1
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Tang M, Regadas I, Belikov S, Shilkova O, Xu L, Wernersson E, Liu X, Wu H, Bienko M, Mannervik M. Separation of transcriptional repressor and activator functions in Drosophila HDAC3. Development 2023; 150:dev201548. [PMID: 37455638 PMCID: PMC10445730 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201548] [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: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The histone deacetylase HDAC3 is associated with the NCoR/SMRT co-repressor complex, and its canonical function is in transcriptional repression, but it can also activate transcription. Here, we show that the repressor and activator functions of HDAC3 can be genetically separated in Drosophila. A lysine substitution in the N terminus (K26A) disrupts its catalytic activity and activator function, whereas a combination of substitutions (HEBI) abrogating the interaction with SMRTER enhances repressor activity beyond wild type in the early embryo. We conclude that the crucial functions of HDAC3 in embryo development involve catalytic-dependent gene activation and non-enzymatic repression by several mechanisms, including tethering of loci to the nuclear periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South China, 421001 Hengyang, China
| | - Isabel Regadas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sergey Belikov
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olga Shilkova
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Wernersson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xuewen Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South China, 421001 Hengyang, China
| | - Hongmei Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South China, 421001 Hengyang, China
| | - Magda Bienko
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Mannervik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Cao C, Zhang Y, Jia Q, Wang X, Zheng Q, Zhang H, Song R, Li Y, Luo A, Hong Q, Qin G, Yao J, Zhang N, Wang Y, Wang H, Zhou Q, Zhao J. An exonic splicing enhancer mutation in DUOX2 causes aberrant alternative splicing and severe congenital hypothyroidism in Bama pigs. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:12/1/dmm036616. [PMID: 30651277 PMCID: PMC6361156 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.036616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigs share many similarities with humans in terms of anatomy, physiology and genetics, and have long been recognized as important experimental animals in biomedical research. Using an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis screen, we previously identified a large number of pig mutants, which could be further established as human disease models. However, the identification of causative mutations in large animals with great heterogeneity remains a challenging endeavor. Here, we select one pig mutant, showing congenital nude skin and thyroid deficiency in a recessive inheritance pattern. We were able to efficiently map the causative mutation using family-based genome-wide association studies combined with whole-exome sequencing and a small sample size. A loss-of-function variant (c.1226 A>G) that resulted in a highly conserved amino acid substitution (D409G) was identified in the DUOX2 gene. This mutation, located within an exonic splicing enhancer motif, caused aberrant splicing of DUOX2 transcripts and resulted in lower H2O2 production, which might cause a severe defect in thyroid hormone production. Our findings suggest that exome sequencing is an efficient way to map causative mutations and that DUOX2D409G/D409G mutant pigs could be a potential large animal model for human congenital hypothyroidism. Summary: Here, we show that an exonic splicing enhancer variant in DUOX2 (c.1226 A>G) causes aberrant splicing of DUOX2 transcripts, resulting in lower H2O2 production, to cause severe congenital hypothyroidism in Bama pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qitao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiantao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hongyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruigao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yongshun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Ailing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianlong Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guosong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China .,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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3
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Mallik M, Catinozzi M, Hug CB, Zhang L, Wagner M, Bussmann J, Bittern J, Mersmann S, Klämbt C, Drexler HCA, Huynen MA, Vaquerizas JM, Storkebaum E. Xrp1 genetically interacts with the ALS-associated FUS orthologue caz and mediates its toxicity. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:3947-3964. [PMID: 30209068 PMCID: PMC6219715 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201802151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mallik et al. identify Xrp1 as a nuclear chromatin-binding protein involved in gene expression regulation that mediates phenotypes induced by loss of function of cabeza (caz), the Drosophila melanogaster orthologue of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) protein FUS. Knockdown of Xrp1 in motor neurons rescues phenotypes induced by ALS-mutant FUS. Cabeza (caz) is the single Drosophila melanogaster orthologue of the human FET proteins FUS, TAF15, and EWSR1, which have been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. In this study, we identified Xrp1, a nuclear chromatin-binding protein, as a key modifier of caz mutant phenotypes. Xrp1 expression was strongly up-regulated in caz mutants, and Xrp1 heterozygosity rescued their motor defects and life span. Interestingly, selective neuronal Xrp1 knockdown was sufficient to rescue, and neuronal Xrp1 overexpression phenocopied caz mutant phenotypes. The caz/Xrp1 genetic interaction depended on the functionality of the AT-hook DNA-binding domain in Xrp1, and the majority of Xrp1-interacting proteins are involved in gene expression regulation. Consistently, caz mutants displayed gene expression dysregulation, which was mitigated by Xrp1 heterozygosity. Finally, Xrp1 knockdown substantially rescued the motor deficits and life span of flies expressing ALS mutant FUS in motor neurons, implicating gene expression dysregulation in ALS-FUS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moushami Mallik
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marica Catinozzi
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Clemens B Hug
- Regulatory Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Li Zhang
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Marina Wagner
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Julia Bussmann
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jonas Bittern
- Institute of Neuro and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sina Mersmann
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christian Klämbt
- Institute of Neuro and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hannes C A Drexler
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Martijn A Huynen
- Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- Regulatory Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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4
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Mishra AK, Bernardo-Garcia FJ, Fritsch C, Humberg TH, Egger B, Sprecher SG. Patterning mechanisms diversify neuroepithelial domains in the Drosophila optic placode. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007353. [PMID: 29677185 PMCID: PMC5937791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system develops from monolayered neuroepithelial sheets. In a first step patterning mechanisms subdivide the seemingly uniform epithelia into domains allowing an increase of neuronal diversity in a tightly controlled spatial and temporal manner. In Drosophila, neuroepithelial patterning of the embryonic optic placode gives rise to the larval eye primordium, consisting of two photoreceptor (PR) precursor types (primary and secondary), as well as the optic lobe primordium, which during larval and pupal stages develops into the prominent optic ganglia. Here, we characterize a genetic network that regulates the balance between larval eye and optic lobe precursors, as well as between primary and secondary PR precursors. In a first step the proneural factor Atonal (Ato) specifies larval eye precursors, while the orphan nuclear receptor Tailless (Tll) is crucial for the specification of optic lobe precursors. The Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways act upstream of Ato and Tll to coordinate neural precursor specification in a timely manner. The correct spatial placement of the boundary between Ato and Tll in turn is required to control the precise number of primary and secondary PR precursors. In a second step, Notch signaling also controls a binary cell fate decision, thus, acts at the top of a cascade of transcription factor interactions to define PR subtype identity. Our model serves as an example of how combinatorial action of cell extrinsic and cell intrinsic factors control neural tissue patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cornelia Fritsch
