10651105 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201824] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Cranial ganglia are aggregates of sensory neurons that mediate distinct types of sensation. The statoacoustic ganglion (SAG) develops into several lobes that are spatially arranged to connect appropriately with hair cells of the inner ear. To investigate the cellular behaviours involved in the 3D organization of the SAG, we use high-resolution confocal imaging of single-cell, labelled zebrafish neuroblasts (NBs), photoconversion, photoablation, and genetic perturbations. We show that otic NBs delaminate out of the otic epithelium in an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like manner, rearranging apical polarity and primary cilia proteins. We also show that, once delaminated, NBs require RhoGTPases in order to perform active migration. Furthermore, tracking of recently delaminated NBs revealed their directed migration and coalescence around a small population of pioneer SAG neurons. These pioneer SAG neurons, not from otic placode origin, populate the coalescence region before otic neurogenesis begins and their ablation disrupts delaminated NB migratory pathways, consequentially affecting SAG shape. Altogether, this work shows for the first time the role of pioneer SAG neurons in orchestrating SAG development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Bañón
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra-Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Berta Alsina
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra-Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Guillemyn B, De Saffel H, Bek JW, Tapaneeyaphan P, De Clercq A, Jarayseh T, Debaenst S, Willaert A, De Rycke R, Byers PH, Rosseel T, Coucke P, Blaumeiser B, Syx D, Malfait F, Symoens S. Syntaxin 18 Defects in Human and Zebrafish Unravel Key Roles in Early Cartilage and Bone Development. J Bone Miner Res 2023; 38:1718-1730. [PMID: 37718532 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
SNARE proteins comprise a conserved protein family responsible for catalyzing membrane fusion during vesicle traffic. Syntaxin18 (STX18) is a poorly characterized endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident t-SNARE. Recently, together with TANGO1 and SLY1, its involvement was shown in ER to Golgi transport of collagen II during chondrogenesis. We report a fetus with a severe osteochondrodysplasia in whom we identified a homozygous substitution of the highly conserved p.Arg10 to Pro of STX18. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Stx18 deficiency in zebrafish reveals a crucial role for Stx18 in cartilage and bone development. Furthermore, increased expression of multiple components of the Stx18 SNARE complex and of COPI and COPII proteins suggests that Stx18 deficiency impairs antero- and retrograde vesicular transport in the crispant stx18 zebrafish. Taken together, our studies highlight a new candidate gene for a recessive form of osteochondrodysplasia, thereby possibly broadening the SNAREopathy phenotypic spectrum and opening new doors toward future research avenues. © 2023 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Brecht Guillemyn
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hanna De Saffel
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Willem Bek
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Piyanoot Tapaneeyaphan
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Adelbert De Clercq
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tamara Jarayseh
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sophie Debaenst
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andy Willaert
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Riet De Rycke
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research and Bioimaging Core, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter H Byers
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine (Medical Genetics), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Toon Rosseel
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul Coucke
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bettina Blaumeiser
- Department of Medical Genetics, University and University Hospital of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Delfien Syx
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fransiska Malfait
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Symoens
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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21
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Tseng YJ, Lu FI, Wu SM. Generational effects and abnormalities in craniofacial chondrogenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos upon maternal exposure to estrogen endocrine disrupting chemicals. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2023; 273:109743. [PMID: 37689172 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) are estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs). The present study reconfirmed that the angle of the ceratohyal cartilage (CH) in embryos were larger from maternal BPA and E2, but smaller from DEP compared to the control. However, it is still unknown whether both the BPA and DEP chemicals disrupted the action of E2 and thereby influence the estrogen signaling pathways. Additionally, it remains unclear whether they also disrupted certain related genes in the migratory pathways of neural crest cells (NCCs) in their offspring. The present data showed that nuclear estrogen receptors and membrane estrogen receptors have different disrupted profiles among female zebrafish exposed to BPA (F-BPA), and DEP (F-DEP), and external E2 (F-E2). However, certain related genes in the migratory pathways of NCCs in embryos from F-BPA and F-E2 such as the sox10, chm1, and tgfbr1a mRNA expressions showed a positive relationship compared with CH angles; the gene expressions of sox9a, smad3, and col2a1a and the CH angles of embryos exhibited an opposite relationship upon F-DEP treatments. Thus, we suggested that the genes involved in NCCs migration were potentially induced by the residual maternal DEP contents. Two sets of genes, chm1/tgfb3 and chm1/gper1, exhibited an identical profile in the ovary and its offspring at 2 h of post fertilization upon F-E2 and F-BPA treatments, respectively. We suggested that the maternal mRNA from female to embryos were transferred before the maternal-to-zygotic transition stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jen Tseng
- Department of Aquatic Biosciences, National Chiayi University, Taiwan; College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, NCKU-AS Graduate Program in Translational Agricultural Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Fu-I Lu
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, NCKU-AS Graduate Program in Translational Agricultural Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; The IEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Su Mei Wu
- Department of Aquatic Biosciences, National Chiayi University, Taiwan.
