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Friedman MJ, Wagner T, Lee H, Rosenfeld MG, Oh S. Enhancer-promoter specificity in gene transcription: molecular mechanisms and disease associations. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:772-787. [PMID: 38658702 PMCID: PMC11058250 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Although often located at a distance from their target gene promoters, enhancers are the primary genomic determinants of temporal and spatial transcriptional specificity in metazoans. Since the discovery of the first enhancer element in simian virus 40, there has been substantial interest in unraveling the mechanism(s) by which enhancers communicate with their partner promoters to ensure proper gene expression. These research efforts have benefited considerably from the application of increasingly sophisticated sequencing- and imaging-based approaches in conjunction with innovative (epi)genome-editing technologies; however, despite various proposed models, the principles of enhancer-promoter interaction have still not been fully elucidated. In this review, we provide an overview of recent progress in the eukaryotic gene transcription field pertaining to enhancer-promoter specificity. A better understanding of the mechanistic basis of lineage- and context-dependent enhancer-promoter engagement, along with the continued identification of functional enhancers, will provide key insights into the spatiotemporal control of gene expression that can reveal therapeutic opportunities for a range of enhancer-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meyer J Friedman
- Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tobias Wagner
- Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Haram Lee
- College of Pharmacy Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong, 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Soohwan Oh
- College of Pharmacy Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong, 30019, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Ushiki A, Sheng RR, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Nobuhara M, Murray E, Ruan X, Rios JJ, Wise CA, Ahituv N. Deletion of Pax1 scoliosis-associated regulatory elements leads to a female-biased tail abnormality. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113907. [PMID: 38461417 PMCID: PMC11005513 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a sideways curvature of the spine, is sexually dimorphic, with increased incidence in females. A genome-wide association study identified a female-specific AIS susceptibility locus near the PAX1 gene. Here, we use mouse enhancer assays, three mouse enhancer knockouts, and subsequent phenotypic analyses to characterize this region. Using mouse enhancer assays, we characterize a sequence, PEC7, which overlaps the AIS-associated variant, and find it to be active in the tail tip and intervertebral disc. Removal of PEC7 or Xe1, a known sclerotome enhancer nearby, or deletion of both sequences lead to a kinky tail phenotype only in the Xe1 and combined (Xe1+PEC7) knockouts, with only the latter showing a female sex dimorphic phenotype. Extensive phenotypic characterization of these mouse lines implicates several differentially expressed genes and estrogen signaling in the sex dimorphic bias. In summary, our work functionally characterizes an AIS-associated locus and dissects the mechanism for its sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Ushiki
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Rory R Sheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yichi Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mai Nobuhara
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth Murray
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xin Ruan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jonathan J Rios
- Center for Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Carol A Wise
- Center for Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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3
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Li H, Chang L, Wu J, Huang J, Guan W, Bates LE, Stuart HT, Guo M, Zhang P, Huang B, Chen C, Zhang M, Chen J, Min M, Wu G, Hutchins AP, Silva JCR. In vitro generation of mouse morula-like cells. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2510-2527.e7. [PMID: 37875119 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Generating cells with the molecular and functional properties of embryo cells and with full developmental potential is an aim with fundamental biological significance. Here we report the in vitro generation of mouse transient morula-like cells (MLCs) via the manipulation of signaling pathways. MLCs are molecularly distinct from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and cluster instead with embryo 8- to 16-cell stage cells. A single MLC can generate a blastoid, and the efficiency increases to 80% when 8-10 MLCs are used. MLCs make embryoids directly, efficiently, and within 4 days. Transcriptomic analysis shows that day 4-5 MLC-derived embryoids contain the cell types found in natural embryos at early gastrulation. Furthermore, MLCs introduced into morulae segregate into epiblast (EPI), primitive endoderm (PrE), and trophectoderm (TE) fates in blastocyst chimeras and have a molecular signature indistinguishable from that of host embryo cells. These findings represent the generation of cells that are molecularly and functionally similar to the precursors of the first three cell lineages of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Li
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China.
| | - Litao Chang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Jinyi Wu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Jiahui Huang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Wei Guan
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Lawrence E Bates
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Hannah T Stuart
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Mingyue Guo
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Boyan Huang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Chuanxin Chen
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingwei Min
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Guangming Wu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - José C R Silva
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China.