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | - Boris Egger
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Simon G. Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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5
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Mora N, Oliva C, Fiers M, Ejsmont R, Soldano A, Zhang TT, Yan J, Claeys A, De Geest N, Hassan BA. A Temporal Transcriptional Switch Governs Stem Cell Division, Neuronal Numbers, and Maintenance of Differentiation. Dev Cell 2018; 45:53-66.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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6
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Hai T, Cao C, Shang H, Guo W, Mu Y, Yang S, Zhang Y, Zheng Q, Zhang T, Wang X, Liu Y, Kong Q, Li K, Wang D, Qi M, Hong Q, Zhang R, Wang X, Jia Q, Wang X, Qin G, Li Y, Luo A, Jin W, Yao J, Huang J, Zhang H, Li M, Xie X, Zheng X, Guo K, Wang Q, Zhang S, Li L, Xie F, Zhang Y, Weng X, Yin Z, Hu K, Cong Y, Zheng P, Zou H, Xin L, Xia J, Ruan J, Li H, Zhao W, Yuan J, Liu Z, Gu W, Li M, Wang Y, Wang H, Yang S, Liu Z, Wei H, Zhao J, Zhou Q, Meng A. Pilot study of large-scale production of mutant pigs by ENU mutagenesis. eLife 2017. [PMID: 28639938 PMCID: PMC5505698 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis is a powerful tool to generate mutants on a large scale efficiently, and to discover genes with novel functions at the whole-genome level in Caenorhabditis elegans, flies, zebrafish and mice, but it has never been tried in large model animals. We describe a successful systematic three-generation ENU mutagenesis screening in pigs with the establishment of the Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium. A total of 6,770 G1 and 6,800 G3 pigs were screened, 36 dominant and 91 recessive novel pig families with various phenotypes were established. The causative mutations in 10 mutant families were further mapped. As examples, the mutation of SOX10 (R109W) in pig causes inner ear malfunctions and mimics human Mondini dysplasia, and upregulated expression of FBXO32 is associated with congenital splay legs. This study demonstrates the feasibility of artificial random mutagenesis in pigs and opens an avenue for generating a reservoir of mutants for agricultural production and biomedical research. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26248.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Tang Hai
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Chunwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Haitao Shang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weiwei Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanshuang Mu
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Shulin Yang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Qiantao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Xianlong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qingran Kong
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Kui Li
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dayu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Qianlong Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Xiupeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Qitao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Guosong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Yongshun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Ailing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwu Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaojiao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Menghua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangmo Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Kenan Guo
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinghua Wang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shibin Zhang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Li
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fei Xie
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaogang Weng
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Zhi Yin
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Kui Hu
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Yimei Cong
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Peng Zheng
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Hailong Zou
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China
| | - Leilei Xin
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jihan Xia
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinxue Ruan
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hegang Li
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiming Zhao
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zizhan Liu
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwang Gu
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Pearl Laboratory Animal Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Li
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Pearl Laboratory Animal Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Working Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Shiming Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Jianguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Anming Meng
- Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium Guide Group, Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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7
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Ren X, Holsteens K, Li H, Sun J, Zhang Y, Liu LP, Liu Q, Ni JQ. Genome editing in Drosophila melanogaster: from basic genome engineering to the multipurpose CRISPR-Cas9 system. Sci China Life Sci 2017; 60:476-489. [PMID: 28527116 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-017-9029-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, genome editing tools are indispensable for studying gene function in order to increase our knowledge of biochemical processes and disease mechanisms. The extensive availability of mutagenesis and transgenesis tools make Drosophila melanogaster an excellent model organism for geneticists. Early mutagenesis tools relied on chemical or physical methods, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) and X-rays respectively, to randomly alter DNA at a nucleotide or chromosomal level. Since the discovery of transposable elements and the availability of the complete fly genome, specific genome editing tools, such as P-elements, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), have undergone rapid development. Currently, one of the leading and most effective contemporary tools is the CRISPR-cas9 system made popular because of its low cost, effectiveness, specificity and simplicity of use. This review briefly addresses the most commonly used mutagenesis and transgenesis tools in Drosophila, followed by an in-depth review of the multipurpose CRISPR-Cas9 system and its current applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingjie Ren
- Gene Regulatory Lab, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kristof Holsteens
- Gene Regulatory Lab, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haiyi Li
- French International School of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999000, China
| | - Jin Sun
- Gene Regulatory Lab, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, 92093, USA
| | - Lu-Ping Liu
- Gene Regulatory Lab, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qingfei Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Jian-Quan Ni
- Gene Regulatory Lab, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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8