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22
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Liu S, Kawanishi T, Shimada A, Ikeda N, Yamane M, Takeda H, Tasaki J. Identification of an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for chemical-induced craniofacial anomalies using the transgenic zebrafish model. Toxicol Sci 2023; 196:38-51. [PMID: 37531284 PMCID: PMC10614053 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Craniofacial anomalies are one of the most frequent birth defects worldwide and are often caused by genetic and environmental factors such as pharmaceuticals and chemical agents. Although identifying adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) is a central issue for evaluating the teratogenicity, the AOP causing craniofacial anomalies has not been identified. Recently, zebrafish has gained interest as an emerging model for predicting teratogenicity because of high throughput, cost-effectiveness and availability of various tools for examining teratogenic mechanisms. Here, we established zebrafish sox10-EGFP reporter lines to visualize cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) and have identified the AOPs for craniofacial anomalies. When we exposed the transgenic embryos to teratogens that were reported to cause craniofacial anomalies in mammals, CNCC migration and subsequent morphogenesis of the first pharyngeal arch were impaired at 24 hours post-fertilization. We also found that cell proliferation and apoptosis of the migratory CNCCs were disturbed, which would be key events of the AOP. From these results, we propose that our sox10-EGFP reporter lines serve as a valuable model for detecting craniofacial skeletal abnormalities, from early to late developmental stages. Given that the developmental process of CNCCs around this stage is highly conserved between zebrafish and mammals, our findings can be extrapolated to mammalian craniofacial development and thus help in predicting craniofacial anomalies in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie Liu
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation, Tochigi 321-3497, Japan
| | - Toru Kawanishi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Atsuko Shimada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Naohiro Ikeda
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamane
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation, Tochigi 321-3497, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Junichi Tasaki
- R&D, Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
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23
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Veithen M, Huyghe A, Van Den Ackerveken P, Fukada SI, Kokubo H, Breuskin I, Nguyen L, Delacroix L, Malgrange B. Sox9 Inhibits Cochlear Hair Cell Fate by Upregulating Hey1 and HeyL Antagonists of Atoh1. Cells 2023; 12:2148. [PMID: 37681879 PMCID: PMC10486728 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that cell fate determination in the cochlea is tightly controlled by different transcription factors (TFs) that remain to be fully defined. Here, we show that Sox9, initially expressed in the entire sensory epithelium of the cochlea, progressively disappears from differentiating hair cells (HCs) and is finally restricted to supporting cells (SCs). By performing ex vivo electroporation of E13.5-E14.5 cochleae, we demonstrate that maintenance of Sox9 expression in the progenitors committed to HC fate blocks their differentiation, even if co-expressed with Atoh1, a transcription factor necessary and sufficient to form HC. Sox9 inhibits Atoh1 transcriptional activity by upregulating Hey1 and HeyL antagonists, and genetic ablation of these genes induces extra HCs along the cochlea. Although Sox9 suppression from sensory progenitors ex vivo leads to a modest increase in the number of HCs, it is not sufficient in vivo to induce supernumerary HC production in an inducible Sox9 knockout model. Taken together, these data show that Sox9 is downregulated from nascent HCs to allow the unfolding of their differentiation program. This may be critical for future strategies to promote fully mature HC formation in regeneration approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Veithen
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Aurélia Huyghe
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Priscilla Van Den Ackerveken
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
| | - So-ichiro Fukada
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regeneration and Adaptation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan;
| | - Hiroki Kokubo
- Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minamiku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan;
| | - Ingrid Breuskin
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Laurent Nguyen
- Laboratory of Molecular Regulation of Neurogenesis, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium;
| | - Laurence Delacroix
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Brigitte Malgrange
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; (M.V.); (A.H.); (P.V.D.A.); (I.B.); (L.D.)
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24
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Hala D. The use of in silico extreme pathway (ExPa) analysis to identify conserved reproductive transcriptional-regulatory networks in humans, mice, and zebrafish. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2023; 69:271-287. [PMID: 37023256 PMCID: PMC10461611 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2023.2188996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate sex determination and differentiation are coordinated by the activations and maintenance of reproductive transcriptional-regulatory networks (TRNs). There is considerable interest in studying the conserved design principles and functions of reproductive TRNs given that their intricate regulation is susceptible to disruption by gene mutations or exposures to exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals (or EDCs). In this manuscript, the Boolean rules describing reproductive TRNs in humans, mice, and zebrafish, were represented as a pseudo-stoichiometric matrix model. This model mathematically described the interactions of 35 transcription factors with 21 sex determination and differentiation genes across the three species. The in silico approach of Extreme Pathway (ExPa) analysis was used to predict the extent of TRN gene activations subject to the species-specific transcriptomics data, from across various developmental life-stages. A goal of this work was to identify conserved and functional reproductive TRNs across the three species. ExPa analyses predicted the sex differentiation genes, DHH, DMRT1, and AR, to be highly active in male humans, mice, and zebrafish. Whereas FOXL2 was the most active gene in female humans and mice; and CYP19A1A in female zebrafish. These results agree with the expectation that regardless of a lack of sex determination genes in zebrafish, the TRNs responsible for canalizing male vs. female sexual differentiation are conserved with mammalian taxa. ExPa analysis therefore provides a framework with which to study the TRNs that influence the development of sexual phenotypes. And the in silico predicted conservation of sex differentiation TRNs between mammals and zebrafish identifies the piscine species as an effective in vivo model to study mammalian reproductive systems under normal or perturbed pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hala
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, TX, USA
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25
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Thrikawala S, Mesmar F, Bhattacharya B, Muhsen M, Mukhopadhyay S, Flores S, Upadhyay S, Vergara L, Gustafsson JÅ, Williams C, Bondesson M. Triazole fungicides induce adipogenesis and repress osteoblastogenesis in zebrafish. Toxicol Sci 2023; 193:119-130. [PMID: 36951524 PMCID: PMC10230286 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Triazoles are a major group of azole fungicides commonly used in agriculture, and veterinary and human medicine. Maternal exposure to certain triazole antifungal medication causes congenital malformations, including skeletal malformations. We hypothesized that triazoles used as pesticides in agriculture also pose a risk of causing skeletal malformations in developing embryos. In this study, teratogenic effects of three commonly used triazoles, cyproconazole, paclobutrazol, and triadimenol, were investigated in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Exposure to the triazole fungicides caused bone and cartilage malformations in developing zebrafish larvae. Data from whole-embryo transcriptomics with cyproconazole suggested that exposure to this compound induces adipogenesis while repressing skeletal development. Confirming this finding, the expression of selected bone and cartilage marker genes were significantly downregulated with triazoles exposure as determined by quantitative PCR. The expression of selected adipogenic genes was upregulated by the triazoles. Furthermore, exposure to each of the three triazoles induced adipogenesis and lipid droplet formation in vitro in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells. In vivo in zebrafish larvae, cyproconazole exposure caused lipid accumulation. These results suggest that exposure to triazoles promotes adipogenesis at the expense of skeletal development, and thus they expand the chemical group of bona fide bone to fat switchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savini Thrikawala
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Fahmi Mesmar
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Beas Bhattacharya
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Maram Muhsen
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Srijita Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sara Flores
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Leoncio Vergara
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Cecilia Williams
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Maria Bondesson
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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26