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Hayal TB, Doğan A, Şenkal S, Bulut E, Şişli HB, Şahin F. Evaluation of the effect of boron derivatives on cardiac differentiation of mouse pluripotent stem cells. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2023; 79:127258. [PMID: 37451093 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The heart is one of the first organs to form during embryonic development and has a very important place. So much that the formation of a functional heart is completed on the 55th day of human development and the 15th day of mouse development. Myocardial, endocardial and epicardial cells, which are derived from the mesoderm layer, are the cells that form the basis of the heart. Cardiac development, like other embryonic developments, is tightly controlled and regulated by various signaling pathways. The WNT signaling pathway is the most studied of these signaling pathways and the one with the clearest relationship with heart development. It is known that boron compounds and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are highly correlated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of boron compounds in heart development as well as its effect on pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells for the first time in the literature. METHODS Toxicity of boron compounds was evaluated by using MTS analysis and obtained results were supported by morphological pictures, Trypan Blue staining and Annexin V staining. Additionally, the possible boron-related change in pluripotency of embryonic stem cells were analyzed with alkaline phosphatase activity and immunocytochemical staining of Oct4 protein as well as gene expression levels of pluripotency related OCT4, SOX2 and KLF4 genes. The alterations in the embryonic body formation capacity of mouse embryonic stem cells due to the application boron derivatives were also evaluated. Three linage differentiation was conducted to clarify the real impact of boron compounds on embryonic development. Lastly, cardiac differentiation of mESCs was investigated by using morphological pictures, cytosolic calcium measurement, gene expression and immunocytochemical analysis of cardiac differentiation related genes and in the presence of boron compounds. RESULTS Obtained results show that boron treatment maintains the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells at non-toxic concentrations. Additionally, endodermal, and mesodermal fate was found to be triggered after boron treatment. Also, initiation of cardiomyocyte differentiation by boron derivative treatments caused an increased gene expression levels of cardiac differentiation related TNNT2, Nkx2.5 and ISL-1 gene expression levels. CONCLUSION This study indicates that boron application, which is responsible for maintaining pluripotency of mESCs, can be used for increased cardiomyocyte differentiation of mESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taha Bartu Hayal
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey; Current affiliation: Translational Stem Cell Biology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
| | - Ayşegül Doğan
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Selinay Şenkal
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ezgi Bulut
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hatice Burcu Şişli
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fikrettin Şahin
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey
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5
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Krup AL, Winchester SAB, Ranade SS, Agrawal A, Devine WP, Sinha T, Choudhary K, Dominguez MH, Thomas R, Black BL, Srivastava D, Bruneau BG. A Mesp1-dependent developmental breakpoint in transcriptional and epigenomic specification of early cardiac precursors. Development 2023; 150:dev201229. [PMID: 36994838 PMCID: PMC10259516 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional networks governing cardiac precursor cell (CPC) specification are incompletely understood owing, in part, to limitations in distinguishing CPCs from non-cardiac mesoderm in early gastrulation. We leveraged detection of early cardiac lineage transgenes within a granular single-cell transcriptomic time course of mouse embryos to identify emerging CPCs and describe their transcriptional profiles. Mesp1, a transiently expressed mesodermal transcription factor, is canonically described as an early regulator of cardiac specification. However, we observed perdurance of CPC transgene-expressing cells in Mesp1 mutants, albeit mislocalized, prompting us to investigate the scope of the role of Mesp1 in CPC emergence and differentiation. Mesp1 mutant CPCs failed to robustly activate markers of cardiomyocyte maturity and crucial cardiac transcription factors, yet they exhibited transcriptional profiles resembling cardiac mesoderm progressing towards cardiomyocyte fates. Single-cell chromatin accessibility analysis defined a Mesp1-dependent developmental breakpoint in cardiac lineage progression at a shift from mesendoderm transcriptional networks to those necessary for cardiac patterning and morphogenesis. These results reveal Mesp1-independent aspects of early CPC specification and underscore a Mesp1-dependent regulatory landscape required for progression through cardiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Leigh Krup
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sarah A. B. Winchester
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sanjeev S. Ranade
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - W. Patrick Devine
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tanvi Sinha
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Krishna Choudhary
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Martin H. Dominguez
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute and Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Reuben Thomas
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Brian L. Black
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Deepak Srivastava
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Benoit G. Bruneau
- Gladstone Institutes of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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6