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Weinberger S, Topping MP, Yan J, Claeys A, Geest ND, Ozbay D, Hassan T, He X, Albert JT, Hassan BA, Ramaekers A. Evolutionary changes in transcription factor coding sequence quantitatively alter sensory organ development and function. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28406397 PMCID: PMC5432213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are characterized by a set of highly conserved developmental regulators. Changes in the cis-regulatory elements of these regulators are thought to constitute the major driver of morphological evolution. However, the role of coding sequence evolution remains unresolved. To address this question, we used the Atonal family of proneural transcription factors as a model. Drosophila atonal coding sequence was endogenously replaced with that of atonal homologues (ATHs) at key phylogenetic positions, non-ATH proneural genes, and the closest homologue to ancestral proneural genes. ATHs and the ancestral-like coding sequences rescued sensory organ fate in atonal mutants, in contrast to non-ATHs. Surprisingly, different ATH factors displayed different levels of proneural activity as reflected by the number and functionality of sense organs. This proneural potency gradient correlated directly with ATH protein stability, including in response to Notch signaling, independently of mRNA levels or codon usage. This establishes a distinct and ancient function for ATHs and demonstrates that coding sequence evolution can underlie quantitative variation in sensory development and function. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26402.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Weinberger
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium.,Program in Molecular and Developmental Genetics, Doctoral School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Leuven School Group Biomedicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew P Topping
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jiekun Yan
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annelies Claeys
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie De Geest
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Duru Ozbay
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Talah Hassan
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoli He
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joerg T Albert
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bassem A Hassan
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium.,Program in Molecular and Developmental Genetics, Doctoral School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Leuven School Group Biomedicine, Leuven, Belgium.,Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM) - Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Ariane Ramaekers
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium.,Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM) - Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
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9
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Fisher YE, Yang HH, Isaacman-Beck J, Xie M, Gohl DM, Clandinin TR. FlpStop, a tool for conditional gene control in Drosophila. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28211790 PMCID: PMC5342825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Manipulating gene function cell type-specifically is a common experimental goal in Drosophila research and has been central to studies of neural development, circuit computation, and behavior. However, current cell type-specific gene disruption techniques in flies often reduce gene activity incompletely or rely on cell division. Here we describe FlpStop, a generalizable tool for conditional gene disruption and rescue in post-mitotic cells. In proof-of-principle experiments, we manipulated apterous, a regulator of wing development. Next, we produced conditional null alleles of Glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 (Gad1) and Resistant to dieldrin (Rdl), genes vital for GABAergic neurotransmission, as well as cacophony (cac) and paralytic (para), voltage-gated ion channels central to neuronal excitability. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we manipulated cac in a specific visual interneuron type and discovered differential regulation of calcium signals across subcellular compartments. Thus, FlpStop will facilitate investigations into the interactions between genes, circuits, and computation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22279.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette E Fisher
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Helen H Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | | | - Marjorie Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Daryl M Gohl
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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10
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Jin M, Eblimit A, Pulikkathara M, Corr S, Chen R, Mardon G. Conditional knockout of retinal determination genes in differentiating cells in Drosophila. FEBS J 2016; 283:2754-66. [PMID: 27257739 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 04/02/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Conditional gene knockout in postmitotic cells is a valuable technique which allows the study of gene function with spatiotemporal control. Surprisingly, in contrast to its long-term and extensive use in mouse studies, this technology is lacking in Drosophila. Here, we use a novel method for generating complete loss of eyes absent (eya) or sine oculis (so) function in postmitotic cells posterior to the morphogenetic furrow (MF). Specifically, genomic rescue constructs with flippase recognition target (FRT) sequences flanking essential exons are used to generate conditional null alleles. By removing gene function in differentiating cells, we show that eya and so are dispensable for larval photoreceptor differentiation, but are required for differentiation during pupal development. Both eya and so are necessary for photoreceptor survival and the apoptosis caused by loss of eya or so function is likely a secondary consequence of inappropriate differentiation. We also confirm their requirement for cone cell development and reveal a novel role in interommatidial bristle (IOB) formation. In addition, so is required for normal eye disc morphology. This is the first report of a knockout method to study eya and so function in postmitotic cells. This technology will open the door to a large array of new functional studies in virtually any tissue and at any stage of development or in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Jin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aiden Eblimit
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Stuart Corr
- Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Graeme Mardon
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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11
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Bernardo-Garcia FJ, Fritsch C, Sprecher SG. The transcription factor Glass links eye field specification with photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila. Development 2016; 143:1413-23. [PMID: 26952983 DOI: 10.1242/dev.128801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Eye development requires an evolutionarily conserved group of transcription factors, termed the retinal determination network (RDN). However, little is known about the molecular mechanism by which the RDN instructs cells to differentiate into photoreceptors. We show that photoreceptor cell identity in Drosophila is critically regulated by the transcription factor Glass, which is primarily expressed in photoreceptors and whose role in this process was previously unknown. Glass is both required and sufficient for the expression of phototransduction proteins. Our results demonstrate that the RDN member Sine oculis directly activates glass expression, and that Glass activates the expression of the transcription factors Hazy and Otd. We identified hazy as a direct target of Glass. Induced expression of Hazy in the retina partially rescues the glass mutant phenotype. Together, our results provide a transcriptional link between eye field specification and photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila, placing Glass at a central position in this developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cornelia Fritsch
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
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12
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De Santis F, Di Donato V, Del Bene F. Clonal analysis of gene loss of function and tissue-specific gene deletion in zebrafish via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 135:171-88. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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13