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Sunadome K, Erickson AG, Kah D, Fabry B, Adori C, Kameneva P, Faure L, Kanatani S, Kaucka M, Dehnisch Ellström I, Tesarova M, Zikmund T, Kaiser J, Edwards S, Maki K, Adachi T, Yamamoto T, Fried K, Adameyko I. Directionality of developing skeletal muscles is set by mechanical forces. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3060. [PMID: 37244931 PMCID: PMC10224984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38647-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Formation of oriented myofibrils is a key event in musculoskeletal development. However, the mechanisms that drive myocyte orientation and fusion to control muscle directionality in adults remain enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that the developing skeleton instructs the directional outgrowth of skeletal muscle and other soft tissues during limb and facial morphogenesis in zebrafish and mouse. Time-lapse live imaging reveals that during early craniofacial development, myoblasts condense into round clusters corresponding to future muscle groups. These clusters undergo oriented stretch and alignment during embryonic growth. Genetic perturbation of cartilage patterning or size disrupts the directionality and number of myofibrils in vivo. Laser ablation of musculoskeletal attachment points reveals tension imposed by cartilage expansion on the forming myofibers. Application of continuous tension using artificial attachment points, or stretchable membrane substrates, is sufficient to drive polarization of myocyte populations in vitro. Overall, this work outlines a biomechanical guidance mechanism that is potentially useful for engineering functional skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Sunadome
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alek G Erickson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Delf Kah
- Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ben Fabry
- Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Wenner Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Polina Kameneva
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Louis Faure
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shigeaki Kanatani
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marketa Kaucka
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str.2, 24306, Plön, Germany
| | | | - Marketa Tesarova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Zikmund
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Kaiser
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Steven Edwards
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Koichiro Maki
- Laboratory of Biomechanics, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Taiji Adachi
- Laboratory of Biomechanics, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takuya Yamamoto
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kaj Fried
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Igor Adameyko
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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27
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Iyer S, Dhiman N, Zade SP, Mukherjee S, Singla N, Kumar M. Exposure to Tetrabutylammonium Bromide Impairs Cranial Neural Crest Specification, Neurogenic Program, and Brain Morphogenesis. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1785-1798. [PMID: 37125651 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) is a widely used industrial reagent and is commonly found in our aquatic ecosystem as an industrial byproduct. In humans, the ingestion of TBAB causes severe neurological impairments and disorders such as vertigo, hallucinations, and delirium. Yet, the extent of environmental risk and TBAB toxicity to human health is poorly understood. In this study, we aim to determine the developmental toxicity of TBAB using zebrafish embryos as a model and provide novel insights into the mechanism of action of such chemicals on neurodevelopment and the overall embryonic program. Our results show that exposure to TBAB results in impaired development of the brain, inner ear, and pharyngeal skeletal elements in the zebrafish embryo. TBAB treatment resulted in aberrations in the specification of the neural crest precursors, hindbrain segmentation, and otic neurogenesis. TBAB treatment also induced a surge in apoptosis in the head, tail, and trunk regions of the developing embryo. Long-term TBAB exposure resulted in cardiac edema and craniofacial defects. Further, in silico molecular docking analysis indicated that TBAB binds to AMPA receptors and modulates neural developmental genes such as olfactomedin and acetylcholinesterase in the embryonic brain. To summarize, our study highlights the novel effects of TBAB on embryonic brain formation and segmentation, ear morphogenesis, and craniofacial skeletal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Iyer
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Neha Dhiman
- Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh160014, India
| | - Suraj P Zade
- Global Product Compliance─India, 301, Samved Sankul, Near MLA Hostel, Civil Lines, Nagpur 440001, India
| | - Sulagna Mukherjee
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - Neha Singla
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh160014, India
| | - Megha Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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28
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Chen HJ, Barske L, Talbot JC, Dinwoodie OM, Roberts RR, Farmer DT, Jimenez C, Merrill AE, Tucker AS, Crump JG. Nuclear receptor Nr5a2 promotes diverse connective tissue fates in the jaw. Dev Cell 2023; 58:461-473.e7. [PMID: 36905926 PMCID: PMC10050118 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.02.011] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Organ development involves the sustained production of diverse cell types with spatiotemporal precision. In the vertebrate jaw, neural-crest-derived progenitors produce not only skeletal tissues but also later-forming tendons and salivary glands. Here we identify the pluripotency factor Nr5a2 as essential for cell-fate decisions in the jaw. In zebrafish and mice, we observe transient expression of Nr5a2 in a subset of mandibular postmigratory neural-crest-derived cells. In zebrafish nr5a2 mutants, nr5a2-expressing cells that would normally form tendons generate excess jaw cartilage. In mice, neural-crest-specific Nr5a2 loss results in analogous skeletal and tendon defects in the jaw and middle ear, as well as salivary gland loss. Single-cell profiling shows that Nr5a2, distinct from its roles in pluripotency, promotes jaw-specific chromatin accessibility and gene expression that is essential for tendon and gland fates. Thus, repurposing of Nr5a2 promotes connective tissue fates to generate the full repertoire of derivatives required for jaw and middle ear function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Jhen Chen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lindsey Barske
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Jared C Talbot
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Olivia M Dinwoodie
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Ryan R Roberts
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - D'Juan T Farmer
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Department and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christian Jimenez
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Amy E Merrill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Abigail S Tucker
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - J Gage Crump
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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29
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Cintr N-Rivera LG, Oulette G, Prakki A, Burns NM, Patel R, Cyr R, Plavicki J. Exposure to the persistent organic pollutant 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin) disrupts development of the zebrafish inner ear. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.14.532434. [PMID: 36993549 PMCID: PMC10054988 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.14.532434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Dioxins are a class of highly toxic and persistent environmental pollutants that have been shown through epidemiological and laboratory-based studies to act as developmental teratogens. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most potent dioxin congener, has a high affinity for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand activated transcription factor. TCDD-induced AHR activation during development impairs nervous system, cardiac, and craniofacial development. Despite the robust phenotypes previously reported, the characterization of developmental malformations and our understanding of the molecular targets mediating TCDD-induced developmental toxicity remains limited. In zebrafish, TCDD-induced craniofacial malformations are produced, in part, by the downregulation of SRY-box transcription factor 9b ( sox9b ), a member of the SoxE gene family. sox9b , along with fellow SoxE gene family members sox9a and sox10 , have important functions in the development of the otic placode, the otic vesicle, and, ultimately, the inner ear. Given that sox9b in a known target of TCDD and that transcriptional interactions exist among SoxE genes, we asked whether TCDD exposure impaired the development of the zebrafish auditory system, specifically the otic vesicle, which gives rise to the sensory components of the inner ear. Using immunohistochemistry, in vivo confocal imaging, and time-lapse microscopy, we assessed the impact of TCDD exposure on zebrafish otic vesicle development. We found exposure resulted in structural deficits, including incomplete pillar fusion and altered pillar topography, leading to defective semicircular canal development. The observed structural deficits were accompanied by reduced collagen type II expression in the ear. Together, our findings reveal the otic vesicle as a novel target of TCDD-induced toxicity, suggest that the function of multiple SoxE genes may be affected by TCDD exposure, and provide insight into how environmental contaminants contribute to congenital malformations. Highlights The zebrafish ear is necessary to detect changes in motion, sound, and gravity.Embryos exposed to TCDD lack structural components of the developing ear.TCDD exposure impairs formation of the fusion plate and alters pillar topography.The semicircular canals of the ear are required to detect changes in movement.Following TCDD exposure embryos fail to establish semicircular canals.