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Ushiki A, Sheng RR, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Nobuhara M, Murray E, Ruan X, Rios JJ, Wise CA, Ahituv N. Deletion of Pax1 scoliosis-associated regulatory elements leads to a female-biased tail abnormality. bioRxiv 2023:2023.04.12.536497. [PMID: 37090618 PMCID: PMC10120660 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a sideways curvature of the spine, is sexually dimorphic, with increased incidence in females. A GWAS identified a female-specific AIS susceptibility locus near the PAX1 gene. Here, we used mouse enhancer assays, three mouse enhancer knockouts and subsequent phenotypic analyses to characterize this region. Using mouse enhancer assays, we characterized a sequence, PEC7, that overlaps the AIS-associated variant, and found it to be active in the tail tip and intervertebral disc. Removal of PEC7 or Xe1, a known sclerotome enhancer nearby, and deletion of both sequences led to a kinky phenotype only in the Xe1 and combined (Xe1+PEC7) knockouts, with only the latter showing a female sex dimorphic phenotype. Extensive phenotypic characterization of these mouse lines implicated several differentially expressed genes and estrogen signaling in the sex dimorphic bias. In summary, our work functionally characterizes an AIS-associated locus and dissects the mechanism for its sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Ushiki
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Rory R. Sheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yichi Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mai Nobuhara
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth Murray
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xin Ruan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Rios
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Carol A. Wise
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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7
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Dominguez MH, Krup AL, Muncie JM, Bruneau BG. Graded mesoderm assembly governs cell fate and morphogenesis of the early mammalian heart. Cell 2023; 186:479-496.e23. [PMID: 36736300 PMCID: PMC10091855 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Using four-dimensional whole-embryo light sheet imaging with improved and accessible computational tools, we longitudinally reconstruct early murine cardiac development at single-cell resolution. Nascent mesoderm progenitors form opposing density and motility gradients, converting the temporal birth sequence of gastrulation into a spatial anterolateral-to-posteromedial arrangement. Migrating precardiac mesoderm does not strictly preserve cellular neighbor relationships, and spatial patterns only become solidified as the cardiac crescent emerges. Progenitors undergo a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, with a first heart field (FHF) ridge apposing a motile juxta-cardiac field (JCF). Anchored along the ridge, the FHF epithelium rotates the JCF forward to form the initial heart tube, along with push-pull morphodynamics of the second heart field. In Mesp1 mutants that fail to make a cardiac crescent, mesoderm remains highly motile but directionally incoherent, resulting in density gradient inversion. Our practicable live embryo imaging approach defines spatial origins and behaviors of cardiac progenitors and identifies their unanticipated morphological transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H Dominguez
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Alexis Leigh Krup
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Benoit G Bruneau
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Institute for Human Genetics, and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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8
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Kalvaitytė M, Balciunas D. Conditional mutagenesis strategies in zebrafish. Trends Genet 2022; 38:856-868. [PMID: 35662532 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene disruption or knockout is an essential tool for elucidating gene function. Conditional knockout methodology was developed to further advance these studies by enabling gene disruption at a predefined time and/or in discrete cells. While the conditional knockout method is widely used in the mouse, technical limitations have stifled direct adoption of this methodology in other animal models including the zebrafish. Recent advances in genome editing have enabled engineering of distinct classes of conditional mutants in zebrafish. To further accelerate the development and application of conditional mutants, we will review diverse methods of conditional knockout engineering and discuss the advantages of different conditional alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Darius Balciunas
- Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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9
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Stutt N, Song M, Wilson MD, Scott IC. Cardiac specification during gastrulation - The Yellow Brick Road leading to Tinman. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:46-58. [PMID: 34865988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The question of how the heart develops, and the genetic networks governing this process have become intense areas of research over the past several decades. This research is propelled by classical developmental studies and potential clinical applications to understand and treat congenital conditions in which cardiac development is disrupted. Discovery of the tinman gene in Drosophila, and examination of its vertebrate homolog Nkx2.5, along with other core cardiac transcription factors has revealed how cardiac progenitor differentiation and maturation drives heart development. Careful observation of cardiac morphogenesis along with lineage tracing approaches indicated that cardiac progenitors can be divided into two broad classes of cells, namely the first and second heart fields, that contribute to the heart in two distinct waves of differentiation. Ample evidence suggests that the fate of individual cardiac progenitors is restricted to distinct cardiac structures quite early in development, well before the expression of canonical cardiac progenitor markers like Nkx2.5. Here we review the initial specification of cardiac progenitors, discuss evidence for the early patterning of cardiac progenitors during gastrulation, and consider how early gene expression programs and epigenetic patterns can direct their development. A complete understanding of when and how the developmental potential of cardiac progenitors is determined, and their potential plasticity, is of great interest developmentally and also has important implications for both the study of congenital heart disease and therapeutic approaches based on cardiac stem cell programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Stutt
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Mengyi Song
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Ian C Scott
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
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