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Quan XJ, Yuan L, Tiberi L, Claeys A, De Geest N, Yan J, van der Kant R, Xie W, Klisch T, Shymkowitz J, Rousseau F, Bollen M, Beullens M, Zoghbi H, Vanderhaeghen P, Hassan B. Post-translational Control of the Temporal Dynamics of Transcription Factor Activity Regulates Neurogenesis. Cell 2016; 164:460-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Venken KJT, Sarrion-Perdigones A, Vandeventer PJ, Abel NS, Christiansen AE, Hoffman KL. Genome engineering: Drosophila melanogaster and beyond. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol 2015; 5:233-67. [PMID: 26447401 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A central challenge in investigating biological phenomena is the development of techniques to modify genomic DNA with nucleotide precision that can be transmitted through the germ line. Recent years have brought a boon in these technologies, now collectively known as genome engineering. Defined genomic manipulations at the nucleotide level enable a variety of reverse engineering paradigms, providing new opportunities to interrogate diverse biological functions. These genetic modifications include controlled removal, insertion, and substitution of genetic fragments, both small and large. Small fragments up to a few kilobases (e.g., single nucleotide mutations, small deletions, or gene tagging at single or multiple gene loci) to large fragments up to megabase resolution can be manipulated at single loci to create deletions, duplications, inversions, or translocations of substantial sections of whole chromosome arms. A specialized substitution of chromosomal portions that presumably are functionally orthologous between different organisms through syntenic replacement, can provide proof of evolutionary conservation between regulatory sequences. Large transgenes containing endogenous or synthetic DNA can be integrated at defined genomic locations, permitting an alternative proof of evolutionary conservation, and sophisticated transgenes can be used to interrogate biological phenomena. Precision engineering can additionally be used to manipulate the genomes of organelles (e.g., mitochondria). Novel genome engineering paradigms are often accelerated in existing, easily genetically tractable model organisms, primarily because these paradigms can be integrated in a rigorous, existing technology foundation. The Drosophila melanogaster fly model is ideal for these types of studies. Due to its small genome size, having just four chromosomes, the vast amount of cutting-edge genetic technologies, and its short life-cycle and inexpensive maintenance requirements, the fly is exceptionally amenable to complex genetic analysis using advanced genome engineering. Thus, highly sophisticated methods developed in the fly model can be used in nearly any sequenced organism. Here, we summarize different ways to perform precise inheritable genome engineering using integrases, recombinases, and DNA nucleases in the D. melanogaster. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J T Venken
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Verna and Marrs McLean, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Paul J Vandeventer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Verna and Marrs McLean, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nicholas S Abel
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Audrey E Christiansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Verna and Marrs McLean, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kristi L Hoffman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Verna and Marrs McLean, Houston, TX, USA
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15
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Frickenhaus M, Wagner M, Mallik M, Catinozzi M, Storkebaum E. Highly efficient cell-type-specific gene inactivation reveals a key function for the Drosophila FUS homolog cabeza in neurons. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9107. [PMID: 25772687 PMCID: PMC5390904 DOI: 10.1038/srep09107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To expand the rich genetic toolkit of Drosophila melanogaster, we evaluated whether introducing FRT or LoxP sites in endogenous genes could allow for cell-type-specific gene inactivation in both dividing and postmitotic cells by GAL4-driven expression of FLP or Cre recombinase. For proof of principle, conditional alleles were generated for cabeza (caz), the Drosophila homolog of human FUS, a gene implicated in the neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Upon selective expression in neurons or muscle, both FLP and Cre mediated caz inactivation in all neurons or muscle cells, respectively. Neuron-selective caz inactivation resulted in failure of pharate adult flies to eclose from the pupal case, and adult escapers displayed motor performance defects and reduced life span. Due to Cre-toxicity, FLP/FRT is the preferred system for cell-type-specific gene inactivation, and this strategy outperforms RNAi-mediated knock-down. Furthermore, the GAL80 target system allowed for temporal control over gene inactivation, as induction of FLP expression from the adult stage onwards still inactivated caz in >99% of neurons. Remarkably, selective caz inactivation in adult neurons did not affect motor performance and life span, indicating that neuronal caz is required during development, but not for maintenance of adult neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Frickenhaus
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Marina Wagner
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Moushami Mallik
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Marica Catinozzi
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
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16
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Vilain S, Vanhauwaert R, Maes I, Schoovaerts N, Zhou L, Soukup S, da Cunha R, Lauwers E, Fiers M, Verstreken P. Fast and efficient Drosophila melanogaster gene knock-ins using MiMIC transposons. G3 (Bethesda) 2014; 4:2381-7. [PMID: 25298537 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.014803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Modern molecular genetics studies necessitate the manipulation of genes in their endogenous locus, but most of the current methodologies require an inefficient donor-dependent homologous recombination step to locally modify the genome. Here we describe a methodology to efficiently generate Drosophila knock-in alleles by capitalizing on the availability of numerous genomic MiMIC transposon insertions carrying recombinogenic attP sites. Our methodology entails the efficient PhiC31-mediated integration of a recombination cassette flanked by unique I-SceI and/or I-CreI restriction enzyme sites into an attP-site. These restriction enzyme sites allow for double-strand break−mediated removal of unwanted flanking transposon sequences, while leaving the desired genomic modifications or recombination cassettes. As a proof-of-principle, we mutated LRRK, tau, and sky by using different MiMIC elements. We replaced 6 kb of genomic DNA encompassing the tau locus and 35 kb encompassing the sky locus with a recombination cassette that permits easy integration of DNA at these loci and we also generated a functional LRRKHA knock in allele. Given that ~92% of the Drosophila genes are located within the vicinity (<35 kb) of a MiMIC element, our methodology enables the efficient manipulation of nearly every locus in the fruit fly genome without the need for inefficient donor-dependent homologous recombination events.
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17
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Xue Z, Wu M, Wen K, Ren M, Long L, Zhang X, Gao G. CRISPR/Cas9 mediates efficient conditional mutagenesis in Drosophila. Genes Genomes Genetics (Bethesda). 2014;4:2167-2173. [PMID: 25193494 PMCID: PMC4232542 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.014159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Existing transgenic RNA interference (RNAi) methods greatly facilitate functional genome studies via controlled silencing of targeted mRNA in Drosophila. Although the RNAi approach is extremely powerful, concerns still linger about its low efficiency. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated conditional mutagenesis system by combining tissue-specific expression of Cas9 driven by the Gal4/upstream activating site system with various ubiquitously expressed guide RNA transgenes to effectively inactivate gene expression in a temporally and spatially controlled manner. Furthermore, by including multiple guide RNAs in a transgenic vector to target a single gene, we achieved a high degree of gene mutagenesis in specific tissues. The CRISPR/Cas9-mediated conditional mutagenesis system provides a simple and effective tool for gene function analysis, and complements the existing RNAi approach.