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30
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Subkhankulova T, Camargo Sosa K, Uroshlev LA, Nikaido M, Shriever N, Kasianov AS, Yang X, Rodrigues FSLM, Carney TJ, Bavister G, Schwetlick H, Dawes JHP, Rocco A, Makeev VJ, Kelsh RN. Zebrafish pigment cells develop directly from persistent highly multipotent progenitors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1258. [PMID: 36878908 PMCID: PMC9988989 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36876-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural crest cells are highly multipotent stem cells, but it remains unclear how their fate restriction to specific fates occurs. The direct fate restriction model hypothesises that migrating cells maintain full multipotency, whilst progressive fate restriction envisages fully multipotent cells transitioning to partially-restricted intermediates before committing to individual fates. Using zebrafish pigment cell development as a model, we show applying NanoString hybridization single cell transcriptional profiling and RNAscope in situ hybridization that neural crest cells retain broad multipotency throughout migration and even in post-migratory cells in vivo, with no evidence for partially-restricted intermediates. We find that leukocyte tyrosine kinase early expression marks a multipotent stage, with signalling driving iridophore differentiation through repression of fate-specific transcription factors for other fates. We reconcile the direct and progressive fate restriction models by proposing that pigment cell development occurs directly, but dynamically, from a highly multipotent state, consistent with our recently-proposed Cyclical Fate Restriction model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Camargo Sosa
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Leonid A Uroshlev
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Gubkina 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Masataka Nikaido
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Graduate School of Science, University of Hyogo, Ako-gun, Hyogo Pref., 678-1297, Japan
| | - Noah Shriever
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Artem S Kasianov
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Gubkina 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Department of Medical and Biological Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems (IITP), Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, build.1, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Xueyan Yang
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, PR China
| | | | - Thomas J Carney
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Experimental Medicine Building, Yunnan Garden Campus, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Yunnan Garden, 636921, Singapore
| | - Gemma Bavister
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Hartmut Schwetlick
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Jonathan H P Dawes
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Andrea Rocco
- Department of Microbial Sciences, FHMS, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH, Guildford, UK
- Department of Physics, FEPS, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH, Guildford, UK
| | - Vsevolod J Makeev
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Gubkina 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Department of Medical and Biological Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
- Laboratory 'Regulatory Genomics', Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya street, Kazan, 420008, Russia
| | - Robert N Kelsh
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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31
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Liu W, Lin L, Sun Y, Jin S, Yang Q, Jiang H. Bmp5 Mutation Alters mRNA Expression During External Ear Development. J Craniofac Surg 2023; 34:790-796. [PMID: 36166492 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000009025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand changes in gene regulation and mRNA expression in external ear development, we used a bone morphogenetic protein 5 (BMP5) short-ear mouse model. External ear tissues at E15.5 and E17.5 were collected, and mRNA expression profiles were analyzed. Upregulated and downregulated mRNA expression was identified using find_circ and CIRI2 software. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed using the differentially expressed mRNAs. Alterations in related signal pathways were identified from the upregulated and downregulated mRNA transcripts. The results showed a correlation between the mRNA expression during external ear development in BMP5 short-ear mice, including key regulatory mRNA changes after point mutations of the Bmp5 gene. This study provides evidence for the mechanism underlying mRNA regulation during external ear development. Changes in mRNA expression profiles also provide clues for future studies regarding the regulatory mechanisms underlying external ear development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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32
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Henke K, Farmer DT, Niu X, Kraus JM, Galloway JL, Youngstrom DW. Genetically engineered zebrafish as models of skeletal development and regeneration. Bone 2023; 167:116611. [PMID: 36395960 PMCID: PMC11080330 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2022.116611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are aquatic vertebrates with significant homology to their terrestrial counterparts. While zebrafish have a centuries-long track record in developmental and regenerative biology, their utility has grown exponentially with the onset of modern genetics. This is exemplified in studies focused on skeletal development and repair. Herein, the numerous contributions of zebrafish to our understanding of the basic science of cartilage, bone, tendon/ligament, and other skeletal tissues are described, with a particular focus on applications to development and regeneration. We summarize the genetic strengths that have made the zebrafish a powerful model to understand skeletal biology. We also highlight the large body of existing tools and techniques available to understand skeletal development and repair in the zebrafish and introduce emerging methods that will aid in novel discoveries in skeletal biology. Finally, we review the unique contributions of zebrafish to our understanding of regeneration and highlight diverse routes of repair in different contexts of injury. We conclude that zebrafish will continue to fill a niche of increasing breadth and depth in the study of basic cellular mechanisms of skeletal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Henke