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18
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Ejsmont RK, Hassan BA. The Little Fly that Could: Wizardry and Artistry of Drosophila Genomics. Genes (Basel) 2014; 5:385-414. [PMID: 24827974 PMCID: PMC4094939 DOI: 10.3390/genes5020385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
For more than 100 years now, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been at the forefront of our endeavors to unlock the secrets of the genome. From the pioneering studies of chromosomes and heredity by Morgan and his colleagues, to the generation of fly models for human disease, Drosophila research has been at the forefront of genetics and genomics. We present a broad overview of some of the most powerful genomics tools that keep Drosophila research at the cutting edge of modern biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bassem A Hassan
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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19
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Zschätzsch M, Oliva C, Langen M, De Geest N, Ozel MN, Williamson WR, Lemon WC, Soldano A, Munck S, Hiesinger PR, Sanchez-Soriano N, Hassan BA. Regulation of branching dynamics by axon-intrinsic asymmetries in Tyrosine Kinase Receptor signaling. eLife 2014; 3:e01699. [PMID: 24755286 PMCID: PMC3990184 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Axonal branching allows a neuron to connect to several targets, increasing neuronal circuit complexity. While axonal branching is well described, the mechanisms that control it remain largely unknown. We find that in the Drosophila CNS branches develop through a process of excessive growth followed by pruning. In vivo high-resolution live imaging of developing brains as well as loss and gain of function experiments show that activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is necessary for branch dynamics and the final branching pattern. Live imaging also reveals that intrinsic asymmetry in EGFR localization regulates the balance between dynamic and static filopodia. Elimination of signaling asymmetry by either loss or gain of EGFR function results in reduced dynamics leading to excessive branch formation. In summary, we propose that the dynamic process of axon branch development is mediated by differential local distribution of signaling receptors. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01699.001 In the human brain, 100 billion neurons form 100 trillion connections. Each neuron consists of a cell body with numerous small branch-like projections known as dendrites (from the Greek word for ‘tree’), plus a long cable-like structure called the axon. Neurons receive electrical inputs from neighboring cells via their dendrites, and then relay these signals onto other cells in their network via their axons. The development of the brain relies on new neurons integrating successfully into existing networks. Axon branching helps with this by enabling a single neuron to establish connections with several cells, but it is unclear how individual neurons decide when and where to form branches. Now, Zschätzsch et al. have revealed the mechanism behind this process in the fruit fly, Drosophila. Mutant flies that lack a protein called EGFR produce abnormal numbers of axon branches, suggesting that this molecule regulates branch formation. Indeed in fruit flies, just as in mammals, the developing brain initially produces excessive numbers of branches, which are subsequently pruned to leave only those that have formed appropriate connections. In Drosophila, an uneven distribution of EGFR between branches belonging to the same axon acts as a signal to regulate this pruning process. To examine this mechanism in more detail, high-resolution four-dimensional imaging was used to study brains that had been removed from Drosophila pupae and kept alive in special culture chambers. Axon branching and loss could now be followed in real time, and were found to occur more slowly in brains that lacked EGFR. The receptor controlled the branching of axons by influencing the distribution of another protein called actin, which is a key component of the internal skeleton that gives cells their structure. In addition to providing new insights into a fundamental aspect of brain development, the work of Zschätzsch et al. also highlights the importance of stochastic events in shaping the network of connections within the developing brain. These findings may well be relevant to ongoing efforts to map the human brain ‘connectome’. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01699.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen Zschätzsch
- Center for the Biology of Disease, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Oliva C, Choi CM, Nicolai LJJ, Mora N, De Geest N, Hassan BA. Proper connectivity of Drosophila motion detector neurons requires Atonal function in progenitor cells. Neural Dev 2014; 9:4. [PMID: 24571981 PMCID: PMC3941608 DOI: 10.1186/1749-8104-9-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vertebrates and invertebrates obtain visual motion information by channeling moving visual cues perceived by the retina through specific motion sensitive synaptic relays in the brain. In Drosophila, the series of synaptic relays forming the optic lobe are known as the lamina, medulla, lobula and lobula plate neuropiles. The fly’s motion detection output neurons, called the T4 and T5 cells, reside in the lobula plate. Adult optic lobe neurons are derived from larval neural progenitors in two proliferating compartments known as the outer and inner proliferation centers (OPC and IPC). Important insight has been gained into molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the lamina and medulla from the OPC, though less is known about the development of the lobula and lobula plate. Results Here we show that the proneural gene Atonal is expressed in a subset of IPC progenitors that give rise to the higher order motion detection neurons, T4 and T5, of the lobula plate. We also show that Atonal does not act as a proneural gene in this context. Rather, it is required specifically in IPC neural progenitors to regulate neurite outgrowth in the neuronal progeny. Conclusions Our findings reveal that a proneural gene is expressed in progenitors but is required for neurite development of their progeny neurons. This suggests that transcriptional programs initiated specifically in progenitors are necessary for subsequent neuronal morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bassem A Hassan