- Department of Orthopaedics, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - D'Juan T Farmer
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Xubo Niu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Jessica M Kraus
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
| | - Jenna L Galloway
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Daniel W Youngstrom
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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Okeke C, Paulding D, Riedel A, Paudel S, Phelan C, Teng CS, Barske L. Control of cranial ectomesenchyme fate by Nr2f nuclear receptors. Development 2022; 149:dev201133. [PMID: 36367707 PMCID: PMC10114104 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201133] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Certain cranial neural crest cells are uniquely endowed with the ability to make skeletal cell types otherwise only derived from mesoderm. As these cells migrate into the pharyngeal arches, they downregulate neural crest specifier genes and upregulate so-called ectomesenchyme genes that are characteristic of skeletal progenitors. Although both external and intrinsic factors have been proposed as triggers of this transition, the details remain obscure. Here, we report the Nr2f nuclear receptors as intrinsic activators of the ectomesenchyme program: zebrafish nr2f5 single and nr2f2;nr2f5 double mutants show marked delays in upregulation of ectomesenchyme genes, such as dlx2a, prrx1a, prrx1b, sox9a, twist1a and fli1a, and in downregulation of sox10, which is normally restricted to early neural crest and non-ectomesenchyme lineages. Mutation of sox10 fully rescued skeletal development in nr2f5 single but not nr2f2;nr2f5 double mutants, but the initial ectomesenchyme delay persisted in both. Sox10 perdurance thus antagonizes the recovery but does not explain the impaired ectomesenchyme transition. Unraveling the mechanisms of Nr2f function will help solve the enduring puzzle of how cranial neural crest cells transition to the skeletal progenitor state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chukwuebuka Okeke
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - David Paulding
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Alexa Riedel
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sandhya Paudel
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Conrad Phelan
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Camilla S. Teng
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lindsey Barske
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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34
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Norcross RG, Abdelmoti L, Rouchka EC, Andreeva K, Tussey O, Landestoy D, Galperin E. Shoc2 controls ERK1/2-driven neural crest development by balancing components of the extracellular matrix. Dev Biol 2022; 492:156-171. [PMID: 36265687 PMCID: PMC10019579 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) pathway is essential in embryonic development. The scaffold protein Shoc2 is a critical modulator of ERK1/2 signals, and mutations in the shoc2 gene lead to the human developmental disease known as Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NSLH). The loss of Shoc2 and the shoc2 NSLH-causing mutations affect the tissues of neural crest (NC) origin. In this study, we utilized the zebrafish model to dissect the role of Shoc2-ERK1/2 signals in the development of NC. These studies established that the loss of Shoc2 significantly altered the expression of transcription factors regulating the specification and differentiation of NC cells. Using comparative transcriptome analysis of NC-derived cells from shoc2 CRISPR/Cas9 mutant larvae, we found that Shoc2-mediated signals regulate gene programs at several levels, including expression of genes coding for the proteins of extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM regulators. Together, our results demonstrate that Shoc2 is an essential regulator of NC development. This study also indicates that disbalance in the turnover of the ECM may lead to the abnormalities found in NSLH patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Norcross
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Lina Abdelmoti
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Eric C Rouchka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; KY INBRE Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Kalina Andreeva
- KY INBRE Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; Department of Neuroscience Training, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Olivia Tussey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Daileen Landestoy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Emilia Galperin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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Elf3 deficiency during zebrafish development alters extracellular matrix organization and disrupts tissue morphogenesis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276255. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
E26 transformation specific (ETS) family transcription factors are expressed during embryogenesis and are involved in various cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and survival of cellular lineages to ensure appropriate development. Dysregulated expression of many of the ETS family members is detected in different cancers. The human ELF3, a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, plays a role in the induction and progression of human cancers is well studied. However, little is known about the role of ELF3 in early development. Here, the zebrafish elf3 was cloned, and its expression was analyzed during zebrafish development. Zebrafish elf3 is maternally deposited. At different developmental stages, elf3 expression was detected in different tissue, mainly neural tissues, endoderm-derived tissues, cartilage, heart, pronephric duct, blood vessels, and notochord. The expression levels were high at the tissue boundaries. Elf3 loss-of-function consequences were examined by using translation blocking antisense morpholino oligonucleotides, and effects were validated using CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown. Elf3-knockdown produced short and bent larvae with notochord, craniofacial cartilage, and fin defects. The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the fin and notochord was disorganized. Neural defects were also observed. Optic nerve fasciculation (bundling) and arborization in the optic tectum were defective in Elf3-morphants, and fragmentation of spinal motor neurons were evident. Dysregulation of genes encoding ECM proteins and matrix metalloprotease (MMP) and disorganization of ECM may play a role in the observed defects in Elf3 morphants. We conclude that zebrafish Elf3 is required for epidermal, mesenchymal, and neural tissue development.