- VIB Center for Biology of Disease, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Lenz S, Karsten P, Schulz JB, Voigt A. Drosophila as a screening tool to study human neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurochem 2013; 127:453-60. [PMID: 24028575 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [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: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In an aging society, research involving neurodegenerative disorders is of paramount importance. Over the past few years, research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases has made tremendous progress. Experimental studies, however, rely mostly on transgenic animal models, preferentially using mice. Although experiments on mice have enormous advantages, they also have some inherent limitations, some of which can be overcome by the use of Drosophila melanogaster as an experimental animal. Among the major advantages of using the fly is its small genome, which can also be modified very easily. The fact that its genome lends itself to diverse alterations (e. g. mutagenesis, transposons) has made the fly a useful organism to perform large-scale and genome-wide screening approaches. This has opened up an entirely new field of experimental research aiming to elucidate genetic interactions and screen for modifiers of disease processes in vivo. Here, we provide a brief overview of how flies can be used to analyze molecular mechanisms underlying human neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lenz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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Langen M, Koch M, Yan J, De Geest N, Erfurth ML, Pfeiffer BD, Schmucker D, Moreau Y, Hassan BA. Mutual inhibition among postmitotic neurons regulates robustness of brain wiring in Drosophila. eLife 2013; 2:e00337. [PMID: 23471010 PMCID: PMC3589824 DOI: 10.7554/elife.00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain connectivity maps display a delicate balance between individual variation and stereotypy, suggesting the existence of dedicated mechanisms that simultaneously permit and limit individual variation. We show that during the development of the Drosophila central nervous system, mutual inhibition among groups of neighboring postmitotic neurons during development regulates the robustness of axon target choice in a nondeterministic neuronal circuit. Specifically, neighboring postmitotic neurons communicate through Notch signaling during axonal targeting, to ensure balanced alternative axon target choices without a corresponding change in cell fate. Loss of Notch in postmitotic neurons modulates an axon's target choice. However, because neighboring axons respond by choosing the complementary target, the stereotyped connectivity pattern is preserved. In contrast, loss of Notch in clones of neighboring postmitotic neurons results in erroneous coinnervation by multiple axons. Our observations establish mutual inhibition of axonal target choice as a robustness mechanism for brain wiring and unveil a novel cell fate independent function for canonical Notch signaling. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00337.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Langen
- Center for the Biology of Disease , VIB , Leuven , Belgium ; Center for Human Genetics , University of Leuven School of Medicine , Leuven , Belgium ; Doctoral Program in Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences , University of Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
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Ou H, Lei T. A novel strategy for conditional gene knockout based on ΦC31 integrase and Gal4/UAS system in Drosophila. IUBMB Life 2013; 65:144-8. [PMID: 23297111 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The Gal4/upstream activating sequences (UAS) system offers great advantages in target gene expression by separating the responder line and diverse tissue-specific expressed Gal4 driver lines in Drosophila. The bipartite system is commonly used in gain-of-function analysis, and by combining with the RNA interference technology, it can also be applied in loss-of-function analysis. However, the off-target effect caused by this strategy has not been well solved so far. Furthermore, it can only partially knockdown a specific gene expression. In this study, a novel conditional gene knockout method that combined the use of ϕC31 integrase and Gal4/UAS system was described. The target gene was preliminarily flanked by ϕC31 integrase recognition sites attB and attP, followed by conditional expressed Gal4 lines to drive the recombinase that were under UAS control to achieve spatial and temporal gene deletion. We found the strategy performed well in Drosophila, and the efficiency was higher than 82% in gene knockout by self-excision. Our strategy takes advantage of exiting Gal4 library to drive the recombinase, rather than conventionally used method which the recombinase was droved directly by specific promoters, thereby providing a more flexible and versatile tool for gene function analysis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Ou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China.
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24
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St Johnston D. Using mutants, knockdowns, and transgenesis to investigate gene function in Drosophila. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol 2012; 2:587-613. [PMID: 24014449 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The sophisticated genetic techniques available in Drosophila are largely responsible for its success as a model organism. One of the most important of these is the ability to disrupt gene function in vivo and observe the resulting phenotypes. This review considers the ever-increasing repertoire of approaches for perturbing the functions of specific genes in flies, ranging from classical and transposon-mediated mutageneses to newer techniques, such as homologous recombination and RNA interference. Since most genes are used over and over again in different contexts during development, many important advances have depended on being able to interfere with gene function at specific times or places in the developing animal, and a variety of approaches are now available to do this. Most of these techniques rely on being able to create genetically modified strains of Drosophila and the different methods for generating lines carrying single copy transgenic constructs will be described, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel St Johnston
- The Gurdon Institute and the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
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25
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Bateman JR, Palopoli MF, Dale ST, Stauffer JE, Shah AL, Johnson JE, Walsh CW, Flaten H, Parsons CM. Captured segment exchange: a strategy for custom engineering large genomic regions in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2013; 193:421-30. [PMID: 23150604 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.112.145748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Site-specific recombinases (SSRs) are valuable tools for manipulating genomes. In Drosophila, thousands of transgenic insertions carrying SSR recognition sites have been distributed throughout the genome by several large-scale projects. Here we describe a method with the potential to use these insertions to make custom alterations to the Drosophila genome in vivo. Specifically, by employing recombineering techniques and a dual recombinase-mediated cassette exchange strategy based on the phiC31 integrase and FLP recombinase, we show that a large genomic segment that lies between two SSR recognition-site insertions can be "captured" as a target cassette and exchanged for a sequence that was engineered in bacterial cells. We demonstrate this approach by targeting a 50-kb segment spanning the tsh gene, replacing the existing segment with corresponding recombineered sequences through simple and efficient manipulations. Given the high density of SSR recognition-site insertions in Drosophila, our method affords a straightforward and highly efficient approach to explore gene function in situ for a substantial portion of the Drosophila genome.