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36
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Etchegaray E, Baas D, Naville M, Haftek-Terreau Z, Volff JN. The neurodevelopmental gene MSANTD2 belongs to a gene family formed by recurrent molecular domestication of Harbinger transposons at the base of vertebrates. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac173. [PMID: 35980103 PMCID: PMC9392472 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of new genes is a major source of organism evolutionary innovation. Beyond their mutational effects, transposable elements can be co-opted by host genomes to form different types of sequences including novel genes, through a mechanism named molecular domestication.We report the formation of four genes through molecular domestication of Harbinger transposons, three in a common ancestor of jawed vertebrates about 500 million years ago and one in sarcopterygians approx. 430 million years ago. Additionally, one processed pseudogene arose approx. 60 million years ago in simians. In zebrafish, Harbinger-derived genes are expressed during early development but also in adult tissues, and predominantly co-expressed in male brain. In human, expression was detected in multiple organs, with major expression in the brain particularly during fetal development. We used CRISPR/Cas9 with direct gene knock-out in the F0 generation and the morpholino antisense oligonucleotide knock-down technique to study in zebrafish the function of one of these genes called MSANTD2, which has been suggested to be associated to neuro-developmental diseases such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia in human. MSANTD2 inactivation led to developmental delays including tail and nervous system malformation at one day post fertilization. Affected embryos showed dead cell accumulation, major anatomical defects characterized by impaired brain ventricle formation and alterations in expression of some characteristic genes involved in vertebrate nervous system development. Hence, the characterization of MSANTD2 and other Harbinger-derived genes might contribute to a better understanding of the genetic innovations having driven the early evolution of the vertebrate nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ema Etchegaray
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5242, Lyon, France
| | - Dominique Baas
- Unité MeLiS, UCBL-CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, Lyon, France
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5242, Lyon, France
| | - Zofia Haftek-Terreau
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5242, Lyon, France
| | - Jean Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5242, Lyon, France
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37
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Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a dynamic, multipotent, vertebrate-specific population of embryonic stem cells. These ectodermally-derived cells contribute to diverse tissue types in developing embryos including craniofacial bone and cartilage, the peripheral and enteric nervous systems and pigment cells, among a host of other cell types. Due to their contribution to a significant number of adult tissue types, the mechanisms that drive their formation, migration and differentiation are highly studied. NCCs have a unique ability to transition from tightly adherent epithelial cells to mesenchymal and migratory cells by altering their polarity, expression of cell-cell adhesion molecules and gaining invasive abilities. In this Review, we discuss classical and emerging factors driving NCC epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and migration, highlighting the role of signaling and transcription factors, as well as novel modifying factors including chromatin remodelers, small RNAs and post-translational regulators, which control the availability and longevity of major NCC players.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Crystal D. Rogers
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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38
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Acetaminophen Disrupts the Development of Pharyngeal Arch-Derived Cartilage and Muscle in Zebrafish. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10030030. [PMID: 35893125 PMCID: PMC9326545 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10030030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetaminophen is a common analgesic, but its potential effects on early embryonic development are not well understood. Previous studies using zebrafish (Danio rerio) have described the effects of acetaminophen on liver development and physiology, and a few have described gross physiological and morphological defects. Using a high but non-embryonic lethal dose of acetaminophen, we probed for defects in zebrafish craniofacial cartilage development. Strikingly, acetaminophen treatment caused severe craniofacial cartilage defects, primarily affecting both the presence and morphology of pharyngeal arch-derived cartilages of the viscerocranium. Delaying acetaminophen treatment restored developing cartilages in an order correlated with their corresponding pharyngeal arches, suggesting that acetaminophen may target pharyngeal arch development. Craniofacial cartilages are derived from cranial neural crest cells; however, many neural crest cells were still seen along their expected migration paths, and most remaining cartilage precursors expressed the neural crest markers sox9a and sox10, then eventually col2a1 (type II collagen). Therefore, the defects are not primarily due to an early breakdown of neural crest or cartilage differentiation. Instead, apoptosis is increased around the developing pharyngeal arches prior to chondrogenesis, further suggesting that acetaminophen may target pharyngeal arch development. Many craniofacial muscles, which develop in close proximity to the affected cartilages, were also absent in treated larvae. Taken together, these results suggest that high amounts of acetaminophen can disrupt multiple aspects of craniofacial development in zebrafish.
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39
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Vibration exposure uncovers a critical early developmental window for zebrafish caudal fin development. Dev Genes Evol 2022; 232:67-79. [PMID: 35798873 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-022-00691-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical influencers have long been shown to affect mature bone. Bone mechanosensation is a key feature that allows the skeleton to adapt to environmental constraints. In this study, we describe the response of immature, developing bones to a mechanical stimulus. To do so, zebrafish larvae at different stages of development were exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV) at a low frequency of 20 Hz, for up to 4 days. Whole mount Alizarin red and Alcian blue staining revealed age-related and bone type-specific defects. Specifically, the parhypural and hypural 1 caudal fin endoskeletal elements were affected when the exposure to WBV started early during their development. We show that these WBV-induced parhypural and hypural 1 patterning defects are triggered by a Sox9-independent pathway, potentially by reducing the distance separating adjacent chondrogenic condensations in the developing tail skeleton. The remaining hypurals were unaffected by the WBV treatment. Altogether, our results indicate that, upon exposure to vibration, chondrogenic cell progenitors can react to mechanical stimuli early during their development, which ultimately affects the skeletal patterning of the growing zebrafish larvae. These findings open a new research avenue to better understand the cellular processes involved in developing, patterning, and maintaining skeletal tissue.
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40
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Bogoch Y, Jamieson-Lucy A, Vejnar CE, Levy K, Giraldez AJ, Mullins MC, Elkouby YM. Stage Specific Transcriptomic Analysis and Database for Zebrafish Oogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:826892. [PMID: 35733854 PMCID: PMC9207522 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.826892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Oogenesis produces functional eggs and is essential for fertility, embryonic development, and reproduction. The zebrafish ovary is an excellent model to study oogenesis in vertebrates, and recent studies have identified multiple regulators in oocyte development through forward genetic screens, as well as reverse genetics by CRISPR mutagenesis. However, many developmental steps in oogenesis, in zebrafish and other species, remain poorly understood, and their underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we take a genomic approach to systematically uncover biological activities throughout oogenesis. We performed transcriptomic analysis on five stages of oogenesis, from the onset of oocyte differentiation through Stage III, which precedes oocyte maturation. These transcriptomes revealed thousands of differentially expressed genes across stages of oogenesis. We analyzed trends of gene expression dynamics along oogenesis, as well as their expression in pair-wise comparisons between stages. We determined their functionally enriched terms, identifying uniquely characteristic biological activities in each stage. These data identified two prominent developmental phases in oocyte differentiation and traced the accumulation of maternally deposited embryonic regulator transcripts in the developing oocyte. Our analysis provides the first molecular description for oogenesis in zebrafish, which we deposit online as a resource for the community. Further, the presence of multiple gene paralogs in zebrafish, and the exclusive curation by many bioinformatic tools of the single paralogs present in humans, challenge zebrafish genomic analyses. We offer an approach for converting zebrafish gene name nomenclature to the human nomenclature for supporting genomic analyses generally in zebrafish. Altogether, our work provides a valuable resource as a first step to uncover oogenesis mechanisms and candidate regulators and track accumulating transcripts of maternal regulators of embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoel Bogoch
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Israel-Canada, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Allison Jamieson-Lucy
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Karine Levy
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Israel-Canada, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Mary C. Mullins
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yaniv M. Elkouby
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Israel-Canada, Jerusalem, Israel
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41
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Paudel S, Gjorcheska S, Bump P, Barske L. Patterning of cartilaginous condensations in the developing facial skeleton. Dev Biol 2022; 486:44-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Smeeton J, Natarajan N, Anderson T, Tseng KC, Fabian P, Crump JG. Regeneration of Jaw Joint Cartilage in Adult Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:777787. [PMID: 35127702 PMCID: PMC8811260 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.777787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor intrinsic repair capacity of mammalian joint cartilage likely contributes to the high incidence of arthritis worldwide. Adult zebrafish can regenerate many structures that show limited or no healing capacity in mammals, including the jawbone. To test whether zebrafish can also regenerate damaged joints, we developed a surgical injury model in which the zebrafish jaw joint is destabilized via transection of the major jaw joint ligament, the interopercular-mandibular (IOM). Unilateral transection of the IOM ligament in 1-year-old fish resulted in an initial reduction of jaw joint cartilage by 14 days, with full regeneration of joint cartilage by 28 days. Joint cartilage regeneration involves the re-entry of articular chondrocytes into the cell cycle and the upregulated expression of sox10, a marker of developing chondrocytes in the embryo that becomes restricted to a subset of joint chondrocytes in adults. Genetic ablation of these sox10-expressing chondrocytes shows that they are essential for joint cartilage regeneration. To uncover the potential source of new chondrocytes during joint regeneration, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of the uninjured adult jaw joint and identified multiple skeletal, connective tissue, and fibroblast subtypes. In particular, we uncovered a joint-specific periosteal population expressing coch and grem1a, with the jaw joint chondrocytes marked by grem1a expression during regeneration. Our findings demonstrate the capacity of zebrafish to regenerate adult joint cartilage and identify candidate cell types that can be tested for their roles in regenerative response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Smeeton
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Natasha Natarajan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Troy Anderson
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kuo-Chang Tseng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Peter Fabian
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - J. Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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43
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Riley BB. Comparative assessment of Fgf's diverse roles in inner ear development: A zebrafish perspective. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1524-1551. [PMID: 33830554 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Progress in understanding mechanisms of inner ear development has been remarkably rapid in recent years. The research community has benefited from the availability of several diverse model organisms, including zebrafish, chick, and mouse. The complexity of the inner ear has proven to be a challenge, and the complexity of the mammalian cochlea in particular has been the subject of intense scrutiny. Zebrafish lack a cochlea and exhibit a number of other differences from amniote species, hence they are sometimes seen as less relevant for inner ear studies. However, accumulating evidence shows that underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are often highly conserved. As a case in point, consideration of the diverse functions of Fgf and its downstream effectors reveals many similarities between vertebrate species, allowing meaningful comparisons the can benefit the entire research community. In this review, I will discuss mechanisms by which Fgf controls key events in early otic development in zebrafish and provide direct comparisons with chick and mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce B Riley
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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44
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Moss JJ, Wirth M, Tooze SA, Lane JD, Hammond CL. Autophagy coordinates chondrocyte development and early joint formation in zebrafish. FASEB J 2021; 35:e22002. [PMID: 34708458 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101167r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a catabolic process responsible for the removal of waste and damaged cellular components by lysosomal degradation. It plays a key role in fundamental cell processes, including ER stress mitigation, control of cell metabolism, and cell differentiation and proliferation, all of which are essential for cartilage cell (chondrocyte) development and survival, and for the formation of cartilage. Correspondingly, autophagy dysregulation has been implicated in several skeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. To test the requirement for autophagy during skeletal development in zebrafish, we generated an atg13 CRISPR knockout zebrafish line. This line showed a complete loss of atg13 expression, and restricted autophagic activity in vivo. In the absence of autophagy, chondrocyte maturation was accelerated, with chondrocytes exhibiting signs of premature hypertrophy. Focussing on the jaw element, autophagy disruption affected joint articulation causing restricted mouth opening. This gross behavioural phenotype corresponded with a failure to thrive, and death in homozygote atg13 nulls within 17 days. Taken together, our results are consistent with autophagy contributing to the timely regulation of chondrocyte maturation and for extracellular matrix formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J Moss
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Martina Wirth
- Molecular Cell Biology of Autophagy, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sharon A Tooze
- Molecular Cell Biology of Autophagy, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jon D Lane
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Chrissy L Hammond
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Wang S, Liu Q, Huang X, Yang C, Chen L, Han M, Shu Y, Wang M, Li W, Hu F, Wen M, Luo K, Wang Y, Zhou R, Zhang C, Tao M, Zhao R, Tang C, Liu S. The rapid variation of Hox clusters reveals a clear evolutionary path in a crucian carp-like homodiploid fish lineage. REPRODUCTION AND BREEDING 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbre.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Fabik J, Psutkova V, Machon O. The Mandibular and Hyoid Arches-From Molecular Patterning to Shaping Bone and Cartilage. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7529. [PMID: 34299147 PMCID: PMC8303155 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mandibular and hyoid arches collectively make up the facial skeleton, also known as the viscerocranium. Although all three germ layers come together to assemble the pharyngeal arches, the majority of tissue within viscerocranial skeletal components differentiates from the neural crest. Since nearly one third of all birth defects in humans affect the craniofacial region, it is important to understand how signalling pathways and transcription factors govern the embryogenesis and skeletogenesis of the viscerocranium. This review focuses on mouse and zebrafish models of craniofacial development. We highlight gene regulatory networks directing the patterning and osteochondrogenesis of the mandibular and hyoid arches that are actually conserved among all gnathostomes. The first part of this review describes the anatomy and development of mandibular and hyoid arches in both species. The second part analyses cell signalling and transcription factors that ensure the specificity of individual structures along the anatomical axes. The third part discusses the genes and molecules that control the formation of bone and cartilage within mandibular and hyoid arches and how dysregulation of molecular signalling influences the development of skeletal components of the viscerocranium. In conclusion, we notice that mandibular malformations in humans and mice often co-occur with hyoid malformations and pinpoint the similar molecular machinery controlling the development of mandibular and hyoid arches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Fabik
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.F.); (V.P.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viktorie Psutkova
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.F.); (V.P.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Machon
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.F.); (V.P.)