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26
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Okray Z, Hassan BA. Genetic approaches in Drosophila for the study neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuropharmacology 2012; 68:150-6. [PMID: 23067575 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is one of the premier genetic model organisms used in biomedical research today owing to the extraordinary power of its genetic tool-kit. Made famous by numerous seminal discoveries of basic developmental mechanisms and behavioral genetics, the power of fruit fly genetics is becoming increasingly applied to questions directly relevant to human health. In this review we discuss how Drosophila research is applied to address major questions in neurodevelopmental disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Neurodevelopmental Disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Okray
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Herestraat 49, Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Abstract
It is now widely recognized that as cells of developing tissues transition through successive states of decreasing pluripotency into a state of terminal differentiation, they undergo significant changes in their gene expression profiles. Interestingly, these successive states of increasing differentiation are marked by the spatially and temporally restricted expression of sets of transcription factors. Each wave of transcription factors not only signals the arrival of a given stage in cellular differentiation, but it is also necessary for the activation of the next set of transcription factors, creating the appearance of a smooth, directed, and deterministic genetic program of cellular differentiation. Until recently, however, it was largely unknown which genes, besides each other, these transcription factors were activating. Thus, the molecular definition of any given step of differentiation, and how it gave rise to the following step remained unclear. Recent advances in transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and molecular genetics resulted in the identification of numerous transcription factor target genes (TGs). These advances have opened the door to using similar approaches in developmental biology to understand what the transcriptional cascades of cellular differentiation might be. Using the development of the Drosophila eye as a model system, we discuss the role of transcription factors and their TGs in cell fate specification and terminal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-jiang Quan
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, KU Leuven School of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
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28
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Koch M, Holt M. Coupling exo- and endocytosis: an essential role for PIP₂ at the synapse. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2012; 1821:1114-32. [PMID: 22387937 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2012.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2011] [Revised: 02/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Chemical synapses are specialist points of contact between two neurons, where information transfer takes place. Communication occurs through the release of neurotransmitter substances from small synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic terminal, which fuse with the presynaptic plasma membrane in response to neuronal stimulation. However, as neurons in the central nervous system typically only possess ~200 vesicles, high levels of release would quickly lead to a depletion in the number of vesicles, as well as leading to an increase in the area of the presynaptic plasma membrane (and possible misalignment with postsynaptic structures). Hence, synaptic vesicle fusion is tightly coupled to a local recycling of synaptic vesicles. For a long time, however, the exact molecular mechanisms coupling fusion and subsequent recycling remained unclear. Recent work now indicates a unique role for the plasma membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)), acting together with the vesicular protein synaptotagmin, in coupling these two processes. In this work, we review the evidence for such a mechanism and discuss both the possible advantages and disadvantages for vesicle recycling (and hence signal transduction) in the nervous system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Lipids and Vesicular Transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Koch
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease and K.U. Leuven Center for Human Genetics, O&N4 Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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29
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Abstract
We have recently developed a so-called genomic engineering approach that allows for directed, efficient and versatile modifications of Drosophila genome by combining the homologous recombination (HR)-based gene targeting with site-specific DNA integration. In genomic engineering and several similar approaches, a “founder” knock-out line must be generated first through HR-based gene targeting, which can still be a potentially time and resource intensive process. To significantly improve the efficiency and success rate of HR-based gene targeting in Drosophila, we have generated a new dual-selection marker termed W::Neo, which is a direct fusion between proteins of eye color marker White (W) and neomycin resistance (Neo). In HR-based gene targeting experiments, mutants carrying W::Neo as the selection marker can be enriched as much as fifty times by taking advantage of the antibiotic selection in Drosophila larvae. We have successfully carried out three independent gene targeting experiments using the W::Neo to generate genomic engineering founder knock-out lines in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Zhou
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Juan Huang
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Annie M. Watson
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yang Hong
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Abstract
Although a great deal is known about the identity, biogenesis, and targeting capacity of microRNAs (miRNAs) in animal cells, far less is known about their functional requirements at the organismal level. Much remains to be understood about the necessity of miRNAs for overt phenotypes, the identity of critical miRNA targets, and the control of miRNA transcription. In this review, we provide an overview of genetic strategies to study miRNAs in the Drosophila system, including loss- and gain-of-function techniques, genetic interaction strategies, and transgenic reporters of miRNA expression and activity. As we illustrate the usage of these techniques in intact Drosophila, we see certain recurrent themes for miRNA functions, including energy homeostasis, apoptosis suppression, growth control, and regulation of core cell signaling pathways. Overall, we hope that this exposition of Drosophila genetic techniques, well known to the legions of fly geneticists and used to study all genes, can inform the general miRNA community that focuses on other biochemical, molecular, computational, and structural avenues. Clearly, it is the combination of these myriad techniques that has accelerated miRNA research to its extraordinary pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Dai
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York NY 10065
| | - Peter Smibert
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York NY 10065
| | - Eric C. Lai
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York NY 10065
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Slabbaert JR, Khuong TM, Verstreken P. Phosphoinositides at the Neuromuscular Junction of Drosophila melanogaster: A Genetic Approach. Methods Cell Biol 2012; 108:227-47. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-386487-1.00012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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32
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Abstract
Research in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has led to insights in neural development, axon guidance, ion channel function, synaptic transmission, learning and memory, diurnal rhythmicity, and neural disease that have had broad implications for neuroscience. Drosophila is currently the eukaryotic model organism that permits the most sophisticated in vivo manipulations to address the function of neurons and neuronally expressed genes. Here, we summarize many of the techniques that help assess the role of specific neurons by labeling, removing, or altering their activity. We also survey genetic manipulations to identify and characterize neural genes by mutation, overexpression, and protein labeling. Here, we attempt to acquaint the reader with available options and contexts to apply these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J.T. Venken
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Julie H. Simpson
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, 20147
| | - Hugo J. Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
- Program in Developmental Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
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Abstract
We recently developed integrase-mediated trap conversion (iTRAC) as a means of exploiting gene traps to create new genetic tools, such as markers for imaging, drivers for gene expression and landing sites for gene and chromosome engineering. The principle of iTRAC is simple: primary gene traps are generated with transposon vectors carrying φC31 integrase docking sites, which are subsequently utilized to integrate different constructs into the selected trapped loci. Thus, iTRAC allows us to reconfigure selected traps for new purposes. Two features make iTRAC an attractive approach for Drosophila research. First, its versatility permits the exploitation of gene traps in an open-ended way, for applications that were not envisaged during the primary trapping screen. Second, iTRAC is readily transferable to new species and provides a means for developing complex genetic tools in drosophilids that lack the facility of Drosophila melanogaster genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zacharias Kontarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Crete, Greece
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Huang J, Ghosh P, Hatfull GF, Hong Y. Successive and targeted DNA integrations in the Drosophila genome by Bxb1 and phiC31 integrases. Genetics 2011; 189:391-5. [PMID: 21652525 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.129247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
At present ϕC31 is the only phage integrase system available for directionally regulated site-specific DNA integration in the Drosophila genome. Here we report that mycobacteriophage Bxb1 integrase also mediates targeted DNA integration in Drosophila with high specificity and efficiency. By alternately using Bxb1 and ϕC31, we were able to carry out multiple rounds of successive and targeted DNA integrations in our genomic engineering founder lines for the purpose of generating complex knock-in alleles.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTIONFluorescein-assisted light inactivation (FALI) is a powerful method for studying acute loss of protein function, even if the corresponding mutations lead to early lethality. In this protocol, FALI is mediated by the membrane-permeable FlAsH (4′,5′-bis(1,3,2-dithioarsolan-2-yl)fluorescein) compound that binds with high specificity to the genetically encoded tetracysteine tag and thus allows the inactivation of protein function in vivo with exquisite spatial (<40 Å) and temporal (<30 sec) resolution. It also enables the analysis of kinetically distinct processes such as synaptic vesicle exocytosis and endocytosis. This protocol describes efficient inactivation of a protein using FlAsH-FALI at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of third-instar larvae. Note that FlAsH-FALI in other tissues is also theoretically possible with minor adaptations to the protocol described here. We explain controls for positional effects, for unspecific FlAsH binding to endogenous proteins, and for phototoxicity. Following FlAsH-FALI, protein function can be studied using a number of secondary assays, including electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy or FM1-43 labeling of synaptic vesicle pools.