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Sox9a, not sox9b is required for normal cartilage development in zebrafish. AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aaf.2019.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Zafar I, Iftikhar R, Ahmad SU, Rather MA. Genome wide identification, phylogeny, and synteny analysis of sox gene family in common carp ( Cyprinus carpio). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 30:e00607. [PMID: 33936955 PMCID: PMC8076717 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2021.e00607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
27 SOX (high-mobility group HMG-box) genes were identified in the C. carp genome. SOX genes ranging from 3496 (SOX6) to 924bp (SOX17b) which coded with putative protein series from 307 to 509 amino acids. Gene ontology revealed SOX proteins maximum involvement is in metabolic process 49.796 %. Chromosomal location and synteny analysis display all SOX gene are located on different chromosomes.
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a commercial fish species valuable for nutritious components and plays a vital role in human healthy nutrition. The SOX (SRY-related genes systematically characterized by a high-mobility group HMG-box) encoded important gene regulatory proteins, a family of transcription factors found in a broad range of animal taxa and extensively known for its contribution in multiple developmental processes including contribution in sex determination across phyla. In our current study, we initially accomplished a genome-wide analysis to report the SOX gene family in common carp fish based on available genomic sequences of zebrafish retrieved from gene repository databases, we focused on the global identification of the Sox gene family in Common carp among wide range of vertebrates and teleosts based on bioinformatics tools and techniques and explore the evolutionary relationships. In our results, a total of 27 SOX (high-mobility group HMG-box) domain genes were identified in the C. carp genome. The full length sequences of SOX genes ranging from 3496 (SOX6) to 924bp (SOX17b) which coded with putative proteins series from 307 to 509 amino acids and all gene having exon number expect SOX9 and SOX13. All the SOX proteins contained at least one conserved DNA-binding HMG-box domain and two (SOX7 and SOX18) were found C terminal. The Gene ontology revealed SOX proteins maximum involvement is in metabolic process 49.796 %, average in biological regulation 45.188 %, biosynthetic process (19.992 %), regulation of cellular process 39.68, 45.508 % organic substance metabolic process, multicellular organismal process 23.23 %,developmental process 21.74 %, system development 16.59 %, gene expression 16.05 % and 14.337 % of RNA metabolic process. Chromosomal location and syntanic analysis show all SOX gene are located on different chromosomes and apparently does not fallow the unique pattern. The maximum linkage of chromosome is (2) on Unplaced Scaffold region. Finally, our results provide important genomic suggestion for upcoming studies of biochemical, physiological, and phylogenetic understanding on SOX genes among teleost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Zafar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Virtual University Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Rida Iftikhar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Virtual University Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Syed Umair Ahmad
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Mohd Ashraf Rather
- Division of Fish Genetics and Biotechnology, Fauclty of Fisheries Rangil, Ganderbal, SKUAST-Kashmir, India
- Corresponding author.
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Xu P, Yu HV, Tseng KC, Flath M, Fabian P, Segil N, Crump JG. Foxc1 establishes enhancer accessibility for craniofacial cartilage differentiation. eLife 2021; 10:63595. [PMID: 33501917 PMCID: PMC7891931 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The specification of cartilage requires Sox9, a transcription factor with broad roles for organogenesis outside the skeletal system. How Sox9 and other factors gain access to cartilage-specific cis-regulatory regions during skeletal development was unknown. By analyzing chromatin accessibility during the differentiation of neural crest cells into chondrocytes of the zebrafish head, we find that cartilage-associated chromatin accessibility is dynamically established. Cartilage-associated regions that become accessible after neural crest migration are co-enriched for Sox9 and Fox transcription factor binding motifs. In zebrafish lacking Foxc1 paralogs, we find a global decrease in chromatin accessibility in chondrocytes, consistent with a later loss of dorsal facial cartilages. Zebrafish transgenesis assays confirm that many of these Foxc1-dependent elements function as enhancers with region- and stage-specific activity in facial cartilages. These results show that Foxc1 promotes chondrogenesis in the face by establishing chromatin accessibility at a number of cartilage-associated gene enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Xu
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Haoze V Yu
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Kuo-Chang Tseng
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mackenzie Flath
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Peter Fabian
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Neil Segil
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - J Gage Crump
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
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Smeeton J, Natarajan N, Naveen Kumar A, Miyashita T, Baddam P, Fabian P, Graf D, Crump JG. Zebrafish model for spondylo-megaepiphyseal-metaphyseal dysplasia reveals post-embryonic roles of Nkx3.2 in the skeleton. Development 2021; 148:dev193409. [PMID: 33462117 PMCID: PMC7860120 DOI: 10.1242/dev.193409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The regulated expansion of chondrocytes within growth plates and joints ensures proper skeletal development through adulthood. Mutations in the transcription factor NKX3.2 underlie spondylo-megaepiphyseal-metaphyseal dysplasia (SMMD), which is characterized by skeletal defects including scoliosis, large epiphyses, wide growth plates and supernumerary distal limb joints. Whereas nkx3.2 knockdown zebrafish and mouse Nkx3.2 mutants display embryonic lethal jaw joint fusions and skeletal reductions, respectively, they lack the skeletal overgrowth seen in SMMD patients. Here, we report adult viable nkx3.2 mutant zebrafish displaying cartilage overgrowth in place of a missing jaw joint, as well as severe dysmorphologies of the facial skeleton, skullcap and spine. In contrast, cartilage overgrowth and scoliosis are absent in rare viable nkx3.2 knockdown animals that lack jaw joints, supporting post-embryonic roles for Nkx3.2. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and in vivo validation reveal increased proliferation and upregulation of stress-induced pathways, including prostaglandin synthases, in mutant chondrocytes. By generating a zebrafish model for the skeletal overgrowth defects of SMMD, we reveal post-embryonic roles for Nkx3.2 in dampening proliferation and buffering the stress response in joint-associated chondrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Smeeton
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Natasha Natarajan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Arati Naveen Kumar
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tetsuto Miyashita
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Pranidhi Baddam
- Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Peter Fabian
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Daniel Graf
- Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada
| | - J. Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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