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Habets RLP, Verstreken P. Construction and expression of tetracysteine-tagged proteins for FlAsH-FALI. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2011; 2011:pdb.prot5596. [PMID: 21460045 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot5596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Jacobs JS, Hong X, Eberl DF. A "mesmer"izing new approach to site-directed mutagenesis in large transformation-ready constructs: Mutagenesis via Serial Small Mismatch Recombineering. Fly (Austin) 2011; 5:162-9. [PMID: 21339708 DOI: 10.4161/fly.5.2.15092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Creating designer mutations in large genes is a challenge. Size limitations imposed by site-directed mutagenesis (SDM), coupled with the paucity of unique restriction enzyme sites, make subsequent cloning of these constructs extremely difficult. "Mutagenesis via Serial Small Mismatch Recombineering" (MSSMR) combines sequential recombineering steps with SDM to create seamless, pre-specified mutations as small as a single base pair. We demonstrate the simultaneous cloning of wild type and mutant constructs of a > 30 kb gene directly into attB transformation vectors. No post-transformation manipulations are required, and because the technique relies on recombineering methods, addition of undesired mutations via PCR is minimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie S Jacobs
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNA molecules that have come to attract considerable interest for their roles in animal and plant development and disease. One means to study miRNA function in animal development is to create mutations. Use of gene-targeting strategies based on ends-out homologous recombination is a useful approach to produce mutations of desired structure, and is gaining popularity for producing miRNA knockouts. Here we present a detailed protocol for miRNA gene targeting and for their subsequent molecular characterization as well as confirmation by rescue. The descriptions of a series of modified vectors designed to facilitate the analysis of miRNA function are included, and a method to manipulate the mutant genome using recombinase-mediated cassette exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Wen Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore.
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Kwon Y, Shen WL, Shim HS, Montell C. Fine thermotactic discrimination between the optimal and slightly cooler temperatures via a TRPV channel in chordotonal neurons. J Neurosci 2010; 30:10465-71. [PMID: 20685989 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1631-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals select their optimal environmental temperature, even when faced with alternatives that differ only slightly. This behavior is critical as small differences in temperature of only several degrees can have a profound effect on the survival and rate of development of poikilothermic animals, such as the fruit fly. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila larvae choose their preferred temperature of 17.5 degrees C over slightly cooler temperatures (14-16 degrees C) through activation of chordotonal neurons. Mutations affecting a transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid channel, Inactive (Iav), which is expressed specifically in chordotonal neurons, eliminated the ability to choose 17.5 degrees C over 14-16 degrees C. The impairment in selecting 17.5 degrees C resulted from absence of an avoidance response, which is normally mediated by an increase in turns at the lower temperatures. We conclude that the decision to select the preferred over slightly cooler temperatures requires iav and is achieved by activating chordotonal neurons, which in turn induces repulsive behaviors, due to an increase in high angle turns.
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Kühnlein RP. Drosophila as a lipotoxicity model organism — more than a promise? Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2010; 1801:215-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2009.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2009] [Revised: 09/04/2009] [Accepted: 09/13/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Abstract
MicroRNA depletion by sequestration produces flexible hypomorphs that mimic mutants obtained by microRNA gene targeting.
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Abstract
The accessibility of new genomic resources, high-throughput molecular technologies and analytical approaches such as genome scans have made finding genes contributing to fitness variation in natural populations an increasingly feasible task. Once candidate genes are identified, we argue that it is necessary to take a mechanistic approach and work up through the levels of biological organization to fully understand the impacts of genetic variation at these candidate genes. We demonstrate how this approach provides testable hypotheses about the causal links among levels of biological organization, and assists in designing relevant experiments to test the effects of genetic variation on phenotype, whole-organism performance capabilities and fitness. We review some of the research programs that have incorporated mechanistic approaches when examining naturally occurring genetic and phenotypic variation and use these examples to highlight the value of developing a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between genotype and fitness. We give suggestions to guide future research aimed at uncovering and understanding the genetic basis of adaptation and argue that further integration of mechanistic approaches will help molecular ecologists better understand the evolution of natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne C Dalziel
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Weng R, Chen YW, Bushati N, Cliffe A, Cohen SM. Recombinase-mediated cassette exchange provides a versatile platform for gene targeting: knockout of miR-31b. Genetics 2009; 183:399-402. [PMID: 19564483 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.109.105213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of vectors has been designed to enhance the versatility of targeted homologous recombination. Recombinase-mediated cassette exchange permits sequential targeting at any locus and improves flexibility in making user-defined mutations. Application of RMCE to delete an intronic microRNA gene is described.
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